An acupuncture smackdown, a prison health probe and an ode to colorectal surgeons: The ReportingonHealth Daily Briefing

Here's what we're reading and listening to today:

Prison Health: KPCC‘s Julie Small talks about how she reported her "Prison Affliction" series airing this week. Please join us for ReportingonHealth's online chat with Julie Thursday at 11 a.m. PST.

Acupuncture: Ouch. On a new Forbes.com science business blog, University of Maryland researcher Steven Salzberg blisteringly smacks down a university colleague for an "embarrassing" article that seems to promote more research into acupuncture.

Alzheimer's: Like many others, we were wondering if Gina Kolata (or her New York Times editors) might have hyped new research into a test that may predict Alzheimer's disease. Um, yes, according to the Times' new public editor. Gary Schwitzer at HealthNewsReview offers some perspective.

Primary Care: NPR's Julie Rovner kicks off her three-part series on "primary care under pressure" with this look at one primary care doctor who bucks national trends with her solo practice.

MedFollies: Just because it's Hump Day: check out this hysterical ode to colorectal surgeons. (hat tip: Workers Comp Insider)