Public Health Watch

06/11/2026

Public Health Watch, DataKind, Material Research and Until Justice Data Partners launched FencelineData.org in 2024 to help journalists, researchers and community members hold polluters accountable and better understand environmental and public health risks.

Join us on June 24 for a webinar that will show journalists how to use the tool to find complementary data points for breaking-news stories and more complex insights for longer-term investigations.

Register: Publichealthwatch.org/events

https://publichealthwatch.org/2026/06/10/relaunch-of-environmental-database-expands-emissions-data-adds-training-sessions/

06/10/2026

NUEVO en Public Health Watch y My RGV .
De forma recurrente, la enfermedad de Parkinson se relaciona con la exposición a pesticidas. Los riesgos —y los peligros— son graves para los trabajadores agrícolas y las comunidades del Valle del Río Grande en Texas

El mal de Parkinson es el trastorno neurológico de más rápido crecimiento en el mundo. Los expertos temen que las personas que viven y trabajan en regiones agrícolas con alto uso de pesticidas corran especial riesgo de padecerla.

06/09/2026

Editorial: The convenience of using potentially hazardous chemicals on our produce will never offset the human costs of heavy pesticide use — especially among the workers and communities facing elevated risks for Parkinson’s disease.

The convenience and cheapness of using potentially hazardous chemicals on our produce will never offset the human costs of heavy pesticide use.

06/03/2026

NEW from Public Health Watch and My RGV:

Parkinson’s disease is the world’s fastest growing neurological disorder.

Experts worry that pesticide-laden agricultural regions like Texas’ Rio Grande Valley are especially at risk.

Brownsville Daily News
MonitorNews
Valleystar
El Puente News
Parkinson's Foundation
Earthjustice

In Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, the link between pesticide exposure and Parkinson’s disease looms large — for farmworkers and nearby communities.

05/28/2026

A recent measles outbreak in West Texas and rising vaccine exemptions across the state are raising concerns for Texas families — especially those caring for children with weakened immune systems.

For 4-year-old Juliana Salazar, even common illnesses can be dangerous. Born with a rare immune disorder, she depends heavily on herd immunity and the health decisions of the people around her to stay safe.

In this new story from Public Health Watch, Juliana’s family and Texas physicians share what it looks like to navigate daily life as vaccination rates decline and concerns about preventable disease continue to grow across the state.

https://publichealthwatch.org/2026/05/28/as-texas-vaccination-rates-fall-vulnerable-children-face-growing-risk/

Copublished with: Houston Public Media

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/health-science/2026/05/28/553094/as-texas-vaccination-rates-fall-vulnerable-children-face-growing-risk/

05/26/2026

On January 1, California placed an enrollment freeze on its once-celebrated “Health Care for All” program, which extended health coverage to undocumented immigrants. The impact was immediate and severe.

Driving the decline, experts say, are several state and federal policy changes that block or discourage immigrants from obtaining or keeping coverage.

05/23/2026

A scene from a horror movie? No, this is what someone looks like right after a double lung transplant -- in this case, from overexposure to silica dust during countertop cutting. On Thursday CA took the first step toward banning fabrication of high-silica artificial stone.

Full Story:
https://publichealthwatch.org/2026/05/21/california-ban-stone-countertops-workplace-epidemic-silicosis/

05/21/2026

This Thursday, the CA Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board will vote on a possible ban, which would be the first in the nation. Regardless of the board's decision, Public Health Watch and our media partners are proud of our groundbreaking, bilingual reporting on this preventable crisis. We are confident it has saved lives.

Look for our story on the vote Thursday afternoon.

05/20/2026

NEW in our "Uninsured in America" project: Phoenix examines how Medicaid cuts could affect Arizonans with intellectual disabilities who depend on the state's at-home services program.

The state's Home and Community-Based Services for people with disabilities could be on the chopping block this year because of Medicaid cuts. One reason is that Medicaid isn’t required to cover the services.

05/19/2026

Raul Ordaz was a beloved member of his family but he needed help. Instead, he died at a troubled psychiatric hospital in San Antonio less than 24 hours after admission.

He was one of three patients who died at Laurel Ridge psychiatric hospital in 2025. His family is demanding answers.

From Public Health Watch's Gina Jiménez and our partners at Texas Public Radio: