A dangerous parasite that causes explosive diarrhea is spreading throughout the Midwest, as federal health officials investigate the still-undetermined source of the outbreak.

Michigan — the state with the highest infection count — recorded 1,251 total cases of Cyclosporiasis on Thursday, a 26% jump from the previous day. The infections ...Read more

A new study from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration detected heavy metals, including lead and arsenic, in popular tampon brands, but not enough to raise health concerns.

“While trace metals are present in tampons, the amount released during use is too small to cause harm,” the agency announced this week.

The Inquirer spoke with Robyn ...Read more

Chester County health officials confirmed two measles cases in residents this week as the highly contagious disease continues to spread in Southeastern and Central Pennsylvania.

The county has now seen four cases since late June, in addition to one case recorded this winter.

The newly reported cases bring Pennsylvania’s tally to 101 measles ...Read more

President Donald Trump said Wednesday night he doesn’t know specifics on Sen. Mitch McConnell’s health condition after more than three weeks of hospitalization.

Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that he hasn’t spoken with McConnell since he was admitted to the hospital last month, according to a post on X from Kristen Holmes, a ...Read more

Twin earthquakes struck Venezuela on June 24, 2026, causing major damage in Caracas and a nearby coastal city, La Guaira. At the time of publication, 3,685 people have been declared dead, and more than 30,000 remain missing.

Dr. Hermes Florez and Dr. Zeina Hannoush are physicians who trained in Venezuela, then immigrated to the United...Read more

For decades, Californians have generally said that immigrants, who make up more than a quarter of the state’s population and a third of its labor force, are beneficial to the state and its economy. But budget instability and concerns about rising costs are spilling into a debate over the controversial and expensive policy of allowing low-...Read more

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Are your hearing aids helping China spy on you? How about your heart monitor?

As more Florida seniors use wearables like continuous glucose monitors, remote blood pressure monitors, smartwatches and fitness trackers, concern grows about who has access to the data these devices collect.

Sen. Rick Scott, chair of the ...Read more

Jude Pare and his partner, Diane Tix, live in rural Minnesota until temperatures dip below freezing, when they take refuge in Arizona for the winter. While away, their mail is forwarded. But Pare, 77, said he didn’t receive any warning from his Medicare prescription drug plan that his $0 monthly premium was about to increase.

So he didn’t ...Read more

For 16 years, Larry Gruber, a fitness coach from Wilton Manors, Florida, received a coupon card to help him pay for a psoriatic arthritis medication he needs that costs more than $7,700 a month.

Each year, Amgen, which makes the drug, called Enbrel, sent the coupon card worth thousands of dollars, and that counted toward Gruber's health ...Read more

Health insurance premiums are likely to grow more expensive next year for those who buy Marketplace plans, after increases this year.

Affordable Care Act Marketplace insurers are proposing a median premium increase of 14% for 2027, which would be a double-digit hike for the second year in a row, according to a new analysis of preliminary rate ...Read more

Across 17 states, 145 cases of a parasite have been reported between May 1 and June 16, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The actual number of cases is also likely higher than the number of cases reported.

Cyclosporiasis spreads if germs from contaminated feces get into someone’s mouth. This can happen through ...Read more

WASHINGTON — As online speculation swirls over Sen. Mitch McConnell’s hospitalization and scant public updates from his staff, the Kentucky Republican’s top allies spoke up this week, insisting he remains alert. But those assurances have done little to quash demands for proof of life, including from the state’s governor.

The episode has...Read more

An ally of Sen. Mitch McConnell is denying some speculation circulating social media surrounding McConnell’s health condition after around three weeks of hospitalization.

Scott Jennings, a former McConnell adviser and conservative political commentator on CNN, is part of a handful of people saying that they’ve spoken with the Kentucky ...Read more

DETROIT — State health officials are trying to pinpoint the source of a growing parasitic outbreak in Michigan, contacting all people who have tested positive for cyclosporiasis as cases near 1,000.

Since the outbreak started June 22, 992 reports of cyclosporiasis have been reported in Michigan as of Wednesday morning, according to the state'...Read more

Public health relies on data – whether it is tracking the effectiveness of a given year’s flu vaccine, monitoring blood lead levels around the country or estimating the prevalence of diabetes. This data forms the basis for decisions such as whether a community should expand screening for diabetes and which communities are at greatest risk...Read more

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is asking Sen. Mitch McConnell to share information surrounding his health condition after being hospitalized nearly three weeks ago.

In a letter sent Tuesday morning to McConnell’s office, Beshear said Kentuckians have grown concerned about McConnell’s health and whether he can continue serving in office. He ...Read more

CHICAGO — Laura Rotunno didn’t think she had much longer to live.

“My body has had enough,” Rotunno, of Deerfield, remembered thinking last year, under the weight of Stage 4 lung cancer. The color had drained from her face, she was on oxygen and it was difficult to leave her home.

That all changed, however, after May 30 of last year, ...Read more

Ebola responders in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s hardest-hit areas have been striking this week over unpaid benefits and deteriorating working conditions, complicating efforts to contain a virus that’s infected more than 1,700 people and killed at least 580.

The industrial action took place in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province,...Read more

For the second year in a row, many Affordable Care Act insurers are proposing double-digit premium increases, driven by rising medical costs as well as policy changes by Congress and the Trump administration.

In preliminary filings with state regulators, insurers are seeking a median rate increase of 14% for 2027, according to an analysis of ...Read more