...children has an autism spectrum disorder.That's up from the previous one in 88 children, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report.While the dramatic increase is shocking to some professionals, Christa Lingl, owner of Baxter...

The total number of reportable sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in Minnesota increased in 2012, according to the latest report from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). The 10 percent rise in STDs from the previous year means sexually active people should get tested regularly and take steps to prevent STDs, health officials said. Reportable STDs in Minnesota include chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis. There were 21,465 cases reported in 2012 compared to 19,547 cases reported in 2011 and 18,009 cases reported in 2010. Highlights within the report include:

President Barack Obama and Congress have until March 27 to reach a budget agreement to avert a government shutdown. If they don't meet the deadline, federal agencies will halt many public services and send "non-excepted" workers home without pay.

...telling you."Studies show 25 percent of adults in the U.S. have a mental illness, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. And nearly half will develop at least one mental illness during their lifetime.Compassion for those...

...half of U.S. adults will develop at least one mental illness during their lifetime, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Yet many of those people will put off treatment because of the stigma of mental illness, local professionals...

...about seven weeks earlier than in 2010-11 and 11 weeks earlier than last season. Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports influenza is widespread across the eastern half of the country. During the last week...

In one category, numbers in Minnesota are headed in the wrong direction.

...symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends people with those symptoms stay home for 24 hours after their fever is gone without the use...

Proposals for curbing gun violence announced Wednesday by President Barack Obama: NEEDS CONGRESSIONAL ACTION: - Requiring background checks on all gun sales. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence says 40 percent of gun sales are conducted with no criminal background check, such as at gun shows and by private sellers over the Internet or through classified ads. Obama said there should be exceptions for cases like certain transfers among family members and temporary transfers for hunting purposes.

...even if they aren't hungry. As portion sizes expand, waistlines expand as well.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average U.S. restaurant meal is more than five times larger than it was in the 1950s. The average...