March 18, 2024 – The retrospective study found that cannabis users under 50 were more than six times as likely to experience a heart attack compared to non-users. Meanwhile, the meta-analysis, the largest pooled study on this topic to date, found that marijuana use was associated with a 50% higher risk of heart attacks. While the mechanisms through which marijuana or its components may impact the cardiovascular system are not fully understood, the researchers hypothesize that it can affect heart rhythm regulation, heighten oxygen demand in the heart muscle, and contribute to endothelial dysfunction, which makes it harder for the blood vessels to relax and expand, and can interrupt blood flow.
“Asking about cannabis use should be part of clinicians’ workup to understand patients’ overall cardiovascular risk, similar to asking about smoking cigarettes,” said Ibrahim Kamel, MD, clinical instructor at the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and internal medicine resident at St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Boston and the study’s lead author. “At a policy level, a fair warning should be made so that the people who are consuming cannabis know that there are risks.”
March 19, 2025 – MRI images of addicted smartphone users’ brains were so colorful, meaning so active, it made them less attentive and more easily distracted — what is now informally called “brain rot.”Nelson says emerging research points to even greater risks.
“We’re just starting to see these changes, and we know they’re connected to behavioral changes, depression, anxiety,” Nelson said. “The dangers are hiding in there.”
Rosenberg agrees with that assessment.
“Social media had really influenced me in a lot of ways,” Rosenberg said. “TikTok would kind of push these videos of people popping an edible before school. And I was like, ‘If I do this, maybe I’ll be cool.’ And I started self-medicating.”
To deal with that, last year, she checked into a treatment facility. She believes that if she had not gone to treatment, “I don’t think I’d be here. It was really bad.”
March 14, 2025 – But it was his mother Gladys – and not his long-suffering wife Priscilla – who was hit by tragic alcoholism, RadarOnline.com can reveal – leaving her dead aged just 46 after being unable to cope with her son’s global fame.
From the moment Elvis was born, his bond with his mom was marked by tragedy – the stillbirth of his identical twin brother, Jessie, which cast a huge and very dark shadow over their lives.
It left Gladys paranoid and fiercely protective of her surviving son – so when he hit global fame, it became too much for her and she hit the bottle to numb her crippling anxiety over his safety and health.
The early years for the Presley family were fraught with other challenges.
Elvis’ father, Vernon, was imprisoned for cheque forgery – forcing Gladys to move with young Elvis in with relatives, a situation that only strengthened the unique bond she shared with her son.
March 13, 2025 – Unlike non-profit sober living homes in Bloomington such as Amethyst House and Courage to Change, Malibu House is registered with the state as a Domestic Limited Liability Partnership. A review of Malibu House’s recently-designed website and its previous iteration showed no mention of its business status.
Malibu House operates at a level of residential recovery — it doesn’t have clinical services — with little regulation in Indiana. That’s despite dealing with vulnerable people paying to live in a place that helps them beat addiction to drugs and alcohol.
Malibu House has posted on social media a one-time “bed fee” of $150 and rent of about $125 per week. Just the rent for a house with 10 people would bring in about $5,000 per month. Meckes has at least five homes that the rental company Pendragon was advertising at $1,650 to $2,750 per month.
The residents of such homes are sometimes ordered there by a court after drug-related offenses. Some go voluntarily because they’ve relapsed.
March 24, 2025 – Ms. Windey is hoping to change her mindset when it comes to consuming alcohol. The 34-year-old said she’s “so interested in sobriety” because “I want to stop drinking.”
“I’m so depressed that it, like, it will make me depressed,” she added. “Not even the day after but like, a week … and you won’t even notice it.”
Windey added that she’s worried about not being fun or not having a great personality without alcohol. She said she’s even a little jealous of others who are able to go out and enjoy themselves without drinking.
“If we’re going to go out for a drink and have fun, I’m afraid that other people are already thinking that I can’t have fun, so then I think about it like that,” she said. “I take everything on, internalize it, personalize it, project it, whatever the f— you want to call it.”
March 18, 2025 – Lindsay Lohan has been busier than ever as she continues to embrace motherhood all while promoting her upcoming movie, “Freakier Friday.”
The 38-year-old actress — who has been at the forefront of public scrutiny throughout the years — seems to be thriving both personally and professionally.
Her father, Michael Lohan, however, has found himself at odds with the law amid multiple arrests within a few weeks of each other.
On Sunday, March 16, the 64-year-old was arrested in Palm Beach, Florida, at 5:18 p.m. for violating probation, according to documents obtained by Fox News Digital. The arrest comes just weeks after Michael was busted for allegedly assaulting his estranged wife, Kate Major Lohan, in Texas.
From arrests to DUIs and substance abuse, Michael’s legal woes tops years of turmoil within the Lohan family.
Lindsay, who made her career breakthrough at the age of 12 when she starred as twins Hallie Parker and Annie James in the 1998 Disney movie “The Parent Trap,” faced a series of unfortunate events at the height of her career.
After landing roles in box office hits such as “Freaky Friday,” “Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen” and “Mean Girls,” the actress found herself entangled in the dark side of Hollywood.
March 17, 2025 – On March 16, the 64-year-old was arrested in Palm Beach, Florida. for violating probation.
“Michael voluntarily self-surrendered yesterday and has a hearing scheduled on my pleadings for his release tomorrow,” Lohan’s attorney told Fox News. “We are confident Her Honor will give the matter fair and thoughtful consideration. Based on the circumstances, we anticipate Mr. Lohan’s release.”
In court documents obtained by Fox News Digital, Lohan was charged in February with a felony assault called “continuous violence against the family.”
At the time, a representative for the Harris County Sheriff’s Office told Fox News Digital, “On Friday February 21, 2025, the complainant (Kate Lohan) was at a medical follow up, when the defendant (Michael Lohan) was observed by Ms. Lohan in the parking lot of the building. A 911 call was placed, and deputies responded.”
“She told deputies that Lohan had flipped her out of a chair at their residence a few days earlier. The complainant felt pain and discomfort. A female deputy was able to witness the bruising on the complainants body,” the statement continued.
March 13, 2025 – The reality star, 37, opened up to friend Austen Kroll about his struggles, calling himself an “addict” for the first time. Kroll urged Conover to ease up and hang out more. “I can’t,” Conover shot back. “I don’t have any leash on myself — that’s any addict.” He admitted his fight against alcoholism strains their bond. “Me trying not to be an alcoholic is now affecting my friendship with Austen,” he said.
Tears flowed as Conover shared his isolation. “I’m in the trenches by myself, trying to better my life,” he told Kroll. “I gotta stay on my couch because if I leave, I’m gonna drink a bottle of Jäger and do dumb s-t.” Kroll, also 37, cried too, stunned by the word “addict.” “I’ve never heard you say that,” he said. “I’ve never said it out loud,” Conover replied.
March 20, 2025 – Central Valley Today is joined by artist, MMA fighter, and author, Chelzzz. In her book, “Heroin Heroine” Chelzzz sheds light on addiction and co-dependency issues. She also shares insight into what inspired her to write the book.
PLEASANTVILLE, Iowa — Zach Mecham has heard politicians demand that Medicaid recipients work or lose their benefits. He also has run into a jumble of Medicaid rules that effectively prevent many people with disabilities from holding full-time jobs.
“Which is it? Do you want us to work or not?” he said.
Mecham, 31, relies on the public insurance program to pay for services that help him live on his own despite a disability caused by muscular dystrophy. He uses a wheelchair to get around and a portable ventilator to breathe.
A paid assistant stays with Mecham at night. Then a home health aide comes in the morning to help him get out of bed, go to the bathroom, shower, and get dressed for work at his online marketing business. Without the assistance, he would have to shutter his company and move into a nursing home, he said.
Private health insurance plans generally do not cover such support services, so he relies on Medicaid, which is jointly financed by federal and state governments and covers millions of Americans who have low incomes or disabilities.
Like most other states, Iowa has a Medicaid “buy-in program,” which allows people with disabilities to join Medicaid even if their incomes are a bit higher than would typically be permitted. About two-thirds of such programs charge premiums, and most have caps on how much money participants can earn and save.
Some states have raised or eliminated such financial caps for people with disabilities. Mecham has repeatedly traveled to the Iowa Capitol to lobby legislators to follow those states’ lead. The “Work Without Worry” bill would remove income and asset caps and instead require Iowans with disabilities to pay 6% of their incomes as premiums to remain in Medicaid. Those fees would be waived if participants pay premiums for employer-based health insurance, which would help cover standard medical care.
Disability rights advocates say income and asset caps for Medicaid buy-in programs can prevent participants from working full time or accepting promotions. “It’s a trap — a poverty trap,” said Stephen Lieberman, a policy director for the United Spinal Association, which supports the changes.
Mecham (left) gets ready for his workday with the help of Courtnie Imler, a home health aide. Mecham relies on Medicaid to pay for such support services, which generally are not covered by private health insurance.(Tony Leys/KFF Health News)
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Lawmakers in Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Mississippi, and New Jersey have introduced bills to address the issue this year, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Several other states have raised or eliminated their program’s income and asset caps. Iowa’s proposal is modeled on a Tennessee law passed last year, said Josh Turek, a Democratic state representative from Council Bluffs. Turek, who is promoting the Iowa bill, uses a wheelchair and earned two gold medals as a member of the U.S. Paralympics basketball team.
Proponents say allowing people with disabilities to earn more money and still qualify for Medicaid would help ease persistent worker shortages, including in rural areas where the working-age population is shrinking.
Turek believes now is a good time to seek expanded employment rights for people with disabilities, since Republicans who control the state and federal governments have been touting the value of holding a job. “That’s the trumpet I’ve been blowing,” he said with a smile.
The Iowa Legislature has been moving to require many nondisabled Medicaid recipients to work or to document why they can’t. Opponents say most Medicaid recipients who can work already do so, and the critics say work requirements add red tape that is expensive to administer and could lead Medicaid recipients to lose their coverage over paperwork issues.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has made Medicaid work requirements a priority this year. “If you can work, you should. It’s common sense and good policy,” the Republican governor told legislators in January in her “Condition of the State Address.” “Getting back to work can be a lifeline to stability and self-sufficiency.”
Her office did not respond to KFF Health News’ queries about whether Reynolds supports eliminating income and asset caps for Iowa’s buy-in program, known as Medicaid for Employed People with Disabilities.
National disability rights activists say income and asset caps on Medicaid buy-in programs discourage couples from marrying or even pressure them to split up if one or both partners have disabilities. That’s because in many states a spouse’s income and assets are counted when determining eligibility.
In Iowa, for example, the monthly net income cap is $3,138 for a single person and $4,259 for a couple.
Iowa’s current asset cap for a single person in the Medicaid buy-in plan is $12,000. For a couple, that cap rises only to $13,000. Countable assets include investments, bank accounts, and other things that could be easily converted to cash, but not a primary home, vehicle, or household furnishings.
“You have couples who have been married for decades who have to go through what we call a ‘Medicaid divorce,’ just to get access to these supports and services that cannot be covered in any other way,” said Maria Town, president of the American Association of People with Disabilities.
Town said some states, including Massachusetts, have removed income caps for people with disabilities who want to join Medicaid. She said the cost of adding such people to the program is at least partially offset by the premiums they pay for coverage and the increased taxes they contribute because they are allowed to work more hours. “I don’t think it has to be expensive” for the state and federal governments, she said.
Congress has considered a similar proposal to allow people with disabilities to work more hours without losing their Social Security disability benefits, but that bill has not advanced.
Although most states have Medicaid buy-in programs, enrollment is relatively low, said Alice Burns, a Medicaid analyst at KFF, a health information nonprofit that includes KFF Health News, the publisher of California Healthline.
Fewer than 200,000 people nationwide are covered under the options, Burns said. “Awareness of these programs is really limited,” she said, and the income limits and paperwork can dissuade potential participants.
In states that charge premiums for Medicaid buy-in programs, monthly fees can range from $10 to 10% of a person’s income, according to a KFF analysis of 2022 data.
The Iowa proposal to remove income and asset caps has drawn bipartisan backing from legislators, including a 20-0 vote of approval from the House Health and Human Services Committee. “This aligns with things both parties are aiming to do,” said state Rep. Carter Nordman, a Republican who chaired a subcommittee meeting on the bill. Nordman said he supports the idea but wants to see an official estimate of how much it would cost the state to let more people with disabilities participate in the Medicaid buy-in program.
Mecham, the citizen activist lobbying for the Iowa bill, said he hopes it allows him to expand his online marketing and graphic design business, “Zach of All Trades.”
On a recent morning, health aide Courtnie Imler visited Mecham’s modest house in Pleasantville, a town of about 1,700 people in an agricultural region of central Iowa. Imler chatted with Mecham while she used a hoist to lift him out of his wheelchair and onto the toilet. Then she cleaned him up, brushed his hair, and helped him put on jeans and a John Deere T-shirt. She poured him a cup of coffee and put a straw in it so he could drink it on his own, swept the kitchen floor, and wiped the counters. After about an hour, she said goodbye.
Imler uses a mechanical hoist to lift Mecham out of his wheelchair as she helps him get cleaned up and ready for work at the marketing business he runs out of his home.(Tony Leys/KFF Health News)
After getting cleaned up and dressed, Mecham rolled his motorized wheelchair over to his plain wooden desk, fired up his computer, and began working on a social media video for a client promoting a book. He scrolled back and forth through footage of an interview she’d done, so he could pick the best clip to post online. He also shoots video, takes photos, and writes advertising copy.
Mecham loves feeling productive, and he figures he could work at least twice as many hours if not for the risk of losing Medicaid coverage. He said he’s allowed to make a bit more money than Iowa Medicaid’s standard limit because he signed up for a federal option under which he eventually expects to work his way off Social Security disability payments.
There are several such options for people with disabilities, but they all involve complicated paperwork and frequent reports, he said. “This is such a convoluted system that I have to navigate to build any kind of life for myself,” he said. Many people with disabilities are intimidated by the rules, so they don’t apply, he said. “If you get it wrong, you lose the health care your life depends on.”
This article was produced by KFF Health News, a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF — the independent source for health policy research, polling, and journalism.
