Health

High-demand contrast dyes that let doctors better see blood clots and tumors in patients are vital to many hospitals in Minnesota and the U.S. But supplies are tight as overseas makers struggle with COVID. Hospital leaders say they haven’t canceled procedures, but it’s making for some anxious days.

While the scale of the outbreak isn't known, it could have serious consequences because the country has a poor health care system and its 26 million people are believed to be mostly unvaccinated.

Overall, testing at state-run sites is down to lows not seen since last summer before the Omicron variant hit, when the state was averaging 4,000 to 6,000 tests per day. 

New numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that synthetic opioid use is driving the overdose crisis in the U.S.

A positive COVID-19 test for Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman comes as time is running short in the legislative session and as she and other top state leaders have been meeting in private negotiations.

Politics, religion, distrust and disinformation all play a role. "I've realized that there's no convincing somebody once they have their mind made up," says a social worker in Beaumont, Texas.

US customers started deluging Mexican border pharmacies after Texas passed an anti-abortion law last fall. A two-pill combination costs about $400 and does not require a doctor's prescription.

What did it take to thrive as a small business over the last two years? MPR News host Angela Davis talks with women entrepreneurs who changed their path and flourished during the pandemic. 

FEMA has a pool of cash set aside to reimburse burial costs — even retroactively — to the families of COVID victims. But clerical challenges and slow outreach have stymied the application process.

Two women with a passion for aerial artistry are among a dozen artists preparing for a circus performance this week in Minneapolis. The performance is inspired by — and aims to inspire discussion about — mental health, grief and healing.