Category: Health

The “novel entities” planetary boundary encapsulates all toxic and long-lived substances that humans release into the environment — from heavy metals and radioactive waste, to industrial chemicals and pesticides, even novel living organisms — which can threaten the stability of the Earth system. Humans have invented more than 140,000 synthetic chemicals and we produce them… Continue reading Novel chemical entities: Are we sleepwalking through a planetary boundary?

A political gamble Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders made more than two years ago has positioned him now for a lead role in writing what could be the largest climate bill in the nation’s history. In late 2018, the iconoclastic Democratic socialist frustrated greens and surprised some in his own party when he passed up the… Continue reading Bernie Sanders steers climate agenda from Budget perch

A Republican push meant to prevent Texas municipalities from protecting workers from the coronavirus pandemic also threatens to eliminate bare-bones requirements in two cities giving construction workers time to hydrate in the heat. Dallas and Austin require employers to provide construction workers 10-minute water breaks every four hours. That’s seen by many as minimal protections… Continue reading 'People can die': Texas bill would strip worker water breaks

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — The groundwater of at least nine military installations near the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland and Virginia is contaminated with high levels of toxic fluorinated “forever chemicals,” according to a report Wednesday by an environmental group that cites Defense Department records. The Environmental Working Group’s report focuses on installations along the bay… Continue reading Group cites chemical concerns at military sites near bay

Health Care Service Corporation is undertaking the largest service and product expansion in the company’s history ahead of Medicare Advantage open enrollment. The insurer, which offers plans in Illinois, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas, is adding MA plans to 90 new counties for the 2022 plan year. The new markets will reach 1.1 million beneficiaries,… Continue reading HCSC eyes largest Medicare Advantage expansion in its history for 2022

Madison Goldberg Madison Goldberg joins WITF for the summer of 2021 as a Mass Media Fellow with the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She recently graduated from Harvard University with a major in Earth science and a minor in education. August 18, 2021 | 7:08 AM The state Department of Conservation and Natural… Continue reading DCNR’s 25-year plan for state parks stresses need to address effects of climate change StateImpact Pennsylvania

How’s your August so far? For Sydney McLaughlin, the month has been a bit, um, busy. The American track phenom dominated her events at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, earning gold in the highly anticipated 400-meter hurdles and shattering her own world record in the process. She also nabbed gold in the 4×400-meter relay, running on… Continue reading 5 Things You’ll Love From Sydney McLaughlin’s New Balance Collection

Major hospital systems Cleveland Clinic and Mount Sinai will not prescribe the pricey and controversial Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm (aducanumab) due to concerns over its efficacy and safety, the New York Times reported. The decision by the two systems is the latest controversy surrounding the drug that was granted accelerated approval by the Food and Drug… Continue reading NYT: Cleveland Clinic, Mount Sinai won't prescribe controversial Alzheimer's disease drug Aduhelm

People infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, are known to shed it in their stool, even if they aren’t experiencing any symptoms. With that in mind, University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers have been screening wastewater from campus buildings for signs of the virus since the summer of 2020, thinking… Continue reading Most of UC San Diego's COVID-19 cases detected early by wastewater screening

In our Sleeping With… series, we ask people from different career paths, backgrounds, and stages of life how they make sleep magic happen. Brooke Raboutou spent the early months of quarantine turning her home into a climbing gym—and yes, it’s much more interesting than the YouTube yoga and downstairs-neighbor-friendly cardio workouts many of us explored.… Continue reading My Bedtime Routine: Olympic Climber Brooke Raboutou on Sleeping With Stuffed Animals and Working on Her Mental Game