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As the year ends, the Science desk at The New York Times asked its reporters to look back at the news they reported on that was the most memorable. These are the selections, with a focus on health and medicine news. (12/16)

The earthquake of Donald Trump's presidential election victory casts a completely different light on the healthcare politics and policy developments that preceded it this year. Healthcare generally did not play a top-tier role in the campaign rhetoric or advertising of Trump, Hillary Clinton, House or Senate candidates of either party, or gubernatorial contenders. Despite polarized public views of the Affordable Care Act, the law was not expected to be a pivotal election issue. Yet Obamacare's deep unpopularity with Republican voters helped Trump mobilize his supporters and win the presidency. (Meyer, 12/17)