Brett Wattles
The Latest
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Alaska Orders Mass Evacuations as Mendenhall Glacier Flood Surpasses Record Levels
Authorities in Juneau, Alaska, ordered widespread evacuations Wednesday as floodwaters from the Mendenhall Glacier surged past historic levels, threatening large sections of the city's 32,000 residents. Officials said the flooding - caused by a glacial lake outburst from Suicide Basin - had already broken previous records and posed a "life-threatening" risk. 
Authorities in Juneau, Alaska, ordered widespread evacuations Wednesday as floodwaters from the Mendenhall Glacier surged past historic levels, threatening large sections of the city's 32,000 residents. Officials said the flooding - caused by a glacial lake outburst from Suicide Basin - had already broken previous records and posed a "life-threatening" risk. -
World Court Declares Climate Change an ‘Existential Threat’ in Landmark Legal Opinion Backed by 130 Nations
The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the United Nations' top legal body, delivered a historic advisory opinion on Wednesday declaring climate change an "urgent and existential threat," marking a watershed moment in the evolution of international environmental law. While the opinion is non-binding, legal experts say it will carry considerable political and legal weight as governments face mounting pressure to meet climate obligations. 
The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the United Nations' top legal body, delivered a historic advisory opinion on Wednesday declaring climate change an "urgent and existential threat," marking a watershed moment in the evolution of international environmental law. While the opinion is non-binding, legal experts say it will carry considerable political and legal weight as governments face mounting pressure to meet climate obligations. -
CDC: COVID-19 Cases Climb in 26 States as Summer Wave Sparks ER Visits for Young Children
COVID-19 cases are rising across more than half the United States, with new CDC data showing increased activity in at least 26 states and Washington, D.C., as the nation enters the heart of the summer season. Emergency department visits tied to the virus have also surged, particularly among children under age 4, marking the highest pediatric COVID-related ER activity since March. 
COVID-19 cases are rising across more than half the United States, with new CDC data showing increased activity in at least 26 states and Washington, D.C., as the nation enters the heart of the summer season. Emergency department visits tied to the virus have also surged, particularly among children under age 4, marking the highest pediatric COVID-related ER activity since March. -
Pfizer COVID Vaccine Linked to Changes in Eye Structure, Turkish Study Finds
A new peer-reviewed study out of Turkey has raised questions about potential ocular side effects of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, finding measurable structural changes to the cornea in patients who received both doses of the mRNA shot. The findings, published in the journal Ophthalmic Epidemiology, come amid renewed scrutiny over adverse effects associated with COVID-19 vaccines. 
A new peer-reviewed study out of Turkey has raised questions about potential ocular side effects of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, finding measurable structural changes to the cornea in patients who received both doses of the mRNA shot. The findings, published in the journal Ophthalmic Epidemiology, come amid renewed scrutiny over adverse effects associated with COVID-19 vaccines. -
CDC Estimates 33% of U.S. Teens Have Prediabetes, But Methodology Sparks Scientific Pushback
Roughly one in three American adolescents now have prediabetes, according to a new estimate released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, raising concerns not only about youth health but also about the transparency of federal public health data under the Trump administration. 
Roughly one in three American adolescents now have prediabetes, according to a new estimate released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, raising concerns not only about youth health but also about the transparency of federal public health data under the Trump administration. -
Climate Change Blamed for 1,500 of 2,300 Heat Deaths in Europe, Study Finds
A blistering heatwave that swept through Western Europe between late June and early July led to approximately 2,300 deaths across 12 major cities, with at least 1,500 directly linked to climate change, according to a study released Wednesday by Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. 
A blistering heatwave that swept through Western Europe between late June and early July led to approximately 2,300 deaths across 12 major cities, with at least 1,500 directly linked to climate change, according to a study released Wednesday by Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. -
U.S. Child Mortality Rate Nearly Twice That of Peer Nations Amid Rise in Chronic Illnesses, New Study Finds
The health of American children has deteriorated significantly over the past 17 years, according to a comprehensive new study published Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which found that children in the United States are nearly twice as likely to die as their peers in other high-income countries. 
The health of American children has deteriorated significantly over the past 17 years, according to a comprehensive new study published Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which found that children in the United States are nearly twice as likely to die as their peers in other high-income countries. -
75% of Future Stomach Cancer Cases Could Be Prevented by Treating H. pylori Infection, Research Shows
An estimated 15.6 million people born between 2008 and 2017 are projected to develop stomach cancer during their lifetimes, with 11.9 million of those cases-more than three-quarters-linked to infection with the common bacterium Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), according to a major new global study published in Nature Medicine. Researchers from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a specialized agency of the World Health Organization, say the findings underscore the urgent need for global investment in screening and eradication programs targeting the preventable pathogen. 
An estimated 15.6 million people born between 2008 and 2017 are projected to develop stomach cancer during their lifetimes, with 11.9 million of those cases-more than three-quarters-linked to infection with the common bacterium Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), according to a major new global study published in Nature Medicine. Researchers from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a specialized agency of the World Health Organization, say the findings underscore the urgent need for global investment in screening and eradication programs targeting the preventable pathogen. -
Over 900 Earthquakes Rock Japan’s Tokara Islands in 2 Weeks as Scientists Track Rare Seabed Slip
More than 900 earthquakes have struck Japan's remote Tokara Islands since June 21, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said Wednesday, marking one of the most intense seismic episodes in the region in recent memory. The unprecedented activity prompted emergency briefings and public anxiety, though no major injuries or structural damage have been reported. 
More than 900 earthquakes have struck Japan's remote Tokara Islands since June 21, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said Wednesday, marking one of the most intense seismic episodes in the region in recent memory. The unprecedented activity prompted emergency briefings and public anxiety, though no major injuries or structural damage have been reported. -
SpaceX Starship 36 Explodes During Static Fire Test at Texas Launch Site
A SpaceX Starship prototype exploded late Wednesday night during a static fire test at the company's Starbase launch complex in Boca Chica, Texas, marking the latest high-profile setback in Elon Musk's campaign to develop reusable rockets for missions to Mars. 
A SpaceX Starship prototype exploded late Wednesday night during a static fire test at the company's Starbase launch complex in Boca Chica, Texas, marking the latest high-profile setback in Elon Musk's campaign to develop reusable rockets for missions to Mars.
