Allison Hagan

1 week ago | wesa.fm | Scott Tong |Allison Hagan

Eleven million households across the U.S. now own backyard chickens, according to the American Pet Products Association. Many of them are renting chickens as a workaround to an egg shortage and higher prices. On a recent day in Fairfax, Virginia, the McHonett family of four added two temporary members. Charlotte McHonett, 12, is the instigator of all this.

1 week ago | boisestatepublicradio.org | Scott Tong |Allison Hagan

Eleven million households across the U.S. now own backyard chickens, according to the American Pet Products Association. Many of them are renting chickens as a workaround to an egg shortage and higher prices. On a recent day in Fairfax, Virginia, the McHonett family of four added two temporary members. Charlotte McHonett, 12, is the instigator of all this.

2 weeks ago | iowapublicradio.org | Allison Hagan |Asma Khalid |Wilder Fleming

Scientists studying chimpanzees in the Budongo Forest of Uganda noticed the creatures seem to be administering a sort of first aid. Wild chimps are specifically seeking out plants with medicinal properties for injuries. And the chimps are not just self-medicating — they also appear to treat one another’s wounds.

3 weeks ago | wbur.org | Allison Hagan

Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from WBUR's weekly health newsletter, CommonHealth. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here. Your leg muscles ache. Your back is always stiff. Or maybe you’re battling a constant headache. If that sounds like you, you may be among the 20% of American adults living with chronic pain. But chronic pain is more than a physical problem.

4 weeks ago | boisestatepublicradio.org | Allison Hagan |Peter O'Dowd |Wilder Fleming

In the next few days, a big chunk of a Soviet-era spacecraft will come crashing back into Earth. Kosmos 482 was bound for Venus in 1972 when it failed to escape Earth’s orbit. Bits of it have been doing loops around the planet ever since. Scientists predict the 1,000-pound landing capsule will hit Earth on Saturday between 52 degrees North and 52 degrees South latitude, which encapsulates half of the Earth’s population, said John Crassidis, space junk expert at the University at Buffalo.