General
January 24 News: Second U.S. case of coronavirus, water contamination prevalent, road safety lacking
CNN — EPA weakens protections for streams and wetlands
The Trump administration is removing some federal water protections, siding with requests from industry and farm groups over the advice of environmental experts and its own scientific advisers.
NBC – Not enough evidence that e-cigarettes help to stop smoking, surgeon general says
E-cigarettes are often promoted as a tool to help smokers quit, but there’s still not enough scientific evidence to back up this claim. There is evidence, however, that many young people are introduced to tobacco through e-cigarettes.
USA Today — A second US case of deadly coronavirus has been confirmed, this time in Illinois
The deadly coronavirus has afflicted another person in the United States, health officials confirmed Friday, bringing the total number of U.S. cases to two as Chinese health officials scramble to contain the outbreak.
STAT – WHO declines to declare China virus outbreak a global health emergency
The World Health Organization on Thursday declined to designate the ongoing outbreak of a novel virus in China a global health emergency, saying that, for now, health officials are sufficiently equipped to combat the outbreak there and in other countries and that the agency does not need the additional authorities that come from such a declaration.
Associated Press – How climate changes feeds Africa locust invasion
Locusts by the millions are nibbling their way across a large part of Africa in the worst outbreak some places have seen in 70 years. Is this another effect of a changing climate? Yes, researchers say. An unprecedented food security crisis may be the result.
Safe Roads Now — Report: Most states lack crucial highway safety laws
A new report, “A 2020 Vision for Safety,” reviews 16 traffic safety laws for each state and Washington, D.C., finding opportunity exists in every state to enact laws that combat the widely acknowledged public health crisis of motor vehicle crashes
The contamination of U.S. drinking water with man-made “forever chemicals” is far worse than previously estimated with some of the highest levels found in Miami, Philadelphia and New Orleans, said a report on Wednesday by an environmental watchdog group.