Health Care
Pa. Attorney General Josh Shapiro joins lawsuit to block Trump restrictions on family planning program
The filing comes a day after California Attorney General Xavier Becerra filed a separate federal challenge to the administration’s rule change.
There’s a measles outbreak in Washington State. Why are we still debating whether to vaccinate our kids? | John L. Micek
Thank the 'death of expertise' for this one.
What do you do when the doctors oppose Medicare for All? | Tuesday Morning Coffee
The debate is unfolding about as you'd expect it would.
Opioid use is ‘waning’ in Pa. hotspots as other drugs rise in popularity, Drug and Alcohol secretary says
One of Pennsylvania’s top drug watchdogs said Monday opioid use is showing signs of decline as other drugs appear more popular in hotspots across the state. “The notion of the opioid crisis is starting to wane,” Jennifer Smith, secretary of the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, told the Senate Appropriations Committee. “We have seen an uptick […]
Abortions rise worldwide when the U.S. cuts family planning funding | Analysis
Abortion rates tripled in Latin America and doubled in Africa under the Bush-era 'global gag rule.' The law, which Obama repealed and Trump reinstated, cuts funding for abortion providers abroad.
State Sen. Mike Regan wants tough mandatory sentences for fentanyl dealers. Opponents say it’s a ‘step back’ in the failed ‘War on Drugs’
It’s been four years since the state Supreme Court invalidated the state’s mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses, wiping them all from state statues in a 3-2 ruling. The decision conformed with broader criminal justice reforms sweeping the nation, which sought to remedy the harsh sentencing laws and high incarceration rates that proliferated during the […]
Is Congress about to make child care more affordable? 5 questions answered | Analysis
Working class families have struggled for years to afford quality child care. Could the newly proposed Child Care for Working Families Act make a difference? A child care policy scholar weighs in.
An aging prison population is straining Pa.’s Corrections budget. Could medical parole be the answer?
Pennsylvania’s prison population may be shrinking, but its costs aren’t. One reason, according to Corrections Secretary John Wetzel, is a growing number of elderly inmates. In a hearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee Thursday, Wetzel said the state’s aging prison population “100 percent has to do” with his department’s rising medical costs. He said Pennsylvania […]
This is why Pa. needs tougher mandatory sentences to fight fentanyl abuse | Opinion
It is time we take serious action to get not only the dealers but the actual fentanyl off our streets.
Department of Health seeks $1.4 million to study chemical contaminants in water
If you’re a toxicologist, chemist or epidemiologist looking for a job, Pennsylvania wants to hear from you. The state Department of Health plans to hire a team of 10 research scientists this year to study the effects of toxic PFAS chemicals that contaminate soil and drinking water, its secretary said in a Senate Appropriations Committee […]
Why the state Supreme Court and General Assembly may go head-to-head over medical malpractice rules
Where you can and can’t file a medical malpractice lawsuit is shaping up to be a partisan battle between Pennsylvania’s legislative and judicial branches. On one side you have the state Supreme Court, which may once again allow lawyers to file suits in the county of their choosing. That rule was changed more than a […]
Casey sides with Senate Republicans in failed vote to advance abortion bill
“I’m a pro-life Democrat, which means I support women and children before and after birth."