Today concludes the third day of the Supreme Court’s review of the health-care law; study reports good news for chocoate lovers; a recently released report on climate change is now available. These top stories and more rounding up the morning public health news for Thursday, March 29, 2012.
NPR – Justices Ask: Can Health Law Stand If Mandate Fails?
The historic legal arguments on the Obama health care overhaul came to a close at the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday, with key justices suggesting the court may be prepared to strike down not just the individual mandate but the whole law.
Kaiser Health News - Medicaid Questions Complete The High Court’s Health Law Review
At some points during the Supreme Court’s consideration of the health law’s Medicaid expansion, conservative justices not only questioned this provision of the law, but the program itself.
The New York Times - Academic Built Case for Mandate in Health Care Law
After Massachusetts, California came calling. So did Connecticut, Delaware, Kansas, Minnesota, Oregon, Wisconsin and Wyoming. They all wanted Jonathan Gruber, a numbers wizard at M.I.T., to help them figure out how to fix their health care systems, just as he had helped Mitt Romney overhaul health insurance when he was the Massachusetts governor.
The Desert Sun- A four-legged friend may offer real health benefits�
According to a 2010 study in the American Journal of Public Health, children with dogs spent more time doing moderate to vigorous physical activity than children without dogs. That translates to better developmental health and less childhood obesity.
U.S. News & World Report - Chocolate a Sweet Remedy for many Ills?
International researchers have uncovered even more healthy properties of flavanols — the antioxidants found in cocoa beans.
Special Report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaption (SREX) -
“In an increasingly urbanized world, global sustainability in the context of a changing climate will depend on achieving sustainable and climate resilient cities,” the report says. “Such approaches build on local needs and priorities, knowledge, and social structures and are increasingly being used in relation to climate change adaptation.”
