Americans Are Talking Less — and Scientists Warn the Silence Could Be Changing Our Brains
The viral “Gen Z stare”—the blank, silent expression sometimes associated online with awkward interactions involving younger people—may be little more than an exaggerated generational joke. But researchers say the phenomenon points toward a much more significant social change: people are actually speaking less than they used to, and the decline is particularly pronounced among younger […]
FDA Opens New Path for Generative AI Medical Tools to Reach Patients Before Full Approval
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is experimenting with a radically different approach to regulating generative artificial intelligence in medicine, allowing selected AI-powered medical devices to reach patients before receiving traditional marketing authorization. The initiative could provide regulators with valuable real-world experience while accelerating access to rapidly evolving technology, but it also raises important questions […]
Gene-Edited Pig Kidneys Prove They Can Bridge Patients to Human Transplants
A major milestone in transplant medicine suggests that genetically engineered pig kidneys could serve as temporary lifesaving organs for patients waiting for human donors. Two people who previously received gene-edited pig kidneys have now successfully received human kidney transplants, easing a major concern that exposure to an animal organ might make patients more likely to […]
Measles Crisis Deepens as Vaccine Misinformation Fuels Political Battle in Pennsylvania
A growing measles outbreak in Pennsylvania has become the center of a national controversy over vaccines, public-health communication and political misinformation after U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. questioned whether two recently reported measles-associated deaths were legitimate. The dispute comes as the United States experiences its worst measles outbreak in more than three decades […]
Federal Rural Health Fund Offers Hospitals Relief, but Medicaid Cuts Loom Much Larger
Rural hospitals across the United States are beginning to receive billions of dollars in new federal funding intended to modernize healthcare in underserved communities. But hospital leaders and health-policy experts warn that the temporary assistance is unlikely to compensate for the much larger Medicaid reductions expected over the coming decade. The tension stems from President […]
Trump Chooses White House Health Adviser Heidi Overton to Take Charge of the FDA
President Donald Trump has nominated Dr. Heidi Overton, a senior White House health-policy adviser and physician, to become the next commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, placing a trusted administration figure in line to lead one of the country’s most consequential public-health agencies. Overton’s nomination comes during a turbulent period for the FDA, […]
U.S. Prescription Drug Prices Post Their Biggest Decline in More Than Six Decades
Prescription drug prices in the United States have recorded their sharpest annual decline in more than 60 years, offering a rare sign of relief for consumers facing persistently high healthcare costs. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, prescription drug prices fell 3.1% during the 12 months ending in July 2026, the largest annual decline […]
Florida Moves to Eliminate All Vaccine Mandates in Historic Public Health Shift
Florida has announced plans to become the first U.S. state to eliminate all government vaccine mandates, marking one of the most significant changes to state vaccination policy in decades. Governor Ron DeSantis and State Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo said the initiative is intended to expand individual and parental choice by removing legal requirements that […]
Senate Delays Vote on Erica Schwartz’s Nomination to Lead the CDC
A U.S. Senate committee has postponed a vote on whether to advance Dr. Erica Schwartz’s nomination to become director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, delaying a closely watched decision about the future leadership of the nation’s principal public-health agency. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee had planned to consider her […]
FDA Review Finds U.S. Infant Formula Safe After Testing for Heavy Metals and Other Contaminants
A new federal analysis has found that the U.S. infant formula supply appears safe after extensive testing for heavy metals, pesticides, and other potential contaminants. Food and Drug Administration reviewed more than 300 samples of commercial infant formula collected between 2023 and 2025 and found either undetectable or very low levels of the substances it […]
