The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Wednesday issued the first-ever national rule to limit the presence of highly toxic "forever chemicals" in drinking water.
Why it matters: The new rule is expected to reduce drinking water exposure to the dangerous chemicals for about 100 million people and prevent thousands of related illnesses and deaths.
Why it matters: Health care has been a magnet for private equity deals, even as growing data suggest its ownership of hospitals and physician groups has led to reduced staffing levels and worse patient outcomes.
Kimberly-Clark, the Texas-based maker of Kleenex and Huggies, has agreed to sell its personal protective equipment business to Australia's Ansellfor $640 million in cash.
Why it matters: It wasn't too long ago that America was wringing its ungloved hands over how much PPE manufacturing had moved overseas.
A new Mayo Clinic study finds rural COVID-19 patients were 22% likelier to die after a hospital stay than their urban counterparts and that disparities persisted despite the rollout of coronavirus vaccines.
Why it matters: The findings underscore how the U.S. rural population is one of the most medically vulnerable groups, often having limited access to high-quality post-acute, primary, and specialty care, researchers wrote.
