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Legalized weed is landing more seniors in the ER

A study found that after Canada legalized marijuana, the number of emergency room visits for cannabis poisoning rose sharply among people 65 and older.

Six things to know about bird flu in milk
The Globe partnered with the Broad Institute to investigate the outbreak in New England.

Traces of bird flu have made it into store-bought milk in New England, but at very low levels
A new analysis by scientists at the Broad Institute suggests milk sold locally may have lower levels of the H5N1 virus than the national average.

Moderna wins a battle in vaccine patent dispute with Pfizer-BioNTech
The Cambridge biotech said Friday that the European Patent Office has upheld the validity of one of its key patents, a victory in an ongoing dispute with Pfizer and BioNTech over rival COVID-19 vaccines.

‘I literally cried:’ Annual overdoses in Mass. fell for first time in four years, CDC says
Massachusetts saw 2,373 confirmed overdose deaths throughout 2023, compared to 2,647 confirmed overdoses in 2022.

Cape Cod Hospital to pay $24.4 million following DOJ investigation into Medicare billing practices
The investigation found that cardiac surgeons at the hospital did not sufficiently document patient evaluations for transcatheter aortic valve replacements required for Medicare reimbursement.

Steward crisis adding to stresses on hospital care, as state scrambles to contain fallout
Nearby hospitals are finding that even as Steward’s eight hospitals in the state remain open for patients, the “level of intensity of care is clearly declining,” one state official said.

Tell us: What questions do you have about bird flu?
Your feedback may be featured in a future Globe story.

Biotech

Moderna wins a battle in vaccine patent dispute with Pfizer-BioNTech

The Cambridge biotech said Friday that the European Patent Office has upheld the validity of one of its key patents, a victory in an ongoing dispute with Pfizer and BioNTech over rival COVID-19 vaccines.

Ginkgo Bioworks stock threatened with delisting

The once-high-flying Boston life sciences firm has had an average closing price of less than $1 per share over 30 consecutive days of trading.

Ginkgo Bioworks to slash labor costs, jobs

After lackluster first-quarter earnings, Ginkgo Bioworks said it will slash labor expenses by at least 25 percent, which will include an unspecified number of job cuts.
Lifestyle

Legalized weed is landing more seniors in the ER

A study found that after Canada legalized marijuana, the number of emergency room visits for cannabis poisoning rose sharply among people 65 and older.
RI NEWS

‘Appalling failure’: Investigation finds R.I. has ‘routinely’ segregated children with disabilities by institutionalizing them

Rhode Island has repeatedly violated federal disability laws by over-hospitalizing children in state care who have behavioral disabilities, said US Attorney Zachary Cunha on Monday.
RI POLITICS

Dr. Jerome Larkin nominated as R.I. state health director

Governor Dan McKee has nominated Dr. Jerome M. Larkin as the next state health director, McKee spokeswoman Andrea Palagi confirmed to the Globe on Friday.
Spotlight

How Brigham Health helped create a Chinese hospital for elites — and almost nobody came

In a deal worth millions with Chinese developer Evergrande, a Harvard teaching hospital risked its reputation on what would become a near-empty shell.

Boston’s hospital chiefs moonlight on corporate boards at rates far beyond the national level

Hospital chiefs and trustees defend this as boosting public-private partnerships, but critics say these board positions — some paying millions of dollars — raise troubling issues of conflict of interest and hospital priorities.

More biotech and health care stories

Ginkgo Bioworks stock threatened with delisting

The once-high-flying Boston life sciences firm has had an average closing price of less than $1 per share over 30 consecutive days of trading.

After long search for new home, South Boston’s Marian Manor nursing home will close this fall

The religious order has been discussing redevelopment for years but could not find a financially feasible way to keep the nursing home open.

RI NEWS

‘Appalling failure’: Investigation finds R.I. has ‘routinely’ segregated children with disabilities by institutionalizing them

Rhode Island has repeatedly violated federal disability laws by over-hospitalizing children in state care who have behavioral disabilities, said US Attorney Zachary Cunha on Monday.

Safety concerns at Tewksbury Hospital bring workers to picket line

A February stabbing on Tewksbury's campus heightened workers' safety concerns.

Larry Edelman | Trendlines

The state watched from the sidelines as Steward collapsed. Here’s how Beacon Hill could prevent another crisis.

A good place to start discussing remedies is with Alan Sager, a Boston University professor who has spent decades pushing for smarter and more aggressive government oversight of Massachusetts hospitals.

A Massachusetts disability rights warrior’s posthumous last battle against estate recovery

A Massachusetts advocate for disability rights may be subject in death to a policy he spent his last years fighting.

Mass. man who received first kidney transplant from genetically engineered pig has died, family says

“Our family is deeply saddened about the sudden passing of our beloved Rick but take great comfort knowing he inspired so many,” his family said in a statement Saturday.

Harvard scientists unveil the most detailed map of the brain ever: ‘It’s an alien world inside your own head’

The researchers, with Google and other partners, spent a decade deciphering 1 cubic millimeter of tissue.