Exclusive | Facialist to the stars, husband accused of creepy Scientology monitoring and ‘toxic’ behavior by staff: ‘Worst people I’ve ever met’

Exclusive | Facialist to the stars, husband accused of creepy Scientology monitoring and ‘toxic’ behavior by staff: ‘Worst people I’ve ever met’

Scoring a spot at NYC’s upcoming Met Gala is just the beginning for boldfacers and A-listers lucky enough to be included in the top social event of the spring season, held on May 6 this year.  What follows the sought-after invite is months of preparation. There are fittings to attend at top ateliers, high-priced hotel … Read more

Dear Abby: My first job out of college is hostile and toxic — should I stick it out?

Dear Abby: My first job out of college is hostile and toxic — should I stick it out?

DEAR ABBY: I’m struggling with what to do about my first job out of college. I’ve been here for four months, and while I expected a learning curve, I didn’t expect the environment to feel so hostile. My boss yells at me across the office for small, easily fixable mistakes. The latest incident involved her … Read more

Microplastics and pharmaceuticals to be added to list of US drinking water contaminants

Microplastics and pharmaceuticals to be added to list of US drinking water contaminants

The Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday that it would add microplastics and pharmaceuticals to a list of drinking water contaminants that it’s drafting.  In a press briefing, Lee Zeldin, the agency’s administrator, said the gesture was a “direct response to the concern of millions of Americans, who have long demanded answers about what they and … Read more

383% jump in calls to poison control center over side effects of ‘healthy’ drink

383% jump in calls to poison control center over side effects of ‘healthy’ drink

The root of the problem? Marketed to the sober-curious as a squeaky-clean swap for alcohol, one drink additive is the culprit behind a massive spike in poison reports between 2011 and 2025, according to a new study out of the University of Virginia. Kava, a tropical plant native to the Pacific Islands, has been used … Read more

We’re pica specialists — the weirdest non-food items we’ve seen people eat

We’re pica specialists — the weirdest non-food items we’ve seen people eat

You are what you eat — and for those with pica, that can be downright dangerous.  Perhaps most famously seen on TLC’s reality show “My Strange Addiction,” the eating disorder drives people to consume things you’d never find on a menu.  And no, we’re not talking about the time your toddler snuck a bite of … Read more

Nearly 2 million preterm births in a single year tied to one toxin: study

Nearly 2 million preterm births in a single year tied to one toxin: study

As we age, plastic pollution contributes to cancers, heart diseases, infertility and cognitive decline — and now it’s thwarting our chances at being healthy before our lives even begin. A new study from NYU Langone Health partially attributed close to 2 million preterm births in 2018 — about 8% of the world’s total that year — … Read more

Exclusive | Never send this ‘toxic’ emoji to a date — plus other expert texting etiquette tips to avoid getting ghosted

Exclusive | Never send this ‘toxic’ emoji to a date — plus other expert texting etiquette tips to avoid getting ghosted

In modern dating, some unspoken rules can contribute to the success — or premature demise — of an early-days courtship. Most of us know the classics — don’t bring up exes in conversation too early, be available (but not too available) when making plans, and when it’s time to pay on the first date, at … Read more

Unsafe levels of lead found in fast fashion children’s clothes — and the habit that puts your kid at risk

Unsafe levels of lead found in fast fashion children’s clothes — and the habit that puts your kid at risk

Fast fashion may be affordable, but it can come with hidden health risks for kids. A go-to option for dressing rapidly growing kids at a low cost, fast-fashion lines have been known to fill up landfills with non-biodegradable fabrics containing toxic chemicals. Preliminary research being presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society reported … Read more

Scientists discover food that can help you poop out microplastics

Scientists discover food that can help you poop out microplastics

There’s been much debate about whether we actually ingest a credit card’s worth of plastic per week. These new findings won’t help you poop money, but they do suggest certain foods might rid your body of a portion of that plastic. Probiotic foods — those teeming with beneficial lactic acid bacteria — have been used for … Read more

FDA issues urgent warning about weight loss supplements that contain a potentially deadly toxin

FDA issues urgent warning about weight loss supplements that contain a potentially deadly toxin

The Food and Drug Administration has expanded its warning about weight loss supplements that contain a toxin that can trigger neurologic, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular problems and even death. The agency determined that an additional product labeled as tejocote (Crataegus mexicana) root or Brazil seed has yellow oleander (Thevetia peruviana) instead of the ingredients on its … Read more

Dear Abby: My son won’t talk to me ever since I offered his mother-in-law food

Dear Abby: My son won’t talk to me ever since I offered his mother-in-law food

DEAR ABBY: Eighteen months ago, I was staying with my son and his family when they had a get-together with his wife, “Corrine’s,” father. His wife, Corrine’s stepmother, had just finished chemo for several different types of cancer. When Corrine’s dad went to leave, I offered to put together a small plate for his wife, … Read more

Overlooked peptide may be more harmful than we thought — and could ‘turn Alzheimer’s research on its head’

Overlooked peptide may be more harmful than we thought — and could ‘turn Alzheimer’s research on its head’

Scientists have long searched for ways to treat Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia. Chief among these strategies has been targeting amyloid beta, a toxic protein that forms plaque-like deposits when it accumulates abnormally in the brain. This accumulation is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s. Now, scientists say a smaller peptide, a “cousin” of amyloid beta, … Read more

Where you get your drinking water from can raise your risk of Parkinson’s by up to 62%

Where you get your drinking water from can raise your risk of Parkinson’s by up to 62%

Sip at your own risk. A new study suggests that where you get your drinking water could increase your odds of being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, a devastating movement disorder with no cure. Even more concerning, the source linked to the highest risk is used widely across the country, especially in the southeastern and central … Read more

Popular beauty accessory found to have dozens of toxic chemicals linked to cancer, hormone issues

Popular beauty accessory found to have dozens of toxic chemicals linked to cancer, hormone issues

Some problems won’t wash right outta your hair. New analysis from leading breast cancer researchers reveals just how toxic certain popular haircare products can be — testing positive for dozens of hazardous, cancer-causing chemicals.  Published in the American Chemical Society journal “Environment and Health,” the study says the items fall under a “largely unregulated category of … Read more

Exclusive | I eat up to 100 live bugs a day — I love being the ‘master of their destiny’ and how they ‘massage’ my tongue

Exclusive | I eat up to 100 live bugs a day — I love being the ‘master of their destiny’ and how they ‘massage’ my tongue

Imagine a low-calorie, protein-packed noodle that evokes the butteriness of French cheeses. The good news is that you don’t need to book a table at a buzzy new bistro to try it. This earthy delicacy is served in a brown paper bag — and it doesn’t really put up a fight. “Mealworms [are] a contender … Read more

Exclusive | Romance novelist who went viral for dedicating book to her ‘toxic ex’ reveals the heartbreak behind it

Exclusive | Romance novelist who went viral for dedicating book to her ‘toxic ex’ reveals the heartbreak behind it

You can judge her ex by this cover. A romance novelist who dedicated her new book to her toxic ex and went viral on Instagram — with women calling her their “hero” and congratulating her for the “savage move” — revealed the heartbreaking story behind her breakup. “You are the most disappointing man and biggest … Read more

The worst wellness cleanses and fasts throughout history— one required a parasite to hatch in the intestines

The worst wellness cleanses and fasts throughout history— one required a parasite to hatch in the intestines

New year, same old liver? After all those holiday indulgences, many people feel the need to hit the “reset” button with a detox or cleanse for a fresh-start fix. These practices date back thousands of years — think Cleopatra’s sour donkey milk baths to preserve beauty and youthfulness, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg’s yogurt enemas to … Read more

Exclusive | A new type of influencer is stealing the spotlight from toxic diet culture — and could be the 2026 antidote to body image woes

Exclusive | A new type of influencer is stealing the spotlight from toxic diet culture — and could be the 2026 antidote to body image woes

In the current climate of celebs shrinking down and GLP-1 usage becoming mainstream, a refreshingly natural, new type of influencer is burning up social media this New Year’s resolution season. “Midsize” content creators are casting shade on toxic diet culture and shining a light on healthy body image. Amid a sharp rise in dangerously thin young … Read more

Dear Abby: I’m a teacher, and I hate it when parents ask me to write farewell notes to students

Dear Abby: I’m a teacher, and I hate it when parents ask me to write farewell notes to students

DEAR ABBY: I am a teacher. I love my job, and I love my students. However, as I near the end of my 26th year of teaching, there’s something I need to get off my chest. At the end of every school year, many parents ask me to write a personal note to their student … Read more

‘Miracle’ alternative medicine cure for cancer, autism is useless — until it’s toxic

‘Miracle’ alternative medicine cure for cancer, autism is useless — until it’s toxic

Snake oil with a dangerous bite? Miracle Mineral Solution, also known as MMS, is a chemical mixture touted as a cure-all for everything from cancer and autism to COVID-19. The “miracle” is delivered in two small bottles: one contains a 28% sodium chlorite solution, the other an “activator” of vinegar, citric acid or hydrochloric acid. … Read more