Category: News

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Devastating Texas Floods Highlight Emergency Response Failures

Texas floods.

A devastating flash flood hit Central Texas over the July 4 weekend, killing at least 135 people, including nearly 40 children. The majority of the destruction is in Kerr County, located within the Texas Hill Country — an area home to multiple summer camps. Many of the dead include young campers and staff members from Camp Mystic. In response to the flooding, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have activated disaster response and recovery resources, but many feel that the state did not do enough to prepare for a disaster of this magnitude. 

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June East Coast Heat Wave Forewarns of Extreme Summer Temperatures

Washington Sq Park heat.

During the last days of June, much of the East Coast experienced an extreme heatwave, bringing some of the highest temperatures felt in a decade. Over 150 million people were under heat warnings, including those in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, where temperatures reached over 100 degrees. The oppressive high temperatures can cause a dangerous heat dome, which occurs when a large area of high pressure builds over a region for several days. This heatwave is expected to be one of many facing much of the U.S. this summer, according to the Climate Prediction Center. 

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Canadian Wildfires Cause Dangerous Air Quality in the U.S. 

Hazy New York.

As early summer wildfires break out in Western Canada, the United States is facing poor air quality, leading the National Weather Service to issue alerts in several regions. On June 4, a concentrated cloud of smoke hit Iowa and Illinois, extending into Wisconsin. Air quality alerts were issued in New York City, New Jersey, and Connecticut, warning residents that air quality levels have reached hazardous levels.

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As Measles Cases Grow, Experts Push for Childhood Vaccination

Measles vaccine.

In February, the first measles death in the United States in a decade was reported. Since then, outbreaks have grown across the country, leading to another death from the infection. As of June 5, cases in the U.S. have grown to nearly 1,200. Behind Texas, New Mexico, and Kansas report the highest incidences. Only 2% of infections have occurred in vaccinated individuals, prompting public health officials to credit vaccine hesitancy for the increase in outbreaks. 

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Reflections on Bill McKibben’s Earth Day Lecture, “Our Changing Climate”

Bill McKibben at NYU GPH.

On Earth Day, April 22, 2025, environmentalist, author, and journalist Bill McKibben delivered a powerful speech on climate change and the environmental movement at New York University’s School of Global Public Health. Bill McKibben, who founded 350.org and Third Act and serves as the Schumann Distinguished Scholar in Environmental Studies at Middlebury College, used his extensive activism during the event, which served as the beginning of a five-year global series that will alternate between New York and Shanghai.

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Hunger in Haiti Reaches Record Levels

Child held by a boy looking into camera

The United Nations (UN) has called attention to the growing Haitian population, a record 5.7 million people, who are projected to experience acute food insecurity through June. Of this number, which is more than half of Haiti’s population, over two million are projected to face emergency-level hunger. Around 8,400 are going to face catastrophic food insecurity, where people face severe acute malnutrition and risk of death. 

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New MERS-CoV Cases Raise Public Health Concerns Amid Ongoing Vaccine Efforts

MERS-CoV work in Jordan

Between September 6, 2024, and February 28, 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported four laboratory-confirmed Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) cases in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Two of the infections were deadly, which underscores the virus’s elevated mortality rate of 36%.

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Unrelenting Wildfires Sweep Across the U.S.

Between March and April 2025, wildfires intensified across the southeastern United States, fueled by a convergence of drought, hurricane debris, and persistent winds. Since the start of the year, the National Interagency Fire Center documented 14,800 wildfires, which have burned over 1,100 square miles, a number that surpasses the 10-year average. 

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Trapped at Birth: The Unlawful Detention of Newborns in Nigerian Hospitals

Nigerian newborns.

Nigeria’s healthcare system faces a troubling crisis as hospitals unlawfully detain newborns and their mothers over unpaid medical bills. This practice, which disproportionately affects low-income families, raises serious ethical concerns and exposes vulnerable infants to severe health risks. Despite efforts to expand health insurance coverage, gaps in implementation continue to leave many without protection, allowing this issue to persist.

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