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Apr 25 2026HEALTH

Building a new heart center in mid-May

Columbia’s Boone Health system is rushing to open its own heart clinic by May 6 after losing a partnership that lasted over ten years. The split affects around 20, 000 patients who will now receive care from a new team of about three dozen doctors, nurses, and technicians hired specifically for the

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Apr 25 2026HEALTH

Cortisol: The Hormone You Can’t Live Without (But Isn’t Your Enemy)

Your body runs on a hidden schedule you never see. Before your alarm even rings, a quiet chemical alarm goes off—cortisol. This isn’t a villain sneaking around; it’s your morning starter, gently nudging your heart rate up, waking up your brain, and unlocking energy stores so you can move, think, and

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Apr 25 2026CRIME

How rap lyrics and bias shaped a death sentence

In 2008, two young men in Texas made a terrible decision. James Broadnax and Demarius Cummings robbed two strangers—music producers Stephen Swan and Matthew Butler—in a parking lot. The robbery turned deadly when bullets were fired. Broadnax was later arrested, confessed to the crime, and was senten

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Apr 25 2026HEALTH

Phones and Memory: Can They Really Help?

People today often turn to smartphones for daily tasks like keeping in touch or managing schedules. For those facing memory challenges, these devices might seem like helpful tools. But science isn’t sure if phones actually improve memory outside of lab tests. Most studies focus on artificial setting

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Apr 25 2026FINANCE

Wheat prices: the quiet storm behind the scenes

Wheat isn’t usually the star of grain markets. Most people hear “wheat” and think of dusty fields or cheap bread, not stock exchanges. Yet this week, something shifted in the market that caught attention. The hard red winter wheat contract rose over 30 cents compared to last week, and more traders p

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Apr 25 2026HEALTH

Hidden Chemicals: What’s Really in Our Blood?

Most people don’t know it, but tiny amounts of PFAS—man-made chemicals in everything from nonstick pans to firefighting foams—are likely floating around in their blood. Tests on over 10, 000 American blood samples found these substances almost everywhere. Out of nearly 10, 600 people, only 19 had ju

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Apr 25 2026SCIENCE

100 Years of Public Health Insights: How Far Have We Really Come?

A full century has passed since health experts began sharing research about diseases, treatments, and prevention in a regular, public way. Back then, people faced very different challenges—like polio outbreaks or the lack of penicillin—that shaped early discussions. Today, we look back at all those

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Apr 25 2026HEALTH

A Second Chance at Life Through Small Choices

At 30 years old, Adam Bird had lost everything—his job, his home, even the ability to walk without pain. His weight had ballooned to over 400 pounds, and blood clots in his legs made every step feel like being stabbed repeatedly. Doctors warned he might never walk normally again and suggested drasti

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Apr 25 2026ENTERTAINMENT

TMZ heads to Washington with flashy moves

The arrival of TMZ in Washington isn’t just another entertainment industry takeover—it’s a symptom of how politics and pop culture have blended over time. For years, the city’s power players acted like gatekeepers, keeping out tabloid-style media. But with public trust in Congress at historic lows a

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Apr 25 2026RELIGION

Why Some Cultures Hesitate About Organ Donation

In Barcelona, a unique effort tried to understand why some people refuse organ donation. The project, which ran in 2018, brought together leaders from different faiths to talk openly about donation. Instead of focusing only on medical facts, it asked religious and cultural voices how their beliefs m

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