Pope Leo Cancer Update; Hep B Vaccine Trial Halted; ‘Dark Nutrition’ Trend

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Pope Leo XIV will need no further treatment for lung cancer after tests confirmed the disease was localized, the Vatican said. (AP)

The uninsured rate among working-age U.S. adults rose to 11.2% in 2026, and nearly half were inadequately insured, according to a Commonwealth Fund survey.

The Justice Department said that Ohio State University College of Medicine discriminated against white and Asian students in its admission practices.

Pennsylvania’s measles cases have grown to to 1,317, including 251 hospitalizations, the state’s heath department announced.

Amid multiple measles outbreaks, the CDC took 2 months to respond to states requesting that the agency validate a test that can diagnose hundreds of cases in a matter of hours. (New York Times)

Meanwhile, the controversial CDC-backed hepatitis B vaccine trial in Guinea-Bissau has been halted, the lead researcher said. (The Guardian)

In other infectious diseases news, a rabies comeback appears to be in full effect. (New York Times)

Nearly half of all on-duty firefighter deaths in the U.S. from 1990 to 2025 were attributed to cardiac causes. (JACC: Advances)

The FDA expanded the label for ravulizumab (Ultomiris) with an accelerated approval for reducing proteinuria in primary immunoglobulin A nephropathy, AstraZeneca announced.

The agency also expanded approval of the oral pellet formulation of berotralstat (Orladeyo) to include patients 12 years and older with hereditary angioedema, said BioCryst Pharmaceuticals.

The Supreme Court refused to allow the Trump administration to immediately enforce new medical restrictions for transgender people in federal prison. (AP)

In Washington, healthcare workers and educators are fighting a ballot measure that would mandate genital exams for female student-athletes that aims to prevent transgender girls from participating in sports. (The Guardian)

Results of a randomized trial in JAMA Internal Medicine questioned the need for FDA’s required mifepristone patient agreement form.

Just 1 in 4 U.S. adults support the Make America Healthy Again movement, but three-fourths support food-related policies such as ultraprocessed labeling and regulating chemical additives, an Annenberg Public Policy Center survey indicated.

Unpasteurized dairy, anti-vegetable diets? The New York Times took a look at the “dark nutrition” trend.

Thousands of Midwest families face years-long waits and strict caps for Medicaid waivers that can help move disabled people out of institutions to receive in-home care. (KCUR)

Over 500 people in South Africa have fallen ill from a gastrointestinal illness that causes stomach cramps and diarrhea, which authorities are blaming on poor water quality in two cities. (AP)

A challenge to the HHS rollback of employee telework was upheld by the Federal Labor Relations Authority. (Government Executive)