U.S. Does Poorly in Preventing Early Births

Preemies: The U.S. ranks behind most other developed nations in the percentage of babies delivered early. According to numbers released by the World Health Organization, the US also ranks behind many undeveloped nations, though the data are sketchier, reports Donald G. McNeil Jr. for the New York Times.

Open Research: The study showing how bird flu could mutate into a more virulent strain was published online, after months of debate over whether the science was too dangerous to share, reports Ed Yong for Nature.

Fraud: The federal government has charged 107 people with Medicare fraud totaling $452 million. That sets a new record. The last record-breaking sweep was in September, reports Jeremy Pelofsky for Reuters.

Environmental Health: Rising coal consumption in China is hurting people in rural America, reports Douglas Fischer for The Daily Climate.

Spending: A study from the Commonwealth Fund confirms that the US spends more than any other country on health care, while providing fewer doctors visits and less time in hospitals, reports Kathryn Smith for Politico.

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Image by KQEDQuest via flickr.