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California mushroom poisonings are on the rise. Here's what's being done to curb exposure

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

David Yturralde arrived at the mushroom talk in Newport Beach recently armed with a pen and paper and a host of questions. The goal, he said, was to demystify those fascinating fungi that popped up on his grass after heavy winter rain.

He's long been interested in the mushrooms that sprout on the front lawn of his San Clemente home, but he's ...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

Editorial: ACA fraud is real. It's time to get serious about fixing it

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

In a series of YouTube ads viewed more than 195 million times, a red-lipped Taylor Swift tells viewers about a “new thing” in Florida: Just visit a website, answer two questions and the state will send you a $6,400 stimulus check.

Sound too good to be true? It was — and the narrator wasn’t Swift but an AI deepfake. The ads, since taken...Read more

Liz Rymarev/The Dallas Morning News/TNS

San Bernardino County reports first measles case since 2023 as U.S. infections continue to climb

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Health officials in San Bernardino County, California, have confirmed the first case of measles in the county since 2023.

The county's Department of Public Health said the case involves an unvaccinated child who was visiting from another state, and is unrelated to the recent case of an international traveler who visited a Disney park.

The ...Read more

AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post/TNS

After sponsor lambastes RFK Jr., Colorado bill aiming to increase vaccine access passes Senate

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

DENVER — The Colorado Senate this week approved a bill that would expand the list of who can authorize and prescribe vaccines and, in the words of the sponsor, sidestep “the dysfunction coming out of Washington, D.C.”

Senate Bill 32 would allow pharmacists to prescribe vaccines independently. It would also authorize the state Board of ...Read more

CDC/ Allison M. Maiuri, MPH, CHES/TNS/TNS

South Carolina nears 1,000 cases of measles in Upstate outbreak

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina is reporting nearly four dozen new cases of the measles virus, public health officials said Friday.

This brings the state’s total reported cases close to topping 1,000.

There have been 44 new cases of the measles, the South Carolina Department of Public Health announced Friday. That brings the total number ...Read more

The vast majority of people who get measles are not vaccinated against the measles virus.   Andrzej Rostek/istock via Getty Images Plus

US experiencing largest measles outbreak since 2000 – 5 essential reads on the risks, what to do and what’s coming next

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

The measles outbreak in South Carolina reached 876 cases on Feb. 3, 2026. That number surpasses the 2025 outbreak in Texas and hits the unfortunate milestone of being the largest outbreak in the U.S. since 2000, when the disease was declared eliminated here.

The outbreak is exposing the breadth of dangers the disease can pose. South ...Read more

The quest to restrict Planned Parenthood's funding has made headway. Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Federal and state authorities are taking a 2-pronged approach to make it harder to get an abortion

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Anti-abortion conservatives have long sought to force Planned Parenthood’s clinics to close their doors and to make it harder, if not impossible, to get abortion pills as part of a two-pronged approach to limit access to abortion.

First, undermine Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers by questioning their credibility and ...Read more

David Cargo, a Dungeons & Dragons player, dressed as one of his characters named Thorn Woodson, browses through board games at Portland Comic Expo on Oct. 27, 2019, in Portland, Ore.  Ariana van den Akker/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images

Whether it’s yoga, rock climbing or Dungeons & Dragons, taking leisure to a high level can be good for your well-being

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

What do collecting old editions of Dungeons & Dragons monster manuals, securing the same tailgate spot for over 20 years and mastering yoga postures have in common? They are all forms of “serious leisure.”

These pursuits are different from casual hobbies in several ways. They require participation over longer periods, which ...Read more

DREAMSTIME/TNS

Mayo Clinic uses gene editing to reverse inherited kidney disease in preclinical study

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic researchers have developed a promising gene-editing therapy that directly corrects a genetic mutation responsible for autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), the most common inherited kidney disorder.

A single treatment of the gene therapy slowed kidney cyst growth, improved heart and liver health,...Read more

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On Nutrition: Reader comments

Health Advice / Nutrition /

In a recent column, I described myself as a “nutrition nerd” regarding my fascination with the human body’s ability to process food into substances we need to maintain health.

Outlining how food is digested, I wrote: “As food nears the stomach, it arrives at a security gate called the esophageal sphincter that opens just long enough for...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

Is Charlotte at risk for bigger measles outbreak as cases climb in the Carolinas?

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The spread of a highly contagious disease is creeping into the Charlotte region. But experts say there are steps the community can take to prevent the kind of widespread outbreaks springing up in other parts of the country.

Mecklenburg County in recent weeks reported three cases of measles. Nearby Union County sent out more ...Read more

Patient With Superficial Spreading Melanoma Asks For Guidance

Health Advice / Keith Roach /

DEAR DR. ROACH: I was recently diagnosed with superficial spreading melanoma. I had a wide excision and was told to follow up with a dermatologist. The dermatologist says to follow up every six months; is this frequent enough? It was found during a routine annual skin check, and I never expected this outcome.

I am amazed at the number of ...Read more

Giving beans their due

Overall, Americans aren't as full of beans as folks in Mexico, Latin America and Asia. Studies have found that only 5% of us eat beans every day and the average person consumes about a third of a cup a week -- far below what the new dietary recommendations and the U.S. Department of Agriculture suggest.

I bet you've seen the new food pyramid ...Read more

Finding Balance Within: Homeopathy for Anxiety-related Emotional Trauma

Living with anxiety can be challenging, especially when accompanied by emotional trauma. While professional help is vital in managing anxiety, homeopathy can provide support in addressing the emotional wounds associated with this condition. In this article, we will explore the potential benefits of homeopathy in healing anxiety-related ...Read more

Oral Wegovy pills were approved by the Food and Drug Administration in December 2025 and became available for purchase in the U.S. in January 2026.
              UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

You’ve reached your weight loss goal on GLP-1 medications – what now?

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

GLP-1 drugs have ushered in a new era in weight loss.

In just a few years, medications such as semaglutide and tirzepatide, known by the brand names Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound, have gone from niche diabetes treatments to household names, reshaping how America thinks about weight loss.

A November 2025 Kaiser Family ...Read more

Robert Willett/The News & Observer/TNS

Gov. Josh Stein signs executive order following NC killings tied to mental illness

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein has signed a new executive order directing various state agencies to “take unified action” to strengthen the state’s behavioral health and criminal justice systems.

“Recently, there have been several tragic instances in North Carolina where people experiencing serious mental health crisis...Read more

Luke Sharrett/KFF Health News/TNS

When health insurance costs more than the mortgage

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

When Noah Hulsman, who owns a skate shop in Louisville, Kentucky, learned he no longer qualified for federal subsidies to help him pay for his “gold” Affordable Care Act health plan, the 37-year-old opted for skimpier coverage. But the deductible is about a quarter of his yearly income.

Loretta Forbes realized she would have to drop her ...Read more

DREAMSTIME/TNS

It's 2026 and you're uninsured. Now what?

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

Health policy changes in Washington will ripple through the country, resulting in millions of Americans losing their Medicaid or Affordable Care Act coverage. But there are still ways to find care.

Over the next decade, the GOP’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act is expected to slash nearly $1 trillion in spending from Medicaid, the state-federal ...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

New year, new focus on health: Mayo Clinic expert highlights effective treatment options for obesity

Health Advice / Health & Fitness /

ROCHESTER, Minn. — As the new year begins, people around the world resolve to improve their health. For some adults living with obesity, lifestyle changes alone may not be enough to treat the disease.

Omar Ghanem, M.D., Mayo Clinic medical director for the Middle East and a metabolic surgeon and chair of metabolic and abdominal wall ...Read more

An Issue With Billing Forces A Patient To Pay Out Of Pocket

Health Advice / Keith Roach /

DEAR DR. ROACH: As a retired teacher, I have been blessed with amazing insurance that has covered absolutely everything for the past decade. However, when my wife went to get an MRI for a collapsed hip recently, associates for my insurance told me they were missing important paperwork that was needed for approval. However, the doctor's office ...Read more