Tag: Public Health
The West’s latest prospecting frenzy? Extraterrestrial gold.
Companies are hunting for lithium near Moab, Utah. Rebecca Worby, High Country News August 14, 2017 White Oil, Oro Blanco, Extraterrestrial Gold: lithium, the lightweight element key to rechargeable batteries, has recently acquired a slew of…
People over 75 are first in line to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The average Black person doesn’t live that long.
Prioritizing COVID-19 vaccinations for people 75 and up can leave out Black Americans, who tend to die younger than their white counterparts. In one majority-Black county, this age gap raises questions about how to make the…
Fauci: Vaccines for kids as young as first graders could be authorized by September
For this to happen by the start of the next school year, trials need to prove the vaccine is safe and effective in children. Experts say manufacturers aren’t moving quickly enough, and that this is important…
Congressional report reveals manufacturers ‘knowingly’ sold toxin-tainted baby food
“This is what happens when you let the food and chemical companies, not the FDA, decide whether our food is safe to eat.” by Kenny Stancil, staff writer Friday, February 5, 2021 Leading baby food manufacturers…
Health officials keep close eye as COVID-19 variants found in Arizona
by Jake Holter, Cronkite News Tuesday, February, 2, 2021 Health officials have confirmed that the UK variant of the coronavirus has been found in Arizona. Now what? For the time being, more of the same: mask,…
Living with natural gas pipelines: Appalachian landowners describe fear, anxiety and loss
Some reported never hearing about a planned pipeline until a “land man” – a gas company representative – knocked on their door offering to buy a slice of their property; others said that they found out…
Vaccinating the homeless: Some have received doses, others await their turn
by Leo Tochterman, Cronkite News Friday, January 29, 2021 Los Angles, Calif — Clayton Foster was living out of his car when he contracted COVID-19. The 67-year-old knew he faced higher risks of death or severe…
Arizona’s second state vaccine site opens, at Phoenix Municipal Stadium
by Sabrina Kenoun, Cronkite News Tuesday, February 2, 2021, Phoenix Arizona health officials on Monday opened the state’s second COVID-19 vaccination site, at ASU’s Phoenix Municipal Stadium, aiming to build on the success of the…
If this self-sufficient hospital cannot stand alone, can any public hospital survive?
In America’s health care system, dominated by hospital chain leviathans, New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, North Carolina, is an anomaly. It is a publicly owned hospital that boasts good care at lower prices than…
The government Donald Trump left behind
Trump ultimately fell short on many of his signature promises, but his administration’s successes in cutting taxes, rolling back regulations and reshaping the judiciary will cast a long shadow. by Chris Morran Saturday, January 30, 2021…
As fears grow over Covid vaccine delays, watchdog asks: ‘Why are we allowing Big Pharma’s patents to artificially limit supply?’
“It’s just wrong that big business is deciding who gets vaccinated, with zero transparency. We must scrap patents and massively scale up production globally.” by Jake Johnson, staff writer Friday, January 29, 2021 “Could you patent…
New Covid cases plunge 25% or more as behavior changes
by Christina Jewett January 28, 2021 A dozen states are reporting drops of 25% or more in new covid-19 cases and more than 1,200 counties have seen the same, federal data released Wednesday shows. Experts say…
Weed withdrawal: More than half of people using medical cannabis for pain experience withdrawal symptoms
by Lara Coughlin, University of Michigan CC BY-ND In stark contrast to the overblown fears portrayed during decades past, these days, most people think cannabis is relatively harmless. While weed is indeed less dangerous than…
A year after first case in Arizona, COVID-19 is now a leading killer
Ryan Knappenberger, Cronkite News Jan. 25, 2021 WASHINGTON – COVID-19 is on the verge of becoming the leading cause of death in Arizona, surpassing cancer and closing in on heart disease, according to the…
“We’ve let the worst happen”: reflecting on 400,000 dead
A much-needed check-in with health care reporter Caroline Chen as we examine the toll COVID-19 has taken on the country and what to expect from a new president. by Logan Jaffe, ProPubica January 23, 2021 In…
Flurry of Biden orders on COVID-19 raise some doubts, but more hopes
by Jacob Holter, Cronkite News Washington, D.C. Almost half of the 24 executive orders President Joe Biden has signed in his first two days in office have dealt with COVID-19, which White House officials cite as…
Biden mandates masks on federal property
Cronkite News Almost half of the 24 executive orders President Joe Biden signed in his first two days in office dealt with COVID-19, which White House officials say shows it their top priority. But even…
How many vaccine shots go to waste? Several states aren’t counting.
The CDC says health facilities should report unused and spoiled COVID-19 vaccines, but many are failing to do so. At a time when there aren’t enough shots to meet demand, significant numbers may be going in…
Health officials ramp up COVID-19 vaccines with new sites, eligibility in AZ
by Haleigh Kochanski, Cronkite News Friday, January 15 WASHINGTON – T he Arizona Department of Health Services said Friday it is expanding its COVID-19 vaccination programs, adding distribution at pharmacies and at a second state-run site in…
Memphis-area residents without internet must wait days for vaccination appointments, while others go to the front of the line
The county’s decision to prioritize vaccinations for internet users — and its failure to set aside any appointments for callers — raises issues of equity and access, say experts. by Wendi C. Thomas and Hannah Grabenstein,…
Vaccination disarray leaves seniors confused about when they can get a shot
In Arizona, “it’s up to each county to come up and execute a plan for vaccine distribution,” said Dana Kennedy, state director of AARP Arizona. by Judith Graham Thursday, January 14, 2021 For weeks, doctors’ phones…
Nearly 4,000 Americans died from Covid-19 on Wednesday as Trump incited anti-democratic insurrection
“Trump completely abdicating all responsibility for federal Covid response is not even on the radar today.” by Kenny Stancil, staff writer Thursday, January 7, 2021 Public Citizen president Robert Weissman called Wednesday a “dark, dark day…
Live free or die if you must, say Colorado urbanites — but not in my hospital
by Rae Ellen Bichell January 2, 2021 ERIE, Colo. Whenever Larry Kelderman looks up from the car he’s fixing and peers across the street, he’s looking across a border. His town of 28,000 straddles…
‘This Is Warp Speed?’ At current pace, US will take 10 years to adequately vaccinate the public against Covid-19
“We should have been prepared to start inoculating millions of people the day a vaccine was approved. This is a massive policy failure.” by Jake Johnson, staff writer Wednesday, December 30, 2020 If the Trump administration’s…
