Health

Iowa governor signs restrictive transgender sports bill

By David Pitt, Associated Press

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has signed into law a bill that prohibits transgender females from participating in girls high school sports and women's college athletics, rejecting opponents' argument that she would harm children to solve a nonexistent problem.

South Dakota lawmakers pass restrictive abortion pill laws under dispute in federal court

By Stephen Groves, Associated Press

The South Dakota Legislature has passed a proposal from Gov. Kristi Noem that aims to make the state one of the hardest places in the U.S. to get abortion pills. But it won't actually be enacted unless the state prevails…

WATCH: Biden outlines COVID plan in State of the Union, says Americans can soon move 'back to more normal routines'

By Zeke Miller, Associated Press

President Joe Biden says "it's time for Americans to get back to work" and he's announcing new efforts to allow people to return to normal activities safely after two years of pandemic disruptions.

Pfizer vaccine effective against severe COVID-19 for children between 5 and 11, CDC says

By Lauran Neergaard, Associated Press

A new government report shows Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine gave children 5 and older strong protection against hospitalization and death even during the omicron surge.

LISTEN: Supreme Court justices seem to favor doctors in case over pain pill prescription convictions

By Mark Sherman, Associated Press

In a case stemming from the opioid addiction crisis, the Supreme Court on Tuesday appeared ready to side with two imprisoned doctors who wrote thousands of prescriptions for pain medication in short periods.

WATCH: President Joe Biden's 2022 State of the Union address - A PBS NewsHour Special

By Zeke Miller, Colleen Long, Associated Press

Addressing a concerned nation and anxious world, President Joe Biden vowed in his first State of the Union address Tuesday night to check Russian aggression in Ukraine, tame soaring U.S. inflation and deal with the fading but still dangerous coronavirus.

CDC changes recommendations on when to wear masks in public

By William Brangham, Claire Mufson

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday loosened its COVID-19 guidance on wearing masks in indoor public settings. The new standard says people don't have to mask-up if case counts and hospitalizations aren’t especially high where they live.

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Healthy Americans can stop wearing masks in areas with low COVID-19 impact, CDC says

By Carla K. Johnson, Mike Stobbe, Associated Press

U.S. officials say most Americans live in places where healthy people can safely take a break from wearing masks.

Panel urges changes to make U.S. organ transplants more fair

By Associated Press

Friday's report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine says there are ways to save many more lives.

Texas AG Ken Paxton once joined this family of a trans kid for dinner. They now feel under attack

By Kate Sosin, The 19th

On Feb. 18, Paxton, who this year faces a tough reelection, issued a legal interpretation that labels certain types of gender-affirming care for trans kids child abuse.