Latest Public health News

EPA bans asbestos, a deadly carcinogen still in use decades after a partial ban was enacted

Mar. 18, 2024 18:56 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency on Monday announced a comprehensive ban on asbestos, a carcinogen that kills tens of thousands of Americans every year but is still used in some chlorine bleach, brake pads and other products. The final rule marks a major...

South Carolina's top public health doctor warns senators wrong lessons being learned from COVID

Mar. 14, 2024 15:04 PM EDT

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina’s top doctor came before a small group of state senators on Thursday to tell them he thinks a bill overhauling how public health emergencies are handled in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic has some bad ideas, concerns echoed by Gov. Henry McMaster. ...

Arizona's most populous county has confirmed 645 heat-associated deaths in metro Phoenix last year

Mar. 13, 2024 19:00 PM EDT

PHOENIX (AP) — Public health officials in Arizona’s most populous county on Wednesday reported they confirmed a staggering 645 heat-associated deaths last year — more than 50% higher than 2022 and another consecutive annual record in arid metro Phoenix. The numbers in the...

Early results show lower cancer rates than expected among Air Force nuclear missile personnel

Mar. 13, 2024 17:02 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Air Force is reporting the first data on cancer diagnoses among troops who worked with nuclear missiles and, while the data is only about 25% complete, the service says the numbers are lower than what they expected. The Air Force said so far it has identified...

No recoverable oil is left in the water from sheen off Southern California coast, officials say

Mar. 09, 2024 20:26 PM EST

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (AP) — No recoverable oil remains in the water after a sheen was reported off the Southern California coast, but the cause remains unclear, officials said Saturday. Authorities detected the 2.5-mile (4-kilometer) long oil sheen Friday morning. Crews...

Senate passes bill to compensate Americans exposed to radiation by the government

Mar. 07, 2024 20:48 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate passed legislation Thursday that would compensate Americans exposed to radiation by the government by renewing a law initially passed more than three decades ago. The bill by Sens. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., would expand the...

Homes near St. Louis County creek are being tested after radioactive contamination found in yards

Mar. 05, 2024 14:06 PM EST

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A federal agency is examining soil beneath homes in a small suburban St. Louis subdivision to determine if residents are living atop Cold War era nuclear contamination. But activists say the testing needs to be far more widespread. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers...

Trader Joe's chicken soup dumplings recalled for possibly containing permanent marker plastic

Mar. 03, 2024 17:11 PM EST

NEW YORK (AP) — More than 61,000 pounds of steamed chicken soup dumplings sold at Trader Joe's are being recalled for possibly containing hard plastic, U.S. regulators announced Saturday. The Agriculture Department's Food Safety and Inspection Service noted that the now-recalled...

Today in History: March 2, Wilt Chamberlain scores 100 points in a game

Mar. 02, 2024 00:21 AM EST

Today in History Today is Saturday, March 2, the 62nd day of 2024. There are 304 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On March 2, 1962, Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points for the Philadelphia Warriors in a game against the New York...

Public health officer in Michigan keeps her job after lengthy legal fight over COVID rules

Feb. 27, 2024 19:36 PM EST

WEST OLIVE, Mich. (AP) — An embattled public health officer in Michigan will get to keep her job, after a lengthy legal fight with county commissioners over pandemic-era mask mandates concluded Tuesday with the board bowing to the will of a court-ordered arbitrator. The Ottawa...