States Move to Regulate Toxic Chemicals; Federal Government Still Far Behind
Massachusetts is one state that has seen sizable reductions in chemical use and disposal as a result of a 1989 law that strongly encourages companies to cut back on toxic substances.
medicaid expansion project: ‘the holdouts’
Mother Battling Cancer Is Impatient With Kansas Legislature’s Denial of Medicaid Expansion
The plight of Katy Everitt reflects the struggles of many Kansans who aren’t eligible for Medicaid coverage. GOP opposition has left Kansas among 12 states without broadened eligibility for the program.
As Gulf South Lawmakers Fight Over Medicaid, New Moms Weigh In: ‘Safety Nets Do Save Lives’
The COVID-19 health emergency could end soon, and tens of thousands of new mothers could lose their health-care coverage unless legislators in Mississippi and Alabama take action.
commentary
Medicaid and the Public Health Emergency
Enrollment in Medicaid programs has reached an all-time high, but millions of low-income people are likely to lose coverage unless states conduct aggressive outreach.
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featured stories
More Latino Men Are Dying By Suicide Even as National Rate Declines
U.S. suicides dropped between 2019 and 2020, while the rate for Latino men rose nearly 6 percent. Among the causes, experts say: job loss, substance abuse, poor access to care and the stigma of mental illness.
While Future of Texas Abortion Clinics Hangs in Balance, Public Funding Pours Into Anti-Abortion Pregnancy Centers
Public funding for Texas’ Alternatives to Abortion program has risen twentyfold since 2006, with funding diverted from programs that help needy families and human-trafficking victims.
Texas Abortion Providers Feel ‘Ignored’ by the Biden Administration
After the state’s strictest-in-the-nation abortion ban went into effect last year, the president promised a ‘whole-of-government’ response that experts say has not materialized.
As Pandemic Enters Third Year, Public Health Workers Are Suffering High Levels of Mental Distress
More than half of 45,000 workers surveyed reported at least one symptom of post-traumatic stress. Nearly one-third were considering leaving.
environment
Small Plant, Big Polluter
Thanks to a loophole in the Clean Air Act, William Koch’s Oxbow plant in Port Arthur, Texas, puts out 10 times as much lung-damaging sulfur dioxide as its industrial neighbors. People who live nearby have asked the state for help, to no avail.
Koch-Owned Plant Finds Legal Ways to Pollute
A clean energy company that once operated at William Koch’s Oxbow plant in Port Arthur, Texas, claimed in a lawsuit that Oxbow manipulated sulfur dioxide emissions to avoid spending millions on pollution controls. Oxbow said it complies with the law.
While ExxonMobil Touts Net-Zero Promise, Its Huge Plastics Complex in Texas Goes Online
The same day ExxonMobil announced its ambition to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, word spread that its mammoth plastics manufacturing complex in Texas had begun production. The plant could pump more than 3.5 million tons of carbon dioxide into the air every year.
Flaring at Gulf Coast Plastics Plant Alarms Neighbors, Signals Growth in Polluting Projects
Environmental advocates fear that Gulf Coast residents are poised to suffer from new energy projects expected to add 50 million tons of greenhouse-gas pollution in coming years.
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other stories
Young and Dying: Veterans Are Getting Brain Cancer and Struggling to Get Benefits
A joint investigation by Military.com and Public Health Watch found that glioblastoma, while rare, has struck hundreds of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. Many must fight for health care and compensation.
Cancer Cases in Kids Are Rising. Some Experts Blame Toxic Chemicals.
While death rates for childhood cancer victims are going down, incidence rates are going up. Are environmental exposures at fault?
Iowa’s Toxic Brew
Iowa copes with the climate-chemical reaction that can play havoc with drinking water.
