President Trump signed an executive order Wednesday banning trans women and girls from participating in female sports in federally-funded schools, multipleoutlets reported.
Why it matters: Trump made attacks on trans people — and especially trans athletes — a major focus of his 2024 campaign.
Abortion clinics across the country face increased antagonism and threats of violence after President Trump's recent pardons emboldened anti-abortion protestors who now view the White House as an ally.
Why it matters: While Trump has repeatedly flip-flopped on abortion — most recently saying it should be decided by each state — Republicans are eyeing new restrictions on the most common form of medication abortion and rolling back the law that sent anti-abortion protestors to jail.
A trade war with China could shock fragile global health care supply chains, driving up the cost of medical supplies, intensifying shortages of common drugs and limiting U.S. medical device makers' ability to import critical parts.
Why it matters: While President Trump's tariffs are billed as a boon to America's public health for the way they'll cut off sources of fentanyl, experts say they risk upending a health network that buckled during the pandemic and relies on components sourced from around the world, with multiple intermediaries.
Medical costs and access still top Americans' health concerns by a wide margin, ahead of food and water safety or reducing chronic diseases, according to a new poll from Gallup and Emory University.
Why it matters: Despite talk in Congress about bringing down drug and other costs, the results show a disconnect with some of the current hot-button debates around childhood vaccines, access to reproductive health and even maternal mortality.
President Trump on Tuesday cited inaccurate figures of autism diagnoses as a reason why the Senate should confirm Robert F Kennedy Jr., his controversial pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.
Why it matters: Kennedy, a long-time anti-vaccine advocate who survived a closely watched committee confirmation vote Tuesday, has been a leading proponent of a debunked theory linking autism and vaccines.
A national physicians group sued the Trump administration Tuesday for removing thousands of pages of health data and information from federal websites.
The big picture: Doctors for America claims that in taking public health data offline without advance notice, agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Food and Drug Administration abused their discretion and arbitrarily deprived clinicians and researchers of tools necessary to treat patients.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s bid to lead the Department of Health and Human Services narrowly cleared a critical hurdle Tuesday when the Senate Finance Committee voted along party lines to recommend his confirmation.
Why it matters: The success of Kennedy's nomination has been far from assured, especially after Kennedy flubbed basics on Medicare and Medicaid, backtracked on past vaccine and abortion stances and was vague about how closely he'd hew to President Trump's policies during his confirmation hearings.
As more schools eye bans on smartphones, a new study finds the average teen with a smartphone is spending nearly a quarter of the school day texting, streaming or scrolling through sites like Instagram.
Why it matters: To understand the risks of too much screen time, researchers say, it's important not just to tally the hours kids spend on devices but to consider what activities are being displaced — in this case, learning.
Hospitals that halted gender-affirming care for anyone under 19 in response to President Trump's executive order are caught between the threat of a federal funding cutoff and possible lawsuits and backlash from patients' families.
Why it matters: The fallout shows how the incendiary fight over transgender rights is factoring into providers' decisions beyond the 26 states that have already enacted restrictions on gender-affirming care.
Oura is planning to deliver health insights to its customers using AI that runs locally on the smartphones of owners of its smart rings.
Why it matters: By running its models on the phone rather than relying on a cloud-based service, Oura CEO Tom Hale tells Axios it can better protect customers' privacy.
President Trump and many Republicans are steadfastly defending Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Trump's pick to lead Health and Human Services. But some MAGA loyalists aren't convinced — they're wary of the influence of Kennedy's closest adviser, a longtime Democratic activist.
Driving the news: For weeks, conservative-leaning groups, activists and policy groups have been privately sharing links to Kennedy aide Stefanie Spear's past social media and blog posts that show her support for Democratic causes, three people familiar with the messages tell Axios.
