Prion Disease Mutations Impact Synapses Before Symptoms Appear


New research reveals that prion disease mutations can alter the structure of neuron synapses long before symptoms emerge. Scientists studied neurons derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) of patients with the E200K prion protein mutation, showing changes in neuron-to-neuron contact sites even in the absence of misfolded prion proteins.

KFF Health News’ ‘What the Health?’: Congress Punts to a Looming Lame-Duck Session


The Host Julie Rovner KFF Health News @jrovner Read Julie’s stories. Julie Rovner is chief Washington correspondent and host of KFF Health News’ weekly health policy news podcast, “What the Health?” A noted expert on health policy issues, Julie is the author of the critically praised reference book “Health Care Politics and Policy A to […]

Blue Light Exposure Induces Behavioral and Epigenetic Changes in Fish


Artificial light at night (ALAN), particularly blue light, disrupts fish behavior and affects their offspring. After just a few nights of blue light exposure, zebrafish displayed anxiety-like behaviors, such as reduced swimming and wall-hugging, and their offspring exhibited decreased activity despite never being exposed themselves.

KFF Health News’ ‘What the Health?’: American Health Under Trump — Past, Present, and Future


The Host Emmarie Huetteman KFF Health News @emmarieDC Emmarie Huetteman, senior editor, oversees a team of Washington reporters, as well as “Bill of the Month” and KFF Health News’ “What the Health?” She previously spent more than a decade reporting on the federal government, most recently covering surprise medical bills, drug pricing reform, and other health policy […]

Harris and Trump Are Ready To Take on Big Pharma


Former president Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are both eager to take on high drug prices, leaving pharmaceutical companies on the defensive as they spend millions of dollars this election season. When Harris was California’s attorney general, she joined cases that resulted in almost $7.2 billion (about $22 per person in the United […]

Robot Deception: Some Lies Accepted, Others Rejected


A new study examined how humans perceive different types of deception by robots, revealing that people accept some lies more than others. Researchers presented nearly 500 participants with scenarios where robots engaged in external, hidden, and superficial deceptions in medical, cleaning, and retail settings. Participants disapproved most of hidden deceptions, such as a cleaning robot […]