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A U.S. government report expected to stir debate concluded that fluoride in drinking water at twice the recommended limit is linked with lower IQ in children. The report, based on an analysis of previously published research, marks the first time a federal agency has determined — “with moderate confidence” — that there is a link between higher levels of fluoride exposure and lower IQ in kids. While the report was not designed to evaluate the health effects of fluoride in drinking water alone, it is a striking acknowledgment of a potential neurological risk from high levels of fluoride. (Stobbe, 8/21)

The U.S. Navy has received more than 546,500 claims for compensation from people impacted by decades of contaminated water at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, a new court filing shows, putting it squarely among the largest injury cases of all time. That number may fluctuate up or down by a few thousand, the government said in the filing. The U.S. Navy is reviewing additional claims received up to the Aug. 10 deadline and removing claims that are found to be duplicates. (Jones, 8/21)

Health officials in Oxford are recommending residents stay indoors after 6 p.m. and protect themselves from mosquitoes after an elderly man was infected with Eastern equine encephalitis from a mosquito bite. The state last week raised the risk level for EEE in Oxford and neighboring Douglas, Sutton and Webster, after determining the man was exposed to the virus in Worcester County. ... In light of the increased risk, the four communities issued a joint public health advisory calling for the voluntary curfew and other safety measures. (McDonald, 8/21)

There's as much as a nearly 10-year difference in life expectancy between U.S. states, a new report finds. Hawaii (79.9 years), Massachusetts (79.6) and Connecticut (79.2) have the longest life expectancy at birth as of 2021, per a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analysis. Mississippi (70.9 years), West Virginia (71.0) and Alabama (72.0) have the shortest. (Fitzpatrick, 8/21)

In the midst of yet another hazy summer, as over 50 large fires burn in the West, a new report published today by Human Rights Watch examines the growing risk that fire season poses to pregnant people and lays out recommendations for how to address the threat. (Kutz, 8/21)

Without a sharp pivot in state and federal policies, the bird flu virus that has bedeviled American farms is likely to find a firm foothold among dairy cattle, scientists are warning. And that means bird flu may soon pose a permanent threat to other animals and to people. (Mandavilli, 8/21)