Today is Groundhog Day, as in the 1993 movie starring Bill Murray. The movie is about Phil, a weatherman, who is once again sent by his company to Punxsutawney, PA to report on the famous groundhog, Punxsutawney on Groundhog…

Welcome to another edition of Weekend Reading! August is National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM), an annual observance that highlights the importance of vaccination for people of all ages. It’s a good time to check that children are up to date…

Some days it feels that the changing CDC COVID-19 mask and other guidance is like an Olympic gymnast twisting above the uneven bars or tumbling during floor exercises. Or maybe the CDC is experiencing twisties. If you are not familiar…

The days of declining COVID-19 cases and deaths are unfortunately behind us. COVID-19 cases and deaths are once again increasing week over week as the Delta variant takes a foothold in the U.S. No, it’s not the failure of the…

The unprecedented heat wave that began around June 26 broke numerous all-time temperature records in the Pacific Northwest and western Canada. The heatwave resulted in nearly 200 deaths in Oregon and Washington state. High temperatures, possibly record breaking, are forecasted…

July 4th – a time to celebrate the birth of the U.S. with the  Founder’s adoption of the Declaration of Independence. It’s an opportunity to spend time with family and friends that will be remembered for years to come.…

In the summer of  1987, the American rock band Starship released its second album, No Protection. Starship is not to be confused with Jefferson Starship, although the band did start as a continuation of Jefferson Starship, but changes in direction and…

Thursday was a landmark day for our country. The U.S. Supreme Court Supreme Court ruled 7-2 against Texas and other states seeking to strike down the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Court found that none of the plaintiffs suffered…

June is men’s health month – a time to remind yourself or the men in your life to get the recommended health screenings and embrace a healthy lifestyle.  A few fast facts: Only 3 out of 5 men get…

June has started off with some positive COVID-19 metrics. U.S. COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths continue to decline thanks to the number of vaccine shots in arms. Vaccination rates continue to grow, but at a slower rate and…

May is nearly in the books as we head into the three-day Memorial Day weekend. Memorial Day 2021 is sure to be far closer to normal than 2020 – thanks to the highly effective COVID-19 vaccines and millions…

As in Bob Dylan’s song, The Times They Are A Changing, times are changing for the better – and hopefully the positive progress on COVID-19 in the US will continue! The seven-day average of daily new coronavirus infections in the US…

This week the U.S. saw many positive developments in its fight against COVID-19. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine  was approved for children ages 12 to 15. For the approximately 17 million children in this age group, vaccination is a significant step towards returning to…

The month of May provides reasons for celebrations. The first seven days of May included the celebrations of Cinco de Mayo, World Press Freedom Day, National Truffle Day, National Cosmopolitan Day and more. Don’t worry if you missed these,…

As we close-out the month of April, 100 million Americans are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the CDC’s tracker. That’s around  38% of the U.S. adult population — and 55% of the adult population has had at least one…

Today the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) – an expert advisory committee to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended lifting the pause on the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. The current pause resulted from the reporting…

Time is a concept that is familiar to all of us. Yet it is hard to define and understand. For centuries, people have sought to unravel the mystery of time. What exactly is time? What is its role…

Michigan continues to lead the country in the number of new COVID-19 cases. The state’s positivity rate has climbed to 18% — about four times higher than mid-February. COVID-19 inpatient hospitalizations are surging, causing Michigan Medicine (University of Michigan) and…

National Minority Health Month (NMHM) is celebrated ever year in April. NMHM began over 100 years ago as National Negro Health Week. In April 1915, Dr. Booker T. Washington dispatched a letter to the leading African American newspapers, proposing…

March Madness, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) basketball tournaments to determine the men’s and women’s national championships, continues this weekend. For some lucky individuals,  their bracket picks are still in play. For others, their picks were out in the early rounds…