Tennis legend Martina Navratilova tells Democrats to 'grow a spine' after they voted against trans ban bill
ormer women's tennis star Martina Navratilova weighed in on Tuesday's vote on the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act in the House of Representatives. The Republican majority voted unanimously to pass the bill, but only two Democrat House members voted in favor of it, while the rest did not.
Trump and Biden officials begin talks on bird flu crisis
Amid an escalating bird flu outbreak spreading in the United States, federal health officials have begun to brief members of the incoming Trump administration about how they’ve responded to the crisis so far. “We sent them all of the information on our work,” said a Biden administration health official familiar with transition briefings within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s the first indication that the two administrations appear to be working together to prioritize the H5N1 response.
Just one drink a day may put your health at risk, federal report finds
Just one alcoholic drink a day is linked to a wide range of negative health effects, according to a federal report released Tuesday. The findings, which apply to both men and women, tied a daily drink to an increased risk of liver cirrhosis, several cancers and injuries but a lower risk of ischemic stroke. That apparent protection is canceled out, however, by occasional binge drinking. “The idea that you are, on average, going to be healthier and longer-lived by drinking a drink a day if you’re a woman, or two drinks a day if you’re a man, is not true,” Keith Humphreys, a professor of psychiatry at Stanford University, said.
Osteoporosis screening guidelines updated: Do you need a bone scan?
How strong are your bones? At least 1 in 5 women older than 50 in the U.S. have osteoporosis, but many don’t realize it. Women 65 years and older should have a bone density scan to screen for osteoporosis, updated guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommend. Osteoporosis is often described as a “silent disease” because there are few, if any, symptoms until someone fractures a bone, usually in the hip, wrist or spine. Women who have gone through menopause are at highest risk of bone loss, although it can also affect men.
FDA bans Red No. 3, artificial coloring used in beverages, candy and other foods
The Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday it’s banning the use of Red No. 3, a synthetic dye that gives food and drinks their bright red cherry color but has been linked to cancer in animals. The dye is still used in thousands of foods, including candy, cereals, cherries in fruit cocktails and strawberry-flavored milkshakes, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a food safety advocacy group that petitioned the agency in 2022 to end its use. More than 9,200 food items contain the dye, including hundreds of products made by large food companies, CSPI said, citing Agriculture Department data. The FDA is not prohibiting other artificial dyes, including Red No. 40, which has been linked to behavioral issues in children.
FDA proposes putting nutrition info on the front of food packages
The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday proposed a new rule for nutrition labels on packaged food and drinks that’s intended to help people make healthier choices at a glance. Under the proposed rule, which shoppers could see as early as 2028, food manufacturers would be required to display levels of saturated fat, sodium and added sugar on the front of the packaging, in addition to the standard nutrition labels on the back. Packaged foods in the United States often come with a number of health and nutrition claims, which can make it confusing for consumers to know what’s good or bad for them, said Lindsey Smith Taillie, a nutrition epidemiologist at the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health.
Childhood vaccination rates, a health bright spot in struggling states, are slipping
Jen Fisher can do only so much to keep her son safe from the types of infections that children can encounter at school. The rest, she said, is up to other students and parents in their hometown of Franklin, Tennessee. Fisher’s son Raleigh, 12, lives with a congenital heart condition, which has left him with a weakened immune system. For his protection, Raleigh has received all the recommended vaccines for a child his age. But even with his vaccinations, a virus that might only sideline another child could sicken him and land him in the emergency room, Fisher said.
Dementia risk may be twice as high as Americans live longer, study finds
The risk of developing dementia may be much higher than previously thought, a study published Monday in the journal Nature Medicine has found. Older studies estimated that about 14% of men and 23% of women would develop dementia in their lifetimes. The new study puts that estimate higher, at around 42% for both men and women. “I think this is going to be a very important study, and I think it is going to change the way we look at dementia,” said Dr. Ted Huey, director of the memory and aging program at Butler Hospital in Rhode Island, who wasn’t involved with the research.
New Mexico Supreme Court ruling strikes down local abortion restrictions
SANTA FE, N.M. — The New Mexico Supreme Court on Thursday struck down abortion restrictions by conservative cities and counties at the request of the state attorney general. The unanimous opinion reinforces the state’s position as having some of the most liberal abortion laws in the country. The ruling preserves access to abortion procedures across a state that has become a major destination for people from other states with bans. Attorneys representing New Mexico’s Lea and Roosevelt counties and the cities of Hobbs and Clovis had argued in court that local abortion ordinances can’t be struck down under provisions within the “anti-vice” law known as the Comstock Act.
Biden's last chance to tackle tobacco: Limiting nicotine levels in cigarettes
In its last few days of power, the Biden administration is expected to officially propose a limit on nicotine in cigarettes. It’d be a last-minute move to push back against the tobacco industry after President Joe Biden failed to finalize a long-standing pledge to ban menthol cigarettes. The proposal, which could come as soon as Monday, is not expected to include tobacco products like e-cigarettes or nicotine replacement patches and lozenges. “This is a Hail Mary from the Biden administration to move forward with a meaningful proposal, or at least to jump-start one in the waning days of the administration,” said Erika Sward, assistant vice president of national advocacy for the American Lung Association.