1A

What would you sacrifice to push efforts forward on eliminating diseases? What about to make sure our products and medicines are safe, especially for our most vulnerable?

These questions lead us to ethical quagmire and, oftentimes, to the use of animals for research, testing, and experimentation. We’ve long heard the term “lab rat.” Its popularity in conversation belies an understanding that these creatures are popular subjects for experimentation. But they’re far from the only ones.

Around 40,000 dogs were used as test subjects in labs last year, according to a leading advocacy group. The most common breed used are beagles.

Journalist Melanie Kaplan adopted Hammie in 2013, a lab beagle who had been used for research for nearly four years. It led her down a years-long rabbit hole to find out more about her companion’s past. It took her to a sanctuary farm for former research animals in Wyoming, a naked mole rat lab at Boston University, and the homes of former researchers.

We discuss her book, “Lab Dog: A Beagle and His Human Investigate the Surprising World of Animal Research.”

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On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisory panel voted to end a recommendation that all newborns be immunized at birth against hepatitis B. That guidance had been in place for more than 30 years. Hepatitis B is a highly infectious virus that can cause severe liver damage, including cirrhosis and cancer.

The members of this panel, known as ACIP, were handpicked by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Junior. That’s after he abruptly fired all the previous 17 members of the panel earlier this year. That which led top officials at the CDC to resign in protest.

His new members have publicly stated they want to revisit the entire childhood vaccine schedule. And after the panel’s recent meeting, President Donald Trump expressed support for such a review.

How will ending the recommended Hepatitis B shot for newborns affect public health? And what’s next for childhood vaccinations?

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As of Thursday, the Pentagon says it’s attacked 23 boats and killed at least 87 people as part of the Trump administration’s campaign against drug trafficking in the Caribbean.

In the months since the first strike on Sept. 2, one question has emerged that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth cannot seem to shake: Are these boat strikes legal?

The White House says yes. But several members of Congress, legal experts, and former defense and intelligence officials have their doubts. Questions also remain about whether it’s legal for President Donald Trump to deploy the National Guard in cities across the country.

In this installment of our weekly politics series, “If You Can Keep It,” we convene a panel of experts on military law to help us find answers.

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was under the spotlight this week. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are demanding video and audio of a “double-tap” strike he ordered on a boat allegedly carrying drugs into the U.S.

The Trump administration has halted immigration applications from 19 countries. This comes after the shooting of two National Guard members by an Afghan national in Washington D.C.

The city of San Francisco filed a lawsuit against food manufacturers over ultra processed products. It’s the first of its kind and argues that cities and states have been burdened with treating the diseases the food causes.

Meanwhile, graphic depictions of at least two survivors being killed by a second U.S. military strike on an alleged Venezuelan drug boat sparked outrage on Capitol Hill. This comes as tensions between Caracas and Washington reach a fever pitch.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro confirmed that he did speak with President Donald Trump in a phone call that he described as “cordial.”

An American delegation attended talks in Moscow, hoping to end the war in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin declined to compromise during negotiations.

And the Israeli government announces it will reopen the Rafah border crossing, but only to for Palestinians to leave Gaza.

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Between 2010 and 2022, pedestrian deaths in the U.S. jumped nearly 80 percent.

Since then, the number of walkers struck and killed by cars has remained stubbornly high – with pedestrian deaths in some cities continuing to rise.

What’s made our streets so dangerous and what can we do about it?

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No matter where you live in the U.S., you’ve probably heard stories — or have your own — about not being able to afford to live. The couple in their 30s that can’t buy a home. The 20-something who can’t afford rent without living with several roommates. The family of five who feel pinched every time they visit the grocery store. The retiree struggling to pay their health insurance premium.

Whatever the situation, these stories are becoming central to how Americans are experiencing the economy. And this feeling is shaping politics.

A CBS poll from October suggests inflation and the economy are now the top concern among Americans. According to the Urban Institute, 52 percent of U.S. families don’t have the resources to cover what it costs to live. The average monthly cost of groceries has also risen 32 percent since 2019.

What do when we mean when we say something is “affordable?” And how do we achieve that goal when the target keeps moving?

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The longest government shutdown in U.S. history ended a little over two weeks ago. Federal workers are back on the job. But one of the biggest fights that helped fuel that shutdown remains unresolved.

The enhanced subsidies that help millions of people afford health plans on the Affordable Care Act marketplaces are set to expire at the end of this year. Meanwhile, open enrollment for 2026 coverage is underway.

As part of the shutdown deal, Republican Senate leaders promised Democrats a vote on extending health care tax credits by mid-December. But the politics haven’t changed. It remains unlikely that the extension will get through the Senate, clear the House, or get to President Donald Trump’s desk.

What's in store for the future of the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance marketplaces? What kind of policy discussions are currently taking place?

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Over 210,000 federal workers left their jobs this year because of the Trump administration.

That’s according to the Partnership for Public Service Harms Tracker. For many, it’s meant walking away from, or being pushed out of, a decades-long commitment to public service.

And one trend that’s emerging? Fired or laid-off former federal employees and contractors are running for public office.

We feature the voices of several former federal workers to hear why they see politics as the next step, especially after being forced out of jobs that were always meant to stay apolitical. What does it mean for the future health of our democracy?

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Have you ever fantasized about going back in time to relive a moment — or change it?

Maybe you’re more interested in traveling to the future where cars fly and the code to immortality has been cracked.If the idea of time travel resonates with you, you’re far from alone — particularly during a year of political upheaval.

Scientists moved one step closer to understanding time travel, at least hypothetically, this year. Two physicists at the University of Queensland in Australia created a model for studying the phenomenon.

We’re not there yet. But when it comes to books, movies and TV shows, that’s a different story. We’ve been thinking about hurtling through history for a very, very long time.

Why do we return time and time again to stories about time travel? Will it ever become a reality?

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Headaches are one of the most common neurological conditions in the world. They’re also one of the most debilitating, mysterious, and misunderstood.

According to the World Health Organization, 3 billion people worldwide suffer from headache disorders. And one in six Americans suffers from headaches that are so severe they limit their ability to work, sleep, or otherwise function.

We discuss headaches as a part of our series “In Good Health,” where we talk about the bodily issues that most affect us.

What do we know about headaches and who they affect? What works when it comes to treating headaches?

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