(2019-10-21). Opioid crisis: Aberration, or logical outgrowth of for-profit US healthcare system? rt.com 
Four major drug companies have reached a partial settlement over their role in the opioid epidemic, dodging a federal trial. The drug plague is less of an accident than an inevitable consequence of a for-profit healthcare system. | US drug distributors AmerisourceBergen Corp., Cardinal Health Inc., and McKesson Corp. — as well as Israel-based drug manufacturer Teva Pharmaceuticals — have tentatively settled suits with two Ohio counties for $260 million, over charges they misled the public about the addictive potential of their drugs. The deal narrowly avoids a federal trial that was set to start on M…
(2019-10-21). Pete Buttigieg's Corporate Heel-Turn. truthdig.com 
Pete Buttigieg burst on the national scene early this year as a new sort of presidential candidate. But it turns out he's a very old kind — a glib ally of corporate America posing as an advocate for working people and their families. That has become apparent this fall as Buttigieg escalates his offensive against Medicare for All. | A not-so-funn…
(2019-10-21). Pete Buttigieg is a sharp corporate tool. nationofchange.org The mayor continues to falsely characterize Medicare for All — no matter how much confusion and disinformation he creates along the way.
(2019-10-21). Kaiser therapists take to the streets to protest HMO's failure to provide mental health services. indybay.org Kaiser Permanente psychologists, therapists, and social workers took to the streets Saturday, October 19 to protest Kaiser's chronic failure to provide its patients with timely access to mental health care.
(2019-10-21). Military spending's out of control while slashing it could easily fund Medicare for All. nationofchange.org Moment of truth on military spending in the NY Times.
(2019-10-21). New research finds coastal living linked with better mental health. indybay.org Living close to the sea could support better mental health in England's poorest urban communities, finds a new study published today in the journal Health and Place.
(2019-10-21). Trump EPA's Paraquat Review Ignores Strong Links to Parkinson's Disease. indybay.org Agency Considers Reapproving Lethal Pesticide Banned in Much of World…
(2019-10-21). Headlines for October 21, 2019. democracynow.org U.S. Troops Leaving Syria Headed for Iraq, Anti-Government Protests Sweep the Globe, Bolivia Presidential Election Appears to Head for a Runoff, Brother of Honduran President Found Guilty of Cocaine Trafficking, Trump Says G7 Will Not Be Held at His Private Golf Course, Hillary Clinton Accuses Jill Stein, Tulsi Gabbard of Being Linked to Russia, Landmark Trial over Opioid Epidemic in Cleveland, Ohio, Tornado Rages Through Dallas, Leaving 100,000 Without Power, Judge Temporarily Blocks Florida Law Limiting Voting by Ex-Felons…
(2019-10-21). International Tax Emergency. A Critical Time for Developing Nations to Speak Up! commondreams.org It is time for developing countries to mobilize to fight back against tax avoidance. Increasing their fiscal resources is the only way to improve access to health, education, gender equality, or the fight against climate change. (Image: Offshore Shell Games) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2019-10-20). High pollution days 'lead to more cardiac arrests, strokes and asthma attacks'. thecanary.co Spikes in air pollution trigger hundreds of heart attacks, strokes and acute asthma attacks in English cities compared to days when the air is cleaner, according to new research. | A study by King's College London found there are significant short-term health risks caused by air pollution, as well as contributing to up to 36,000 deaths every year. | The study looked at data from nine English cities — London, Birmingham, Bristol, Derby, Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, Oxford and Southampton. | It found on high pollution days — days when pollutant levels were in the top half of the annual range [mdas…
(2019-10-18). UN Committee says Ebola in DR Congo still an international public health emergency. un.org The Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) officially remains a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, experts meeting in Geneva said on Friday.
(2019-10-18). Patients' Needs, Not Personal Beliefs, Come First in Health Care. aclu.org From the | start, the Trump administration has issued one regulation after another that uses | religion to deny people — particularly pregnant people, people with low-incomes, | and LGBTQ people — health care access and coverage. Today, we are asking | a federal district court in New York to strike down one of the most pernicious | of these regulations: the refusal of care rule. | The refusal | of care rule, issued by the Department of Health | and Human Services (…
(2019-10-17). In Ohio Debate, Media Stuck to an Increasingly Rigid Script. fair.org 
by Julie Hollar | This week's Democratic presidential debate, hosted in Westerville, Ohio, by CNN and the New York Times, confirmed that media are stuck in a fairly rigid debate script that elevates questions about healthcare and the economy above all else, and leaves many pressing topics deeply underexplored. | The October 15 debate focused heavily on the economy, which made up 30% of all the questions. The next most frequent topic? Non-policy issues (17%), w…
(2019-10-17). He Died in Jail From Dehydration. His Family Says a Leaked Video Shows it Was Murder. therealnews.com 
On this episode of the Police Accountability Report we examine the case of Shali Tilson, who died after he was jailed during a mental health crisis. But a leaked video shows he was denied water and medical treatment by GA prison authorities for a week—mistreatment his family says was criminal.
(2019-10-17). Tuberculosis infections declining, but not fast enough among poor, marginalised: UN health agency. un.org A staggering 1.5 million people died from tuberculosis (TB) last year, the UN health agency said on Thursday, in an appeal for far greater funding and political support to eradicate the curable and preventable disease.
(2019-10-16). Real Talk Tho: Is There a More Equitable Way to Fund Development? therealnews.com 
Encouraging development without big tax breaks to developers is possible in Baltimore. While Baltimore has used hefty tax subsidies for wealthy developers to fund development in the past, there are more equitable approaches to stimulating growth that do not exacerbate the inequities that plague our city and could repair decades of racial segregation and discrimination: …
(2019-10-16). Obesity rates soar due to dramatic global diet shift, says UN food agency. un.org Eating food high in starch, sugar, fats and salt; combined with a sedentary lifestyle, is a recipe for soaring global obesity rates, even in countries where many still suffer from hunger. On World Food Day, which falls on Wednesday, the UN's food agency, FAO, is calling for action to make healthy, sustainable diets affordable and accessible for all.
(2019-10-16). What I Learned From the Debate: Democrats Still Can't Level With Voters About the American Empire. theintercept.com In the past few years, the Democratic Party has started dealing with reality on domestic policy. Largely thanks to leadership from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, actual solutions to actual problems are now on the agenda: Medicare for All, a big minimum wage hike, a Green New Deal, and the most radical, important idea — changes in who runs corporations. | Unfortunately, the presidential debate in Ohio on Tuesday night showed that Democrats are still a million miles a…
(2019-10-16). Mehdi Hasan: "There Should Only Be Two Front-Runners Right Now: Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren" democracynow.org 
Twelve candidates took to the stage for the fourth round of the Democratic presidential debate in Westerville, Ohio, Tuesday to spar over healthcare, foreign policy, impeachment, gun violence, economic inequality and more. Senator Elizabeth Warren — who is now leading some national polls — repeatedly came under attack from her rivals. In the first debate since Senator Bernie Sanders suffered a heart attack two weeks ago, the Vermont senator advocated for a Green New Deal, Medicare for All and a wealth tax. Former Vice President Joe Biden attacked the proposals of both Sanders and Warren and faced scru…
(2019-10-16). Dem Debate: "Disingenuous" Attacks on Medicare for All Distract from Cost of Today's Broken System. democracynow.org 
Democratic candidates sparred at Tuesday's debate over their healthcare platforms and Medicare for All. We speak with Dr. Steffie Woolhandler, a professor at CUNY-Hunter College and the co-founder of Physicians for a National Health Program. Moderators in the CNN and New York Times debate repeatedly pressed Elizabeth Warren on whether taxes would increase under Medicare for All. "The framing of that question is crazy," says Dr. Woolhandler. "What really matters is how much a household is paying."
(2019-10-15). Our Online Speech Rights Are Under Threat. aclu.org Congress on Wednesday will examine a little-known law that has made the internet the space for self-expression and connection that it is today. The law, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (CDA 230), is one of the most speech protective laws Congress has ever enacted and it is now under threat. | The internet today provides us an indispensable platform to communicate freely with others who might otherwis…
(2019-10-12). Turkey Attacks US Troops, Iran Tanker Bombed No One Cares, CIA "Whistleblower" & Terrorism Vaccine. thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (10/11/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …
(2019-10-11). Trump's latest policy assault on immigrants is cruel and unnecessary. splcenter.org Last week the Trump administration renewed its attack on immigrants, this time limiting admission to our country to only people who can prove they will have health insurance coverage within 30 days of entering the United States.
(2019-10-08). The Benefits of Medical Marijuana for Mesothelioma Patients. thelastamericanvagabond.com When traditional medicines stop working, doctors can only do so much to treat their patients. Patients who become desperate often turn to other possible solutions for their treatment. This desperation is the case for most mesothelioma patients. Many of them report relief from taking medical marijuana. Despite the approval of the use of medical marijuana …
(2019-06-19). House Casts Historic Vote to Repeal Authorization for Endless War. peaceaction.org Washington, D.C. — June 19, 2019 — In response to the House of Representatives passing H.R. 2740 (Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Legislative Branch, Defense, State, Foreign Operations, and Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, 2020), which includes language to repeal the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) eight months after …