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Pneumonia patient most likely has a Legionella infection

DEAR DR. ROACH: I was recently admitted to the hospital with pneumonia in both lungs. Given the recent outbreak of Legionella where I live, I was concerned whether I might have had this instead. They did do some tests in the hospital to try to find out. — R.C. ANSWER: I looked at the labs that you sent me, and several of them are consistent with Legionella. You had a very high C-reactive protein level, a relatively low procalcitonin level, pneumonia in both lungs, low blood sodium, and a relatively low heart rate. All of these suggest Legionella rather than pneumococcal pneumonia ...

Dear Annie: How to declutter without starting a war

Dear Annie: I am desperate to declutter our house, but my husband has a very hard time letting go of anything. Our closets are overflowing, the garage is packed, and we have boxes of things we haven’t opened in years. There are old tools, clothes that no longer fit, broken electronics, stacks of paperwork and even things from hobbies he hasn’t touched in decades. Every time I suggest donating or throwing something away, he finds a reason we might need it someday. I’m not trying to get rid of everything or make our home look like a showroom. I just want to be able to open a closet ...

Cardiac patient’s thirst runs rampant in the evenings

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m 74 years old, and I was diagnosed with congestive heart failure with a recent ejection fraction of 25%. My cardiologist has me taking empagliflozin (Jardiance) and furosemide (Lasix) daily. With moderate cardio exercise therapy every other day and two diuretics daily, my thirst runs rampant during the evenings, and I find myself drinking fluids to compensate. Am I nullifying the intended purpose of the diuretics? — D.P. ANSWER: The main purpose of diuretics is to remove excess salt and water from the body. However, we all need some salt and water, so the ...

Why working‑class people account for around 1% of lawmakers in the US – and only 2% in the average democracy around the world

Both major U.S. political parties regularly tout their commitment to working-class Americans and claim to be the party of the working class. However, neither the Democrats nor the Republicans nominate many candidates who spent substantial time in working-class jobs. This near-absence of people from working-class jobs in the halls of power matters. According to research in the U.S. and in other democracies, safety net programs are stingier, business regulations are flimsier and protections for workers are weaker than they would be if people from working-class jobs went on to hold office ...

Americans should be concerned about the fine print on Trump’s new oil deal

So, it was a war for oil after all. On social media Friday, President Trump announced that the United States and Venezuela have struck an agreement for “THE BIGGEST OIL DEAL IN WORLD HISTORY.” The whole thing is appalling, starting with the all-caps. I have no love for the Venezuelan regime, run by, in Trump’s words, “the Highly Respected Interim President” Delcy Rodriguez. But this is a “deal” that Rodriguez couldn’t refuse. We invaded her country, abducted her criminal-dictator boss, Nicolas Maduro, and made her our satrap. According to the Wall Street Journal, ...

Dear Annie: Is her drinking my business?

Dear Annie: I’m 74 and just moved in with my younger sister. Since I’ve been here, I’ve noticed she’s drinking more than I remember her drinking before, close to a bottle of wine nearly every night. She otherwise seems fine. She’s still doing her gardening, cooking meals for herself and meeting up with friends. But still — this can’t be good for her. I’m hesitant to critique how she lives when she otherwise seems fine, especially when it’s something she’s doing in her own home. Do I say something, or is this none of my business? — Newly Moved In Dear Newly Moved ...