Health

NBC News -  Almost half of adults, 47%, said they're worried they won't be able to afford health care next year — the highest level since West Health and Gallup began tracking in 2021, the survey found. The findings come as the cost of health care has become a central issue in politics. Senate Democrats' push to extend enhanced subsidies for the Affordable Care Act led to the longest government shutdown in history. The ACA tax credits, which have protected people from double-digit premium increases, are set to expire Dec. 31. Republicans blocked the effort, and the Trump administration has vowed to "fix Obamacare" but has yet to release a detailed plan.  Read the full story.

NPR - More people in their 20s are getting preventive Botox — known as “baby Botox,” lower-dose treatments administered around once or twice a year, which is less than those for midlife adults. The small doses block nerve signals to the muscle. Here's what's behind the trend:

💉 Pandemic-era screen time meant that people were doing more self-comparisons and looking at curated images of other people on video calls and social media.  
💉 Celebrities and influencers promote cosmetic procedures, further normalizing the treatments.
💉 “Ageless” beauty is seen as a "status symbol" in today's society. Young women say the treatments show that they were able to invest in themselves at a very early age.
💉 The treatments can be addictive due to the fact that once you stop getting the injections, the effects wear off and wrinkles reappear.