PUBLIC HEALTH

May 19 2026FINANCE

Prediction Bets: Students, Money, and a Health Warning

A business major in Madison has turned his news‑reading hobby into a $110, 000 side hustle by betting on what will happen in elections and speeches. He is one of many who use online sites where people trade on real‑world outcomes, such as sports and politics. These platforms say they are not casinos

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May 18 2026HEALTH

Lake Marian Blue‑Green Algae Alert: What You Need to Know

The Osceola County health officials have released a new warning about toxic blue‑green algae in the Lake Marian area. A recent water test on May 11 confirmed that dangerous toxins are present, prompting the department to act. This isn’t the first time the county has faced this issue; similar alerts

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May 18 2026OPINION

A Fresh Plan to Clean Portland’s River and Save the Island

Portland is famous for its parks, trees, and rivers, but a hidden problem lurks in the Willamette River. A 10‑mile stretch near the harbor has been listed as a Superfund site since 2000, meaning it is heavily polluted from past industrial use. The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set

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May 18 2026HEALTH

New Ebola cases trigger global health alert in Central Africa

Health experts are sounding alarms over fresh Ebola cases in two African nations, pushing the World Health Organization to raise an international alert. The outbreak centers on regions in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where suspected infections have raised concerns. In Congo’s Ituri p

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May 18 2026HEALTH

How the U. S. is stepping up to fight Ebola in Africa

Health officials in the U. S. are ramping up efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak in Central Africa after international health authorities raised alarms. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is sending more experts to Congo and Uganda to help track cases and stop the virus from spreading

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May 17 2026HEALTH

Ticks on the Rise: Why You Should Check Your Body After a Hike

The number of people rushing to emergency rooms because of tick bites has climbed higher than it’s been in any year since 2017. The spike is most noticeable in the Northeast and Midwest, where warmer weather has let ticks thrive. Around 476, 000 Americans receive treatment for Lyme disease each year

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May 17 2026HEALTH

A Tiny Trip Turns into a Huge Measles Crisis

A nine‑year‑old boy’s holiday to a small Texas town sparked the most serious measles outbreak in the U. S. in over thirty years, and then crossed the border into Mexico where it spread even more widely. The chain of events began when the child, who had not received the standard two doses of the MMR

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May 17 2026HEALTH

Living Alone, Feeling Lonely and How It Might Spark Gut Problems

In recent years, more people have noticed that feeling isolated or lonely can affect their health in surprising ways. One condition that has caught scientists’ attention is irritable bowel syndrome, a common digestive disorder that can make life uncomfortable and stressful. Researchers looked at a

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May 17 2026HEALTH

Coordinating Care: Europe’s COVID Lessons

The coronavirus crisis forced European health systems to rethink how they work together. When hospitals, laboratories and public‑health agencies started talking in sync, the country that could share information fastest saw better outcomes. Countries that had formal plans for emergency cooperat

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May 17 2026HEALTH

Rapid Ebola Alert: WHO Speaks Fast to Stop Spread

The World Health Organization has quickly declared the Bundibugyo ebolavirus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern, only two days after it was first confirmed. This swift action is unusual; since 2005 the WHO has raised this alarm

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