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Historically Redlined Neighborhoods Are More Likely to Lack Greenspace Today
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Historically Redlined Neighborhoods Are More Likely to Lack Greenspace Today

Historically redlined neighborhoods are more likely to have a paucity of greenspace today compared to other neighborhoods. The study by researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and the University of California, Berkeley and San Francisco, demonstrates the lasting effects of redlining, a racist mortgage appraisal practice of the 1930s that established and...

New COVID-19 Model Shows Little Benefit in Vaccinating High-Risk Individuals First
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New COVID-19 Model Shows Little Benefit in Vaccinating High-Risk Individuals First

The World Health Organization reports that as of January 19, 2021, there are approximately 94 million cases of COVID-19 globally, with over 2 million deaths. In the face of these numbers — driven in part by an aggressive resurgence of the virus in the U.S. — health authorities face a tenuous balancing act: how to enact policies...

Wives Bore the Brunt of Child Care During the Shutdown
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Wives Bore the Brunt of Child Care During the Shutdown

Traditional gendered patterns of child care persisted during the COVID-19 shutdown, with more than a third of couples relying on women to provide most or all of it, according to a study from University of Georgia researcher Kristen Shockley. Some previous research has found that typical familial patterns may get upended during crises, but that’s...

Density of Marijuana Retailers Linked to Higher Use Among Young Adults
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Density of Marijuana Retailers Linked to Higher Use Among Young Adults

As marijuana outlets open after the drug is legalized, the density of those recreational retailers is associated with more use and a greater intensity of use among young adults, according to a new RAND Corporation study. The study is among the first to examine associations between the density of marijuana outlets and marijuana use over...

Restricting Malt Liquor Sales is Linked to Reductions in Neighborhood Crime
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Restricting Malt Liquor Sales is Linked to Reductions in Neighborhood Crime

Restricting the sale of malt liquor beer can help reduce crime in some communities, according to a new study. Malt liquor beer — high in alcohol content, low cost, and widely sold in liquor stores and convenience stores — is linked to heavy drinking, public inebriation, disorderly conduct, drug activity and other crimes. Consequently, since...

Neurologists Say There Is No Medical Justification for Police Use of Neck Restraints
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Neurologists Say There Is No Medical Justification for Police Use of Neck Restraints

Some police departments in the United States continue to teach officers that neck restraints are a safe method for controlling agitated or aggressive people, but that’s a dangerous myth, according to a Viewpoint written by three neurologists at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in JAMA Neurology. The killing of George Floyd, a Black man who died while...

New Data-Driven Global Climate Model Provides Projections for Urban Environments
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New Data-Driven Global Climate Model Provides Projections for Urban Environments

Cities only occupy about 3% of the Earth’s total land surface, but they bear the burden of the human-perceived effects of global climate change, researchers said. Global climate models are set up for big-picture analysis, leaving urban areas poorly represented. In a new study, researchers take a closer look at how climate change affects cities...

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In Pandemic, People Are Turning to Nature – Especially Women

Spotting horned owls in neighborhood trees? Raising a bumper crop of winter squash? You may have much in common with individuals in a new study. People in the study–who ranged from stuck at home to stressed in essential worker jobs–reported significant increases in outdoor activity during COVID-19, especially among women. Outdoor activities seeing the largest...

Black Churches Are Trusted Messengers of COVID-19 Information to Their Communities
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Black Churches Are Trusted Messengers of COVID-19 Information to Their Communities

U.S. public health officials have reported that Black communities are disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with higher infection and mortality rates than the general population. These disparities relate to the prevalence of underlying chronic diseases, and social and economic inequality, according to Mayo experts. Now as the number of COVID-19 cases across the U.S....

Going Home for the Holidays? For Many Americans, That’s a Risky Decision
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Going Home for the Holidays? For Many Americans, That’s a Risky Decision

Vivek Kaliraman, who lives in Los Angeles, has celebrated every Christmas since 2002 with his best friend, who lives in Houston. But, this year, instead of boarding an airplane, which felt too risky during the COVID pandemic, he took a car and plans to stay with his friend for several weeks. The trip — a...