April is Global Volunteer Month. All month long, we’re recognizing some of the ways Cisco employees give their time, skills, and expertise in their communities. In 1991, the US established April as National Volunteer Month. Today, that scope has expanded, and it’s recognized as Global Volunteer Month. Since Cisco’s founding 40 years ago, giving back to our communities has been a part of our tradition. Giving back as a habit is part of what it means to work at Cisco today. It’s an important aspect of our culture and supported by a variety of programs. Simply put, our employees love…

The Department of Health and Human Services is facing spending as well as staffing cuts. Alex Brandon/AP hide caption toggle caption Alex Brandon/AP The Trump administration is requiring the Department of Health and Human Services to cut spending on contracts by 35%, HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon confirmed to NPR. The spending cut is across all divisions of HHS – which includes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and other agencies. This comes on the heels of a nearly 25% staff reduction at…

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced wide-ranging cutbacks at federal health agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration, that would eliminate duplicative services and paper pushers. But in interviews with more than a dozen current and former F.D.A. staff members, a different picture emerged of the far-reaching effects of the layoffs that would ultimately reduce the agency work force by 20 percent. Among them are experts who navigated a maze of laws to determine if an expensive drug can be sold as a low-cost generic; lab scientists who tested food and drugs for contaminants or deadly bacteria; veterinary division…

Beets are one of my favorite vegetables. I use beet root powder in homemade blush, add them to salads, and use them to make great tasting strawberry beet fruit leather. Beet root gummies are a delightful way to get the benefits of beets in gummy form. My kids love chewable vitamins and beet gummies are also really high in nutrients. They’re a refined sugar free, gluten-free way to get extra nutrition into their diets. Plus, they have added benefits for those in sports or anyone needing a brain or energy boost. This humble root veggie has a lot to offer!…

I still remember that American Amateur Baseball Congress (AABC) championship game where, with the scoreboard reading 1-1 in the final inning, a ground ball shot toward me and everything slowed down. The crucial double-play required absolute precision – one fraction of an inch off, and our season would end. We executed flawlessly, setting up the game-winning home run moments later. Years later at Lawrence Stadium in Wichita, Kansas, I found myself in an even bigger spotlight – the NBC World Series with 16,000 fans creating a wall of sound, the energy electric as we battled through nine intense innings with…

Sugary drinks including soda are the leading source of added sugars in the American diet. RapidEye/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption RapidEye/Getty Images Most people who study nutrition agree, reducing the amount of soda Americans consume would be good for the nation’s health. But the plan to block people using the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — SNAP — from buying soda is getting mixed reviews. Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. is encouraging states to pursue the idea — which would have to be administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and possibly approved by Congress. But even if a…

Douglas Sacha/Getty Images/Moment RF Fentanyl, the deadly synthetic opioid driving the nation’s high drug overdose rates, is also caught up in another serious problem: misinformation. False and misleading narratives on social media, in news reports and even in popular television dramas suggesting people can overdose from touching fentanyl — rather than ingesting it — are now informing public policy and spending decisions. Some state and local governments, for instance, are investing money from their share of the billions in opioid settlement funds in efforts to protect first responders from purported risks described in fentanyl misinformation. In 2022 and 2023, 19…

Have you ever heard of PCOS? It’s short for polycystic ovary syndrome, a common hormonal condition that affects women during their reproductive years. You might notice irregular periods, extra hair growing where you don’t want it or even trouble getting pregnant. If you’re affected, you’re not alone — PCOS impacts 6% to 20% of reproductive-age women worldwide.1 The great news? PCOS can be managed with simple lifestyle changes — like eating better, moving more and handling stress. It’s wise to try these steps first because they boost your overall health and make life feel better as well. Further, these aren’t…

Everyone knows that Europeans tend to live longer than Americans. But a new study has a surprising twist: Even the richest Americans only live about as long as the poorest western Europeans. Embargoed until 5 pm April 2. JUANA SUMMERS, HOST: There’s more evidence today that the United States lags behind affluent European countries in enabling people to live long, healthy lives. A big new study out today reveals a surprising new twist on this problem. NPR health correspondent Rob Stein has the story. ROB STEIN: Even though the U.S. spends way more on medical care than other affluent countries,…

The Supreme Court heard arguments on Wednesday in a case arising from South Carolina’s attempt to deny funding to Planned Parenthood. But the question the justices grappled with was a relatively narrow one, focused on whether individuals may sue the state to obtain medical services from Planned Parenthood unrelated to abortion. In 2018, Gov. Henry McMaster of South Carolina, a Republican, ordered state officials to deny Medicaid funds to Planned Parenthood, saying that “payment of taxpayer funds to abortion clinics, for any purpose, results in the subsidy of abortion and the denial of the right to life.” Medicaid gives federal…