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Category Archives: Health Care

These Household Brands Want to Redefine What Counts as “Recyclable”

ProPublica:”Most of the products in the typical kitchen use plastics that are virtually impossible to recycle. The film that acts as a lid on Dole Sunshine fruit bowls, the rings securing jars of McCormick dried herbs, the straws attached to Juicy Juice boxes, the bags that hold Cheez-Its and Cheerios — they’re all destined for… Continue Reading

The Pivotal Importance of Air Quality, Ventilation and Exposures For Our Health

Ground Truth – Koseph Allen: The Pivotal Importance of Air Quality, Ventilation and Exposures (Such as “Forever Chemicals”) For Our Health And What We Can Do About It by Eric Topol. “Professor Joseph Allen directs the Healthy Buildings Program at Harvard Chan School of Public Health. His expertise extends far beyond what makes buildings healthy.… Continue Reading

Got a Change Healthcare letter about a data breach? Here’s what to do

Washington Post [gift article]: “After Change Healthcare, a technology company owned by UnitedHealth Group, reported a giant ransomware attack, you may have received a letter by mail letting you know your data has been compromised. But you get a lot of random stuff in the mail, too. How can you determine if the letter is… Continue Reading

The world is pumping out 57 million tons of plastic pollution a year

“A new study from the University shines a light on the enormous scale of uncollected rubbish and open burning of plastic waste in the first ever global plastics pollution inventory. Researchers used A.I. to model waste management in more than 50,000 municipalities around the world. This model allowed the team to predict how much waste… Continue Reading

Study suggests gun-free zones do not attract mass shootings

PHYS.org: “Gun-free zones have often been blamed for making schools, malls and other public areas more attractive to shooters; however, there have been no quantitative studies examining those claims. Now, in a first of its kind study published in The Lancet Regional Health – Americas, researchers at UC Davis Health and other institutions have shown… Continue Reading

FDA Authorizes Updated Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine

FDA: [August 30, 2024] The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization (EUA) for an updated version of the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine that more closely targets currently circulating variants to provide better protection against serious consequences of COVID-19, including hospitalization and death. The updated vaccine is authorized for use in individuals 12 years… Continue Reading

Your State-by-State Guide to the 2024 Supreme Court Elections

BOLTS – “Voters this year are deciding the fate of 82 seats across 33 states’ high courts. Cases involving abortion, democracy, and other critical issues hang in the balance. The Texas supreme court closed out 2023 by blocking an abortion during a medical emergency, forcing a woman to flee the state. Just days before Christmas,… Continue Reading

Climate change: IPCC report is ‘code red for humanity’

“Human-induced climate change is already affecting many weather and climate extremes in every region across the globe. Scientists are also observing changes across the whole of Earth’s climate system; in the atmosphere, in the oceans, ice floes, and on land. Many of these changes are unprecedented, and some of the shifts are in motion now,… Continue Reading

Canada’s Record-breaking 2023 Wildfires

World Resources Institute – Released Nearly 4 Times More Carbon than Global Aviation– “Canada’s 2023 wildfires made international headlines, causing billions of dollars in property damage, displacing thousands of people from their homes, and spewing air pollution that traveled as far as Europe and China. A new analysis shows that the wildfires also had a… Continue Reading

Consumer Reports survey: Many Americans concerned about AI, algorithms

Washington, DC – “A new nationally representative Consumer Reports survey  explores Americans’ attitudes toward artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithmic decision-making. The survey found that a majority of Americans are uncomfortable about the use of AI and algorithmic decision-making technology around major life moments as it relates to housing, employment, and healthcare. CR conducted this multi-mode… Continue Reading

U.S. will again offer free at-home Covid tests starting in late September

CNBC: “The Biden administration on Friday said it will resume offering free at-home Covid-19 tests to American households in late September as the virus has gained a stronger foothold in the U.S. this summer. Americans will soon be able to use COVIDtests.gov to request four free tests, administration officials told reporters during a briefing. The… Continue Reading