What's working, what's not, and who's 'picking up the slack' at Western State Hospital As attitudes toward mental health have changed, so too have policies around how we treat those suffering from mental illness, how we cover those costs and how we measure the success of the institutions providing care. Here in Washington state — as progressive as it may be — overhauling the system has proven easier said than done. Katie Campbell
Physician-assisted death in Oregon is no longer limited to just state residents Under a settlement reached in a federal lawsuit this week, terminally ill patients seeking physician-assisted death in Oregon are no longer required to be residents of the state. Deepa Shivaram
As medication abortion becomes dominant, red states restrict pills As access to abortion in clinics becomes limited across much of the country, many patients are turning to abortion pills. And conservative state lawmakers are taking notice. Sarah McCammon
32 tons of emergency medical supplies headed to Ukraine from Seattle A cargo jet packed full of bandages, clean syringes, and other medical supplies is set to leave for Ukraine this week from Sea-Tac Airport. A group of nonprofit organizations, including Nova Ukraine and the Ukrainian Association of Washington State, donated $3.5 million in supplies to help Ukrainians fleeing violence. Casey Martin
Sleeping in a room even a little bit of light can hurt a person's health, study shows Turn out the lights for a good night of sleep: this seems like common sense, but many Americans don't actually follow it. New research shows it doesn't take much light at night to hurt our health. Will Stone
The more contagious BA.2 version of omicron is now the most common in the U.S. The BA.2 strain now accounts for more than half of all coronavirus infections nationwide, the CDC estimates. Although it's fueling a surge in Europe, the variant doesn't appear to make people sicker. Joe Hernandez
Fentanyl use on the rise Fentanyl use has surged in Washington state. And that’s troubling, because it’s a particularly powerful opiate that’s already contributing to rising deaths here. Brian Mann covers addiction for NPR, and he explains how we got here. Patricia Murphy
Does it make sense for older people to get another booster against COVID-19? With the FDA poised to OK another booster for people 50 and older, questions remain: Is the evidence strong enough to warrant a fourth shot, does the timing make sense, and will there be much demand? Rob Stein
Shanghai is on lockdown under China's 'zero COVID' policy As omicron spreads in China, one of its largest cities — Shanghai — has been placed on lockdown under the government's "zero COVID" policy. John Ruwitch
Time change debate: Is it better to have extra sunlight in the a.m. or p.m.? The U.S. Senate voted unanimously this month to make daylight saving time permanent. Now sleep scientists are weighing in and are suggesting that standard time would be a better choice. Rachel Martin
