Trump administration, Congress move to cut off transgender care for children

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has announced a series of regulatory actions aimed at effectively banning gender-affirming care for minors, which includes prohibiting Medicaid funding for puberty blockers, hormone treatments, and surgical procedures. This proposal has been met with significant backlash from advocates for LGBTQ+ rights and healthcare professionals.

The Trump administration has initiated steps to eliminate transition-related care for transgender minors, which the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has classified as 'sex-rejecting procedures.' This move is part of a broader regulatory effort to restrict access to gender-affirming treatments, including Medicaid funding for puberty blockers and hormone therapies.

The Trump administration has proposed two new rules aimed at banning gender-affirming care for minors, leveraging Medicare and Medicaid regulations to restrict access to treatments for transgender youth. This initiative, announced by RFK Jr. and Dr. Oz, is expected to impact not only those using public insurance but also those with private coverage.

U.S. President Donald Trump is poised to sign an executive order that will reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule III substance, facilitating medical research and easing federal restrictions on cannabis. This significant change is expected to allow for the exploration of marijuana's potential medical benefits more freely.

The CDC reported a significant increase in whooping cough cases, with 26,632 infections logged in 2025, marking the highest number since 2014. This surge is attributed to declining vaccination rates, raising alarms among public health officials.

The U.S. has seen over half a million clinical trials since 2000, highlighting the growing landscape of human medical experimentation. A recent narrative explores the experience of a volunteer who chose to be infected with dengue fever, shedding light on the motivations and ethical considerations surrounding such trials.

A former leading scientist at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging that her termination was illegal and linked to her warnings about the detrimental effects of research funding cuts on public health and patient safety.