Abortion won't be on the Arkansas ballot this November.
State of play: The state Supreme Court blocked a proposed constitutional amendment when it ruled Thursday that Secretary of State John Thurston was justified in disqualifying petitions to allow the measure on the general-election ballot.
The big picture: This is the second time in just over two years that the WHO has declared mpox — previously known as monkeypox — to be a global emergency.
California lawmakers are debating whether to go where Congress won't and pass legislation that would give the state the ability to block private equity acquisitions of health care facilities or providers.
Why it matters: It's the latest example of states trying to regulate deals valued at $1 trillion over the past decade that critics have linked to staffing shortages and poorer patient outcomes.
Hospitals and other health providers will shift their attention to how states opt to police non-compete agreements now that a federal court has blocked a Federal Trade Commission ban on the widely used contracts.
Why it matters: The FTC's contentious effort had far-reaching implications for health care — and raised the profile of an issue that was already getting attention in statehouses, experts say.
Nearly one-third of Americans see COVID as a threat to their health, but the summertime wave of infections hasn't changed the widespread belief that the virus is no worse than seasonal flu, according to the latest Axios-Ipsos American Health Index.
Why it matters: Comparing COVID to the flu was once an incendiary political talking point. Now, it's where many people have landed.
