Tag: Public Health
No time to party: With omicron surging in Arizona, officials stress masks, tests, COVID vaccines
by Molly Hudson, Cronkite News January 20 2022 Phoenix – Arizonans who have had COVID-19 shouldn’t count on immunity from the highly contagious omicron variant, which continues to spread in the state, a leading health expert said…
St. Jude hoards billions while patient families drain their savings
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital promises not to bill families. But the cost of having a child at the hospital for cancer care leaves some families so strapped for money that parents share tips on spending…
Senate Democrats call on Biden to pardon all Federal nonviolent marijuana offenders
“Our country’s cannabis policies must be completely overhauled, but you have the power to act now.” by Jessica Corbett, Common Dreams Wednesday, November 10, 2021 Blasting “over a century of failed and racist cannabis policies,” a…
America’s food safety system failed to stop a Salmonella epidemic. It’s still making people sick.
For years, a dangerous salmonella strain has sickened thousands and continues to spread through the chicken industry. The USDA knows about it. So do the companies. And yet, contaminated meat continues to be sold to consumers….
We’re losing our humanity, and the pandemic is to blame
“What the hell is happening? I feel like we are living on another planet. I don’t recognize anyone anymore.” by Sarah Smith, ProPublica October 8, 2021 Kurt Thigpen clenched his hands around the edge of…
Sanders says there’s ‘no excuse’ for any Democrat to oppose lowering drug prices
“Now is the time for Congress to show courage and stand up to the greed of the pharmaceutical industry.” by Jake Johnson, Common Dreams Thursday, September 16, 2021 After three House Democrats voted against a key…
EPA bans all food uses of neurotoxic pesticide Chlorpyrifos
‘Long overdue’ “Finally, our fields are made safer for farmworkers and our fruits and vegetables are safer for our children.” by Jessica Corbet, Common Dreams August 18, 2021 Public health experts and labor rights advocates…
Sanders urges Labor Secretary to protect jobless benefits as GOP governors race to cut them off
Az Gov. Ducey moves to cut fed unemployment help The Vermont senator warned that many workers “will be forced into poverty” if Republican leaders are permitted to end emergency unemployment benefits. by Jake Johnson, staff writer…
WHO declares Covid mutation found in India a ‘variant of concern’ for global health
“I think what we’re seeing is more transmissible,” said WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan. by Jake Johnson, staff writer Monday, May 10, 2021 The World Health Organization on Monday classified a coronavirus mutation first detected in…
Biden gives Congress his vision to ‘win the 21st century’ – scholars react
President Joe Biden spoke to Congress on April 28, 2021, with a historic duo flanking him: two women, one of them African American. Vice President Kamala Harris called the proceedings to order; Speaker of the House Nancy…
‘Mystery chemicals’ found in pregnant Bay Area women
“It’s the role of the government to ensure that chemicals used in the marketplace are known. That’s obviously not the system we’re in right now.” by Quinn McVeigh April 16, 2021 Forty-two “mystery chemicals” were found…
Biden’s embrace of Trump-era fentanyl ban ‘threatens to repeat past missteps,’ critics warn
One expert urged policymakers to “rethink these efforts to double down on fear-based, enforcement-first approaches, and instead invest in public health alternatives.” by Kenny Stancil, staff writer April 14, 2021 After the Biden administration this…
Vape sellers are using popular music videos to promote e-cigarettes to young people – and it’s working
Teens and young adults spend several hours a day looking at their phones and watching videos, many of which might contain product placements for vaping. Flashpop/Getty Images. by Jon-Patrick Allem, University of Southern California Research that…
Meatpacking industry fought feeble Covid-19 safeguards under Trump
“These documents show that the industry actively pushed back against the few steps the Trump administration took to try to ensure the safety of meatpacking workers and federal inspectors.” by Brett Wilkins, staff writer Thursday, March…
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…
