- In a recent study published in the journal Nature Communications, researchers conducted a longitudinal study to investigate the neurological changes accompanying human pregnancy, particularly for first-time mothers. Their study spanned pre-pregnancy, during pregnancy, and postpartum and discovered that gray matter (GM) volume evolves in a U-shaped pattern—it first declines during late pregnancy and then recovers in the six months postpartum. Notably, maternal mental health was found to influence the relationship between postpartum GM recovery (volume) and maternal attachment. Read more here.
- Canadian criminals are not dumping large amounts of illegally manufactured fentanyl into the United States, the RCMP says, refuting president-elect Donald Trump’s accusation that significant amounts of the drug are crossing the border from Canada. Canadian-made fentanyl that goes to the U.S. is largely being exported in “micro shipments, most often through the mail,” RCMP spokesperson Charlotte Hibbard told the Star, noting “micro traffickers” are most often found on the dark web. Read more here.
Climate Change and Neurological Health
- In a recent perspective piece published in the journal Nature Reviews Neurology, a team of scientists explored the relationship between climate change and neurological health, focusing on how rising temperatures and environmental changes impact brain function, especially during sleep and in cases of stroke and epilepsy. The researchers emphasized the urgent need for a better understanding of these interactions and advocated for strategies to mitigate neurological vulnerabilities amid global climate challenges. Read more here.
- As one of his first executive orders since returning to office, President Donald Trump declared that the federal government would no longer recognize transgender people. The sweeping directive, titled “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” defines sex as strictly male or female based on the “immutable biological reality of sex” characteristics at birth. The new Republican administration claims this move will “defend women’s rights” and restore “trust in government itself.” Read more here.
- President Donald Trump signed an executive order clearing the way to bar transgender people from military service by revoking a Biden-era policy that allowed trans service members. Trump did not lay out a new ban, though he is expected to do so soon as his administration moves swiftly to target transgender rights. Read more here.
- Republicans and Democrats in Kansas agree that concerns about the economy drove voters to support President Donald Trump by a 16% margin. They also know that ads from Trump and others targeting transgender rights resonated with voters. So, while Kansas Republicans say property tax cuts are their top priority, they also are pushing to ban gender-affirming care for young people, including puberty blockers, hormones, and even though they are rare for minors, surgeries. They say that, too, resonates strongly with voters. Read more here.
- President Trump began his second term with a sweeping order aimed at reversing dozens of former President Biden’s top priorities, from regulations aimed at lowering health care costs, to coronavirus outreach, Affordable Care Act expansions, and protections against gender-based discrimination. Read more here.
- President Donald Trump is pulling the U.S. out of the World Health Organization for a second time, the White House announced. The day-one executive order fulfills Trump's campaign promise to reject global institutions. Health experts worry it isolates the U.S. with consequences for pandemic and disease response and diplomatic relations worldwide. The U.S. is, and has historically been, the largest funder of the global health agency headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. Read more here.
- Republicans from swing states and districts are ducking questions about their openness to cutting Medicaid in order to help pay for an extension of President Trump's tax cuts. Republican leadership can lose only a handful of votes, making cuts to the safety net program a high-stakes loyalty test that could deliver an early legislative win but result in millions of people losing their health coverage. Read more here.
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