Health

(NEW YORK) — The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a final version of its report on pediatric gender-affirming care on Wednesday, claiming it found “medical dangers posed to children,” which is receiving pushback from medical groups.

The report alleged that gender-affirming care — including puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and gender-affirming surgeries — caused significant, long-term damage.

It comes after HHS published in May an early version of what it referred to as a “comprehensive review” of transgender care for children and teens, in which it called for a broader use of psychotherapy for young people with gender dysphoria rather than gender-affirming medical interventions.

The HHS referred to the final version of the report as “peer-reviewed,” but some of those who reviewed the contents are researchers who have spoken against gender affirming care.

Some major medical groups have pushed back, stating that psychotherapy first is the standard approach in gender-affirming care and that additional care, such as hormonal therapies, only occurs after in-depth evaluations between patients and doctors.

The American Psychological Association (APA), which reviewed the report, argued it lacks transparency and that scientific research does not support the authors’ theories.

Experts in the gender-affirming care space questioned the validity of the findings, saying that studies have found that gender-affirming care is generally safe and that youth with gender dysphoria are typically evaluated, diagnosed and treated based on an individual assessment by qualified providers.

“This report does not add to the science. It adds to the noise around care for transgender young people, care that is provided by licensed clinicians according to a standard of care,” Kellan Baker, senior advisor for health policy at the Movement Advancement Project, an independent think tank that provides research, insight and analysis on LGBTQ+ issues, told ABC News.

“That standard of care is based on the same comparable quality of evidence as care across any other area of medicine,” Baker continued. “There is nothing new or unusual about care for transgender young people except for the extraordinary degree of political antagonism that is being focused on this very, very small group of young people.”

In a press release on Wednesday, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health, called the report “a turning point for American medicine,” adding that “we are committed to ensuring that science, not ideology, guides America’s medical research.”

David Aizuss, MD, chair of the American Medical Association Board of Trustees and Susan J. Kressly, MD, FAAP, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, released a joint statement on Wednesday.

“We reject characterizations of our approach to gender-affirming care as negligent or ideologically driven, and take particular issue with the false assertion that our members have committed ‘malpractice’ or betrayed their oath in any way,” the statement read.

“These claims, rooted in politics and partisanship, misrepresent the consensus of medical science, undermine the professionalism of physicians, and risk harming vulnerable young people and their families,” Aizuss and Kressly added.

The final version of the HHS report listed nine authors, all of whom have expressed skeptical views of, or have opposed, pediatric gender-affirming care.

The initial May report did not list the names of its authors to “help maintain the integrity of this process.” Critics at the time pointed out that this prevented readers from gauging whether the names were credible or had any conflicts of interest.

The disclosures in the final report show that at least six of the nine authors have financial interests or have spoken out extensively opposing gender affirming care.

This includes authors who have been paid to offer expert testimony on legislative efforts to ban pediatric gender medicine and have published papers critical of pediatric gender medicine, including claims that such care does not improve depression or suicidality among trans youth.

The report included 10 reviewers, including individual physicians and medical groups, some of whom praised the report as “scientifically sound” and said the main findings and conclusions are “correct.”

Other reviewers were critical, including the APA, which accused the authors of the report of cherry-picking which studies it used in its findings and not justifying why other studies were excluded. Additionally, it says key findings in studies that were relied on were unexplained or absent.

“While the HHS Report purports to be a thorough, evidence-based assessment of gender-affirming care for transgender youth, its underlying methodology lacks sufficient transparency and clarity for its findings to be taken at face value,” the APA wrote in its review, found in the report’s supplement.

In conclusion, the group wrote, “the report’s claims fall short of the standard of methodological rigor that should be considered a prerequisite for policy guidance in clinical care.”

In a response to the report, the Endocrine Society said in a statement to ABC News that mental health care is already part of treating transgender and gender-diverse youth with health care protocols requiring initial mental health support and evaluations.

However, they add that access to medication such as hormone therapy can be used in conversations between patients, their families and their doctors. They add that such care is also relatively rare.

“The use of puberty-delaying medication or hormone therapy remains rare and reflects a cautious approach as recommended in our guideline,” the statement read. “Fewer than one in 1,000 U.S. adolescents with commercial insurance received either treatment during the five-year period from 2018 to 2022, according to a January 2025 study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. And our 2017 guidelines recommend against prescribing any medication for gender dysphoria before puberty starts.”

Gender-affirming care is supported by multiple major medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) and the APA, and the Endocrine Society.

Studies have shown that many of the treatment options are generally safe and that care can have a positive impact on mental health, which psychotherapy alone cannot provide, experts said.

Some experts have questioned the significance of interventions on long-term mental health as well as the possibility of regret and point out potential risks to future fertility.

Additionally, systematic reviews from Sweden, Finland and the U.K. have resulted in the three countries restricting gender-affirming care. England’s National Health Service ended prescribing puberty blockers for minors experiencing gender dysphoria outside of clinical trials. Sweden and Finland have followed psychotherapy-first models. 

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(NEW YORK) — The global rise of ultra-processed foods in diets worldwide poses a major public health threat, according to experts who published a series of papers in medical journal The Lancet.

The authors cite studies that show ultra-processed diets are linked to chronic health conditions like increased risk of becoming overweight and obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, chronic kidney disease and overall higher death rates. 

Common examples of ultra-processed foods include sugar-sweetened beverages, packaged snacks, instant soups, breakfast cereals, energy bars, mass-produced packaged breads, ready-to-eat meals, ice cream and pizza.

ABC News’ medical correspondent Dr. Darien Sutton investigated the state of America’s food supply including the consumption of ultra-processed foods and the potential risks to Americans’ health in a new “ABC News Live Prime” special “Gut Check: The Foods We Eat.”

Watch the segment on ABC News Live Prime on Wednesday, Nov. 19, at 8:30 p.m. ET. Available to stream on Disney+ and Hulu.

Sutton participated in an experiment at a high-tech laboratory at Virginia Tech where researchers monitored his blood work before and after eating ultra-processed foods. He also visited an American grocery store, comparing the ingredient lists of common food products with similar ones overseas in a French grocery store.

The special also takes viewers to the world’s largest food and science exposition in Chicago, where ingredient makers pitch food companies on their latest innovations. It’s a notable time for the industry, as the Trump administration continues to push food companies to remove additives, like synthetic dyes, from their products. 

The warning around the dangers of ultra-processed foods comes as the Make America Health Again (MAHA) movement, popularized by health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., grows nationwide.

About four in 10 parents consider themselves supporters of the MAHA movement, with support higher among Republicans and white parents, a Washington Post-KFF poll finds.

An overwhelming number of parents, regardless of their support of the MAHA movement, supported increased government regulations on dyes and chemical additives, highly processed foods and added sugars, the poll found. 

The authors of The Lancet paper, which was published on Tuesday, note that improving diets requires more than just a change in behavior.

Instead, they are calling for world policy reform with actions targeting the production, marketing and consumption of ultra-processed foods, as well as improving access to health food is needed, they note.

Americans consume over half of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods, on average, according to a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Healthier eating should emphasize fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy and protein, the CDC says. Most Americans need to increase their intake of dietary fiber, calcium, vitamin D, and potassium, the agency notes.

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(NEW YORK) — Just 100 cigarettes over the course of someone’s life may be enough to raise their risk of heart disease and death, a new study suggests.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University, who looked at the smoking habits of more than 300,000 adults for almost 20 years, found that men and women who smoked as few as two cigarettes daily had a 60% increased risk of death from any cause compared to those who never smoked.

Additionally, the smoking group had a 50% higher risk of heart disease, according to the study published Tuesday in the journal PLOS Medicine.

“Tobacco use is a very well-established risk factor for heart disease,” said Dr. Jennifer Miao, a cardiologist at Yale University and an ABC News Medical Unit fellow. “It really damages the blood vessel lining and it accelerates the development of plaques and coronary artery disease.” 

Smoking is also linked to heart rhythm issues, such as atrial fibrillation and stroke, Maio added.

Cutting back on cigarette use may not be enough to reverse the harm, the study found. Although current smokers had a higher risk of death than former smokers, former smokers still had an elevated risk of heart disease more than 20 years after they had kicked the habit, according to the study.

Data from the American Lung Association shows that adult smoking in the U.S. has dropped from about 42% in 1965 to roughly 12% in 2022 — a decline of more than 70%. 

However, the number of people smoking fewer than 15 cigarettes per day increased 85% during the same period. 

Americans should be counseled to quit smoking altogether rather than just cutting back, Dr. Erfan Tasdighi, co-author of the study and internal medicine physician at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, told ABC News.

“We actually have the evidenc. … to say that even less than one cigarette a day can increase different multiple cardiovascular outcomes, and it’s not something that’s clinically insignificant,” Tasdighi said.

Miao acknowledged how difficult it can be for patients to go completely smoke-free. 

“It’s very, very important for us as clinicians to acknowledge that it’s a lot easier said than done,” she said.

Miao suggested that physicians identify who is having a difficult time stopping tobacco use and get them connected with the appropriate resources and medical therapies available for smoking cessation efforts.

The benefit of quitting smoking is most substantial in the first ten years after quitting, the study suggested. However, researchers say it takes time for the body to recover and reach the level of someone who never smoked.

Tasdighi emphasized that this doesn’t mean cessation doesn’t have immediate effects.

“It’s important that people know that when they stop smoking, their risk goes down immediately and significantly,” he said.

Miao agreed, adding that the study’s most important takeaway is that “it’s important to quit smoking early on, and no amount of smoking is without risk and health consequences.”

It’s not just patients who should heed the results of this study, the authors stressed. Physicians should also consider changing the way they inquire about smoking because the number of packs someone smokes per year is not necessarily predictive of long-term health risks, they said. 

“Clinicians need a more nuanced approach that incorporates other ways to identify and quantify cigarette use, like smoking status and smoking intensity,” Miao said, noting that whether it’s smoking one cigarette a day or one a week, no amount of smoking is safe, and quitting remains the best thing someone can do for their health. 

To learn more about quitting smoking, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or make an appointment with your health care provider.

Radhika Malhotra, MD, is an internal medicine-preventive medicine resident at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and a member of the ABC News Medical Unit.

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(COLUMBIA, S.C.) — A few South Carolina lawmakers are holding a hearing on Tuesday to discuss a near-total abortion ban that removes exceptions and could send anyone involved with termination of a pregnancy to prison for decades.

Currently, the state has a six-week abortion ban, signed into law in May 2023, with limited exceptions for rape and incest up to 12 weeks, for fetal anomalies and to save the life of the pregnant person.

However, S.323, also called the “Unborn Child Protection Action,” which is currently being debated in a state subcommittee, would repeal the rape, incest and fetal anomalies exceptions as well as make abortion a felony comparable to “the homicide of a person born alive,” which, if it clears a series of legislative hurdles, could send people who have an abortion to prison for up to 30 years.

If the bill clears the committee, there will be a few other legislative steps before it’s debated during the state legislature’s regular session.

Those who aid, abet or perform an abortion could also face up to three decades in prison.

Additionally, the bill would make it unlawful to possess abortion pills or provide information about an abortion, make it a felony to transport a minor out of state to obtain an abortion, change the definition of legal contraceptive, and redefine embryos as full legal persons, which opponents of the bill say could threaten IVF access.

Opponents argue the bill would be one of the strictest pieces of legislation limiting access to reproductive health care seen in the U.S. and could have far-reaching effects.

“If people think that there are exceptions here, I want to reiterate that there are none,” Amalia Luxardo, CEO of the nonprofit advocacy organization Women’s Rights and Empowerment Network (WREN), told ABC News. “There are none here. … Historically there have been exceptions when legislation like this comes down. And so, it really is, quite literally, the most extreme piece of legislation that we’ve seen in the [reproductive health care] space ever in this country. “

Luxardo said that WREN will be among the groups demonstrating at the state capitol on Tuesday as the bill is discussed during a second hearing of the South Carolina Senate Medical Affairs subcommittee.

The first hearing in October lasted several hours with dozens of people testifying during public comment. The hearing on Tuesday will not be open to the public, but people are able to watch a stream.

Nimra Chowdhry, senior state legislative council with the Center for Reproductive Rights, told ABC News that because the hearing is without public comment, it’s difficult for opponents to weigh in on why the bill is “problematic.”

However, she said advocates are continuing to put pressure on lawmakers by having constituents call up their representatives, sharing personal stories of people who have struggled to get abortion care in harrowing situations and legal reasonings behind why some consider the bill unconstitutional.

Chowdhry added that she is concerned that, if the bill passes, lawmakers in other states could replicate the legislation with similar language and penalties.

“We have seen time and time again, when very restrictive legislation sees the light of day, and if it potentially has a chance of moving through the legislature and getting signed and getting enacted, other hostile states very often follow suit,” she said. “Once we see a bill get enacted, we see that kind of momentum get pushed forward. It really opens the door for other states to do something similar.”

Luxardo agreed, adding that if the legislation passes, she believes it could deter providers from practicing in South Carolina.

The bill has also caused friction among anti-abortion rights groups, with some saying S.323 goes too far.

South Carolina Citizens for Life said that while it supports the current six-week ban, it opposes the criminalization of those who receive an abortion.

“Criminalizing women who have an abortion is inconsistent with our decades of work to legally protect both the unborn and the mother,” the statement reads. “Pro-lifers understand better than anyone else the desire to punish the purveyors of abortion who act callously and without regard to the dignity of human life. But turning women who have abortions into criminals, as S.323 does, is not the way.”

Other groups, such as Equal Protection South Carolina (EPSC), have supported the bill. EPSC stated it hopes legal equal protection in the bill can be expanded “for all pre-born babies beginning at fertilization.”

When asked for comment, EPSC pointed ABC News to a September statement.

“We are encouraged by the sentiment of the bill and the bill author’s passion to end abortion,” the group wrote. “The imposition of a criminal penalty in all parties involved in an abortion is a laudable departure from the approach traditionally taken by the Pro-Life establishment, which advocates for legislation providing total legal immunity to mothers who willfully murder their pre-born children.”

Co-sponsors of the bill, including state Sens. Richard Cash, Billy Garrett and Rex Rice, did not immediately return ABC News’ requests for comment.

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(WASHINGTON) — Just as SNAP benefits were reinstated for millions of Americans following the reopening of the federal government, many are now set to permanently lose them.

Nearly 42 million Americans, including low-income families and vulnerable households, rely on SNAP, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, to help pay for groceries or other household essentials.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has been directing states to implement new guidance as part of President Donald Trump’s megabill signed into law in July, which will include new work requirements, decreased eligibility for refugees and states shouldering some of the cost of the program.

Estimates from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) published in August suggest that, as a result of the changes, more than 3 million Americans could lose assistance within the next few years.

“I think millions of people are going to lose food. … There’s no question this is going to create more harm and suffering and hunger,” Joel Berg, CEO of the nonprofit hunger relief organization Hunger Free America, told ABC News.

New work requirements

Under the megabill, the upper age limit for those who need to meet work requirements was raised from age 54 to 64 for the first time for able-bodied adults without dependents

Additionally, exemptions were changed for parents or other family members with responsibility for a dependent under 18 years old to under 14 years old.

According to CBO estimates, about 1.1 million people will lose SNAP benefits between 2025 and 2034, including 800,000 able-bodied adults through age 64 who don’t live with dependents and 300,000 parents or caregivers up to age 64 with children aged 14 and older.

Exemptions were also removed for homeless individuals, veterans and young adults who were in foster care when they turned age 18. Meanwhile, exemptions were added for American Indians.

CBO estimates the removal of these exemptions will lead to a loss of benefits for 300,000 people among those groups.

Berg said these requirements will be harmful because people may have to leave work to visit a government office providing proof of work and potentially losing wages.

“It’s really work reporting requirements, and we know none of these requirements actually increase work,” Berg said. “It’s adding them for veterans, as if they haven’t given enough to the country. It’s adding work requirements for parents of teenagers. It’s adding work reporting requirements for homeless people. How homeless people are going to be able to get and keep jobs is really beyond me.”

Berg added that it’s important to dispel the myth that all Americans who are on SNAP don’t have jobs or participate in work programs.

Data from the 2023 American Community Survey shows the majority of American families receiving SNAP benefits had at least one family member working in the past 12 months.

However, work requirements can reduce program participation. A 2021 report from the National Bureau of Economic Research found SNAP work requirements could lead to up to 53% of eligible adults exiting the program within 18 months.

Asylum seeker restrictions

Under the megabill, refugees, asylum seekers and those granted legal protection for humanitarian reasons are no longer eligible for SNAP benefits, removing decades of federal precedent.

This includes trafficking victims who were previously certified by the Department of Health and Human Services and Iraqi or Afghan special immigrant visa holders who worked with U.S. forces or agencies.

Under CBO estimates, about 90,000 people in these categories will become ineligible for SNAP benefits.

The only non-citizens who can still receive benefits include lawful permanent residents, although they must wait five years after receiving their green card, with certain exceptions.

Additionally, Cuban or Haitian entrants under humanitarian parole, as well as people in the U.S. under the Compact of Free Association — a series of international agreements between the U.S. and three Pacific Island nations — are also eligible.

“This policy is both mean-spirited and counterproductive,” Naomi Steinberg, HIAS Vice President of U.S. Policy and Advocacy, said in a statement. “Resettled refugees and asylees have been granted legal protection to permanently live and work in the United States. Denying families who are just getting their feet on the ground in their new American communities is unspeakably misguided, especially when denying basic nutritional assistance undermines their ability to achieve self-sufficiency and stability as quickly as possible.”

States sharing costs

States will have to share in the cost of SNAP benefits under the megabill, a change from the federal government shouldering the cost of the program.

Under the megabill, states with SNAP payment error rates above 6% have to pay a share of 5% — starting in 2028 — up to a maximum of 15 % of SNAP benefit costs.

CBO estimates some states will keep their current benefits and eligibility, while others will modify and some will leave the program altogether. This will reduce or eliminate SNAP benefits for about 300,000 people between 2028 and 2034.

A Commonwealth Fund analysis found that about $128 billion in federal costs will shift to the states, and many will not have the funds to meet the required matches. This could force states to opt out of SNAP for their residents.

“They’re increasing administrative costs on states, which many states are going to use to reduce access,” Berg said. “That’s going to cause states to either raise taxes, cut something else, or cut food.”

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(NEW YORK) — A New Jersey man is believed to be the first documented death from alpha-gal syndrome, a meat allergy triggered by tick bites.

The man, a 47-year-old airline pilot, was otherwise healthy, according to a case study from researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and Hackensack Meridian Health in New Jersey.

In summer 2024, he went camping with his wife and children. A few hours after eating beef steak for dinner, the man awoke with abdominal discomfort, which later led to diarrhea and vomiting.

His condition eventually improved and, although he spoke with his wife about consulting a doctor, they ultimately decided against it.

Two weeks later, in September, the man and his wife attended a barbecue in New Jersey during which he ate a hamburger.

Four hours later, the man was found unconscious on the floor of his bathroom. Paramedics attempted to resuscitate the man and transferred him to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. 

The cause of death was initially ruled as “sudden unexplained death” after inconclusive results. The man’s wife provided the autopsy report to a doctor, who forwarded it to an allergy specialist.

The specialist used blood samples to identify that the man had an extreme reaction to alpha-gal, in line with fatal anaphylaxis, or allergic reaction, according to the case study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology in Practice.

When asked if he had been bitten by ticks, his wife said he had in the past and that, earlier in the summer, he has at least 12 or 13 “chigger” bites around his ankles. Researchers said that in the eastern U.S., what are sometimes referred to as “chiggers” are often larvae of lone star ticks.

Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) is a serious, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that arises after people eat red meat or consume products with alpha-gal, a type of sugar found in most mammals, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The syndrome is typically caused tick bites, most often from lone star ticks, which transfer alpha-gal into a patient’s body and, in turn, triggers an immune system response.

Although tracking is limited, it is estimated that more than 110,000 cases of AGS were identified between 2010 and 2022, the CDC said.

The actual number of cases is not known, but up to 450,000 people may be affected, according to the agency. In 2023, two studies from the CDC referred to AGS as an “emerging public health concern.”

AGS symptoms can include hives or itchy rash, nausea or vomiting, heartburn or indigestion, diarrhea, shortness of breath and severe stomach pain. Symptoms can range from mild to severe and typically occur two to six hours after consuming products with alpha-gal.

The CDC says the best way to protect against AGS is to prevent tick bites. This includes knowing where to expect ticks, such as in wooded areas; treating clothes and gear with products containing the insecticide permethrin; and walking outside in the center of a trail as opposed to a brushy area.

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(NEW YORK) — Food banks and pantries have been experiencing historic demand since SNAP benefits halted on Nov. 1 for many Americans due to the federal government shutdown.

That halt affected nearly 42 million Americans, many of whom are older or low-income, and use benefits to help pay for groceries and other essentials.

President Donald Trump late Wednesday night signed a funding bill to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, after White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt earlier said that full SNAP benefits will be paid out once the shutdown was resolved.

However, food assistance workers said the restoration of food assistance can’t come soon enough as they struggle to fill in the gap left behind by SNAP.

Cyndi Kirkhart, executive director at Facing Hunger Food Bank, said she’s been working at the food bank for 11 years and has never seen the surge in people she is seeing now, and that it is higher than what she saw during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Facing Hunger Food Bank — which serves 17 counties in West Virginia, Ohio and eastern Kentucky — said some locations in the southern part of West Virginia have seen a 1,800% increase in the number of families visiting.

“Typically, we do mobile pantry distribution, which are cars [lining] up [and] we load their car up with food,” she told ABC News. “At the most, we’ll see 250 families. The past week, solidly, we have seen 900 families at each distribution, at each site.”

Kirkhart said their mobile pantries have seen such demand that instead of sending large box trucks to load up supplies at the food bank, she has had to send tractor-trailers. She added that she only has two tractor-trailers, which puts a lot of pressure on drivers to load up and visit multiple distribution sites.

Kirkhart said her organization encourages individuals to go to the food pantries for food rather than the bank, but they will still serve people who visit the bank.

“We’ll still have maybe, over the course of a month, 50 people that will show up directly at the food bank for an emergency food box,” she said. “And these past two weeks at least, we have had 60 a day. … It’s non-stop.”

In Washington state, food banks are also seeing an exponential increase in visitors. Jordan Beaudry, development and communications manager at North Help Line — which provides emergency services including food aid — said there has been a surge at the two food banks the organization serves that has been years in the making.

Starting in 2022, “we saw our numbers practically double overnight, and it’s just been a steady increase since then,” he told ABC News. “We’re serving twice as many folks as we did three years ago, and that is sort of setting the stage going into this latest round of SNAP  cuts and the government shutdown. … We’ve seen just a massive increase in the amount of folks accessing services, particularly since the pause on SNAP benefits.”

The most recent demand began in October, when it was first announced that SNAP benefits may be halted in November, Beaudry said.

From July through September, the banks saw an average of 1,086 visitors per week for the first two weeks of the month, according to data provided by Beaudry. In October, the average for the first two weeks was 1,136 per week. Last week, the banks saw 1,329 visits.

At one of the food banks, Beaudry said the last Thursday in October was the highest number of people the organization has ever seen on a Thursday, with about a 14% increase in households visiting to receive food.

Similarly, Kristen Wild, president and CEO of hunger relief organization Operation Food Search, which serves 25 counties in Missouri and Illinois, said the pantries, shelters and community sites where the organization’s supplies are distributed are seeing increases in people visiting between 30% and 50%.

She described a distribution event last week during which Operation Food Search had prepared 700 meals to issue starting at 10 a.m. CT. An hour before the event, the line of cars was 500 long and more than 200 families had to be turned away.

“We’ve had agencies report to us that they have had to shut down earlier than their typical operating hours because they have run out of food,” she told ABC News. “We’re seeing agencies are being approached by people looking for food who’ve never needed to use a pantry in the past because the SNAP benefits were sufficient enough for them to get the food resources that they needed.”

The organization also runs a metro market program, which is like a mobile grocery store, that has seen a surge in customers.

The program charges for food at or below cost but has recently started issuing $15 vouchers to customers due to the increase in demand, Wild said. Workers have also had to replenish shelves multiple times throughout a two-hour metro market stop due to the increase in traffic.

Wild added that 90% of food assistance comes from federal programs like SNAP and about 10% comes from food banks and food pantries. The halt in SNAP benefits has forced food banks to go into “overdrive” to make up as much of the gap as possible.

“We’ve had terrific community support, both in terms of more food donations, more financial donations, so we can purchase more food, but we can’t make up for the full SNAP gap,” she said.

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(NEW YORK) — The Food and Drug Administration said Monday it will remove the “black box” warning from hormone replacement therapy (HRT) products for menopause.

The change comes after two studies in the early 2000s claimed that there were major risks associated with HRT, including breast cancer. This led to the FDA placing its highest warning label on the drugs, prompting a significant decline in usage.

The public health agency estimates millions of women have avoided HRT out of fear of cancer or heart risks, based on an outdated analysis of data.

“This is, in my opinion, one of the greatest mistakes in modern medicine — the demonization of hormone replacement therapy,” FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary said on Monday.

An expert panel formed at the FDA in recent months reviewed the latest scientific studies and recommended the removal of the warning, Makary explained.

“Hormone replacement therapy may improve the health outcomes of women at a population level more than any other intervention, arguably, with the exception of, say, antibiotics or vaccines,” Makary said.

The timing of when women initiate HRT “is an important nuance that has been lost” and “one of the design flaws” of the early 2000s studies Makary said.

Current understanding is that the benefits of HRT outweigh the potential risks when taken before age 60 or within 10 years of the onset of menopause.

“This is really the result of doctors waving a flag in the air for decades of women who have said, ‘Hey, we didn’t feel like we got the right information,'” Makary said.

Consumers will see a different label on the products in several months, he added.

There are still risks associated with HRT and women considering it should speak with their doctor as it requires a prescription.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(NEW YORK) — Canada has lost its measles elimination status after struggling to contain a year-long outbreak, the country’s public health agency announced on Monday.

The Public Health Agency of Canada said it was informed of the loss by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) after more than 12 months of continuous measles transmission. Canada’s outbreak began in late October 2024 with more than 5,100 measles cases recorded, the health agency said.

Cases have been confirmed in most of Canada’s 10 provinces as well as the northwest territories.

Canada is able to re-establish its measles elimination status if measles transmission related to the current outbreak is “interrupted” for at least 12 months, according to health officials.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(WASHINGTON) — The Trump administration announced deals on Thursday with pharmaceutical giants Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly that would lower the cost of GLP-1 drugs for many Americans, including those on Medicare.

The administration negotiated how much both the government and consumers would pay for the drugs, which are used to treat obesity and diabetes as well as other cardiometabolic conditions.

As soon as the public-private partnership TrumpRx launches, patients using the service will pay roughly $350 for a month’s supply of the injectable drugs, according to senior administration officials.

That price is set to scale down to $250 over the next two years for people paying completely out-of-pocket with no insurance.

Those using the daily pill versions of the drug, which yet to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, will have prices beginning at $150 for the starting doses, the senior administration officials said.

In comments from the Oval Office, President Donald Trump thanked the pharmaceutical companies and lauded the deal.

“This is a triumph for American patients that will save lives and improve the health of millions and millions of Americans,” he said.

Both companies are expected to come out with new GLP-1 pills that are set to be available starting sometime next year pending FDA approval.

The reported savings on what the government will be paying for the medications will help broaden the type of people eligible for the drug.

Those with severe obesity will soon be able to access the drug under Medicare. Medicare patients will have a $50 co-pay for the drugs and could see the new pricing as soon as mid-2026. Medicaid pricing and timing will be dependent by state as they opt in.  

Currently, federal insurance programs cover Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy — one of the GLP-1s for people who are overweight and have heart disease — but there is no medication for obesity alone covered by Medicare.  

“Until now, neither of these two popular drugs have been covered by Medicare for weight loss and they’ve only rarely been covered by Medicaid,” Trump said. “They’ve often cost consumers more than $1,000 per month and some a lot more than that. Americans have been spending as much as 520% for Zepbound and 1,400% more for Wegovy than patients in Europe.”

Under this announcement, people who are severely obese — considered to be a body mass index over 35 — will also be covered for the medications for a $50 co-pay, but it doesn’t include broad coverage for all people who are overweight or obese like many private insurance plans cover.

GLP-1 drugs currently cost roughly $500 out-of-pocket for those without insurance. 

During the Oval Office announcement, a guest fainted, causing the press conference to be temporarily paused.

In a statement, Karoline Leavitt said the person who fainted was a representative of one of the pharmaceutical companies, adding that the “White House Medical Unit quickly jumped into action, and the gentleman is okay.”

In a statement to ABC News, Novo Nordisk said the person who fainted was not one of their executives.

“CEO Mike Doustdar and EVP, US Operations, Dave Moore were the only two Novo Nordisk representatives in the Oval Office. We hope the gentleman who suffered a medical incident today is okay,” the statement read.

The deal is another of the Trump’s administration’s “most favored nations” agreements with pharmaceutical companies, a deal that comes after the president signed an executive order in May ordering his administration to pursue the deals to reduce the price of drugs for Americans.

“Today marks a pivotal moment in U.S. health care policy and a defining milestone for Lilly, made possible through collaboration with the Trump administration,” David A. Ricks, Eli Lilly’s chair and CEO, said in a statement. “As we expand access to obesity treatments for more Americans and advance one of the most innovative obesity pipelines, we remain focused on improving outcomes, strengthening the U.S. health care system, and contributing to the health of our nation for generations to come.”  

In a separate statement, Mike Doustdar, president and CEO of Novo Nordisk, said the deal will expand patient access and affordability.

“Unlike any other medicine in the GLP-1 class today, semaglutide is the only molecule whose respective FDA indications span obesity, type 2 diabetes, liver disease, kidney disease and cardiovascular risk,” the statement read. “Novo Nordisk has always worked to secure affordable access to our innovative medicines, and today’s announcement will bring semaglutide medicines to more American patients at a lower cost, Importantly, this also expands obesity medication access in Medicare, which will allow people living with obesity to access authentic Wegovy.”

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