Axios

The FDA is cracking down on a potent compound found in kratom supplements: 7-hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH.

Why it matters: Products with 7-OH — which acts like an opioid and has been dubbed "legal morphine" by researchers — have surged in popularity.

Federal health officials are launching a new campaign to control the distribution of an opioid substance derived from the kratom plant known as 7-OH that's sometimes referred to as "legal morphine."

Why it matters: The compound, 7-hydroxymitragynine, is commonly sold online and in smoke shops and has been found in dangerous concentrations in tablets, gummies and drink mixes.

UnitedHealth Group's stock continued its year-long descent Tuesday after the insurer warned that escalating medical costs will continue to drag down its earnings.

Why it matters: The nation's largest insurer has taken a steep hit in 2025, struggling with several financial challenges while continuing to face public scrutiny for coverage denials and patient expenses.

The suspect in the fatal shooting of four people inside a Manhattan office building on Monday claimed to suffer from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disease that's linked to head injury.

Why it matters: The alleged shooter had sought to target the headquarters of the NFL, NYC Mayor Eric Adams said on Tuesday. The NFL has been accused of covering up the effects the disease had on its players, prompting former players and their families to sue the league.

The trade deal between the U.S. and the European Union could hit the pharmaceutical industry with billions in new costs and ultimately drive up prices and limit access.

Why it matters: Drugmakers have been heavily reliant on foreign countries' manufacturing and raw materials, most of it duty-free. Those free-trade policies are on the way out as the U.S. prepares to impose a 15% tariff on U.S.-bound imports of branded drugs from Europe.

Team sports have become one of the fastest-growing types of exercise, with 20% of U.S. adults — up from 11% in 2020 — now saying they play them, according to a CivicScience survey shared with Axios.

Why it matters: Rec leagues help you stay active and socially connected.

The Federal Trade Commission on Monday launched an inquiry into whether health providers are failing to disclose risks connected with gender-affirming care or are making false claims about its benefits.

Why it matters: The action could help make the case for using unfair competition laws to crack down on health providers, by asserting gender-affirming care involves deceptive claims, legal analysts say.

President Trump's new executive order to combat homelessness encourages local governments to revive civil commitment, a process to place people with mental health issues in treatment facilities without their consent.

Why it matters: Involuntary civil commitment has historically been used as a preventative method to confine people before they harm themselves or others, and most frequently affects vulnerable groups such as LGBTQ+, people of color and people with disabilities, according to several studies.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took aim Monday at vaccine makers' federal liability protections.

The big picture: Kennedy, who has repeatedly pushed the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism and in the past was involved in litigation over patient injury claims, has argued in the past that the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) takes away manufacturers' incentive to make vaccines safe.

A federal judge in Massachusetts on Monday ordered the federal government to continue Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood affiliates, writing that the health organization was likely to prevail in a dispute over President Trump's tax-and-spending law.

Why it matters: The order came after U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani last week froze a funding ban in the law for a subset of Planned Parenthood clinics that receive less than $800,000 from Medicaid annually or that don't perform abortions.

Pushback on the Walmart website warning Virginia users to avoid searching for or buying reproductive or sexual health products if they don't consent to their information being collected has led the retailer to change the pop-up's wording.

Why it matters: The message raised questions from some shoppers and a state senator about how major retailers are interpreting and complying with the new reproductive health privacy protections in Virginia.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. plans to oust the 16-member expert panel that makes recommendations for preventive services that insurers must cover fully under the Affordable Care Act, according to reports.

Why it matters: About 100 million people get no-cost cancer screenings, counseling and other services under the ACA. But some conservatives have urged Kennedy to replace the current members of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, saying they push race and gender ideology on doctors.

The biggest buzz around GLP-1 drugs these days has nothing to do with weight loss. And that might lead to some problems for patients and insurers.

The big picture: Blockbuster treatments like Ozempic have been found to lower the risk of everything from Alzheimer's and addiction, to sleep apnea, seizures and bacterial infections. More potential uses keep surfacing.