News Team member Ananya Dash reports on the risks that consuming sweeteners can accelerate brain aging.
Poll Suggests G.O.P. Will Face More Blame if Obamacare Subsidies Go Away
By Reed Abelson, New York Times
The Senate is expected to vote next week on extending subsidies for Obamacare. These subsidies lower the cost of health insurance for millions of Americans. Democrats wanted to continue the subsidies during the recent government shutdown, while Republicans did not commit to a decision. Without the subsidies, annual insurance premiums may more than double next year for many people.
A new poll, conducted by the nonprofit health policy research group KFF, also revealed that over half of people covered by Obamacare said an increase in health expenses would have a “major impact” on how they vote in the 2026 midterm elections. Two-thirds of Republicans surveyed said they would blame congressional Democrats for these increases, while Democrats surveyed overwhelmingly said they would blame congressional Republicans. The majority of respondents from both parties, however, said they had little confidence in either congressional Democrats or Republicans to keep health insurance costs down.
Many people are worried about their ability to pay more for health care next year. Monthly premiums and high out-of-pocket medical costs are already a source of financial struggle for both Democrats and Republicans. Roughly six in ten people surveyed said they would not be able to comfortably afford an increase of $300 per year in health insurance.
Low-income Americans have not had to pay premiums for their Obamacare plans in the past. They may now have to pay $50 a month premiums if subsidies for Obamacare are not extended. About one quarter of people surveyed said they would likely go without health insurance next year if premiums rose significantly. Others said they would have to search for a different job or abandon Obamacare entirely and switch to a different health insurance plan. Voters affected by this potential increase in health care costs may turn on congressional Republicans in the 2026 midterms.
— by Clara Silvestri
Running Out of Time, Republicans in Congress Still Lack a Health Plan
By Sheryl Gay Stolberg, New York Times
A growing rift between the Republican leadership is threatening Congress’s ability to address an increasingly urgent health-care deadline. As enhanced subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are set to expire at the end of the year—which could cause premiums to spike and millions to lose affordable coverage— GOP lawmakers remain sharply divided over how to respond. Some republicans want a short-term extension with restrictions such as income caps or the elimination of zero-premium plans; others reject any extension and call for broader overhaul.
The discord is particularly pronounced between members such as House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who are under increasing pressure from both constituents and their party members. Efforts to coalesce around a unified Republican plan have repeatedly failed, even as Democrats push for a clean multi-year extension. Without consensus, experts warn, many Americans could face drastic increases in insurance costs or lose coverage altogether as soon as January 1.
— by Emily Zhou
Aid cuts have shaken HIV/AIDS care to its core – and will mean millions more infections ahead
By Kat Lay, The Guardian
New reports show that major reductions in health aid from the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union have severely weakened HIV services in sub-Saharan Africa. Clinics have closed, testing supplies have run out, and some countries are now seeing AIDS-related deaths rise again. The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) estimates that global health assistance in 2025 is 30 to 40 percent lower than it was in 2023. This has left many health systems without the resources they need to continue basic HIV prevention and care.
Prevention programs have been hit the hardest because they depend almost entirely on donor support. In Burundi, the number of people receiving preventive HIV medicines dropped by 64 percent. Services for groups at higher risk of infection, including LGBTQ+ communities, sex workers, and people who inject drugs, have also shut down. Without these programs, many individuals cannot get tested or treated. Some people are even hiding their identities in order to access public clinics, which make it harder to track how the virus is spreading.
The human impact is already visible. In Ethiopia and Democratic Republic of the Congo, suspected HIV cases went undiagnosed because test kits were unavailable. UNAIDS warns that if services are not restored soon, the world could see 3.3 million more HIV infections by 2030.
Despite these setbacks, some countries are increasing domestic funding, and new long-acting HIV prevention medicines offer hope. The reports emphasize that the tools to end AIDS already exist, but progress depends on political commitment and sustained investment.
— by Yiying Zhang
Vaccine Committee May Make Significant Changes to Childhood Schedule
By Apoorva Mandavilli, New York Times
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices seem to be preparing to alter the childhood vaccination schedule. Later this week, they are poised to vote on several, currently unclear, proposals, likely to delay hepatitis B immunizations, a shot that is usually given to newborns, as well as significant changes to other childhood immunization timelines.
Mr. Kennedy, a longtime opponent of many childhood vaccines, has claimed that too many childhood vaccines leads to conditions such as autism by overloading the immune system. These changes could contribute to the recent trend of Americans losing confidence in vaccines. The committee is likely to reconsider the safety of ingredients of childhood vaccines, such as aluminum salts. These discussions come after Dr. Vinay Prasad, the top vaccine regulator at the Food and Drug Administration, without evidence or further details, claimed that COVID shots have killed “no fewer than 10” children, denouncing the current childhood vaccine schedule as risky and not sufficiently supported by research.
The committee is also expected to make changes to the combination vaccines currently administered in the childhood vaccine schedule. Critics have claimed that combination vaccines overwhelm young children’s immune systems, although this has been thoroughly refuted by many immunologists and field experts. Administering combination vaccines as separate shots, such as for hepatitis B, which requires three doses, would make it more difficult for companies to develop and produce all the separate shots. It would also add more barriers to full immunization, due to increasing the number of clinical visits needed.
A coalition of 15 Democratic governors has urged the committee to consider “rigorous science” before making decisions in a public comment. Although any changes made by the committee are not legally binding, they will have ripple effects on private insurance and government program coverage of vaccines.
(By the time, the news was published, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted to end the decade-old recommendation that all newborns be immunized at birth against hepatitis B. It will up to parents to decide whether they want their children to get the shot or not.)
— by Kimberly Yang
Items summarized by: Yiying Zhang, Emily Zhou, Kimberly Yang and Clara Silvestri
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