West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice (R) on Friday announced that he has signed into law a near-total abortion ban that is now enforceable in the state.
Driving the news: The law bans abortion except in cases of "medical emergency," or in cases of rape or incest, as long as the incident has been reported to law enforcement at least 48 hours before the procedure.
A House oversight committee is asking for a federal investigation of the largest U.S. hospital chain and its admissions practices amid allegations of widespread fraud.
Driving the news: Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.), chair of the House Ways and Means oversight subcommittee, this week asked the HHS to look into HCA Healthcare’s emergency department admissions.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday launched a pilot program to set aside up to 50,000 doses of JYNNEOS monkeypox vaccine for groups disproportionately affected by the outbreak who've faced barriers accessing the shots.
The big picture: White men have received more than twice as many doses as either Hispanic or Black men who account for the majority of confirmed monkeypox cases.
As the pandemic winds down and people try to quit the drinking habits that may have crept up on them, the "soberversary" is emerging as a new holiday-esque milestone — complete with greeting cards, cheekily-worded coffee mugs and a growing social media presence.
Why it matters: Getting sober and staying sober are significant achievements that too many people feel compelled to hide because of the ongoing stigma of alcohol addiction.
America's epidemic of overdose deaths tied to fentanyl is posing a growing threat to teens — and as they return to school, officials warn they may more frequently encounter the drug disguised in unexpected forms.
Driving the news: A teenage girl died and three others were hospitalized this week after overdosing at their Hollywood high school from what they thought were Percocet pills, the L.A. Times reported.
A Montana state judge on Thursday blocked a 2021 state law that would have barred transgender people from changing the gender listed on their birth certificate unless they have undergone gender-affirming surgery.
Driving the news: The judge ordered the Montana Department of Health and Human Services to reinstate a 2017 rule that said that a person could modify their birth certificate by presenting an affidavit or a form indicating that a person had transitioned — no surgery required, per court documents.
A Massachusetts woman was arrested for allegedly calling in a hoax bomb threat to Boston Children’s Hospital last month, the FBI announced Thursday.
The big picture: Boston Children's Hospital and other children’s hospitals have been under siege from far-right activists for providing health care for transgender and non-binary youth, Axios' Steph Solis reports.
Sexual violence survivors who are uninsured are often saddled with medical bills that can soar well upwards of $3,000 for the care they receive, according to a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Why it matters: A majority of people who are sexually assaulted do not come forward about their assaults due to trauma, stigma and fear. But the possibility of getting charged with such high health care costs can be even more "disincentivizing," said Samuel Dickman, a physician at Planned Parenthood of Montana and study co-author.
Driving the news: Emhoff will be the first of the four White House principals — the president, vice president, first lady and second gentleman — to receive the updated shot.
The public has quickly become familiar with monkeypox and how it spreads, but more than a quarter of Americans say they’re not likely to get vaccinated if exposed to the virus, according to a new Annenberg Public Policy Center survey.
Why it matters: At a time when polls suggest crisis-weary Americans are tuning out public health messaging, the findings suggest the public is still able to lock in on information about a new health threat, said the center's director, Kathleen Hall Jamieson.
As monkeypox cases decline, public health officials are shifting their focus to college campuses, where students are returning to communal living arrangements that could sustain the outbreak.
Why it matters: University health clinics could be hard pressed to test, offer vaccines and respond to a fast-evolving health emergency without the help of local and state health agencies.
Our habits — the good and the bad — define us: They dictate when we typically wake up, whom we talk to, where we get our news and information, what we eat and how we live.
Why it matters: Habits have the power to change our lives, but they can also be quite difficult to make — and even harder to break.
