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Todd Bridges reveals shocking sexual encounter with Dana Plato on 'Diff'rent Strokes' set: 'How would a 12-year-old girl know about that?'
On the latest episode of 'Hollywood Demons,' Todd Bridges opened up about the troubled life of his 'Diff'rent Strokes' costar Dana Plato, including a shocking sexual encounter on set.
Paradigm Health Announces Collaboration with the FDA to Transform Regulatory Review of Clinical Trial Data
/PRNewswire/ -- Today, Paradigm Health announced the launch of a landmark research collaboration with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) focused on...
6 Things to Do Before Taking Dietary Supplements | Live Healthy
Taking dietary supplements can help with vitamin and mineral deficiencies. But it can also put you at risk for drug interactions and vitamin overdose.
MIT scientists turn chaotic laser light into powerful brain imaging tool
Scientists at MIT discovered that chaotic laser light can spontaneously form a highly focused beam instead of scattering—if the conditions are just right. This “pencil beam” enabled them to image the blood-brain barrier in 3D at speeds 25 times faster than existing techniques. The method also lets researchers watch how drugs move into brain cells in real time. It could dramatically accelerate the development of treatments for neurological diseases.
U.S. Government Will Stop Paying for Test Strips to Detect Deadly Drugs
In a letter to states and other grant recipients, the Trump administration says the strips encourage drug use.
What to know about psychedelic retreats, a booming business
Surging interest in the purported benefits of psychedelic drugs has given rise to a new industry: psychedelic retreats
The best, boldest and most 'wait, what?' Stagecoach outfits, from Sydney Sweeney’s corset to Brittany and Patrick Mahomes' coordinated country-chic
From Sydney Sweeney's lingerie saloon moment to Post Malone's quadruple denim ensemble, the best Stagecoach looks went beyond the basics.
Trump administration warns against using federal dollars on fentanyl test strips
The Trump administration underlines a “clear shift away from harm reduction and practices” that it says facilitates illegal drug use.
DEA Will Start Accepting Applications From Medical Marijuana Businesses That Want Federal Rescheduling Protections This Week
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has announced that it will begin accepting applications this week for medical marijuana businesses to apply for federal protections being granted under the Trump administration’s cannabis rescheduling process. The agency’s “Medical Marijuana Dispensary Registration Portal” is set to go live on Wednesday at 9 AM ET. The move follows last […]
Multiple GLP-1 drugs linked to lower AFib risk
The popular drugs, originally developed to treat diabetes, were also associated with an improved survival rate. Benefits were seen in patients who did and did not lose significant weight as a result of treatment.
Lawmaker calls for special session on marijuana: week in politics
As the feds officially declassified marijuana as a less dangerous drug, Nashville lawmaker calls for a special session to legalize medical cannabis.
Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lerner and Loewe musicals come to L.A.
Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Flower Drum Song" and "The Sound of Music" and Lerner and Loewe's "Brigadoon" are all running in L.A. this spring.
Drug use in England spikes during heatwaves and big sports events, research finds
Project that tested traces of illicit drugs in wastewater also found higher use during Eurovision song contest
NEO health boards host second joint professional development training
Building on a “successful partnership,” the Lake County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board and the Ashtabula County Mental Health and Recovery Services Board recently held their second annual professional development t…
AI goldrush collides with voter backlash in Georgia
Multibillion-dollar artificial intelligence hubs are beginning to scramble politics in the crucial swing state as voters worry about costs and local control.
Patients taking weight-loss drugs often make 5 critical mistakes, doctor warns
Experts say GLP-1 drugs offer benefits beyond weight loss, but common mistakes like skipped labs and poor nutrition can undermine results or cause harm.
Graphene kills harmful bacteria “superbugs” but spares human cells
Scientists have uncovered how graphene oxide pulls off a remarkable trick: it hunts down and destroys harmful bacteria while leaving human cells completely unharmed. By targeting a molecule found only in bacterial membranes, this ultra-thin carbon-based material acts with laser-like precision—offering a powerful new alternative to traditional antibiotics. Even more exciting, it works against drug-resistant “superbugs,” promotes faster wound healing, and keeps its antibacterial strength even after repeated washing.
State of Texas: Marijuana reclassification could expand medical research
The federal government is easing restrictions on medical marijuana, reclassifying certain cannabis products from a Schedule I drug to a less restrictive Schedule III — a move that could significant…
Adams County Health Department joins Drug Take Back Day efforts
Drug Take Back Day allows anyone with unneeded medications to dispose of them safely.
What is ibogaine? FDA to fast-track review of drugs for mental health
DCSO: Suspect arrested while shipping drugs at local business
Detectives arrested 41-year-old Ryan Lehan of Owensboro while he was attempting to ship out those drugs at a local business.
What to know about psychedelic retreats, a booming business with few safety guardrails
Virtually all the drugs offered at retreats are illegal under U.S. federal law.
What to know about psychedelic retreats, a booming business with few safety guardrails
Virtually all the drugs offered at retreats are illegal under U.S. federal law.
The podcast telling the stories behind Ambien, Ozempic, EpiPens, and other game-changing drugs
“We're basically not using our body as directed,” says "Drug Story" host Thomas Goetz.
FDA fast-tracking its review of two psychedelic drugs for mental health treatments
Hallucinogenics are illegal under federal law but that isn’t stopping the FDA from fast tracking 3 psychedelic drugs to treat mental health
Last week, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the FDA and other federal agencies to speed research and loosen restrictions on psychedelics, a class of hallucinogenic drugs which remain illegal under federal law.
New synthetic opioid linked to overdose death in San Francisco
The drug is reportedly 10 times more potent than fentanyl.
Fact-checking RFK Jr.'s claim there's more than one way to calculate a percentage decrease
President Donald Trump has regularly said that drug-price discounts on his watch are greater than 100%, which isn’t mathematically possible. Now his health and human services secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is trying to back up his faulty math.
Popular weight loss drug linked to key benefits for patients undergoing TAVR, PCI
Two separate studies explored the value of treating heart patients with tirzepatide.
Trump Administration Approves Firing Squad Executions for Death Penalty
The Justice Department also reauthorized the use of a death penalty drug, and will seek to shorten the length of some legal appeals.
FDA moves to fast-track review of psilocybin and methylone for mental health
Some psychedelic drugs, once considered fringe, are now getting a step closer to possibly being approved for use as mental health treatments in the United States.
Big business shows up in final days of arguments at Supreme Court
Big businesses are lining up at the Supreme Court as the justices hear the final arguments of the term, pressing the conservative majority to shield industries from multimillion-dollar jury verdicts, limit the marketing of generic drugs and neuter the government’s ability to issue fines.
Big business shows up in final days of arguments at Supreme Court
Big businesses are lining up at the Supreme Court as the justices hear the final arguments of the term, pressing the conservative majority to shield industries from multimillion-dollar jury verdicts, limit the marketing of generic drugs and neuter the government’s ability to issue fines.
FDA grants quick review for 3 psychedelic drug trials
FDA commissioner Marty Makary told NBC News that the first psychedelic drug could be approved in the U.S. as soon as this summer.
News | North Carolina’s Research Triangle scores another $1 billion-plus life science campus
AbbVie’s drug manufacturing complex in Durham expected to create over 730 jobs
Marijuana's reclassification raises new questions for the cannabis industry
Medical marijuana is moving from Schedule I status, reserved for the most dangerous drugs like heroin and LSD, to Schedule III, like testosterone and steroids, which are less strictly regulated.
Reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug might only be the first step for Trump
President Donald Trump’s decision to reclassify state-licensed medical marijuana as a less dangerous drug is a boon for the industry.
Could ibogaine, a psychedelic drug, improve Americans' mental health? Some Coloradans says yes
Twisted nanoparticles sorted by light
Chiral objects are important in fields like drug development because their interactions with biological systems depend on handedness. Researchers from Tokyo University of Science, Institute for Molecular Science, and Seoul National University used light to selectively manipulate nanosized chiral objects. By confining circularly polarized light in an ultra-thin optical fiber, they transported metallic chiral nanoparticles based on handedness, thereby enabling chirality control at near-molecular scales, opening possibilities for applications involving chiral systems, including drug development.
'Big Business Opportunity': Cannabis CEO Celebrates DOJ Easing Regulations On Medical Marijuana
The Trump administration reclassified medical marijuana as a less dangerous drug on Thursday.
Trump unveils deal with Regeneron to lower drug prices as part of most-favored-nation initiative
President Donald Trump on Thursday announced a deal with drugmaker Regeneron to lower the cost of its pharmaceutical products as part of the White House’s signature drug pricing initiative.
What You Need to Know About the Health Risks of Marijuana
Studies show the drug can exacerbate anxiety and teen use poses risks for developing brains.
Most people believe at least one health myth; plus, what you should know about sarcoidosis and drug disposal
Smoking pot near a Louisiana campus could become a felony: ‘Ever been to an LSU football game?’
Louisiana could soon make it a felony to smoke marijuana within 2,000 feet of any school or college campus in Louisiana as some state leaders say people are flagrantly violating drug laws at college football games.
U.S. reclassifies medical marijuana as a less dangerous drug. Here’s what to know.
The process of rescheduling recreational marijuana, which began under former President Joe Biden in 2022, remains in limbo.
Trump reclassifies state-licensed medical marijuana as less-dangerous drug
The order signed by Todd Blanche does not legalize marijuana for medical or recreational use under federal law. But it does change the way it's regulated.
Pot firms rally after US reclassifies marijuana as less dangerous drug
Shares of cannabis firms surged on Thursday after the U.S. government moved to reclassify the Food and Drug Administration-approved and state-licensed marijuana as a less-dangerous drug.
Justice Department jumpstarts process to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signed an order Thursday reclassifying state-licensed marijuana as a less dangerous drug, changing a policy that has for decades made the drug’s potential medicinal benefits more difficult to research.
Speed over science?
A new executive order could fast-track approval of psychedelic drugs for mental illness, raising hopes for breakthrough treatments while prompting…
Amazon launches weight loss drug program
Demand for weight loss drugs is ballooning across the U.S. — and Amazon wants in.
Restrictions on obesity drug coverage force patients to pivot
Twelve million people lost coverage for Zepbound over the last year. The same number of people lost coverage for Wegovy, according to an analysis by GoodRx, a drug discount website.
Ibogaine is drawing new interest from the Trump administration. Here’s what to know about the psychedelic
Psychedelic drugs, once pushed to the fringes of medicine, are gaining serious attention within the Trump administration as potential treatment options for people with certain mental health conditions. And they could soon be closer to receiving approval from the US Food and Drug Administration.
Health care is expensive. This could help.
Health care, drug pricing and Medicare-for-all, in readers' eyes.
FDA, VSP searching downtown Charlottesville business
Officials from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Virginia State Police are searching the DripBar on East Water Street.
Americans killed in Mexico car crash following drug raid worked for the CIA, sources say
The two US embassy officials who died in a car accident in Mexico on Sunday worked for the CIA and had been collaborating with Mexican officials on expanded counternarcotics operations in the country, two people briefed on the matter confirmed to CNN.
Shaky political science: using "simulated" elections over real-world elections
[Dear DSOS readers – this article is the latest in our “Shaky Political Science” series. In our 38 page report, “Shaky political ‘science’ misses mark on ranked choice voting,” released in early December, we examined over 40 studies focused on ranked choice voting. We found that many of these studies suffered from puzzling research methodologies, poorly constructed surveys, unrealistic simulated elections, cherry picked data, and faulty analyses that often were contradicted by results from real-world elections (a link to our full paper is here). Here are links to the first three articles in our series: the first one summarizing the overall results of our report, the second one analyzing a study co-authored by University of Minnesota academic Larry Jacobs, which was one of the most error-prone of all the research we reviewed in our report, and a third article showing an admirable example of two political scientists holding two other political scientists accountable for their flawed, sloppy research]. In this fourth article in our “Shaky Political Science” series, we shine a spotlight on seven studies that were web-hosted and funded by New America’s Political Reform Program and its Electoral Reform Research Group (the ERRG is an ad hoc committee headed by New America’s Political Reform Program and joined by the American Enterprise Institute, the Unite America Institute and Stanford University’s Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law). This research consortium has been led by Lee Drutman, senior fellow with New America’s Political Reform Program. These seven studies are simply not credible from any objective standard about how political “science” is supposed to illuminate our understanding of either ranked choice voting or politics in general. The feature that six of these seven studies have in common is that they all used surveys – artificial, simulated elections -- to attempt to say something cogent or interesting about ranked choice voting (RCV) elections. None of them used real world data from actual RCV elections – either the 1000+ elections in the US or the many thousands of elections from places like Australia, Ireland and elsewhere where RCV has been used for 100 years. While a few of these studies conclude with some mixed positives about RCV, our analysis here is content neutral. The idea that, with a political reform like RCV, you can ask respondents in a mock, artificial election to vote with that method, with only the barest of explanation about how RCV works or its likely impacts (i.e. no spoiler candidates, majority winners, voters liberated to pick their favorite candidates, coalition-building), and then ask them their thoughts/reactions about voting in that system, with fake candidates and no real campaigning, no real exposure to an actual election or actual candidates, rests on some very puzzling assumptions. The findings of these seven studies actually are contradicted by the findings from many other studies based on real-world RCV elections. These New America studies also failed to list the real-world RCV studies in their own citations, instead including those studies that reinforced their conclusions. The seven studies featured in this article were chosen because they form a cohesive cohort which precisely illustrates one of the main points of our research paper, namely that using surveys, i.e. artificial elections, or mathematical/theoretical models, instead of real-world data, is in fact “shaky political science.” Below are summaries of our analysis of five of the seven New America studies. You can read our complete analysis of all seven studies at our paper, “Shaky political ‘science’ misses mark on ranked choice voting.” Choosing to “Vote As Usual” by Andre Blais, Carolina Plescia, and Semra Sevi. New America. (Blais et al., 2021). This study, web-hosted and funded by New America’s Political Reform Program and its Electoral Reform Research Group, used two surveys in which respondents completed ballots for simulated elections using plurality, approval, RCV and point (Score) voting. In both cases the authors provided the respondents with only minimal explanation of each method. For example, the entire explanation for RCV was “For this vote, rank the candidates from your first to your last choice (you do not need to rank them all). This is called the ranked vote.” That’s it. The study did not provide any context or explanation to survey respondents about why she/he might want to rank multiple candidates. Participants were not even told that ballots would be tabulated using an “instant” runoff, not to mention any description of RCVs ability to eliminate the spoiler effect or liberate voters to rank their favorite candidates without fear of helping the “greater evil” candidate to win. That’s like taking an iPhone back in time to 1970 and asking someone if they like it better than their rotary phone without explaining how it works. Their first survey targeted states that held 2020 Super Tuesday Democratic primaries and used the real candidates’ names in the survey; the second survey used fictitious candidates. In other words, they surveyed respondents who had only ever participated in plurality elections, had no history or background with using RCV or any of the other methods, had no clue about its likely impacts, and did not communicate how the alternative methods would be counted, and then asked them: “How satisfied are you with using each system?” Predictably, the winner was plurality elections, the system used for president, Congress, gubernatorial and state legislative elections – in other words, the method they have been using, year after year, all their voting lives. With so little explanation of RCV and its impacts, this study is simply not credible in discovering anything useful about real-world RCV elections. It merely shows that a basic voter education campaign is needed when adopting a new election system. Additionally, the result contradicts many other post-election surveys following real RCV elections, asking opinions from voters who had just participated in a RCV election, that showed a great deal of satisfaction with RCV (see details on that in Studies 22-25 in our paper, as well as the four studies cited in the review for Study 28). Share Other studies on “satisfaction” and “understanding” make similar mistakes, in terms of basing their surveys on inadequate explanation to respondents and lack of education about context. How could any survey ever hope to measure accurately, in essence simulate a real-world election, without actual campaigning candidates, the media writing about those candidates, organizations endorsing candidates and voters being inundated with crucial information? More than anything, what these “studies” based on surveys show is that if you ask voters about something they don’t know very much about, and fail to adequately educate them, their responses will unsurprisingly reflect their confusion. Equally puzzling is that New America’s Electoral Reform Research Group, headed by political scientist Lee Drutman, found this to be a credible enough study that they not only published it but highlighted it in Drutman’s own discussion of research related to ranked choice voting. This pattern was repeated in study after study featured by New America’s Electoral Reform Research Group. For example in Ranked-Choice Voting and Political Expression: Voter Guides Narrow the Gap between Informed and Uninformed Citizens by Cheryl Boudreau, Jonathan Colner, and Scott MacKenzie, the researchers based their analysis on a survey which found that respondents who were asked to vote in a simulated RCV election, with minimal explanation of RCV or how it works, displayed less evidence of being informed about how to use RCV effectively, with the least informed voters ranking fewer candidates. As pointed out under the study above, in a real election voters are informed by a wide variety of methods, including public education by the election administration, by interested political groups, the media, and the candidates themselves who benefit from voters being aware of how to vote in the new system. In Support for Ranked-Choice Voting across Race and Partisanship by Joseph Anthony, David C. Kimball, Jack Santucci and Jamil Scott, the researchers used respondents from different parties and races voting in simulated plurality and RCV elections, who indicated their satisfaction with each voting method. Instead of using real world election results, the authors fell back on the easy, armchair and less reliable academic research methodology of making up mock elections. As with the other studies, little explanation was given of how RCV works or what its implications might be (electing majority winners or eliminating spoilers, for example). Unsurprisingly, this study found that respondents were not very satisfied with RCV. However, when the authors added an explanation that RCV has a tendency to elect more women and people of color, they found that this greater explanation increased the preference for RCV. The more voters were familiar with it, and the more they understood potential positive impacts – surprise! -- the more they were open to switching away from the status quo. Of note, the results from this study are thoroughly contradicted by a number of other studies whose data was obtained from real RCV elections with real voters. Those studies show a great deal of satisfaction with RCV. More “fake election” research An interesting wrinkle on this “research by fake elections” approach, which only served to illustrate how unreliable such “research” can become, was taken in Ranked-Choice Voting, Runoff, and Democracy: Insights from Maine and Other U.S. States by Joseph Cerrone and Cynthia McClintock_,_ also web-hosted and funded by New America’s ERRG. It gets high marks for creativity, but an eye-roll for thinking this could possibly add anything meaningful to our understanding of real world RCV elections. This study tried to determine whether RCV, plurality or two-round runoff elections provided greater voter satisfaction and acceptance of election results. To determine that, the authors conducted a survey asking if voters were satisfied with a fictional newspaper report of an election, with three different versions given to respondents – plurality, runoff and RCV, with variations of Republican/Democrat winners and variations of “come-from-behind” winners,” i.e. candidates not initially in first place but who win the “runoff.” Again, a minimal explanation of RCV or how it works was given, and the survey showed that respondents had the greatest unfamiliarity with RCV than the other methods. The unsurprising result? Respondents were much more satisfied with “come-from-behind” victories in a traditional two-round runoff election than in RCV, even though RCV is also a runoff system but with a single round of counting. Interestingly, the dissatisfaction with RCV disappeared for those who were more familiar with RCV. In fact, among those respondents who were “very familiar” with RCV, they were equally satisfied with RCV, runoff and plurality. Surprise, surprise. Again, what this study revealed, more than anything, is not only the inadequacy of the explanation for RCV given by the authors of this study, but the failure of the research format itself, thinking that such an artificial mock election could somehow simulate what actually happens in the real world in a real RCV election. Those four studies reviewed above are fitting examples of inadequate and shaky political “science.” Other studies reviewed in our paper from the New America/Electoral Reform Research Group cohort which also used mock elections included: Ranked-Choice Voting is an Acquired Taste by Joseph Anthony and David C. Kimball. New America. (Anthony et al., 2021). Ranked-Choice Voting is No Refuge for Extreme Candidates by Melissa Baker. New America. (Baker, 2021). Also included in this New America cohort is Does Ranked-Choice Voting Reduce Racial Polarization? by Yuki Atsusaka and Theodore Landsman, which actually did use real-world election results data but applied an odd and unconventional methodology to the data which relied on shaky assumptions and non-real-world scenarios that were too divorced from reality. To determine levels of “racially polarized voting,” the researchers imagined “ethnic parties,” by which they mean political parties for each ethnic group, which was especially odd since the election data they were using came from nonpartisan RCV races. But then they made an even odder assumption, namely that since race and ethnic characteristics of studied voters were not available, the authors tried to infer that information based on who voters selected and the racial make-up of voters in each district. This amounted to little more than vague and ambiguous guesswork dressed up with a bunch of mathematical equations used to give it a veneer of scientific appearance. Indeed, it seemed to assume racial polarization in order to prove racial polarization. Based on this questionable methodology, the authors concluded that RCV doesn’t reduce racial polarization. But the premise of this study missed an obvious reality: since RCV incentivizes more candidates to run and can result in more diverse fields of candidates, one would expect more racially-polarized voting in voters’ top rankings, not less, because more voters would have someone on that ballot who represents their racial or ethnic identity and more freedom to vote for their real first choice. By encouraging more diverse candidates and eliminating the spoiler effect, RCV facilitates voting for a favorite candidate of your own race and then selecting a second choice with the best likelihood of winning. The real measure is what voters do with their additional rankings – do they consider other candidates and vote “for the best of the rest”? This study didn’t tell us anything useful about that. But readily available data shows this is common in real RCV elections, and candidates act on this knowledge by engaging with voters outside their racial group. So the authors of this study failed to consider or account for what actually happens in real-world elections, and their conclusions are tainted by this failure. New America has contributed a great deal over the past 2.5 decades to our understanding of many policy areas, including politics and political reform (full disclosure: Steven Hill, one of the authors of this article and of the “Shaky Political Science” research paper and series, is a former senior fellow and former director of New America’s political reform program, 2005-2010). So it was especially disappointing that New America funded and published such a large batch of dubious studies about ranked choice voting. The stated praiseworthy goal of its Electoral Reform Research Group was to inspire new academic research about ranked choice voting that would shed light and help the public better understand the impacts of RCV. Instead, the ERRG research did just the opposite. It produced dubious research that created more confusion and misinformation. In so doing, New America’s political reform program contributed to “shaky political science.” Steven Hill and Paul Haughey Share Upgrade to $5 subscription Thanks for reading DemocracySOS, a reader-supported digital portal for the pro-democracy movement. Subscribe for only $5 per month to receive full benefits and to support our work. Subscribe
Cantaloupes Recalled in Four States Due to Salmonella Risk
By HealthDay Staff HealthDay ReporterTUESDAY, April 21, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Health officials in some states are warning shoppers to avoid certain cantaloupes amid concerns they may carry Salmonella. The recall, announced by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), involves fruit produced by
Alzheimer’s drugs offer little benefit, major review finds – and the reasons go deeper than the science
Alzheimer’s research shows what happens when funding pressures and vested interests corrupt the pursuit of scientific truth.
Behind the science: Why it pays to fight a virus on the home turf
The emergence of a nasty new virus or even an unexpected flu strain can pose a big public-health headache. Meanwhile, antiviral drug development moves at an agonizingly slow pace and cringingly high cost. But there’s a way around that.
What can science fiction tell us about sex-change and the transsexual experience? | The Clayman Institute for Gender Research
Though science fiction describes future sociocultural worlds impacted by scientific and technological breakthroughs, a conundrum persists when it comes to science fiction on transgender, transsexual, and sex-change themes. Why is it that fantasies and imaginaries of sex-change in the breakthrough years of hormonal science did not register with authors writing science fiction in this period?
The Death of Public Health
During the recent measles outbreak, the largest in more than 30 years, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. refused to clearly recommend the measles vaccine, saying instead that it was a “personal decision,” and that parents should “do their own research.” Similarly, during her recent confirmation hearing for United States Surgeon General, Casey Means was questioned by Senator William Cassidy (R, La). “You’re the nation’s doctor,” said Cassidy. “Would you encourage [a mother] to have her child vaccinated!” “I’m not an individual’s doctor,” Means said. “And every individual needs to talk to their doctor before putting a medication in their body.” In June 2025, Marty Makary, Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said that COVID vaccines for pregnant women should be a “personal choice”, even though every other country in the world recommended the COVID vaccine during pregnancy due to a higher risk for severe disease. It doesn’t end there. On January 5, 2026, RFK Jr. reduced the number of routinely recommended vaccines from 18 to 10. For vaccines that protected against influenza, COVID, and rotavirus, parents were urged to speak with their doctors—to make an individual choice. (On March 16, 2026, in a ruling by a federal court in Boston, RFK Jr.’s revised schedule was invalidated.) What’s happening? Why are public health officials moving away from making recommendations for the public? The origin of this change might be rooted in the first two years of the COVID pandemic. In 2020, during the first year on the pandemic, we didn’t have anything to stop a virus that was killing hundreds of people a day and could be spread asymptomatically. We didn’t have antivirals until October, monoclonal antibodies until November, and vaccines until December. All we could do was restrict travel, close businesses, shutter schools, and mask, isolate, quarantine, test, and social distance. During the second year of the pandemic, when we had vaccines to prevent COVID, people couldn’t go anywhere without their vaccine cards. They couldn’t go to their favorite bar or restaurant or sporting event or place of worship without proof of vaccination. Some people were fired from their jobs for refusing to get vaccinated. For many, this was seen as massive government overreach and energized what has been called the “medical freedom movement.” Indeed, a headline in the New York Times declared, “How Health Freedom Became a Winning Rally Cry.” As expressed in the comments of RFK Jr., Casey Means, and Marty Makary, the medical freedom movement focuses on the individual not the community—the opposite of public health. In an article titled “Ethics and Social Value Judgments in Public Health,” ethicists from Yale University distinguished public health from medical freedom. “Public health policies,” they wrote, “are population oriented. Because individual health affects the health of others, public health measures regulate individual behavior to achieve population health goals. All raise questions about how individual autonomy and freedom should be balanced against public health interests…which respects individuals’ sovereignty over their bodies and actions as long as their actions do not harm others.” The medical freedom movement fails to recognize that it often limits the freedom of others. For example, a parent who is afraid to send a child to school where many of the students are unvaccinated. Or immune compromised children who depend on those around them to for protection. The question then becomes “Freedom for whom?” Is it your right, in the name of medical freedom, to catch and transmit a potentially fatal infection—and in so doing, take away the freedom of others? In Four Essays on Liberty, Isaiah Berlin sums it up best. “Liberty for the wolves,” he wrote, “is death to the lambs.” Thanks for reading Beyond the Noise! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Subscribe
A ‘burgeoning black market’, inflated dosing and the over-judicialization of health care: reporters around the world tell stories about Keytruda
In a yearlong investigation led by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, reporters from more than 37 countries found the cancer drug’s high price impacts patients and health systems differently.
Aspirin can reduce the risk of cancer – and we're starting to understand why
The 4,000-year-old drug, most commonly used to treat pain, prevents certain tumours from forming and spreading across the body – findings that are already changing health policies.
Scientists discover skincare compound that kills drug-resistant bacteria
A popular Korean skincare ingredient may be far more powerful than anyone realized. Scientists have discovered that madecassic acid—derived from the herb Centella asiatica—can stop antibiotic-resistant bacteria in their tracks, including dangerous strains of E. coli. By targeting a bacterial protein that humans don’t have, the compound disrupts the microbes’ ability to survive, making it a promising new type of antibiotic.
Binghamton native announces plans for new entertainment venue
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) -A Binghamton native who had a successful career in finance in the Boston area is looking to invest in his hometown. Nate Levy recently purchased the former CVS drugstore ...
New Online Tool to Help People Find Naloxone Launched by the Wyoming Department of Health - Wyoming Department of Health
The Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) is excited to announce the Community Naloxone Resource Map. This new online tool makes it easier for people to find naloxone at no cost in their local communities. Naloxone, often known by the brand name Narcan®, is a life-saving drug that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. Given […]
Trump’s order on psychedelics could have far-reaching science consequences
A new executive order could make it easier for researchers studying how psychedelic drugs like psilocybin, LSD and ibogaine may be useful in medicine
President Trump’s Landmark Order Advances Breakthrough Mental Health Treatments — Delivering New Hope to Veterans
This weekend, President Donald J. Trump signed a groundbreaking Executive Order accelerating research and improving access to psychedelic drugs as
Cocaine pollution in rivers and lakes may disrupt behaviour of salmon, study finds
Fish swam further and dispersed more widely after exposure to environmental levels of drug and main metabolite
These Salmon Got High on Cocaine. That Wasn’t the Craziest Part.
Scientists in Sweden made an unexpected discovery when they exposed the fish to the illegal drug as well as another substance.
Trump Backs Psychedelic Research
By HealthDay Staff HealthDay ReporterMONDAY, April 20, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Psychedelic drugs could soon play a larger role in mental health care. Over the weekend, President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at boosting federal research into substances like psilocybin, LSD and MDMA
Our latest list of Chicago’s largest private companies has a newcomer near the top
Last year's private equity buyout made drugstore giant Walgreens the Chicago area's second-largest privately held company. This year's list is also missing one of its regulars.
Drug ads face new scrutiny at FDA and on Hill
The U.S. and New Zealand are the only countries that allow direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising.
Blockbuster GLP-1 Diabetes and Weight Loss Drugs Fails in Alzheimer’s Trial
Researchers are exploring whether GLP-1 medications used for diabetes and weight loss could treat Alzheimer’s and addiction.
Psychoactive Drug Patterns Before, During and Just After Pregnancy
Fewer than one-fourth of women who had prescriptions for anti-depressives before becoming pregnant kept them throughout pregnancy, recent Cleveland Clinic research shows.
San Francisco’s mental health board, drug policy under scrutiny this week; Pyramid to get landmark status
This week, the highlights at City Hall include the likely reorganization of a commission overseeing mental health policy, support for drug-free supportive housing, and the possible landmarking of the city’s most visually distinctive building after over 50 years on the skyline. On Monday, the Rules Committee will have a full docket ranging from an ordinance […]
Hundreds pack Montevideo’s plaza as La Rueda de Candombe caps a breakout run
Every Monday night in Montevideo, hundreds of people gather around a table in a public square, drawn by the pulse of drums, guitars, and voices. La Rueda de Candombe started as a casual jam session...
Hundreds pack Montevideo’s plaza as La Rueda de Candombe caps a breakout run
Every Monday night in Montevideo, hundreds of people gather around a table in a public square, drawn by the pulse of drums, guitars, and voices.
Multiple employees, patrons charged after drug, alcohol investigation at 2 Greensboro businesses
The North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement Division (ALE), with assistance from the Greensboro Police Department (GPD), executed four search warrants Sunday morning.
Cannabis is neither harmless nor a cure-all
Cannabis, rural flight access, Catholicism and more, in readers' eyes.
Cher files for conservatorship of son Elijah Blue Allman again after arrests: 'His drug dependency is at its worst'
Cher has filed to place her 'gravely disabled' son Elijah Blue Allman under a temporary conservatorship after he was arrested in New Hampshire: 'His drug dependency is at its worst.'
Trump signs order to hasten review of psychedelics
Ibogaine and other psychedelics remain banned under the federal government's most restrictive category for illegal, high-risk drugs. But the administration is taking steps to ease restrictions and spur research on using the drugs for medical purposes, including conditions like severe depression.
Trump accelerates research on psychedelic treatments and asks, ‘Can I have some?’
President Donald Trump on Saturday signed an executive order aimed at encouraging expanded research into ibogaine and other psychedelic drugs, part of a broader push to explore emerging mental health treatments.
Trump signs order to speed up review of psychedelic drugs for mental health treatment
The order eases restrictions on psychedelic drugs like ibogaine to spur research on using the them for medical purposes.
How Trump is pushing psychedelics reform through the health agencies
Trump directed the federal government to rush access to psychedelic treatments and reevaluate their status as controlled substances.
Trump signs order to speed review of psychedelics, including the controversial drug ibogaine
President Donald Trump has directed his administration to speed up reviews of certain psychedelic drugs, including ibogaine | WBEN
Trump signs order to speed review of psychedelics, including the controversial drug ibogaine
President Donald Trump has directed his administration to speed up reviews of certain psychedelic drugs, including ibogaine.
Trump signs executive order to research ibogaine, a psychedelic used abroad to treat PTSD
The executive order will open the door for more research into the psychedelic drug ibogaine, sources told CBS News earlier this week.
Experimental drug doubles one-year survival in pancreatic cancer
A new drug that works by making tumors more susceptible to chemotherapy and the immune system has increased survival in those with advanced pancreatic cancer in a trial.
How corporate welfare for hospitals is raising health care costs
A drug discount program has fueled consolidation and incentivized prescribing more expensive medications.
Trump Expected to Loosen Restrictions on Psychedelic Drugs
An executive order is intended to accelerate research into the compounds’ efficacy in treating PTSD, depression and other mental health problems.
OpenAI Has a New AI Model Built for Biology and Science
GPT-Rosalind is intended to help scientists streamline their research and drug discovery.
Fortnite Loses Two Game Modes, But 'Save The World' Goes Free On Xbox & Beyond
Pro Vocals and Pro Drums have also joined Fortnite Festival
Drug-resistant bacteria causing bloody diarrhea is growing threat
Here's a look at how to prevent drug-resistant shigella, a type of bacteria that causes shigellosis, a diarrheal infection.
6 Common Medications That May Decrease Dementia Risk
Some vaccines, along with heart medications and other drugs, appear to have a protective benefit.
Xanax XR recalled after discovery that tablets may fail to release medication properly
A batch of Xanax XR has been recalled nationwide after the manufacturer found the drug may not release properly in the body. The FDA classified the issue as moderate risk.
New Online Tool to Help People Find Naloxone Launched by the Wyoming Department of Health - Wyoming Department of Health
The Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) is excited to announce the Community Naloxone Resource Map. This new online tool makes it easier for people to find naloxone at no cost in their local communities. Naloxone, often known by the brand name Narcan®, is a life-saving drug that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. Given […]
Tumour cells use a genetic trick to become drug-resistant
The same trick could also be used against them