Republicans are exploring cuts to Medicaid in an effort to pay for the president’s priorities. But public opinion, a divided Senate, and state governors worried about the impact to their budgets could dash those efforts.
Last month, the EPA issued a rule to step up monitoring and limit worker exposure to ethylene oxide, a cancer-causing molecule. But in his first term, Trump rolled back dozens of environmental rules, making residents of Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley” nervous.
Health officials are calling the outbreak of the highly contagious disease “unprecedented,” but the numbers remain small, with 67 active infections centered in the Kansas City suburbs.
Enjoying momentum thanks to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination as federal health secretary, vaccine skeptics are pushing state-level bills to block mandates and give parents and workers greater latitude to opt out.
The city’s police department has put a focus on officer mental health and well-being. That’s a big cultural change because officers often feel they need to hide their struggles.
The 2023-24 school year saw the highest percentage of kindergarteners exempted from vaccinations, with increases in 40 states and Washington, D.C. In some localities, the so-called health freedom message has led to nonmedical exemption rates as high as 50 percent.
Stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine now often come laced with deadly amounts of fentanyl. The current wave is driving up mortality among Black and Hispanic Americans particularly.
The state’s 988 service has a $7 million shortfall and the nation’s fifth highest rate of abandoned calls. The suicide rate in Texas has risen dramatically during this century.
After years of cuts, the agency’s budget has doubled since 2020. But its new director will face challenges due to policy differences with the incoming Trump administration.
Thomasville Regional Medical Center opened its doors at the start of the pandemic. It didn’t survive, but unlike most shuttered rural hospitals, it’s practically brand new.
Farmers must destroy their flocks when bird flu is detected. With payments already exceeding $1 billion, the government will now require biosecurity audits.
For the first time in a decade, the state is seeing a sustained decline, mirroring national trends. After nine months of decreases, drug deaths in the state are down 17 percent this year.
Federal law prohibits companies from charging vets for help in filling out disability claims, but there’s no penalty. Maine, New Jersey and New York have passed laws to close this loophole, with more expected to follow.
If legislators approve the request, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission would also get $100 million from Washington to address huge Medicaid and food stamp application delays.
The states have trigger laws to end coverage if the feds end funding for expansion under the Affordable Care Act. Other states may make cuts if funding gets rolled back.
Bird flu is affecting more and more dairy cattle. There’s no sign yet of human-to-human spread, but new dimensions of the outbreak continue to emerge.
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