Health Fitness Archives - Page 2 of 3

US food and medical aid to the world’s poorest is still in limbo

The Trump administration exempted lifesaving assistance from its foreign aid freeze, but providers say it’s still not getting through.

RFK Jr. taps former border patrol agent as senior adviser

Chris Clem could help Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who will have a role in immigration policy as health secretary, manage deportations.

Diet drug boom weighs heavily on state budgets

Policymakers are scrambling to find ways to reduce costs — or even dropping coverage.

Judge temporarily blocks Trump cuts to health research grants

Judge Angel Kelley issued a restraining order.

Judge orders Trump admin to restore removed health agency webpages

The decision by U.S. District Judge John Bates, a George W. Bush appointee, came after a testy Monday afternoon hearing.

First lawsuit targets Trump’s foreign aid freeze

The groups said the freeze violates Congress’ wishes and is endangering lives in developing countries.

States sue Trump administration over health research grant cuts

The move by 22 state attorneys general comes after the National Institutes of Health announced on Friday that it would slash billions in university funding.

DOGE working with two Trump health appointees to examine Medicare and Medicaid books

The Trump political appointees are leading the agency’s “collaboration” with Elon Musk’s team.

RFK Jr.’s allies have a plan to upend childhood vaccination

Robert F. Kennedy’s Jr. advisers are sparring over how far he should go on vaccines as health secretary.

Trump’s beef with the World Health Organization is personal

He’s said the UN body’s head, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, treated China better than him during the pandemic.

How the 'nicest' House member plans to help pass Trump's agenda

The president’s domestic policy victories could hinge on whether the new chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee can rally members behind hard decisions about spending cuts to popular programs.

How Bill Cassidy got to ‘yes’ on RFK Jr.

The Louisiana Republican said he hoped Robert F. Kennedy Jr. would be “a partner” in promoting good health.

Health agencies sued after taking down data following Trump order

It’s the latest lawsuit pushing back on the Trump administration’s shakeup of the federal government.

Murdoch empire comes out against RFK Jr.

The Wall Street Journal and The New York Post’s editorial boards expressed concern about Kennedy’s anti-vaccine history and other unorthodox views.

Bill Cassidy’s decision on RFK Jr. could jeopardize his Senate career

As a doctor, Cassidy is troubled by RFK Jr. As a politician, he has reason to support him anyway.

State Medicaid payments inaccessible amid broader federal funding freeze

States and the federal government jointly fund Medicaid, which offers insurance to more than 70 million Americans.

Kennedy tells senators he’s not against vaccination, despite past statements

Finance Committee to vote on RFK Jr. Tuesday

Kennedy’s approval by the committee is far from certain.

Pro-RFK Jr. letter to the Senate includes names of doctors whose licenses were revoked or suspended

The letter was meant to lend credibility to Kennedy’s nomination.

Trump is wreaking havoc at USAID. Is the goal to shut it down?

The president’s failure to name a USAID administrator and other steps seem to suggest that, at the very least, he’ll fold USAID into the State Department.

Public health information pulled offline in response to Trump orders

Massive amounts of information about HIV, LGBTQ+ health were pulled from cdc.gov Friday night.

Medicaid payment systems back online after outage

The outage came after the Trump administration on Monday ordered a sweeping pause on federal spending. States and lawmakers early Tuesday began reporting that portals across the country were inaccessible.

Warren pushes Kennedy on his financial gain from vaccine lawsuits

“You won’t go to work for a drug company after you leave HHS, but you and I both know there’s another way to make money,” Warren said.

‘Using the devil's own tools against them': Abortion opponents turn to environmental laws

Several states are trying to curtail abortion medication by claiming mifepristone could contaminate drinking water.

RFK Jr.’s anti-vaccine group sees vindication in his Senate testimony

Mary Holland, head of Kennedy-founded Children’s Health Defense, spoke to POLITICO after attending his confirmation hearing.

RFK Jr.’s confirmation battle has turned politics upside down

The Senate Finance Committee will hear from Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Donald Trump’s nominee for health secretary, on Wednesday.

Trump order aims to end gender-affirming care for minors

The executive order instructs agencies to ensure hospitals and other institutions receiving federal money stop offering gender-affirming care for minors.

‘A sign of a sickness’: Abortion opponents grapple with RFK Jr. nomination

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. backed abortion rights, but the nation’s leading anti-abortion groups aren’t lobbying senators to reject him.

RFK Jr. says he’s open to seizing drug patents

Trump’s health secretary nominee met with Hill staffers ahead of his hearing this week.

Five vaccine policy moves RFK Jr. could make

If he’s confirmed as health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will have broad authority to pursue an anti-vaccine agenda.

Trump and Vance sidestep abortion executive orders in March for Life speeches

Anti-abortion leaders wanted more concrete action from the new administration.

Trump administration takes first anti-abortion move on world stage

Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a directive Friday to rejoin a global anti-abortion pact.

CIA now says Covid-19 is more likely to have originated from a lab leak

The intelligence agency has said for years it couldn’t say with certainty where the pandemic originated from.

Justice Department drops case against Texas doctor charged with leaking transgender care data

The dismissal comes as the Trump administration in its first week has already issued executive orders rolling back transgender rights.

Trump signs anti-abortion policies after speaking to March for Life

Those impacted include overseas health organizations that distribute contraception and help combat HIV.

Trump to address anti-abortion March for Life by video, Vance in person

The announcements come amid mounting frustration from the anti-abortion movement that not one of the avalanche of executive orders Trump signed over his first few days in office has pertained directly to abortion.

Trump pardons abortion clinic protesters ahead of March for Life

“They should not have been prosecuted,” said the president.

Anti-vaccine no more? RFK Jr. is remaking his image to serve Trump

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is telling senators considering his nomination to lead the government’s health agencies he merely wants transparency about vaccines.

Federal DEI websites go dark after Trump order and threat of ‘consequences’

The sites went down a day after the Office of Personnel Management sent a memo to all agencies Tuesday calling for all DEI workers to be placed on paid leave by 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Trump announces US withdrawal from the World Health Organization

The global health body stands to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in funding

Fauci welcomes Biden pardon but says he has ‘committed no crime’

Biden declares Equal Rights Amendment adopted, sparking a debate about his abortion legacy

The move has no immediate legal force but will likely spark lawsuits that advocates hope will restore abortion rights.

Top Senate Republican says PEPFAR program in jeopardy

Foreign Affairs Relations Chair Jim Risch said money from the AIDS relief program paid for abortions.

Trump transition puts up guardrails around RFK Jr.

The transition team hired trusted conservatives to key HHS positions.

Trump health alum tapped as RFK Jr.'s chief of staff

SCOTUS agrees to hear challenge to Obamacare’s preventive care coverage

The court will decide the fate of the insurance mandate later this year.

Surgeon general’s call for alcohol warning label likely to fall flat in Congress

Vivek Murthy says alcohol causes cancer, but the industry still has many friends on Capitol Hill.

The government can’t ensure artificial intelligence is safe. This man says he can.

Brian Anderson is ready to shape the future of AI in health care — if Donald Trump will let him.

WHO names likely source of ‘mystery disease’ in the Congo

A combination of viral respiratory infections, malaria and malnutrition has killed nearly 50 people in the African country.

Bird flu mutations raise fears of a broader outbreak

Experts warn of inadequate testing by the CDC, which maintains the risk to humans “remains low.”

How Mark Zuckerberg and Meta convinced Congress to shelve a kids safety bill

The billionaire and his company needed Speaker Mike Johnson’s help to stop legislation that would have regulated social media for the first time.

Biden administration scraps rules to expand birth control access

The move, welcomed by conservative organizations, leaves in place a Trump rule allowing more employers to opt out of providing coverage.

The contortions GOP senators are making for RFK Jr.

Republican lawmakers are looking past Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s views as they consider his nomination to lead HHS.

RFK Jr. has public health leaders quietly hopeful — and scared as hell

Public health officials see promise in some of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s plans to prevent chronic disease but despair at his vaccine conspiracy theories.

Kennedy to meet with Republicans on key committees

Trump’s pick to lead HHS heads to the Hill this week.

Police apprehend person of interest in UnitedHealthcare CEO's killing

A witness recognized the alleged killer at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s.

How Trump's transition could end up hamstringing his agenda

The president-elect’s advisers haven’t yet begun meeting with federal agencies, despite signing an agreement late last month allowing them to do so.

UnitedHealthcare CEO shot and killed in New York City

Brian Thompson was fatally shot outside a Midtown hotel.

Trump’s health nominees want Covid vindication. Here's how their critique has aged.

Trump’s picks to lead the NIH and FDA were critics of health officials and their pandemic policies.

Supreme Court appears skeptical of vaping firm’s challenge to FDA

The agency denied Triton Distribution’s application to sell flavored e-liquids.

Trump picks Jim O’Neill for No. 2 spot at HHS

If his nomination is approved, the longtime associate of Peter Thiel will work alongside Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Trump picks NIH critic Jay Bhattacharya to lead the agency

The Stanford University physician and economist, known for opposing Covid-19 lockdowns, has been tapped to lead the $47 billion biomedical research agency.

Trump weighing O’Neill for HHS deputy secretary

A close adviser to Peter Thiel with ties across Silicon Valley, O’Neill reentered the mix in recent days for the No. 2 HHS job.

Trump to nominate Marty Makary to lead FDA

Makary emerged during the Covid pandemic as a critic of the FDA.

Kennedy's 'MAHA transition team' includes anti-vax activists

At least three informal advisers connected to the anti-vaccine movement are assisting Kennedy in filling out his staff as he prepares to lead HHS.

Anti-abortion groups have 2 asks. RFK Jr. is listening.

Their support could make or break whether Senate confirms Kennedy for Trump’s Cabinet.

Bill Nye: RFK Jr. has ‘lost his way’

“Science Guy” takes nominee to head HHS to task over fluoride in drinking water.

Dr. Oz getting high marks from Senate moderates — maybe even Fetterman

As CMS administrator, Oz would have latitude over health coverage for the more than 160 million Americans in Medicare, Medicaid and other health programs

Trump transition closes in on picks for top health posts

Many of the candidates are allies of RFK Jr. and have maligned the agencies they would oversee.

‘Voters just didn't care’: The abortion-rights movement grapples with Trump’s return

Abortion-rights activists say it’s imperative they figure out what went wrong in the wake of their worst setback since the fall of Roe two years ago.

Selection of RFK Jr. will amplify discussion of public health, Deborah Birx says

“What I’m hoping is he brings his transparency for all Americans and we really start to tackle these issues one-by-one-by-one,” she said.

RFK Jr.’s vaccine theories are ‘cruel,’ former CDC director says

“To continue to lift that up is a cruel thing to do,” Richard Besser said.

Washington’s lobbyists are stunned Trump chose RFK Jr.

They’re holding their fire and hoping Senate allies will block his confirmation as HHS secretary.

GOP backlash against RFK Jr.’s nomination could jeopardize his confirmation

The president of the anti-abortion group SBA Pro-Life America, said “there’s no question that we need a pro-life HHS secretary, and of course, we have concerns about” Kennedy.

How RFK Jr. could cause an earthquake for American public health

Food additives, pesticides and vaccines are on his “Make America Healthy Again” hit list.

‘Quack,’ or ‘disruptor’: Trump pick RFK Jr. gets mixed reviews

Health agency veterans are alarmed.

Abortion opponents prepare to undermine just-passed ballot measures

Most of the bills target mifepristone — the drug used in more than two-thirds of abortions nationwide.

‘Been a long time since I felt that way’: Sexually transmitted infection numbers provide new hope

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released Tuesday shows meaningful declines in STI rates between 2022 and 2023.

Anti-abortion forces broke the left's post-Roe winning streak, but 7 more states enacted protections

Anti-abortion groups scored big victories Tuesday.

RFK Jr.: ‘We’re not gonna take vaccines away from anybody’

The former Democrat-turned-Trump-ally gave more details on the role the president-elect envisions for him.

Harris hoped to ride abortion to another post-Dobbs Democratic victory. It didn’t work.

The issue failed to stop Donald Trump, who on Tuesday overcame a large gender gap — and Democrats’ relentless focus on women’s reproductive health — to win back the White House.

The election’s stakes for global health

For international pandemic talks, abortion rights and funding for public health efforts, they’re huge.

Republicans are betting big on trans issues. Following through could prove harder.

A party faction that includes several GOP governors says government shouldn’t get involved.

Everyone’s tough on drugs again

Traffickers are to blame, the candidates say. Virtually no one’s talking about treatment.

More abortion ballot measures are set to pass. Then state courts will have their say.

Arizona is one of several states where right-leaning groups are backing conservative judges as they prepare to challenge newly passed ballot measures protecting abortion.

Mpox is killing again. It didn’t have to be this way.

Missteps by the World Health Organization, a vaccine manufacturer and an African country led to another health emergency, experts say.

Dems dismiss Trump-Vance abortion messaging as ‘lip service,’ but it might be working

Trump says he’ll veto legislation to ban the procedure.

Republicans have a post-pandemic plan for the scientific establishment

Still angry about the Covid response, GOP lawmakers want to overhaul the National Institutes of Health if they win in November.

Judge strikes down Georgia ban on abortions

The ruling allows abortions to resume beyond six weeks into pregnancy.

Doctors are campaigning for Harris despite the cost: Alienating MAGA patients

Some see the politicking as a moral obligation, but others see a threat to the doctor-patient relationship.

Feds sue pharmacy gatekeepers over high insulin costs

The case is part of a concerted effort by the Biden administration to lower drug prices.

Republicans block Democratic bill on IVF protections

As Trump pitches himself as a “leader on IVF,” GOP senators dismiss the legislation as a Democratic stunt.

Biden admin to require mental health coverage parity

The White House says health insurers are not complying with 2008 law in a move that’s likely to draw legal challenges from the industry.

Democrats and Republicans say methadone can end the fentanyl epidemic. Methadone clinics say that’s naive.

A plan to expand access to the drug treatment is hung up on fears of a black market, despite bipartisan support.

Supreme Court declines to block Biden family planning rules in Oklahoma

The state lost millions in federal funding because it refused to offer patients a national hotline number for information about abortion.

‘Most people are confused’: What to know about the latest Covid shot

While the risk of hospitalization and death is nowhere near what it was in 2021, there is still a danger, particularly for the elderly or those with compromised immune systems.

Parents can’t function they’re so stressed, surgeon general warns

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump want to provide relief, though they disagree on the details.

Dr. Fauci was hospitalized with West Nile virus and is now recovering at home

The former top U.S. infectious disease expert is expected to make a full recovery.

‘Immediate shift’: Democrats speaking about abortion in once unimaginable ways

Democrats this week spotlighted stories of unwanted pregnancies and men who feared they’d lose their wives because they couldn’t obtain emergency abortions.

Arkansas Supreme Court blocks abortion measure

The state Supreme Court ruled in favor of Attorney General Tim Griffin, who had accused the initiative’s backers of failing to submit the proper paperwork.

‘It’s not a pro-life position’: Anger after Trump says no to Comstock

Many prominent conservatives and anti-abortion activists were outraged by the remark, calling it “nonsensical” and “cowardly.”

Harris wants to restore Roe. For many activists, that’s not enough.

Democrats have made restoring abortion access a cornerstone of their campaign for the White House and Congress, but there are divisions over what, exactly, that means.

Harris isn’t pushing Medicare for All anymore. Progressives say that’s OK.

Advocates of government health care are giving Harris leeway to decide how best to beat Donald Trump.

In a first, Medicare has set prices for 10 drugs, saving billions

The result is a $6 billion savings across 10 drugs when new prices take effect in 2026, according to the White House.

What Trump has said about Florida’s 6-week abortion ban

Biden admin to spend billions to blunt spike in Medicare drug premiums

The move to protect some older Americans from higher costs would come just ahead of the election.

White House set to unveil Medicare price negotiation savings

Both the White House and the Harris campaign have envisioned the savings promised by the negotiations as playing a significant role in the run-up to November’s election.

Tim Walz’s personal story spotlights IVF. That could be a problem for Republicans.

Walz is framing IVF as an issue that affects men, too.

How a 3-star general came to believe in psychedelic medicine

Independent experts gave a psychedelic treatment for PTSD a scathing review. Some in Congress want it approved anyway.

States break out new tactics to thwart abortion ballot measures

Advocates are seeking to block referendums in Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Montana and South Dakota.

Kamala Harris’ call for ‘reproductive freedom’ means restoring Roe

The position aligns with President Joe Biden but clashes with some abortion-rights activists championing her White House bid.

The unlikely alliance bringing the tech giants to heel

Parents’ stories about how their children were exploited and bullied online are resonating in Congress.

The conservative doctor who’s got the GOP’s ear on trans kids’ care

Stanley Goldfarb and his group, Do No Harm, say Republicans need new advisers because major medical groups have embraced progressive ideology.

Trump brags about ending Roe. No one’s talking about it in Milwaukee.

Heading into the final day of the Republican Party’s first national gathering since the Supreme Court’s landmark decision, the issue has barely received a passing mention.

Feds tackle dialysis giants with antitrust probe

The Federal Trade Commission investigation of DaVita and Fresenius Medical Care follows years of consolidation in the dialysis industry.

Feds poised to sue pharmacy gatekeepers over high drug costs

The FTC action would target often high costs by trying to curb rebates it says drug makers pay to steer patients to their brand name products.

‘Republicans need to match’: Anti-abortion groups roll out new messaging

Abortion opponents know they need to win hearts and minds. They’re using women’s stories to do so.

Biden administration plans major cuts to AIDS relief programs in Africa

The 21-year-old President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief is credited with saving 25 million lives, but its budget is strained.

Trump campaign blocks pair of anti-abortion activists from RNC platform committee

The shakeup, which has not been previously reported, comes as anti-abortion groups petition Trump, his campaign advisers and members of the RNC not to make significant changes to the party’s platform on abortion.

‘A battle to the death’: The next abortion cases en route to the Supreme Court

The cases moving through federal courts could further roll back abortion access, even if Biden wins in November.

Supreme Court 'inadvertently' exposes opinion that would restore emergency abortion access in Idaho

The decision posted online shows that the justices voted to dismiss the dispute from their docket.

Opioid deaths rose 50 percent during the pandemic. In these places, they fell.

A federal plan to promote treatment and distribute overdose reversal drugs showed promise. Communities are trying to keep it going.

Gun violence is fueling national trauma, surgeon general warns

Vivek Murthy hopes the growing number of victims, both direct and indirect, will persuade Congress to do more.

Inside the $100 million plan to restore abortion rights in America

Leaders of the coalition say they want to make the procedure more accessible and affordable than ever before.

Avian flu spread in cows not being tracked, posing greater risk of human transmission

Mark Lyons, a senior USDA animal health official, said federal officials are “still working closely to understand the breadth” of the bird flu outbreak in the nation’s dairy herds.

Trump’s remarks cap chaotic week for GOP on abortion

Trump’s closed-door advice represents a gamble not only for him, but for the Republicans in Congress.

Three takeaways from POLITICO’s ‘Transforming Health Care’ event

Here are three takeaways from POLITICO’s discussion of these topics on Thursday.

The anti-abortion wins buried in the Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling against them

Four ways the Supreme Court decision could serve the anti-abortion movement.

Schumer: Protecting IVF should be 'definition of an easy vote'

Why the Southern Baptists' vote opposing IVF could change national politics

The move may signal the beginning of a broad turn on the right against IVF, an issue that many social conservatives see as the “pro-life” movement’s next frontier.

What can Trump do about vaccines? More than you might think.

His new anti-vaccine persona could have far-reaching consequences if he’s elected to a second stint as president with far-reaching administrative powers.

The Supreme Court is poised to take one of Biden’s few tools on abortion access

The Biden administration is in court defending a federal law it argues protects emergency abortions. In practice, the statute has offered only limited help.

‘Calling their bluff’: contraception bill fails in Senate

Democrats hope Republicans who voted against the legislation pay a political price in November.

The psychedelic medicine revolution just took a big loss

Advisers to the Food and Drug Administration said using ecstasy to boost therapy for people with post-traumatic stress disorder was not effective.

A club drug could be the next big thing in treating mental illness

Lawmakers and the VA hope ecstasy can help treat veterans with PTSD, but there’s reason for doubt.

Anthony Fauci defends his Covid response, distances himself from adviser accused of misconduct

The government’s former top infectious disease official said he didn’t suppress the debate over the coronavirus’ origin.

It's Fauci against lawmakers again. This time, he faces a more skeptical audience.

Republicans and Democrats have condemned a longtime Fauci adviser and a scientist who received millions from his agency.

Trump says he won’t ‘ban’ birth control. Here’s what he may do instead.

The “Project 2025” blueprint includes proposals to remove requirements that insurance cover male condoms and emergency contraception.

‘A Gift’: Abortion offers 2028 prospects a chance to hone their message

Abortion offers a glimpse into what these potential candidates see as their strengths and how they might try to separate from the pack.

Biden’s got a plan to protect science from Trump

The White House has told the National Institutes of Health to safeguard its work from political interference.

Patrick Kennedy shines light on mental health, addiction

The former lawmaker from Rhode Island sees a role for public policy in battling these problems.

Louisiana governor signs bill making abortion drugs controlled dangerous substances

Opponents of the measure included many physicians who said the drugs have other critical reproductive health care uses.

Louisiana lawmakers pass criminal penalties for abortion pill possession

It now heads to the desk of GOP Gov. Jeff Landry, who has not publicly weighed in on the legislation but is expected to sign it.

Second avian flu human case detected in Michigan farmworker

Public health experts say the virus’ move from birds into mammals is worrisome due to the risk that the virus evolves to be capable of spreading among humans.

Trump says he will ‘never advocate’ for contraception restrictions after earlier saying he’s ‘looking at’ them

The social media post came after Trump said in a TV interview that he plans to share a policy on contraception “very shortly,” without providing details.

National Dem strategy worries state abortion-rights leaders

Democrats’ efforts to ride the coattails of abortion ballot measures put passage at risk.

Hospitals’ new message for patients: Stay home

Health systems are trying to move more of the work they do to your house.

Covid lessons remain unlearned as avian flu infects cattle, hospitals say

Dairy cows in nine states are infected and hospitals are looking to the government for guidance.

‘This should not be dismissed’: Kennedy scares both sides of abortion debate

Anti-abortion and abortion-rights groups fear the Kennedy scion will peel off voters disillusioned with Trump and Biden.

Biden finalizes rule opening up Obamacare to DACA recipients

Federal health officials estimate that roughly 100,000 people enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program will sign up for subsidized plans through the health insurance marketplace over the next year under the rule.

Harris sounds alarm over 6-week abortion ban at Florida event

Arizona just repealed its 1864 abortion ban. Democrats don’t want voter outrage to disappear with it.

The legislation, which is expected to be soon signed into law by Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, will preserve access to the procedure for millions of women.

Officials warn of risks to people with possible exposure amid bird flu outbreak in cows

Federal testing and surveillance of the outbreak has so far lagged since initial detection in dairy cows more than a month ago.

This liberal crusader helped convince America Covid came from a lab

Gary Ruskin, founder of U.S. Right to Know, says the government is covering it up.

Beating cancer used to be bipartisan. What happened?

Lawmakers aren’t willing to meet the president’s budget requests, casting doubt on reaching the program’s ambitious goal.

Biden delaying plan to ban menthol cigarettes

The delay comes after the proposed ban drew fire from tobacco companies and other groups that argued an end to menthol cigarette sales could create an illicit market that would impact minorities the hardest.

Poll: Trump remains vulnerable on abortion with independents, some Republicans

Half of voters in a new POLITICO-Morning Consult poll support states making their own laws about abortion access, compared with just 35 percent who oppose that.

Arizona House votes to repeal abortion ban

The move clears the path for a similar vote in the Senate — which appears to have the support to pass the measure.

5 things to know about today’s abortion case before SCOTUS

The challenge concerning Idaho hospitals’ obligation to provide abortions during medical emergencies would have national ripple effects.

Patients are being denied emergency abortions. Courts can only do so much.

Doctors say they fear that following their medical judgment could cost them their license or land them in jail.

Employers feel the side effects of drugmaker control over Wegovy, Ozempic costs

What happened in North Carolina is playing out across the U.S. as large employers try to limit the costs of the expensive new generation of weight-loss drugs.

Arizona GOP scuttles attempt to repeal 1864 abortion ban

The move highlights the deepening divide between the more socially conservative wing of the party, which opposes abortion on moral grounds, and the more populist, MAGA branch.

Supreme Court lifts broad injunction against Idaho ban on gender-affirming care for minors

The three liberal justices dissented as the high court dramatically narrowed a district court judge’s sweeping ruling barring enforcement of the state’s attempt to block treatment for transgender youth.

Trump says abortion is up to the states, declines to endorse national limit

His announcement is likely to disappoint anti-abortion groups after his campaign floated a 15-week ban earlier this year.

Arizona court upholds state’s 1864 total abortion ban

The state’s high court said it wouldn’t interfere with the legislature’s authority to craft abortion policy.

Anxiety and depression is spiking among young people. No one knows why.

Desperate to help record numbers of children suffering anxiety and depression, state and local governments are testing new interventions to get to the root of the crisis — even if they don’t know what that is.

Conservatives clash with Trump on leaving abortion up to voters

The gulf between what Trump said and what anti-abortion groups want underscores divisions that have dogged conservatives for two years.

What’s driving the youth mental health crisis? We asked 1,400 clinicians.

Mental health workers shared their perspectives on the causes of — and solutions to — the crisis.

Republicans remade the judiciary. It’s haunting Donald Trump.

Trump’s Monday announcement that abortion should be left to the states was supposed to neutralize an issue that has dogged Republican candidates. But by Tuesday it was clear that it was futile to try.

Trump says Arizona went too far in abortion ruling

“I think it’ll be straightened out,” the former president said.

Trump says Arizona went too far in abortion ruling

Trump said it’s up to the states to decide abortion. Here’s everything else he didn’t say.

Trump in a video posted Monday to Truth Social did not address what executive actions he would take to curb abortion access as president.

Trump says abortion should be up to states. Here’s where it’s banned — and where it’s protected.

Sixteen states already ban abortion. In May, Florida will join them.

What to know about Trump's abortion announcement

Donald Trump didn’t rule out signing a national abortion ban, though it is unlikely Congress would be able to pass one.

Nation’s leading anti-abortion group rebukes Trump

“We are deeply disappointed in President Trump’s position,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America.

Trump promises a ‘deal’ on abortion that will please everyone. It likely doesn’t exist.

Should Trump appear vague or duck the issue, some of his supporters fear it will allow the Biden campaign to tie him to the more extreme wing of the anti-abortion movement.

6 things to help decipher avian flu worries

The USDA has confirmed avian flu outbreaks in 15 herds across six states.

Video: How Alabama’s IVF ruling put a spotlight on fetal personhood

Are frozen embryos people now? POLITICO explains the controversy.

Health agencies brief Congress on avian flu

Genetic sequencing appears to suggest that wild birds in the Texas panhandle region infected cows, a USDA official said on the call.

First human case of avian flu in Texas raises alarm

Potential cow-to-cow avian flu transmission in Idaho is worrying pandemic experts.

Republicans are rushing to defend IVF. The anti-abortion movement hopes to change their minds

The groups are not advocating banning IVF but want new restrictions that would significantly curtail access to the procedure.

Democrats are counting on abortion rights to win this battleground state

The parties’ scramble in the battleground state eight months ahead of the election is a model for how the issue is shaping competitive races nationwide.

Why Portland failed where Portugal succeeded in decriminalizing drugs

Oregon lawmakers gave it three years. Portugal’s program took longer to show results.

Justices appear skeptical of call to restrict abortion pill

A decision, likely to come in June, would be a major victory for the FDA’s authority to regulate prescription drugs and for abortion-rights advocates who have sought to protect access to mifepristone.

Justices were skeptical of abortion pills arguments. Anti-abortion groups have backup plans.

Supreme Court case is one of many tools elected officials and activists are using to try to cut off access to the drugs.

Supreme Court to anti-abortion activists: You can't just challenge every policy you don't like

Roughly 90 minutes of grappling over the abortion drug mifepristone produced some unusual and noteworthy moments.

Supreme Court hears its biggest abortion case since the fall of Roe

This is the first major reproductive-rights case to come before the court since the 2022 Dobbs ruling, which ended the federal right to abortion.

State Sen. Eva Burch: Arizona abortion laws designed to 'manipulate' patients

Arizona lawmaker hopes abortion story gets people to engage in politics

Who pays when AI steers your doctor wrong?

The adoption of artificial intelligence in health care is reviving the debate over medical malpractice reform — with a new twist.

Medication abortions increased 10 percent in year after Dobbs decision, study finds

The use of medication abortion in the U.S. jumped from 53 percent of all abortions in 2020 to 63 percent in 2023.

Arizona lawmaker shares plan to get abortion in floor speech

From 'pro-choice' to federal ban: Trump's shifting abortion stance

CDC: US life expectancy rises after 2-year dip

The report marks a notable reversal: People born in the U.S. in 2022 can expect to live 77.5 years, an increase from 76.4 in 2021.

Obama, Pelosi to rally for Biden’s reelection

The Obamacare band will make the case to voters while marking the law’s anniversary.

Democratic governors see IVF following a familiar post-Dobbs pattern

So-called personhood laws are on a legal collision course with IVF in some states.

Arizona lawmaker says she announced plans to get abortion to underscore out-of-touch laws

Democratic Sen. Eva Burch of Mesa told fellow lawmakers in a floor speech she was going to get an abortion because her pregnancy is no longer viable.

Biden's uneasiness on abortion riles progressives — again

Some on the left are dismayed by what they see as a harmful divide between “good” and “bad” abortions.

POLITICO Health Care Summit: The issues that will shape the 2024 campaign

President Joe Biden and Donald Trump’s rematch will center on concerns about cost, access and quality of care.

Tanden: National ban is GOP’s ‘moderate’ position on abortion

Tanden said Republicans are virtually unified in their calls for a federal abortion ban — and that the debate is only over how far to go.