OpenAI released a new framework to measure how ChatGPT affects long-term human learning.
Why it matters: It might feel like chatbots are rotting our brains, but no longitudinal studies have shown the real effects of generative AI on learning.
New York and Utah are leading the nation on children's well-being, according to a new 50-state ranking of policy, leadership and family perceptions called The Childhood Index.
Why it matters: Lack of federal oversight has forced states to step in and fill the gap as concerns about addictive social media algorithms and technology's impact on children have mounted.
A surge of recent measles cases nearing half of the 30-year high recorded in 2025 is stoking more criticism of the Trump administration's lukewarm endorsement of vaccines.
Why it matters: There have already been more than 1,100 measles cases this year, overwhelmingly in unvaccinated people, putting the U.S. at risk of losing its measles elimination status.
U.S. and Ecuadorian forces announced drug-trafficking military crackdown operations in Ecuador on Tuesday.
The big picture: U.S. Southern Command in a Tuesday night statement said the operations targeted "Designated Terrorist Organizations" and hailed the cooperation as "a powerful example of the commitment of partners in Latin America and the Caribbean to combat the scourge of narco-terrorism."
Security researchers used relatively simple jailbreaking techniques to trick the AI system powering Utah's new prescription refill bot.
Researchers were able to make the bot spread vaccine conspiracy theories, triple a patient's prescribed pain medication dosage, and recommend methamphetamine as treatment.
Why it matters: Critics warned this pilot could create safety risks — and researchers say the flaws persist, despite alerting the company in January.
Cancer care rarely involves a single doctor or decision.
It often requires coordination among primary care physicians, oncologists, surgeons, imaging teams and specialists, and that complexity only increases when genetic risk enters the picture.
The solution: At Kaiser Permanente, care teams work within an integrated model that brings health care and coverage together, making it easier for clinicians to communicate, collaborate and adjust treatment plans as new information emerges.
The Trump administration is redoubling threats to crack down on fraud in state Medicaid programs, even as it faces a new lawsuit from Minnesota over its decision to freeze hundreds of millions of dollars owed to the state.
The big picture: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator Mehmet Oz said at an event on Tuesday that the agency is "getting strict" on fraud in both Medicaid and Medicare and hinted that the agency could expand efforts to other states.
A new Consumer Reports investigation found heavy metals in more than half of the infant formulas it tested — despite the Food and Drug Administration's pledge last year to tighten oversight.
Why it matters: Infant formula can be a baby's only source of nutrition — heightening the stakes of any contamination concerns.
Hospitals are increasingly billing health plans for more complex care than they actually provide, according to a new analysis of Blue Cross Blue Shield claims from 2022 to 2025.
Why it matters: The so-called coding intensity balloons health care spending, and it corresponds with an increase in hospital use of AI to help document patient visits.
The Food and Drug Administration's rejection of several new drugs for rare diseases has alarmed patient advocates and pharmaceutical companies, some of which are publicly accusing the agency of inconsistent standards and unrealistic regulatory requirements.
Why it matters: Experimental rare disease therapies already face complicated logistical and financial hurdles, even when the path for approval is predictable.
Changes to SNAP work requirements outlined in President Trump's "One Big, Beautiful Bill Act" went into effect Sunday.
Why it matters: The changes mark a historic cut to the social safety net — which experts say could leave more people hungry and uninsured — even as Trump frames the new requirements as a victory for his administration's handling of the affordability crisis.
