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A federal appeals court will hear arguments Thursday over Arkansas’ first-in-the-nation ban on gender-affirming care for minors, as the fight over the restrictions on transgender youths adopted by two dozen states moves closer to the U.S. Supreme Court. Arkansas is appealing a federal judge’s ruling last year that struck down the state’s ban as unconstitutional, the first decision to overturn such a prohibition. The 2021 law would prohibit doctors from providing gender-affirming hormone treatment, puberty blockers or surgery to anyone under 18. (DeMillo, 4/11)

Mississippi, one of the country's poorest and least healthy states, could soon become the next to expand Medicaid. It's one of several GOP-dominated states that have seriously discussed Medicaid expansion this year, a sign that opposition to the Affordable Care Act coverage program may be softening among some holdouts 10 years after it became available. (Goldman, 4/11)

An effort is being rolled out in New York City to address prostate cancer rates. Prostate cancer is the second most common form of cancer for men in the United States with about 1 in 8 being diagnosed in their lifetime. While grabbing groceries at Food Bank for New York City in Harlem, Glendon Cooper got even more than he came for; within minutes, he was in the hands of health care workers, getting screened for prostate cancer in the Mount Sinai Robert F. Smith Mobile Prostate Cancer Screening Unit. (DeAngelis, 4/10)

Black and Indigenous pregnant Minnesotans have long faced more health disparities than their white counterparts. Now, there’s a push at the Legislature to change that. DFL Sen. Mary Kunesh — who is the first Indigenous Minnesotan elected to the state Senate — is sponsoring a pair of bills to reduce harmful birthing experiences and help Black and Indigenous parents heal from past traumas. (Olson and Stockton, 4/10)

�鶹Ů�� Health News: Arkansas Led The Nation In Measuring Obesity In Kids. Did It Help?

Sixth-grade boys were lining up to be measured in the Mann Arts and Science Magnet Middle School library. As they took off their shoes and emptied their pockets, they joked about being the tallest. “It’s an advantage,” said one. “You can play basketball,” said another. “A taller dude can get more girls!” a third student offered. Everyone laughed. What they didn’t joke about was their weight. (Cardoza, 4/11)

Many Republicans across the country have long dismissed public health initiatives as “nanny state” overreach, with the coronavirus pandemic only further politicizing government’s efforts to save lives. But one GOP governor — Ohio’s Mike DeWine — says he’s hit on a strategy to get conservative lawmakers and taxpayers to pay attention: focus on the children. (Weber, 4/10)