PBS News Hour - Health

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has used his platform to spread misleading and false claims about vaccine safety, is expected to play a significant public health role in the next Trump administration. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Dr. Richard Besser, the former acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Reproductive rights are front and center as the election enters its home stretch, more than two years after the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Despite the state bans that followed the Supreme Court ruling, the number of abortions has actually gone up. At the same time, infant mortality has been on the rise. John Yang speaks with The 19th's reproductive health reporter Shefali Luthra for more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Both presidential candidates brought their campaigns to the Southwest on Thursday. Donald Trump stopped in New Mexico, a detour from battleground territory, while Kamala Harris jetted off to Arizona. But before she left, Harris spoke with reporters about what's on the line with five days until Election Day. Laura Barrón-López reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

In the final days of this election, both presidential candidates are trying to win over older voters with their plans for entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare. Social Security is at risk of being depleted as soon as 2034 and Medicare could be insolvent by 2036. Lisa Desjardins has a look at how both campaigns say they'll tackle the issue. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Abortion is a closely watched issue in this year's election, and not just in the U.S. As president, Trump cut funding for international groups that offer and counsel on abortion services. With support from The Pulitzer Center, special correspondent Neha Wadekar reports from Kenya where advocates are watching for who wins. A warning, this story contains accounts of sexual and gender-based violence. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

With less than a week until election day, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are making their final case to voters, laying out starkly different visions on a number of key issues. White House Correspondent Laura Barrón-López takes a deep dive into the candidates' positions on health care. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The association between bats and Halloween dates back thousands of years, based on the superstition that the flying mammals are omens of death. But for nearly two decades, North American bats have been facing a deadly threat themselves: a fungal disease called white-nose syndrome. Ali Rogin speaks with New York Times columnist Carl Zimmer for more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Physicians are increasingly using weight loss drugs to treat obesity, diabetes and other chronic conditions in young patients. In the last three years, the number of people between the ages of 12 and 25 using drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic has surged nearly 600 percent. Ali Rogin speaks with Dr. Melanie Cree, a pediatric endocrinologist at Children's Hospital Colorado, to learn more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

For the first time in decades, public health data shows a sharp drop in U.S. drug overdose deaths. But at the same time, numbers from the CDC show that fatal overdoses involving antidepressants have been on the rise for the past two decades. John Yang speaks with clinical psychologist and behavioral scientist Alison Athey for more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The official death toll from Hurricane Milton may not be telling the whole story. New research suggests that lasting damage from storms like Milton could result in thousands of additional deaths in future years, particularly among society's most vulnerable. John Yang speaks with Washington Post climate reporter Sarah Kaplan for more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders