Health Issues / Public News Service

Opponents of upholding bans on gender-affirming care for transgender youth say it opens the door to heavily restricting birth control and in vitro fertilization, or IVF. (Adobe Stock)

Thursday, June 19, 2025

Challenge to ND gender-affirming care ban in play, despite SCOTUS ruling

The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday released an opinion that allows Tennessee to keep in place a ban on gender-affirming care for minors. While seen …

According to KFF, federal Medicaid spending in Kentucky would be reduced by about $15 billion over the next 10 years under cuts proposed in the reconciliation bill. (Nick Lohre/Adobe Stock)

Thursday, June 19, 2025

Cuts in federal mega-bill could close Kentucky hospitals

As Congress considers cuts to safety-net programs in what Republicans are calling the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," new analysis from the nonpartisan …

The new law could increase people's credit score by 20 points on average. (Delmaine Donson/peopleimages.com/Adobe Stock)

Thursday, June 19, 2025

New law strikes medical debt from Oregonians' credit scores

A bill prohibiting credit reporting on Oregonians' medical debt has been signed into law by Gov. Tina Kotek. Hailed as a significant victory for …

Nutrient management planning has been around for more than 30 years, traditionally developed for farmers by private sector farm co-ops and agronomists. (Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

WI farmer education collab helps save money, environment

A joint effort is helping Wisconsin farmers protect water quality in their communities by learning more about how to prevent manure and fertilizer spi…

Fluoridation of drinking water has been considered one of the top 10 public health achievements of the 20th century, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Despite known Iowa nitrate risks, EPA focuses on fluoride

By Gabriella Sotelo for Sentient.Broadcast version by Mark Moran for Iowa News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collaboration T…

Lawmakers have recently introduced legislation to compensate chicken farmers more fairly as they work to contain avian flu. (Nipawan/Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Trump’s plan to lower egg prices, explained

By Seth Millstein for Sentient.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collabor…

During the 2025 session Texas lawmakers passed House Bill 46, which expands the state's medical marijuana program. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said people who need THC for medical reasons will still have access to it. (S.Price/Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Future of THC ban in TX unknown

Gov. Greg Abbott has until June 22 to sign or veto Senate Bill 3, which would ban consumable THC products in Texas. Banning items like vapes and …

Medical organizations said the effects of Alzheimer's are projected to rise in states like South Dakota and families should be more in tune with potential issues facing their loved one, including money management. (Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Money management skills focus of new dementia research

June is Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month and new research examined the connection between dementia and awareness about money management skills…

Military families are more likely than civilian families to have children with special or mental health needs that require additional care and coverage. (Pexels/George Pak)

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Medicaid cuts risk health-care access for MS military families

As Republican lawmakers weigh billions of dollars in potential Medicaid cuts, a new report warned the move could affect health coverage for …

If the House budget reconciliation bill becomes law, annual cuts to Medicaid would average more than $70 billion in coming years, the same amount people earning $1 million or more per year would gain in tax cuts each year. (Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

Policy expert warns MO hospitals could suffer under federal cuts

As Congress debates what's being called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, new Congressional Budget Office analysis estimates 16 million Americans - …

Under Medicaid cuts proposed in the current budget reconciliation bill, federal spending in Montana would be reduced by $2 billion to $4 billion over the next 10 years, according to KFF. (Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

Montana, rural U.S. hospitals at risk under 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act'

As Congress considers cuts to safety net programs in what Republicans are calling the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," new analysis from the nonpartisan …

More than 40% of the 3.4 million Illinoisians enrolled in Medicaid are children. (Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

Potential Medicaid, SNAP cuts could derail IL education system

As Congress considers federal cuts to Medicaid and SNAP food assistance, groups advocating for Illinois schools are speaking out on how it would …

Colorado has started licensing psychedelic therapy healing centers, which are expected to open as early as this summer. (Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

Colorado spotlights role of psychedelics in addressing overdose crisis

Some 7,000 people are expected to attend this week's Psychedelic Science conference in Denver and public health activists are spotlighting the potenti…

The Cleveland Clinic says kids ages 6 to 12 need 9 to 12 hours of sleep, and teens ages 13 to 18 need 8 to 10 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period. (LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS/Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

AR parents can help kids maintain healthy sleep patterns during summer

With school out for summer vacation, maintaining healthy sleep habits can be a challenge for parents, caregivers and children. Longer daylight hours …

In Fiscal Year 2024, Ohio's state-funded food programs created or sustained 292 jobs, supported $11.3 million in income and generated $38.4 million in economic output. (Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

Ohio foodbanks: Funding needed for fresh food with local roots

Ohio food banks are urging state lawmakers to approve what they said is a modest budget increase needed to get more fresh, local produce into the …

Dan Diaz became an advocate for California's medical aid-in-dying law after the loss of his wife, Brittany Maynard, in 2014. (Dan Diaz)

Monday, June 16, 2025

CA lawmakers consider making End of Life Option Act permanent

CORRECTION: The name of the California law is the 'End of Life Option Act.' A previous version of the story used the word 'Options,' not 'Option.' (11…

Data show 27,332 people across the nation underwent a kidney transplant in 2023. (Arizona State University)

Monday, June 16, 2025

ASU research studies kidney transplants and their availability

Patients with end-stage renal disease have two treatment options: dialysis or a kidney transplant but because donor kidneys are scarce and wait times …

If children have trouble falling asleep and are just laying awake for 40 minutes or more, sleep experts recommend getting out of bed and doing a quiet activity in a dimly lit area, ideally outside the bedroom. (Adobe Stock)

Monday, June 16, 2025

Tips for maintaining kids’ healthy sleep habits in summer

With school out for summer vacation, maintaining healthy sleep habits can be a challenge for parents and children. Longer daylight hours and …

Upgrades to the Arkansas Water Plan include structural analysis of flood mitigation infrastructure and programs, and proposed solutions to reduce the impacts of flooding. (Adobe Stock)

Monday, June 16, 2025

Funding approved for AR water projects

Arkansas lawmakers passed several bills during this year's legislative session to upgrade and improve the state's water and wastewater systems…

Nineteen percent of Kentucky adults reported experiencing 4 or more ACEs, according to a new report from Kentucky Youth Advocates and Bloom Kentucky. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Monday, June 16, 2025

Report: Childhood trauma in KY is taking economic toll

Childhood trauma is costing Kentucky millions each year, according to a new report released today by Kentucky Youth Advocates and Bloom Kentucky…

Around 5.8 million cats and dogs were taken to shelters across the United States in 2024, down 1% from 2023. (hedgehog94/Adobe Stock)

Monday, June 16, 2025

Spay and neuter program designed to reduce stray animal population across TX

CLARIFICATION: An earlier version of this story described the spay/neuter effort as a "bill," rather than a pilot program. (12:16 a.m. MDT, June 16…

Total Medicaid spending in Indiana in fiscal year 2022 was $17 billion, with the federal government paying 75% of the costs. (Adobe Stock)

IN residents watch direction of Trump spending bill amid state budget cuts

As Congress reviews budget slashes to health care in President Donald Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," a new evaluation from the nonpartisan Cong…

According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, thousands of Arkansans could lose Medicaid coverage because of work requirements. (Vitalii Vodolazskyi/Adobe Stock)

AR residents could lose Medicaid under budget reconciliation bill

As Congress considers cuts to safety-net programs for what Republicans are calling the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," new analysis from the nonpartisan…

Expert: Michigan hospitals at risk under ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’

As Congress considers cuts to safety-net programs for what's known as the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," new analysis from the nonpartisan Congressiona…

In Florida, more than 4.3 million people are enrolled in Medicaid. (Adobe Stock)

Medicaid cuts could strain FL’s safety net, advocates warn

The budget reconciliation bill being considered by the U.S. Senate proposes $863 billion in Medicaid reductions over a decade, with 10.9 million …

A single Abercrombie dairy facility will house 12,500 cows. Combined with the planned 25,000-cow Herberg site, these two operations will generate manure equivalent to that of a city of 1.5 million. (Adobe Stock)

ND mega-dairies draw criticism at Winnipeg news conference

North Dakota is facing growing opposition to two massive dairy operations planned near the Red River. Environmental advocates say the projects could …

California law bans unnecessary animal suffering but enforcement is rare in large-scale factory farms.(Adobe Stock)

Cal student faces prison for rescuing chickens

By Seth Millstein for Sentient.Broadcast version by Farah Siddiqi for California News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collabora…

Around 16.1 million people in rural communities rely on Medicaid, according to the American Hospital Association. (Adobe Stock)

NV disability advocate alarmed by proposed cuts to Medicaid

Nevadans with disabilities are concerned with proposed federal cuts to Medicaid, despite claims from GOP lawmakers that the cuts target only waste…

More than 328,700 students are enrolled in 244 K-12 Nebraska school districts, according to Ballotpedia. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Two-thirds of Nebraska 4th graders not reading proficiently

Nearly two-thirds of Nebraska fourth graders are not reading at grade level and math scores are also lagging. The findings come from the 2025 Kids …

The 2025 Kids Count Data Book found in Minnesota in 2023, 28% of Black children, 16% of Hispanic children, 10% of Asian children and 6% of white children under age 18 lived in families with incomes below the federal poverty level. (Adobe Stock)<br /><br />

New reports says MN children face troubling health and education disparities

The 2025 Kids Count Data Book by the Annie E. Casey Foundation has released its findings for Minnesota. The report examines results for children in …

Nationwide, nearly 70% of rural counties lack a single obstetric hospital, according to a 2024 March of Dimes report. (Adobe Stock)<br />

End of hospital emergency abortion care rule will affect rural KY women

Abortion rights advocates in Kentucky are concerned as the Department of Health and Human Services has revoked a policy requiring hospitals to provide…

Each year, the Annie E. Casey Foundation's Kids Count Data Book aggregates national and state data from 16 indicators in four domains including economic well-being, education, health, and family and community factors, and ranks states according to how children are faring overall. (Adobe Stock)

Report: IL shows mixed results in child well-being despite high ranking

A national report finds mixed results in child well-being in Illinois with improvements in health care coverage for children and poverty rates and dec…

Wyoming ranks eighth in the nation for children's well-being in the category of family and community, but is 37th in terms of kids' health. (Cavan/Adobe Stock)

Wyoming makes strides on children’s health but ranks low nationally

Wyoming slipped five spots this year in an annual report on children's well-being by state, ranking 23rd in the nation. The 2025 Kids Count Data …

According to 2025 Kids Count Data Book, nationally nearly one in three children live in households burdened by high housing costs and Washington follows the trend. (Louis-Photo/Adobe Stock)

Report ranks Washington down in overall child well-being

Washington state has dropped to 16th in the nation for overall child well-being, according to the 2025 Kids Count Data Book, a national report …

In 2022, New Mexico voters approved a constitutional amendment to dedicate funds to early childhood education and care. (Bonsales/AdobeStock)

Report: NM's child well-being shows mixed momentum

A traditional marker used to measure child well-being in the U.S. shows New Mexico notched both improvements and declines in several areas. The …

While Oregon ranked poorly for education overall, the 2025 Kids Count Data Book showed high school graduation rates are up in the state, as well as nationwide. (Drazen/Adobe Stock)

Kids Count report shows Oregon kids falling behind in education

Oregon maintained a troubling ranking, holding at 43rd in the nation for children's education, according to the 2025 Kids Count Data Book, a national …

The Annie E. Casey Foundation's 2025 Kids Count Data Book shows education is lacking nationwide. Nearly three quarters of fourth graders are not proficient in reading, and 73% of eighth graders are not proficient in math.

Report: Michigan kids improve in finances and family, lag in education

Michigan kids are making progress when it comes to family life and finances but they are still struggling in school. The Annie E. Casey Foundation's …

A new annual report finds, despite high housing costs, Rhode Island has fewer children living in high-poverty areas and also fewer living in poverty. (Adobe Stock)

Report: RI child well-being falls despite efforts to improve it

A new annual report found children's well-being has slipped in Rhode Island despite previous gains. The state ranks 19th in this year's Annie E…

According to the 2025 Annie E. Casey Foundation Kids Count Data Book, 16% of children still live in poverty, and nearly one in three children live in households struggling with high housing costs. <br />(Adobe Stock)

Kids Count Data Book: Missouri thrives economically, lacking in education

Missouri ranks 27th in an annual national report on child well-being, with solid marks in kids' economic stability but setbacks in education…

A new annual report found more New Jersey teens are working or in school and fewer kids are living in homes with a higher cost burden. (Adobe Stock)

Report: NJ’s improved economy aids child well-being

A new annual report found New Jersey's economic well-being is helping improve the well-being of its children. The state ranked 7th in the nation in …

Iowa's fourth grade students score at or slightly above average in national reading assessments but almost two-thirds are not reading proficiently, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Young Iowans' reading scores teeter, SNAP cuts prompt concern

Iowa kids are doing well overall in new national findings on children's well-being, although they are slipping in a few key areas. The numbers in …

About 387,000 Arizona children have parents who lack secure employment. (Adobe Stock)

Report: AZ has 2nd-highest rate of uninsured children

Arizona is one of the lowest-performing states for overall child well-being, according to a new national report. This year's Kids Count Data Book …

Pennsylvania would need to lift 198,000 children out of poverty to rank first in the nation for the lowest child poverty rate. (luckybusiness/Adobe Stock)

PA ranks 20th in children's well-being, despite health challenges

Pennsylvania ranks 20th in the nation for overall child well-being, in the new 2025 Kids Count Data Book. The Annie E. Casey Foundation report ranks …

The percentage of Virginia high school students who do not graduate on time dipped from 13% to 11% in the 2025 Annie E. Casey Foundation Kids Count Data Book. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Virginia ranks high for child well-being

New data show Virginia ranked 13th in the nation for overall child well-being and while the quality of Virginia children's families and communities im…

Kansas saw a slight dip in the percentage of kids not graduating from high school on time in the Annie E. Casey Foundation 2025 Kids Count Data Book. (Adobe Stock)

Kansas ranks high in child economic well-being but lack in other areas

Kansas ranked in the top third of states for child well-being, according to a new report. While the state earned a high rank for economic well-being…

According to KFF, Medicaid enrollees with disabilities face more challenges in finding work. Among people ages 19-64, 32% receive disability income while 68% do not. Employment rates are lower for Medicaid-eligible adults with disabilities (37%) compared to those without (68%). (Adobe Stock)

Work requirements could push over 300,000 Tennesseans off Medicaid

As Congress pushes for Medicaid cuts and new work requirements for the program, experts have warned more Tennesseans could lose their health coverage …

While Wisconsin ranked high overall in the areas of economic well-being and education, it ranked 17th and 25th in the categories of health, and family and community. (Adobe Stock)

WI leads nation in racial disparities, but ranks high in child well-being report

A national report found Wisconsin continues to lead the nation in racial disparities affecting children's well-being across the state. Wisconsin …

The rate of childhood obesity for South Carolina children dropped by a little more than 3% from 2019 to 2023, although 34% of 10- to 17-year-olds in the state are considered overweight or obese. (Adobe Stock)

SC ranks near bottom on list of states for child well-being

South Carolina has made slight improvements in children's well-being, mentioned in a new national report but groups working to support kids said much …

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PNS Daily Newscast: Afternoon Update - June 19, 2025

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Health

Challenge to ND gender-affirming care ban in play, despite SCOTUS ruling

Cuts in federal mega-bill could close Kentucky hospitals

New law strikes medical debt from Oregonians' credit scores

WI farmer education collab helps save money, environment

Despite known Iowa nitrate risks, EPA focuses on fluoride

Trump’s plan to lower egg prices, explained

Future of THC ban in TX unknown

Money management skills focus of new dementia research

Medicaid cuts risk health-care access for MS military families

Policy expert warns MO hospitals could suffer under federal cuts

Montana, rural U.S. hospitals at risk under 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act'

Potential Medicaid, SNAP cuts could derail IL education system

Colorado spotlights role of psychedelics in addressing overdose crisis

AR parents can help kids maintain healthy sleep patterns during summer

Ohio foodbanks: Funding needed for fresh food with local roots

CA lawmakers consider making End of Life Option Act permanent

ASU research studies kidney transplants and their availability

Tips for maintaining kids’ healthy sleep habits in summer

Funding approved for AR water projects

Report: Childhood trauma in KY is taking economic toll

Spay and neuter program designed to reduce stray animal population across TX

IN residents watch direction of Trump spending bill amid state budget cuts

AR residents could lose Medicaid under budget reconciliation bill

Expert: Michigan hospitals at risk under ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’

Medicaid cuts could strain FL’s safety net, advocates warn

ND mega-dairies draw criticism at Winnipeg news conference

Cal student faces prison for rescuing chickens

NV disability advocate alarmed by proposed cuts to Medicaid

Report: Two-thirds of Nebraska 4th graders not reading proficiently

New reports says MN children face troubling health and education disparities

End of hospital emergency abortion care rule will affect rural KY women

Report: IL shows mixed results in child well-being despite high ranking

Wyoming makes strides on children’s health but ranks low nationally

Report ranks Washington down in overall child well-being

Report: NM's child well-being shows mixed momentum

Kids Count report shows Oregon kids falling behind in education

Report: Michigan kids improve in finances and family, lag in education

Report: RI child well-being falls despite efforts to improve it

Kids Count Data Book: Missouri thrives economically, lacking in education

Report: NJ’s improved economy aids child well-being

Report: Young Iowans' reading scores teeter, SNAP cuts prompt concern

Report: AZ has 2nd-highest rate of uninsured children

PA ranks 20th in children's well-being, despite health challenges

Report: Virginia ranks high for child well-being

Kansas ranks high in child economic well-being but lack in other areas

Work requirements could push over 300,000 Tennesseans off Medicaid

WI leads nation in racial disparities, but ranks high in child well-being report

SC ranks near bottom on list of states for child well-being