Skip to content
The Pulse focuses on stories at the heart of health, science and innovation in the Philadelphia region.

The Pulse

Listen Live

Listen Live

In-depth analysis and commentary on today's biggest news stories as only the BBC can deliver. BBC
Next

BBC Newshour

In-depth analysis and commentary on today's biggest news stories as only the BBC can deliver. BBC "Newshour" covers everything from the growth of democracy to the threat of terrorism with a fresh, clear perspective from across the globe.

WHYY
rewind
play
fast-forward
 
 
 
Radio Schedule
WHYY
  • DONATE
Primary Menu
  • News
  • Radio & Podcasts
    • Radio Schedule
    • Ways to Stream
    • WHYY Listen App
  • TV
    • WHYY TV Schedule
    • WHYY Watch App
    • Live TV
    • Watch on Demand
    • Stream PBS Kids
  • Arts
  • Events
  • Education
    • WHYY Early Education Programs
    • For Students
    • Pathways to Media Careers
    • WHYY Media Labs
    • Youth Media Awards
  • Support
    • Membership
    • WHYY Passport
    • WHYY Member Portal
    • Sponsorship
    • Vehicle Donation Program
    • Volunteer
  • NEWSLETTERS
  • DONATE

Medicine

A child receives the DPT vaccine
NPR
Health

RFK Jr. singled out one study to cut funds for global vaccines. Is that study valid?

Outside researchers who have looked at the 2017 study say there are a lot of gaps in the information provided in the study.

3 days ago

The Connection with Marty Moss-Coane
Health

The caregiving crisis in America

Is caregiving a public or private responsibility?

Air Date: June 20, 2025 12:00 pm

Listen 50:24
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. assists in a demonstration as he visits the Osher Center for Integrative Health at the University of Utah, Monday, April 7, 2025, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Melissa Majchrzak)
Studio 2
Health

The rise of alternative medicine

Americans are turning away from the medical establishment and seeking alternative cures and supplements online. Why has trust in conventional medicine eroded?

Air Date: June 9, 2025 12:00 pm

Listen 52:06
Medical marijuana center near Frankford
Politics & Policy

‘Completely botched’: More than 2 years after legalization, Delaware still has no marijuana retail stores

Municipalities and counties have banned or restricted businesses, but the state is in the process of issuing retail, growing and manufacturing licenses.

1 month ago

Listen 2:37
Boxes for the medications Wegovy and Zepbound
Health

Pa. and N.J. poison control centers see steep rise in exposure calls tied to popular weight-loss drugs

Poison control experts say calls related to GLP-1 weight-loss drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound are rising, with symptoms like nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

1 month ago

Listen 1:23
Shakira in concert
Health

Measles is very contagious. Here’s how to avoid it

A person infected with measles recently attended a New Jersey Shakira concert. More than 1,000 cases have been confirmed across the U.S. this year.

1 month ago

Josh Shapiro speaks
Politics & Policy

Gov. Shapiro warns Pennsylvanians will lose health care, hospitals will close under GOP cuts to Medicaid

The governor said cuts to Medicaid health care that Congress is considering would mean billions of dollars in lost federal aid to Pennsylvania.

2 months ago

A cannibis plant
Politics & Policy

Delaware Senate delays vote on new marijuana commissioner over conflict of interest concerns

Marijuana Commissioner nominee Joshua Sanderlin has interests in two cannabis businesses. Senators say that’s a legal problem.

2 months ago

Listen 0:53
an Ozempic prescription
Health

Health insurers are struggling with the cost of weight-loss drugs, including in Philly

Independence Health Group, the parent company of Independence Blue Cross, spent $500 million last year to provide weight-control medications to its members.

2 months ago

Listen 0:56
The ethics of genetic screening and ‘designer babies’
Studio 2
Science

Designer babies: Discussing the ethics of genetic screening

Gene sequencing lets us screen embryos for diseases and traits. Is this the right track for healthy and happy babies, or a slippery slope to eugenics?

Air Date: April 15, 2025 12:00 pm

Listen 51:13
Denise Botcheos holds up a Suboxone film
Science

Study finds access to lifesaving medication for opioid addiction in Philadelphia remains uneven

A researcher posed as a case manager and called treatment providers across the city to figure out how easy it is to get medication that reduces the risk of fatal overdoses.

3 months ago

Listen 1:36
measles under a microscope
Health

Bucks County health officials report new measles case, warn local residents of possible exposure

A local Bucks County adult tested positive for measles after returning from a trip to Texas, health officials said.

3 months ago

Listen 1:06
Alexis Quinter performs an extraction process
Science

As new, potentially deadly substances enter street drug supplies, a Pennsylvania program tracks changes in real time

PA Groundhogs and the Center for Forensic Science Research & Education monitor for novel and emerging substances by testing submitted street drug samples.

3 months ago

Listen 3:53
Two years ago, Cassie Wolfe suffered a stroke and fell into a coma. After months in this state, she finally woke up and had to relearn how to walk and talk. (Courtesy of Ann Louise Weaver)
The Pulse
Health

Doctors still struggle to predict which patients with severe brain injuries will recover

Doctors have to make life and death decisions for patients with severe brain injuries, but they can’t always agree about the potential for recovery.

3 months ago

Listen 19:04
protesters in front of the White House
Health

5 years since the pandemic started, long COVID patients are still hoping for a cure

They're pushing for more funding to find effective treatments. Researchers are finally starting to make headway but have a way to go.

4 months ago

Page 1 of 10912345...»Last »
Arts & Entertainment Community Courts & Law Education Health Lifestyle Money Politics & Policy Science Urban Planning Weather
  • WHYY thanks our sponsors — become a WHYY sponsor
  • WHYY thanks our sponsors — become a WHYY sponsor

Latest News

  • How drinking in bars fueled American independence

    3 hours ago

  • Judge denies PGW internal records of climate advocates, citing First Amendment protection

    4 hours ago

  • Phoenixville’s The Colonial Theatre teams up with Pluto TV to host free screenings

    4 hours ago

  • WHYY thanks our sponsors — become a WHYY sponsor

Want a digest of WHYY’s programs, events & stories? Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal

Donate
Learn about WHYY Member benefits
Ways to Donate
WHYY

WHYY provides trustworthy, fact-based, local news and information and world-class entertainment to everyone in our community.

WHYY offers a voice to those not heard, a platform to share everyone’s stories, a foundation to empower early and lifelong learners and a trusted space for unbiased news. Learn more about Social Responsibility at WHYY. It’s how we live.

Contact Us

Philadelphia

215.351.1200
talkback@whyy.org

Delaware

302.516.7506
talkback@whyy.org

Our Programs

  • Albie’s Elevator
  • Art Outside
  • Billy Penn at WHYY
  • Check, Please! Philly
  • The Connection
  • Delishtory
  • Flicks
  • Fresh Air
  • Good Souls
  • The Infinite Art Hunt
  • Movers & Makers
  • On Stage at Curtis
  • Peak Travel
  • Philadelphia Revealed
  • PlanPhilly
  • The Pulse
  • Schooled
  • The Statue
  • Stop and Frisk: Revisit or Resist
  • Studio 2
  • Things To Do
  • Voices in the Family
  • WHYY News Climate Desk
  • You Oughta Know
  • Young Creators Studio
  • Young, Unhoused and Unseen
  • Your Democracy

Inside WHYY

  • About
    • Social Responsibility at WHYY
    • Board and Executives
    • Community Advisory Board
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Employment
    • Internships
    • Press Room
    • Meet Our Newsroom
    • WHYY News Style Guide
    • WHYY Productions
    • WHYY Spaces
    • Submissions
    • History
    • Directions
    • Coverage Area
    • Financial Statements
    • WHYY Community Report
    • Supporters
    • Privacy
  • Apps
  • Meet Our Newsroom
  • Employment
  • Lifelong Learning Award
  • N.I.C.E. Initiative
  • Contact Us
  • Sponsorship
  • Directions
  • FCC Public Files
  • FCC Applications

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
Sign up for a Newsletter

© MMXXV WHYY

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use for WHYY.org

WHYY is partnered with