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Lab experiments show that some ants will treat the injured legs of comrades, and when it's necessary will even perform medical amputations. Bart Zijlstra, UNIL hide caption

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Bart Zijlstra, UNIL

Ants treat certain leg injuries with lifesaving amputations

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Sophia Ferst (left) and her wife, Madison Bethke, outside of Helena, Montana. After Roe v. Wade was overturned, Ferst decided to get sterilized. She is one of many people under 30 now seeking permanent contraception. Shaylee Ragar
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Shaylee Ragar


Sterilization Trends

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Jerrian Reedy, left, a student at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine, assists Dorothy Gray, a student at Northside High School in the Mississippi Delta, as she practices intubation in a simulation lab. Gray, who is interested in pursuing a career in the mental health care field, attended the University of Mississippi School of Medicine’s annual African American Visit Day in April. Lauren Sausser for KFF Health News hide caption

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Lauren Sausser for KFF Health News

U.S. Supreme Court Police officers put up barricades to separate anti-abortion activists from abortion rights activists during a demonstration in front of the Supreme Court in Washington, DC, on June 24, 2024. JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images

A generic drug that's used to treat transplant patients has been shown to extend the life span of some animals. Guido Mieth/Getty Images hide caption

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Guido Mieth/Getty Images

Anti-aging drug Rapamycin to prevent gum disease 

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A homeless family with a two-year-old child on Towne Avenue in Los Angeles' Skid Row in April 2024. A new study tracks how housing insecurity affects children's health over time. Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images hide caption

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Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

When little kids don’t have stable housing, it can affect their health later

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Grace Bisch holds a picture of her stepson Eddie Bisch, who died from an overdose, while protesting during oral arguments Dec. 4 at the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. The Supreme Court's ruling on June 26 upended a proposed nationwide settlement with Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of OxyContin. Members of the Sackler family, who owned the company, will have to negotiate a new settlement for lawsuits over the impact of opioids. Michael A. McCoy/The Washington Post/Getty Images hide caption

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Michael A. McCoy/The Washington Post/Getty Images

A female Aedes aegypti mosquito, the species that transmits dengue, draws blood meal from a human host. James Gathany/CDC hide caption

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James Gathany/CDC

Dengue Virus in the U.S.

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Psilocybin mushroom grown in Littleton, Colo. Use of the psychoactive drug is growing in popularity in the U.S. Hyoung Chang/Denver Post/Getty Images hide caption

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Hyoung Chang/Denver Post/Getty Images

Magic mushrooms drive interest in psychedelics

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Reproductive rights activists demonstrated in front of the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. on Monday. Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

Health insurers' lists of covered drugs have gotten tighter. Darwin Brandis/Getty Images/iStockphoto hide caption

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Darwin Brandis/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Insurance Pinch

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"Beethoven" (1936). A new study suggests the German composer and pianist may have suffered from lead poisoning. The Print Collector/Getty Images hide caption

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The Print Collector/Getty Images

Beethoven was a classical and romantic composer, but his body was full of heavy metal

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New insights into the brain's waste-removal system could one day help researchers better understand and prevent many brain disorders. Andriy Onufriyenko/Getty Images hide caption

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Andriy Onufriyenko/Getty Images

The brain has a waste removal system and scientists are figuring out how it works

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Individually, periodical cicadas aren’t especially noisy, but when they cluster, their collective song can get as loud as a gas-powered lawnmower. Professor Kasey Fowler-Finn holds one in St. Louis last month. Zach Dyer/KFF Health News hide caption

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Zach Dyer/KFF Health News

Cicadas and kids with autism

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An illustration of the human microbiome. The bacteria in our gut may influence our mental health, research finds. MEHAU KULYK/Getty Images/Science Photo Library RF hide caption

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MEHAU KULYK/Getty Images/Science Photo Library RF

During COVID, shortages of tests led to backlogs in getting tested. Experts worry that the U.S. hasn't learned from those mistakes and wouldn't be prepared for a major bird flu outbreak. Rebecca Blackwell/AP hide caption

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Rebecca Blackwell/AP

Sung Ihm Son fell into a depression when her husband died. Making new friends and taking classes like dance and art at GenSpace in Los Angeles helped her feel happy again. Allison Aubrey/NPR hide caption

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Allison Aubrey/NPR

GenSpace aims to re-set what it feels like to get old

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Women runners at the start of the 2024 Boston Marathon. Women couldn't officially compete in this race until 1972. David L. Ryan/Boston Globe/Getty Images hide caption

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David L. Ryan/Boston Globe/Getty Images

Chemical companies and water utilities have sued the EPA after it issued rules limiting some PFAs, or "forever chemicals" that are linked to human health risks. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images/Getty Images North America hide caption

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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images/Getty Images North America

Dr. Stephanie Arnold, who prefers bright-colored clothes instead of a white coat, meets with a patient who needs a pelvic exam. The family medicine clinic Arnold founded offers reproductive health care, including abortion, alongside all kinds of other care. “It’s a little bit of everything, which is very typical of family medicine,” she says. Elissa Nadworny/NPR hide caption

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Elissa Nadworny/NPR

Abortion As Primary Care, I

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