The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a new plan to lower the cap on the amount of harmful "forever chemicals" allowed in drinking water across the country.
The chemicals, introduced to consumers in the 1940s, were used in nonstick pans, firefighting foam, food packaging and a number of other everyday products. Known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), the chemicals have been linked to a number of serious health risks including for various cancers, reproductive issues, and low birth weight.
A bombshell class action suit filed in 2001 against chemical manufacturing company DuPont revealed that the company knew PFAS were hazardous and worked to conceal the fact from its own workers, local communities, and environmental officials.
"The science is clear that long-term exposure to PFAS is linked to significant health risks," Radhika Fox, assistant EPA administrator for water, told the Associated Press.
PFAS used to create teflon and non-stick appliances have since been taken off the market, but after decades of use and production, companies have utilized new PFAS that are no safer, according to the advocacy organization Environmental Working Group. The org states that people continue to be exposed to the harmful chemicals through avenues other than water consumption, including from stain-resistant furniture and carpets, packaging for baked goods and clothes that are labeled stain or water-repellent.
In 2015, 193 parties signed the Paris Agreement. In doing so, they agreed to pursue efforts to limit the average global temperature increase to 1.5° Celsius - or 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit -above pre-industrial levels. To be clear, our planet is already 1.1 degrees hotter than it was 150 years ago. But most scientists agree that an increase of just .4 more degrees will drastically change the world. However, it would continue to be livable. Things do get murky, though, as the projections increase above that.
Dr. Jen Caudle, family physician and associate professor at Rowan University, joined Cheddar to break down how people can protect themselves and family amid the uncertainty of the new Omicron COVID-19 variant. Caudle emphasized the importance of getting vaccinated against COVID-19 with so much still uncertain about the pandemic. "We have to remember delta variant is still here in the United States," she said. "We're still losing too many people every single day to this virus."
Jill and Carlo discuss what appears to be the beginning of the end of Roe v. Wade, another victim dies following the school shooting in Michigan, Omicron in the U.S., Trump's Covid chronology and more.
Was it a coincidence that the omicron coronavirus variant evolved in a region with low vaccination rates? Cheddar speaks with epidemiologist Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding on the topic.
Astra founder, chairman, and CEO Chris Kemp spoke to Cheddar's Kristen Scholer about his company's first successful launch into orbit last month, becoming the fastest space company to reach orbit using a privately developed liquid-fueled rocket. He also noted that the company's priority is to "improve life on Earth from space" by rapidly increasing the number of low-orbiting satellites to do everything from connecting people to monitoring weather patterns.
Stocks closed at session lows Wednesday as investors grew skittish over the first reported case of the COVID-19 omicron variant in California. Josh Sailar, Partner at Blue Zone Wealth Advisors, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss investor worry over the new variant, the Fed dropping the word 'transitory' to describe inflation and potentially speeding up their asset tapering timeline, 2022 predictions, and more.
As cases of the COVID-19 Omicron variant continue to pop up, including the first U.S. case in California, how will domestic holiday travel be impacted? That part of the travel sector has mostly recovered from the year-long pandemic rout, while business travel continues its slump. But could a new variant bring new lockdowns and domestic restrictions? Clint Henderson, Senior News Editor at The Points Guy, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss what the omicron variant means for holiday travel, best practices for passengers traveling through airports, and more.
Over the Thanksgiving holiday, Elon Musk warned SpaceX employees in a leaked email that the company could be forced to file Chapter 11 bankruptcy if its raptor engine program fails. Musk then commented on the previous statement adding the detail that a recession could make such a bankruptcy possible.
