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Voting is a social determinant of health
By Hugo Balta Aug 29, 2024 Approximately 244 million Americans will have the opportunity to vote in the 2024 elections. In the 2020 election, an unprecedented 67 percent of those eligible turned out to vote. If turnout reaches that level again, it will result in over 162 million ballots being cast by November, reports the Bipartisan Policy Center. Over the…
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Tribal Health Officials ‘Blinded’ by Lack of Data
By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez SEPTEMBER 4, 2024 A strong public health system can make a big difference for those who face stark health disparities. But epidemiologists serving Native American communities, which have some of the nation’s most profound health inequities, say they’re hobbled by state and federal agencies restricting their access to important data. American Indians…
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In a rural small town, a group of locals steps up to support senior health
SEPTEMBER 4, 2024 5:00 AM ET By Juliana Kim, Tim Evans GLEN ULLIN, N.D. — When small rural towns get smaller, the challenges for those who remain get bigger. It’s especially true for older residents and those who care for them in this shrinking North Dakota town. Adults age 65 and older make up a third…
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CVS pharmacists in Massachusetts can now prescribe birth control. Here’s how it works
Melina Khan September 13, 2024 To watch video report, Click Here. CVS pharmacists in Massachusetts can now prescribe birth control. The new initiative, which was announced Thursday, allows women in Massachusetts to be evaluated for a hormonal birth control prescription at CVS locations in the state. In a release, CVS said the new service will help improve access to…
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Two more Boston colleges report declines in Black student enrollment in wake of SCOTUS decision
BU’s first-year Black student enrollment falls to 3%, Northeastern to 5%. By Beth Treffeisen September 13, 2024 Another two Boston colleges reported declines in Black student enrollment in their incoming classes on Thursday, following a trend of decreasing diversity among first-year students. Boston University says its population of Black first-year students dropped from 9% last year…
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Why Massachusetts schools are having an ‘extremely difficult’ financial year
September 04, 2024 Carrie Jung As a new school year kicks off, teachers across Massachusetts will be heading back to the classroom with fewer colleagues as districts tighten budgets. In the Boston suburb of Braintree, a $4 million budget shortfall for this school year led to layoffs of roughly 40 staff members, meaning 5% of…
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Community fridges are helping neighbors nourish one another
While fighting food waste and food insecurity, these grassroots mutual-aid projects also aim to bring communities closer together BY ALEX LASALVIA AUGUST 29, 2024 A curious sight is becoming more common in cities throughout America and abroad: refrigerators outside on the sidewalk, often adorned with colorful murals and posters inviting people to “take what you need,…
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Hundreds of Boston-area hotel workers go on strike
Wages, pensions, work rules and insurance benefits are the key issues. By Kaitlin McKinley Becker and Erin Logan • Published September 1, 2024 • Updated on September 1, 2024 at 11:32 pm To watch video report, Click Here. Nearly a thousand hotel workers in Boston are on strike this weekend after their existing contracts expired, with no sign of any new negotiations during one of…
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Harvard’s Black enrollment dips after US Supreme Court bars affirmative action
By Joseph Ax September 11, 2024 1:48 PM CDT The percentage of Black students in Harvard University’s freshman class dropped by more than a fifth following a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling that barred colleges from using race as a factor in admissions, according to data released by the school on Wednesday. The Class of 2028…
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