�������ýҕ�l

A divided federal appeals court on Tuesday allowed West Virginia to restrict access to mifepristone, the pill used to end pregnancies that has emerged as a focal point of legal battles over abortion. The decision marks the first time a federal appeals court has allowed a state to strictly limit the drug, teeing up a key test of states’ powers to ban medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration. (Ovalle and Somasundaram, 7/15)

Jessica Anderson was a freshman in college juggling a full course load and two jobs when her birth control failed. Anderson talked about her options with her partner at the time, as well as her parents, and decided to terminate the pregnancy. Navigating the state’s mandatory waiting period was difficult, she recalled, but federal abortion rights ultimately protected her ability to choose an abortion. Anderson went on to have three daughters, and decades later, she credits access to the procedure with paving the way for her future family. (Barclay, 7/15)

Rush University Medical Center in Chicago is pausing providing gender-affirming care to new patients who are minors, a spokesperson said Tuesday. The spokesperson said Rush's decision was made in collaboration with clinical leaders. ... The hospital will continue to provide mental health, behavioral health and social services for gender care patients of every age, and said gender-affirming care – both hormonal and surgical – for patients over the age of 18 is not affected by the change. (Tenenbaum, 7/15)

St. Louis County announced Tuesday that it will place 44 free naloxone vending machines in high-need areas across the county through its new “I Carry for My Community” campaign. Naloxone, also known by its brand name Narcan, is a nasal spray that reverses opioid overdose. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, more than 105,000 people died of an overdose in 2023. (Mizelle, 7/16)

St. Louis-based scientists who help test the domestic meat, poultry and egg supply are celebrating the opening of a new lab. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins joined Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe on Tuesday in promoting the Food Safety and Inspections Service regional lab in Normandy. (Lippmann, 7/15)

Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe has signed legislation to promote hyperbaric oxygen therapy for veterans with a traumatic brain injury and facing post-traumatic stress disorder. Signed Monday by the governor, the legislation establishes a fund to pay for the therapy. (Rivas, 7/15)

Many Michigan residents who purchase health insurance directly or through small group plans will notice significant increases for 2026 if proposed rate requests hold up. A report by the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services shows that many of the individual plans that are available to Michigan residents will face potential rate hikes of 15% or more. (Wethington, 7/15)