Health
Nothing’s Free Not Even the Poison Helpline
photo credit: Ryan Stone Nothing’s Free Not Even the Poison HelplineIn New York State, millions of households, including elders on fixed incomes, disabled persons, folks on Social Security or minimal incomes, share a truth: a pet is family. A dog or cat is...
NY’s “brownfields”toxic chemicals still poison soil and groundwater decades after closure
Photo credit Amir Arefi NY’s “brownfields” toxic chemicals still poison soil and groundwater decades after closureNew York’s “brownfields” are the scars of its industrial past. Abandoned factories, gas stations, tanneries, and mills where toxic chemicals still...
Five Big Fights Waiting for Albany in 2026
Photo by Zachary Kadolph Five Big Fights Waiting for Albany in 2026With the 2025 session behind them, lawmakers are already bracing for what could be one of the most consequential years in recent memory. When the New York State Senate and Assembly return to...
Vaccine Mandates?
Vaccine Mandates?Most of New York’s 2025 vaccine-related bills are still sitting in committee, and because the Legislature runs on a two-year session cycle, many of them will automatically carry over into 2026 unless their sponsors withdraw them or leadership decides...
Poisons in the River
Poisonin the RiversThe Quiet Scandal of Landfill Leachate in the Hudson and Mohawk It’s an invisible poison, flowing every day into two of New York’s most important waterways. From 2019 to 2023, landfill leachate, a chemical soup created when rainwater filters through...
How Broken Pharmacy Systems Are Failing NY’s Most Vulnerable
How Broken Pharmacy Systems Are Failing New York’s Most Vulnerable Last week, I took my 91-year-old father to our local pharmacy after a series of hospital stays that left his medication list changed again! He has trusted this pharmacy for decades. But this time,...
Lead Poisoning and Lies
Join the discussion!Lead and Lies: Albany’s West Hill and the Forgotten Children In Albany’s West Hill neighborhood, 23% of children tested in 2020 had elevated blood-lead levels, a rate more than four times the national average. Lead poisoning permanently damages the...
Is the FDA Hiding the Truth About Drug Rejections?
Redacted, Delayed, and Deceptive: Is the FDA Hiding the Truth About Drug Rejections? When a government agency claims it’s championing transparency, but then releases over 200 heavily redacted documents years after the fact. Documents that were never meant for public...
What’s really in over-the-counter meds
What’s really in Over-the-counter meds In the United States, over-the-counter (OTC) medications are widely trusted for their accessibility, affordability, and efficacy. However, recent developments have raised concerns about the safety and oversight of these commonly...
Bottled Water vs Tap Water
Photo credit: Tima MiroshnichenkoBottled Water vs Tap Water In the United States, bottled water is often perceived as a cleaner, safer alternative to tap water. However, recent investigations reveal that this perception may not align with reality. A significant...