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3 hours ago

California's new mental health court rolls out to high expectations and uncertainty

An alternative mental health court program designed to fast-track people with untreated schizophrenia into housing and medical care is starting in San Francisco and six other California counties
3 hours ago
FILE - People ride their bikes past a homeless encampment set up along the boardwalk in the Venice neighborhood of Los Angeles, June 29, 2021. An alternative mental health court program designed to fast-track people with untreated schizophrenia into housing and medical care starts in San Francisco and six other California counties. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
October 01

Nebraska is imposing a 7-day wait for trans youth to start gender-affirming medications

Nebraska trans youth must wait seven days to start puberty blocking medications.
October 01
Nola Rhea, 17, left, and her mother, Heather Rhea, 47, sit together in a coffee shop on Sept. 26, 2023, in Lincoln, Neb., as they discuss Nola's plans to leave the state of Nebraska next year to attend college following the state's enactment of a law restricting gender-confirming medical treatments for minors. Nola is a transgender teen who says she no longer feels welcomed in Nebraska. (AP Photo/Margery Beck)
September 30

Judge blocks 2 provisions in North Carolina's new abortion law; 12-week near-ban remains in place

A federal judge blocked two portions of North Carolina’s new abortion law from taking effect while a lawsuit continues
September 30
FILE - Protesters on both sides of the issue hold signs as North Carolina House members debate, Tuesday, May 16, 2023, in Raleigh, N.C. A federal judge on Saturday, Sept. 30, blocked two portions of North Carolina's new abortion law from taking effect while a lawsuit continues. (AP Photo/Chris Seward, File)
September 30

Judge blocks 2 provisions in North Carolina's new abortion law; 12-week near-ban remains in place

A federal judge blocked two portions of North Carolina’s new abortion law from taking effect while a lawsuit continues
September 30
FILE - Protesters on both sides of the issue hold signs as North Carolina House members debate, Tuesday, May 16, 2023, in Raleigh, N.C. A federal judge on Saturday, Sept. 30, blocked two portions of North Carolina's new abortion law from taking effect while a lawsuit continues. (AP Photo/Chris Seward, File)
September 30

Anti-abortion groups are at odds on strategies ahead of Ohio vote. It could be a preview for 2024

Trying to decide how to frame opposition to a reproductive rights amendment.
September 30
Doris Peters calls voters during a phone bank event Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023, at the Republican Party of Cuyahoga County in Independence, Ohio. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
September 30

Social Security overpayments draw scrutiny and outrage from Congress

"The government’s got to fix this," said Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown.
September 30
A view of the New York State Social Security Administration, Oct. 20, 2020, in Flushing, New York.
September 30

New Nebraska law limits treatment for transgender minors

Nebraska’s new law restricting gender-affirming care for anyone under 19 goes into effect this weekend
September 30
Nola Rhea, 17, left, and her mother, Heather Rhea, 47, sit together in a coffee shop on Sept. 26, 2023, in Lincoln, Neb., as they discuss Nola's plans to leave the state of Nebraska next year to attend college following the state's enactment of a law restricting gender-confirming medical treatments for minors. Nola is a transgender teen who says she no longer feels welcomed in Nebraska. (AP Photo/Margery Beck)
September 29

Mississippi sees spike in child care enrollment after abortion ban and child support policy change

Mississippi's human services director says the state has seen a consistent increase in the number of families accepting public assistance for child care since lawmakers banned abortion in almost all circumstances
September 29
Mississippi Department of Human Services Executive Director Bob Anderson addresses members of the Mississippi Joint Legislative Budget Committee during his agency's budget presentation, Friday, Sept. 29, 2023, in Jackson, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
September 29

Mississippi sees spike in child care enrollment after abortion ban and child support policy change

Mississippi's human services director says the state has seen a consistent increase in the number of families accepting public assistance for child care since lawmakers banned abortion in almost all circumstances
September 29
Mississippi Department of Human Services Executive Director Bob Anderson addresses members of the Mississippi Joint Legislative Budget Committee during his agency's budget presentation, Friday, Sept. 29, 2023, in Jackson, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
September 29

ABCNL's weekly medical rundown with Dr. Alok Patel

ABC News medical contributor, Dr. Alok Patel breaks down what parents need to know about their kids' access to marijuana online, recent COVID news, and shares his weekend prescription.
September 29
VIDEO: ABCNL's weekly medical rundown with Dr. Alok Patel
September 29

Pakistan officials consider a new way to boost polio vaccination: prison

Authorities in one province of Pakistan are turning to a controversial new tactic in the decades-long initiative to wipe out polio: prison
September 29
A health worker administers a polio vaccine to a child at a railway station in Karachi, Pakistan, Monday, Sept 18, 2023. Authorities in one province of Pakistan are turning to a controversial new tactic in the decades-long initiative to wipe out polio: prison. Earlier this month, the government in Sindh introduced a law that threatens to imprison parents for up to one month if they fail to get their children immunized against polio or eight other common diseases. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan)
September 29

Raiders defensive end Chandler Jones arrested in protective order violation, authorities say

Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Chandler Jones has been arrested
September 29
FILE - Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Chandler Jones (55) warms up before an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Monday, Dec. 19, 2022, in Las Vegas. Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Chandler Jones indicated in since-deleted social media posts on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023, that he no longer wanted to play for coach Josh McDaniels and general manager David Ziegler.(AP Photo/John Locher, File)
September 29

A doctor caught in the crossfire was among 4 killed in a gunbattle at a hospital in Mexico

Police in northern Mexico say that hitmen stormed a hospital in a bid to kill a patient
September 29
September 29

Patel it like it is: New marijuana study

The CDC estimates 3 in 10 people who use marijuana may have a cannabis use disorder.
September 29
VIDEO: Patel it like it is: New marijuana study
September 29

The Navy will start randomly testing special operations troops for steroids, the first such program in US military

The Navy will start randomly testing special operations troops for steroids, the first such program in US military
September 29
September 29

Judges maintain bans on gender-affirming care for youth in Tennessee and Kentucky

A group of federal appeals judges has ruled that Tennessee and Kentucky can keep banning gender-affirming care for young transgender people while legal challenges against those state laws proceed
September 29
FILE- Transgender-rights advocates gather near the Kentucky House chamber, Thursday, March 2, 2023, in Frankfort, Ky. Tennessee and Kentucky can continue to ban gender-affirming care for young transgender people while legal challenges against those state laws proceed, a group of federal appeals judges ruled Thursday, Sept. 29(AP Photo/Bruce Schreiner, File)
September 29

FDA wants to regulate thousands of lab tests that have long skirted oversight

The Food and Drug Administration says it plans to begin regulating laboratory-based medical tests
September 29
FILE - A sign for the Food and Drug Administration is displayed outside their offices in Silver Spring, Md., on Dec. 10, 2020. On Friday, Sept. 29, 2023, the FDA laid out a proposal to begin regulating laboratory medical tests, a multibillion-dollar industry that it says poses a growing risk to patients because of potentially inaccurate results. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)
September 29

'Game changer' obesity drugs are not accessible for many, experts warn

Over 40% of Americans have obesity, the CDC says.
September 29
This photograph taken on Feb. 23, 2023, shows the anti-diabetic medication "Ozempic" (semaglutide) made by Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk.
September 28

Judge sentences a woman who investigators say burned a Wyoming abortion clinic to 5 years in prison

A judge has sentenced an abortion opponent to five years in prison for burning a Wyoming abortion clinic
September 28
FILE - This booking photo provided by the Platte County Sheriff's Office shows Lorna Roxanne Green, March 23, 2023, in Wheatland, Wyo. Green, who says anxiety and nightmares led her to set fire to Wyoming’s only full-service abortion clinic is scheduled to be sentenced Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023. (Platte County Sheriff's Office via AP, File)
September 28

Portland police are investigating nearly a dozen fentanyl overdoses involving children, with 5 fatal

Police in Portland, Oregon, are investigating nearly a dozen fentanyl overdoses involving children as young as 1 year old
September 28
FILE - A vial containing 2mg of fentanyl, which will kill a human if ingested into the body, is displayed at the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Testing and Research Laboratory in Sterling, Va., on Aug. 9, 2016. Nearly a dozen children, including a 1 year old, have overdosed on fentanyl since June in Portland, Oregon, its police bureau said Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023, intensifying alarm in a city like so many others that has struggled to address its drug crisis. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File)
September 28

Portland police are investigating nearly a dozen fentanyl overdoses involving children, with 5 fatal

Police in Portland, Oregon, are investigating nearly a dozen fentanyl overdoses involving children as young as 1 year old
September 28
FILE - A vial containing 2mg of fentanyl, which will kill a human if ingested into the body, is displayed at the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Testing and Research Laboratory in Sterling, Va., on Aug. 9, 2016. Nearly a dozen children, including a 1 year old, have overdosed on fentanyl since June in Portland, Oregon, its police bureau said Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023, intensifying alarm in a city like so many others that has struggled to address its drug crisis. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File)
September 28

Abortion opponent who says she torched a Wyoming clinic due to anxiety and nightmares is sentenced to 5 years in prison

Abortion opponent who says she torched a Wyoming clinic due to anxiety and nightmares is sentenced to 5 years in prison
September 28
September 28

Former lawmaker who led Michigan marijuana board is sent to prison for bribery

A man formerly known as a powerful Michigan lawmaker is going to federal prison for nearly five years
September 28
September 28

What to know as fall vaccinations against COVID, flu and RSV get underway

Fall vaccination season is in full swing, with health officials urging both an updated COVID-19 shot and flu vaccine for most everyone
September 28
September 28

Woman pleads guilty to calling in hoax bomb threat at Boston Children's Hospital

A Massachusetts woman has pleaded guilty to calling in a fake bomb threat at Boston Children’s Hospital as it faced a barrage of harassment over its surgical program for transgender youths
September 28
A sign hangs on the Boston Children's Hospital, Thursday, Aug. 18, 2022, in Boston. A Massachusetts woman pleaded guilty on Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023, to calling in a fake bomb threat to Boston Children’s Hospital as it faced a barrage of harassment over its surgical program for transgender youths. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
September 28

Genetically modified mosquitoes and vaccines -- what to know about dengue fever

Almost half of the world’s population live in areas with a risk of dengue.
September 28
Disease vector mosquito known for dengue, yellow fever and zika virus.
September 28

State officials in Michigan scratched from lawsuit over lead in Benton Harbor's water

A judge has dismissed state officials from a lawsuit related to past lead contamination in a small southwestern Michigan city’s drinking water
September 28
September 28

Republican offers new twist on abortion exceptions as issue stays at forefront of Kentucky campaign

The complexities of abortion-related politics in the post-Roe v. Wade era are continuing to put the squeeze on Republican Daniel Cameron
September 28
Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron responds to a question during the Gubernatorial Forum at the 2023 Kentucky Chamber of Commerce annual meeting dinner in Louisville, Ky., Sept. 20, 2023. The complexities of abortion-related politics in the post-Roe v. Wade era continue to put the squeeze on Cameron, who appeared to redefine his position on Kentucky's strict anti-abortion law for the second time in two weeks while campaigning for governor. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
September 28

2 accused of false Alzheimer's diagnoses get prison terms for fraud convictions

A former director of an Ohio memory-loss clinic accused by dozens of patients of falsely diagnosing them with Alzheimer’s disease has been sentenced on federal fraud charges, along with her physician husband
September 28
September 28

The woman who torched Wyoming's lone, full-service abortion clinic is about to be sentenced

A woman who says anxiety and nightmares led her to set fire to Wyoming’s only full-service abortion clinic is scheduled to be sentenced Thursday
September 28
FILE - This booking photo provided by the Platte County Sheriff's Office shows Lorna Roxanne Green, March 23, 2023, in Wheatland, Wyo. Green, who says anxiety and nightmares led her to set fire to Wyoming’s only full-service abortion clinic is scheduled to be sentenced Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023. (Platte County Sheriff's Office via AP, File)
September 27

CVS responds quickly after pharmacists frustrated with their workload don't show up

A group of pharmacists frustrated with overwhelming workloads didn't show up for work last week in at least a dozen Kansas City-area CVS pharmacies
September 27
FILE - Customers walk to a CVS Pharmacy, Friday, Nov 4, 2022, in Boston. CVS made a move Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023, to make frustrated pharmacists in the Kansas City-area to call off a walkout. It promised to boost hiring to ease overwhelming workloads that sometimes make it hard to take a bathroom break. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, FIle)
September 27

Vulnerable children's education at risk if government shutdown takes place

Head Start has more than 800,000 students enrolled across America.
September 27
View of an empty children's classroom.
September 27

Virginia Democrats warn Republicans will ban abortion; GOP says their rhetoric is fearmongering

Virginia Republicans are stepping up their criticism of the rhetoric being used by their Democratic opponents in abortion-focused messaging in this year’s critical legislative elections
September 27
FILE - Visitors mill around the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond, Va., Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020. Virginia Republicans are stepping up their criticism of the rhetoric being used by their Democratic opponents in abortion-focused messaging in 2023's critical legislative elections. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)
September 27

Virginia Democrats warn Republicans will ban abortion; GOP says their rhetoric is fearmongering

Virginia Republicans are stepping up their criticism of the rhetoric being used by their Democratic opponents in abortion-focused messaging in this year’s critical legislative elections
September 27
FILE - Visitors mill around the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond, Va., Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020. Virginia Republicans are stepping up their criticism of the rhetoric being used by their Democratic opponents in abortion-focused messaging in 2023's critical legislative elections. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)
September 27

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signs law to protect doctors who mail abortion pills to other states

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a law protecting doctors and pharmacists who mail abortion pills to patients in other states
September 27
FILE - California Gov. Gavin Newsom answers questions during a news conference in Sacramento, Calif., on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023. On Wednesday, Sept. 27, Newsom signed a new law aiming to protect doctors and pharmacists who mail abortion pills to patients in other states where the procedure is banned. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli,File)
September 27

FDA advisers vote against experimental ALS treatment pushed by patients

Federal health advisers have voted overwhelmingly against recommending approval of an experimental treatment for Lou Gehrig's disease, the fatal muscle-wasting disease
September 27
FILE - A U.S. Food and Drug Administration building is seen behind FDA logos at a bus stop on the agency's campus in Silver Spring, Md., on Aug. 2, 2018. Federal health advisers voted against an experimental treatment for Lou Gehrig’s disease at a Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023, meeting prompted by years of patient efforts seeking access to the unproven therapy. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)
September 27

Mississippi activists ask to join water lawsuit and criticize Black judge's comments on race

Activists in Mississippi’s majority-Black capital city are trying to join a federal lawsuit against the city for violating standards for clean drinking water
September 27
FILE - Ted Henifin, the interim third-party manager appointed by the U.S. Department of Justice to help fix the long-troubled water system of the Mississippi's capital city, speaks about the expansive list of reforms the city's water department is undertaking, June 5, 2023, at the Stennis-Capitol Press Corps lunch in Jackson. Activists said Wednesday, Sept. 27, that residents of the majority-Black city of Jackson need to have more input on how to improve the water system. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
September 27

Nebraska latest Republican state to expand Medicaid to cover postpartum care for low-income mothers

Lower-income new mothers will get a full year of Medicaid health care coverage in Nebraska under an order issued by Gov. Jim Pillen
September 27
September 27

New rules aim to make foster care with family easier, provide protection for LGBTQ+ children

The Biden administration is moving to make it easier for caregivers to take in family members in the foster care system, requiring states to provide them with the same financial support that any other foster home would receive
September 27
FILE - Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra testifies during the House Committee hearing on Ways and Means hearing, March 28, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington. The Biden administration is moving to make it easier for caregivers to take in family members in the foster care system, requiring states to provide them with the same financial support that any other foster home would receive. The administration also is seeking to provide more protection for LGBTQ+ children. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, File)
September 27

Free at-home COVID tests from the US government are back. Here's how to order them

Every American is eligible to receive a free kit with four tests.
September 27
COVID-19 antigen home tests indicating a positive result are photographed in New York, April 5, 2023.
September 27

What experts say are helpful alternatives to 1 type of nasal decongestant

Experts say these tips can help fight off common cold symptoms this season.
September 27
September 27

Montana judge temporarily blocks enforcement of law to ban gender-affirming medical care for minors

A Montana state judge has temporarily blocked enforcement of a law to ban gender-affirming medical care for minors
September 27
September 27

A state judge has temporarily blocked a Montana law banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth

A state judge has temporarily blocked a Montana law banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth
September 27
September 27

A state judge has temporarily blocked a Montana law banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth

A state judge has temporarily blocked a Montana law banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth
September 27
September 27

World View: Progress in Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claims his forces are making progress in eastern Ukraine, as U.S.-made Abrams tanks arrive on the battlefield.
September 27
VIDEO: World View: Progress in Ukraine
September 27

Patel It Like It Is: Keeping a good posture

Dr. Alok Patel breaks down exercises you can do every day to better your posture.
September 27
VIDEO: Patel It Like It Is: Keeping a good posture
September 27

Canadian police won't investigate doctor for sterilizing Indigenous woman

Police in Canada say they will not pursue a criminal investigation into a recent case in which a doctor sterilized an Inuit woman without her consent
September 27
FILE - Senate committee on Human Rights committee member Sen. Yvonne Boyer responds to a question from the media during a news conference, Thursday, July 14, 2022 in Ottawa. Boyer, who has proposed law that would make forced sterilization itself a crime, said the long history of mistrust between Indigenous people and the police made it difficult for many victims to pursue criminal prosecution. “If a police officer becomes aware of a crime being committed, they have an obligation to investigate,” Boyer said. “Why would it be any different for an Indigenous woman being sterilized without consent?” (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP, File)
September 27

How astronaut Frank Rubio's record-breaking year in space may have impacted his body

Space can cause many physical and psychological changes for astronauts.
September 27
Astronaut Frank Rubio is helped out of the Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft just minutes after landing in a remote area near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, Sept. 27, 2023. He and two of his fellow cosmonauts, Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelino, returned after 371 days in space. For Rubio, his mission is the longest single spaceflight by a U.S. astronaut in history.
September 27

Scottish officials approve UK's first drug consumption room intended for safer use

Scottish authorities have approved a multimillion pound drug consumption room
September 27
FILE - A view of a mock drugs consumption room - where users take heroin under medical supervision - staged at Colston Hall in Bristol, Jan. 24, 2020. Scottish authorities on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023 approved a 2.3 million-pound ($2.8 million) pound drug consumption room, the first government-backed place in the U.K. where users can take illegal drugs such as cocaine and heroine under the supervision of medical staff. Local officials in the Scottish city of Glasgow on Wednesday approved the facility, which had long been delayed by political disagreements. (Claire Hayhurst/PA via AP, File)
September 27

Almost half of US adults plan to get new COVID-19 vaccine, survey finds

The poll results come as COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to climb.
September 27
The updated COVID-19 vaccine is displayed at Northwell Health's Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, New York, on Sept. 13, 2023.
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