PBS News Hour - Health

PBS News Hour - Health

The latest medical news, analysis and reporting. (Updated periodically) PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Episodes

July 20, 2025 • 4 mins
In recent years, people have become more comfortable sharing their personal experiences about mental health, a sign that stigma around it is diminishing. On Instagram and TikTok combined, there are nearly 90 million posts with the hashtag “mental health.” But not all the information online is accurate. Stephanie Sy speaks with licensed psychologist Taisha Caldwell-Harvey to learn more. PBS News is supported by - https:/...
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For decades, the National Cancer Institute has spearheaded breakthrough advancements against the disease. Cancer deaths have been reduced by a third since the 1990s, but now the world’s premier cancer institute is in the midst of a fierce battle over its future. William Brangham speaks with Rachana Pradhan of KFF Health News for more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
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Since President Trump signed his sweeping domestic policy bill into law, a key provision that prevents Planned Parenthood clinics from receiving Medicaid funding has already been temporarily blocked by a federal judge. William Brangham discussed the legal challenge with Alexis McGill Johnson, the president and CEO of Planned Parenthood. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
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The White House backed off $400 million in immediate cuts it was proposing in the global fight against HIV and AIDS and potentially other high-profile health programs. It's part of the package of cuts facing the Senate over the next two days. Lisa Desjardins reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
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So far in 2025, the Trump administration has cut more than $1 billion in NIH grants. That includes a study on sickle cell disease, a blood disorder that affects roughly 100,000 people in the U.S. According to the CDC, 90% of them are Black. Ali Rogin speaks with Dr. Charity Oyedeji, a Duke University hematologist whose research grant was terminated, to learn more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funder...
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President Trump’s big tax law includes a major provision the GOP has endorsed for years: work requirements for Medicaid recipients and for food stamp benefits. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 11.8 million Americans could lose medical coverage over the next decade and more than 3 million could lose SNAP benefits. Laura Barrón-López discussed the stakes with Pamela Herd. PBS News is supported by - h...
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Every year, nearly 31 million people in the U.S. are bitten by a tick. Tick-related illnesses like Lyme disease are on the rise, a trend experts attribute to climate change, human expansion into forested areas and overpopulations of deer. Ali Rogin speaks with pediatric infectious diseases specialist Dr. Andrew Handel about how to best avoid these tiny insects. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
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Extreme heat is becoming a dangerous new normal that brings with it a number of health risks. From severe burns to accelerated aging, the effects of long periods of high temperatures on the human body are getting more attention in this time of rising climate change. Stephanie Sy reports from Phoenix, the epicenter of extreme heat in the United States, for our series, Tipping Point. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/n...
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The FDA has approved a breakthrough preventative treatment for HIV that could change the course of the AIDS epidemic. But deep cuts to health initiatives could hinder the rollout. Lenacapavir not only offers nearly 100 percent protection from HIV, but people only need two injections per year. William Brangham discussed more with Mitchell Warren of the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/n...
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According to the CDC, 1 in 5 American adults is living with obesity. In recent years, many have turned to weight loss drugs containing GLP-1, a hormone that slows digestion and helps with sustained weight loss. In a new book, former FDA head Dr. David Kessler advocates for their use, but says they shouldn’t be seen as a quick and easy fix. Ali Rogin speaks with Kessler for more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/...
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Earlier in June, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired all 17 members of a key vaccine advisory panel and handpicked eight new members, including several who have expressed skepticism about some vaccines. The move prompted the resignation of Dr. Fiona Havers, one of the CDC’s leading vaccine experts. Ali Rogin speaks with Havers about her decision. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
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A shift in a key vaccine advisory committee has raised alarms among public health experts. The ACIP routinely makes recommendations to the CDC. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired every prior member of the panel and appointed seven new ones. They just finished a two-day meeting pushing for a new direction. Geoff Bennett discussed more with former Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs....
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Rural hospitals across the country, many already struggling to stay afloat, could face devastating consequences if proposed Medicaid cuts in the domestic spending bill become law. To help understand what’s at stake, Geoff Bennett spoke with Tim Wolters, the director of reimbursement for the Citizens Memorial Hospital system in southwestern Missouri. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
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For more on the dangers of extreme temperatures and key tips for dealing with the heat, Stephanie Sy speaks with Ashley Ward, director of the Heat Policy Innovation Hub at Duke University. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
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A historic and national $7.4 billion dollar settlement has been reached with Purdue Pharma, the maker of the opioid OxyContin that spurred a major start of the opioid epidemic. A prior settlement had been struck down by the Supreme Court. NPR'S national addiction correspondent, Brian Mann, joins Lisa Desjardins with more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
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The abrupt removal of all of the members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has sparked outrage and worry among many public health experts. That includes the American Medical Association, which called for a Senate investigation into Kennedy today. Geoff Bennett has reaction from Dr. Tom Frieden, a former director of the CDC. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/ab...
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CT scans are quick, painless, non-invasive tests that can identify everything from brain tumors to injuries from an accident. But a new study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine shows a link between the radiation exposure from the imaging tool and cancer. Ali Rogin spoke with Dr. Rebecca Smith-Bindman, the study's lead author, to learn more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
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Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco have found a link between use of social media by pre-teens and future depression. The study, published this week in the American Medical Association’s journal JAMA, said more time spent on social media “may contribute to increased depressive symptoms over time.” Ali Rogin speaks with lead researcher Dr. Jason Nagata to learn more. PBS News is supported by ...
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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 declines across all categories of drug use, including opioids, the source of most overdose deaths over the past decade. John Yang discussed more with Brian Mann of NPR. PBS News is supported by - https://www.p...
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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 around the world. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
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