May 15 Watch 5:44 What's behind the significant drop in opioid overdose deaths By John Yang, Mike Fritz, Azhar Merchant Drug overdose deaths in the U.S. plunged last year to their lowest level since 2019, according to the CDC. In 2024, nationwide overdose deaths fell by nearly 30,000 from the year before, a drop of about 27 percent. There were… Continue watching
May 15 Gov. DeSantis signs bill making Florida 2nd state to ban fluoride from its water system By Stephany Matat, Kate Payne, Associated Press Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a measure Thursday prohibiting local governments from adding fluoride to their water systems, making it the second state in the country after Utah to implement a statewide ban on the mineral. Continue reading
May 15 WATCH: VA Secretary Collins testifies on 2026 White House budget request By News Desk President Donald Trump’s 2026 budget request so far includes a 4 percent increase for Department of Veterans Affairs programs. Continue reading
May 14 Trump's new surgeon general nominee praises unproven psychedelic therapy By Michelle R. Smith, Associated Press Dr. Casey Means’ recommendation to consider guided psilocybin-assisted therapy is notable because psilocybin is illegal under federal law. Continue reading
May 14 U.S. overdose deaths fell by 27% last year — the largest one-year decline ever recorded By Mike Stobbe, Geoff Mulvihill, Associated Press Annual overdose deaths are still higher than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic, says the CDC, which has been collecting comparable data for 45 years. Continue reading
May 14 WATCH: Health Secretary RFK Jr. says he doesn't think people should take medical advice from him By Laura Santhanam Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Wednesday that he doesn’t “think people should be taking advice — medical advice — from me.”… Continue reading
May 14 WATCH: Zeldin testifies on budget request as EPA announces it plans to weaken limits on some PFAS chemicals By Michael Phillis, Associated Press The Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday that it plans to weaken limits on some so-called forever chemicals in drinking water that were finalized last year, while maintaining standards for two common ones. Continue reading
May 14 What to expect when RFK Jr. testifies in Senate hearing on health budget By Amanda Seitz, Associated Press Secretary Kennedy will speak about the agency’s budget request for the year, which includes a $500 million boost for his “Make America Healthy Again” initiative to promote nutrition and healthier lifestyles. The proposed budget also makes deep cuts, including to… Continue reading
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