As climate change spurs more wildfires, smoke threatens farmworkers, study says
LOS ANGELES — As wildfires scorched swaths of land in the wine country of Sonoma County in 2020, sending ash flying and choking the air with smoke, Maria Salinas harvested grapes. Her saliva turned black from inhaling the toxins, until…
COVID-19 cases in US surge; experts suggest keeping vaccinations current
COVID-19 hasn’t gone away, and data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests it’s on the upswing around the country. “We’ve seen these summer increases every summer that COVID-19 has been with us,” said Dr. Amesh Adalja, a…
Aid groups in Gaza aim to avert polio outbreak with a surge of vaccinations
CAIRO — The threat of polio is rising fast in the Gaza Strip, prompting aid groups to call for an urgent pause in the war so they can ramp up vaccinations and head off a full-blown outbreak. One case has…
Nigeria on ‘high alert’ amid surging cases of mpox in Africa
Abuja, Nigeria — Nigerian authorities on Thursday placed key entry points into the country on high alert following the outbreak of the mpox virus in Africa. Authorities have also put nine Nigerian states, including the commercial hub, Lagos, and the…
US climate agency: Last month hottest July on record
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, recorded the Earth’s hottest July in the agency’s 175-year history — and the 14th consecutive month of record heat. In the agency’s monthly climate report released Thursday, NOAA’s environmental information chief, Karin…
Pakistan confirms first mpox case after WHO health emergency declaration
ISLAMABAD — Pakistan announced Friday that it had increased the monitoring of travelers arriving from other countries after detecting the first case of the contagious variant of the mpox virus currently spreading in central and eastern Africa. The South Asian…
Sweden confirms first case of contagious mpox strain outside Africa
Sweden on Thursday reported a case of a contagious form of mpox currently spreading around central and eastern Africa. The Swedish case marks the first known infection of that strain outside of Africa. The development comes one day after the…
August’s supermoon kicks off four months of lunar spectacles
cape canaveral, florida — The first of four supermoons this year rises next week, providing tantalizing views of Earth’s constant companion. Stargazers can catch the first act Monday as the full moon inches a little closer than usual, making it…
WHO declares mpox a global public health emergency
The World Health Organization declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern at a meeting on Wednesday. The meeting came a day after the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention deemed the disease a public health emergency for…
Biden strikes $150M blow against cancer in campaign to slash deaths
washington — President Joe Biden on Tuesday visited Louisiana’s infamous “Cancer Alley” to strike at what he identified as a top priority of his dwindling presidency: announcing $150 million in research funding toward the goal of dramatically reducing cancer deaths…