May 13 WATCH: Secretary RFK Jr. testifies on staffing cuts, funding freezes and HHS policy changes By Amanda Seitz, Associated Press Kennedy described his downsizing of the sprawling $1.7 trillion-a-year agency — from 82,000 workers to 62,000 — as necessary cost-cutting measures that have reduced redundancies. Continue reading
May 13 UnitedHealth Group, largest health insurer in U.S., withdraws financial outlook for 2025 By Michelle Chapman, Associated Press UnitedHealth CEO Andrew Witty is stepping down for personal reasons as the health insurer suspended its full-year financial outlook due to higher-than-expected medical costs. Continue reading
May 13 FDA and RFK Jr. aim to remove fluoride supplements used to protect kids’ teeth By Matthew Perrone, Associated Press Previous scientific reviews have not shown any serious health risks with the fluoride-containing products. Continue reading
May 12 What to know about food poisoning illnesses caused by listeria By Associated Press A listeria outbreak linked to ready-to-eat sandwiches and snacks has sickened at least 10 people in the U.S. Continue reading
May 12 WATCH: Trump says he’ll set 30-day deadline for drugmakers to lower prescription drug prices By Will Weissert, Amanda Seitz, Seung Min Kim, Associated Press If a deal is not reached, a new rule will kick in that will tie the price of what the U.S. pays for medications to lower prices paid by other countries. Continue reading
May 11 Watch 5:32 New book ‘Four Mothers’ explores the first year of parenthood around the world By Ali Rogin, Satvi Sunkara This Mother’s Day, we explore how government policies and society’s expectations shape the experience of new moms. Ali Rogin speaks with journalist Abigail Leonard, whose new book “Four Mothers” follows the ups and downs of the first year of motherhood… Continue watching
May 09 So you want to increase your country’s birth rate? Experts say it’s tough By Vivian Hoang, Hannah Grabenstein As the Trump administration floats potential incentives to bring up the U.S. birth rate, experts tell PBS News that increasing a country’s birth rate is a heavy lift — if it’s possible at all. Continue reading
May 07 Trump nominates Dr. Casey Means, wellness influencer close to RFK Jr., for surgeon general By Seung Min Kim, Matthew Perrone, Associated Press President Donald Trump is tapping Dr. Casey Means, a wellness influencer with close ties to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., as his nominee for surgeon general after withdrawing his initial pick for the influential health post. Continue reading
May 04 Watch 4:21 Family planning clinics lose Title X funding over statements supporting DEI By Ali Rogin, Kaisha Young For more than 50 years, millions of federal dollars in Title X grants have funded clinics that offer free or discounted family planning services to mostly low-income Americans. In April, the Trump administration froze more than $65 million in grants,… Continue watching
May 03 Watch 4:37 How vaccine hesitancy may be driving a spike in pediatric flu deaths By John Yang, Claire Mufson, Juliet Fuisz The CDC reported 12 seasonal flu-related deaths of children this week, bringing the total number of pediatric flu deaths this season to 216 — the most in 15 years. Experts say one reason for this new record could be the… Continue watching