Birth workers in Kansas are addressing the state's high rate of infant mortality Kansas has one of the highest rates of infant mortality in the U.S., and for Black babies the picture is especially dire. Birth workers are looking for ways to reduce the number of deaths. Rose Conlon
New omicron subvariants now dominant in the U.S., raising fears of a winter surge Step aside, BA.5. The new variants BQ.1 and BQ.1.1, appear to be among the most adept yet at evading immunity from previous infection and vaccination. Rob Stein
Control of Congress matters. But which party now runs your state might matter more In state-level races, Democrats defied expectations, but Republican incumbents held their ground. On the whole, red states continue to grow redder, and blue ones bluer. Laura Benshoff
Food insecurity is driving women in Africa into sex work, increasing HIV risk A study found that giving direct food support to women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa cut their risk of contracting HIV by 64%, because it alleviated the pressure to engage in high-risk sex. Seyma Bayram
Proposition 31 passes in California: flavored tobacco will be banned Californians voted overwhelmingly to uphold a ban on flavored tobacco products — including e-cigarettes. Anti-smoking advocates hope more states and federal regulators will follow. Yuki Noguchi
RSV is on the rise among children, but figuring out where is complicated Emergency rooms at children's hospitals are seeing dramatic increases in admissions because of RSV and other respiratory viruses. But there are complications to tracking the virus in rural communities especially. Hans Anderson
Delayed care, missed diagnoses plague VA health centers following adoption of new records system Spokesman Review reporter Orion Donovan-Smith joins Soundside to talk about the many issues facing VA healthcare centers in Washington state, after they switched to the new Oracle Cerner electronic health records system. Libby Denkmann
Meditation works as well as a popular drug to reduce anxiety, study finds Researchers compared a practice of daily mindfulness meditation to taking Lexapro to control anxiety symptoms. The meditators got equivalent relief, without the side effects. April Fulton
Cornell suspends frat parties after reports of drugged drinks and sexual assault The suspension comes after reports of several students drugged between September and November and a sexual assault reported over the weekend. Jaclyn Diaz
New VA study finds Paxlovid may cut the risk of long COVID For those at high risk, Pfizer's antiviral drug helps stave off severe COVID-19. Now research suggests it may also reduce their chances of long COVID. Pien Huang
