Author: Michelle Korhonen

Every morning since October 7, Nour Shath has woken up, scanned her body, and felt relief that her twin babies were still inside her. Each additional day, her doctor has told her, makes their birth less likely to require an obstetric or neonatal intervention that might not be available in Gaza.But even after those morning checks reassure her that she’s one day closer to a normal, safe delivery, Shath told me, she feels a deep, wrenching fear—one she worries she’ll transmit to her babies: “Are they feeling scared inside me?” she asks herself. She wonders whether they can sense when…

Personality Traits and Well-being Linked to Dementia Risk – A recent study published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia examined the connection between personality traits, well-being, and dementia. The researchers used data from multiple studies to create models that tested whether the Big Five personality traits and subjective well-being (SWB) could predict dementia diagnoses and brain changes seen at autopsy. They also looked at whether certain factors, such as age, education, and initial cognitive health, affected these relationships.The study found that people with higher levels of neuroticism and negative affect were more likely to be diagnosed with dementia, while those with higher…

Leslie McIntire, 69, is part of the baby boomer generation that is entering older age amid a historic affordable housing shortage and rising wealth inequality in the U.S. Keren Carrión/NPR hide caption toggle caption Keren Carrión/NPR Leslie McIntire, 69, is part of the baby boomer generation that is entering older age amid a historic affordable housing shortage and rising wealth inequality in the U.S. Keren Carrión/NPR A few decades ago, Leslie McIntire thought she was doing everything right for a comfortable life. She was a tax accountant in Washington, D.C., and co-owned a not-for-profit bookstore. “I had good savings,” she…

This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here.This morning, Republican Representative George Santos became the sixth House member in American history to be expelled from Congress. Though Santos managed to hang on to the support of the majority in his party, he was ousted in a 311–114 vote. I spoke with my colleague Russell Berman, who covers politics, about why some members voted not to expel Santos, and how much of an…

The Interplay of Perceived Meal Sustainability and Healthiness – A recent study published in PLOS Sustainability and transformation investigated whether the public’s perception that sustainable meals are also healthier meals aligns with reality. The researchers also explored how meal characteristics and individual factors influence this perception.Navigating the Crossroads of Health and Sustainability in Food ChoicesIn today’s world, striking a balance between health and sustainability has become a growing concern. Our dietary decisions are heavily influenced by our understanding of food’s nutritional components and their impact on our well-being.While food sustainability encompasses various aspects, its ecological dimension is often perceived as…

Many dog owners are worried about reports of a mysterious respiratory illness affecting dogs. THEPALMER/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption THEPALMER/Getty Images Many dog owners are worried about reports of a mysterious respiratory illness affecting dogs. THEPALMER/Getty Images I watched anxiously as my 80-pound doodle trotted off to his regularly scheduled doggy daycare, blissfully unaware that he’d soon be swapping all manner of germs with his buddies. I wondered, does this constitute a high-risk situation? This was the same small circle of dogs he played with every week, but I had no clue where the others spent their time. Would…

To me, she was always Mrs. O’Connor, the mom next door. Yet she was always—even then, in the mid-1960s in the suburbs of Phoenix, Arizona—the person who would be Justice O’Connor. Long before her breakthrough appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court made her one of America’s most renowned jurists, Sandra Day O’Connor showed the qualities of pragmatism, wisdom, and patience with human frailty that marked her time on the Court—and make her legacy more precious than ever today.When I was 6, my family moved into a brand-new house in Phoenix. Before the construction was finished, I encountered a boy my…

Dietary Patterns and Metabolic Risk Factors in Northwest Ethiopia: Unveiling Nutritional Determinants of Non-Communicable Diseases.A recent study published in Scientific Reports examined the connections between dietary patterns and metabolic risk factors in adults from Northwest Ethiopia.Metabolic risk factors such as abdominal obesity, high body mass index (BMI), and hypertension are major contributors to the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) worldwide, particularly in developing countries. These factors can lead to metabolic disorders and chronic diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Hypertension affects over one billion people globally, and obesity rates are alarmingly high.Dietary habits play a significant role in influencing these…

In this week’s StoryCorps, a conversation with Joseph Rogers Britton, a caregiver who has been working with AIDS patients for four decades. STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: It’s Friday, which is when we hear from StoryCorps. And on this World AIDS Day, we hear from someone who has spent 40 years caring for people with HIV.JOSEPH ROGERS BRITTON: In the early days, I used to sit with babies who were positive for HIV, and all I did was just hold them and rock and sing. You know what the biggest joy was? Finding a smile in that small, sick child – that…

Once again, it’s time for one of my favorite holiday traditions: the 16th annual Space-Telescope Advent Calendar, featuring images from both NASA’s Hubble telescope and its new James Webb Space Telescope. Every day until Monday, December 25, this page will present a new, incredible image of our universe from one of these two telescopes. Be sure to come back every day until Christmas, and follow us on social media for daily updates. I hope you enjoy these amazing and awe-inspiring images, as well as the continued efforts of the science teams that have brought them to Earth. I say this…