➡️ AAA has been researching how temperature affects modern electric vehicle batteries, and the results are striking. Hot weather reduced vehicles' range by an average of 8.5%, while cold temperatures cut range by a dramatic 39%, according to AAA research shared exclusively with NPR. The results show that drivers need to be prepared to adjust for range loss in the winter — and to a lesser degree, during the peak summer heat.
➡️ Scientists have developed a faster, more accurate tuberculosis test that uses tongue swab if the patient can't produce phlegm. Since the 1800s, the most common test for TB has involved examining phlegm under a microscope. But phlegm can be hard for patients to produce and difficult for doctors to work with. Plus, the test is imperfect and imprecise, which can mean delays in testing and missed diagnoses. The new MiniDock MTB test is portable, allowing health workers to use it in a wider variety of settings. Its development came after a burst of innovation during the pandemic, when an infusion of effort and cash helped swab-based COVID-19 testing improve dramatically.
➡️ Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has pointed to a rural Italian farm community called San Patrignano as a model for how he envisions helping people recover from drug and alcohol addiction in the U.S. Doctors, researchers and drug policy experts are concerned because the program focuses on wellness, abstinence from substance use and hard work, but rejects the use of scientifically-proven medications long considered the gold standard for treating alcohol and opioid dependency by public health officials in the U.S. and in Italy. Many of the community's strongest supporters have also expressed confusion and frustration over Kennedy's vision. Reporters from NPR and network station WBUR made multiple visits to San Patrignano, interviewing numerous residents and employees about what the program is all about.
➡️ National Guard veteran Fred Minnick was left searching for a way to cope with PTSD after his tour in Iraq more than two decades ago. While others found peace and purpose in charity work, gardening or yoga, Minnick found his in bourbon. Minnick and his therapist used mindfulness techniques to focus on his senses and turn everyday experiences into meditation. He applied those same principles to the intricacies of bourbon. Now, his healing has become his passion. He's published books on women's key role in the history of Scotch whiskey, the origins of bourbon and more. Read more about how his works have resonated with fellow veterans. | 
