Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has acknowledged in U.K. court documents that its COVID-19 vaccine can cause a rare side effect, as first reported by The Telegraph. Dozens of victims have filed a class-action lawsuit claiming the vaccine caused death or serious injuries. AstraZeneca submitted legal documents to the High Court in the U.K., accepting that its…

The Biden administration wants to reclassify marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act. The proposed change will need to go through a formal rule-making process which includes interagency reviews, public input and regulatory analysis.  According to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Schedule I drugs have no currently accepted medical use…

In an effort to contain the recent outbreak of bird flu, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has implemented new regulations for lactating dairy cows. As of Monday, April 29, the cows must test negative for the virus before being transported across state lines. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reported on Friday, April…

A bottlenose dolphin off the coast of Florida has tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV), commonly known as bird flu. This marks the first known case of its kind on the continent. University of Florida researchers made the discovery and reported the findings in Communications Biology on Monday, April 29. The dolphin…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Thursday, April 25, that one in five commercial milk samples tested in a nationwide survey contained particles of the H5N1 virus. The announcement suggests that the outbreak of bird flu might have deeply penetrated the dairy industry across the United States. Dr. Michael Osterholm, an infectious…

There are two competing bills in the Senate to curtail “judge shopping,” which consists of efforts by plaintiffs to file lawsuits with judges who are likely to rule in their favor. Democrats and Republicans both want to address the practice, but they view the root of the problem differently and have presented differing solutions.  If…

Researchers at Washington State University have discovered that some of the deadliest bacteria likes to feed on human blood. Scientists are calling it “bacterial vampirism.” The new study reveals that these organisms are attracted to nutrients in human blood. The learnings from the study could pave the way for medical innovations like curing bloodstream infections.…

Prominent figures come together at the White House as President Joe Biden hosts a state dinner for the Japanese Prime Minister, and outrage from Democrats over the Arizona Supreme Court’s abortion ruling leads to shouting in the state house. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Thursday, April 11, 2024. Biden hosts state…

Former President Donald Trump posted a video to his platform Truth Social on Monday, April 8, sharing his stance on abortion. In the video, Trump said he wants to leave that decision up to the states. This video received mixed reactions. While Trump is facing backlash on both sides of the aisle for taking the…

A U.S. lawmaker involved in health policy has asked the Food and Drug Administration why it did not inspect Elon Musk’s Neuralink before allowing the brain implant company to test its device in humans.