Contraception: U.S. Senate Slaps Down GOP-Proposed Restrictions

Contraception: The U.S. Senate narrowly voted to slap down a Republican bid to allow insurers and employers to avoid offering contraception and any other services to which they have religious objections,  Robert Pear reports for the New York Times.

Painkillers: A drug maker is blocked from distributing the painkiller oxycodone from its Florida distribution center after the company shipped "a staggering amount" of the drug to Florida pharmacies, Tom Schoenberg reports for Bloomberg.

Health Fraud: The whopping $375 million Medicare/Medicaid scam allegedly run by a Texas doctor went undetected for at least five years, highlighting problems in the federal government's health fraud detection system, the Associated Press reports.

Weight Loss: As the FDA decides next month whether to approve the much-hyped obesity drug Qnexa, the agency may have trouble keeping it away from millions of Americans who want a quick-fix weight loss pill. The drug is intended for obese people, not the merely overweight, Anna Yukhananov reports for Reuters.

Sleep: Good to know: new research suggests that we don't necessarily sleep worse as we age, despite the popular myth, Shari Roan reports for the Los Angeles Times. Instead, illnesses, some related to aging, may be to blame.

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Photo credit: Mike Licht via Flickr