Many people try cannabis for back pain. Now new studies from Europe show it may be an effective option. Tinnakorn Jorruang/iStockphoto/Getty Images hide caption
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Researchers are exploring the behavior of "death fold" proteins in the hopes of understanding why some cells die too soon and why others don't die soon enough. faithiecannoise/iStockphoto/Getty Images hide caption
Dr. Banu Symington, at her office in Rock Springs, Wyo., is one of just a few full-time oncologists practicing in the state. Charles Paajoe Tetteh for NPR hide caption
Sign for the 988 Lifeline mental health emergency hotline, Walnut Creek, California, December 20, 2024. The Trump administration has laid off more than 100 employees at the agency responsible for overseeing the number. Smith Collection/Gado via Getty Images hide caption
AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot shakes hands with President Trump in the Oval Office on Friday, as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. looks on. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images hide caption
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. outside the White House on Sept. 9. A new poll finds a deep partisan divide with Republicans trusting Kennedy as much as their own doctor, but he is unpopular among Democrats and independents. Win McNamee/Getty Images hide caption
Most Americans disapprove of RFK Jr.’s moves as health secretary, a new poll says
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s affinity for saturated fat and his ire over ultraprocessed foods could influence federal food guidelines, expected out this fall. Francesco Carta fotografo/Moment RF/Getty Images hide caption
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, in the Oval Office on Sept. 30. Psychiatrists say recent gains in substance abuse treatment are in jeopardy under his leadership. Win McNamee/Getty Images hide caption
Alessandra Fabrello (left) cares for her son Ysadore Maklakoff. North Carolina Medicaid cuts that went into affect Oct. 1 mean Fabrello will have a pay cut as a family caregiver. Maklakoff qualifies for services he can't get because providers already didn't take Medicaid's low reimbursement rates. Aaron Marco hide caption
States are already cutting Medicaid provider payments. Here's the impact
Vice President JD Vance speaks at the White House press briefing on the day the government shutdown. Vance is among the Republicans arguing there's plenty of time to extend ACA tax credits. Alex Wong/Getty Images hide caption
Time is short for an ACA premium fix in the shutdown fight, says GOP insurance leader
It's been hard for parents to get their kids COVID-19 shots recently, as well as for many healthy adults, since the CDC hasn't weighed in with official guidelines for administering them. Joseph Prezioso/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
The CDC still hasn’t issued COVID vaccine guidelines, leaving access in limbo
Kaomi Holmes, 10 days old, sleeps in her crib at her home in Greenville, Miss. She was delivered by emergency cesarian section and weighed 4.5 pounds at birth. Jared Ragland/for NPR hide caption
On the frontlines of Mississippi’s infant mortality crisis
Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, (from left), Albert Bourla, CEO of Pfizer, President Trump, and Martin Makary, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, discuss a drug price initiative in the Oval Office Tuesday. Francis Chung/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption
With barriers to accessing therapy, people lean on AI chatbots for mental health
A slot machine on the floor of the MGM Springfield casino, in Springfield, Massachusetts. Karen Brown/NEPM hide caption
Last Monday, President Trump said Tylenol is linked to autism. He was joined by health officials — from left: Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Marty Makary, Food and Drug Administration commissioner, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Francis Chung/Politico/Bloomberg/Getty Images hide caption
Is taking acetaminophen during pregnancy really associated with autism in children?
The Trump administration has suggested that leucovorin, a drug used in cancer treatment, might have some benefit for children with autism. Many researchers and families aren't so sure. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images hide caption
The Trump administration has linked use of the painkiller acetaminophen during pregnancy to autism. Here's what the science, and doctors, have to say about it. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption
President Trump takes questions at the White House following an announcement that federal health officials are updating drug labeling to discourage the use of Tylenol during pregnancy. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images hide caption
Lynn Milam says that a nerve-stimulating implant has dramatically improved her rheumatoid arthritis, allowing her and her husband, Donald, to regain the life they once enjoyed together. Lynn Milam hide caption
ACIP member Retsef Levi speaks during a meeting of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on September 18, 2025 in Atlanta, Ga. The federal vaccine advisory group, recently appointed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., made recommendations on the COVID vaccine. Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images hide caption
RFK Jr.'s vaccine panel backs away from asking states to require an Rx for a COVID shot
Martin Kulldorff (right) speaks with Robert Malone during a meeting of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on September 18, 2025 in Chamblee, Ga. Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images hide caption
Megan Garcia lost her 14-year-old son, Sewell. Matthew Raine lost his son Adam, who was 16. Both testified in congress this week and have brought lawsuits against AI companies. Screenshot via Senate Judiciary Committee hide caption