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A federal judge ruled that President Donald Trump canāt unilaterally kill the $2.75 billion Digital Equity Act, but he also sided with the administration by saying using race as a factor in awarding the grants is unconstitutional. The split decision has halted digital-skills programs for ethnic and racial minorities.
California lawmakers gave public school teachers 14 weeks of paid leave in the stateās new budget, a long-sought benefit for the largely female workforce. Gov. Gavin Newsom previously opposed similar measures.
Ńī¹óåś“«Ć½Ņīl Health News is working to collect and post approved plans as more states respond to emails and public records requests for their documents.
A year after the Environmental Protection Agency stripped grant money from dozens of communities nationwide during Trumpās DEI crackdown, a small Georgia city is struggling to address environmental health concerns.
The research is clear: Among the various complex issues that contribute to suicide, loneliness is a big one. Now, thereās a growing push to address loneliness not just through personal choices but also through public policy.
Fourteen states now allow health coverage through state farm bureaus. Though they generally share many features of Affordable Care Act marketplace plans, they arenāt insurance. Neither are they typically subject to federal or state health insurance requirements, and the benefits may be less generous or predictable than those of Obamacare plans.
Patchwork state policies and limited federal oversight have led to a fragmented system for tracking when potential organ donors provide consent or change their minds.
Ńī¹óåś“«Ć½Ņīl Health News journalists made the rounds on national and local media recently to discuss topical stories. Hereās a collection of their appearances.
More than three dozen states cover dental services for low-income and disabled individuals on Medicaid, in recognition of such careās importance to overall health. But with about $900 billion in funding cuts expected to hit states over the next decade, many programs could roll back dental coverage.
Ńī¹óåś“«Ć½Ņīl Health News journalists made the rounds on national and local media recently to discuss topical stories. Hereās a collection of their appearances.
Alabama, a state with one of the nationās highest infant mortality rates, is betting on robots to help fix its maternal care crisis. But the stateās plan for telerobotic ultrasounds in rural areas has raised doubts.
Republicans have said new rules requiring many Medicaid participants to work 80 hours a month will pinpoint unemployed young people who should have jobs. Policy researchers say the rules are more likely to disrupt coverage for middle-aged adults, harming their physical and financial health.
Every state will receive at least $100 million annually from the federal Rural Health Transformation fund, but some scored millions more based on how the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services judged the āqualityā of their plans and willingness to pass policies embracing "Make America Healthy Again" initiatives.
A proposed abortion ban in South Carolina would have allowed the criminal prosecution of women who obtain the procedure. Itās unlikely to become law, but this bill and other proposals across the country show how some conservative lawmakers are embracing increasingly punitive abortion restrictions.
Participants in an FDA panel discussion warned the public about risks from using antidepressants in pregnancy. But mental health issues, including suicide and overdoses, are the leading cause of maternal death in the United States. Antidepressants are a safe, well-studied way to help prevent those deaths, medical experts say.
Genesis HealthCareās bankruptcy case in Dallas will allow the nursing home chain to avoid paying millions of dollars it promised for residents who were injured or died while in its care. Families say bankruptcy nullifies one of the main ways to hold nursing home owners accountable for poor care.
Proposals from states that have shared their applications to a new $50 billion rural health program include using drones to deliver medication, installing refrigerators to expand access to healthy produce, and bringing telehealth to libraries, day cares, and senior centers.
People on Medicaid deemed āmedically frailā wonāt need to meet new federal requirements that enrollees work 80 hours a month or perform another approved activity. But state officials are grappling with how to interpret who qualifies under the vague federal definition, which could affect millions.
About 1 in 4 American adults got a covid vaccine shot during the 2024-25 virus season, a fraction health care experts warn could be smaller this year as millions wrestle with conflicting advice from the government and trusted medical organizations about the value of a shot.
Through shrouded bureaucratic maneuvers, White House budget director Russell Vought and DOGE have quietly upended outbreak response, HIV treatment, and dementia care in communities across America.
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