HEALTH POLICY

Jun 03 2026HEALTH

Kratom Research Gets Federal Backing – What It Means for Opioid Struggles

For years, kratom has lived in a legal gray area. Some see it as risky, others as helpful. Now, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) just gave it a big thumbs-up by approving research into its potential for treating opioid addiction. This isn’t just another study—it’s a signal that scientists thi

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May 29 2026POLITICS

Flavored Vapes: A New Threat to Youth Health

The battle against smoking in the United States has seen huge gains, with high‑school cigarette use dropping from nearly 30% a quarter century ago to just 1. 7% today. Yet this progress is now under attack from a new product: flavored e‑cigarettes. About eight percent of teens vape regularly, and mo

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May 27 2026POLITICS

Canada Cuts Travel from Ebola‑Hot Countries, Bahamas Follows Suit

Canada has decided to stop letting people from three African nations— the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and South Sudan—enter its borders for 90 days. The move is meant to lower the chance that Ebola could spread into Canada, after the World Health Organization declared a “very high” risk

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May 26 2026HEALTH

Who’s really in charge when the US health system has no leaders?

The US government has quietly blocked its top disease experts from talking directly to the World Health Organization. Instead, small groups of researchers can only listen during WHO meetings—like students in a classroom who can’t ask questions. Any ideas they have must go through layers of bureaucra

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May 19 2026HEALTH

Vaccine Panel Rules Get Rebooted After Legal Hiccups

The U. S. health department recently hit pause on a vaccine advisory group's updated rules after realizing a legal step was missed. This group helps guide vaccine decisions for the country. The mix-up came just weeks after a new charter was approved in early April by a top health official. That char

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May 13 2026HEALTH

FDA food policies in doubt after top official steps down

Top food safety leader at the U. S. medical watchdog has just quit. That means long-planned rules about junk food, school meals, and toxic chemicals may never happen. For years, the food industry knew this person as the one pushing for stricter rules on snacks, drinks, and baby food. Officials had

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May 09 2026POLITICS

Changes at the top of US health agencies

A sudden shake-up is coming in Washington’s health leadership. Dr. Marty Makary, who has been leading the FDA for just over a year, appears set to leave his post. The move follows months of behind-the-scenes tension and multiple reports predicting his departure. His exit adds another empty chair at

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May 04 2026OPINION

Rethinking Healthy Eating: Do New Food Guidelines Actually Help Anyone?

In 2025, a fresh set of dietary rules for Americans arrived with a confusing twist—a food pyramid flipped upside down. The message seems simple at first: eat more whole fruits and vegetables, choose whole grains over refined carbs, and include healthy fats from foods like nuts and fish. But digging

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May 04 2026HEALTH

Medicare''s cancer screening gap - why prevention should come first

Medicare might soon pay for cancer screenings that arrive too late to actually help. The program currently focuses on tests that can only spot cancer after it appears, rather than finding the warning signs before illness develops. Research shows that finding and removing those early warning signs co

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May 02 2026POLITICS

A doctor who speaks her mind and a new pick for surgeon general

Dr. Nicole Saphier has been chosen by the Trump administration to become the next U. S. surgeon general, a role that comes with the power to issue public health warnings. Unlike her predecessor, Dr. Casey Means, who faced strong opposition in Senate hearings over her lack of experience and controver

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