Smoky air is filled with microscopic flakes of particulate matter that can get into the lungs and even into the blood stream. Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Shots
Health News From NPRTessa was a chatbot originally designed by researchers to help prevent eating disorders. The National Eating Disorders Association had hoped Tessa would be a resource for those seeking information, but the chatbot was taken down when artificial intelligence-related capabilities, added later on, caused the chatbot to provide weight loss advice. Screengrab hide caption
An eating disorders chatbot offered dieting advice, raising fears about AI in health
RSV is a seasonal virus that lands tens of thousands of young children in the hospital every year. On Thursday, advisors to the FDA voted in favor of approving a long-acting antibody that protects infants from RSV. Christoph Soeder/Picture Alliance via Getty Images hide caption
Attendees at a health fair at the Balaji Temple, in Aurora, Ill., learn about the SAHELI diabetes prevention program. Teresa Crawford/Northwestern University hide caption
'Hidden fat' puts Asian Americans at risk of diabetes. How lifestyle changes can help
Kids can't all be star athletes. Here's how schools can welcome more students to play
It's still early days for AI in health care, but already racial bias has been found in some of the tools. Here, health care professionals at a hospital in California protest racial injustice after the murder of George Floyd. MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Osteopathic physician Kevin de Regnier of Winterset, Iowa, checks Chris Bourne, who came in for an adjustment of his anxiety medication on May 9, 2023. Tony Leys/KFF Health News hide caption
Student pharmacist Charles Liu administered a dose of mpox vaccine at a Los Angeles County Department of Public Health clinic in West Hollywood, Calif., last August. Mario Tama/Getty Images hide caption
Vaccination and awareness could help keep mpox in check this summer
Using sunscreen plays a key role in protecting skin from ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. Namthip Muanthongthae/Getty Images hide caption
Picking the 'right' sunscreen isn't as important as avoiding these 6 mistakes
A new study finds that stimulating the brain during sleep can improve memory. DrAfter123/Getty Images hide caption
Scientists zap sleeping humans' brains with electricity to improve their memory
Many medical students do not attend lectures in the first two years, instead opting to watch recorded classes on their own time. Tom Fowlks/Getty Images hide caption
Abbie Harper worked for a helpline run by the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), which is now being phased out. Harper disagrees with the new plan to use an online chatbot to help users find information about eating disorders. Andrew Tate hide caption
Worried about your kids' video gaming? Here's how to help them set healthy limits
Good health depends on more than daily exercise and a healthy diet. Access to safe housing, good schools and a decent job are important too. Si-Gal/Getty Images hide caption
Cutting back on ultra-processed food in your child's diet doesn't have to be a huge lift. Learn shortcuts and smart swaps, like giving them nuts for a snack instead of chips. Even if they're salted, the higher protein and healthy fats in nuts are an added benefit. Meredith Rizzo for NPR hide caption
A clinician prepares cells for in vitro fertilization, or IVF, the treatment for infertility. In the future, it could be joined by IVG, in vitro gametogenesis, a new process that could turn any cell first into a stem cell and then into a sperm or egg cell. Lluis Gene/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Creating a sperm or egg from any cell? Reproduction revolution on the horizon
The brain requires a large number of nutrients for optimal health and efficiency, but micronutrients are typically absorbed better through foods than through supplements. Grace Cary/Getty Images hide caption
Can multivitamins improve memory? A new study shows 'intriguing' results
Foods classified as ultra-processed are those that have many added ingredients such as artificial coloring, added sugars, emulsifiers and preservatives. An apple may undergo minimal processing when it gets made into applesauce. But when it gets made into a shelf-stable apple pie or candy gummies with added sugars, colorings and flavorings, these foods are considered ultra-processed. Meredith Rizzo for NPR hide caption
Alicia Celaya, David Cardenas and their son Adrian, 3, in Phoenix in April. Celaya and her family will lose their Medicaid coverage later this year, a result of a year-long nationwide review of the Medicaid enrollees that will require states to remove people whose incomes are now too high for the program. Matt York/AP hide caption
"When you're younger, your mind is more open, and you're more creative," says 13-year-old Leo De Leon. Adolescence is a time of rapid brain development that scientists call "breathtaking." Jon Hamilton/NPR hide caption
After emergency surgery, an American expatriate with Swiss insurance now carries the baggage of a five-figure bill. Aria Konishi/KFF Health News hide caption
He visited the U.S. for his daughter's wedding — and left with a $42,000 medical bill
KFF Health News
He visited the U.S. for his daughter's wedding — and left with a $42,000 medical bill
Dr. Franz Theard performs a sonogram on a patient seeking abortion services at the Women's Reproductive Clinic in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, a state that has not banned abortions. Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Farming in a 20-year drought is "hard for us," says John Mestas, at his cattle ranch in Colorado's San Luis Valley. Rising levels of arsenic in the water supply are linked to the drought. Melissa Bailey/KFF Health News hide caption