NEW YORK — The flu season in the U.S. is getting worse but it’s too soon to tell how much holiday gatherings contributed to a likely spike in illnesses. New government data posted Friday for last week — the holiday week between Christmas and New Year’s — show 38 states with high or very high levels … continue reading -> “US Flu, COVID Infections Worsen Over Holidays”

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WASHINGTON — At a time when growing numbers of young Americans are diagnosed with mental health conditions, media are looking at ways to cover the issue more responsibly. Data shows a rise in young adults being diagnosed with conditions such as depression or anxiety. But media reports of public incidents involving mental health sometimes use damaging … continue reading -> “How Media Help Change Conversation on Mental Health”

A busy week for SpaceX launches. NASA eyes an upcoming moon mission. And Australian buffaloes get a high-tech upgrade. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi brings us The Week in Space. …

NEW YORK — More U.S. hospitals are requiring masks and limiting visitors as health officials face an expected but still nasty post-holiday spike in flu, COVID-19 and other illnesses. While many experts say this season likely won’t prove to be as deadly as some other recent winters, it still could mean hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations … continue reading -> “More US Hospitals Requiring Masks as Flu, COVID-19 Cases Surge”

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WASHINGTON — Federal officials are seizing more shipments of unauthorized electronic cigarettes at U.S. ports, but thousands of new flavored products continue pouring into the country from China, according to government and industry data reviewed by The Associated Press. The figures underscore the chaotic state of the nation’s $7 billion vaping market and raise questions about … continue reading -> “US Seizes Illegal E-Cigarettes, as Thousands of New Ones Are Launching”

AMSTERDAM — Climate activists blocked part of the main highway around Amsterdam near the former headquarters of ING bank Saturday to protest its financing of fossil fuels. Amsterdam Municipality said in a message on X, formerly Twitter, that traffic authorities closed part of the road and diverted traffic “to prevent a life-threatening situation.” Hundreds of activists … continue reading -> “‘Extinction Rebellion’ Climate Activists Block Part of Amsterdam Highway”

BILLINGS, Mont. — Since passage of the Endangered Species Act 50 years ago, more than 1,700 plants, mammals, fish, insects and other species in the U.S. have been listed as threatened or endangered with extinction. Yet federal government data reveals striking disparities in how much money is allocated to save various biological kingdoms. Of the roughly … continue reading -> “Most US Endangered Species Money Goes to Handful of Species”

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — More than 700,000 immigrants living illegally in California will gain access to free health care starting Monday under one of the state’s most ambitious coverage expansions in a decade. It’s an effort that will eventually cost the state about $3.1 billion per year and inches California closer to Democrats’ goal of providing universal … continue reading -> “California Expanding Health Care for Low-Income Immigrants in 2024”

MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s president inaugurated a huge “super pharmacy” Friday in a bid to help patients throughout the country who are told they need a specific medicine, but their hospital doesn’t have it. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s solution was to outfit a big warehouse on the outskirts of Mexico City to centralize a supply … continue reading -> “Mexican President Says ‘Super Pharmacy’ to Supply Medicines to All”

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida — The U.S. military’s secretive X-37B robot spaceplane blasted off from Florida on Thursday night on its seventh mission, the first launched atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket capable of delivering it to a higher orbit than previous missions. The Falcon Heavy, composed of three rocket cores strapped together, roared off its launch … continue reading -> “US Military’s Secretive Spaceplane Launched on Possible Higher-Orbit Mission”

portland, oregon — As native trees in the Pacific Northwest die off due to climate change, the U.S. Forest Service, the city of Portland, Oregon, and citizen groups around Puget Sound are turning to a deceptively simple climate adaptation strategy called “assisted migration.” As the world’s climate warms, tree growing ranges in the Northern Hemisphere are … continue reading -> “As Tree Species Face Decline, ‘Assisted Migration’ Gains Popularity in Pacific Northwest”

Kinshasa, Congo — As Congo copes with its biggest outbreak of mpox, scientists warn discrimination against gay and bisexual men on the continent could make it worse. In November, the World Health Organization reported that mpox, also known as monkeypox, was being spread via sex in Congo for the first time. That is a significant departure … continue reading -> “Stigma Against Gay Men Could Worsen Congo’s Biggest Mpox Outbreak, Scientists Warn”

Socorro, Colombia — In northeast Colombia, police guard warehouses stacked high with confiscated timber with a noble new destiny: transformation into homes for bees beleaguered by pesticides and climate change. The illegally harvested wood is used in the Santander department’s “Timber Returns Home” initiative, building hives since 2021 to house the little pollinators so critical to … continue reading -> “In Colombia, Illegally Felled Timber Repurposed to Help Bees”

Yuma, Arizona — As the world pivots from planet-warming fossil fuels to renewable energy, a new pollution problem is rearing its head: What to do with old or worn-out solar panels?  Thousands of photovoltaic slabs are being installed across the United States every day, particularly in the sunny west and south of the country, as states … continue reading -> “Entrepreneur Recycles Metal and Other Parts of Old Solar Panels”

The COVID-19 pandemic affected students around the world, disrupting their studies and weakening their social skills. But the pandemic did generate some positive outcomes, say college counselors and international students who are back to in-person learning in the United States. VOA’s Laurel Bowman explores. Camera: Adam Greenbaum and Saqib Ul Islam. …

WASHINGTON — Arnong Mungoei has farmed rice in Thailand’s Khon Kaen province for half a century.   Working land some 500 kilometers northeast of Bangkok never made her rich, but it provided a dependable livelihood.   But since February 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine, global geopolitical tensions and weather conditions elsewhere have upended the rice markets and by 2023, worldwide rice prices had exploded. … continue reading -> “High Rice Prices Worldwide Likely to Continue Into 2024”

Tokyo, Japan — Japan’s SLIM space probe entered the moon’s orbit Monday in a major step toward the country’s first successful lunar landing, expected next month. The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) is nicknamed the “Moon Sniper” because it is designed to land within 100 meters (328 feet) of a specific target on the lunar … continue reading -> “Japan Moon Lander Enters Lunar Orbit”

new york — Look for flu and COVID-19 infections to ramp up in the coming weeks, U.S. health officials say, with increases fueled by holiday gatherings, too many unvaccinated people and a new version of the coronavirus that may be spreading more easily.  High levels of flu-like illnesses were reported last week in 17 states — … continue reading -> “Flu, COVID-19 Infections Rising in US, Could Worsen Over Holidays, CDC Says “

GENEVA — The World Health Organization says dengue, a mosquito-borne illness, is surging worldwide because of climate change, along with social, environmental and other factors, such as population growth and the globalization of travel, which facilitates the spread of the viral infection. “Climate change has an impact on transmission because it increases rainfall, humidity, and temperatures,” … continue reading -> “Dengue Surging Globally as Climate Change Kicks In”

Christmas for many is a time of family togetherness and good cheer, but for older adults, it can too often be one of the year’s loneliest days. Age UK, a charity group that deals with ageism and the problems of this demographic, says people can take simple steps to help. Umberto Aguiar has more from … continue reading -> “Charity: For Many Older People Christmas is ‘Hardest Day’”

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PARIS — Bird flu is likely to spread further in the Antarctic region, causing immense damage to wildlife, according to experts on the highly contagious disease that has killed hundreds of millions of birds worldwide in recent years. The spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI, commonly called bird flu, to the remote southern region … continue reading -> “Bird Flu Set to Spread in Antarctic, Causing Huge Damage, Report Says”