Axios

The names "Liam" and "Olivia" are the country's top baby names for the seventh year in a row, according to Social Security card applications submitted at birth.

The big picture: The 2025 top 10 ranking didn't change drastically since 2024.

Health care affordability is shaping up to be a defining midterm election issue, yet many Republicans are wary of wading into major health policymaking before facing voters.

Why it matters: Many GOP operatives think it'd be crazy to take a huge swing at health care costs between now and November. But some Republicans are making the argument that it's crazier not to.

A growing number of Gen Zers and baby boomers are quitting social media for their digital well-being, as political polarization intensifies online.

The big picture: It's part of a wider digital detox drive away from screens and toward analog options that Gen Z is helping to lead.

Think about the last time a stranger did something unexpectedly kind for you. Maybe someone held a door open, picked up something you dropped or gave you a compliment. Did it change how you treated the next person you encountered?

• New research suggests that for most people, your kind gesture isn't just helping one person — it's helping many.

Why it matters: Kindness spreads, especially as we age.

• People on the receiving end of random acts of kindness are more likely to direct kindness to strangers, according to a recent survey by Gallup and the Values-in-Action Foundation.

Yes, but: Younger adults are less likely than older adults to initiate acts of kindness toward strangers.

By the numbers: Of the adults age 50 or older surveyed, 72% said they felt comfortable initiating an act of kindness after being a beneficiary themselves.

• But only 40% of adults 18 to 29 who also received multiple acts of kindness said the same.

That suggests the "pay it forward" instinct is something many of us grow into, not something we're simply born with.

Broadly, the country is doing better than cynics might expect: More than 60% of Americans across every region said they'd experienced kindness multiple times in just the past week.

Zoom in: There are some modest regional differences when it comes to observing kindness being practiced.

• Southerners reported seeing people treat others with kindness most often (62%).

• The lowest share were Midwesterners: 56% of those surveyed said they witnessed acts of kindness often.

City dwellers reported experiencing acts of kindness many times in a week (67%), slightly more than suburban or rural residents (both 62%).

Driving the news: Values-in-Action's United States of Kindness campaign is asking individuals and organizations to participate in 250 acts of kindness to celebrate America's 250th anniversary.

• Find more information, ideas and resources on the United States of Kindness website.

The bottom line: If you were looking for a sign to help your neighbor, this is it.

The fine print: Poll data was gathered through Gallup web surveys from March 2-18 with a random sample of more than 2,000 adults.

The Supreme Court temporarily restored mail-order prescribing of the widely used abortion drug mifepristone Monday, pausing an appeals court decision that dramatically limited access to the pills.

Why it matters: The stay of at least one week issued by Justice Samuel Alito doesn't settle an underlying legal challenge to rules for dispensing the drug that could make abortion access a top-tier issue heading into the midterms.

Rising liability insurance costs are prompting doctors to call on states to impose more limits on the damages patients can collect in malpractice cases.

Why it matters: More than half of the states have enacted malpractice payout limits, in an effort to make insurance premiums more predictable.

A federal appeals court on Friday temporarily froze federal rules allowing the teleprescribing and mailing of abortion drugs, which now account for more than 60% of all abortions in the health system.

Why it matters: The 5th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruling marks a major win for the anti-abortion movement, which had been pressing the Trump administration to reinstate in-person dispensing requirements.

The "Make America Healthy Again" movement notched a big win on pesticide regulation during Thursday's debate on a House farm bill, only to see the White House pull the nomination of a favored influencer for surgeon general hours later.

Why it matters: The events showed how the movement continues to have clout on matters related to the food supply, but can be a political liability when it comes to vaccines and other public health matters.

President Trump announced a new nominee for surgeon general Thursday, picking Nicole Saphier of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, a former Fox News medical contributor, for the top health job.

Why it matters: Trump said he's dropping his previous nominee, Casey Means, a nutrition influencer and ally of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who struggled to win enough Republican support to be confirmed by the Senate.

A new fight over health price transparency is playing out in an unusual copyright lawsuit over a hospital billing manual.

Why it matters: Hospitals have been required since 2021 to post prices for items and services in a consumer-friendly way, but patient advocates say the system is still opaque.