WEATHER ALERT
Supreme Court throws out appellate rulings in favor of transgender people in 4 states
Read full article: Supreme Court throws out appellate rulings in favor of transgender people in 4 statesThe Supreme Court has thrown out appellate rulings in favor of transgender people in four states following the justices’ recent decision upholding a Tennessee ban on certain medical treatment for transgender youths.
Texas capital murder case attempts to severely punish abortion pill use by treating a fetus as a person
Read full article: Texas capital murder case attempts to severely punish abortion pill use by treating a fetus as a personA North Texas man charged with capital murder after slipping mifepristone into his girlfriend’s food signals another attempt to rein in abortion pills.
EPA employees put names to 'declaration of dissent' over agency moves under Trump
Read full article: EPA employees put names to 'declaration of dissent' over agency moves under TrumpA group of Environmental Protection Agency employees has published a declaration of dissent to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin over the agency's leadership and policies.
This Ukrainian woman beat cancer. But her fight to free her captive husband isn’t over
Read full article: This Ukrainian woman beat cancer. But her fight to free her captive husband isn’t overA Ukrainian woman, Olha Kurtmalaieva, has endured cancer and war while fighting to bring her husband home from Russian captivity.
Severe heat wave hits southern Europe and raises wildfire risks
Read full article: Severe heat wave hits southern Europe and raises wildfire risksMajor heat waves have pushed temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius or 104 degrees Fahrenheit in southern European countries including Italy, Spain and Greece.
NYC, San Francisco and other US cities cap LGBTQ+ Pride month with a mix of party and protest
Read full article: NYC, San Francisco and other US cities cap LGBTQ+ Pride month with a mix of party and protestThe monthlong celebration of LGBTQ+ Pride has reached its crescendo as New York and other major cities around the world hosted major parades and marches.
Takeaways from interviews with families forever changed by diseases that vaccines can prevent
Read full article: Takeaways from interviews with families forever changed by diseases that vaccines can preventIn the time before widespread vaccination, young children often lost their lives to devastating infectious diseases that ran rampant in America.
Many forget the damage done by diseases like whooping cough, measles and rubella. Not these families
Read full article: Many forget the damage done by diseases like whooping cough, measles and rubella. Not these familiesIn the time before widespread vaccination, young children often lost their lives to devastating infectious diseases that ran rampant in America.
California closes $12B deficit by cutting back immigrants' access to health care
Read full article: California closes $12B deficit by cutting back immigrants' access to health careCalifornia Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a budget that pares back a number of progressive priorities to close a $12 billion deficit.
Supreme Court preserves key part of Obamacare coverage requirements
Read full article: Supreme Court preserves key part of Obamacare coverage requirementsThe Supreme Court has preserved a key part of the Affordable Care Act’s preventive health care coverage requirements, rejecting a challenge from Christian employers to the provision that affects 150 million Americans.
Thailand starts banning the sale of cannabis without a prescription
Read full article: Thailand starts banning the sale of cannabis without a prescriptionThailand has started banning the sale of cannabis to those without a prescription, three years after becoming the first country in Asia to decriminalize the plant.
Is THC as dangerous as Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick makes it out to be?
Read full article: Is THC as dangerous as Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick makes it out to be?Although Patrick and hemp industry leaders have quarreled over the risks and benefits of THC, cannabis researchers say it can be addictive but doesn’t usually cause widespread psychosis or brain damage.
Philadelphia's schools accused of failing to properly inspect asbestos in buildings
Read full article: Philadelphia's schools accused of failing to properly inspect asbestos in buildingsPhiladelphia’s public schools are facing federal criminal allegations of failing to properly inspect eight schools for damaged asbestos.
Key Medicaid provision in Trump's bill is found to violate Senate rules. The GOP is scrambling
Read full article: Key Medicaid provision in Trump's bill is found to violate Senate rules. The GOP is scramblingThe Senate parliamentarian has advised that a Medicaid provider tax overhaul central to President Donald Trump's tax cut and spending bill doesn't adhere to procedural rules.
Oklahoma seeks to exclude soda, candy from food stamp purchases
Read full article: Oklahoma seeks to exclude soda, candy from food stamp purchasesOklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt says the state is seeking federal permission to exclude soft drinks and candy from the list of items that can be purchased with food stamps.
Know your status: HIV rates climb in Houston and Harris County as testing day nears
Read full article: Know your status: HIV rates climb in Houston and Harris County as testing day nearsThe rates of new HIV infections in Houston and Harris County are higher than the national average. National HIV Testing Day is Friday, June 27th and it's a great reminder to get tested and know your status. Most doctors don't automatically test patients for HIV so ask for a test at your next exam. You can also connect with community organizations like Legacy Community Health and the Montrose Center where you can access free and/or low-cost testing and treatment options. Walgreens is also offering free testing at a dozen sites in the Houston area on National HIV Testing Day -- Friday, June 27th. Watch the full interview with Houston Life to find out more about the latest statistics, how to protect yourself, and how we can all work together to end the HIV epidemic.
States can block Medicaid money for health care at Planned Parenthood, the Supreme Court says
Read full article: States can block Medicaid money for health care at Planned Parenthood, the Supreme Court saysThe Supreme Court says states can block the country’s biggest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood, from receiving Medicaid money for health services such as contraception and cancer screenings.
Thimerosal: What to know about the vaccine preservative from a bygone flu-shot debate
Read full article: Thimerosal: What to know about the vaccine preservative from a bygone flu-shot debateThe Trump administration's vaccine advisers have brought up an old flu-shot debate: Whether it's time to wipe out the last small fraction of those vaccines that contain a controversial preservative.
Thailand banning cannabis sales without a prescription 3 years after decriminalization
Read full article: Thailand banning cannabis sales without a prescription 3 years after decriminalizationThailand’s government is further restricting cannabis with a ban on sales of the plant to those without prescriptions.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, in ESPN interview, says league taking serious look at Achilles tears
Read full article: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, in ESPN interview, says league taking serious look at Achilles tearsThe NBA had already convened a panel of experts to study Achilles tendon injuries even before Indiana star Tyrese Haliburton ruptured his in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, Commissioner Adam Silver said Wednesday night.
Doctors and moms say these babies in Gaza may die without more formula. They blame Israel's blockade
Read full article: Doctors and moms say these babies in Gaza may die without more formula. They blame Israel's blockadeThe Gaza Health Ministry says hundreds of premature babies are at risk of death from starvation across the war-battered Gaza Strip.
Global vaccination efforts stall, leaving millions of children vulnerable to preventable diseases
Read full article: Global vaccination efforts stall, leaving millions of children vulnerable to preventable diseasesGlobal efforts to protect children against diseases including measles, polio and tuberculosis have stalled since 2010, leaving millions vulnerable to deadly infections.
CDC nominee Susan Monarez sidesteps questions about disagreements with RFK in Senate hearing
Read full article: CDC nominee Susan Monarez sidesteps questions about disagreements with RFK in Senate hearingCDC nominee Susan Monarez says she values vaccines and rigorous scientific evidence but has largely sidestepped questions about widespread cuts to the agency and whether she disagreed with any of Health Secretary Robert F.
Texas to create its own psychology licensing test amid pushback on national exam
Read full article: Texas to create its own psychology licensing test amid pushback on national examTexas and other states have criticized a decision by the national psychologist licensing board to add another expensive test in order for psychologists to become certified.
Louisiana files lawsuits alleging pharmaceutical giant CVS deceived customers in text messages
Read full article: Louisiana files lawsuits alleging pharmaceutical giant CVS deceived customers in text messagesLouisiana accused pharmaceutical giant CVS of using its dominant market position to abuse customer information, drive up drug costs and unfairly undermine independent pharmacies.
Gov. Greg Abbott vetoes funding for federal summer lunch program for low-income children
Read full article: Gov. Greg Abbott vetoes funding for federal summer lunch program for low-income childrenAbbott cited uncertainty over federal funding of the program as his reason for rejecting the state’s participation.
Exercising or playing sports in extreme heat can be extremely dangerous
Read full article: Exercising or playing sports in extreme heat can be extremely dangerousExtreme heat makes it especially hard for your body to cool down, so you need to be extra careful if you exercise or play sports when it’s baking outside.
A West Virginia parent sues seeking a religious exemption from required school vaccinations
Read full article: A West Virginia parent sues seeking a religious exemption from required school vaccinationsA West Virginia woman has filed a lawsuit seeking a religious exemption from required school vaccinations for her young child.
Texas will put warning labels on some foods, but its additives list has inaccuracies
Read full article: Texas will put warning labels on some foods, but its additives list has inaccuraciesA Texas law promoting the Trump administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda requires first-ever warning labels on certain foods like chips and candies.
Wisconsin Supreme Court delivers win for environmentalists in fight over ‘forever chemicals’
Read full article: Wisconsin Supreme Court delivers win for environmentalists in fight over ‘forever chemicals’The Wisconsin Supreme Court has delivered a victory for environmentalists in the battle over the regulation of “forever chemicals” known as PFAS.
Early-season heat dome brings highest temperatures in years to parts of Eastern US
Read full article: Early-season heat dome brings highest temperatures in years to parts of Eastern USAn intense and nearly historic weather pattern is cooking much of America in a dangerous heat dome this week with triple-digit heat that hasn’t been seen in some places in more than a decade.
With prospects of a THC ban eroded, Texas hemp industry supports age restrictions, more regulation enforcement
Read full article: With prospects of a THC ban eroded, Texas hemp industry supports age restrictions, more regulation enforcementHemp industry leaders say they agree with regulations similar to how the state regulates alcohol.
Health insurers promise to improve coverage reviews that prompt delays and complaints
Read full article: Health insurers promise to improve coverage reviews that prompt delays and complaintsThe nation’s major health insurers are promising to scale back and improve a widely despised practice that leads to care delays and complications.
Houston doctor gives cancer patients a second chance at life
Read full article: Houston doctor gives cancer patients a second chance at lifeFor more than 55 years, a Houston doctor has dedicated his life to cancer medicine, developing a groundbreaking treatment known as ICTriplex. Today Dr. Salem and his team at the Salem Oncology Center offer those fighting cancer renewed hope and a real chance at remission.
The number of abortions kept rising in 2024 because of telehealth prescriptions, report finds
Read full article: The number of abortions kept rising in 2024 because of telehealth prescriptions, report findsA new report finds that the number of abortions in the U.S. grew in 2024 as more women obtained pills through telehealth.
Did Texas lawmakers do enough for children with disabilities? These child care advocates say no.
Read full article: Did Texas lawmakers do enough for children with disabilities? These child care advocates say no.Lawmakers added $100 million to a child care scholarship program but failed to expand access to free preschool for children with disabilities.
Rural Americans more likely to live with chronic pain than urban peers, UT-Arlington study finds
Read full article: Rural Americans more likely to live with chronic pain than urban peers, UT-Arlington study findsMore than 3 million people call rural Texas home, and many lack access to a primary care doctor.