A new trend is making it easier for parents to get help during pregnancy, birth and the early months. A doula is a trained helper who offers physical comfort and emotional encouragement to expectant mothers, partners and newborns. In the past, doula services were only for families who could pay e
A federal judge in Boston recently reversed a controversial change to the U. S. vaccination schedule that had been pushed by the Health and Human Services Secretary. The new rules, introduced in January, trimmed the recommended vaccines from 16 to 11 and altered other timing guidelines. Those change
Pakistan has announced that it will host a two‑day meeting with Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt to discuss ways to ease the conflict that began last month. The talks are aimed at finding a path toward reducing hostilities in the region. Foreign ministers from the four countries will meet to talk abo
The city council approved a $2. 65 million plan to buy new protective clothing for its 270 firefighters after tests showed that their current gear contains harmful PFAS chemicals. These substances, known as “forever chemicals, ” do not break down in the body and can raise cancer risks. Firefig
Alaska faces a serious problem: teen suicide is the top cause of death for people aged 15 to 24. Many young people feel alone and do not know how to get help. A new law, House Bill 232, could give teens ages 16 and 17 a way to see mental‑health professionals without needing their parents’ permission
The state’s farmers are the unseen heroes that keep our plates full. Minnesota is sixth in overall farm output across the U. S. and leads in more than 20 products, such as sugar beets, turkeys, green peas, hogs, sweet corn, soybeans, sunflower seeds, canola, dry beans and oats. Corn is the fou
The biopharma firm Jazz Pharmaceuticals is making headlines because its shares have surged nearly 50 percent in the last year. The company focuses on drugs for sleep disorders and cancer, with two main products—Xywav and Xyrem—helping people who suffer from narcolepsy. Those medicines have become th
Students from the local university have turned a small, friendly robot into a helpful tour guide for tourists in Bremerhaven. The project, called PepperMINT, repurposes a four‑foot robot named Pepper to answer questions and read body language. The city welcomed the idea, seeing it as a way to make t
The idea that wind and solar automatically lower electricity bills is a myth. A series of posts by an analyst named Steve Carson shows that while renewable plants produce power for almost no fuel cost, the grid still has to pay a lot for flexibility, backup and wiring. The article first looks at Chi
In adolescence, the brain’s “default mode, ” “central executive, ” and “salience” networks are thought to work together for social understanding. When these networks do not connect properly, people may find it hard to read others’ feelings or intentions. Researchers compared teens with autism spectr
