A cross-section of articles we've read this week about HIV/AIDS, STIs and a wide cross-sectiond of structural and systemic factors impacting HIV/AIDS in Black communities.

Science

New Hope for H.I.V. Vaccine 

"Kafkaesque" is not a word normally used to describe immune responses, but it's how Dr. Louis J. Picker described what his experimental vaccine did to his rhesus monkeys: "It's like their T-cells were turned into the East German secret police, hunting down infected cells until there were none left."

Miscellaneous

Colorado Senate President John Morse, State Sen. Angela Giron Ousted 

An epic national debate over gun rights in Colorado on Tuesday saw two Democratic state senators ousted for their support for stricter laws, a "ready, aim, fired" message intended to stop other politicians for pushing for firearms restrictions. Senate President John Morse and Sen. Angela Giron will be replaced in office with Republican candidates who petitioned onto the recall ballot.

For Workers Leaving Jobs, Health Exchanges Offer Insurance Choices Beyond COBRA 

Workers who lost their jobs and their employer-based health insurance will have new coverage options when the Affordable Care Act's state marketplaces open in October. But consumer advocates are concerned many may not realize this and lock themselves into pricier coverage than they need.

Getting Past the Outrage on Race 

George Yancy's recent passionate response in The Stone to Trayvon Martin's killing - and the equally passionate comments on his response - vividly present the seemingly intractable conflict such cases always evoke. There seems to be a sense in which each side is right, but no way to find common ground on which to move discussion forward. This is because quite apart from the facts of the case, Trayvon Martin immediately became a symbol for two apparently opposing moral judgments. I will suggest, however, that both these judgments derive from the same underlying injustice - one at the heart of the historic March on Washington 50 years ago and highlighted in the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech on that occasion.

Health Overhaul Confuses Medicare Beneficiaries 

MIAMI (AP) - Dear seniors, your Medicare benefits aren't changing under the Affordable Care Act. That's the message federal health officials aren't trying to get out to elderly consumers confused by overlapping enrollment periods for Medicare and so-called "Obamacare."

Hip-Hop, Tolerance and a D.J.'s Bared Soul: He's Tired of Denial 

It was early Thursday morning and Mister Cee, a D.J. on the hip-hop station Hot 97 and a prominent figure in New York hip-hop history, was in tears. The day before, an audio clip was released in which he appeared to solicit a sexual act from a transgender person, the latest in a string of incidents, including arrests, revolving around Mister Cee's sexual activities. During his Wednesday afternoon show he had announced his resignation, saying he didn't want to draw negative attention to his employer and colleagues because of his actions.

Investors See 4 Million Signing Up for Obamacare in 2014: Survey 

Investors expect 4 million Americans to initially enroll in the state insurance marketplaces created under President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act, according to a survey released on Monday, as concerns mount that technical glitches could present obstacles to enrollment.

Louisville Neighborhood Life Expectancy Varies by More Than a Decade, Study Shows 

Study finds 13-year gap in Louisville's neighborhoods.

Obamacare Myths 

Falsehoods about the Affordable Care Act are still swirling - and the intensity of the claims is rising as the exchanges are set to launch.

The Rational Choices of Crack Addicts 

Long before he brought people into his laboratory at Columbia University to smoke crack cocaine, Carl Hart saw its effects firsthand. Growing up in poverty, he watched relatives become crack addicts, living in squalor and stealing from their mothers. Childhood friends ended up in prisons and morgues.

Senate Hearing on HIV & Aging Next Wednesday in D.C. 

By 2015, half of all Americans with HIV will be over 50. That's a miracle of modern-day HIV treatment. But these folks also face a host of health challenges. They have three times as many coexisting conditions as people their age without HIV-including diabetes, depression, cancers and heart disease.

Stephen Crohn, Who Furthered AIDS Study, Dies at 66 

His boyfriend was dying of a disease without a name.

Beginning in 1978, Stephen Crohn cared for Jerry Green, a handsome gymnast, as he lost 30 pounds, wend blind and was ravaged by the kinds of infections that rarely harmed otherwise healthy people.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Coverage under President Barack Obama's health care law won't be cheap, but cost-conscious consumers hunting for lower premiums will have plenty of options, according to two independent private studies.

Walking While Black in the 'White Gaze' 

"Man, I almost blew you away!"

Those were the terrifying words of a white police officer - one of those who policed black bodies in low income areas in North Philadelphia in the late 1970s - who caught sight of me carrying the new telescope my mother had just purchased for me.