Axios

President Trump bragged about overturning Roe v. Wade in a video address to tens of thousands of attendees at the March for Life anti-abortion rally in Washington, D.C., on Friday.

The big picture: Trump had shied away from abortion while campaigning after it became a winning issue for Democrats. His speech Friday found him once again leaning into a core priority for many Republicans.

Frontier Direct Care, a worksite primary care provider for self-funded employers, is seeking investors for the rest of its $20 million Series B, CEO Bibb Beale tells Axios.

Why it matters: Roughly 70% of large employers that offer health insurance are self-insured.

President Trump has moved into the Oval Office, but his health care agenda — and its impact on the industry — isn't much clearer than it was when he first announced his selection of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead HHS.

Why it matters: The void leaves open the option of both a minimalist and a maximalist approach to policymaking across public health and more nuts-and-bolts health care delivery topics. At this point, it's reasonable for Washington watchers to expect either.

Air quality is worsening in the Upper Midwest and Northern California, according to year-over-year EPA data.

Why it matters: Poor air quality can lead to long-term health problems.

President Trump signed pardons on Thursday for 23 anti-abortion protesters who were convicted of illegally blockading a reproductive health clinic in Washington, D.C.

What they're saying: "They should not have been prosecuted; it's a great honor to sign this," Trump said as he signed the order one day before he's due to speak via video at anti-abortion activists' annual March for Life rally on the National Mall in D.C., which Vice President JD Vance is due to address in person.

President Trump on Thursday signed an executive order to declassify files related to the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr.

Why it matters: The files relating to JFK's killing have been the focus of decades of speculation.

Axios has obtained a copy of the memo from HHS directing a pause in federal health agencies' public communications that was first reported earlier this week by the Washington Post.

Why it matters: The blackout has been met with outrage in some medical and science circles, while other sources have said it's more or less routine for a new administration, if not clumsily handled.

What they're saying: "HHS has issued a pause on mass communications and public appearances that are not directly related to emergencies or critical to preserving health," the department said in a statement.

• "This is a short pause to allow the new team to set up a process for review and prioritization. There are exceptions for announcements that HHS divisions believe are mission critical, but they will be made on a case-by-case basis."

Between the lines: The exact scope of the directive remains murky, along with whether it affects content like the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

• The FDA, for example, on Wednesday issued a safety warning about allergic reactions to a multiple sclerosis drug.
• Public Citizen called for the communications pause to end by Feb. 1, saying: "There is zero reason for standard public health communications that people rely on to stay safe to be paused, and for scientific meetings to be postponed or cancelled."

Violent crime in 40 U.S. cities dropped in 2024 to at or near pre-pandemic levels, according to a new report out Thursday that shows the COVID-era crime wave evaporating.

Why it matters: President Trump has falsely asserted that immigration caused rising crime nationwide, but the new report suggests crime fell dramatically in President Biden's last two years — even below levels of Trump's last year in office.

A federal website on reproductive rights that became inaccessible following President Trump's inauguration on Monday was captured for posterity by the media company theSkimm, which reproduced the content on its own site.

Why it matters: ReproductiveRights.gov, launched by Health and Human Services in 2022, provided a one-stop shop for information on abortion rights and coverage of birth control and other reproductive and women's health services.