RFK Jr. is 1 of a billion who've had a parasitic worm

Taliban affirms stoning as punishment for women

Goats and Soda editor's note Morgan McCloy/NPR I can say that our blog is a bit ... prescient. This past week, worms were in the news-- and that's a creature we've paid close attention to in the ten years of our global health coverage. The headlines were about a 2012 deposition from presidential candidate RFK Jr. in which he noted that he was infected by a parasitic worm, which, he said, ended up in his brain. RFK Jr., you are not alone. According to the World Health Organization, over 1 billion people  carry parasitic worms, which can bring all kinds of ill health effects. (Although we do have a soft spot for worms as well -- their poop does lots of good for farmers and they are a protein source, although I'm not sure I'm biting.) We even highlighted worms a few years ago in a series of stories called #NPRWormWeek, complete with a worm quiz and worm trading cards (pictured above). And while our blog doesn't usual cover politicians and their purported worms, RFK Jr.'s worm incident gave us a chance to turn attention to the neglected diseases caused by worms and ways to prevent them. Read the story here. Marc Silver Editor, Goats and Soda in the news Joel Saget/AFP via Getty Images He fights sexual violence. He's won a Nobel and now a $1 million honor. Is he hopeful? Dr. Denis Mukwege, co-winner of the Nobel peace prize in 2018, is the recipient of the $1 million Aurora humanitarian prize. In an interview with NPR, he reflects on how his campaign is faring. Taliban affirms that stoning will be punishment for adulterers — especially women In a recording, the group's leader declared: "We will flog the women ... we will stone them to death in public [for crimes]." What does Islamic law say on the matter? And have stonings taken place? In Kenya's flooded slums, people mourn their losses and slam their leaders The government has declared May 10 a day of mourning to mark the deaths from disastrous floods and pledged to help. But some say the authorities aren't doing enough. And the rains keep falling. forgotten children Franziska Barczyk for NPR The invisible lives — and deaths — of the children of sex workers Children of sex workers are a neglected population facing serious health issues and at risk for premature death. A new effort sheds light on a group that's often missing from official data. the latest buzz David Gannon/AFP via Getty Images; Paul Sarosta/Getty Images Ryan Gosling has the correct answer to Colbert's question about the scariest animal Spoiler alert: It's a bug. It flies. And it bites. There's no "Ken-fusion" about the fear factor of a mosquito coming in for a snack. Newsletter continues after sponsor message links we like The town of Igbo-Ora is known as the capital of twins in Nigeria, with a reported rate of 45 twins per 1,000 births. The pairs are seen as good luck -- but in the past have also been viewed as a bad omen. The BBC reports. "The CDC issues new rules for bringing dogs into the U.S., aimed at keeping out rabies," reports NPR. He's a Bollywood singer. He bears a striking resemblance to the late Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak. And that's made Abhijeet Bhattacharya a star in Egypt. New Lines Magazine sings his praises. What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: goatsandsoda@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Health, Daily News, Code Switch and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Goats and Soda emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy