Calvin “CJ” Dickey Jr. is seen on a cruise with his family in 2023. He died July 12, 2024, after his first football practice at Bucknell University. Calvin and Nicole Dickey hide caption toggle caption Calvin and Nicole Dickey The family of a Bucknell University football player who died after his first football practice last July has filed a lawsuit against the school, Bucknell officials and athletic staff, alleging his death was the result of a hazing ritual for freshmen players. Calvin “CJ” Dickey, 18, was doing “up-downs” with his teammates in the Lewisburg, Pa., school’s Pascucci Team Center on…

The extensive layoffs of federal health workers that began on Tuesday will greatly curtail the scope and influence of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the world’s premier public health agency, an outcome long sought by conservatives critical of its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. The reorganization of the Department of Health and Human Services shrinks the C.D.C. by 2,400 employees, or roughly 18 percent of its work force, and strips away some of its core functions. Some Democrats in Congress described the reorganization throughout H.H.S. as flatly illegal. “You cannot decimate and restructure H.H.S. without Congress,” said Senator…

I have a confession to make about something I’ve been doing over the past 10 years: I have diligently separated my wet and dry waste. What does that mean? Everything that is biodegradable, like food scraps, goes in one bin; everything like paper or plastic goes to another; and medical waste to the third bin.  I have also been composting my wet waste, an average of two pounds per day. This amounts to nearly 2,800 pounds diverted from the landfill over four years. So why is this relevant to my journey at Cisco? Small actions like this can have a…

The Supreme Court hears arguments Wednesday in a case that tests whether South Carolina can remove Planned Parenthood clinics from its state Medicaid program, even though Medicaid funds cannot generally be used to fund abortions. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Andrew Harnik/Getty Images The Supreme Court hears arguments Wednesday in a case that isn’t really about abortion, except that it is. At issue is whether a state — in this case, South Carolina — can remove Planned Parenthood clinics from its state Medicaid program, even though Medicaid funds cannot generally be used to fund abortions. Planned Parenthood South…

Understanding Today’s Privacy Landscape  In our interconnected world, data privacy has become increasingly important. The Cisco 2025 Data Privacy Benchmark Study, which gathered perspectives from 2,600+ privacy and security professionals across 12 countries, paints a dynamic picture of the state of privacy today. Ninety percent of organizations believe local data storage is inherently safer than globally distributed storage despite higher operational costs. However, 91% — a five-percentage point increase from the past year — recognize global providers are better positioned to safeguard their data. This reflects the compromise that businesses face when deciding where to store data: balancing the desire…

New tests of blood and spinal fluid could help doctors quickly identify patients who would most benefit from treatment. Andrew Brookes/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Andrew Brookes/Getty Images When doctors suspect Alzheimer’s, they can order a blood test to learn whether a patient’s brain contains the sticky amyloid plaques that are a hallmark of the disease. But the results of that test won’t tell the whole story, says Dr. Randall Bateman, a neurology professor at Washington University in St. Louis. “People can have a head full of amyloid, but no dementia or memory loss,” Bateman says. So he and…

Obesity-driven muscle deterioration occurs when mitochondria, the energy-producing centers of your cells, stop working properly. Skeletal muscle requires constant energy, but when insulin resistance sets in, mitochondrial function declines and oxidative stress skyrockets. As a result, your body loses its ability to efficiently generate energy, while inflammation and free radicals break down muscle fibers faster than they regenerate. Over time, this leads to muscle weakness, reduced endurance, and worsening glucose control, which fuels the very disease that caused the problem in the first place. With metabolic disease on the rise, solutions that support mitochondrial health are more important than ever.…

Meals on Wheels, which delivers food to homebound seniors, is among the programs for the elderly and disabled now at risk now because federal agencies have fired staff who administer them. Amy Sancetta/AP hide caption toggle caption Amy Sancetta/AP The layoffs at the Department of Health and Human Services slashed the staffs of major federal aging, disability and anti-poverty programs, leaving the future of those programs uncertain. At least 40% of staff got layoff notices and many were turned away at the front door Tuesday when they showed up for work at the Administration for Community Living, or ACL, which…

We interact with people every day: A brief nod to a neighbor. A friendly chat in the school pick-up line. A heart-to-heart with a friend. Together, these moments add up to your “social biome,” a term coined by the communication researchers Andy Merolla, of the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Jeffrey Hall, of the Universy of Kansas, to describe the complex ecosystem of relationships that can shape your quality of life. In their new book, “The Social Biome,” Dr. Merolla and Dr. Hall argue that there are several key elements that contribute to a vibrant, healthy social biome. Our…

Employees of the Department of Health and Human Services stand in line to enter the Mary E. Switzer Memorial Building on April 01, 2025 in Washington, DC. Widespread layoffs began Tuesday across the agency. Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images The Trump administration began sending notices of termination to thousands of staffers at federal health agencies Tuesday, according to interviews with employees and officials at multiple agencies and e-mails reviewed by NPR. The Department of Health and Human Services last week announced it planned to dismiss 10,000 people. These cuts come on top of around 10,000…