What We're Reading: Kaiser Permanente's Tuition Offer; Menopause and the Brain; Air Force and HIV

Kaiser Permanente’s New Medical School Will Temporarily Waive Tuition

Kaiser Permanente is slated to announce that it will waive its $55,000 annual tuition for the first 5 classes of its new medical school, following a similar move by the New York University School of Medicine, The New York Times reported. Both actions are aimed at keeping students from forgoing lower-paying specialties like family medicine because of crushing debt, or dropping the idea of medical school altogether because of the cost. Kaiser Permanente is tapping into the portion of its revenue that it spends on “community benefits,” which all nonprofit hospitals have to provide to keep their tax-exempt status.

Researchers Studying Hormonal Links Between Menopause, Alzheimer

Menopause is typically thought of in terms of the end of fertility, but more attention is being paid to the effects of the lack of estrogen on the brain, The Wall Street Journal reported. Lisa Mosconi, director of the Weill Cornell Women’s Brain Initiative in New York City, a research program aimed at reducing Alzheimer disease risk, said brain changes starting in mid-life are what result in night sweats, hot flashes, and even memory changes.

Judge Orders Stop to Discharges of Service Members With HIV From Air Force, For Now

A federal judge has ordered the US Air Force to temporarily stop discharging service members who are HIV-positive, ruling that it's working under a policy that is "irrational" and "outdated,” The Associated Press reported. Service members claim they're being discharged solely because of their HIV status and despite the recommendations of their doctors and commanding officers, who say they are fit to serve. For now, the ruling keeps at least 2 HIV-positive men in the Air Force who were close to being formally discharged.