Laura Kelly

North Korea nuclear fears boost demand for survivalist gear, services

With reports about North Korea's improved rocket capabilities, verbal jabs between President Trump and Kim Jong-un, and a false incoming-missile alert in Hawaii, surviving a nuclear attack has become a real consideration for some Americans.

February 1, 2018

Top International Red Cross official says he’s ‘not worried’ of Trump cut to funding

A top official at the International Committee of the Red Cross says he's confident Washington will remain the organization's top donor despite President Trump's promise to dramatically cut America's USAID and State Department budgets.

February 1, 2018

Dieters can have ‘ripple effect’ of weight loss on spouse: Study

Spouses of people who embark on a weight-loss program were also shown to lose weight despite not actively participating in the same program, according to a new study published Thursday in the journal Obesity.

February 1, 2018

Suit could force California to declare coffee a cancer risk

Coffee retailers in California may soon display warnings that the dark brew contains a potentially lethal chemical, as a years-old lawsuit against companies winds down.

January 31, 2018

Flu infection increase in younger patients curious, not alarming, experts say

U.S. health experts are struggling to determine why flu-like illness is increasing among younger people in a change from previous seasons, while also trying to quell fears that young and healthy people are dying of the flu at a higher rate than normal.

January 30, 2018

In change from previous flu seasons, baby-boomers second most infected group

Baby boomers are the second-most impacted group for flu hospitalizations this season, in a surprising shift from previous years when the most vulnerable groups are the elderly and young children.

January 26, 2018

Child flu death rate high, expected to rise

At least 37 children in the U.S. have died from the flu or pneumonia, including 17 in the past week, and that figure is expected to rise sharply over the last two months of the flu season.

January 25, 2018

Researchers find hepatitis C drug effective in treating Zika-infected individuals: Report

Researchers in California and Brazil said a drug meant to treat and cure hepatitis C could be as effective in treating people infected with Zika, especially in protecting the fetus of an infected pregnant women.

January 25, 2018

Risk of heart attack is six times more likely after flu diagnosis: Study

If being sick with the flu isn't bad enough, research points to an increased risk of heart attack shortly after suffering from the lower respiratory infection.

January 25, 2018

Marathoner Jonathan Terrell takes global challenge for kids’ health

For D.C. consulting firm executive Jonathan Terrell, it's all for a good cause -- raising $1 million for Children's National Medical Center in Northwest as a participant in the World Marathon Challenge, which starts Tuesday.

January 24, 2018

Obesity is contagious, new research finds

A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics shows that being around obese people for extended periods makes it more likely that you will become obese.

January 24, 2018

Neil Diamond fans donate ticket refunds to Parkinson’s research, other causes

Neil Diamond fans have donated the cost of their refunded tickets to Parkinson's research, after the singer announced he would stop touring because of a diagnosis of the neurodegenerative disease.

January 24, 2018

Marijuana lollipops seized at BWI Marshall Airport

Marijuana-laced lollipops found in the luggage of an international-traveling passenger were seized by U.S. customs and border agents in Baltimore, the agency said Thursday.

January 18, 2018

Emergency room visits for alcohol on the rise

Emergency room visits for injuries related to alcohol usage, particularly among women, rose at a faster pace that those for any other injuries from 2006 to 2014, according to a new study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health.

January 17, 2018

Flu season widespread across country with at least 2,500 dead

At least 2,500 people, including 20 children, have died of flu or pneumonia over the past 3 months in a "severe" season that U.S. health experts hope won't surpass the record number of infections during the 2014/2015 outbreak.

January 16, 2018

After Hurricane Maria devastation, Puerto Rico rises up

Almost four months since Hurricane Maria leveled Puerto Rico, two realities have taken hold on the island.

January 14, 2018

CDC cancels discussion on surviving nuclear attack to focus on rising influenza outbreak

A planned conference to discuss the threat of nuclear attack will be rescheduled so public health officials can focus on the immediate threat of the flu, the Centers for Disease Control and Protection said Friday.

January 12, 2018

Anti-smoking protesters demonstrate as zombies in downtown D.C.

A moaning horde of zombies shuffled Wednesday into Chinatown in Washington, D.C. -- not to search for brains but to protest against cigarettes.

January 10, 2018

Baltimore ranks as worst city for bedbugs

Residents in Baltimore and Washington, D.C., might be more likely than others to utter the phrase "don't let the bedbugs bite" as part of a prayer rather than a childhood rhyme: The cities rank No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, for bedbug infestation, according to a new survey.

January 9, 2018

Puerto Rico still in emergency response mode, FEMA chief says

Nearly four months after two hurricanes hit this island, the chief of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's operations in Puerto Rico says he has never before had to continue emergency relief efforts like delivering food, water and temporary roofing so long after a natural disaster.

January 8, 2018