Fred Mogul

New York, NY —

As Congress debates healthcare reform, some Democrats are saying there’s already a “public plan” in place that satisfies many Americans – namely Medicare. But Congressman Scott Garrett, a Republican from northern New Jersey, says the government-backed medical coverage for the elderly is doing a bad ...

As their August recess begins, members of Congress are returning home to drum up support for pet projects. Brooklyn and Queens Congressman Anthony Weiner is adding his voice to the debate over revamping the nation's health care system by proposing a single-payer system comparable to that in Canada, England and elsewhere. He told WNYC's Brian Lehrer Show that elderly Americans and veterans already benefit from a single-payer system -- through Medicare and the Veteran's Administration.

New York, NY —

Who's clothed and who isn't when Credit Default Swaps are bought and sold. Guest: Prof. Steven Figlewski, NYU Stern School of Business.

New York, NY —

The House of Representatives today appropriated $70 million to maintain the World Trade Center Medical Monitoring and Treatment program. The money would support a half-dozen clinics in the metropolitan area, and others around the country, for diagnosing and treating people with health problems related to ...

New York, NY —

A study measuring the effects of air pollution on pregnant mothers suggests their children might have slightly lower IQ’s. Researchers placed air monitors on the mothers during pregnancy, tracked the children for five years, and then measured their IQ’s. Doctor Frederica Perera says those in ...

New York, NY —

An estimated half of all surgeries take place in doctors offices rather than hospitals – and we’re not just talking about removing moles or doing tummy-tucks. There’s been a growing call for health authorities to keep an eye on these private medical practices, and starting ...

New York, NY —

Doctors are performing an increasingly broad array of surgical procedures in offices, rather than hospitals. They’re not doing open-heart surgery, but they are doing a lot more than removing moles. This week, a new state law takes effect, subjecting these practices to greater oversight by ...

New York, NY —

Thousands of medical practices across New York will get closer government scrutiny starting today. A law takes effect requiring doctors who perform surgery in private offices to meet higher standards for patient safety if they do procedures that use “moderate or advanced sedation”.

State Health Commissioner ...

New York, NY —

The city is hopping on the iPhone "app" bandwagon. Mayor Bloomberg is hoping software developers will take new data the city's posting online and turn it into applications for fun and profit. Take restaurant inspection grades.

BLOOMBERG: I think somebody could create an iPhone app that ...

New York, NY —

The Asian Longhorned Beetle is chomping its way through the forests of the northeast, destroying maples and other trees. Jackie Beebe is a tree inspector for the U.S Department of Agriculture. We caught up with her, as she got ready to climb one of them ...

The Asian Longhorned Beetle is chomping its way through the forests of the northeast, destroying maples and other trees. Jackie Beebe is a tree inspector for the U.S Department of Agriculture. We caught up with her, as she got ready to climb one of them in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park.

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They’re jokingly calling it ‘Staycation Island,’ or so says one of the PR people affiliated with Governors Island. And why not? In the summertime, it’s free to take the ferry there, and once you’re on the island, you can meander around the perimeter and gawk at the city skyline and the Statue of Liberty. Or you can leave the water behind (while still enjoying its breezes), immerse yourself in the island’s interior, and pretend you’re at any number of bucolic destinations much farther away than the 10-minute boat ride from Manhattan or Brooklyn.

Listen to our Morning Edition story on the island's new art installation and check out a slideshow, after the jump.

New York, NY —

An asymmetrical pyramid of light, a 1950s linoleum kitchen that shudders, a pseudo-documentary of a children’s game gone awry. They’re among 19 new arts installations opening today on Governors Island. WNYC's Fred Mogul paid a visit to the increasingly artsy enclave in the middle of ...

New York, NY —

The city is moving ahead on a plan to post health warning signs where people buy cigarettes. Assistant Health Commissioner Sarah Perl says the campaign would be the first of its kind in the nation.

PEARL: We’re going to have it at the place where people ...

New York, NY —

Local pediatricians and others hope that a new swine flu vaccine just announced last week will be widely available by Fall. With the intense interest in pandemic flu, patients are likely to line up for the vaccine, but Dr. Anne Moscona says it’s unlikely there ...

Dr. Thomas A. Farley, (Spencer T Tucker)

City health officials say that 16 people have died from the swine flu, and they now say that 12 of them had 'underlying conditions.' The other four were obese, which may or may not be a risk factor. The Health Department doesn't want us to draw any conclusions from this group who have died, because it's a small number, and there's nothing statistically significant you can say about them -- particularly compared to the hundreds who've gotten sick enough to be admitted to the hospital to the tens of thousands who've reported flu-like symptoms. (All of these numbers are just in New York City).

One well-connected infectious disease expert told me the Health Department is being vague about who has what underlying condition, because, 'For about 50 percent of those who died, they have a plausible explanation, and 50 percent they don't.' The city says that's 75-25, but we have to take their word for it. Some of those who've died have been in their 30s and 40s. That's certainly plausible for someone with a severely compromised immune system, from HIV or cancer; it's a bit more mysterious if those people 'merely' had diabetes or asthma, unless they were pretty advanced. As the New York Times pointed out, if you add up all the underlying conditions, you might account for one in three city residents. How worried should they be about getting swine flu.

The 15th New Yorker (at least) has died from Swine Flu. WNYC health reporter Fred Mogul updates the situation here, and Ian Lipkin, MD, discuss.

New York, NY —

Newly released figures confirm that people are still visiting emergency rooms with complaints of flu-like illness. But numbers have dropped sharply from the peak a couple weeks ago, and almost no one is being admitted to the hospital with severe illness. WNYC’s Fred Mogul has ...

New York, NY —

City officials defended their response to the recent H1N1 flu outbreak today in City Council hearings. They addressed complaints they hadn’t given out enough information about what was happening in schools – and about why a small number of people have died. Newly appointed Health ...

New York, NY —

Demand for legal services in New York is down 10 percent and the industry may have to change its business model. Guest: Alan Feuer, The New York Times.