Congo says its mpox outbreak is over after 2 years and more than 2,200 suspected deaths

abcnews - Congo has declared the end of a two-year mpox outbreak, which is believed to have caused over 2,200 deaths

AI Summary: Republic of the Congo announced its prolonged mpox outbreak has ended after roughly two years and more than 2,200 suspected deaths, even as genomic surveillance uncovered co-circulating clades, including evidence of clade IIb lineage A.2.2. Health officials now face the twin tasks of documenting lessons and monitoring for lingering transmission.

Why 131 Hospitals Are Suing HHS Over Alleged Underpayment

Katie Adams / medcitynews - A group of 131 hospitals has sued HHS over a CMS policy they say improperly reduces Medicare disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments. The lawsuit is the latest in a decade-long legal battle over how the agency counts patient days and calculates pay…

AI Summary: One hundred thirty‑one hospitals have filed suit challenging HHS’s 2023 Disproportionate Share Hospital calculation, arguing the agency’s formula undercounts uncompensated care and systematically underpays safety‑net providers. The plaintiffs seek to overturn the rule and recover alleged shortfalls, warning that ongoing underpayment threatens hospital finances and patient access.

CMS finalizes Medicare Advantage star ratings overhaul, sending billions of dollars more to insurers

Rebecca Pifer Parduhn / healthcaredive - Regulators cut almost a dozen metrics that factor into the quality ratings and reverted back to an older and more generous bonus system. MA plans will get more than $18 billion in additional payments over the next decade as a result.

AI Summary: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services locked in a sweeping overhaul of Medicare Advantage star ratings that will shift billions of dollars in payments and alter plan incentives. The ruling adjusts rating calculations and enrollment provisions, prompting industry and provider concerns about downstream effects on access, plan behavior, and provider-network stability.

E.P.A. Targets Microplastics and Drugs in Drinking Water

Hiroko Tabuchi and Maxine Joselow / nytimes - The move drew praise from leaders of the Make America Healthy Again movement who had recently criticized the agency’s handling of toxic chemicals.

AI Summary: Federal agencies are moving from polite warnings to action on contaminants people actually drink. The EPA is targeting microplastics and trace pharmaceuticals in drinking water, while ARPA‑H is pouring funding into health-impact studies, and other agencies are considering formal contaminant designations to force testing, cleanup and new standards. Small particles, big headache.

Group sues CMS for details on Medicare AI prior authorization pilot

Andrew Cass / beckershospitalreview - Digital rights advocacy organization the Electronic Frontier Foundation has filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against CMS seeking information on how the AI algorithms work in its traditional Medicare prior authorization pilot. CMS’ Wasteful and I…

AI Summary: A coalition of tech and privacy groups has sued CMS seeking detailed records about a Medicare pilot that uses AI to automate prior authorization decisions. Plaintiffs argue the agency failed to provide transparency on algorithms, data inputs and patient safeguards, demanding documents to assess legal, safety and fairness risks before the program expands.

CMS: This year's open enrollment brought fewer signups, higher premiums

fiercehealthcare - The administration's official numbers on the 2026 Open Enrollment Period outlined drops in new customers and automatic re-enrollment, the latter of which CMS said stemmed from its crackdown on improper enrollments. Average monthly premiums also increased …

AI Summary: CMS data show this year's ACA open enrollment produced fewer new signups while benchmark premiums climbed, nudging many consumers into higher‑deductible plans. Enrollment sits near 23.1 million for 2026, but the mix of coverage is tilting toward cost‑sharing over comprehensiveness, raising concerns about affordability and surprising out‑of‑pocket shocks for vulnerable families.

What you should know about the new COVID-19 'Cicada' variant

medicalxpress - A new COVID-19 variant that some have dubbed the "Cicada" variant is quietly spreading across the globe, carrying an unusually high number of mutations that could help it slip past existing immunity, public health experts say. The strain of SARS-CoV-2, ca…

AI Summary: A newly identified SARS‑CoV‑2 lineage nicknamed "Cicada" is showing signs of increased spread, prompting CDC tracking and expert concern. Public health officials advise heightened surveillance, updated testing and genomic sequencing to determine transmissibility, immune escape and clinical impact, while researchers rush to characterize the variant’s risks and inform any needed response.

Lost in space: Sperm struggles to navigate during weightless sex

medicalxpress - Scientists have used a tiny plastic "obstacle course" to test how much sperm would struggle to navigate during sex in the weightlessness of space.

AI Summary: New research shows sperm struggle to navigate and function in weightless conditions, suggesting microgravity could impair fertilization and complicate human reproduction beyond low-Earth orbit. Scientists warn these findings raise practical and biological questions for long-duration missions and potential colonization efforts, prompting calls for more reproductive biology studies in space.

Teens are driving the demand for online abortion pills via telehealth

medicalxpress - Teens in the U.S. are obtaining medication abortion pills through telehealth, and young people aged 18 to 24 are ordering medication abortion at much higher rates than older adults.

AI Summary: Telehealth provision of medication abortion has surged, reducing travel for many and prompting a noticeable uptick in online requests from teenagers. Reports show virtual care is reshaping access patterns and forcing healthcare systems and regulators to confront new realities around remote prescribing, confidentiality, and youth access to reproductive services.

When it comes to surgery, your doctor's leadership skills play a crucial role

medicalxpress - You're scheduled for surgery next week. You've likely looked up your surgeon's credentials, years of experience, and perhaps even patient reviews. You want reassurance that your surgeon has steady hands, deep expertise, and a thorough command of the proce…

AI Summary: New research links a surgeon’s leadership and team‑management skills to measurable differences in operating‑room performance and patient outcomes. Hospitals are being nudged to treat leadership training as clinical skill development rather than optional soft training — because apparently who’s in charge matters when someone’s insides are on the line.

Global study estimates over 250,000 meningitis deaths in 2023, with young children bearing a heavy toll

medicalxpress - In 2023, 259,000 people died from meningitis and 2.5 million people were infected with the disease globally, suggests a study published in The Lancet Neurology. Although death and infection rates have declined significantly since 1990, progress is insuffi…

AI Summary: A worldwide mortality analysis estimates more than 250,000 deaths from meningitis in 2023, with young children bearing the heaviest toll. The findings underline gaps in vaccination, surveillance and outbreak preparedness, and call for accelerated prevention efforts—particularly on campuses and in high‑risk populations—before the predictable heartbreak rolls around again.

Do you love sleeping with your pet? Science reveals there's a tricky trade‑off

medicalxpress - For some pet guardians, their pets are present in their lives from the moment they wake up to the moment they go to bed. This happens because cats, dogs and other companion animals are increasingly perceived as family members. I'm not talking about the di…

AI Summary: New research finds sleeping with pets can boost comfort and emotional wellbeing, but carries trade-offs: increased allergen exposure, more fragmented sleep and small infection risks. Experts advise weighing mental‑health gains against sleep quality and hygiene, and using pet‑free bedrooms when needed — because 'cute' is not a medical recommendation.

A gut microbe linked to the Mediterranean diet boosts muscle strength in mice

livescience - Researchers are exploring the prospect of using gut bacteria to boost muscle strength, after zeroing in on a microbe that does this in mice

AI Summary: Researchers identified a gut microbe associated with adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet that, when introduced to mice, improved muscle strength and mitochondrial-related signals. The findings suggest a microbiome-mediated pathway that could inform interventions for age-related muscle decline, though translation to humans remains unproven and will need careful clinical follow-up.

Two States Sue Cord Blood Bank Over False Advertisements

Sarah Kliff and Azeen Ghorayshi / nytimes - The attorneys general of Texas and Arizona contend that Cord Blood Registry, which stores umbilical cord cells, profited from misleading new parents.

AI Summary: Two state attorneys general filed lawsuits alleging a cord‑blood bank made false or misleading claims about the future therapeutic value of stored units. The actions seek consumer remedies and penalties, challenging marketing that regulators say may have led families to pay for services based on overstated promises about potential medical uses.

UK government recommends maximum two hours of screen time for younger children: What the evidence says

medicalxpress - New UK government guidance recommends that screen time for children under two should be avoided, except for shared activities such as video calls. For children aged two to five, a maximum of an hour a day is suggested. The guidance also outlines that watc…

AI Summary: The UK government updated child‑health guidance recommending strict limits on young children’s screen time, citing evidence linking excessive use to delayed development and poorer sleep. The guidance urges parents and caregivers to prioritize interactive, non‑screen activities and age‑appropriate limits while acknowledging modern practicalities for families.

FDA Approval for Denali Therapeutics Blazes a New Trail for Brain-Penetrating Drugs

Frank Vinluan / medcitynews - Denali Therapeutics’ Avlayah received FDA approval for treating Hunter syndrome, a rare neurological disorder. The biologic medicine uses Denali’s proprietary drug delivery technology to cross the protective blood-brain barrier. The post FDA Approval for …

AI Summary: Regulators granted Denali accelerated approval for a brain‑penetrant therapy, recognizing promising early efficacy in a rare neurological indication and addressing unmet needs in CNS drug delivery. The pathway requires confirmatory trials to verify clinical benefit while enabling earlier patient access to a novel mechanism targeting central nervous system disease.

FDA approves 1st weekly basal insulin for Type 2 diabetes

Ella Jeffries / beckershospitalreview - The FDA has approved Novo Nordisk’s Awiqli (insulin icodec-abae), making it the first once-weekly basal insulin available in the U.S. for adults with Type 2 diabetes. Awiqli is indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise and is intended to reduce injecti…

AI Summary: The FDA approved the first once‑weekly basal insulin for adults with Type 2 diabetes, providing an alternative to daily injections and aiming to improve adherence and glycemic control. Regulators based the decision on trials showing comparable efficacy and safety to daily basal insulins, potentially reshaping diabetes management.