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Scientists issue critical warning after linking common appliance to major health risk: 'The problem is far worse than we thought'

Scientists issue critical warning after linking common appliance to major health risk: 'The problem is far worse than we thought'

Yahoo13-03-2025

For the first time, researchers are now able to link premature deaths to gas stove pollution. While previous studies have identified the dangers of gas stoves, this groundbreaking review has tied thousands of early deaths to the popular stoves.
A new study estimates that 40,000 deaths in Europe are a result of gas stove pollution, according to Euronews.
Researchers at the University of Jaume I's School of Health Sciences in Spain analyzed dozens of health studies examining how nitrogen dioxide causes asthma and premature deaths. They then scaled up nitrogen dioxide measurements in and outside homes across multiple European countries to establish a clear image of the pollution from gas cookers.
While research from the past 50 years has identified the health risks of nitrogen dioxide pollution, the new findings paint a much darker reality than expected.
"The extent of the problem is far worse than we thought, with our modeling suggesting that the average home across half of Europe breaks WHO limits," lead author of the new study, Dr. Juana Maria Delgado-Saborit, told Euronews. "Outdoor air pollution lays the foundation for those breaches, but it is gas cookers that push homes into the danger zone."
This is the first scientific review to have the data necessary to pinpoint premature deaths due to gas stove pollution. Although the study's findings tie 40,000 premature deaths to nitrogen dioxide exposure, it's important to note that the researchers believe this number to be much higher.
Gas stoves release harmful pollutants that can cause severe health risks as well as environmental damage. On top of exacerbating asthma, the pollutants from gas stoves also exacerbate rising global temperatures.
To avoid indoor pollution from gas cookers, homeowners across the globe are switching to induction stovetops. Unlike gas stoves, induction stoves release no harmful pollutants into the air, keeping you and your family safe.
Induction stoves are also more efficient, saving you energy and money down the line. For homeowners looking to make the switch, induction stoves from brands like Copper offer an easy and affordable solution for avoiding the dangers of gas stoves. What's more, under the Inflation Reduction Act, homeowners can receive up to 30% off the cost of an induction range.
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After switching to an induction stove, you'll notice that you won't spend as much time cooking and cleaning your kitchen since induction stoves cook faster and are easier to maintain than gas stoves.
Moving forward, it's best to act sooner rather than later when it comes to making eco-friendly upgrades to your home. President Donald Trump has stated he intends to remove these subsidies, though this would ultimately require an act of Congress. As a result, upgrading now could be the difference between saving thousands of dollars down the line.
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.

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History Shows the Danger of Trump's Health Policies
History Shows the Danger of Trump's Health Policies

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History Shows the Danger of Trump's Health Policies

U.S. President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attend an event in the East Room of the White House on May 22, 2025 in Washington, DC. Credit - Chip Somodevilla—Getty Images On May 11, 2023, President Joseph Biden ended the COVID-19 public health emergency, calling an finish to the pandemic. By the end of 2023, COVID-19 claimed the lives of over 20 million people around the world. But through international cooperation and evidence-based science, vaccines were developed and the world moved on. Indeed, perhaps the biggest success of the period was the quick production of a COVID-19 vaccine. The research behind the mRNA vaccine had been ongoing since the 1970s, but the emergency of the pandemic and international sharing of knowledge helped bring the vaccine to fruition. Today, the COVID-19 vaccine has been credited with saving 2.4 million lives around the world. But now, the U.S. is choosing competition over cooperation. With President Donald Trump's day one executive order to leave the World Health Organization (WHO)—blaming their COVID-19 response—and the shuttering of USAID, the country is taking steps towards further dividing health efforts across the globe. Here in the U.S., a sudden end to $11.4 billion of covid-related grants is stifling national pandemic preparedness efforts on the local and state levels. And most recently, Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr. purged experts from the CDC Advisory Committee, putting lives at risk. Historical lessons demonstrate the need for global health infrastructure that works together, shares knowledge, and remembers that pathogens do not stop at borders. White House's Pandemic Office, Busy With Bird Flu, May Shrink Under Trump One of the greatest global health achievements of all time—smallpox eradication—provides a perfect example of what can be done with independent scientific research and international cooperation. During the Cold War between the U.S. and USSR, decades of tension brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. Yet, incredibly, the nations managed to find common ground to support the efforts of smallpox eradication. Indeed, they understood the strategic benefits that came from letting public health practitioners and scientists work outside of political divides. The WHO was founded after World War II in 1948. Its formation marked a move from international health, that focused on nations, to global health, that would serve humanity first. The WHO's first eradication effort was the failed, U.S.-backed, Malaria Eradication Program from 1955 to 1969. The Smallpox Eradication Program, with intensive efforts beginning in 1967, provided a chance for redemption for the U.S. and WHO. For the United States, investing in disease eradication and poverty helped to mitigate growing backlash against the Vietnam War. In June of 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson stated, 'I propose to dedicate this year to finding new techniques for making man's knowledge serve man's welfare.' He called for 1965—the same year he ordered ground troops to Vietnam to stop the spread of communism —to be a year of international cooperation that could bypass the politics of the Cold War. Previously, the USSR did not participate in the U.S. and WHO's first, failed global eradication plan for malaria. But upon rejoining the WHO in 1956, it was the Soviets who made the first call and investment into global eradication of smallpox in 1958. The WHO functioning as a mediator was crucial to allowing the USSR and the U.S. to work together. It allowed both nations to avoid giving credit to each other; rather success went to science itself. President Johnson called this 'a turning point' away from 'man against man' towards 'man against nature.' The limited role of politicians in the program proved to be key to its success. Scientists made decisions and worked together—no matter what country they came from—by focusing on disease and vaccination, not international tensions. The Soviet-initiated program was lead by Donald A. Henderson, a U.S. epidemiologist, who worked alongside the Russians until the last case of smallpox occurred in Somalia on October 26, 1977. During the 20th century, smallpox was responsible for an estimated 300 to 500 million deaths. Smallpox was officially declared eradicated by the WHO in October 1980, and is today still the only human disease to achieve this distinction. Less than a year after the declaration of smallpox eradication, the emergence of another pandemic, the HIV/AIDS crisis, reinforced the importance of science-first cooperation over politically-driven decision making. In June 1981, the first cases of a new unknown disease were reported in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. In short order, gay men were stigmatized and blamed in what would become one of the biggest public health disasters of all time. It took years of grassroots science-based activism to move beyond HIV/AIDS victim-blaming and find medical solutions. The Poster Child for AIDS Obscured as Much About the Crisis as He Revealed Too often, governments across the globe placed blame on the gay community for their 'sins' and did not provide needed support, leaving the sick to suffer and die. The pharmaceutical companies profited from the limited medications they had available and did not pursue sufficient development. The FDA process for new drugs was scheduled to take nine years, at a time when life expectancy after receiving an HIV/AIDS diagnosis was one year. These issues sparked activism, spawning the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) in 1987. ACT UP organizers took science into their own hands and began educating themselves. Members began reading scientific journals religiously, learning the chemistry and epidemiology of drug manufacturing and clinical trials. Members learned how to translate these dense scientific messages to educate the community members on what was—and what was not—being done to help. Because of this work, the FDA changed policies to allow for new treatments to be tested at accelerated rates in times of emergency. ACT UP was able to shift the cultural blame showing that the issue was a result of politics getting in the way of scientific advancements. By 1990, ACT UP influenced the largest federal HIV program to pass Congress, the Ryan White CARE Act. This program was a vital precursor to the 2003 PEPFAR (The U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) global initiative. Both of these histories offer a powerful lesson: global health is national health, and national health is local health. With the recent funding cuts from the U.S. government, the future of global health is going in an unknown direction. And yet, the occurrence of pandemics is expected to increase in frequency due to climate change, mass migration, urbanization, and ecosystem destruction. It has been estimated that there is about a 25% chance we will have another COVID-sized pandemic within the next 10 years. No matter how secure the world makes borders, history shows that it can not protect us from disease if we do not have a strong, interconnected public health infrastructure. Luke Jorgensen is a Master of Public Health student at Purdue University where his epidemiology research examines human migration and infectious disease. Made by History takes readers beyond the headlines with articles written and edited by professional historians. Learn more about Made by History at TIME here. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of TIME editors. Write to Made by History at madebyhistory@

Ancient Romans snacked on deep-fried songbirds
Ancient Romans snacked on deep-fried songbirds

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Ancient Romans snacked on deep-fried songbirds

Fast food didn't start with McDonald's—quick, convenient meals have been a dietary staple of busy societies for millennia. Across the Roman empire, roadside shops known as popinae and tabernae often served up inexpensive, affordable dishes to hungry locals and travelers alike. But after scouring ancient garbage piles near one such popina in Mallorca, Spain, archeologists are better understanding how certain entrées transcended class divisions more often than previously thought. According to findings recently published in the International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, Roman commoners frequently enjoyed dining on thrushes—small songbirds once thought to be a luxury dish. Birds were prominent figures in ancient Rome. Certain owls and eagles were considered powerful divinatory omens, while smaller avian species like thrushes were popular as both pets and meals. In the latter case, however, ancient texts suggest thrushes were primarily eaten by wealthier Romans. 'Classical sources frequently describe these small birds as a delicacy served in elite banquets, often prepared with elaborate culinary techniques,' the study's authors write. They also cite recipes documented by Pliny the Elder and Apicius that described fattening songbirds with figs before roasting and serving them with complex sauces. These assumptions were recently challenged by finds at an excavation in Mallorca, Spain. There, archeologists from the Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA) uncovered a large cesspit beside a roadside popina snack bar. The building also featured six amphorae (large vats) embedded in its countertop in a configuration like the one seen in Pompeii's famous street food court, or thermopolia. Amid the refuse were 165 thrush bones alongside other common food remains like sea shells as well as fish and pig bones. The condition of the songbirds' broken bones suggest that they were flattened and cooked whole with oil in the amphorae. In addition to the thrushes, archeologists also documented remains from domesticated chickens and European rabbits. These point to a wider menu tailored to everyday customers. Taken altogether, it appears that thrushes were served up similar to today's sports bar chicken wings. The food shop in Mallorca isn't the only example of deep-fried songbirds across Rome. As Arkeonews notes, additional finds in Pompeii and Britain indicates a widespread culture of ancient Roman fast food. 'Thrushes, though a minor component of the Roman diet compared to livestock, represent an important facet of urban food consumption,' the study's authors conclude. 'Ultimately, this research highlights the need to move beyond elite-centric narratives and consider the diverse ways in which food practices shaped the lived experiences of ancient urban communities.'

4 ways Trump's ‘one big beautiful bill' would undermine access to Obamacare
4 ways Trump's ‘one big beautiful bill' would undermine access to Obamacare

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4 ways Trump's ‘one big beautiful bill' would undermine access to Obamacare

Major changes could be in store for the more than 24 million people with health coverage under the Affordable Care Act, including how and when they can enroll, the paperwork required, and, crucially, the premiums they pay. A driver behind these changes is the 'One Big Beautiful Bill,' the name given to spending and tax legislation designed to advance the policy agenda of President Donald Trump. It passed the House on May 22 and is pending in the Senate. The changes also would come from regulations the Trump administration proposed in March and the potential expiration of larger premium subsidies put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Millions of people might drop or lose coverage by 2034 as a result, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. Combined, the moves by Trump and his allies could 'devastate access' to ACA plans, said Katie Keith, director of the Center for Health Policy and the Law at the O'Neill Institute, a health policy research group at Georgetown University. States that run their own Obamacare marketplaces and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners have also raised concerns about added costs and reduced access. But House Republicans and some conservative think tanks say the ACA needs revamping to rein in fraud, part of which they pin on certain Biden administration changes the measures would undo. Senate Republicans must now weigh whether to include the House's proposals in their own bill, with the aim of getting it through the chamber by July 4. Here are four key ways Trump's policies could undermine Obamacare enrollment and coverage. The House-passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which runs more than 1,000 pages, would create paperwork requirements that could delay access to tax credits for some enrollees, potentially raising the cost of their insurance. More than 90% of ACA enrollees receive tax credits to defray monthly premiums for their coverage. There are two key provisions for them to watch. One would end automatic reenrollment for most ACA policyholders each year. More than 10 million people were automatically reenrolled in their coverage for the 2025 plan year, with their eligibility for tax credits confirmed via a system that allows ACA marketplaces to check government or other data sources. The House bill would instead require every new or returning policyholder each year to provide information on income, household size, immigration status, and other factors, starting in 2028. If they don't, they won't get a premium tax credit, which could put the price of coverage out of reach. Louisiana Legislature targets out-of-state doctors who provide abortion pills 'Everyone who wants to either purchase or renew a marketplace plan will have to come with a shoebox filled with documents, scan in and upload them or mail them in, and sit and wait while someone reviews and confirms them,' said Sabrina Corlette, a research professor and co-director of the Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University. She and other policy experts fear that many consumers will become uninsured because they don't understand the requirements or find them burdensome. If too many young and healthy people, for example, decide it's not worth the hassle, that could leave more older and sicker people for ACA insurers to cover — potentially raising premiums for everyone. But supporters of the House bill say the current approach needs changing because it is vulnerable to waste, fraud, and abuse. 'This would ensure that enrollees need to return to the exchange to update their information and obtain an updated eligibility determination for a subsidy — best protecting the public against excess subsidies paid to insurers that can never be recovered,' the conservative Paragon Institute wrote in an April letter to top Department of Health and Human Services officials. Today, people who experience life changes — losing a job, getting married or divorced, or having a baby, for instance — are considered provisionally eligible for tax credits to reduce their premiums if they sign up or change their ACA plans. That means they would be eligible to receive these subsidies for at least 90 days while their applications are checked against government data or other sources, or marketplaces follow up with requests for additional information. The House bill would end that, requiring documentation before receiving tax credits. That could create particular hardship for new parents, who can't confirm that babies are eligible for premium subsidies until they receive Social Security numbers weeks after they're born. Policy experts following the debate 'did not expect the end to provisional eligibility,' Corlette said. 'I don't know what the reaction in the Senate will be, as I'm not sure everyone understands the full implications of these provisions because they are so new.' It can take up to six weeks for the Social Security Administration to process a number for a newborn, and an additional two weeks for parents to get the card, according to a white paper that analyzed provisions of the House bill and was co-authored by Jason Levitis, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute, and Christen Linke Young, a visiting fellow with Brookings' Center on Health Policy. Without a Social Security number, any application to add a newborn to an ACA policy would automatically generate a hold on premium tax credits for that family, they wrote — increasing their out-of-pocket costs, at least temporarily. 'It puts consumers on the hook for any delays the marketplace is taking,' while the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which administers the ACA marketplaces, 'is cutting staff and adding a lot more paperwork to burden the staff they have,' Levitis said. Provisions in the House bill that would require ACA enrollees to provide information each year that they reenroll — or when seeking to add or change a policy due to a life circumstance — would increase the number of people without health insurance by 700,000 in 2034, according to the latest CBO estimate. The House bill would turn into law a Trump proposal to shorten the ACA open enrollment period. The start date would continue to be Nov. 1. 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But supporters — including some states that run their own ACA exchange — say there are other ways to address fraud. 'We anticipate that much of the improper activity can be prevented by security and integrity upgrades to the federal marketplace, which we understand the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is implementing,' the National Association of Insurance Commissioners wrote in a May 29 letter to congressional leaders. The reason? Enhanced tax credits created during the pandemic expire at the end of the year. The House bill doesn't extend them. Those more generous payments are credited with helping double ACA enrollment since 2020. The CBO estimates that extending the subsidies would cost $335 billion over 10 years. The House bill instead funds an extension of Trump's tax cuts, which largely benefit wealthier families. If the enhanced credits are allowed to expire, not only would premium subsidies be smaller for many people, but there would also be an abrupt eligibility cutoff — an income cliff — for households above four times the federal poverty rate, or about $103,280 for a family of three for this plan year. Taking into account the smaller subsidies and the cliff, KFF estimates a national average premium increase of 75% for enrollees if the enhanced subsidies expire. The CBO expects that about 4.2 million more people will be uninsured in 2034 as a result. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE This article first appeared on KFF Health News and is republished here under a Creative Commons license. KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF and subscribe to KFF Health News' free Morning Briefing.

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