https://www.nytimes.com/section/health en-us Copyright 2026 The New York Times Company Fri, 12 Jun 2026 10:18:41 +0000 Fri, 12 Jun 2026 09:00:32 +0000 https://static01.nyt.com/images/misc/NYT_logo_rss_250x40.png https://www.nytimes.com/section/health https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/11/science/researcher-huntingtons-disease-wexler.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/11/science/researcher-huntingtons-disease-wexler.html Her decades of work on Huntington’s disease helped lead to the creation of a genetic test for the devastating condition. Why didn’t she take it herself? Gina Kolata Thu, 11 Jun 2026 16:56:14 +0000 Wexler, Nancy (1945- ) Huntington's Disease Genetics and Heredity Tests (Medical) Jackie Molloy for The New York Times Nancy Wexler a lifelong researcher of Huntington’s disease, who has the condition herself, in her Manhattan apartment. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/11/science/base-editing-embryos-debate.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/11/science/base-editing-embryos-debate.html Fertility specialists, biotech companies and ethicists are divided over whether progress in early gene editing would wipe out diseases or trigger a rush toward enhancement. Emily Baumgaertner Nunn Thu, 11 Jun 2026 09:05:50 +0000 Genetics and Heredity Genetic Engineering Research Ethics (Personal) Embryos (Human) Zephyr/Science Source A colored light micrograph of a human embryo 48 to 72 hours after in vitro fertilization. “Human embryos become living human persons,” one bioethicist said. “The research is being done on future persons without their consent.” https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/11/business/aca-health-care-costs-medical-debt.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/11/business/aca-health-care-costs-medical-debt.html One-third of Americans shoulder health care debt. Insurers are being asked to consider lending money to Obamacare consumers who can’t afford higher deductibles. Reed Abelson Thu, 11 Jun 2026 13:53:12 +0000 Health Insurance and Managed Care Credit and Debt Regulation and Deregulation of Industry United States Politics and Government Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (2010) Prices (Fares, Fees and Rates) Republican Party Trump, Donald J United States Cig Harvey for The New York Times Kathleen Capetta’s family of five is paying an additional $750 a month this year for its Obamacare plan premium. She was already paying off debt from cancer treatment. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/10/world/africa/ebola-kenya-us-protests.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/10/world/africa/ebola-kenya-us-protests.html Hundreds of Kenyans have marched through the streets to oppose a quarantine facility that would be reserved exclusively for American patients. Matthew Mpoke Bigg and Eric Schmitt Wed, 10 Jun 2026 19:01:14 +0000 Kenya Ebola Virus Demonstrations, Protests and Riots United States International Relations Ruto, William Quarantines internal-open-access-from-nl Luis Tato/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Protesters confronting Kenyan police officers at a demonstration against a U.S. Ebola quarantine facility in Nanyuki on Tuesday. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/11/business/medicare-advantage-nursing-homes.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/11/business/medicare-advantage-nursing-homes.html Two reports by U.S. investigators reveal how Medicare Advantage is quick to reject requests for short-term nursing home or inpatient services. Reed Abelson Thu, 11 Jun 2026 17:04:10 +0000 Medicare Advantage Therapy and Rehabilitation Nursing Homes Elderly Inspectors General Health and Human Services Department Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services CVS Caremark Corporation Humana Inc UnitedHealth Group Inc NaviHealth David Goldman/Associated Press Two reports found that the three major insurers that sell Medicare Advantage plans denied about 13 percent of patients’ requests to go to a skilled nursing facility to recover from surgery or a serious illness. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/08/science/cattle-disease-screwworm.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/08/science/cattle-disease-screwworm.html The parasitic, flesh-eating fly has now been confirmed in cows, goats and dogs. K. R. Callaway and Emily Anthes Tue, 09 Jun 2026 02:12:42 +0000 Screwworm Fly Disease Rates Livestock Agriculture and Farming Genetic Engineering Agriculture Department Texas Daniel Becerril/Reuters The New World screwworm fly. It lays eggs in the open wounds or orifices of warm-blooded animals; the resulting larvae burrow into and expand the wound, consuming the animal’s tissue. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/07/us/politics/ebola-vaccines-kennedy-health-department.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/07/us/politics/ebola-vaccines-kennedy-health-department.html Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has demonstrated little interest in managing his sprawling department as he focuses on food and vaccine policies, according to colleagues. Sheryl Gay Stolberg Mon, 08 Jun 2026 16:56:36 +0000 Kennedy, Robert F Jr Health and Human Services Department United States Politics and Government Trump, Donald J Medicine and Health Appointments and Executive Changes Vaccination and Immunization Diet and Nutrition Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Food and Drug Administration National Institutes of Health Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response Ebola Virus Bhattacharya, Jay Spear, Stefanie Monarez, Susan Klomp, Christopher R Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times Mr. Kennedy, who is isolated from much of his top staff, leans on a small number of key advisers. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/08/business/ai-medicine-doctors.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/08/business/ai-medicine-doctors.html OpenEvidence, a fast-growing start-up, is using artificial intelligence to help doctors find answers to clinical questions for diagnosis and treatment. Steve Lohr Mon, 08 Jun 2026 13:38:24 +0000 Artificial Intelligence Mobile Applications Start-ups Hospitals Computers and the Internet Doctors Mount Sinai Medical Center Sasha Maslov for The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/06/us/down-syndrome-abortion-jesse-ridgway.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/06/us/down-syndrome-abortion-jesse-ridgway.html After Jesse Ridgway, a popular YouTuber, and his wife, Ashley, revealed the news, death threats followed. Pooja Salhotra Sat, 06 Jun 2026 19:11:06 +0000 Down Syndrome Abortion Social Media YouTube.com Ridgway, Jesse (1992- ) Amniocentesis Content Type: Personal Profile Cyberharassment Steve Zak Photography The Ridgways’ decision was not unusual. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/12/us/urban-ticks-new-york-city-philadelphia-washington.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/12/us/urban-ticks-new-york-city-philadelphia-washington.html Think ticks are limited to rural areas and the wilderness? Think again. Remy Tumin Fri, 12 Jun 2026 09:00:32 +0000 Ticks (Insects) Urban Areas Lyme Disease Summer (Season) Kate Warren for The New York Times A blacklegged tick, which researchers say is the most dominant species, can be found in most city parks. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/11/well/mind/trigger-trauma-meaning.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/11/well/mind/trigger-trauma-meaning.html This popular term is often misused, experts say, which may cause more harm than good. Melinda Wenner Moyer Thu, 11 Jun 2026 09:05:11 +0000 Psychology and Psychologists Therapy and Rehabilitation Mental Health and Disorders Anxiety and Stress https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/07/us/robert-coles-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/07/us/robert-coles-dead.html His five-volume “Children of Crisis” series, published between 1967 and 1977, drew on his conversations with American children whose voices were not often heard. Douglas Martin Mon, 08 Jun 2026 20:58:45 +0000 Coles, Robert (1928-2026) Psychiatry and Psychiatrists Books and Literature Pulitzer Prizes Children and Childhood Bridges, Ruby Black People Harvard University Deaths (Obituaries) Jodi Hilton for The New York Times Robert Coles eschewed ideologies and psychiatric orthodoxies to visit the homes of children — first in the American South and then around the world — to listen intently to what they had to say. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/05/world/europe/norway-princess-lung-transplant.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/05/world/europe/norway-princess-lung-transplant.html News of Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s worsening condition comes as a number of scandals have plunged the royal family into a deep crisis. Henrik Pryser Libell and Jonathan Wolfe Fri, 05 Jun 2026 16:00:49 +0000 Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway Norway Pulmonary Fibrosis Lungs Transplants Royal Families Borg Hoiby, Marius Lise Åserud/NTB Scanpix, via Associated Press Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, center, with Crown Prince Haakon, right, and Prince Sverre Magnus at the National Day celebrations in Asker, Norway, last month. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/05/world/africa/congo-ebola-gold-mine.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/05/world/africa/congo-ebola-gold-mine.html Mining has been the lifeblood of this remote Congolese hill town for decades. Now, it is fueling the spread of a devastating virus. Declan Walsh and Arlette Bashizi Fri, 05 Jun 2026 15:13:35 +0000 Ebola Virus Gold Mines and Mining Deaths (Fatalities) Disease Rates Workplace Hazards and Violations Epidemics Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) World Health Organization Africa Bunia (Congo, Democratic Republic of) Congo, Democratic Republic of (Congo-Kinshasa) Mongbwalu (Congo, Democratic Republic of) vis-photo internal-open-access-from-nl Arlette Bashizi for The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/04/science/embryos-gene-editing-crispr.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/04/science/embryos-gene-editing-crispr.html Researchers relied on a newer gene-editing technique that may make it possible to engineer embryos, a prospect that has long alarmed bioethicists. Carl Zimmer Fri, 05 Jun 2026 17:54:59 +0000 Embryos (Human) Genetic Engineering DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) Egli, Dieter Columbia University Research bioRxiv Ethics and Official Misconduct Crispr (DNA) He Jiankui base editing Claude Cortier/Science Source Researchers altered genes that influence levels of LDL cholesterol and hemoglobin in the blood. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/04/science/bernard-roizman-dead.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/04/science/bernard-roizman-dead.html He mapped the herpes simplex virus genome, revealing how it invades cells. His work also helped lay the groundwork for potential vaccines and gene therapies. Jeré Longman Thu, 04 Jun 2026 17:55:41 +0000 Roizman, Bernard (1929-2026) Sexually Transmitted Diseases Herpes Viruses Genetics and Heredity Deaths (Obituaries) https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/03/us/politics/trump-administration-ebola-response.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/03/us/politics/trump-administration-ebola-response.html Despite long-established procedures for bringing Americans home for monitoring and treatment, the Trump administration has not said that it will allow those at risk of Ebola back into the country. Apoorva Mandavilli Wed, 03 Jun 2026 23:31:30 +0000 United States Politics and Government live-detached Quarantines Ebola Virus Health and Human Services Department Public Health Service (US) State Department Rubio, Marco Trump, Donald J Hickox, Kaci Congo, Democratic Republic of (Congo-Kinshasa) Kenya Liberia Arlette Bashizi for The New York Times Health workers wearing protective equipment walk through the isolation ward of a newly established Ebola treatment center in Ituri Province, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/02/us/politics/rubio-kennedy-vaccines-gavi.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/02/us/politics/rubio-kennedy-vaccines-gavi.html Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated in pointed testimony to senators that he was reclaiming control of the U.S. relationship with Gavi, an international vaccine alliance. Stephanie Nolen and Sheryl Gay Stolberg Thu, 04 Jun 2026 13:08:49 +0000 United States Politics and Government Vaccination and Immunization Federal Aid (US) Foreign Investments Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance Rubio, Marco Kennedy, Robert F Jr Shaheen, Jeanne Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times The State Department is “going to be re-engaging on the issue of Gavi,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a hearing on Tuesday. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/02/health/ebola-tests-congo.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/02/health/ebola-tests-congo.html A chronic lack of investment in development of better tests has left clinicians blind and allows deadly viruses to spread unchecked. Stephanie Nolen Tue, 02 Jun 2026 14:55:58 +0000 Tests (Medical) Medicine and Health Ebola Virus Epidemics Marburg Virus Cepheid World Health Organization Bunia (Congo, Democratic Republic of) Congo, Democratic Republic of (Congo-Kinshasa) Ituri Province (Congo, Democratic Republic of) Arlette Bashizi for The New York Times Health workers suiting up in Mongbwalu, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Without sufficient testing, people with symptoms that could be Ebola are often isolated together. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/02/business/economy/mellon-kennedy-childrens-health-defense.html https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/02/business/economy/mellon-kennedy-childrens-health-defense.html A Mellon heir transferred the adjacent Connecticut properties, covering about 300 acres, at no cost to Children’s Health Defense last year. Rebecca Davis O’Brien and Theodore Schleifer Tue, 02 Jun 2026 15:18:23 +0000 Mellon, Timothy (1942- ) Kennedy, Robert F Jr Children's Health Defense Vaccination and Immunization Philanthropy Lyme (Conn) Political Action Committees Campaign Finance United States Politics and Government Trump, Donald J Associated Press Photo Timothy Mellon in 1981. During the 2024 election cycle, he donated $150 million to a Trump super PAC and $25 million to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s super PAC.