AUDIO – SUE MORE – April 29, 2026 – An internet trade group filed a lawsuit against Minnesota on Wednesday morning, challenging a new law requiring websites to display warnings about social media use. NetChoice argues in NetChoice v. Ellison that this law is a government attack on free speech and has asked the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota to declare the requirement unlawful. Paul Taske, co-director of the NetChoice Litigation Center, spoke with The Center Square in an exclusive interview regarding the lawsuit. “At its core, Minnesota’s law is an obvious First Amendment violation,” Taske said.…
Author: Leonard Buschel
WHAT ABOUT TOFU? – August 3, 2026 – A review of more than 350 studies published in Cell Press Blue suggested that reducing protein intake may slow aging and improve metabolic health, particularly for sedentary adults. The hormone FGF21, which rises when protein intake is low, helps convert white fat cells into energy-burning beige fat cells, improving blood sugar control and reducing inflammation according to researchers… Read More
THAT YOU ARE A HUMAN BEING – Aug. 2, 2026 – The study found a significant link between artificial sweeteners and memory issues, experts say this is still only a correlation, not causation. Several widely used artificial sweeteners may be “associated with faster declines in memory and thinking skills over time.” It followed 12,772 adults in Brazil for about eight years and examined their intake of seven sugar substitutes: aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame K, erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol and tagatose. These are “frequently added to ultra-processed products, including flavored water, soft drinks, energy drinks, yogurt and desserts marketed as low in calories.”…
NEW BOOK FOR YOU – Aug. 2026 – by Rick Bayuk, 12 Steps to Transformationis a powerful reimagining of the Twelve Steps—not as a system for fixing what’s broken, but as a proven framework for becoming who you were meant to be. Originally written for men in recovery, this expanded and updated edition shows how the timeless wisdom of the Steps can be applied to overcoming any limiting habit, pattern, or identity that keeps you stuck. Blending the structure of the Twelve Steps with principles of mindset, personal responsibility, identity transformation, and universal law, Rick Bayuk guides readers beyond mere…
BIG HEARTS EVERYWHERE – Aug. 3, 2026 – When Danny Foden became homeless, he was a “functioning addict” who had sold everything he owned to pay his drug dealers. He now works as a homeless project coordinator in Derby and is helping 12 people rebuild their lives in a single homeless accommodation project, ran by Derby City Mission. “They know you’ve walked their shoes. You can finish their sentences. You can tell them how they feel when they wake up in the morning,” Danny said. Danny, from Bury in Greater Manchester, said he had a “really good upbringing” but “got…
GOOD POSSIBILITY – Aug. 6, 2026 – Gary Brecka, a human biologist and longevity expert, says: “Even one drink close to bedtime interrupts your sleep, and it isn’t really the alcohol that does it, it’s what the alcohol becomes.” He warns that the notion of a “nightcap” can be more damaging than people think. “Your liver converts it into a compound called acetaldehyde, a toxin that your body, and your brain, then have to process while you are trying to rest,” says Gary, who spent 20 years researching mortality science and identified sleep as one of the biggest variabilities in…
IT’S THE GOVERNMENT – Aug. 4, 2026 – The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released the latest edition of its National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), which is the source of most national statistics related to drugs, treatment and mental health. This time the annual-ish behavioral health survey is framed as a five-year trend report covering 2021 to 2025, which somewhat compounds the preexisting barriers to gleaning anything useful from it. The survey covers mental illness, substance use, treatment and recovery for respondents ages 12 and up. The 2025 NSDUH, published in late July,…
IT’S ALL ABOUT MONEY TO THESE ANIMALS – Aug. 7, 2026 – An epidemic of opioid addiction costs the United States as much as $4 trillion per year in health care, criminal justice and lost productivity costs. But an evidence-based, neuroscience-informed therapy for opioid misuse and chronic pain saves $12 for every dollar spent, according to a new economic evaluation conducted by a University of Utah health economist. That’s between two and six times more cost-effective than other addiction treatments. Over the course of a patient’s life, the analysis found that these savings came out to more than $324,000 per…
AUDIO – THAT’S F**KED UP – Aug. 8, 2026 – In the US, about a quarter of a million people die each year from alcohol and drug-related illness, despite proven medical treatments for addiction. So why aren’t doctors prescribing them more? This episode was produced by Liz Baker and Kathryn Fink, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane. LISTEN
VIDEO – SONG OF THE WEEK – 133,000,000 views in 5 Months – Bruno Mars is a 16x GRAMMY®-winning global superstar, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and one of the most-streamed artists in the world. Known for his showmanship and chart-toppers, Bruno has set a number of records throughout his career, including becoming the first artist ever to hit 150 million monthly listeners on Spotify. WATCH
STICK WITH THE WINNERS! – Aug. 11, 2026 – Our mission is simple, to help individuals build lives filled with stability, purpose, joy and lasting freedom from addiction while providing families with confidence that their loved one is never navigating recovery alone. Q. If you are in recovery, what was your drug(s) of choice and when is your sobriety date? A. February 9, 1987Alcohol and a myriad of dry goods…I think we all know what that means. lolQ. Is there anything special in your sobriety toolkit that helps keep you sober? A. Meeting makers make it. If it weren’t for the “fellowship”…
AS A DOORNAIL – August 3, 2026 – Life often tempts people with quick fixes for stress, heartbreak and emotional pain, but not every escape leads to healing. Today’s Quote is from Oscar-winning actor Jamie Lee Curtis, who offers a powerful reminder about the hidden dangers of addiction and the courage it takes to overcome it. Speaking during an exclusive interview with AARP The Magazine, Jamie Lee Curtis opened up about her long journey with sobriety, aging with confidence and breaking free from what she described as the “prison of addiction.” Read More
BACK ON TOP? – Aug. 6, 2026 – After his fall from grace, media’s former enfant terrible is now sober and helping others with his addiction recovery newsletter and podcast, The Small Bow. AJ Daulerio wakes up at 5.30am and meditates for five to 20 minutes before beginning his multistep daily journaling protocol: reading a selection from a poetry anthology, then a passage from one of his daily wisdom readers (his go-to is a heavily annotated copy of Leo Tolstoy’s A Calendar of Wisdom).After a banana and coffee, Daulerio trains Brazilian jujitsu before hitting a 9.45am meditation at Besant Lodge…
VIDEO – BEING OF SERVICE – Aug. 5, 2026 – In a new interview on SiriusXM’s Sway in the Morning, rapper Kurupt opened up about going to rehab for an alcohol addiction that led him to experience multiple seizures and a three-week coma. He also revealed that Eminem paid for his treatment. “It was Dr. Dre that called and was just giving his support and just let me know that, you know, we all go through these things. He was just giving me that game,” said Kurupt, 53, whose real name is Ricardo Emmanuel Brown. WATCH
Cunning, Baffling and DEADLY – Aug. 7, 2026 – Clarke, 29, was found unresponsive at a home in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley on the evening of May 11. The medical examiner’s office said paramedics found Clarke in a bedroom, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Narcotics were found at the scene and there was no evidence of foul play. Clarke’s death sent shock waves through the NBA, particularly in Memphis, where he spent his entire seven-season career. A first-round draft pick out of Gonzaga, Clarke averaged 10.2 points and 5.5 rebounds in 309 career games for the…
CAN YOU GO? – Aug. 4, 2026 – Join us at the Global Congress on Addiction Medicine, Behavioral Health & Psychiatric Research is a Hybrid Event taking place on October 15–16, 2026, in Paris, France. Centered on the theme “From Brain to Behaviour: Advancing Integrated Care in Addiction and Mental Health.” This global forum brings together leading experts to discuss the latest developments in behavioral health, psychiatric research and addiction treatment. Designed for psychiatrists, psychologists, addiction specialists, clinicians, researchers, and healthcare professionals, the conference provides a timely platform for sharing insights, innovative approaches, and impactful clinical findings. Read More
DOPE = DOPEY? – July 29, 2026 – The DEA should not reschedule marijuana. Evidence proves it’s unsafe. It wrapped up an 11-day hearing on whether marijuana should be rescheduled, or reclassified, as a less dangerous substance under federal law — a process that requires showing that the drug has an accepted medical use and a lower risk of abuse than drugs subject to greater controls. The evidence presented at the hearing utterly failed to support rescheduling marijuana. Rather, it confirmed what decades of data have shown: Raw marijuana has no scientifically established medical value and carries a high risk…
AUDIO – CHAOS? – Aug. 1, 2026 – The west wall of the dining room at the Last Refuge, a bar and restaurant in a 145-year-old former church in Louisville, KY, is 25 feet high and displays roughly 1,300 kinds of whiskey, many of them produced in and around this city … “You’d be surprised by how many people around here don’t drink,” our waitress shared with us later. My dinner companion worked for the Louisville mayor’s office. She had given up drinking several years ago in the name of better sleep and general well-being, leaving her vulnerable to the…
YOU START THINKING – Aug. 4, 2026 – Research shows alcohol can alter the brain, reducing gray matter and increasing health risks. However, studies indicate the brain can recover when drinking is reduced or stopped. Experts like George Koob and James MacKillop highlight the brain’s neuroplasticity and the benefits of abstinence or reduction. Alcohol is one of the most popular drugs in the world, with millions enjoying the buzz produced by a cocktail of pharmacology and social ingredients. The 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that almost 80 percent of Americans older than 12 years of age…
NOT ANYMORE – Aug. 8, 2026 – Verified buyers on the Best Day website call the beer “smooth and flavorful,” with one drinker saying it’s his go-to light beer after yardwork in the summer. The beer has a 3.3 out of 5 rating on Untappd, and many reviewers note that it tastes similar to traditional macro American light lagers — which some say is a good thing and others say gives it a watered-down effect Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Kroger, Total Wine, BevMo, and other retailers Wild American Pilsner is easy to find, so you can add it to your…
L’Chaim – Aug. 10, 2026 – “I was sober for seven years. And then I got back off the wagon,” Pitt said with a “little laugh,” before holding a finger up to emphasize this next part: “In a more restrained manner. I got overconfident a couple times, went, ‘Yep, nope, not good for me.’ Not in big quantities.” Asked what that meant in practice, the 62-year-old star explained, “ I can have a few [glasses of wine]. But I can’t have a lot. I have to be professional about it.” In a 2017 GQ interview, Pitt talked about getting sober and…
LISTEN – MUSCLE MEMORY – July 31, 2026 – New research from the Center for BrainHealth at the University of Texas at Dallas challenges a long held assumption that memory loss, or a reduction of cognitive abilities, is a natural part of the aging process. In the UT-Dallas study, involving nearly 4,000 adults between the ages of 19 and 94, researchers found that the brain retains the capacity to improve throughout life. Researchers found similar upward gains in participants in their 20s and those in their 80s, suggesting that brain health isn’t fixed — it’s something people actively shape throughout their lives through daily…
“To keep the lamp burning we have to keep putting oil in it.” – Mother Teresa, 1910-1997
THERE IS A GOD – July 16, 2026 – Any day that science confirms that coffee is good for you is a great day. And now, research has found that coffee may be especially beneficial for your liver because it acts as a filter for your body and performs more than 500 vital functions, making this an organ you want to support. The coffee-liver health connection seems a little random, but hepatologists (aka liver doctors) have been talking up the perks of coffee for years. Here’s what the latest study found, plus why drinking coffee is such a boost for…
BUSINESS AS USUAL? – July 27, 2026 – The judgment, announced today by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Office of the Kentucky Attorney General, is part of a civil settlement resolving allegations that ARC and its affiliates violated the False Claims Act, a federal statute that prohibits the submission of false claims for payment to Government programs, including the Medicaid program. In April 2023, current and former employees of ARC filed a qui tam complaint alleging that ARC defrauded the Kentucky Medicaid program by submitting fraudulent claims for payment for behavioral health services provided in their drug rehabilitation programs.…
WHY NOT, THEY’RE ALMOST DEAD ANYWAY – July 24, 2026 – Gov. Tim Walz celebrated Grandparents Happy Hour. Walz signed into law Minnesota’s new “Grandparents’ Happy Hour” bill. The bill is a bit broader, affecting the permissions needed by assisted living facilities in order to serve alcohol to residents at certain events. Walz joined residents, caregivers, and legislators on July 14 at Amira Choice Champlin for a ceremonial singing of the bipartisan “Grandparents’ Happy Hour” provision passed in the 2026 omnibus liquor law. The new law allows nursing homes and assisted living facilities to serve alcoholic beverages to residents and…
JUST OPEN IT AND GO IN – July 24, 2026 – Holly Warren was recently leafing through one of her old medical school textbooks, trying to recall how much instruction she’d received in addiction medicine — trying to recall, “Did we even talk about this? Was it even on our radar?” “And it really just wasn’t,” She received an excellent education two decades ago at East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine, then at Duke University for internal medicine. “But we just really didn’t talk about addiction medicine very much.” Today, Warren knows quite a bit about it. She began…
YES IT DOES! – July 28, 2026 – “The last few years of my drinking and partying, I was in a bad place and really struggling,” the ‘Summer House’ star says. Radke shares that his brother’s death in September 2020 “was a huge catalyst to take a look in the mirror.” “It didn’t happen overnight and I didn’t immediately get sober. It took some time for me to realize that I had a problem, “If you’re going to be sober, it is important to have your friends and the people around you understand what your motivations are. Like, I tell…
PUNK ROCK CRACK – July 28, 2026 – There was some uncertainty about the future of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health last year, when the entire 17-member team responsible for it was laid off by the Trump administration. But the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration released the latest report Monday, with data that lets researchers look at trends from 2021 to 2025. Fewer adolescents aged 12 to 17 reported using tobacco, alcohol, marijuana and binge drinking in the previous month, the survey found. Adolescents also saw declining trends for major depressive episodes and fewer reported…
GOOD NEWS – July 27, 2026 – The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration July 27 released results from its latest national survey on drug use and mental health. The survey found that fewer adolescents 12-17 and adults 18-25 used alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and other drugs between 2021 and 2025. In addition, 27.6% of adolescents received mental health treatment in the past year, while 21.6% of adults 18 or older received treatment. The survey highlighted additional findings on suicide, substance use treatment and recovery. Read More