Yahn Olson News Today

In Mississippi and across the country, Community Health Centers are getting a funding increase, thanks to Congress passing a bipartisan spending package. Community Health Centers in Mississippi serve patients without regard to their insurance status or ability to pay. More than 20 locations in the state provide medical care to more than more than 380,000 people. ...

The recent health diagnosis for Catherine, Princess of Wales, is shining a spotlight on the importance for Hoosiers younger than 50 to be screened for certain cancers. The news comes during a time of rising cancer rates among young people. Mary Robertson, lead in cancer prevention at Indiana Universitys Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center in Indianapolis, said family history significantly impacts cancer risk, and stressed the importance of transparent discussions within families. ...

Colorado lawmakers want to beef up legislation that bans PFAS, so-called forever chemicals, by 2028.

With the approval of the Virginia General Assembly, a bill reducing prescription drug prices is sitting on Gov. Glenn Youngkins desk. The bill establishes a prescription drug affordability board as an independent body evaluating drug price increases. ...

Colorado lawmakers want to beef up legislation that bans PFAS, so-called forever chemicals, by 2028. Yahn Olson is an associate attorney with Environmental Litigation Group, which is taking companies that produce PFAS to court on behalf of firefighters in Colorado and other states exposed at military bases. He said PFAS are a major threat to public health, especially when they are allowed to leach into sources of drinking water. ...

Attorneys estimate that more than 100 who’ve already joined the case were exposed to the so-called “forever chemicals” linked to cancer, thyroid diseases, fertility issues and more while working with firefighting foam on or around Joint Base Cape Cod.

"We have all these individuals who unknowingly were drinking contaminated water, or firefighters who were using all this [PFAS] foam all the time."

Millions in Department of Defense funds have already been spent to remediate PFAS contamination at Ellsworth and Foss.

Military veterans who served at Ellsworth Air Force Base near Rapid City and at Joe Foss Field Air National Guard Station in Sioux Falls are part of new national class-action