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Abortion ban exceptions just don’t work. That’s why we see reporting about unnecessary deaths in states with abortion bans. It’s also why exceptions for the health or life of a pregnant woman have become a target of Democratic attacks on abortion bans — and of litigation in state and federal courts. (Mary Ziegler, 3/31)

Dana, a 29-year-old nurse in St. Louis, checks her phone to see if the gig nursing app CareRev still has her scheduled at the local hospital. She’s already arranged child care for her son, but cancellations are common. “It’s a gamble. … I’ll wake up at 5 in the morning, and I’ll find out if I’m canceled or not,” she told us. Cancellation means Dana will miss out on a day of pay. (Note: All names have been changed to protect privacy.) (Katie J. Wells and Funda Ustek Spilda, 3/31)

Many Americans have lost trust in public health agencies and the advice they offer, especially in more conservative parts of the country like mine. That declining trust is showing up in personal choices: In 2018, some 46,000 Texans requested vaccine exemption forms from the Texas Department of State Health Services. In 2024, more than 93,000 did. (Carrie McKean, 3/31)

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. forcing Peter Marks out of the Food and Drug Administration has blown a hole in the agency’s leadership ranks and threatens to unmoor the oversight of drugs and vaccines from bedrock scientific principles. For biotech investors, Marks’ ouster is a worst-case scenario realized — an FDA riven by dysfunction and uncertainty. And it comes at a time when the sector is already suffering through a years-long public markets slump. (Adam Feuerstein, 3/30)

I will never forget stepping into the cadaver lab for the first time. As the doors swung open, a sharp, sour wave of formaldehyde hit me and made my stomach churn. I pulled my thin polyester scrub shirt over my nose, but it did little to block the smell, let alone shield me from the bone-chilling temperature. Steel tables surrounded me, each holding a body, and I could see grayish-yellow skin peeking out from beneath the white drapes. Everything about that moment was deeply unsettling. (Nadir Al-Saidi, 3/31)

When I founded Safe Reflections, I envisioned it as more than just a charity — it was my response to a growing societal need for awareness and compassion surrounding body dysmorphia. My project began in December of 2023 as a spark of concern, rooted in my personal journey of overcoming body confidence struggles. Along with my co-founder and vice president, Ipsi Bapat and Sahasra Balusu, I set out to address the stigma surrounding body dysmorphia and create a safe space. Today, it has transformed into a beacon of hope for individuals grappling with self-image and mental health challenges. (Aashritha Musti, 3/31)