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

Who will be affected by Trump administration’s Medicaid, SNAP work requirements

July 7, 2025 • 6 mins
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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Why tick season is worse than usual and how to protect yourself

July 6, 2025 • 7 mins
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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The long-term health risks as extreme heat becomes a new normal

July 4, 2025 • 8 mins
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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How a new twice-yearly drug is prompting hopes of curbing HIV cases

July 1, 2025 • 7 mins
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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New book by former FDA head explores the science behind GLP-1 weight loss drugs

June 29, 2025 • 6 mins
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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Former top CDC vaccine expert on why she resigned in protest over firing of advisory panel

June 28, 2025 • 5 mins
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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Trump’s former surgeon general raises concerns about vaccine panel overhauled by RFK Jr.

June 26, 2025 • 7 mins
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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How proposed cuts to Medicaid could affect rural hospitals

June 24, 2025 • 4 mins
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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How to stay safe from the dangers of extreme heat

June 20, 2025 • 6 mins
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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U.S. states agree to multi-billion dollar settlement with Purdue Pharma over opioid crisis

June 18, 2025 • 5 mins
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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Former CDC director reacts to RFK Jr.’s firing of entire vaccine advisory panel

June 10, 2025 • 7 mins
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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Study shows link between CT scans and the risk of developing cancer

June 1, 2025 • 6 mins
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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New study finds link between pre-teen use of social media and depression

May 24, 2025 • 5 mins
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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What’s behind the significant drop in opioid overdose deaths

May 15, 2025 • 5 mins
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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New book ‘Four Mothers’ explores the first year of parenthood around the world

May 11, 2025 • 5 mins
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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Family planning clinics lose Title X funding over statements supporting DEI

May 4, 2025 • 4 mins
For more than 50 years, millions of federal dollars in Title X grants have funded clinics that offer free or discounted family planning services to mostly low-income Americans. In April, the Trump administration froze more than $65 million in grants, forcing some providers to shut their doors. Brittni Frederiksen, associate director for Women's Health Policy at KFF, joins Ali Rogin to discuss. PBS News is supported by - https://www...
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How vaccine hesitancy may be driving a spike in pediatric flu deaths

May 3, 2025 • 4 mins
The CDC reported 12 seasonal flu-related deaths of children this week, bringing the total number of pediatric flu deaths this season to 216 — the most in 15 years. Experts say one reason for this new record could be the plummeting flu vaccination rate among American children. John Yang speaks with Dr. Peter Hotez at Baylor College of Medicine to learn more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
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What the new FDA commissioner says about possible restrictions on abortion medication

April 24, 2025 • 2 mins
Many conservatives want the FDA to impose tighter restrictions on mifepristone and misoprostol, which can be delivered by mail. The medication accounted for 63 percent of U.S. abortions in 2023. Amna Nawaz spoke with the new FDA commissioner, Dr. Marty Makary, about what the agency may do. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
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Religious directives at Catholic hospitals complicate emergency care for pregnant women

April 24, 2025 • 9 mins
For decades, Catholic leaders in the U.S. have placed restrictions on certain reproductive health services at Catholic-run hospitals. But as abortion is becoming harder to access nationwide, there’s a new spotlight on care at these facilities. Special correspondent Sarah Varney traveled to Eureka, California, to meet one woman who ran into the limits of Catholic-run healthcare. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/n...
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How the closure of EPA offices puts poor and minority communities at risk

April 20, 2025 • 5 mins
For three decades, the EPA established offices nationwide to address disproportionately high levels of pollution in poor and minority communities. Now, the Trump administration is eliminating these environmental justice offices as part of its effort to end DEI programs and cut spending. Ali Rogin speaks with Amudalat Ajasa, who covers environmental health for The Washington Post, for more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs...
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