The Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) warns that a proposed Department of Education rule excluding public health degrees from the “professional degree” category could significantly affect the nation’s public health workforce. The change would limit access to federal financial aid and higher loan limits, increasing financial barriers for students, particularly those fr…

Public health agencies continue to face outdated data systems and fragmented governance that hinder real-time data sharing, disease surveillance, and timely outbreak response. Modernizing Data Systems and Harnessing AI in the Public Health System, a webinar taking place February 17 from 1:00–2:00 PM ET, brings together federal, state, and academic leaders to explore how agencies are advancing d…

New federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans could eventually reshape school meals, but changes will be gradual and complex. Because USDA nutrition standards are tied to these guidelines, schools may face pressure to reduce highly processed foods, increase scratch cooking, and serve more protein-rich meals. However, many districts lack kitchen infrastructure, trained staff, and funding to make…

Clear, timely emergency alerts are a critical public health function, yet many messages still rely on jargon and unclear instructions that can hinder protective action. New practitioner-led work explores how generative AI, when grounded in evidence-based communication research, can help emergency managers craft clearer, more actionable warnings across platforms and languages. By integrating p…

The CDC’s American Heart Month Communications Toolkit offers timely, practical resources for public health communicators to use throughout February. Designed to raise awareness of cardiovascular disease—the leading cause of death in the United States—the toolkit combines up-to-date data with ready-to-use, bilingual materials. It highlights the prevalence, cost, and risk factors of heart disease…

The Public Health Communications Collaborative (PHCC) Academy has opened enrollment for its fourth free training, Media Relations Capacity Building for Public Health Communicators, designed to strengthen how public health professionals engage with the media. This self-paced, two-hour course focuses on crafting clear, accessible messages, navigating the 24/7 news cycle, and preparing subject mat…

Arclet is growing and preparing to scale in 2026, with two new opportunities now open. The organization is hiring a Customer Success & Insights Specialist (part-time, W-2, remote within the U.S.) to support public health communicators, strengthen platform adoption, and translate user relationships into insights, stories, and evidence that inform product development and partnerships. Arcle…

A new Kaiser Family Foundation poll highlights health care affordability as Americans’ top household concern, surpassing worries about food, housing, utilities, and gas. Two-thirds of respondents reported greater anxiety about paying for health care, with more than half experiencing rising insurance premiums and expecting further increases. One in five said health care costs are increasing fast…

Efforts to restrict fluoride in public drinking water are accelerating, highlighting the growing influence of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda across federal and state actions. The Environmental Protection Agency has launched a fast-tracked review of potential fluoride health risks, while at least 16 states consider new limits or bans. Public health…