Credit: iStockRepublicans stop IVF bill as Democrats condemn Project 2025-aligned move

A bill sponsored by Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) to preserve the right to access IVF failed for a second time in the U.S. Senate by a 51-44 vote, TANTV reports. Many Senate Republicans voted against the bill, which needed 60 votes to pass.Although GOP senators largely declined to support the bill, some made a point to state that they are not opposed to the procedure and thought the advancement of the bill to the floor was an attempt to politicize it. "Republicans support IVF, full stop," Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.).Duckworth said she hopes Democrats are able to revisit the legislation. "I think it's really important to families around the country to be able to start their families when they want to," she said.

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Credit: iStockAdvocates urge mandates for cooling regulations in rental housingAlthough summer cares are starting to fade as we transition to autumn, heat is still the overwhelming weather-related killer in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Prism reports that housing rights advocates are determined to keep lawmakers focused on that fact and are encouraging them to implement cooling legislation for rental housing.The story explains that the strongest opposition comes from the rental housing industry itself. "We know that landlords are responsible for keeping people warm, but we haven't really figured out how to do the opposite of that," said Edith de Guzman, co-founder and director of the Los Angeles Urban Cooling Collaborative. That's usually because landlords say it's too expensive to install cooling units. They cite difficult-to-navigate safety regulations, the potential for landlords to pass expenses along to renters and in some cases, aesthetic concerns.Some lawmakers are open to working on the problem. An update to building codes in Austin, Texas, would require air conditioners in residences there. A councilmember in Brooklyn advocates for a cooling ordinance. Mandates related to cooling are also on the table for officials in Los Angeles.

This isn't a fight the advocates are willing to abandon. "It's a complicated issue, but it's one that we know can have a really pronounced impact on saving lives from being lost during extreme heat events," de Guzman explained.

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Credit: iStockTips for creating a productive homework environmentGetting children to do their homework can be a notorious challenge for parents, but it's especially an issue when the children can't get comfortable enough to focus on their work. Epicenter NYC has some tips for parents struggling with creating comfortable work spaces for kids -- and it's a bonus when creating those spaces isn't too disruptive or expensive.One of the most critical elements to helping a child handle homework successfully is to make they aren't too distracted to work. That means making sure that the lighting is good and noise isn't bothering them, which could mean buying sound-canceling headphones.Even if parents create an optimal working space at home, experts say some children may need to keep the safe cocoon of home separate from the place they do homework. In that case, parents can look into libraries and other nearby locations.

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Credit: Ambar Castillo 

Highlighting the innovators transforming health outcomes in our communities

Dr. Josephine English was the first Black woman to open a private obstetrics and gynecology practice in the state of New York. Her work, which included delivering about 6,000 babies, is honored as part of a permanent display in "Doctors' Row" in Crown Heights. A street has been co-named for her, too. A team hoping to share more about her life is raising funds for a documentary, "The English Way: The Story of the Birth Mother of Brooklyn."

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