Health and Public Safety

April 23, 2008 - New Orleans residents who lost their homes in Hurricane Katrina were five times more likely to experience serious psychological distress a year after the disaster than those who did not.

April 18, 2008 - In a groundbreaking study, the Environmental Working Group recently tested dogs and cats for levels of synthetic industrial chemicals. It found that companion animals were contaminated with 48 of 70 toxic chemicals tested -- 43 of them at levels higher than those typically found in humans.

April 17, 2008 - Earlier this year, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that trailers the Federal Emergency Management Agency provided to families displaced by Hurricane Katrina were contaminated with dangerously high levels of formaldehyde.

April 15, 2008 - Families USA recently released a report, Dying for Coverage, from all 50 states on the number of uninsured and the estimated number of deaths directly related to lack of health insurance.

March 27, 2008 - Speaking of health disparities related to social factors, tonight marks the launch of a PBS series titled

March 27, 2008 - Residents of coal mining communities have a significantly higher risk of developing serious health problems, according to a new study by West Virginia University scientists.

March 20, 2008 - Those of us following the disaster on the Gulf Coast know the Federal Emergency Management Agency gave hurricane-displaced families temporary housing that was later found to be contaminated with hazardous formaldehyde.