Current Events

The House on Friday passed a sweeping package to fight the opioid crisis, with members of both parties approving measures that include encouraging nonaddictive pain treatment and fighting the rise of synthetic drugs such as fentanyl.

The suite of legislation, comprising nearly 60 bills, passed the House 396 to 14. It would allow for increased research for nonaddictive pain medications, allow physician assistants and nurse practitioners to prescribe medications that treat opioid addiction and create opioid recovery centers.

“This package is not Congress’ first legislative response to this crisis, nor will it be our last. But it does include meaningful solutions that will update archaic policies, better equip our communities to respond to this evolving epidemic, and save lives,” Reps.
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Audi has issued a stop sale and recall for nearly 140,000 of its A6, A7 sedans in the United States due to a sensor issue that could result in the necessary air bags not deploying in the event of a crash.

Volkswagen's luxury brand reports in a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents that the recall affects 139,249 2012 through 2018 A6 sedans and A7 hatchbacks. This includes the automaker's S6, S7 and RS7 options, and the stop sale was issued because Audi believes some affected are still for sale at its dealerships.

The issue at the heart of the recall is the risk that the sensors could fail to detect a passenger in the passenger's seat, which would result in the necessary air bags not deploying during a crash.

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The next time you hop on a bicycle to head across town, consider this: your helmet may not perform well enough in an accident.

A first-of-its-kind study using the latest techniques for simulating head injuries found significant variations in how bike helmets protect against concussions.

Urban-style helmets -- which have nearly solid covers with few vents -- and those that haven’t adopted the latest anti-concussion technology were more than twice as likely to result in injuries, researchers from Virginia Tech and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found in a study released Tuesday.

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(Reuters) - Kellogg Co said on Thursday it is recalling an estimated 1.3 million cases of its Honey Smacks cereal from more than 30 U.S. states due to the potential for Salmonella contamination, in the latest case of U.S.
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Ever since he had Lasik surgery two years ago, Geobanni Ramirez sees everything in triplicate.

The surgery he hoped would improve his vision left the 33-year-old graphic artist struggling with extreme light sensitivity, double vision and visual distortions that create halos around bright objects and turn headlights into blinding starbursts.

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NEW YORK (Reuters) - A lawsuit by 22 ovarian cancer patients against Johnson & Johnson went to trial on Wednesday in Missouri state court, marking the largest case the company has faced over allegations its talc-based products contain cancer-causing asbestos.

The women and their families suing in the Circuit Court of the City of St. Louis say decades-long use of J&J’s Baby Powder and other cosmetic talc products caused their disease. They allege the company knew its talc was contaminated with asbestos since at least the 1970s but failed to warn consumers about the risks.

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(Reuters Health) - Prostate cancer patients who smoke are more likely to have tumors return, spread to other parts of the body, and become fatal than nonsmokers, a new study suggests.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Food and Drug Administration has recalled a heart device used at the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals to help some patients who have heart failure.

Key Points

Question  What has been the burden of opioid-related deaths in the United States over a recent 15-year period?

Findings  In this serial cross-sectional study, we found that the percentage of all deaths attributable to opioids increased 292% (from 0.4% to 1.5%) between 2001 and 2016, resulting in approximately 1.68 million person-years of life lost in 2016 alone (5.2 per 1000 population).
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday notified healthcare providers that it had received reports of five more deaths in patients using liquid-filled intragastric balloon systems to treat obesity, bringing the total death toll to 12 since 2016.

The balloon systems associated with the reports are made by ReShape Lifesciences and Apollo Endosurgery, the FDA said.

Shares of Apollo Endosurgery and ReShape were both down about 10 percent in late-afternoon trade.
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Four more people have died from tainted romaine lettuce, federal health officials said Friday, bringing the total to five deaths related to a virulent strain of E. coli whose source has still not been located.