News Above the Noise—Week of December 15, 2024
1. Fighting for Coverage Can Mean Fighting for Your Life
High monthly premiums + denial of necessary tests or treatments = massive anguish for many Americans. The murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson last week is shining a light on the struggles many insured Americans experience every day, with 58% reporting that they have had at least one problem receiving health care in the past year. Senior writer at CNN, Tamy Luhby, talks to people of all ages, nationwide, as they try to access the cancer screenings, chemotherapy, and rehabilitation services they need to stay healthy.
2. Palaces for the People–Designing Physical Spaces that Encourage Relationships
In this podcast episode from The Best of “How To” created by The Atlantic, host Julie Beck talks to sociologist Eric Klinenberg and historian and scholar Kellie Carter Jackson about how spaces can create or discourage community; how efficiency is the enemy of social life; and why libraries are so amazing. You’ll also learn how to foster more connection in your own day-to-day routine. Hint: it starts by slowing down and being present.
3. Redefining Aging in a Period of Dramatically Extended Lifespans
When the US was formed in 1776, the average American lived to age 36. Nowadays, the average 65-year-old can expect to live another 18.5 years. Here at The Sunday Paper, we continue to highlight the ways to radically reframe aging in a society where people are living longer than ever. This in-depth feature by contributing writer Jonathan Rauch at The Atlantic discusses the ways that US institutions are failing at caring for our ever-growing senior population, and what we can do to promote a longevity revolution of happy, healthy seniors serving their families and communities in their late adulthood.
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