Flu vaccine no longer mandated for U.S. troops, Pete Hegseth maintains
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Tuesday that the U.S. military will no longer require all American troops to get the flu vaccine, citing “medical autonomy” and religious freedom. “The notion that a flu vaccine must be mandatory for every service member, everywhere, in every circumstance at all times...
Mark Cuban weighs in on Kamala Harris, health care, before Pittsburgh visit
Billionaire and Mt. Lebanon native Mark Cuban didn’t have to think twice Tuesday when asked if he’d support another presidential run by former Vice President Kamala Harris. “No,” he replied to a Politico reporter during the online news outlet’s annual health care summit in Washington, D.C. Moments earlier, he shut...
What to know about psychedelic retreats, a booming business with few safety guardrails
WASHINGTON — Surging interest in the purported benefits of psychedelic drugs has given rise to books, documentaries and conferences dedicated to the mind-altering substances. Now add one more business to the list: psychedelic retreats. Hundreds of outfits across the world are offering multiday trips where attendees pay for drug-assisted experiences...
Pennsylvania court overturns limits on Medicaid coverage for abortions
A Pennsylvania court on Monday said that the state’s constitution guarantees a right to abortion while striking down a decades-long law banning the use of state Medicaid funds to cover abortion costs. The ruling by a divided seven-judge panel of the appellate-level Commonwealth Court is a major victory for Planned...
Trump signs order to speed review of psychedelics, including the controversial drug ibogaine
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Saturday directed his administration to speed up reviews of certain psychedelic drugs, including ibogaine, which recently has been embraced by combat veterans and conservative lawmakers despite having serious safety risks. Ibogaine and other psychedelics remain banned under the federal government’s most restrictive category for...
Trump’s dyslexia barbs stir anguish and anger, perpetuating a myth about the learning disability
WASHINGTON — Lauryn Muller was scrolling on social media when she saw a clip of President Donald Trump belittling California Gov. Gavin Newsom for having dyslexia. It stirred a well of emotion for the 18-year-old Muller, bringing back memories of her own struggles learning to read and the times she...
Allegheny County Area Agency on Aging cuts back as budget falls short
Allegheny County’s Area Agency on Aging is facing a projected shortfall of more than $5 million in its roughly $50 million budget — a gap officials say will mean longer wait times, new service limits and reduced access for older adults seeking help. On Friday, officials said the agency, part...
$1.3B UPMC Presbyterian Hospital tower construction enters home stretch
Sunlight streams in from almost every angle of UPMC’s new glass-paneled hospital tower in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood. Each of the 636 patient rooms has floor-to-ceiling windows, incorporating research showing the therapeutic effects of a connection with nature. The respite areas for workers to collect their thoughts during tough days follow...
Trump nominates Erica Schwartz, former deputy surgeon general, to serve as CDC director
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday nominated Erica Schwartz, a former deputy surgeon general, to be the next director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In a social media post, Trump described Schwartz as “incredibly talented” and said, “She is a STAR!” The Atlanta-based CDC, which is...
FDA to weigh easing limits on unproven peptides favored by RFK Jr. and other MAHA figures
WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration will hold a meeting this summer to consider easing restrictions on more than a half dozen peptide injections, a group of unapproved therapies that have become popular among wellness influencers, fitness gurus and celebrities. The meeting announcement Wednesday follows repeated pledges by Health...
Why many Americans are turning to AI for health advice, according to recent polls
NEW YORK — When Tiffany Davis has a question about a symptom from the weight-loss injections she’s taking, she doesn’t call her doctor. She pulls out her phone and consults ChatGPT. “I’ll just basically let ChatGPT know my status, how I’m feeling,” said the 42-year-old in Mesquite, Texas. “I use...
AI chatbots give misleading medical advice 50% of the time, study finds
Artificial intelligence-driven chatbots are giving users problematic medical advice about half the time, according to a new study, highlighting the health risks of the technology that’s becoming increasingly integral in day-to-day life. Researchers from the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom evaluated five popular platforms — ChatGPT, Gemini, Meta...
Pitt to offer online Infant Mental Health certificate
A new University of Pittsburgh academic program aims to address the mental health, growth and development needs of infants and toddlers amid a shortage of qualified, working professionals. Pitt has launched a new, online graduate certificate in Infant Mental Health. The 12-credit program kicks off this fall, said Robert Gallen,...
Florida doctor faces manslaughter charge for allegedly removing wrong organ during surgery
DEFUNIAK SPRINGS, Fla. — A grand jury indicted a Florida doctor on a manslaughter charge for allegedly removing a patient’s liver instead of his spleen during a 2024 surgery. The prosecutor for the First Judicial Circuit on Monday announced the charge of second-degree manslaughter against Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky. Prosecutors said...
4,000 Band-Aids, 1,400 water bottles, 1 mobile clinic: Allegheny Health Network prepares for NFL Draft
Cuts, scrapes, bruises, dehydration, allergic reactions — Allegheny Health Network expects to see it all when thousands of people pack Downtown Pittsburgh and the North Shore in less than two weeks for the 2026 NFL Draft. The system’s mobile clinic will park in Market Square for the duration of the...
Iran war has some U.S. water utilities facing a fluoride shortage
It’s not just gas prices: Some U.S. water utilities are reporting the Middle East war is disrupting their ability to maintain recommended fluoride levels in the drinking water. Over the past few weeks, a few water utilities have said their supply had been disrupted, according to the Association of Metropolitan...
Clinical trials offer hope for multiple sclerosis treatment breakthrough
Longtime runner Annie Saunders didn’t let a 2021 diagnosis of multiple sclerosis sideline her passions. If anything, the 40-year-old Irwin native pushes harder — through weakness and imbalance caused by the neurological disease — to keep her body strong. Saunders remains hopeful because she believes a cure will be found...
Human papillomavirus-related throat cancer skyrocketing in men over 50
Kevin Shields thought nothing of an unusual but persistent sensation in his throat. A public address announcer for the Fox Chapel Area School District baseball, softball and flag football teams, Shields also is the man behind the mic for the Carnegie Mellon University Tartans teams. He chalked up the sensation...
Billions in research funding survive Trump crackdown, benefiting Pitt, CMU
The Trump administration is accepting legal defeat in its effort to limit critical funding for research institutions, including the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University, after its window to petition to the U.S. Supreme Court closed this week. In February 2025, the National Institutes of Health announced a cap...
Trump administration temporarily blocks Minnesota’s historic wage floor for nursing home workers
Unprecedented minimum wages for thousands of nursing home workers in Minnesota are delayed again. Leah Solo, executive director of the state’s Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board, said at a board meeting Thursday that the Trump administration has reset to day one its 90-day clock to review the wage floor. Under...
Trump administration admits a glaring error in its accusations about New York health care fraud
NEW YORK — President Donald Trump’s administration this week acknowledged it made a significant error in figures it used to help justify a fraud probe into New York’s Medicaid program, a glaring mistake that undercuts a federal campaign to tackle waste, mostly in Democratic-led states. The error, one of at...
Updated rules for CDC vaccine advisory panel reflect Kennedy skepticism
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has updated the charter of a key federal vaccine advisory committee in ways that may increase the voices of anti-vaccine activists, the latest in a series of moves that critics say are undermining confidence in life-saving shots. The changes published Thursday come after a recent...
U.S. abortion opponents want Trump’s FDA to act on abortion pill restrictions
/ U.S. abortion opponents are increasingly frustrated with the lack of action by President Donald Trump’s administration to stem the flow of abortion pills prescribed online that they view as undermining state abortion bans. A court ruling this week in a lawsuit the Louisiana attorney general brought against Trump’s Food...
AHN radiologist turns ‘The Pitt’ into teaching tool on TikTok
Bathed in the blue light of a radiology reading room, Dr. Matthew Hartman and three of his medical students spent Wednesday morning analyzing X-rays, CT scans and ultrasounds at West Penn Hospital. The images being reviewed by the class were real, but Hartman finds fiction can be just as powerful...
American Red Cross teams up with ‘The Pitt’ for series of blood drives
Viewers watch the doctors and nurses of the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center save lives every Thursday on the HBO Max series “The Pitt.” Now, the American Red Cross is teaming up with the show to help everyday Pittsburghers save some lives of their own. The organization is holding a...
