Health

Veterans and VA staff protested outside the San Francisco VA hospital after the VA announced a December reorganization that would make about 25,000 long-unfilled positions permanent.

Wearing warm, breathable socks to bed is reported to dilate blood vessels in the feet and signal a lowering of core body temperature, which can support falling asleep; experts also noted breathable, non‑restrictive fabrics and clean nighttime socks to limit bacteria.

B.C. Minister of Health Josie Osborne said the province will not ask Health Canada to renew an exemption that allowed a decriminalization pilot. The exemption was granted in January 2023 and is set to expire at the end of this month.

Kaiser Permanente agreed to a proposed $46 million settlement over alleged privacy violations, and current and former members who used authenticated webpages in specified states between November 2017 and May 2024 can submit claims online by March 12.

A Senate health committee hearing saw Republican members call for an FDA review of mifepristone restrictions while Democrats defended the drug's safety; the FDA says a review is underway but cannot fully respond because of pending litigation.

A JAMA study using data compiled by NBC News and Stanford found median nonmedical exemption rates for kindergartners rose from 0.6% in 2010–11 to 3.1% in 2023–24, and more than half of counties reported post‑pandemic increases.

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appointed Dr. Adam Urato and Dr. Kimberly Biss to the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices; both have previously questioned aspects of vaccine safety and the use of some antidepressants in pregnancy.

An Atlanta OB-GYN's exchange with Senator Josh Hawley during a Senate hearing on medication abortion safety — in which she declined a simple yes-or-no on whether men can become pregnant — was posted online and viewed millions of times.

An opinion piece argues that vaccine debates helped drive unexpected Democratic wins in recent off‑year elections and that actions by President Trump and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have introduced controversy and changes into U.S. vaccine policy.

Cartoonist Scott Adams died after an aggressive form of prostate cancer, and an American Cancer Society report says five‑year survival for cancers diagnosed 2015–2021 reached 70%.

A new federal law allows whole and 2 percent milk to be served in schools, reversing a 2012 policy that limited federally supported school meals to nonfat or 1 percent milk; experts say milk provides important nutrients but research is mixed on whether higher-fat milk benefits or harms children's health.

Notices said nearly $2 billion in federal funding to more than 2,000 mental health and substance abuse programs will end effective immediately, according to agency notices and people inside the government.

Sleep experts told Fox News Digital that forcing an earlier wake time can reduce REM sleep and leave people fatigued and mood‑unstable; they noted chronotype is partly inherited, around 40–50 percent.

Dermatologists identify five signs that can indicate a damaged skin barrier and link common causes to overuse of active topicals, hot water, and environmental stressors.

Engineers at Tufts reprogrammed bacteria using an enzyme from slime mold to produce tagatose with reported yields up to 95 percent, and the sugar is already designated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as generally recognized as safe.

The writer says cheap pillows made their shoulder and neck pain worse and that switching to the Panda London Hybrid pillow relieved that pain; the pillow is reported to be on sale for £71, its lowest recorded price.

Sheinelle Jones says she continues to grieve after her husband, Uche Ojeh, died last May from glioblastoma. She has returned to television and was announced as a co-host on Today with Jenna & Friends.

On Jan. 14, 2025, Kate Middleton announced she was in remission; since then she has gradually resumed public duties while keeping many personal details private.

The American Cancer Society reports a 70% five-year survival rate for cancers diagnosed 2015–2021, while lung, colorectal and pancreatic cancers are expected to cause the most cancer deaths in 2026.

Marisa Abela said on a podcast that her 2020 thyroid cancer diagnosis and treatment have made it harder to maintain her physique, and that she remains on lifelong medication with regular checkups.

A man in his late 50s with long-standing erectile dysfunction has tried medications, a vacuum pump, and injections and is now scheduled for an inflatable penile prosthesis; the procedure is described as irreversible and carries surgical risks.

Six puppies in Gold Bar, Washington who were treated for suspected opioid exposure are recovering and will be quarantined before being offered for adoption; some first responders have expressed interest in adopting them.

Kristin Seefeldt will serve as faculty director of the University of Michigan's Poverty Solutions through December 2026, and Luke Shaefer has been named Detroit's chief executive of health, human services and poverty solutions and will begin in February while taking a two-year leave from U‑M.

Experts and patients say judgment about smoking helps keep many people from screening and treatment; only 18 percent of eligible Americans get screened and about 20 percent of lung cancer patients receive no treatment.

Sarah Eggenberger, NewBeauty senior editor and TODAY contributor, highlighted expert-recommended products and ingredient approaches for dry skin, under-eye puffiness, keratosis pilaris and other common concerns during a Studio 1A segment. The piece notes gentle exfoliation, barrier-supporting moisturizers and ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, ceramides, caffeine and peptides.

People turning 65 in 2026 who enroll in original Medicare have a six-month Medigap open enrollment window starting the month they enroll in Part B, during which insurers must sell policies without medical underwriting.

Stanford Medicine's Yvonne Maldonado says the current U.S. flu season shows unusually early and high activity driven by an H3N2 variant called “subclade K,” and CDC data cited in the article report about 11 million infections so far.

The 2025–2030 U.S. Dietary Guidelines place red meat among recommended protein sources, and cardiologist Craig Basman says choosing lean cuts and using lower-temperature cooking methods can reduce formation of certain harmful compounds.

The article highlights Hatch Restore as a device that lets users create a personalized bedtime routine with adjustable warm light, soothing noise options, and sleep meditations and stories available through the Hatch app.

Two recent studies report that small daily habit changes were associated with longer life; a Lancet analysis linked an extra five minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity per day with up to a 10% lower risk of death, and a University of Sydney analysis estimated a combined small increase in sleep, activity and vegetables could add about one year for people with the poorest starting habits.