The health department has partially reversed course on canceling Medicaid contracts that provide health insurance to hundreds of thousands of people. It will now continue to work with Aetna in 2026, but UnitedHealthCare is still out. lailluminator.com/2025/12/09/l...

Here's a beautiful story if you need one: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/24/h...

Louisiana's former surgeon general is reportedly now the deputy director of the CDC. Earlier this month, we published a story about how he addressed a deadly (and vaccine-preventable) whooping cough outbreak. By @rosemarywestwood.bsky.social kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

Story to come but here's some reporting on Louisiana's surgeon general, named to the No. 2 position at the CDC

“I’m devastated because I know that this [season] is happiness for him, he loves presents and he knows these days are supposed to be joyful. On Monday I asked for permission to see if he could spend Thanksgiving with me but they told me it wouldn’t be possible.”

NEW: In 2024, Tierra Walker was sick and getting sicker. She was also pregnant. She knew abortion was illegal in Texas, but thought there was an exception for women like her, whose health was at risk. Doctors told her there was no emergency. Then she died. www.propublica.org/article/texa...

NEW: ProPublica has found multiple cases of women with underlying health conditions who died when they couldn’t access abortions. Tierra Walker, a 37-year-old mother, was told by doctors there was no emergency before preeclampsia killed her.

Delayed warnings of #whoopingcough child deaths by public health officials in Louisianna via @rosemarywestwood.bsky.social kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

After a whooping cough outbreak killed two infants, Louisiana health officials waited months to officially alert physicians or do public outreach. That's not the typical public health response. n.pr/4obRAo5

BREAKING: Louisiana's health secretary is threatening to furlough staff who work to administer SNAP, the federal food aid program, over the "Schumer shutdown." www.wwno.org/public-healt...

@rosemarywestwood.bsky.social spent months carefully reporting this important, nuanced, and chilling piece. What happens when public health institutions don't follow their playbook during an infectious disease outbreak? Take a look/listen:

New from me: After a whooping cough outbreak killed two infants, Louisiana health officials waited months to officially alert physicians or do public outreach. www.npr.org/sections/sho...

Every large health care institution in Louisiana - Ochsner, LCMC, the Louisiana Department of Health and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana - did not respond to questions from a reporter about how to get the COVID vaccine. #lalege #lagov www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/...

NEW: Louisiana’s deadly whooping cough outbreak is now its worst in 35 years www.wwno.org/public-healt...

"We have been asked to revise and to review and change studies that have been settled in the past, scientific findings that were there to help guide vaccine decisions.”

I am so moved by the people who've given over $110,000 to @wwno.org in just a week and a half (!). We are so grateful and proud to know that so many believe in the mission of public media and keeping all people informed — for free — to build a stronger democracy. Thank you!

New data show more women in Louisiana had abortions last year than *before* the state banned nearly all abortions. Why? Telemedicine. www.wwno.org/public-healt...

Christianity grew by 122 million members, but declined as an overall slice of the world's population. www.npr.org/2025/06/10/n...

They call him "Cousin Leo." Love this piece from @rosemarywestwood.bsky.social www.npr.org/2025/06/03/n...

New Orleans folks are the absolute best, and this is one of those stories that was an absolute joy to report. Cheers to all of Pope Leo XIV's new cousins 😂 My latest for @npr.org www.npr.org/2025/06/03/n...

Actual PR pitch to an actual inbox; not an Onion headline

🏅 Excited to win a regional Murrow Award for reproductive health coverage! Congratulations to all the winners — especially my WWNO and Gulf States Newsroom colleagues! And grateful to the sources who make this work possible. www.rtdna.org/news/rtdna-a...

A highlight of last year was getting to work with the tireless @jackjenkins.me and our wonderful editors at @npr.org and @rns.org — exciting to be awarded for that exhausting (and also fun) collaboration from the Associated Church Press! 🎉

Louisiana investigates second case against New York doctor over mailing abortion pills, @rosemarywestwood.bsky.social reports for @wwno.org lailluminator.com/2025/05/13/m...

I am utterly charmed. From Alaska Capitol’s cafeteria, author and illustrator claims Pulitzer Prize alaskabeacon.com/2025/05/05/f...

Extremely well deserved.

🎉 Excited to say I won *second place* in beat reporting from @healthjournalism.org! Beat out by the legendary Stephanie Nolen and @nytimes.com Proud to compete with the absolute best health reporters in the country from our scrappy public radio newsroom in NOLA

Harvard scientist Kseniia Petrova has been in ICE custody for about two months. Her colleague and friend Leon Peshkin says her case is causing some scientists to reconsider working in the U.S.

BREAKING NEWS: The White House has begun the process of looking for a new secretary of defense, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly.

Calling all environmental/coastal reporters! We're hiring! Happy to answer any questions but get your resumes in by FRIDAY to make first review! www.wwno.org/careers-and-...

NEW: Louisiana HIV organizations fear that millions of dollars in grants to stop the spread of HIV and help those who living with the virus could be cut, in the wake of major cuts to the CDC www.wwno.org/public-healt...

60 Minutes found no criminal record for 75% of the Venezuelan migrants the U.S. sent to a mega-prison in El Salvador. https://cbsn.ws/4lC4Vp5

👀 NEW at the IRS: The Trump admin is gaining power over criminal tax investigations -- the first time that's happened since Nixon. Trump installed an Hunter Biden "whistleblower" as deputy of the criminal division. Gary Shapley has told confidants he expects to soon be in charge.

I'm looking into the reproductive health impacts of recent HHS cuts, including a survey intended to improve maternal and infant health (PRAMS). The site is "being modified to comply with President Trump's Executive Orders." Get in touch if you have info www.cdc.gov/prams/index....

Most grants were in some way related to sexual minorities, including research focused on HIV prevention. Others centered on cancer, youth suicide and bone health. (Carla K. Johnson / Associated Press)

NEW: CDC FOIA page are being dismantled, including pages containing FOIA request logs and the portal to submit FOIA requests.

As EPA pulls back, Louisiana schoolchildren could face the steepest risks, Terry L. Jones reports for @floodlightnews.org lailluminator.com/2025/04/01/e...

Here's @apnews.com outlining how the federal cuts are gutting public health at the national *and* state level. It you've been hit by the cuts or have information to share get in touch. apnews.com/article/heal...

NEW DOGE website shows $55M in cuts to Louisiana Department of Health www.wwno.org/public-healt...

I wrote about how some doctors who mail pills to states with bans say they won't stop after Louisiana criminally charged the same doctor Texas has targeted in the civil case below. And the high legal stakes these cases set up: www.npr.org/sections/sho...

Major news on the legal battle over abortion shield laws: nytimes.com/2025/03/27/h...

First there was Mardi Gras 🎉 ... then there was Lent. We want to hear from you about how you're spending Lent this year. What are you giving up? Who are you giving *to*? And is this year any different from the last? Send us your voice memos! www.wwno.org/wwno/2025-03...

Major news from @anniewaldman.bsky.social and @propublica.org www.propublica.org/article/nih-...

This is, to my knowledge, the first arrest of any provider post-Dobbs. We've seen other indictments/civil cases/criminal charges related to abortion but not the arrest of a provider as these bans had contemplated (again, to my knowledge).

A trend that has been growing: GOP lawmakers push to charge women with homicide for seeking abortions stateline.org/2025/03/06/g...

NEW: Vaccines. Bird Flu. COVID. Autism. Peanut Allergies. Fluoride. Environmental justice. Cancer Moonshot. These and other “controversial" or "sensitive” topics will get extra scrutiny at the National Cancer Institute under RFK. From me + @lisalsong.bsky.social: www.propublica.org/article/nati...

Trump nominee to head up FDA won’t make any commitments on abortion pill access @jennifershutt.bsky.social @statesnewsroom.com DC www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trum...

Trudeau says call with Trump was 'colourful' and warns trade war will continue for 'foreseeable future' Talks are underway to pause Trump tariffs on Canadian goods until April, but deal not certain www.cbc.ca/news/politic...