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Health experts are closely monitoring the historic spread of H5N1 bird flu across the globe, saying they are concerned about its potential spread to humans. To be clear, U.S. health officials and the WHO say the risk is low. But as birds continue to succumb around the world and some other species become ill — grizzly bears in Montana were euthanized last week after they were found with the disease — experts say the threat can't be written off, Fortune reported. (Reed, 1/24)

Millions of Americans say they regularly turn to medications for help falling or staying asleep, a practice that experts say can be dangerous for their health. A new study found that roughly 8% of US adults reported taking sleep medication every day or most days, with use more common among those who are female, who are older or who have a lower income level. (Chavez, 1/25)

In the midst of the ongoing pandemic and a worsening mental health crisis among children, a survey of American parents by the Pew Research Center reveals that parents have many worries on their minds — and that mothers in particular are carrying much of this mental burden. Pew’s survey of more than 3,700 parents in the United States, conducted in fall 2022 and released Tuesday, revealed that parents are worried for their children for a variety of reasons, with fears about mental health topping the list. Mothers were especially concerned, with nearly half (46 percent) reporting that they are “extremely” or “very” worried that their children will struggle with anxiety or depression at some point, while 32 percent of fathers said the same. (Gibson, 1/24)

For some people with chronic pancreatitis, surgery is the only hope. The condition can cause debilitating abdominal pain, and, sometimes, push people to turn to substances for relief. But the long-term results of pancreatic surgery, including removal of the shrimp-shaped organ behind the stomach, are not well-understood. (Cueto, 1/24)

A study published this week in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences highlights a keen ant sense and underscores how someday we may use sharp-nosed animals — or, in the case of ants, sharp-antennaed — to detect tumors quickly and cheaply. That’s important because the sooner that cancer is found, the better the chances of recovery. “The results are very promising,” said Baptiste Piqueret, a postdoctoral fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Germany who studies animal behavior and co-wrote the paper. He added, however: “It’s important to know that we are far from using them as a daily way to detect cancer.” (Grandoni, 1/24)

Pope Francis criticized laws that criminalize homosexuality as “unjust,” saying God loves all his children just as they are and called on Catholic bishops who support the laws to welcome LGBTQ people into the church. “Being homosexual isn’t a crime,” Francis said during an interview Tuesday with The Associated Press. Francis acknowledged that Catholic bishops in some parts of the world support laws that criminalize homosexuality or discriminate against the LGBTQ community, and he himself referred to the issue in terms of “sin.” But he attributed such attitudes to cultural backgrounds, and said bishops in particular need to undergo a process of change to recognize the dignity of everyone. (Winfield, 1/25)