Health & Safety

Former FDA commissioner defends original approval of mifepristone

4:26pm April 11, 2023

As access to the abortion pill mifepristone hangs in legal limbo, former FDA Commissioner Jane Henney reflects on the agency's decision to approve the drug in 2000.

Texas judge's anti-abortion drug ruling is indefensible, says lawyer

3:44pm April 11, 2023

NPR's Juana Summers talks with lawyer Adam Unikowsky about a Texas judge's ruling overturning FDA approval for the abortion pill mifepristone.

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Health & Safety

Where gender-affirming care for youth is banned, intersex surgery may be allowed

2:54pm April 11, 2023

by Jojo Macaluso

Some states that ban gender-affirming care for trans youth do allow intersex surgeries.

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A federal judge in Texas ruled that U.S. Food and Drug Administration improperly approved an abortion pill over 20 years ago, testing the agency's authority.

How an abortion pill ruling could threaten the FDA's regulatory authority

2:43pm April 11, 2023

by Rachel Treisman

A medical ethics expert says a Texas abortion pill ruling is unprecedented because a federal judge "standing in" for regulators could have far-reaching implications beyond mifepristone.

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Women pause at a memorial at a vigil honoring the victims of a shooting at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio on Monday, Jan. 23, 2023, in Monterey Park, Calif.

Health & Safety

More than half of Americans have dealt with gun violence in their personal lives

1:38pm April 11, 2023

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

A national poll finds that a majority of Americans have felt the effects of gun violence in their personal lives.

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A student cries after the 2019 attack on a public school in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The attack, by two former students, resulted in 10 deaths, including the attackers, who turned their weapons on themselves. It was one of the deadliest school attacks in the country's history.

A rise in attacks on schools has left Brazil reeling — and searching for solutions

9:52am April 11, 2023

by Jill Langlois

The numbers are far less than in the U.S. but school attacks are definitely on the increase, prompting soul-searching — and a national debate over strategies to prevent future tragedies.

Misoprostol is typically used as part of a two-drug protocol for a medication abortion. But it is also safe and effective when used alone, doctors say.

Health & Safety

Medication abortion is still possible with just one drug. Here's how it works

7:52pm April 10, 2023

by Mara Gordon

A judge's ruling puts access to the abortion drug mifepristone in limbo, pending further court decisions. But there's another drug that is safe and effective at ending early pregnancy.

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Millions of people may soon be disenrolled from Medicaid despite still being eligible

4:16pm April 10, 2023

by Aaron Bolton

States can once again begin removing people from their Medicaid rolls. It's estimated that about 15 million people could lose their coverage in the coming months, including many who remain eligible.

Chart: Vaccine-derived polio cases have overtaken 'wild' cases of the disease since 2017

Health & Safety

The dream of wiping out polio might need a rethink

3:43pm April 10, 2023

by Jason Beaubien

When public health specialists look at the annual case counts, some see a trend that raises questions about how realistic the goal of a polio-free world might be.

A police report taken July 18, 2022, in League City, Texas, details a complaint from Marcus Silva about materials he said he found in his then-wife's purse nearly a week earlier. Personally identifying information has been redacted.

Documents in abortion pill lawsuit raise questions about ex-husband's claims

3:33pm April 10, 2023

by Sarah McCammon

A Texas man is suing three women he says helped his ex-wife obtain an abortion "without even his knowledge." Experts say documents related to the case suggest he might have known ahead of time.