To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.

×
      LATEST NEWSOPINIONCLIMATEECONOMY POLITICS RIGHTS & JUSTICEWAR & PEACE
      LATEST NEWS
      OPINION

      pandemic

      A hen

      What Do Trump's Racism, Expensive Eggs, and a Bird Flu Pandemic Have in Common?

      The threats are all clear and present, but if we don't prepare in advance... well, we saw what happened last time.

      Thom Hartmann
      Feb 10, 2023

      Trump’s no longer president, but he and his racism could still be responsible for millions more American deaths from a new pandemic disease. How and why? I’ll explain in just a moment, but first let’s look at the disease itself.

      One reason egg prices are so high right now is because a new strain of bird flu — H1N5 — has popped up among egg-laying chickens. The disease has a shocking mortality rate, leading to the death (both from disease and from euthanizing flocks to stop its spread) of almost 60 million domesticated birds in the US alone, so far.

      Keep ReadingShow Less
      Opinion
      bird flu
      Culled minks are seen on November 14, 2020 in Jyllinge, Denmark.

      Spread of Bird Flu to Mammals Could Put Humans in Danger, Scientists Warn

      "This is an infection that has epidemic and pandemic potential," said one doctor. "I don't know if people recognize how big a deal this is."

      Kenny Stancil
      Feb 03, 2023

      As a deadly strain of avian influenza continues to decimate bird populations around the world and spread among other animals, some scientists are warning that mammal-to-mammal transmission has emerged as a real possibility with potentially catastrophic consequences for humans.

      Over the past year, officials in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada have detected cases of the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu in a variety of species, including bears, foxes, otters, raccoons, and skunks. Last month, a cat suffered serious neurological symptoms from a late 2022 infection, according to French officials who said that the virus showed genetic characteristics consistent with adaptation to mammals.

      Keep ReadingShow Less
      News
      bird flu
      World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus participates in a press conference in Geneva on December 14, 2022.

      WHO Pandemic Treaty Draft Provides 'Glimmer of Hope,' Say Health Justice Advocates

      "As negotiations over a pandemic treaty begin in earnest, governments must look to the greed, nationalism, and profiteering that characterized the world's response to Covid-19 and say: 'never again.'"

      Kenny Stancil
      Feb 01, 2023

      As a draft of the World Health Organization's pandemic treaty circulated Wednesday, human rights champions praised the text as a welcome departure from the corporate-friendly intellectual property regime that has constrained the global supply of lifesaving medical tools and worsened preventable suffering throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

      "After the collective trauma of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have a glimmer of hope," Mohga Kamal-Yanni, policy co-lead for the People's Vaccine Alliance, said in a statement. "This text contains measures to provide everyone, everywhere with access to the tools needed to prevent and combat pandemics."

      Keep ReadingShow Less
      News
      Covid-19
      SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER
      Quality journalism. Progressive values. Direct to your inbox.
      Follow Us
      Most Popular

      'The Billionaire Bailout': FDIC Chair Says the Biggest Deposit Accounts at SVB Held $13 Billion

      3 Children, 3 Adults Killed in Shooting at Christian Elementary School in Nashville

      'Noah's Wounds Were Not Survivable': Parents Allow Detailed View of AR-15 Carnage

      Internet Archive to Appeal 'Chilling' Federal Ruling Against Digital Books

      'This Scam Is a Non-Starter': Dems Blast McCarthy's Latest Call for Painful Cuts

      It Is Time to Show the American People Photographs of Children Massacred by Gun Violence

      Biden Urged to Crack Down on 'Terrifying' Use of AI by Medicare Advantage Insurers

      The Rule of Law Being Eviscerated by Republican Judges

      Biden Veto Expected After 4 Senate Dems, Sinema Help GOP Gut Water Protections

      GOP Voters Keep Backing Trump Because He Hates the 'Right' People

      SUPPORT OUR WORK.
      We are independent, non-profit, advertising-free and 100%
      reader supported.