World Jun 08 Millions of Americans warned to stay inside as wildfire smoke blankets eastern states A heavy pall of polluted air still blankets much of the eastern U.S and it may not dissipate for days as fires in Canada send vast curtains of smoke south. The bad air has officials warning that breathing it can…
Health May 31 Purdue Pharma family protected from lawsuits in exchange for addiction treatment funding A court ruled the owners of Purdue Pharma, the Sackler family, will be protected from civil lawsuits linked to the opioid crisis in exchange for a $6 billion settlement. Purdue, which filed for bankruptcy in 2019 amid thousands of lawsuits,…
Science May 25 Supreme Court decision weakens EPA authority, scales back scope of Clean Water Act The Supreme Court has again weakened the authority of the Environmental Protection Agency. The case involved the EPA blocking an Idaho couple from building a house near a lake on their property, saying the construction would pollute water protected by…
Nation May 23 Los Angeles Dodgers re-invite satirical drag group to Pride Night after backlash The Los Angeles Dodgers are the latest corporation to get tangled in the culture wars. They originally planned to include a queer and trans group for a Dodgers' pride event, then, under pressure, retracted their invitation. Now, they’ve changed their…
Nation May 22 What the Colorado River water use agreement will mean for western states The Biden administration reached a landmark deal with several western states to stave off an immediate crisis with the Colorado River and the communities that are dependent on it. Under the agreement, California, Arizona and Nevada will take less water…
Arts May 18 Hollywood faces larger work stoppage as actors threaten to strike alongside writers The actors union SAG-AFTRA has called for a strike authorization vote. If the strike is approved, actors could join the more than 11,000 Writers Guild members already on the picket line putting more pressure on studios and networks. The writers'…
Nation May 17 Data shows massive disparity in excess deaths among Black Americans A pair of new studies from the Journal of the American Medical Association found that the toll of racial disparities in health for Black Americans is even starker than we knew. From 1999 to 2020, Black Americans experienced 1.63 million…
Health May 12 Public health questions remain as COVID emergency ends After more than three years, the COVID-19 public health emergency has ended. Thanks to vaccines, testing and treatment, we are in a much better place and deaths are at their lowest level since March 2020. But concerns over how the…
Economy May 10 Chicago Federal Reserve president on inflation and economic uncertainty The Federal Reserve has been laser-focused on bringing down prices, raising interest rates 10 times in the last 14 months. But economic uncertainties remain, including the consequences of much higher interest rates, a debt limit standoff and recent bank collapses.
Nation May 08 A look at the rise of the AR-15 in America after 8 killed at Texas outlet mall AR-15s, like the one used to kill eight people at a shopping mall in Allen, Texas, have become more popular around the country. The rifles have been involved in ten of the country’s 17 deadliest mass shootings. The Washington Post…