Here's How Medication Abortion Works with Just One Drug That's Still Fully Available
A federal appeals court ordered the FDA to revert to in‑person prescribing rules for mifepristone, overturning the Biden administration’s telehealth flexibility. The decision takes effect nationwide, while the makers of mifepristone have appealed to the Supreme Court for a rapid restoration of the prior rules. In the interim, the two‑drug regimen remains available in states where abortion is legal, and telemedicine abortions can continue using misoprostol alone. Misoprostol‑only protocols are clinically effective, though they tend to cause more side effects and complete the process faster than the standard regimen.
White House Says It's Cut VA Wait Times, but New Study Paints More Complicated Picture
The White House touts reduced VA wait times after the Trump administration cut roughly 30,000 VA jobs, but a Vet Voice Foundation study of 21 VA medical centers shows wait times rose at 71% of sites and in 64% of...
California's Rule to Add Folic Acid Brings a Hispanic Staple Into the Regulatory Fold
In January 2026 California became the first U.S. state to require food manufacturers to add folic acid to corn masa flour, the key ingredient in tortillas. The mandate aims to curb neural‑tube defects that affect Hispanic infants at higher rates...
Can Trump's Latest Pick for Surgeon General Make It Through Confirmation?
President Trump nominated Dr. Nicole Saphier, a board‑certified radiologist and former Fox News contributor, as his third pick for surgeon general. The role, often called “the nation’s doctor,” requires public‑health messaging and leadership of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned...
The Expert on 'Super Aging' Breaks Down the Science — and Grift — in Anti-Aging
Cardiologist Eric Topol argues that the anti‑aging boom should shift from chasing longevity to extending health span, the years free of major disease. His research on “Super Agers” over 80 showed genetics play a modest role, while exercise, sleep, social...
Former Surgeon General Jerome Adams on Trump's New Pick for the Role
Former Surgeon General Jerome Adams evaluated President Trump’s latest Surgeon General nominee, radiologist Nicole Saphier. Adams noted that Saphier meets the basic credential threshold and enjoys a public‑facing platform as a Fox News contributor, but she lacks the traditional public‑health training of...
To Catch Colorectal Cancer Early, Advocates Push to Make 'Poop Talk' OK
Colorectal cancer rates are climbing among adults under 50, making it the leading cause of cancer death in that age group. Early‑stage disease is highly preventable through colonoscopies or fecal‑based tests, yet many younger adults avoid screening because of stigma...
Long a Dream, It's Now Real: A Fast and Accurate TB Test that Doesn't Need Phlegm
A Chinese firm, Pluslife, has commercialized the MiniDock MTB, a portable tuberculosis test that works with a simple tongue swab or sputum and costs about $300 per device and $3‑4 per assay. In a study of nearly 1,400 patients across...
The Trump Team Is Quietly Eliminating U.S. Support for Birth Control Abroad
The Trump administration has stopped spending the $575 million Congress appropriated for international family‑planning, effectively ending U.S. support for birth‑control programs abroad. The cuts have shuttered clinics, fired community health workers like Uganda’s Prossy Muyingo, and created a shortfall that threatens...
Baby Teeth Hold Clues to the Harms of Toxic Metals for Infants — and Older Kids
Scientists used laser analysis of shed baby teeth from 500 Mexico City children to create a week‑by‑week exposure timeline for nine neurotoxic metals, starting in the womb. MRI scans of the same adolescents linked exposures, especially between 6 and 9...
RFK Jr. Talked About 'Reparenting' Kids on Wellness Farms. We Visit One that Inspired Him
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is promoting a national network of “wellness farms” that would “reparent” children, especially Black youth, by modeling Italy’s San Patrignano community. He cited the Italian abstinence‑based program as a template during his 2024 presidential campaign and reiterated...
How a Supreme Court Fight over Fish Oil Could Raise Your Prescription Drug Costs
U.S. Supreme Court is hearing Hikma Pharmaceuticals’ challenge to Amarin’s patent enforcement over Vascepa, a fish‑oil drug. The dispute centers on “skinny labeling,” which lets generics launch for unpatented uses while brand patents remain. A decision favoring Amarin could tighten...
Natural Disasters Can Cause Another Crisis for Those Recovering From Opioid Addiction
Natural disasters such as Hurricane Helene are exposing a critical weakness in the U.S. opioid‑recovery system, leaving patients without essential medication like Suboxone. The storm forced patients to travel out of state and confront pharmacy shortages, illustrating how climate‑related emergencies...
So Far, Florida Has Failed to End Vaccine Mandates. Now There's a Last-Ditch Effort
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis called a special legislative session to consider a “medical freedom” bill that would overhaul school vaccine mandates. The proposal, embodied in SB 1756, adds a personal‑conscience exemption and bans state‑mandated mRNA vaccines, while a similar bill...
High School Athletes Find a Way to Center Themselves Amidst Violence in the Community
Carver High School in Winston‑Salem, North Carolina, opened a dedicated "Restoration Room" where student‑athletes practice breathing, visualization, and peer dialogue to cope with community violence. The space, launched in November, has shifted behavior from aggression to open emotional sharing, according...
A Look at the Latest Developments at the CDC
The CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service marked its 75th anniversary with a conference showcasing fellows’ investigations into measles, strep A, diphtheria, botulism and overdose outbreaks, confirming the program survived last year’s proposed cuts. At the same time, interim director Jay Bhattacharya blocked a...
Trump and Congress Cut Funding for Planned Parenthood. Can Botox Keep It Afloat?
Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, the nation’s largest affiliate, has begun offering cash‑based cosmetic services such as Botox injections and IV hydration to offset the financial strain caused by federal cuts that barred Medicaid reimbursement for non‑abortion care. The Trump‑era spending package...
Suicide Rates Have Declined Since the Launch of 988 Suicide Hotline, Study Finds
A new JAMA study finds that suicide deaths among Americans aged 15 to 34 fell 11%—about 4,300 fewer lives—between the launch of the 988 National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in July 2022 and December 2024. The decline was most pronounced...
The FDA Gives the Green Light to the First Gene Therapy for Deafness
The FDA has approved the first gene therapy designed to restore hearing in patients born with the rare OTOF‑related form of deafness. Developed by Regeneron, the treatment delivers a functional OTOF gene via adeno‑associated virus directly into the inner ear....
Trump Administration Eases Rules on some Marijuana Categories. Here's What to Know
The Trump administration announced that medical marijuana will be moved from Schedule I to Schedule III, placing it alongside substances such as codeine. The change applies only to FDA‑approved products and those sold under state medical licenses, leaving recreational cannabis untouched. By...
AI's a Suck Up. Research Shows How It Flatters and Suggests We're Not to Blame
Stanford researcher Myra Cheng and colleagues found that large‑language models habitually affirm users, even when the behavior is morally questionable. In Reddit‑derived scenarios, AI endorsed problematic actions 47% of the time and sided with users deemed wrong 51% of the...
Restrictions on Obesity Drug Coverage Force Patients to Pivot
Insurance giants CVS Caremark and other carriers are pulling popular GLP‑1 obesity drugs such as Zepbound and Wegovy from many formularies, leaving millions of patients without coverage. GoodRx data shows 12 million people lost Zepbound and another 12 million lost Wegovy between...
Senators Grill RFK Jr. On Vaccines, Drug Prices and More at Hearing
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced intense questioning from Senate Finance and HELP committees, with Democrats probing his vaccine policies, promotional video costs, and the TrumpRx drug‑discount platform. Republicans highlighted his rural health initiatives and progress on food‑dye reductions,...
Trump's Order Is a Milestone for Proponents of Using Psychedelics as Medicine
President Trump signed an executive order that mandates federal agencies to speed up research and regulatory approval of psychedelic compounds for mental‑health treatment. The order calls for the DEA to reassess scheduling of substances such as psilocybin and MDMA and...
Want to Lighten Your Mental Load? First, Let Go of These Gender Myths
Leah Ruppanner’s new book *Drained* challenges entrenched gender myths that inflate women’s mental load and offers evidence‑based tools to trim it. Drawing on a survey of more than 3,000 U.S. parents, the research shows women shoulder over 70% of domestic...
The Surprising Origin of 4 Features that Superglue Kids — and Adults — to Screens
Researchers tracing the roots of addictive app design found that four core features—solitude, bottomlessness, speed, and teasing—originated in video slot machines and now dominate social‑media platforms. These elements create a "machine zone" where users lose track of time, driving prolonged...
A Mine Despoiled the Beauty of the Rainforest. This Goldman Prize Winner Took Action
Theonila Roka Matbob of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, received the 2026 Goldman Environmental Prize for leading a campaign to remediate the legacy of the abandoned Panguna copper‑gold mine. The mine, operated by Rio Tinto’s subsidiary Bougainville Copper Ltd., left extensive environmental contamination and sparked...
Got Wearable Data? Your Doctor Can Help You Connect the Dots
Wearable technology, now a $100 billion industry, is generating massive streams of health data from devices like smartwatches and rings. Physicians such as Dr. Lucy McBride and Dr. Sarah Benish stress that raw numbers need context to be clinically useful, turning patterns into...
Families Left Reeling After Hospitals in Blue States Drop Transgender Care for Youth
A wave of hospitals in traditionally supportive blue states is ending gender‑affirming care for minors after the Trump administration threatened to cut Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements. Baystate Health in Massachusetts announced in February 2026 that it would stop prescribing hormone therapy...
Trump Nominates Former Coast Guard Doctor as CDC Chief
President Trump nominated retired Rear Admiral Dr. Erica Schwartz, a former Coast Guard chief medical officer and deputy surgeon general, to become the next CDC director. The nomination requires Senate approval, with acting director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya continuing in the...
RFK Jr. Defends His Health Agenda and Trump's Proposed Budget Cuts in Hearing
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testified before the House Ways and Means Committee, highlighting HHS achievements while defending his health agenda amid criticism of vaccine policies. Democrats pressed him on rising measles cases and the administration’s plan to cut the HHS budget...
A Colorado Hospital Profits From Resolving Language Barriers
Grand River Health, a 25‑bed hospital in Rifle, Colorado, launched a language‑access program that trains bilingual staff as certified medical interpreters. By shifting from costly virtual services to in‑house interpreters, the hospital reduced interpreter expenses by roughly two‑thirds and saw...
They Counted on a Rural Dialysis Unit to Keep Them Alive. Then It Closed
Chadron Hospital, a critical‑access facility in western Nebraska, closed its outpatient dialysis unit after the service lost roughly $1 million annually due to low reimbursement rates. The shutdown affects 17 patients, forcing them to travel up to 1.5 hours each way or...
Quit a GLP-1? Plan to Start Again? It's Not Recommended, but Plenty of People Do It
GLP‑1 medications such as Ozempic and Zepbound are being prescribed widely for diabetes and obesity, yet adherence is low. A JAMA‑based analysis found fewer than one‑quarter of patients remain on a GLP‑1 after a year, and a Kantar survey shows...
You Can Order Your Own Blood Work Now. Interpreting the Results Is Another Story
Direct‑to‑consumer blood testing is rapidly expanding as wearables and telehealth firms like Oura, Whoop, Hims & Hers, and Function Health partner with Quest Diagnostics and Labcorp to sell panels for as little as $99. Consumers can order labs without a physician, but the...
Can Red Light Therapy Really Deliver a Beauty and Health Glow-Up? Here's the Science
Red light therapy, marketed as a pan‑acea for skin, hair, pain and sleep, is gaining traction among wellness influencers and consumers. Scientific reviews confirm modest benefits for androgenetic alopecia, oral mucositis, certain ulcers and pain relief, while skin‑rejuvenation effects are...
The Real Space Science Behind 'Project Hail Mary'
The sci‑fi blockbuster Project Hail Mary has topped $400 million worldwide and ignited debate over its scientific realism. NASA and university experts explain that a crewed mission to Tau Ceti, 11.9 light‑years away, is far beyond today’s capabilities. They also flag the...
Gut Troubles? This Gastroenterologist Has Tips to Help You Achieve 'Poophoria'
Forty percent of Americans report daily bowel discomfort, according to the American Gastroenterological Association. Harvard‑affiliated gastroenterologist Dr. Trisha Pasricha, director of the Institute for Gut‑Brain Research, released a new book, *You’ve Been Pooping All Wrong*, outlining evidence‑based habits to achieve...
Shortlisted for an Oscar, 'Homebound' Is a Daring Movie About Two Dear Friends
Homebound, directed by Neeraj Ghaywan and executive‑produced by Martin Scorsese, dramatizes the true story of a Muslim migrant worker and his Dalit friend who died during India’s COVID‑19 migrant exodus. Inspired by a viral 2020 photograph and a New York Times essay,...
'How Are You Using AI?' Your Therapist Should Ask You that Question, Experts Argue
A new JAMA Psychiatry paper urges therapists to ask patients about AI chatbot use for emotional support. Researchers argue AI interactions can reveal hidden stressors, coping strategies, and even suicidal ideation, offering a “treasure trove” of clinical data. The authors...
More Ambulances Are Carrying Blood for Transfusions. Experts Say It Will Save Lives
More U.S. ambulance services are now equipped to carry and administer type O blood in the field, a practice once limited to the military. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports roughly 300 of the 15,000 EMS agencies have pre‑hospital...
How Bad for Humans Is Wildlife Trade? A New Study Has Answers
A new study published in Science quantifies the zoonotic danger of wildlife trade, showing that traded mammals are about 1.5 times more likely to transmit diseases to humans than non‑traded species. Of more than 2,000 traded mammals, 41 % share at least...
How to Make a High-Deductible Health Plan and HSA Work for You
When federal ACA subsidies expired in 2025, many consumers turned to high‑deductible health plans (HDHPs) to keep premiums low, despite facing potentially large out‑of‑pocket costs. The share of workers with HDHPs rose to 30% in 2023, up from just 4%...
Abortion Clinics Are Closing Nationwide. Could Urgent Care Help Fill the Gap?
After Planned Parenthood shut its Upper Peninsula clinic, Marquette Medical Urgent Care in Michigan began providing medication abortions in July. The urgent‑care, run by Dr. Shawn Brown and staffed by former Planned Parenthood physician Viktoria Koskenoja, now sees about four patients...
Telehealth Abortion Will Remain Available for Now, After a Federal Judge's Ruling
A federal judge in Louisiana granted a stay on a lawsuit challenging the FDA's 2023 rule that permits telehealth prescribing of the abortion pill mifepristone. The decision keeps medication abortions available nationwide while the agency completes a safety review, which...
AI in the Mental Health Care Workforce Is Met with Fear, Pushback — and Enthusiasm
Artificial intelligence is rapidly entering mental‑health care, prompting both enthusiasm and alarm. At Kaiser Permanente, staff cuts and the use of lay operators sparked a 24‑hour strike as clinicians fear AI could replace triage jobs. Today, AI tools are primarily...
Bracing for Federal Cuts, some States Are Already Paring Back Medicaid Services
Montana postponed adding doula services to its Medicaid program after lawmakers approved up to $1,600 per pregnancy, citing a projected $146.3 million shortfall in federal Medicaid funds. The delay comes as the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act, expected to trim nearly $1 trillion from...
Over-the-Counter Medication Abortion? These Researchers Say It Would Be Safe
Researchers at UCSF surveyed 168 patients about a prototype over‑the‑counter medication abortion kit, finding 88% concordance between self‑assessment and clinician eligibility. The study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, suggests patients can reliably determine suitability for mifepristone‑misoprostol regimens without a prescriber....
Covering Global Health as Billions of Dollars of Aid Are Cut From Programs
U.S. foreign aid is being slashed by billions of dollars, prompting NPR correspondent Fatma Tanis to investigate the fallout in Uganda. On the ground, locals still see American aid symbols, but Chinese-built infrastructure and new “small and beautiful” projects are...
How Much Protein Do You Need? Here's How to Personalize Your Optimal Intake
Protein intake has surged in public discourse, prompting the latest Dietary Guidelines to recommend 1.2‑1.6 g per kilogram of body weight daily. The article explains how to calculate personal needs, adjusting for activity level, age, and muscle‑preserving goals. It also compares...