From life-threatening air pollution in a community near Houston to a resurgence of black lung in Appalachia and the real-world consequences of Texas’ worst-in-the-nation uninsured rate, Public Health Watch produced cutting-edge journalism on a wide range of topics in 2024. 

There are many to choose from, but here are nine stories and one column that stood out, in no particular order:

Benzene pollution in Channelview: It’s worse than we thought. (Co-published by Inside Climate News and Environmentral Health News)

Levels of Cancer-Causing Benzene Reached New Heights in Beleaguered Channelview, Texas. Regulators Never Told Residents.

Domestic violence shelters in Texas see a surge in pregnant victims after the Dobbs decision. (Co-published by Texas Public Radio)

Domestic Violence Shelters in Texas See a Surge of Pregnant Women After the Dobbs Decision

Florida and other states that haven’t expanded Medicaid are missing a chance to prevent opioid deaths. (Co-reported and co-published by WUSF; co-published by KFF Health News and NPR)

Thousands Die From Opioid Overdoses in Florida Each Year. Medicaid Expansion Could Lessen the Toll, Experts Say.

Trump’s election threatens Medicaid benefits for low-income people in America. (Co-published by Stateline)

What Trump’s Election Could Mean for Health-Care Coverage for the Poor

California regulators say they’ll bring a longtime lead polluter into line. The plant’s neighbors aren’t so sure. (Co-published by Grist)

Long-Delayed Permit for LA-Area Lead Smelter Will Tighten Enforcement, Regulators Say. Plant Neighbors Aren’t So Sure.

Texas state senator pledges legislative action based on Public Health Watch Channelview investigation.

‘Bad Actors Must Face Consequences’: Texas Legislator Ups Ante in Response to Public Health Watch Investigation in Channelview

Increasingly frequent and fierce heat waves in California’s San Joaquin Valley are taking a disproportionate toll on the elderly. (Co-reported and co-published by Valley Public Radio)

California’s Aging Population Is on the Front Lines of Extreme Heat

A chemical plant in Niagara Falls, New York, has recorded one of the nation’s worst workplace outbreaks of bladder cancer. New evidence suggests the threat extends to surrounding neighborhoods. (Co-reported and co-published by WBFO; co-published by Inside Climate News)

A Dangerous Chemical Is Fouling Niagara Falls’ Air. New York State Hasn’t Put a Stop to It.

Federal regulators finally act on deadly silica dust in coal mines after a PHW joint investigation in Appalachia. (Co-published by Louisville Public Media and Mountain State Spotlight).

Federal Mine Safety Regulators Finally Focus on Silica Dust — With Thousands Of Miners Sick And Dying

Full-body scans aren’t a panacea for disease prevention. (Co-published by NPR)

Why the Full-Body Scan Craze Misses the Mark: Focusing on Evidence-Based Prevention

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