Why Don't Human Penises Have Spikes? Stanford DNA Researchers Offer an Answer

Here's the latest in health and health journalism news from Reporting on Health.

Evolution: Stanford University DNA researchers have found a molecular explanation for how the human penis could have evolved to be, um, spike-free, Zoë Corbyn reports for Nature News.

Environmental Health: Erin Brockovich is back in Hinckley, Calif. to once again test groundwater for potentially toxic levels of chromium, Naoki Schwartz reports for the Associated Press. Pacific Gas & Electric was required to clean up the polluted water in a landmark legal case.

Mental Health: Two-thirds of states have slashed their mental health budgets in the past two years, with Kentucky leading the pack by cutting nearly half of mental health money from its general fund, Reuters' Wendell Marsh reports. Still, Medicaid still provides a safety net for the mentally ill. What's happening in your state? Here's a state-by-state analysis from the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill that can help you find out.

Health Insurance: This is unusual: board members for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts have suspended their own five-figure paychecks  as the insurer faces questions about whether it should retain its public charity status, Robert Weisman reports for the Boston Globe.

Hoarding: Some residents of a Southern California retirement community are concerned about its homeowners association's plan to inspect homes for hoarding if neighbors complain about clutter, Claire Webb reports for the Orange County Register. Hoarding is a compulsive behavior that is difficult to treat.

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