‘Life-or-death consequences’: families fear rollback of school vaccine requirements under RFK Jr

With vaccine sceptic as Trump pick to lead US health policy, parents and advocates anticipate devastating changes A political battle over school-based Covid protocols in early 2021 quickly turned personal for one Colorado family, whose son’s cystic fibrosis – a life-threatening genetic disease affecting the lungs and other vital organs – made him susceptible to … Read more

Smartwatch bands can contain ‘major’ levels of toxic PFAS, study finds

High amounts of ‘forever chemicals’ that can be absorbed through skin detected in common brands of wrist bands Smartwatch and fitness tracker bands can contain high levels of toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” that are absorbed through the skin, presenting a potentially “major” exposure to the dangerous substance, new US research finds. The University of Notre … Read more

Pete Hegseth confirmation hearing highlights Republicans’ servility to Trump | Moira Donegan

Defense secretary nominee is incompetent and seems to have no redeeming qualities – but his appointment looks assured In some ways, the secretary of Defense nomination of Pete Hegseth was always meant as a domination exercise, a way of making Senate Republicans humiliate themselves for Donald Trump’s approval. Hegseth has white supremacist tattoos and what … Read more

Donald Trump reportedly weighing up TikTok ban delay

President-elect ‘has warm spot’ for platform and wants political solution to ‘preserve app but protect data’ Donald Trump is considering suspending a TikTok ban in the US with an executive order when he enters the White House on 20 January, according to a report. The president-elect is exploring an executive order that would postpone enforcement … Read more

A giant US hospital chain says it’s leading the fight against medical debt. Not all patients agree

Many patients say they were harmed by Advocate Health’s billing and collection practices – even as the health system has canceled thousands of liens against patients’ homes Advocate Health, one of America’s largest hospital chains, says it is working hard to confront one of the biggest problems in US healthcare today – promoting itself as … Read more

Israel launches airstrikes after reaching ceasefire deal with Hamas

A ceasefire and hostage agreement between Israel and Hamas is bringing relief to American families who have waited more than a year for their loved ones to return. After the deal was announced, Israel launched deadly airstrikes and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hamas of trying to change the terms. NBC’s Richard Engel reports for … Read more

Race for DNC chair narrows after longshot candidate drops out, endorses Minnesota’s Ken Martin

The field of contenders to become the next Democratic National Committee chair has narrowed after a long-shot candidate dropped out and endorsed Ken Martin, Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party chair. Martin, a DNC vice chair who has led the association of state Democratic Party chairs, has been considered a frontrunner for the DNC job.  Martin received a … Read more