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This fascinating interview with neuroscientist Dr. Gregory Burns in the Science section of The New York Times provides insight into the research he has been doing in order to increase our understanding of the way our canine friends think, as seen through the use of MRI imaging.

Dr. Burn’s research may be beneficial in identifying dogs that could have a high level of success as service animals. Continued research of this kind could also help in gaining more insight into what is going on in the minds of aggressive shelter dogs and could help reduce the occurrence of euthanasia.

In recent years the DEA has been dealing with a vicious cycle that has led to the opioid epidemic we are in the midst of now: Some drug companies do not report suspicious orders of narcotics, some doctors write fraudulent prescriptions, some pharmacists look the other way when filling them, and all of this can culminate with a person having an opioid prescription without ever having seen a doctor.

The DEA once had the power to stop suspicious pharmaceutical sales in order to keep dangerous narcotics off the street, but a new law that passed in 2016 makes it nearly impossible for the DEA to stop a pharmaceutical company’s distribution of products when the company fails to observe federal law.

This investigative piece by The Washington Post delves into how and why this law was able to pass through Congress and asks those who are working against the law to stop the resulting flow of opioids into our streets. The article examines an unfortunate trend of former DEA officials changing careers to work for the pharmaceutical industry — a move that allows them to bring with them extensive knowledge about how to craft legislation that can protect drug companies against the power of the DEA. Those working in the  industry defend the new law, stating that it prevents any delays or disruptions for patients in need of medication. But as deaths rise and suspension orders against doctors fall it is clear that the impact of this law is much more complicated than that.

While many parts of the world are struggling with soaring childhood obesity rates, impoverished parts of the world continue to suffer from undernourishment and food shortages. This eye-opening piece by The Washington Post explores this growing inequality by taking a look at the findings of a recent study that is being considered the most comprehensive global look at the weight of children based on income and location. Increases in obesity are happening at a slower rate in high income parts of the world and even starting to plateau finally in the United States. As the article shows, this is not the case in middle to low income populations where obesity and malnutrition remain an increasing health concern.

Drug overdoses are at an all-time high in this county. In fact, overdoses are the biggest killer of Americans under 50. This increase in drug related deaths is taking a toll on medical examiners as they struggle to keep up with the backlog of bodies that are coming through their offices. Medical Examiners’ offices are continually at risk of losing their accreditation as they struggle to keep up with these overwhelming numbers — and a decrease of new pathologists entering the field isn’t helping their efforts.

This poignant New York Times piece takes a look at the first hand experiences of New Hampshire’s chief forensic pathologist Dr. Thomas Andrew, who has worked in the field for 20 years. The toll it has taken on him is so profound that he has decided to leave his profession to go to seminary school in hopes of someday helping the young people that may have ended up on his autopsy table down the road.

We’re all familiar with the powerful pull of a good deal. Sometimes you find yourself purchasing a product you normally wouldn’t, or eating out at a restaurant you feel lukewarm about just because you have a coupon that gives you a discount.

This marketing tactic is effective and generally harmless, but a recent article in The NY Times explores the complications that arise for both insurance companies and people purchasing medications when coupons are offered by pharmaceutical companies. When name brand drug companies offer coupons to lower the out-of-pocket cost of a medication, the consumer is more likely to opt for the name brand over an available generic medication. This initial lower cost at the pharmacy for the consumer does not result in any reduction of cost for the insurance company, which still has to pay the full amount for the brand name medication. As use of such coupons has increased, so has overall spending for the insurance company, which in turn leads to a vicious cycle of increased premiums.  This article takes a look at how a small discount at the pharmacy can end in a much higher overall cost for the consumer or their employer down the road.

As sales of processed foods have started to slow in wealthy parts of the world, the manufacturers of these products have been finding new markets to cater to in developing nations that not long ago only had access to their traditional diets. Pressure to increase sales has led big box food companies like Nestlé to create an industry of door-to-door sales opportunities for people in these parts of the world to sell convenient and inexpensive processed foods to people in their community. These door-to-door delivery programs make cheap food easily accessible in areas that were once plagued by hunger and offer entrepreneurial opportunities to low income communities.

This change seems excellent on the surface but in reality has led to a bizarre epidemic of once-healthy populations now struggling with both obesity and undernourishment. The percentage of overweight people in Brazil, a part of the world where these direct sales are highly prevalent, has tripled in the last ten years. This article published by The New York Times sheds light on how junk food found its way into more isolated parts of the globe and goes on to explain the economic complications that would result in trying to reduce or eliminate access to these products that whole populations are now reliant on.

Most people in need of treatment for addiction are unsure where to go for help, so they turn to Google to point them in the right direction. This seems like a simple concept in theory but until recently a Google search for “addiction treatment near me” wasn’t necessarily leading people to the closest or best option for the treatment they were seeking. The reason for this was Google AdWords. When buying ads on Google companies bid against each other for their spot at the top of a search. Bidding prices had gotten so exorbitant for addiction treatment center ads that many well-meaning non-profit treatment providers were unable to afford the price to outbid for-profit treatment providers.

An addict in search of help may have been looking to Google for a reputable treatment facility in their state, but instead found themselves routed to an inexperienced provider in another state or in some cases a provider with a history of criminal activity — all as a result of that provider bidding more for their ad. This informative piece by The NY Times examines the lead up to Google’s recent recognition of this problem and their eventual decision to place limits on addiction treatment ads. This rare move of advertisement restriction on Google’s part is a hopeful indicator that they are willing to prioritize people’s well being over revenue.

Back in 2012 researchers in the Netherlands conducted a study in an effort to measure the effects of vacation length on levels of happiness and well being. What they found was that the positive effects of vacations hit their highest point by Day 8, and that these benefits tend to dissipate within the first day back at the office.

With findings like this one can’t help but wonder how to extend the benefits of a vacation after it comes to an end. This great think piece from The New York Times, written by a professor of clinical psychiatry, discusses the findings of these Dutch researchers as well as his own take on how to maximize the benefits of your vacation time even after returning to work. The point he drives home is quite simple but profound: By truly immersing yourself in the experiences of your time off rather than focusing on documenting it or sticking to your itinerary, you can return to work with vivid lasting memories that allow you to hold onto the feelings that you enjoyed so much during your time off.

The Social Security Administration’s budget hasn’t changed since 2011, but today there are millions more people receiving disability or retirement benefits than there were 6 years ago. Additionally, long waits for disability hearings, and the appeals that often follow, can leave the lives of applicants at risk. This Seattle Times article provides insight into why this waiting game is so dangerous for applicants as well as what changes the Social Security Administration is working on implementing in an effort to improve the efficiency of the disability application process as a whole.