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The big idea: The Supreme Court case Medina v. South Atlantic threatens to eliminate Medicaid recipients' right to choose their healthcare providers. This could allow states to block access to certain clinics like Planned Parenthood, with far-reaching consequences for reproductive health, gender-affirming care, and essential services for vulnerable populations.

Meeting the moment: Expert Elizabeth Taylor speaks with Jenn Taylor Skinner of The Electorette and breaks down the legal battles reshaping healthcare rights as conservative states intensify efforts to restrict which providers serve Medicaid patients. As these rights hang in the balance, understanding the political and legal strategies behind these cases has never been more important.

The stakes: If states gain unchecked power over Medicaid provider selection, millions of low-income, disabled, and LGBTQIA+ people could lose access to trusted healthcare services. This potential rollback of healthcare freedoms would disproportionately impact those with the fewest alternatives, creating new barriers to essential care.

Listen at The Electorette.

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The big idea: Dengue fever cases have exploded globally, and was up 84% for US travelers in 2024, as climate change creates ideal conditions for disease-carrying mosquitoes. While the UK Health Security Agency explicitly links this surge to rising temperatures and flooding, the CDC's urgent alert conspicuously omits any mention of climate connection.

The stakes: The Trump administration is dismantling critical climate and health research infrastructure just as dengue reaches record levels worldwide. NIH funding cuts for climate-health research and CDC workforce reductions of 10,000 people will cripple America's ability to respond to mosquito-borne diseases precisely when global warming is helping them spread.

The fine print: Brazil reported a staggering 10 million dengue cases in 2024 (up from 1.7 million in 2023), highlighting the rapid acceleration. While most infections are asymptomatic, about 25% develop symptoms like fever and joint pain. With global cases exceeding 13 million in 2024, over 8,000 people died, in a stark reminder of dengue's growing threat.

Read more at India Currents.

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The big idea: May is Water Safety Month. Several days ago, Olympic swimmer Cullen Jones, the first Black American swimmer to have a world record, joined WURD Radio’s Solomon Jones on air to discuss why diversity in aquatics is important. Jones was famously part of the legendary United States 4x100 meter freestyle relay team that won gold and set the world record, according to USA Swimming. 

The stakes: The Centers for Disease Control notes that Black Americans younger than 30 are 1.5 times as likely to drown as White people of the same age. The rate for American Indians and Alaska Natives is two times higher. Learn more at WURD Radio.

Highlighting the innovators transforminghealth outcomes in our communities

The story: Yolandra Gomez, a Jicarilla Apache pediatrician, told Native News Online about how she is working to improve maternal health and reduce maternal mortality for Native women, who have some of the nation’s highest maternal mortality rates. She has noted that about 20% of the women on her reservation in north central New Mexico travel to give birth in Durango, Colo.

At the center: Gomez manages her tribe’s Tribal, Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting grant. The program helps Native families by establishing visiting programs to check on the well-being of families with young children or who are expecting babies. Research indicates that these kinds of programs improve the health of mothers and babies.  

Read more about Gomez at Native News Online.Credit: Native News Online / Arianne Martin

This content may have been created with AI collection or assistance. As always, share thoughts about this newsletter with us at [email protected].