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Early prenatal care declines across US, reversing years of progress

A couple sits with their newborn inside their Bentonville, Arkansas, home earlier this month. Nearly a quarter of pregnant women aren’t getting prenatal care in the early stages of pregnancy, according to a new analysis from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Photo by Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) Nearly a quarter of pregnant women aren’t getting prenatal care in the early stages of pregnancy, according to a new analysis from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The share of pregnant women getting prenatal care had been improving: It rose between 2016 and 2021 to a high of more than 78%, but then declined to 75.5% by 2024, wiping out previous gains. The trend is worrying because getting care early in pregnancy can improve the likelihood of a healthy pregnancy and baby. The decrease in early prenatal care held true for nearly all race and ethnic groups, but the drops were sharpest for Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders, Black ...
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Alabama House committee approves bill to allow public health agency to inspect jails and prisons

Sen. Larry Stutts, R-Tuscambia, speaking at the Senate Health Committee on Jan. 21, 2026, in the Alabama State House in Montgomery, Alabama. An Alabama House committee passed legislation he sponsored that authorizes the Alabama Department of Public Health to oversee food inspections in prisons and jails. (Anna Barrett/Alabama Reflector) An Alabama House committee on Wednesday approved legislation to require the state’s public health department to inspect both jails and prisons to ensure they meet standards for sanitary conditions. SB 84 , sponsored by Sen. Larry Stutts, R-Tuscumbia, mandates that the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) inspect and recommend correctional measures in cafeterias and other areas in correctional facilities to ensure they are sanitary. “Every person who I have talked to, their reaction has been, ‘You mean they don’t already do that,’” Stutts told the House Health Committee about ADPH not having the authority to oversee food service areas in jai...
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Education Department data shows foreign contracts, gifts to US colleges topped $5B in 2025

People walk past blooming trees on the Harvard University campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in April 2025. (Photo by Scott Eisen/Getty Images) WASHINGTON — American colleges and universities received gifts and contracts worth more than $5.2 billion from foreign entities in 2025, according to the  U.S. Department of Education , which also recently published summaries of foreign investment in U.S. higher education dating back to 1986.  Qatar, the United Kingdom, China, Switzerland, Japan, Germany and Saudi Arabia marked the largest sources of reportable gifts and contracts to U.S. institutions in 2025, according to the agency, which released the latest funding disclosures this month.  The department also made public roughly 40 years of data on a  transparency dashboard that offers a snapshot of the foreign funding disclosures submitted by colleges and universities. The administration described the move as a transparency effort, but critics say it lacks key co...
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Democrats push back against Trump anti-DEI funding cuts for minority-serving colleges

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas, is among the nation's largest Hispanic-serving institutions.(Photo by Hugh Jackson/Nevada Current) WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Democrats threw a spotlight Thursday on President Donald Trump’s attempts to yank funds away from minority-serving institutions, as the administration tries to end diversity, equity and inclusion policies in schools. Hawaii U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono hosted an unofficial hearing that gathered advocates, leaders, experts and students to sound the alarm on the consequences of cutting funding for the more than 800 MSIs, as they are known, that enroll millions of students of color. Many are from low-income households or are the first in their families to attend college. Hirono blasted the administration’s broader efforts to end DEI efforts in schools, as well as larger ongoing actions to axe the 46-year-old  U.S. Department of Education .   Trump “has been attacking these programs and is now working to illegally e...
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What passed in the Alabama Legislature: Feb. 24-26, 2026

Senate President Pro Tem Garlan Gudger, R-Cullman, speaking at a lecturn on the floor of the Alabama Senate on Feb. 25, 2026, in Montgomery, Alabama. (Anna Barrett/Alabama Reflector) Here are the bills that passed the Alabama Legislature this week. Tuesday, Feb. 24 House HB 459 , sponsored by Rep. Rick Rehm, R-Dothan, allows the Henry County probate judge to place transaction fees exceeding $2 into the Henry County General Fund. The bill passed 18-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey. HB 467 , sponsored by Rep. Troy Stubbs, R-Wetumpka, allows the Tallassee City Board of Education to receive up to $900 for their services. The bill passed 16-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey. SB 275 , sponsored by Sen. April Weaver, R-Hoover, allows the Alabaster City Council to establish and regulate entertainment districts. The bill passed 14-0. It goes to Gov. Kay Ivey. SB 276 , sponsored by Sen. April Weaver, R-Hoover, establishes for the removal of weeds on public properties in Alabaster when they becom...
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HUD reintroduces proposed rule targeting rental aid for mixed-status immigrant households

A for-rent sign beckons tenants in Albuquerque, N.M. A proposed rule from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development would affect mixed-status immigrant households that use Section 8 rental assistance. (Photo by Marisa Demarco/Source NM) As the Trump administration continues to focus on the legal immigration statuses of many across the country, a revived proposal by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development could impact many families’ ability to receive rental assistance. The proposed rule would prohibit “mixed-status” families  —  those including U.S. citizens and people without legal immigration status — from living in public and other subsidized housing. It would apply to HUD public housing, Section 8 rental assistance, and some housing development grants.  Current regulations allow mixed-status families to receive decreased assistance based on the number of household members with legal status. The proposed rule would limit that assistance t...
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