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Texas lawmakers advanced a bill Wednesday to clarify medical exceptions under one of the most restrictive abortion bans in the U.S., putting the GOP-backed proposal on the brink of reaching Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk. The changes would not expand abortion access in Texas or list specific medical exceptions under the state’s near-total ban, which took effect in 2022 and only allows for an abortion to save the life of the mother. It also would not include exceptions for cases of rape or incest. (Lathan, 5/21)

The Texas House late Wednesday gave initial approval to a bill that would ban all products containing tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, likely spelling the end for the state’s short-lived hemp industry. (Scherer, 5/21)

Hospitals across the Dayton, Ohio, region are stepping in to support Kettering (Ohio) Health, after a May 20 cybersecurity incident disrupted the health system’s electronic systems. Here are four things to know: The Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association said in a May 21 news release shared with Becker’s that its member hospitals are coordinating to manage patient care and are increasing staffing at unaffected facilities to handle the higher demand resulting from the incident at Kettering Health, which canceled all elective inpatient and outpatient procedures across its facilities on May 20. (Diaz, 5/21)

A fourth case of whooping cough has been reported at Rostraver Elementary in the Belle Vernon Area School District. Belle Vernon Area Superintendent Dr. Timothy Glasspool notified the school community in a letter on Wednesday, saying that the district was notified of the confirmed case by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Three previous cases were reported in late April and early May and Dr. Glasspool says there's no known connection or link between the four students who have tested positive for the illness. (Darnay, 5/22)

Â鶹ŮÓÅ Health News: Volunteers Help Tornado-Hit St. Louis Amid Wait For Federal Aid

As St. Louis deals with more than $1.6 billion in estimated property damage from the May 16 tornado, locals are pouring in to help the hard-hit area of North St. Louis. It’s unclear if residents can count on federal support as they rebuild. (Anthony and Sable-Smith, 5/22)

More than one month after a Chevron oil and gas pad spewed a mixture of oil, gas and water into the sky around Galeton for several days, researchers say the toxins released into the community may be more concerning than initially reported by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Students and staff at Colorado State University say their testing showed a much higher level of toxins, such as benzene, in the air around Galeton than that which CDPHE and other researchers reported to the community. (Thomas, 5/21)