States are creating legislation to try to better protect their healthcare workers

Hospitals have been adding weapon detection systems to emergency rooms in response to violence

Healthcare workers are five times more likely to experience violence at work than employees in other industries, according to pre-pandemic federal data. Yet, despite growing awareness of these threats, fewer than one in three hospitals have installed metal detectors.

See the data comparing healthcare worker violence with other industries pre-pandemic

Nonfatal workplace violence against healthcare workers steadily climbed each year even before the pandemic. Healthcare workers comprised 73% of all nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses due to violence in 2018. The violence was highest among psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals.

Hospitals are required to care for emergency patients, even if they can't pay

A federal law called the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, which was passed in 1986, requires any Medicare-participating hospital with an emergency room to provide emergency medical care—including if the patient is in labor—until the patient is stable. That requirement applies regardless of the patient's ability to pay, insurance status, or, in some cases, immigration status.

Dozens of US women in labor turned away from hospital between 2022 and 2024

An Associated Press analysis of federal hospital investigation data concluded that more than 100 pregnant women in medical distress were turned away from emergency rooms or treated negligently since 2022.

A guide to US pay transparency laws

Pay transparency laws in the US are evolving quickly, as some states introduce them for the first time and others update existing legislation. This resource has an updated list of key pay transparency legislation in states across the country, as well as general explainers about what each of those laws dictate. Check it out here.

Find out what happens when nurses are hired like Ubers

Gig work has entered the healthcare realm. Nurses can now drop into shifts at medical facilities with the same ease as a ride-share driver accepting a rider.

More than 40 states have passed versions of the Uniform Declaration of Death Act

The 1981 model law, now enacted in most states, is the legal basis for death in the US. There have been many efforts to amend this law, citing the need for more transparency to improve trust between families and the medical profession, though none have moved forward. Alterations to the law could have implications for organ donations and removing life support.

Watch the cumbersome, but necessary, precautions healthcare workers must take to care for and protect themselves while caring for Ebola patients.

16 states impose term limits on their legislatures

As of 2025, 16 states limit how long lawmakers can serve, usually capping tenure at eight to 12 years in one chamber or across both chambers combined. Most of these limits stem from a 1990s reform wave aimed at curbing career politicians.

Government watchdog says nursing homes are inappropriately diagnosing schizophrenia

The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General said in a March 2026 report that nursing homes are incorrectly diagnosing their residents with schizophrenia to mask the facilities' misuse of antipsychotic medications. The drugs, the report states, are being widely used to make staff members' jobs easier and to keep nursing home quality measures high—since antipsychotic use for schizophrenia wouldn't be counted against the facility. (PDF)

State governments have public pensions for their employees

In many US states, these pensions are set aside for teachers, firefighters, and/or other state government workers. However, many of these pensions are currently underfunded. This map provides a visual representation of how strong each US states’ public pensions are.

Trump's 2025 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act' expanded access to health savings accounts

After the "One Big Beautiful Bill" took effect, Medicare users with bronze or catastrophic level health plans, as well as certain medical care membership models and telehealth users, became eligible for HSAs. Supporters of HSAs say expanding access to this savings program is more effective in alleviating high consumer costs than subsidizing healthcare plans or direct treatments.

The most common job in each US state in 2024

In 15 states, the most common job by number of employees is "fast food worker." Other most common jobs include cashiers and nurses.

Opioid epidemic 101: lawsuits and settlements

State and local governments trying to address the opioid epidemic have sued organizations they believe started and supported the crisis. Companies that made, distributed, or contributed to sales of the highly addictive painkillers are expected to pay more than $50B in settlements. These settlements specifically state that at least 85% of settlement funds must be spent on addressing the epidemic, though where exactly the money is going is unclear.

Good Samaritans help Florida driver experiencing medical emergency

When a driver experienced a medical episode and was drifting into an intersection, people around her sprang into action and saved everyone on the road from a potentially life-threatening crash.

Modernizing health data privacy: A call for comprehensive reform

Despite the advancements in medical technology and data collection, securing personal health data remains a pressing issue in the 21st century. This Forbes article analyzes the state of health data privacy, sheds light on the current shortcomings,...

More extreme heat days are putting human health at risk in both the short and long term

America is generally experiencing more frequent extreme heat days, over a longer period, in certain parts of the country. The heat-related death toll is rising, and beyond those direct deaths, extreme heat can also have troubling ripple effects including elevated violence and decreased productivity.

Why car insurance rates are skyrocketing

The average annual premium for auto insurance coverage in the US rose 26% in 2024, and rates are only expected to increase. The rate hikes aren’t simply a result of more people getting into crashes. This video explores how a lack of trained auto mechanics, a tighter supply of used vehicles, record healthcare bills, and litigation are contributing to higher monthly insurance bills.

The American Veterinary Medical Association advocates for vaccinations for pets to extend their lives

The American Animal Hospital Association provides guidelines, while many states legally require certain vaccines, such as rabies. Vaccinating healthy pets—even indoor-only pets—prevents outbreaks and protects other vulnerable animals, and adverse effects, such as allergic reactions and injection-site irritation, are rare. (Some readers may experience a paywall.)

The National Labor Relations Act gave workers the right to unionize in the US

Hear an interview with Harvard Law School employee and labor law expert Sharon Block about how the parallel motivations of workers, employers, and government officials led to the creation of the National Labor Relations Act.

Links between long-term caregiving and chronic stress

This Cleveland Clinic overview suggests that around 60% of people caring for family or loved ones with health conditions will experience burnout. Caregivers prepare meals, help with transportation, administer medications, and perform daily tasks for others, all while managing their own lives. This guide may help readers overcome the guilt or frustration of long-term caregiving to seek alternative options.

Immigration enforcement shows how federalism plays out on the ground

In recent years, federalism has shifted from allowing policy diversity across states to open conflict, with states and the federal government increasingly trying to impose their preferences on one another over issues like abortion, voting, immigration, and public health.

Watch the cumbersome, but necessary, precautions healthcare workers must take to care for and protect themselves while caring for Ebola patients

Treating someone with Ebola involves a painstaking process of suiting up (donning) and peeling off (doffing) protective gear. Doctors follow detailed CDC guidelines. Properly suiting up is key to protecting against fluids that transmit Ebola, and correctly removing a suit that could be contaminated with the virus is also critical.

See this ranking of the top 10 medical shows on television

The Hollywood Reporter created this 2025 ranking of 10 television shows from around the world that focus on medicine. Candidates included "Grey's Anatomy," "The Pitt," "New Amsterdam," "ER," and more. The publication warns that its ranking is a living document that may change with time—and that its explanations include show spoilers.

See images of medical cases of firework injuries shared on this 'Instagram for doctors.' (Warning: Graphic content)

Experimental hantavirus vaccines and therapies, still under development, have long been funded by the US military.

How to prepare your finances for a layoff

Getting laid off is often unexpected—but that doesn't mean you can't plan for the worst, financially speaking. This article provides a few key tips on how and when to get your finances in order if you're worried about being laid off, such as looking into the cost of replacing employer-sponsored benefits like healthcare. Read more here.

Sports leagues have attempted to prevent athletes from betting

As pro and collegiate sports embrace betting (and the revenue that comes with it), each league works diligently to ensure the integrity of the games by hiring private firms to analyze irregular bets. These companies have flagged bets that led to the firing of Alabama’s baseball coach, the suspension of multiple athletes at Iowa and Iowa State, and, most recently, a lifetime ban on former Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter by the NBA in April 2024.

See this overview of the firework rules across all 50 states, ranging from a complete ban on non-professional fireworks in Massachusetts to states with more lax rules like Indiana.

Louisiana's 'Cancer Alley' is infamous for having some of the highest industrial pollution, toxic air emissions, and cancer risks in the US.

Telehealth demand for GLP-1s for weight loss is booming as consumers seek easier access.

44% of Americans say they pray at least once a day—discover how your state's religiosity stacks up against the rest of the country.

Despite being favored by 87% of Americans, Congress does not have term limits.

Abraham Lincoln was almost assassinated weeks before his inauguration as he traveled from Illinois to DC through Baltimore in 1861; it took two independent claims for Lincoln to be convinced the threat was real

See these 16 pieces of art evoking phobias of snakes, flying, spiders, and more. 

Poison ivy will likely become both larger and more resilient due to climate change.

In 2025, four executives from large tech companies were given positions in the US Army Reserves—including Palantir Chief Technology Officer Shyam Sankar, which reinforced Palantir's ties with the US military and its role as a leading defense partner.

Power lines are dotted with large, brightly colored balls to improve the visibility of these thin wires to helicopters and small planes and help prevent potential crashes.

Hedge funds, the private investment firms that trade a wide swath of financial assets, make money by imposing steep fees on investors and from the fund's investment performance.

The story of Dollree Mapp, whose legal challenge over her 1957 conviction for possessing "obscene material" led to a major strengthening of the Fourth Amendment

Discover the catastrophic consequences of a failure of the US electrical grid—something that is more likely than many Americans think.

Hotels in Cannes, the glamorous city on the French Riviera, hire hawks to ward off seagulls during the city's famous film festival.

The deadliest aspect of volcanic eruptions is often not lava, but pyroclastic flows—avalanches of ash, gas, and rock that can move more than half the speed of sound.

A 2019 Facebook event called on attendees to "Storm Area 51, They Can't Stop All of Us," resulting in countless memes, the creation of a music festival, and eventually the arrests of those who did try to approach the area.

Legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed the SC Johnson headquarters in Wisconsin, aiming to make a cathedral-like workplace

Roughly 43 million US borrowers owe roughly $1.7T in student debt, the second-largest source of consumer debt behind mortgages.

Alzheimer's can lead to brain shrinkage, with an average of around 2% of volume reduction per year

As of 2025, the most cited papers in science include a review of graphene, methods to improve image recognition, streamlining electron density calculations, and optimizing protein studies.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict is the largest ground war in Europe since World War II in casualties, forces mobilized, and displacement of civilians.

Existentialist writer Jean-Paul Sartre coined the famous phrase 'Hell is—other people' in his play 'No Exit'