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    Democratic Gov. Tony Evers is working to keep the spotlight on abortion ahead of next month's Wisconsin Supreme Court election, resurrecting a bill that would repeal the state's 1849 abortion ban. Republican lawmakers rejected the bill last summer. It has next to no chance of passing this time, but Evers and Democratic lawmakers held a news conference Tuesday to promote the measure. Abortion figures to be the key issue in the April 4 state Supreme Court election. Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul has filed a lawsuit challenging the ban and the case looks destined to land before the high court. If liberal-leaning candidate Janet Protasiewicz wins the election, conservatives would lose their majority on the court, opening the door to defeating the ban.

      A bill advancing in the North Carolina House would prohibit public schools, colleges and universities from requiring a student to provide proof they have been vaccinated against COVID-19. The proposal would also ban state agencies, cities and counties from denying employment to someone who refuses to get vaccinated against the virus or submit proof they have already done so. While some North Carolina private schools require up-to-date COVID-19 vaccinations for students, faculty and staff, the state’s public schools do not. The bill passed the House Health Committee Tuesday and will need to move through two other committees before it reaches the full House.

        The Missouri Senate has given initial approval to legislation that would temporarily prohibit gender-affirming treatments for minors and restrict their participation in sports. The Republican-led Senate advanced the bills Tuesday after an all-night session. Democrats allowed the votes after the GOP agreed not to prohibit gender transitions already in process, and to let the measures expire in 2027. Doctors could lose their licenses and schools would lose state funding if they don’t comply. Republicans are pushing nationwide to restrict transgender health care, drag shows, bathroom access and the discussion of LGBTQ topics in schools.

          Georgia would restrict vaping in public spaces in the same way that it restricts smoking under a bill that has received final passage. The state House voted 152-14 on Tuesday to pass Senate Bill 47, which regulates vaping in the same way the state already regulates smoking.. The measure goes to Gov. Brian Kemp for his signature or veto. Georgia’s 2005 Smoke-Free Air Act says that people can’t smoke indoors in many public places, although it excludes some places including tobacco stores and bars that only admit patrons older than 18. A person who violates the law can be fined $100 to $500. The state Department of Public Health is supporting the measure.

          Two years after a fire devastated Paul Newman's Hole in the Wall Gang camp for seriously ill children, a rebuilt camp center is opening. The February 2021 blaze burned the center of the camp. It had been made to look like an Old West town and housed the woodworking shop, the arts and crafts area, the camp store, and an educational kitchen. The new $4.5 million complex has twice the space with more accessibility and new amenities. Those include a quiet sensory room, a room with a fireplace for parents and caregivers, an emergency storm shelter, and a cistern in case of another fire.

          Wyoming has pushed to the front of efforts to prohibit the most common type of abortion, with the nation's first explicit ban on abortion pills. In many states women can now get abortion pills prescribed online and delivered to be taken at home. Increased availability has helped pill abortions now account for more than half of abortions in the U.S. Many states effectively ban abortion pills by prohibiting abortion, but none had taken direct aim at them before Wyoming. The bill passed alongside a new, sweeping abortion ban and observers say both measures are likely to be challenged in court.

          Health experts proposed detailed plans for a gradual end to anti-virus controls, but the Chinese government rebuffed them and dropped restrictions in December with no preparations to cope with the chaotic aftermath, The Associated Press has found. Over a year ago, scientists called on authorities to begin preparations for reopening. But Beijing took none of the steps experts said were needed before dropping controls. Millions of older people weren’t vaccinated, and hospitals weren’t reinforced for a possible surge in cases. Experts and scientific models estimate China’s lack of preparation led to hundreds of thousands of deaths that could have been avoided.

          Health experts proposed detailed plans for a gradual end to anti-virus controls, but the Chinese government rebuffed them and dropped restrictions in December with no preparations to cope with the chaotic aftermath, The Associated Press has found. Over a year ago, scientists called on authorities to begin preparations for reopening. But Beijing took none of the steps experts said were needed before dropping controls. Millions of older people weren’t vaccinated, and hospitals weren’t reinforced for a possible surge in cases. Experts and scientific models estimate China’s lack of preparation led to hundreds of thousands of deaths that could have been avoided.

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          TUESDAY, March 21, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- A urothelial cancer (UC) prediction model, which considers 10 genes with the highest performance from the UroAmp urinary comprehensive genomic profiling (uCGP) test, has high sensitivity and specificity, according to a study presented at the annual congress of the European Association of Urology, held from March 10 to 13 in Milan.

          TUESDAY, March 21, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- A digital rectal exam (DRE) conducted in men at age 45 years seems not to be useful for detecting early-stage prostate cancer, according to a study presented at the annual congress of the European Association of Urology, held from March 10 to 13 in Milan.

          An Oregon bill that would greatly expand access to abortion and gender-affirming care has sparked debate at a packed public hearing inside the state Capitol in Salem. The legislation was considered during a public hearing Monday. The bill would shield abortion providers and patients from criminal and civil liability from states where the procedure is banned. It would also require private insurance to cover gender-affirming care. The most contentious aspects of the legislation include allowing doctors to provide reproductive health care information and services to anyone regardless of age, as well as barring them in certain cases from disclosing that to parents.

          Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has acknowledged that he misled Parliament about rule-breaking government parties during the COVID-19 pandemic. But he insists that he never intentionally lied. Britain’s boisterous former leader is set to be grilled by lawmakers on Wednesday over whether he lied when he repeatedly denied that staffers held parties in his Downing Street offices in violation of COVID-19 lockdown rules. He could be suspended or even lose his seat in Parliament if found to have lied deliberately. Johnson acknowledged in written evidence that some of his statements “did not turn out to be correct.” But he said they “were made in good faith” and he did not "intentionally or recklessly mislead the House.”

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