Climate change made killer heat wave in Mexico, Southwest US even warmer and 35 times more likely A new study finds that human-caused climate change dialed up the heat and drastically increased the odds of this month’s killer heat that has been baking the Southwestern United States, Mexico and Central America. AP News

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Air Pollution 'Kills A Child Every Minute' - Health Policy Watch The fifth State of Global Air report shows air pollution is now the second-leading risk factor for death globally, after high blood pressure. Most of the Health Policy Watch

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What’s Really Going on With Bird Flu Wastewater Data

Wastewater, which can measure how much virus humans excrete, has become a valuable disease-tracking tool.

But using that tool to track our current viral threat, the H5N1 bird flu that has begun circulating in cows, is much trickier. Finding even high levels of bird flu in wastewater does not necessarily mean an area is experiencing an outbreak. Rather, it sets off a hunt for the source.

States Are Scrambling to Prepare As a Prolonged Heat Wave Spreads in the Midwest and Northeast - Inside Climate News More than 70 million people are currently under heat alerts as a heat wave spreads across the Midwest and Northeastern U.S.  From Indiana all the way to Maine, states could be trapped under a heat dome for a week or longer, with high humidity and temperatures set to reach the upper 90s in many areas. […] Kiley Price Inside Climate News

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Bird flu pandemic risk high as cow cases appear and officials warn of humans’ role USDA report finds transmission likely happening when workers, cows, vehicles and equipment go to multiple farms The Guardian

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Michigan will pay dairy farmers to help government investigate bird flu outbreak Michigan will offer financial assistance to dairy farmers who aid in the government’s research into bird flu outbreaks, the state announced Tuesday. Michigan’s Department of Agriculture and Rural D… lsforza The Hill

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Study identifies female sex, heart disease as long-COVID risk factors, vaccination as protective Women and adults with preexisting conditions such as cardiovascular disease are less likely to recover from COVID-19 within 3 months, while vaccination and Omicron-variant infection were linked to a quicker recovery, reveals a study posted yesterday in JAMA Network Open. It also showed that more than one in five adults had protracted recoveries. CIDRAP

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Florida has unraveled climate goals for years. DeSantis struck the latest blow. - POLITICO

TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday toured flood-ravaged areas of South Florida — and defended his recent move to scrap the state’s climate change goals.

DeSantis toured flooded areas of Hollywood, where he declared a state of emergency Wednesday after parts of the region received more than 20 inches of rain this week. There, he brushed off recent criticism from Democrats for signing a bill last month that struck language directing the state to promote renewable energy and curb greenhouse gas emissions.

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Kansas sues Pfizer over ‘misleading statements’ about COVID vaccine The state of Kansas filed a lawsuit on Monday against pharmaceutical company Pfizer, alleging the company made “misleading claims” about the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine and th… mnazzaro The Hill

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We aren’t doing enough about the risk of bird flu – but we can | CNN

The United States’ response to H5N1 – “bird flu” – has been fragmented and inadequate. With three cases reported in people in the United States and clusters from Michigan to Texas, it’s clear that the virus is widespread among animals. To protect people, animals, and our economy, and to restore trust in public health, we need to get this right....

We have a lot to learn and no time to lose. First, states and national authorities must work with one another. This will require multiple federal agencies – including CDC, USDA, APHIS – and their state counterparts to share information transparently and in real time with each other and with the public. Second, Congress needs to provide resources to respond to the next pandemic and also for systems, workforce, and infrastructure so we are prepared to stop new and unknown events before they become epidemics. Third, and perhaps most importantly, we must quickly build relationships with farm owners and workers by being responsive to their needs and addressing questions and concerns.

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Pasteurization may not clear bird flu virus from heavily infected milk | Reuters

How to protect yourself during a heat wave if you can't stay indoors FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. (AP) — It’s hot and getting hotter for workers and everyone else outdoors as the first significant heat wave of the year makes its way eastward across the United States. More than 70 million people were under extreme heat alerts Monday. What's more, the heat will move in and sit. Excessive humidity will make it feel even more oppressive. “The duration of this heat wave is notable and potentially the longest experienced PBS NewsHour

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