Health

Spain parliament approves menstrual leave, teen abortion and transgender protections

By Jennifer O'Mahony, Ciarán Giles, Associated Press

Spain's parliament has approved laws expanding abortion and trans rights for teenagers, while making Spain the first country in Europe entitling workers to paid menstrual leave.

Biden completes medical checkup as he readies for 2024 presidential run

By Josh Boak, Associated Press

Biden has finished his roughly three-hour medical checkup at Walter Reed National Military Medical in suburban Maryland. The exam is being keenly watched as the oldest president in U.S. history makes plan for an expected reelection campaign.

WATCH: EPA head visits Ohio after toxic train spill, asks residents to 'trust the government'

By Patrick Orsagos, Associated Press

EPA Administrator Michael Regan sought to reassure residents who are skeptical of testing results that say the air is safe to breathe and the water is fit for drinking around East Palestine, where just under 5,000 people live near the…

Kansas push to define sex decried as erasing transgender people

By John Hanna, Associated Press

A bill in Kansas and similar legislation in at least seven other states have LGBTQ-rights advocates worrying about a sweeping Republican-led effort to erase the legal existence of transgender men and women.

Kentucky bill raising abortion to homicide draws Republican pushback

By Bruce Schreiner, Associated Press

A Kentucky lawmaker has introduced a bill to prosecute illegal abortions as homicides. The measure drew pushback from the state's anti-abortion attorney general.

White House reports nearly 18 percent drop in people with medical debt

By Josh Boak, Associated Press

Among the programs they say contributed to less debt was an expansion of the Obama-era healthcare law that added 4.2 million people with some form health insurance.

Social media companies face legal scrutiny over deteriorating mental health among teens

By Christopher Booker, Mike Fritz

A national survey by the CDC sounded a new alarm about teens in crisis. It shows nearly 30% of teenage girls said they considered dying by suicide, and three out of five girls said they felt persistently sad or hopeless.

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What's behind a sharp rise in deaths among pregnant women and new mothers?

By Amna Nawaz, Karina Cuevas

A recent study found a disturbing rise in deaths among pregnant women and new mothers during the pandemic, and not just because of complications from pregnancy and childbirth. Native American women faced the greatest risk as they were three-and-a-half times…

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CDC data shows U.S. teen girls 'in crisis' with unprecedented rise in suicidal behavior

By Lindsey Tanner, Associated Press

The pandemic took a harsh toll on U.S. teen girls' mental health, with almost 60 percent reporting feelings of persistent sadness or hopelessness.

Train derailment prompts water utility to take precautions against toxic fumes

By Associated Press

A West Virginia water utility says it's taking precautionary steps following the derailment of a train hauling chemicals that later sent up a toxic plume in Ohio.