Login
Nearly Half of US Children Are Breathing Dangerous Levels of Air Pollution, Report Warns
Nearly half of children in the United States are breathing dangerous levels of air pollution, according to a new report, as experts warned Donald Trump’s expansive rollback of protections will make the situation worse.
The 27th annual air quality report from the American Lung Association (ALA) released on Wednesday evaluates pollution across the country by grading levels of ground-level ozone — also known as smog — as well as year-round and short-term spikes in particle pollution, commonly referred to as soot. The report analyzed quality-assured data collected between 2022 and 2024.
It found that 33.5 million children in the US — 46% of those under 18 — live in areas that received a failing grade for at least one measure of air pollution. The report also found that 7 million children, or 10% of all children in the US, live in communities that failed all three measures.
Speaking to the Guardian, Will Barrett, assistant vice-president of the ALA’s Nationwide Clean Air Policy, said: “Children’s lungs are still developing. For their body size, they’re breathing more air. And also, kids play outdoors, they’re more active, they’re breathing in more outdoor air … So, air pollution exposure in children can contribute to long-term developmental harm to their lungs, new cases of asthma, increased risks of respiratory illness and other health considerations later in life.”
Los Angeles Becomes the First Major School District to Require Screen Time Limits
The Los Angeles Unified School District’s board voted Tuesday to restrict students’ use of laptops and tablets in class and encourage pen-and-paper assignments instead, making it the first major American school system to do so.
The sweeping resolution, which passed 6-0 with one recusal, requires the district to create a screen time policy for each grade and subject, prohibit students in first grade and younger from using devices, clarify the process for parents to opt their child out of using technology at school, and audit its education technology contracts.
“We have responsibility as one of the largest districts to draw a line in the sand when it comes to this recalibration and start the conversation,” Nick Melvoin, the board member in charge of drafting the resolution, said in an interview ahead of the vote.
Antibiotic-Resistance Genes Detected in Babies Within First 3 Days of Life
New research presented at the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Global 2026 conference in Munich suggests antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) are present in newborns shortly after birth.
In a study involving 105 newborns admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) from July 2024 to July 2025, a team led by researchers from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece performed molecular analysis on meconium, the first stool passed by newborns. Typically passed within 24 to 48 hours of birth in healthy babies, meconium consists of a mixture of amniotic fluid, mucus, bile, and cells that have been shed from the skin and intestinal tract.
Although meconium was once believed to be sterile, recent research suggests gut bacteria may pass from the mother to the fetus and baby while in the womb, during delivery, and through breast feeding. In addition, infants are exposed to a number of organisms in the hospital environment after birth. One small study found the presence of ARGs in meconium and early stool samples of one-week-old infants. Based on these findings, the researcher screened the meconium samples for 56 different ARGs.
“This is the largest study of its kind exploring the effect of hospital environment on the collection of ARGs in the neonatal gut,” lead author Argyro Ftergioti, MD, said in an ESCMID press release.
Alabama and West Virginia Reach Settlements With Roblox Over Child Safety
Alabama and West Virginia became the latest states Tuesday to announce a settlement with Roblox over child safety protections on the gaming platform.
The company will pay Alabama $12.2 million, state Attorney General Steve Marshall said, calling the settlement a victory for children and their parents.
“Platforms that host child consumers must do their part to give parents a fighting chance to shield their children from harm,” he said in a statement. “While parents will always play the primary role in protecting their children online, we are raising the bar on what we expect from gaming platforms — parents need a partner, not a black box.”
Proposed Lifetime Smoking Ban to Become Law in Britain
Britain aims to raise a “smoke-free generation” by permanently banning the sale or supply of tobacco and vape products to anyone born in 2009 or after, with a bill that was approved by Parliament on Tuesday.
The bill applies to people currently 17 years old or younger and aims to keep them from ever picking up the habit in their lifetime. The proposal is expected to soon go into law after the final formality of approval by King Charles III.
Lawmakers say that in practice, the measure means the age of sale for tobacco products will rise over time as the targeted demographic group grows older and could lead to a smoke-free society. The law will apply in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The people covered by the law will be “part of the first smoke-free generation, protected from a lifetime of addiction and harm,” said Wes Streeting, the health secretary, on Tuesday. “Prevention is better than cure.”
