New Hampshire is the first Northeastern state to ban gender-affirming health care for minors after its Republican governor gave final approval to bills that will ban the use of certain prescription medications and surgeries to treat gender dysphoria beginning next year. Gov. Kelly Ayotte, a former U.S. senator who won New Hampshire's gubernatorial election in November, signed two bills restricting access to transition-related care in the state, which already prohibits rare genital surgeries for minors to transition.
The number of people with COVID-19 in the U.S. is low but increasing, according to the CDC. COVID-19 is trending up in many mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Southern, and West Coast states. The agency said infections are 'growing or likely growing' in 40 states, based on ED visit data as of July 29. Infections were unchanged in nine states. The weekly percentage of emergency department visits among people diagnosed with COVID-19 is low, but growing, CDC says.
The Gates Foundation said Monday that it would commit $2.5 billion through 2030 to support dozens of different approaches for improving women's health, from new medicines to prevent maternal mortality to vaccines to curb infections that disproportionately affect women.
Tennessee is gearing up for an execution on Tuesday that experts say would likely mark the first time a man has been put to death with a working defibrillator in his chest. Gov. Bill Lee declined Monday to grant a reprieve, clearing the way for Byron Black's execution after a legal battle and ongoing uncertainty about whether the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator will shock his heart when the lethal drug takes effect. The nonprofit Death Penalty Information Center said it's unaware of any other cases in which a person on death row made similar claims to Black's about defibrillators or pacemakers. Black's attorneys said they haven't found a comparable case, either.
Known as the Wellness and Oversight for Psychological Resources Act, the law prohibits AI systems from delivering therapeutic treatment or making clinical decisions. The legislation still allows AI tools to be used in administrative roles, such as scheduling or note-taking, but draws a clear boundary around direct patient care.
Four Pennsylvania House Democrats and one Republican will propose rules to regulate the use of artificial intelligence in health care, worrying that an overreliance on the rapidly growing technology could lead to bias and discrimination in decision-making without transparency and human oversight.