The federal reclassification of state-licensed medical marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III marks a significant regulatory shift with direct public health implications. The order, signed April 24, 2026, legitimizes medical cannabis programs in 40 states, removes research penalties for scientists using state-licensed cannabis, and opens a pathway for expanded clinical study of safety and effi…

A longitudinal study from Rush University Medical Center tracked nearly 2,000 adults over eight years and found that those with the highest lifetime levels of cognitive engagement — reading, learning, and intellectually stimulating activities across all life stages — were 38% less likely to develop Alzheimer's and 36% less likely to develop mild cognitive impairment than their least-engaged pee…

The Trump administration's America First Global Health Strategy has replaced USAID with bilateral aid agreements that require recipient governments to co-finance — and eventually fully fund — their own health programs.   Kenya signed a five-year, $1.6 billion deal and pledged an additional $850 million domestically. Uganda is positioned to produce up to 11 million doses of lenacapavir, a t…

President Trump has nominated Dr. Erica Schwartz, a physician and former deputy surgeon general, to lead the CDC. A preventive medicine specialist and former U.S. Public Health Service rear admiral, Schwartz brings extensive military and federal public health experience, including leadership roles in the Navy, Coast Guard, and COVID-19 response efforts. If confirmed by the Senate, she would ove…

A recent webinar from the Public Health Communications Collaborative (PHCC), held during National Public Health Week, highlights how effective communication remains central to advancing public health amid growing misinformation and system changes. Leaders from the American Public Health Association emphasized the need to defend science-based evidence, leverage trusted messengers, and engage i…

Utah has become a national hotspot for measles, with nearly 600 cases reported since an outbreak began along the Utah–Arizona border last summer. About one-third of patients have required emergency care, and 49 have been hospitalized, often for complications such as severe dehydration and respiratory illness, including pneumonia.   The outbreak has spread across 22 of Utah’s 29 counties an…

A study suggests changes in gut microbiome may help identify Parkinson’s risk years before symptoms, with stronger signatures in people with genetic susceptibility and in diagnosed patients. Researchers analyzing data from over 1,000 participants across multiple countries found distinct microbial patterns affecting hundreds of species, not explained by medication. The findings, published in N…

As wearable devices become increasingly common, they present new opportunities—and challenges—for public health. Millions of Americans are tracking metrics like sleep, heart rate, and temperature, but experts emphasize that data without context has limited value. When patients and providers work together to interpret patterns, wearable data can support earlier detection of conditions such as…

A recent study from the Peterson Health Technology Institute suggests that administrative AI may be intensifying, rather than easing, longstanding inefficiencies in the U.S. health care system. Evidence from prior authorization and medical coding processes indicates that AI-driven tools are contributing to increased back-and-forth between insurers and providers, sometimes accelerating “bot wars”…