Health

Apple is prepared to remove the blood-oxygen sensor from its internet-connected watches if a court doesn’t give it more leeway while it pursues a bid to overturn a ruling that has blocked its use of the technology. A potential redesign of two Apple Watch models, the Series 9 and Ultra 2, that would exclude the blood oxygen sensor has been approved by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. That's according to a Monday court filing by Masimo, a Southern California company pursuing the patent claim. The blood oxygen sensor will remain in the watches if an appeals court sides with Apple.

Sixty years ago, the U.S. surgeon general released a report that settled a longstanding public debate about the dangers of cigarettes and led to huge changes in smoking in America. Is it time for a similar report on vaping? Just as there were questions in January 1964 about how the health effects of combustible cigarettes, there’s persisting uncertainty today about the dangers of electronic cigarettes. Some experts say a clarifying report is needed.

John Kerry, the U.S. special envoy on climate, is stepping down from the Biden administration in the coming weeks. That's according to two people familiar with his plans. Kerry, a longtime senator and secretary of state, was tapped shortly after Joe Biden’s November 2020 election to take on the new role created specifically to fight climate change on behalf of the administration on the global stage. Kerry was one of the leading drafters of the 2015 Paris climate accords and came into the role with significant experience abroad, as secretary of state during the Obama administration and from nearly three decades as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The Mississippi State Health Department says Jackson's water is safe to consume. That Friday announcement came one day after health officials told residents in the state’s capital that dangerous bacteria could be in their tap water. Mississippi health officials lifted their health advisory after a new round of test results did not find E. coli in Jackson’s supply. The announcement reverses the department's Thursday instructions for Jackson residents to boil their water before consuming it. The move comes hours after Ted Henifin, Jackson’s interim water manager, said repeat samples taken from the city’s water system tested negative for E. coli.

For weary parents rolling up their sleeves for diaper duty, a bill in Kentucky would deliver tax relief when purchasing a necessity that adds up to a big expense. The measure would exempt diapers from the state’s 6% sales tax. Senators from both parties have signed on as cosponsors. And the proposal has received a hearty endorsement from the operator of a Kentucky diaper bank. The bill's lead sponsor is Democratic Sen. Cassie Chambers Armstrong. She said Friday that anyone with children understands how expensive diapers have become, and the National Diaper Bank Network says the struggle to afford diapers is a growing problem.

Republican presidential candidates these days are barely discussing abortion in Iowa just days away from the state's caucuses. That's a remarkable change in a state whose Republicans have long supported religious conservative priorities. The AP spoke to more than 20 voters about why. Several said they felt the issue has less urgency after the Supreme Court overturned a federally guaranteed right to abortion. But other Republicans say they're worried Democrats have won campaigns by advocating for abortion rights since the court's decision. They're lining up with former President Donald Trump, the GOP front-runner, who has refused to support a national abortion ban because he says it's bad politics.