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Latest Health Headlines

September 28

The woman who torched Wyoming's lone, full-service abortion clinic is about to be sentenced

A woman who says anxiety and nightmares led her to set fire to Wyoming’s only full-service abortion clinic is scheduled to be sentenced Thursday
September 28
FILE - This booking photo provided by the Platte County Sheriff's Office shows Lorna Roxanne Green, March 23, 2023, in Wheatland, Wyo. Green, who says anxiety and nightmares led her to set fire to Wyoming’s only full-service abortion clinic is scheduled to be sentenced Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023. (Platte County Sheriff's Office via AP, File)
September 27

CVS responds quickly after pharmacists frustrated with their workload don't show up

A group of pharmacists frustrated with overwhelming workloads didn't show up for work last week in at least a dozen Kansas City-area CVS pharmacies
September 27
FILE - Customers walk to a CVS Pharmacy, Friday, Nov 4, 2022, in Boston. CVS made a move Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023, to make frustrated pharmacists in the Kansas City-area to call off a walkout. It promised to boost hiring to ease overwhelming workloads that sometimes make it hard to take a bathroom break. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, FIle)
September 27

Vulnerable children's education at risk if government shutdown takes place

Head Start has more than 800,000 students enrolled across America.
September 27
View of an empty children's classroom.
September 27

Virginia Democrats warn Republicans will ban abortion; GOP says their rhetoric is fearmongering

Virginia Republicans are stepping up their criticism of the rhetoric being used by their Democratic opponents in abortion-focused messaging in this year’s critical legislative elections
September 27
FILE - Visitors mill around the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond, Va., Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020. Virginia Republicans are stepping up their criticism of the rhetoric being used by their Democratic opponents in abortion-focused messaging in 2023's critical legislative elections. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)
September 27

Virginia Democrats warn Republicans will ban abortion; GOP says their rhetoric is fearmongering

Virginia Republicans are stepping up their criticism of the rhetoric being used by their Democratic opponents in abortion-focused messaging in this year’s critical legislative elections
September 27
FILE - Visitors mill around the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond, Va., Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020. Virginia Republicans are stepping up their criticism of the rhetoric being used by their Democratic opponents in abortion-focused messaging in 2023's critical legislative elections. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)
September 27

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signs law to protect doctors who mail abortion pills to other states

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a law protecting doctors and pharmacists who mail abortion pills to patients in other states
September 27
FILE - California Gov. Gavin Newsom answers questions during a news conference in Sacramento, Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023. On Wednesday, Sept. 27, Newsom signed a new law aiming to protect doctors and pharmacists who mail abortion pills to patients in other states where the procedure is banned. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli,File)
September 27

FDA advisers vote against experimental ALS treatment pushed by patients

Federal health advisers have voted overwhelmingly against recommending approval of an experimental treatment for Lou Gehrig's disease, the fatal muscle-wasting disease
September 27
FILE - A U.S. Food and Drug Administration building is seen behind FDA logos at a bus stop on the agency's campus in Silver Spring, Md., on Aug. 2, 2018. Federal health advisers voted against an experimental treatment for Lou Gehrig’s disease at a Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023, meeting prompted by years of patient efforts seeking access to the unproven therapy. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)
September 27

Mississippi activists ask to join water lawsuit and criticize Black judge's comments on race

Activists in Mississippi’s majority-Black capital city are trying to join a federal lawsuit against the city for violating standards for clean drinking water
September 27
FILE - Ted Henifin, the interim third-party manager appointed by the U.S. Department of Justice to help fix the long-troubled water system of the Mississippi's capital city, speaks about the expansive list of reforms the city's water department is undertaking, June 5, 2023, at the Stennis-Capitol Press Corps lunch in Jackson. Activists said Wednesday, Sept. 27, that residents of the majority-Black city of Jackson need to have more input on how to improve the water system. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
September 27

Nebraska latest Republican state to expand Medicaid to cover postpartum care for low-income mothers

Lower-income new mothers will get a full year of Medicaid health care coverage in Nebraska under an order issued by Gov. Jim Pillen
September 27
September 27

New rules aim to make foster care with family easier, provide protection for LGBTQ+ children

The Biden administration is moving to make it easier for caregivers to take in family members in the foster care system, requiring states to provide them with the same financial support that any other foster home would receive
September 27
FILE - Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra testifies during the House Committee hearing on Ways and Means hearing, March 28, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington. The Biden administration is moving to make it easier for caregivers to take in family members in the foster care system, requiring states to provide them with the same financial support that any other foster home would receive. The administration also is seeking to provide more protection for LGBTQ+ children. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, File)
September 27

Free at-home COVID tests from the US government are back. Here's how to order them

Every American is eligible to receive a free kit with four tests.
September 27
COVID-19 antigen home tests indicating a positive result are photographed in New York, April 5, 2023.
September 27

What experts say are helpful alternatives to 1 type of nasal decongestant

Experts say these tips can help fight off common cold symptoms this season.
September 27
September 27

Montana judge temporarily blocks enforcement of law to ban gender-affirming medical care for minors

A Montana state judge has temporarily blocked enforcement of a law to ban gender-affirming medical care for minors
September 27
September 27

A state judge has temporarily blocked a Montana law banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth

A state judge has temporarily blocked a Montana law banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth
September 27
September 27

A state judge has temporarily blocked a Montana law banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth

A state judge has temporarily blocked a Montana law banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth
September 27
September 27

World View: Progress in Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claims his forces are making progress in eastern Ukraine, as U.S.-made Abrams tanks arrive on the battlefield.
September 27
VIDEO: World View: Progress in Ukraine
September 27

Patel It Like It Is: Keeping a good posture

Dr. Alok Patel breaks down exercises you can do every day to better your posture.
September 27
VIDEO: Patel It Like It Is: Keeping a good posture
September 27

Canadian police won't investigate doctor for sterilizing Indigenous woman

Police in Canada say they will not pursue a criminal investigation into a recent case in which a doctor sterilized an Inuit woman without her consent
September 27
FILE - Senate committee on Human Rights committee member Sen. Yvonne Boyer responds to a question from the media during a news conference, Thursday, July 14, 2022 in Ottawa. Boyer, who has proposed law that would make forced sterilization itself a crime, said the long history of mistrust between Indigenous people and the police made it difficult for many victims to pursue criminal prosecution. “If a police officer becomes aware of a crime being committed, they have an obligation to investigate,” Boyer said. “Why would it be any different for an Indigenous woman being sterilized without consent?” (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP, File)
September 27

How astronaut Frank Rubio's record-breaking year in space may have impacted his body

Space can cause many physical and psychological changes for astronauts.
September 27
Astronaut Frank Rubio is helped out of the Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft just minutes after landing in a remote area near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, Sept. 27, 2023. He and two of his fellow cosmonauts, Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelino, returned after 371 days in space. For Rubio, his mission is the longest single spaceflight by a U.S. astronaut in history.
September 27

Scottish officials approve UK's first drug consumption room intended for safer use

Scottish authorities have approved a multimillion pound drug consumption room
September 27
FILE - A view of a mock drugs consumption room - where users take heroin under medical supervision - staged at Colston Hall in Bristol, Jan. 24, 2020. Scottish authorities on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023 approved a 2.3 million-pound ($2.8 million) pound drug consumption room, the first government-backed place in the U.K. where users can take illegal drugs such as cocaine and heroine under the supervision of medical staff. Local officials in the Scottish city of Glasgow on Wednesday approved the facility, which had long been delayed by political disagreements. (Claire Hayhurst/PA via AP, File)
September 27

Genetically modified mosquitoes and vaccines -- what to know about dengue fever

Almost half of the world’s population live in areas with a risk of dengue.
September 27
Disease vector mosquito known for dengue, yellow fever and zika virus.
September 27

Almost half of US adults plan to get new COVID-19 vaccine, survey finds

The poll results come as COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to climb.
September 27
The updated COVID-19 vaccine is displayed at Northwell Health's Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, New York, on Sept. 13, 2023.
September 27

Colorado supermarket shooting suspect suggested to psychologist that he wanted police to kill him

The man accused of killing 10 people at a Colorado supermarket in 2021 said during a mental health evaluation that he bought firearms to carry out a mass shooting and wanted police to kill him
September 27
FILE - Tributes hang on the temporary fence surrounding the parking lot in front of a King Soopers grocery store in which 10 people died in a late March 2021 mass shooting, April 9, 2021, in Boulder, Colo. Attorneys will begin arguments Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023, over whether the man accused of killing 10 people at a Colorado supermarket in 2021, Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, is mentally competent to proceed toward trial for the mass shooting. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
September 26

Oregon Gov. Kotek directs state police to crack down on fentanyl distribution

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek says she has directed state police to launch new strategies aimed at disrupting the fentanyl supply chain and holding sellers of the illegal and often deadly drug accountable
September 26
September 26

'I kept it secret': Matt Gutman details struggle with panic attacks in new book

ABC News’ Linsey Davis spoke to ABC News chief national correspondent Matt Gutman about his new book "No time to Panic," a memoir about his journey to treat decades of suffering from panic attacks.
September 26
VIDEO: 'I kept it secret': Matt Gutman details struggle with panic attacks in new book
September 26

Tests may be able to identify prolonged COVID symptoms in the future: Scientists

This data joins a large movement to gain understanding of long COVID conditions.
September 26
A phlebotomist wearing a protective face shield and mask inspects blood samples for COVID-19 antibody tests in Los Angeles, Aug. 5, 2020.
September 26

Anti-abortion groups demand liberal Wisconsin prosecutors charge abortion providers despite ruling

A coalition of anti-abortion organizations is urging two Wisconsin prosecutors to pursue charges against abortion providers in their counties despite a court's ruling that abortion is legal
September 26
FILE - Protesters are seen outside Planned Parenthood, Sept. 18, 2023, in Milwaukee. On Tuesday, Sept. 26, a coalition of anti-abortion organizations demanded that prosecutors in Wisconsin's two largest counties bring charges against abortion providers who have resumed practicing following a court ruling that consensual abortions are legal in the state. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)
September 26

More students gain eligibility for free school meals under expanded US program

More students in schools serving low-income communities will be eligible to receive breakfast and lunch at no cost under a rule change announced Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture
September 26
FILE - Second-grade students select their meals during lunch break in the cafeteria, Dec. 12, 2022, at an elementary school in Scottsdale, Ariz. More students in schools serving low-income communities will be eligible to receive breakfast and lunch at no cost under a rule change announced Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023, by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. (AP Photo/Alberto Mariani, File)
September 26

UN says cholera and dengue outbreaks have been reported in eastern Sudan as conflict grinds on

The U.N. health agency says cholera and dengue outbreaks have been reported in eastern Sudan, where thousands of people are sheltering in crowded camps as deadly fighting grinds on between the country’s military and a rival paramilitary force
September 26
This is a locator map for Sudan with its capital, Khartoum. (AP Photo)
September 26

After US approval, Japan OKs its first Alzheimer's drug. Leqembi was developed by Eisai and Biogen

Japan’s health ministry has approved Leqembi, a drug for Alzheimer’s decease that was jointly developed by Japanese and U.S. pharmaceutical companies
September 26
This undated image made from video provided by Eisai Co., Ltd., shows Leqembi, a drug for Alzheimer’s decease that was jointly developed by Japanese and U.S. pharmaceutical companies, at Eisai's Kawashima plant in Kakamigahara city, Gifu Prefecture, central Japan. Japan's health ministry has approved Leqembi, the first drug for the treatment of the disease in a country with a rapidly aging population. Leqembi was developed by Japanese drugmaker Eisai and U.S. biotechnology firm Biogen. (Eisai Co., Ltd. via AP)
September 26

New cars are supposed to be getting safer. So why are fatalities on the rise?

Government test data shows new passenger vehicles in the U.S. are extremely safe, but roadway deaths are steadily rising
September 26
A roadside memorial for cyclist Alyssa Milligan is seen along state Highway 100 near Percy Warner Park, Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. Milligan was struck and killed by a pickup truck near the site while riding with a friend the previous week. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
September 26

About 18 million US adults have had long COVID, CDC report finds

Hispanic adults were more likely to have long COVID than other groups.
September 26
A pillow is decorated with the words "I Deserve Care" as advocates for people suffering from long COVID-19 and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome host an installation of 300 cots in front of the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., May 12, 2023, to represent the millions of people suffering from post-infectious disease.
September 25

Connecticut health commissioner fired during COVID settles with state, dismissal now a resignation

Connecticut’s Department of Public Health has reached a settlement agreement with the agency’s former commissioner, who was fired in the first weeks of the coronavirus pandemic
September 25
September 25

Overdose crisis reaches historic levels in NYC, and fentanyl is to blame

Across the country, states are battling fatal drug overdoses.
September 25
A DEA Agent look at posters showing victims of Fentanyl overdose during the National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day Times Square takeover to raise awareness and share education about the deadly drug, Aug. 21, 2023.
September 25

Manslaughter charges thrown out in Michigan prisoner's death

A judge has dismissed charges against six people in the death of a Michigan prisoner who lost 50 pounds over two weeks and died of dehydration while being restrained
September 25
September 25

What you need to know about California's CARE Court program

The plan is to help those with a psychotic disorder, such as schizophrenia.
September 25
People line up along temporary tents as the Los Angeles Skid Row district annual feast hosts thousands of homeless and others in need, in downtown Los Angeles on Nov. 24, 2022.
September 25

Former New Zealand prime minister and pandemic prep leader says we're unprepared for the next one

If another pandemic happens, the world will again be unprepared
September 25
Former Irish President Mary Robinson, left, and former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, both members of Elders, "an independent group of global leaders working for peace, justice, human rights and a sustainable planet" founded by Nelson Mandela in 2007, hold an interview to discuss the group's progress, Wednesday Sept. 20, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
September 25

A judge has rewritten Missouri ballot summary language that described 'dangerous' abortions

A Missouri judge has tossed Republican-written ballot summary language Monday that described several proposed constitutional amendments as allowing “dangerous and unregulated abortions until live birth.”
September 25
FILE - Missouri's Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft speaks, Nov. 7, 2017, in Valley Park, Mo. On Monday, Sept. 25, 2023, a Missouri judge tossed Republican-written ballot language that described several abortion-rights amendments as allowing “dangerous and unregulated abortions until live birth.” The office of Ashcroft, who is running for governor in 2024, wrote summaries for the abortion-rights amendments. In Missouri, summaries are provided to voters on ballots to help quickly explain sometimes lengthy and complicated proposals. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)
September 25

Tornado-damaged Pfizer plant in North Carolina restarts production

A major Pfizer pharmaceutical plant has restarted production, 10 weeks after it was heavily damaged by a tornado
September 25
September 25

Experimental treatment pushed by ALS patients gets day before FDA, but agency unconvinced it works

The Food and Drug Administration meets this week to consider a much-debated treatment for Lou Gehrig’s disease
September 25
In this photo provided by I AM ALS, Dan Tate, right, delivers a printed petition from ALS patients and advocates to Dr. Peter Marks, left, director of the Food and Drug Administration's center for biologics at the FDA campus in Silver Spring, Md., on Dec. 14, 2022. The FDA meets this week to consider approval of an experimental treatment for Lou Gehrig’s disease, the culmination of a yearslong lobbying effort by patients with the fatal, neurodegenerative disease. Those advocates still face one giant hurdle: FDA regulators say the treatment hasn't been shown to work. In documents posted Monday, Sept. 25, 2023 the FDA reiterated its longstanding position: drugmaker Brainstorm's lone study doesn't provide clear evidence that its stem cell-based therapy helps patients with ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. (Sonya Elling/I AM ALS via AP)
September 25

We carry DNA from extinct cousins like Neanderthals. Science is now revealing their genetic legacy

More research is showing that we carry genes from other kinds of ancient humans, and their DNA affects our lives today
September 25
People visit the exhibits inside the Smithsonian Hall of Human Origins, Thursday, July 20, 2023, at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington. DNA research has found that our Homo sapiens ancestors mated with Neanderthals and Denisovans long ago. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
September 24

Missouri says clinic that challenged transgender treatment restrictions didn't provide proper care

Clinics unsuccessfully challenged new state limits on gender affirming care.
September 24
FILE - Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey speaks to reporters after taking the Oath of Office in Jefferson City, Mo., Jan. 3, 2023. Missouri officials struck back at one of the clinics that unsuccessfully challenged new state restrictions on gender affirming care by filing a new lawsuit accusing the clinic of failing to provide proper care for transgender minors even before the new law took effect August 2023. (AP Photo/David A. Lieb, File)
September 24

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signs bills to enhance the state's protections for LGBTQ+ people

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed several bills.
September 24
FILE - Participants take part in the annual LA Pride Parade in West Hollywood, Calif., Sunday, June 9, 2019. California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed several bills Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, aimed at bolstering the state's protections for LGBTQ+ people, despite a controversial veto the day before that was criticized by advocates. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)
September 24

Government should pay compensation for secretive Cold War-era testing, St. Louis victims say

As Congress considers payments to victims of Cold War-era nuclear contamination in the St. Louis region, people who were targeted for secret government testing from that same time period believe they’re due compensation, too
September 24
Chester Deanes, left, and Ben Phillips hold a photo of the former Pruitt-Igoe housing development in St. Louis, where they lived growing up on Sept. 7, 2023. The Army sprayed a potential carcinogen from the tops of buildings and from station wagons in the area around Pruitt-Igoe in the 1950s and 1960s as part of secret Cold War-era testing. Deanes and Phillips are leading an effort to get government compensation. (AP Photo/Jim Salter)
September 24

Pakistan recalls an injectable medicine causing eye infection, sight loss and orders a probe

Pakistan’s health minister says an injectable medicine that was causing a severe eye infection and sight loss in diabetic patients in the province of Punjab has been recalled and an investigation ordered while police are looking for the suppliers
September 24
September 24

Science paints a new picture of the ancient past, when we mixed and mated with other kinds of humans

The science of human evolution has made big leaps in recent years, and it’s painting a new picture of our origins
September 24
Paleoartist John Gurche inserts individual strands of hair on a male Paranthropus robustus model at his studio in Trumansburg, N.Y., Wednesday, May 31, 2023. “These were once living, breathing individuals. And they felt grief and joy and pain,” Gurche said. “They’re not in some fairyland; they’re not some fantasy creatures. They were alive.” (AP Photo/Heather Ainsworth)
September 23

Biden has gotten the updated COVID-19 vaccine and the annual flu shot, the White House says

The White House says President Joe Biden has gotten the updated COVID-19 vaccine and the annual flu shot
September 23
FILE - President Joe Biden speaks about the government's COVID-19 response, in the South Court Auditorium in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House Campus in Washington, Jan. 13, 2022. President Joe Biden has gotten the updated COVID-19 vaccine and annual flu shot, the White House said Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)
September 23

At UN, African leaders say enough is enough: They must be partnered with, not sidelined

At the U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York, African leaders are relaying a unanimous message, that their continent of more than 1.3 billion people is done being a “victim” of a post-world war order and must be recognized and partnered with as a g...
September 23
Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, President of Mozambique, addresses the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023, at U.N. headquarters. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
September 23

Many states are expanding their Medicaid programs to provide dental care to their poorest residents

A growing number of states are offering dental care to low-income adults who once had to rely on charity or the emergency room to treat their tooth problems
September 23
Dental assistant Jasmine Webb, left, and dentist Ryan O'Neill, right, repair the teeth of Danielle Wilkes during a clinic visit Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. Wilkes waited five years to have her teeth repaired after getting several teeth knocked out in a car wreck. She was able to receive dental care after an expansion of the state's Medicaid program. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
September 23

Nikki Haley's approach to abortion is rooted in her earliest days in South Carolina politics

Nikki Haley is gaining attention in the GOP race with her calls for “consensus” around abortion, an unusual tone in a campaign where Republican White House hopefuls often prefer to highlight their eagerness to fight President Joe Biden and other Democrats
September 23
FILE - Republican presidential candidate and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley speaks at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition's fall banquet, Sept. 16, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa. Haley is gaining attention in the GOP race with her calls for “consensus” around abortion, an unusual tone in a campaign where Republican White House hopefuls often prefer to highlight their eagerness to fight President Joe Biden and other Democrats. (AP Photo/Bryon Houlgrave, File)