Story at a glance A recent analysis from Better Benefits Guide ranked all 50 states based on their healthcare systems. Massachusetts, California and New York came in at the top three with a decent number of hospitals in each state. The analysis found that Alabama, Arkansas and Delaware have the worst healthcare systems….
Author: Alejandra O'Connell-Domenech
California’s Salton Sea is shrinking because of Colorado River water shortage, research finds
The water levels of California’s most polluted lake, the Salton Sea, have been dropping for more than two decades, exposing people in nearby communities like Riverside to toxic chemicals. Now, scientists might have finally figured out why the lake has been shrinking. In a study recently published in the journal Water Resources Research, a…
Solar-powered community kept the lights on during Hurricane Ian
Story at a glance A community in southwest Florida that relies completely on solar power did not lose power during Hurricane Ian. Babcock Ranch was sustainably designed to withstand major storms like Hurricane Ian. The town is located 30 miles from the coast to escape storm surges and all utility lines are underground, protecting them…
Thousands of salmon found dead in Canadian creek amid drought
More than 60,000 salmon carcasses were found lining the dried-out bottom of a Canadian creek in what researchers fear is another example of the environmental consequences of climate change. Researchers from the Simon Fraser University discovered the scores of dead fish in British Columbia’s Neekas River on Sept. 29, according to Gizmodo. Mountains of…
Kanye West under fire for antisemitic post
Story at a glance Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, has received criticism for making multiple antisemitic posts on social media. Over the weekend, the artist had his Twitter account locked after he said he was going “death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE.” The comment comes after a controversy-filled week for the artist…
Latino enrollment in four-year schools reaches all time high
Story at a glance The Pew Research Center determined that the total number of Latinos enrolled in a four-year college or university reached an all-time high in 2020. Latino enrollment in higher education has steadily gone up over the last two decades, in part to their growth as a share of the U.S. population. Latino…
Inflation causing travelers to rethink holiday plans
Story at a glance Holiday travelers are planning to be more frugal this year, according to a recent Bankrate survey. The survey found that almost 80 percent of Americans are changing their holiday travel plans because of increasing prices and inflation. People are thinking about traveling for fewer days, less often and staying closer to…
Banned book authors say new wave of censorship is most dangerous yet
Story at a glance Over 1,600 individual book titles have been banned from school classrooms or libraries over the past year, according to PEN America, a nonprofit that advocates for freedom of expression. While book bans are nothing new in the United States some authors worry about the most recent wave of censorship. Authors of…
New manmade coral reef deployed off coast of islands in hopes of restoring ocean ecosystem
Story at a glance A new type of built coral reef has been deployed off the coast of Antigua and Barbuda. Coral reef restoration project OceanShot designed the structures and implemented them with the help of the Antigua and Barbuda government. The organization chose the island nation to host the new reefs since almost all…
Nearly 120,000 customers still without power in Puerto Rico
Story at a glance Hurricane Fiona struck the island of Puerto Rico on Sept. 18, causing flash flooding, mudslides and an islandwide blackout. Two weeks later, there are still over 100,000 homes and businesses without power. LUMA Energy, the American-Canadian company responsible for electricity transmission and distribution, has restored power to 1.34 million customers so…