By BARRY MEIER from NYT Health https://nyti.ms/2TrbHQI

Pro athlete, 18, swallows toothpick in sandwich and nearly dies, officials say A professional athlete who swallowed a toothpick nearly died after suffering from a string of horrifying health problems, medical officials said. via FOX NEWS https://fxn.ws/2HKOh7y

Federal appeals court blocks San Francisco soda law The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the San Francisco law requiring health warnings on advertisements for soda and other sugary drinks violated constitutionally protected commercial speech. via FOX NEWS http://bit.ly/2Ux2Gpo

Man claims he heard penis ‘snap’ A man claims he heard his penis ‘snap’ during a traumatic injury. via FOX NEWS http://bit.ly/2UsQyWw

Study: e-cigarettes may be twice as effective in helping smokers quit than nicotine replacements The New England Journal of Medicine study reports 18 percent of e-cig users were no longer smoking a year after quitting vs. 10 percent of nicotine replacement users; reaction from Dr. Roshini Rajapaksa, medical editor for Health magazine. via FOX NEWS http://bit.ly/2WxQfLV

Elderly California woman with dementia was locked out of care facility, 'outraged' daughter claims A California woman has filed a complaint with the state’s department of public health against a Long Beach hospital after surveillance footage showed her elderly mother, who suffers from dementia, alone and locked outside the care facility where she lives. via FOX NEWS https://fxn.ws/2WzKkpx

Gruesome pic: Mailman loses part of finger after dog bites hand A mailman lost his finger after a dog bit his hand while putting a letter through the door slot. via FOX NEWS http://bit.ly/2RqNAA0

Ex-Walgreen's employee accused of posing as pharmacist, authorizing prescriptions A former Walgreens employee stands accused of posing as a pharmacist for more than a decade, during which time she administered vaccinations and authorized over 745,000 prescriptions without any type of license. via FOX NEWS https://fxn.ws/2GbqfQM

Hundreds of students call out sick after apparent flu outbreak at Texas middle school At one point, roughly a quarter of Coppell Middle School West students were home sick. via FOX NEWS http://bit.ly/2GjmR6H

Infection causes man’s legs to swell up to over 100 pounds A Pakistani man is turning into stone after a rare condition has caused his legs to swell up more than twice the normal size. via FOX NEWS http://bit.ly/2RZ5cYN

Man claims he heard penis 'snap' during traumatic injury A man’s traumatic sex injury is getting the viral treatment after he claims he “broke” his penis during intercourse and even heard it snap. via FOX NEWS https://fxn.ws/2t0w3F8

Walgreens employee allegedly posed as a pharmacist for nearly 11 years, prescribing over 745,00 prescriptions Investigation by the California State Board of Pharmacy finds that a Walgreens employee in the Bay Area who worked as a pharmacist for nearly 11 years and wrote 745,00 prescriptions never had a license via FOX NEWS http://bit.ly/2MIv859

Infant ibuprofen recall expanded at stores like Walmart, CVS Tris Pharma, Inc. has expanded its December recall of infant ibuprofen sold at Walmart, CVS Pharmacy and Family Dollar stores across the nation. via FOX NEWS http://bit.ly/2Gd8rVo

Ashton Kutcher posts Down syndrome advocate's powerful pro-life testimony amid reignited abortion debate Video of Special Olympian Frank Stephens’ 2017 testimony in front of Congress is going viral again after actor Ashton Kutcher posted it to his Facebook page last week with the message “Everyone’s life is valuable.” via FOX NEWS https://fxn.ws/2GeGHj6

Man's legs 'turning to stone' after contracting parasitic infection from bug bite A Pakistani man has been left bedridden after a painful infection has caused his legs to swell up to over 100 pounds. via FOX NEWS https://fxn.ws/2MIm0NV

Mailman loses part of finger after dog bites hand through door slot A mailman has lost the tip of his ring finger to a bull terrier after he was attempted to push his customer’s letters through a slot in the front door. via FOX NEWS https://fxn.ws/2Gdwvrl

Recall of infant ibuprofen sold at Walmart, CVS, expanded to include more lots, company says A New Jersey company that issued a voluntary recall in December of infant ibuprofen sold at Walmart, CVS Pharmacy and Family Dollar stores across the nation has expanded the recall to include three additional lots of the product, it announced this week. via FOX NEWS https://fxn.ws/2CWFlGD

How does a person freeze to death? This week's polar vortex has brought bitter cold — even Arctic-like temperatures — to parts of the Upper Midwest and Eastern U.S., and this frigid air may have you feeling like you could "freeze to death." via FOX NEWS https://fxn.ws/2BeiiXG

What do doctors think about late-term abortion laws being pushed by Democrats? Dr. Nicole Saphier, Dr. Omar Hamada and Dr. Yaakov Abdelhak speak out on Democrats' push to eliminate abortion restrictions. via FOX NEWS http://bit.ly/2Sgjx2j

Media call: NSF post-shutdown Q&A Media are invited to join a 30-minute call to learn about how National Science Foundation (NSF) activities were affected by the funding lapse. The call will include updates on impacts, including rescheduling panels and extending deadline proposals. While NSF is still evaluating the full impact of the funding lapse, staff will speak to immediate actions already taken to ensure critical funding reaches members of the scientific and engineering research ... More at https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=297599&WT.mc_id=USNSF_51&WT.mc_ev=click This is an NSF News item. Published January 30, 2019 at 10:48PM Read more at nsf.gov

By DENISE GRADY from NYT Health https://nyti.ms/2Tn7uOf

By JAN HOFFMAN from NYT Health https://nyti.ms/2DIi24P

More support animals seen on college campuses despite national debate For Sam Hojnowski her freshman year at La Salle University was challenging. There were many mornings where her anxiety kept her in bed. But now her 9-month-old kitty, Lace, has helped ease those worries. via FOX NEWS https://fxn.ws/2S2h1h7

More support animals seen on college campuses despite national debate As emotional needs increase, more students at some of the country’s major universities may have four-legged roommates living with them in their dorms via FOX NEWS http://bit.ly/2CTakTR

Doctor who prescribed pot cookies to 4-year-old for 'temper tantrums' gets license revoked over diagnosis The Medical Board of California has revoked the license of a doctor in Los Angeles who told a father to give marijuana cookies to his son as a way to treat the boy’s temper tantrums. via FOX NEWS https://fxn.ws/2GcYJCk

Lawmakers are promising a sweeping investigation into what is causing the price of insulin to skyrocket A new study by the Health Care Cost Institute shows insulin costs for Type 1 Diabetes patients jumped more than 99 percent from 2012 to 2016; Jonathan Serrie reports. via FOX NEWS http://bit.ly/2MI19ue

Many diabetics are rationing their insulin as prices skyrocket Memorial Sloan Kettering drug pricing researcher Dr. Peter Bach says that lawmakers failed to take action early on to ensure that insulin drug prices did not become unaffordable. via FOX NEWS http://bit.ly/2HGOAAx

By JAN HOFFMAN from NYT Health https://nyti.ms/2CRDKSy

California doctor loses his license after he recommended a 5-year-old eat marijuana cookies for 'temper tantrums' California state medical board also found Eidelman hastily diagnosed ADHD and Bipolar Disorder in the child in addition to approving marijuana edibles to give him for his 'uncontrollable behavior and tempter tantrums. via FOX NEWS http://bit.ly/2UtwsLI

New Jersey barbershop owner arrested after botched laser surgery leaves woman with facial scars, cops say New Jersey man has been arrested on charges of aggravated assault and practicing medicine without a license after he allegedly performed laser surgery on a woman that left her with facial scars. via FOX NEWS https://fxn.ws/2UusJOc

Woman unexpectedly delivers baby after stopping by friend's house to drop off food A woman in the U.K. happened to be in the right place at the right time when she dropped by her friend’s house and wound up delivering another woman’s baby. via FOX NEWS https://fxn.ws/2sVPe2L

Will a pill fix nation's loneliness 'epidemic'? Do you feel lonely? You are not alone. via FOX NEWS https://fxn.ws/2MGOkAd

Dr. Marc Siegel says Kamala Harris' 'Medicare for all' plan is a job killer Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris' 'Medicare for all' proposal would be hurt the quality of your health care, your access to doctors and the jobs market, argues Fox News medical correspondent Dr. Marc Siegel. via FOX NEWS http://bit.ly/2GbtA2o

Could a new pill help people struggling with chronic loneliness? A scientist from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine is trying to develop a pill that could help people struggling with chronic loneliness. She says the pill will be different from commonly used anti-depressants in that they are targeting loneliness more specifically. via FOX NEWS http://bit.ly/2SevfKN

Binge drinking can rewrite your DNA, study claims Talk about a major buzzkill. via FOX NEWS https://fxn.ws/2UqHl0X

Nurse training for London Marathon after donating kidney to stranger A mother of two is training for the London Marathon and raising money for kidney disease research after she went under the knife two years ago and donated her organ to a complete stranger. via FOX NEWS https://fxn.ws/2Sjphby

Former All-Pro linebacker Tommy Nobis had most severe form of CTE when he died in 2017 A former All-Pro linebacker, Tommy Nobis, had the most severe form of CTE when he died in 2017, according to researchers. via FOX NEWS http://bit.ly/2RnTSAt

By BENEDICT CAREY from NYT Health https://nyti.ms/2TmA4zh

Tyson recalls 36,000 pounds of chicken nuggets after complaints about rubber in product More than 36,000 pounds of chicken nuggets are being recalled after Tyson Foods said it received complaints about rubber material in their product. via FOX NEWS https://fxn.ws/2DIWbKQ

Food industry sway over public health gets new scrutiny The tweet from a group that finances development in Latin America was direct: Sodas do not offer beauty or joy, just a lot of sugar. via FOX NEWS https://fxn.ws/2sVhN08

By VERONIQUE GREENWOOD from NYT Health https://nyti.ms/2DIJC1Q

Woman finds baby flies living in forehead after trip to Uganda A 55-year-old woman’s curious case of a growing lump on her head has been documented in a medical journal after surgeons discovered that it was actually fly larva that had embedded into her head during a trip to Uganda. via FOX NEWS https://fxn.ws/2RVJsgD

Fear of vaccines endangers lives, a former anti-vaxxer turned nurse warns Dani Stringer, a pediatric nurse practitioner who grew up in an anti-vaxxer community, says the science proves that vaccines are both safe and effective. via FOX NEWS http://bit.ly/2BaKXgd

New York City woman sues hospital after reported confusion over end of life support A New York City woman is suing a hospital after she claims she authorized doctors to stop life support for a man she mistakenly thought was her brother based on their identification. via FOX NEWS https://fxn.ws/2sRblaw

By KAREN ZRAICK from NYT Health https://nyti.ms/2sY990N

Health officials fear it could take months to contain measles outbreak in Washington state There are now 35 confirmed cases of measles in Clark County, Washington and another 11 suspected cases; Dan Springer reports from Seattle. via FOX NEWS http://bit.ly/2MF2CBr

Perdue Foods recalls chicken nuggets over food-allergy labeling error A potentially serious labeling error has caused Perdue Foods to recall more than 16,000 pounds of chicken nuggets. via FOX NEWS https://fxn.ws/2FWu4dd

Snowboarding accident splits woman’s pancreas in half Sophie Gillett was determined to get back in the gym after her horrific injury and is now connecting with others on Instagram about their surgeries and scars. via FOX NEWS http://bit.ly/2B45fYX

Disney restaurant worker diagnosed with hepatitis A Health officials in Florida have been notified after a Walt Disney World restaurant employee tested positive for hepatitis A. via FOX NEWS https://fxn.ws/2WsXkNZ

'Freak' snowboarding accident left woman with torn pancreas, large scar A snowboarder who survived a freak accident five years ago that caused her pancreas to split in half is back in the gym and spreading a body positivity message after embracing the large scar left on her torso. via FOX NEWS https://fxn.ws/2DH5P0c