Press Release Category: Society

US justice department sues two companies over pollution in Louisiana’s ‘Cancer Alley’

The US justice department has sued the two petrochemical giants behind a facility in Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley” responsible for the highest cancer risk rates caused by air pollution in the US in a major federal lawsuit that seeks to substantially curb the plant’s emissions.Unveiled on Tuesday, the lawsuit alleges emissions at the Pontchartrain Works facility

 312 readers,  4 today

Rishi Sunak set to unveil emergency care plan to slash NHS waiting times

Rishi Sunak will vow to rapidly slash long waiting times for urgent NHS care with a promise of thousands more beds, 800 new ambulances and an expansion of community care backed by a dedicated fund of £1bn.The health service is engulfed in its worst-ever crisis, with urgent and emergency care in particular under unprecedented pressure

 368 readers,  3 today

Community champions dominate new year honours list

The theme of public service is at the forefront of the new year honours list, with the majority of those receiving awards nominated for their work in their local communities.Tricia Ward-Jones, 69, from Shropshire, receives the British empire medal (BEM) after 17 years as a volunteer fundraiser for Promise Dreams, a charity based in Wolverhampton

 525 readers

Hope and heartbreak for New Zealanders dreaming of a communal life

“Welcome to the site of hope and heartbreak.”With these words Bronwen Newton greets visitors to a quarter-acre gravel carpark between two industrial buildings in New Zealand’s capital, Wellington. Still visible are the foundations of a sheet-metal workshop that once stood there; not visible is the cohousing project that Newton and 23 other families hoped to

 254 readers,  1 today

The chemical imbalance theory of depression is dead – but that doesn’t mean antidepressants don’t work | Christopher Davey

The chemical imbalance theory of depression is well and truly dead. A paper by Joanna Moncrieff and colleagues, longtime critics of the effectiveness of antidepressants, has caused a splash. The paper provides a summary of other summaries that confirm there is no evidence to support the idea that depression is caused by disturbance of the

 305 readers,  1 today

Fuel-poor homes face taking £250 energy hit due to poor insulation

People in “fuel-poor” households in England are facing annual bills about £250 higher than need be because of their poorly insulated homes, according to Local Government Association (LGA) research.The LGA has identified about 3 million households where better insulation would save large sums for people struggling with the rising cost of living. About £770m is

 228 readers

California to vote on adding abortion rights protection to state constitution

California voters will decide in November whether to guarantee the right to an abortion in their state constitution, a question sure to boost turnout on both sides of the debate during a pivotal midterm election year as Democrats try to keep control of Congress after the US supreme court overturned Roe v Wade.The court’s ruling

 185 readers

FDA ban on Juul e-cigarettes temporarily halted

Juul can continue to sell its electronic cigarettes, at least for now, after a federal appeals court on Friday temporarily blocked a government ban.Juul filed an emergency motion earlier Friday, seeking the temporary hold while it appeals the sales ban.The e-cigarette maker had asked the court to pause what it called an “extraordinary and unlawful

 181 readers

Poor households paying up to £541 more a year for goods and services

Low-income families in the UK’s poorest neighbourhoods are paying up to £541 a year more than affluent households to access the same basic services such as energy and insurance, and buy essential items such as TVs and fridges, a study claims.The Fair by Design charity has called for the government and regulators to outlaw practices

 178 readers

Revealed: Migrant care workers in Britain charged thousands in illegal recruitment fees

Care workers recruited from overseas to look after elderly and disabled people in Britain are being charged thousands of pounds in illegal fees and forced to work in exploitative conditions to pay off their debts.An Observer investigation has uncovered a network of agencies supplying workers to care homes and homecare agencies that charge recruitment fees…

 175 readers