Health Care Archives

A closeup photo of a woman’s hand cradling the face of a short-haired brown tabby with striped fur. The cat’s eyes are half-open and relaxed, giving it a calm, slightly sleepy expression.

Impact

The Black Market for a Lifesaving Cat Drug

by Kate Howard, D. Victoria Baranetsky, Taki Telonidis, Brett Myers, Fernando Arruda, Jim Briggs, Al Letson, Zulema Cobb and Artis Curiskis January 3, 2026

A fatal cat disease was finally cured, but the treatment wasn’t legally available. So a group of cat lovers created an international black market.

A woman carries two large boxes of Luvs diapers across a street. In a parking space behind her, a U-Haul truck with its cargo bay open holds supplies in cardboard boxes.

Reproductive Rights

Alabama’s Threats to Prosecute Abortion Helpers

by Nina Martin, Anayansi Diaz-Cortes, Michael I Schiller, Brett Myers, Taki Telonidis, Fernando Arruda, Jim Briggs, Jenny Casas, D. Victoria Baranetsky, Kate Howard, Claire Mullen, Steven Rascón, Al Letson, Zulema Cobb and Artis Curiskis November 29, 2025January 5, 2026

When Roe v. Wade was overturned and abortion became illegal in Alabama, helping people get out of state came with the threat of jail time.

A crowd assembles at the steps of the California State Capitol building. In the foreground at the back of the crowd, two young people hold a white banner with words printed in black: "Human rights for Pelican Bay prisoners now!"

Prisons

The Strike That Broke a Supermax Prison

by Michael Montgomery, Claire Mullen, David Ritsher, Taki Telonidis, Brett Myers, Fernando Arruda, Jim Briggs, Steven Rascón, Al Letson, Zulema Cobb and Artis Curiskis September 13, 2025January 5, 2026

After spending years locked in solitary confinement, a group of California men united to launch the largest prison hunger strike in US history.

A man with tattoos on both arms in a red T-shirt, blue jeans, and sneakers sits in a chair in a room. The man’s face is obscured by a puffy cloud of smoke.

Rehabilitation

Why Rehab Often Fuels Relapse Instead of Recovery

by Josh Sanburn, Kara McGuirk-Allison, Al Letson, Brett Myers, Taki Telonidis and James West August 27, 2025August 27, 2025

On this week’s “More To The Story,” author and journalist Shoshana Walter explains how the underregulated drug rehab industry in America is often failing people battling substance abuse.

A young woman stands in a kitchen in front of three girls of descending height. The woman is facing the camera, looking down as she holds a blue ice pop and a pair of scissors. The children are seen from behind, looking up at the woman with rapt attention.

Health Care

She Ate a Poppy Seed Salad. Child Services Took Her Baby.

by Jenny Casas, Kate Howard, Nina Martin, Nikki Frick, Zulema Cobb, Jim Briggs, Fernando Arruda, Claire Mullen, Missa Perron, Taki Telonidis, Brett Myers and Al Letson August 9, 2025

You’re having a baby. A hospital drug test comes out positive. But you know the test is wrong—and you can’t control what happens next.

A portrait of a young woman with long dark hair, standing amid plants and looking off into the distance.

Reproductive Rights

They Followed Doctors’ Orders. The State Took Their Babies.

by Shoshana Walter, Najib Aminy, Melissa Lewis, Nina Martin, Nikki Frick, D. Victoria Baranetsky, Claire Mullen, Anayansi Diaz-Cortes, Jim Briggs, Fernando Arruda, Zulema Cobb, Taki Telonidis, Brett Myers and Al Letson August 2, 2025

Medications like Suboxone help pregnant women safely treat addiction. But in many states, taking them can trigger investigations by child welfare agencies that separate mothers from their newborns.