A sign is posted outside a Pennsylvania Department of Health measles vaccination clinic located in Lancaster County in Peach Bottom, Pa., Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. Matt Rourke/AP hide caption
October 25, 2026 • Pennsylvania is the worst hit state, with at least 1,338 cases of measles confirmed in 44 counties so far this year, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
Lubelo Mthenjana, who's 11, performs a magic trick involving fire during the annual junior magic contest at the College of Magic in Cape Town, South Africa. Tommy Trenchard for NPR hide caption
October 25, 2026 • The students, many from marginalized communities, learn to conjure up candy, do card tricks — and face the world with a confident, creative and resilient mindset.
Karlo Campana plays Magnatiles with his daughters Gianna and Giselle, while his 5-month-old son Gianluca watches. Campana is one of the growing number of California men taking advantage of the state's paid bonding leave program. Dania Maxwell for NPR hide caption
October 25, 2026 • The U.S. has no national law for paid parental leave. But in states that do, more dads are using the benefit, sometimes more than moms. The change comes as Americans say having kids is unaffordable.
Medicare chief Dr. Mehmet Oz speaks at an event announcing the artificial intelligence website, America.gov in Washington, D.C., last month. Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
October 24, 2026 • Medicare open enrollment runs through Dec. 7, and for as many as 5 million seniors, it will be important to log on and pick a new plan.
One of the macaques at a Texas sanctuary, where researchers ran tests to see if the monkeys became germophobes after experiencing a viral outbreak. Stephan Kaufhold hide caption
October 23, 2026 • When an outbreak strikes, humans try to avoid germs. (Remember wiping off groceries at the start of the pandemic?) What about ... monkeys?
Kenya Red Cross personnel during a simulation of the evacuation of remains of an Ebola victim in the Kenyan capital Nairobi on October 22. Kenyan authorities detected a ninth case of Ebola in the country, the health ministry said Tuesday. Tony Karumba/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
October 23, 2026 • Nigeria this week recorded its first case of Ebola in the current outbreak, which has spread from the epicenter in Congo to several other African countries.
To free up more time in your life, writer Caroline Sylge proposes a creative idea: Give yourself a "say no" retreat. It's a day to look at your calendar and thoughtfully decline obligations in the next few weeks and months. Juan Moyano/ Moment RF/ Getty Images hide caption
October 23, 2026 • It's a day to think about all the upcoming appointments and commitments you're dreading — and then decline some of them. Writer Caroline Sylge shares a suggested schedule for the day.
October 22, 2026 • Sitting at a desk all day hurts. And it isn't good for us. Strategies to make it a little more comfortable, from eye muscle exercises to alleviate eye strain to a back pain-fighting body movement.
Rep. David Valadao, R-Calif., leaves the stage after speaking at a campaign event in Bakersfield, Calif. on Sept. 30, 2026. Jae C. Hong/AP hide caption
October 22, 2026 • Republican U.S. Rep. David Valadao is fighting for reelection in central California. 6 in 10 residents of his district are covered by Medicaid, which he voted to cut last year.
A resurgance in dream research is exploring how dreams are a tool for self-discovery. Michele Spatari / AFP via Getty Images hide caption
October 22, 2026 • What can you learn from dreams and how can you remember them and steer them to the topics you wish to dream about. Allison Aubrey and A Martinez discuss the resurgance in dream research and how dreams are a tool for self-discovery.
The latest survey from health research organization KFF on employer-sponsored health insurance finds that premiums went up about 5%. The Good Brigade/Digital Vision/Getty Images hide caption
October 22, 2026 • About 157 million Americans get their health insurance through work. A survey of employers shows a moderate price uptick this year, but workers still say health costs are a top concern.
Researchers are publishing some of the first data in humans that signals psilocybin holds potential for patients with neurodegenerative diseases. Cannabis-Pic/Getty Images hide caption
October 21, 2026 • Lab studies have shown that psychedelics like psilocybin can lower inflammation and may be protective for a range of illnesses. Now, researchers are publishing some of the first data in humans that signals this holds potential for patients with neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's disease.
October 21, 2026 • The cost of having a baby is difficult to predict. The amount families pay varies widely. Here are five tips to help you prepare for the often unexpected costs of pregnancy and giving birth.
Would you trust a Chatbot doctor? Getty Images/Getty Images hide caption
A health care worker administers a dose of Ervebo vaccine against the Ebola virus in Beni, North Kivu province, eastern Congo, on Oct. 16. Sebastien Kitsa Musayi/AP hide caption
October 20, 2026 • Nigeria is the latest country to report an Ebola case as the outbreak spreads across the region. Kenya confirmed its first case earlier this month and has since recorded nine infections.
Dr. Vanessa Kerry has been named the special envoy for health resilience at the World Health Organization. Joel Saget/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
October 20, 2026 • A respected figure in the world of global health, Dr. Kerry takes on a new responsibility. She says it's challenging but not "daunting."
Balraam Singh, 35, eats breakfast with his wife, Nusaa Davii, and their 7-year-old son, Munna, on the pavement outside Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi, India. The child is receiving treatment for a heart condition, and the family has been sleeping on the pavement outside the hospital for the past 20 days. Sajad Hameed for NPR hide caption
October 17, 2026 • Patients travel miles to be treated at public hospitals in Delhi. Those in need get financial aid for their care. But for overnight accommodations, families are often on their own — and on the street.
For the first time since 2014, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has updated its guidelines for the treatment of symptoms commonly associated with menopause. BSIP/Universal Images Group/Getty Images hide caption
October 16, 2026 • For the first time since 2014, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has updated its guidelines for the treatment of symptoms commonly associated with menopause.
Ready for a midlife reset? First, take stock of your strengths. Westend61/Getty Images hide caption
October 15, 2026 • Health and science correspondent Allison Aubrey talks with Ailsa Chang about her new podcast Your Turn with Allison Aubrey — and they share a survey that can help us identify our most positive character traits.
The anti-fraud moves affect people in the states that use Healthcare.gov to buy Affordable Care Act health insurance. Not all of the 760,000 people disenrolled are "phantoms," as the government has claimed. Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption
October 15, 2026 • The Trump administration provided few details about its process for canceling hundreds of thousands of Affordable Care Act enrollments — even as the next stage of the anti-fraud effort is underway.
October 15, 2026 • Cold and flu season is here. Before someone in your household gets hit, make sure you have these essential meds and comfort items in your medicine cabinet.
October 14, 2026 • Factory workers in India are being asked to wear GoPro cameras to record the way they do their jobs. The ultimate goal is to train robots to take over. Will it work?
October 14, 2026 • For years, customers have complained of aggressive sales tactics and charges at mall skincare stores. NPR investigated the business that connects many of them.
Yiyun Li won the Pulitzer Prize for her 2025 memoir, Things in Nature Merely Grow. Hannah Yoon/Macmillan hide caption
October 13, 2026 • Li won a Pulitzer for her memoir about the suicides of her two sons. In her new novel, Music Against the Night , she writes about two young prodigies in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
