JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A Missouri judge will rule Thursday on whether the Republican secretary of state’s official description of an abortion-rights amendment on November’s ballot is misleading. At issue is a proposed amendment to Missouri’s Constitution that would restore abortion rights in the state, which banned almost all abortions after the U.S. Supreme Court … Read more
The world creates 57 million tons of plastic pollution every year and spreads it from the deepest oceans to the highest mountaintop to the inside of people’s bodies, according to a new study that also said more than two-thirds of it comes from the Global South. It’s enough pollution each year — about 52 million … Read more
The Canadian government is warning pregnant people to discuss their travel risks before visiting some countries in the Americas amid outbreaks of an insect-transmitted virus that lives in sloths. More than 8,000 confirmed cases of Oropouche fever, a potentially fatal zoonotic disease, have been reported in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia and Peru, as of last month. And … Read more
The U.N. children’s agency says a polio vaccination campaign in Gaza reached 189,000 children, surpassing its target and providing a “rare bright spot” in nearly 11 months of war The U.N. children’s agency says a polio vaccination campaign in Gaza reached 189,000 children, surpassing its target and providing a “rare bright spot” in nearly 11 … Read more
Whooping cough cases continue to increase in multiple provinces, but as kids head back to school, doctors and health-care professionals say there could be multiple factors behind the spike. The bacterial infection, also known as pertussis, typically shows up seven to 10 days after being infected and its symptoms usually start with a mild fever, … Read more
MODRYCHI, Ukraine — For two years, a devoted father has stayed by the side of his bedridden son, a Ukrainian soldier who suffered a severe brain injury. Passing through hospitals and rehabilitation centers, the father finds joy in every small victory of his 36-year-old son: a smile, a new word, an unexpected movement. These milestones … Read more
MEDFORD, Ore. — Attorneys representing both living and deceased patients of an Oregon hospital filed a $303 million lawsuit against the facility on Tuesday after a nurse was accused of replacing prescribed fentanyl with nonsterile tap water in intravenous drips. The wrongful death and medical malpractice complaint accuses Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford … Read more
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected Oklahoma’s emergency appeal seeking to restore a $4.5 million grant for family planning services in an ongoing dispute over the state’s refusal to refer pregnant women to a nationwide hotline that provides information about abortion and other options. The brief order did not detail the court’s reasoning, … Read more
OMAHA, Neb. — The Nebraska Supreme Court has agreed to expedite a hearing on a lawsuit that could keep voters from deciding whether to expand abortion rights in the state. The court has set a hearing for next Monday for arguments over the suit filed by the conservative Thomas More Society, according to court records. … Read more
Whooping cough is making a surge in Canada at a time when schools are reopening and ahead of the fall respiratory illness season. Some provinces — Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick in particular — have reported sharp increases in whooping cough cases compared with pre-pandemic averages. Whooping cough, which is a bacterial illness, “can be … Read more
