Featured Stories
Protect Our Care: Overton Hearing Watch - Trump's Pro-Glyphosate, Anti-Vax FDA Pick Has Explaining to Do
WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Protect Our Care issued the following news:
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Overton Hearing Watch: Trump's Pro-Glyphosate, Anti-Vax FDA Pick Has Explaining to Do
September 23, 2026
Washington D.C. -- Ahead of the Senate confirmation hearing for Donald Trump's nominee for Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, Protect Our Care spotlighted Heidi Overton's disqualifying record that has faced flak from all political directions:
* Pro-Glyphosate: Overton drew "backlash from some MAHA supporters" when she defended the Trump Justice Department's amicus brief in support of agrochemical giant
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- Protect Our Care issued the following news:
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Overton Hearing Watch: Trump's Pro-Glyphosate, Anti-Vax FDA Pick Has Explaining to Do
September 23, 2026
Washington D.C. -- Ahead of the Senate confirmation hearing for Donald Trump's nominee for Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, Protect Our Care spotlighted Heidi Overton's disqualifying record that has faced flak from all political directions:
* Pro-Glyphosate: Overton drew "backlash from some MAHA supporters" when she defended the Trump Justice Department's amicus brief in support of agrochemical giantMonsanto ahead of the Supreme Court's ruling that effectively granted Big Chemical immunity from liability claims involving the cancer-linked glyphosate ingredient found in Roundup pesticides.
* Anti-Vax: Last month, Overton stood alongside Donald Trump as he signed his toxic executive order demanding the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine be baselessly broken up into separate shots for children over several costly doctor visits, while opening the door for states to loosen school immunization requirements and leaving kids more vulnerable to disease. Overton delivered remarks pushing states to jeopardize kids' health by codifying the CDC's watered-down childhood vaccine recommendations into state law.
"Here's an awful idea: put a glyphosate-loving science denier in charge of the safety of every vaccine, drug, and food product sold to Americans," said Protect Our Care president Brad Woodhouse. "Hasn't the rash of recalls, outbreaks and food-borne illnesses on the administration's watch the past two years been bad enough? What we know already about Heidi Overton's extreme record should be a deal breaker for any Senator who claims to support public health.
Added Woodhouse: "The big question mark is whether Overton agrees with the FDA opening the floodgates to more harmful flavored vapes and keeping many on the market before even getting final authorization - deregulating poison that specifically appeals to kids just to make Trump's big tobacco donors richer. Given that the last FDA head was shoved out the door for not going along with Trump's scheme to make child nicotine addiction great again, there's no chance Overton didn't give him assurances she's willing to do the dirty work."
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Original text here: https://www.protectourcare.org/overton-hearing-watch-trumps-pro-glyphosate-anti-vax-fda-pick-has-explaining-to-do/
[Category: Health Care]
Ocean Conservancy Statement: Longer Red Snapper Seasons Could Allow Overfishing 48% Above the Sustainable Limit
WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- The Ocean Conservancy issued the following news release:
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September 22, 2026
STATEMENT: Longer Red Snapper Seasons Could Allow Overfishing 48% Above the Sustainable Limit
Proposed Seasons Are Likely Illegal and Unsustainable
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WASHINGTON - Yesterday, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced 14-day recreational fishing seasons for red snapper in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, alongside a 3-day federal season that would include North Carolina. This will likely cause illegal overfishing, a key reason why expanded seasons were blocked by a federal
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 -- The Ocean Conservancy issued the following news release:
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September 22, 2026
STATEMENT: Longer Red Snapper Seasons Could Allow Overfishing 48% Above the Sustainable Limit
Proposed Seasons Are Likely Illegal and Unsustainable
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WASHINGTON - Yesterday, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced 14-day recreational fishing seasons for red snapper in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, alongside a 3-day federal season that would include North Carolina. This will likely cause illegal overfishing, a key reason why expanded seasons were blocked by a federaljudge in May. The seasons announced by the NMFS modify sustainable limits without going through the proper procedures and rely on assumptions that anglers will be much slower to catch fish in October than in other months when seasons were open. They also fail to account for fish that have been caught during Florida's state season, which has been plagued by reports of fish being caught illegally in federal waters with no enforcement.
Ocean Conservancy's review of the calculations in the announcement suggest that the amount of catch estimated for the seasons - 83,720 fish for Florida, 4,859 fish for Georgia, 8,695 fish for South Carolina and a 15,514 fish buffer to account for North Carolina - represent a 48% overage of the overfishing limit established in the last stock assessment when all factors, such as discards, are considered.
Ocean Conservancy's Senior Director of Fish Conservation Meredith Moore released the following statement:
"I have no confidence that these fishing seasons are sustainable or legal. These seasons assume a clean slate for fishing this year, completely ignoring the number of fish that have already been caught during Florida's state season. There's no way to know if these seasons are sustainable without counting how many fish have been caught so far. Our best estimate suggests that these seasons alone could allow overfishing 48% above the science-based limit. If we don't rely on sound math and science, overfishing will crash this stock, and coastal communities will suffer."
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ABOUT OCEAN CONSERVANCY
For more than 50 years, Ocean Conservancy has delivered effective, evidence-based solutions for the ocean and all who depend on it. Today, we continue to unite science, people and policy to protect our ocean from the greatest challenges it faces: climate change, plastic pollution and biodiversity loss. We are a 501(C)3 headquartered in Washington, D.C. that inspires a worldwide network of partners, advocates and supporters through our comprehensive and clear-eyed approach to ocean conservation. Together, we are securing a healthy ocean and a thriving planet, forever and for everyone. For more information, visit oceanconservancy.org, or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Bluesky or Instagram.
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Original text here: https://oceanconservancy.org/newsroom/press-release/2026/09/22/longer-red-snapper-seasons-could-allow-overfishing/
[Category: Environment]
Global Crop Diversity Trust: Peter H. Raven - U.S. Evolutionary Biologist Who Redefined Botanical Gardens
BONN, Germany, Sept. 24 -- The Global Crop Diversity Trust issued the following news:
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Peter H. Raven: U.S. Evolutionary Biologist Who Redefined Botanical Gardens
By David Henry
23 September 2026
In this edition of our Seed Heroes series, we celebrate Peter H. Raven, whose groundbreaking work reshaped our understanding of evolutionary biology and transformed the Missouri Botanical Garden into a global force for biodiversity conservation.
Seeds stored deep under ice in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. Plant breeders in lab coats germinating a new variety. Farmers caring for heirloom varieties
... Show Full Article
BONN, Germany, Sept. 24 -- The Global Crop Diversity Trust issued the following news:
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Peter H. Raven: U.S. Evolutionary Biologist Who Redefined Botanical Gardens
By David Henry
23 September 2026
In this edition of our Seed Heroes series, we celebrate Peter H. Raven, whose groundbreaking work reshaped our understanding of evolutionary biology and transformed the Missouri Botanical Garden into a global force for biodiversity conservation.
Seeds stored deep under ice in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. Plant breeders in lab coats germinating a new variety. Farmers caring for heirloom varietiesin their fields. These are the images that come to mind when we think of conserving crop diversity.
But botanical gardens are also vital partners in conserving crop diversity. Ex situ conservation in gardens protects plant species outside their natural habitats as the threat of extinction intensifies.
For decades, Dr Peter H. Raven worked at the forefront of biodiversity conservation in botanical gardens. As president and director of Missouri Botanical Garden from 1971 to 2010, he transformed the Garden into an international hub for research and scientific collaboration.
Raven put conservation first, expanding the Garden's herbarium into one of the world's largest botanical collections, a research resource holding over 7.5 million specimens. He also established a Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development (CCSD), which operates a dedicated genebank to conserve plant genetic material over the long term.
The CCSD is a member of the Center for Plant Conservation (CPC), working to collect and conserve rare plants from throughout the southeastern United States. The CPC is a network of over 75 botanical institutions across the U.S. and Canada. Together, they conserve the world's largest living collection of rare and endangered plants.
Raven was an early advocate of the CPC and supported the organization from its founding in the mid-1980s. After his tenure at the helm of the Missouri Botanical Garden, he served on the CPC Board of Trustees from 2010 to 2018. The Garden was the CPC's home institution for more than a decade.
The U.S. botanist died this year at the age of 89, leaving an extraordinary legacy of transformative leadership, research and conservation.
Continuing the Conservation
"We honor him by continuing the work he championed - preventing plant extinction, advancing botanical science, and ensuring that plants receive the attention, care, and conservation investment they deserve," Wesley Knapp, chief executive officer of the CPC, said in a statement after Raven's passing.
According to the latest State of the World's Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, more than 3,000 botanical gardens operate worldwide, with over 350 maintaining genebanks across 74 countries.
In 2025, the New York Botanical Garden, the Crop Trust and other partners launched the Global Conservation Consortium for Food Plants. The Consortium unites botanical gardens, genebanks, research institutions and others around a shared goal - safeguarding the wild and cultivated plants that feed the world.
"The Consortium builds on the foundation laid by the pioneers of conservation in botanical gardens. Raven showed us what is possible when gardens work together and collaborate with a wide community of scientists. His work with rare and endangered plants is an inspiration as we engage botanical gardens to secure the future of food," says Dr Colin Khoury, global conservation lead at the Crop Trust.
Advocate for Plants
As population growth and environmental degradation placed mounting pressure on the natural world, Raven raised the profile of plants as a building block of life itself. While many conservationists focused on animals, the St. Louis-based scientist dedicated his career to preventing plant extinctions and demonstrating how closely plants are connected to human wellbeing.
"We have relatively short lives, and yet by preserving the world in a condition that is worthy of us, we win a kind of immortality. We become stewards of what the world is," he wrote in his 2021 autobiography, Driven by Nature (Missouri Botanical Garden Press).
Named a "Hero of the Planet" by Time magazine in 1999, Raven helped transform our understanding of coevolution through a seminal paper published in 1964. With Stanford University colleague Paul R. Ehrlich, Raven explored the intricate relationships between plants and other organisms, including insects. Together, they introduced the now widely accepted idea that species that depend on one another can drive each other's evolution through natural selection.
A Lifetime of Learning
Peter Hamilton Raven was born in Shanghai on 13 June 1936 to Walter Francis Raven and Isabelle Marion Breen. His great-uncle, Frank Raven, had built a business empire in the city, inspiring the family to follow him there in search of opportunity. They moved to San Francisco after Japan invaded China in 1937.
At the age of six, Raven began collecting butterflies and beetles. Encouraged by his parents, he developed a lifelong fascination with the extraordinary diversity of the natural world.
Raven earned a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1957 and a PhD in botany from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1960.
After almost a decade as an assistant and then associate professor at Stanford University, Raven took the helm of the Missouri Botanical Garden in 1971. Two years later, he became the George Engelmann Professor of Botany at Washington University in St. Louis, a position he held until his retirement in 2010. He remained active at the university as professor emeritus.
Contributions to Knowledge
Raven contributed to much more than plant conservation and the modern understanding of coevolution. In 1974, Raven and Daniel Axelrod broke new ground in biogeography with a landmark study. They were among the first to link the evolution and dispersal of flowering plants to plate tectonics and Earth's geological history, according to an account of Raven's life published in Nature.
Raven also wrote hundreds of books and scientific papers, including the influential textbooks Biology of Plants and Environment. He served as co-editor of Flora of China for 35 years. This ambitious international project produced a 49-volume encyclopedia documenting 31,500 Chinese plant species.
In 2000, President Bill Clinton presented Raven with the National Medal of Science, the United States' highest honor for scientific achievement, in recognition of his contributions to plant science and biodiversity conservation. Raven also served on the President's Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology from 1994 to 2000.
Raven remained deeply engaged in science and science policy until the end of his life. In one of his final papers, published in 2025, he and his co-authors called for reforms to biodiversity governance that would make it easier to collect, conserve, exchange and use plant diversity for research, crop improvement and global food security.
"Given what I have learned about the incredible diversity of life and the interconnectedness that ties humanity's fate to that of Earth's non-human species, I can't stand idly by while it is all threatened... Thus, I considered it necessary to do what I can," he wrote in his autobiography.
The Crop Trust celebrates the extraordinary legacy of Peter H. Raven. His pioneering science and lifelong advocacy transformed plant conservation worldwide. That vision lives on by inspiring initiatives such as the Global Conservation Consortium for Food Plants, which brings botanical gardens, genebanks and other partners together to safeguard the plant diversity that underpins our food future.
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Timeline
1936: Born in Shanghai on 13 June
1957: Bachelor's degree in biology at the University of California, Berkeley
1960: PhD in botany at the University of California, Los Angeles
1962-1971: Assistant, then associate professor, at Stanford University
1964: Coauthor of Butterflies and Plants: A Study in Coevolution
1971-2010: Director, then president, Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis
1973-2010: George Engelmann professor of botany, Washington University in St. Louis
1974: Co-author of Angiosperm Biogeography and Past Continental Movements
1988-2013: Coeditor of Flora of China through a joint Chinese-U.S. project
1994-2000: Member of President's Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology
2000: Receives the National Medal of Science, presented by President Clinton
2010-2018: Board of Trustees of the Center for Plant Conservation
2010-2026: President emeritus at Missouri Botanical Garden
2026: Dies on 25 April in St. Louis at age 89
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Original text here: https://www.croptrust.org/news-events/news/article/peter-h-raven-us-evolutionary-biologist-who-redefined-botanical-gardens/
[Category: Agriculture]
Environmental Defense Fund: Governor Newsom Announces Major Step Toward the Linkage of California and Washington State Cap-and-Invest Programs
NEW YORK, Sept. 24 -- The Environmental Defense Fund issued the following news release:
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Governor Newsom announces major step toward the linkage of California and Washington state Cap-and-Invest programs
Modeling shows that linking the two programs will deliver greater pollution cuts across the region
September 23, 2026
NEW YORK -- California Governor Gavin Newsom took a major step forward in linking California's Cap-and-Invest program with Washington's by announcing today at New York Climate Week that his office has completed the requirements for California and Washington to link their
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, Sept. 24 -- The Environmental Defense Fund issued the following news release:
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Governor Newsom announces major step toward the linkage of California and Washington state Cap-and-Invest programs
Modeling shows that linking the two programs will deliver greater pollution cuts across the region
September 23, 2026
NEW YORK -- California Governor Gavin Newsom took a major step forward in linking California's Cap-and-Invest program with Washington's by announcing today at New York Climate Week that his office has completed the requirements for California and Washington to link theircap-and-invest markets.
"California and Washington are showing how states can join forces to drive investments in affordable clean energy and curb climate pollution," said Fred Krupp, President of Environmental Defense Fund. "By scaling up proven and efficient pollution-cutting programs, states can deliver savings for families and businesses, while making a huge impact on our national emissions. More states should follow their lead."
This announcement follows the signing of the linkage agreement by Washington, California and their partner Quebec from this past June. Moving forward, the California Air Resources Board will complete a formal rulemaking to enable the California program to accept allowances from Washington, progressing toward the shared goal of launching joint auctions in 2027.
For over 10 years, California has worked in a linked carbon market with Quebec to cut emissions, and with the addition of Washington state, this broader market will have even greater impacts. Since 2012, California's program has generated more than $36 billion in revenue for climate action. Washington passed their own Cap-and-Invest program in 2023, which has already generated over $3 billion for climate and community investments across the state. Modeling shows that linking California and Washington state's Cap-and-Invest programs will cut an additional 45 million metric tons of climate pollution across the two states through 2045 -- equal to the annual emissions from 12 coal plants.
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With more than 3 million members, Environmental Defense Fund creates transformational solutions to the most serious environmental problems. To do so, EDF links science, economics, law, and innovative private-sector partnerships to turn solutions into action. edf.org
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Original text here: https://www.edf.org/media/governor-newsom-announces-major-step-toward-linkage-california-and-washington-state-cap-and
[Category: Environment]
Consumer Reports: More Than 115,000 Consumers Call On FDA to Limit Food Additives, Fix GRAS Loophole
YONKERS, New York, Sept. 24 -- Consumer Reports posted the following news release:
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More than 115,000 Consumers Call On FDA to Limit Food Additives, Fix GRAS Loophole
September 23, 2026
CR delivers 115,000 signatures to FDA headquarters showing widespread public support for food additive limits and closing the GRAS loophole, as the agency accepts comments on its proposed GRAS rule through Dec. 9
COLLEGE PARK, MD -- More than 115,000 people have called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to limit dangerous additives in food and close the "Generally Recognized as Safe" (GRAS)
... Show Full Article
YONKERS, New York, Sept. 24 -- Consumer Reports posted the following news release:
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More than 115,000 Consumers Call On FDA to Limit Food Additives, Fix GRAS Loophole
September 23, 2026
CR delivers 115,000 signatures to FDA headquarters showing widespread public support for food additive limits and closing the GRAS loophole, as the agency accepts comments on its proposed GRAS rule through Dec. 9
COLLEGE PARK, MD -- More than 115,000 people have called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to limit dangerous additives in food and close the "Generally Recognized as Safe" (GRAS)loophole. Consumer Reports (CR) delivered CR and Yuka petition signatures today to the FDA inside an oversized Flamin' Hot Cheetos box--highlighting one of several popular products that exceeded safe daily additive levels in a joint CR and Yuka investigation released this summer.
The delivery comes as the FDA's proposed GRAS rule remains open for public comment through December 9. In a recent analysis, CR noted that the agency's proposal "preserves the core deficiencies of the existing system" because mandatory safety reviews would apply only to new ingredients or uses, leaving existing chemicals on the market unaddressed. CR will file formal comments before the deadline.
"More than 115,000 people have joined CR in asking the FDA to limit additives in food, and this proposed rule simply doesn't go far enough,to close the secret GRAS loophole," said Brian Ronholm, Director of Food Policy at Consumer Reports. "The so-called notification requirement for new ingredients is weak and it leaves roughly 1,000 existing chemicals on store shelves unscrutinized--including toxic substances CR identified in our investigations that companies self-declared safe.
The petition delivered today asks the FDA to establish a clear and transparent risk assessment methodology, regularly reassess the safety of food additives, better regulate the use of additives based on specific product categories, better account for the specific vulnerabilities of children, and close the longstanding GRAS loophole.
The petition follows CR and Yuka's recent investigation testing over 120 samples of 40 popular processed foods. Over a third contained more additives or contaminants in a single serving than CR food safety experts consider safe for daily consumption.
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Original text here: https://advocacy.consumerreports.org/press_release/more-than-115000-consumers-call-on-fda-to-limit-food-additives-fix-gras-loophole/
[Category: Business]
Consumer Reports Launches Media Campaign in North Carolina to Fight Duke Energy Rate Hikes
YONKERS, New York, Sept. 24 -- Consumer Reports posted the following news release:
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Consumer Reports launches media campaign in North Carolina to fight Duke Energy rate hikes
September 23, 2026
Raleigh, North Carolina - Consumer Reports today announced the launch of a media campaign urging the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC) to reject Duke Energy's continued demands for rate increases on state residents.
The media campaign will span print and digital outlets across North Carolina highlighting the severe financial strain that rising electricity bills place on local families.
... Show Full Article
YONKERS, New York, Sept. 24 -- Consumer Reports posted the following news release:
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Consumer Reports launches media campaign in North Carolina to fight Duke Energy rate hikes
September 23, 2026
Raleigh, North Carolina - Consumer Reports today announced the launch of a media campaign urging the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC) to reject Duke Energy's continued demands for rate increases on state residents.
The media campaign will span print and digital outlets across North Carolina highlighting the severe financial strain that rising electricity bills place on local families.CR is urging the NCUC to ensure that rate changes remain just, reasonable, and in the public interest.
"This campaign is designed to cut through the noise and elevate the voices of everyday North Carolinians who are frustrated with excessive increases of their electricity bills," said Sara Enright, senior director for consumer impact at Consumer Reports. "As Duke Energy pushes for millions more from the pockets of hardworking families across North Carolina, our ads throughout the Tar Heel state will rally consumers to push back, contact the utilities commission, and demand a system that works for families, not just corporate executives."
Late last year Duke Energy's two North Carolina subsidiaries, Duke Energy Progress and Duke Energy Carolinas, both initiated rate cases asking the NCUC to authorize an 18% rate increase and a significant boost to their authorized profits. After over ten months of debate and deliberation the NCUC is poised to make a final decision on both cases in the coming weeks. The outcome will determine how much Duke Energy customers will pay for electricity over the next two years.
Consumer Reports recently submitted more than 3,700 petition signatures from members living in North Carolina asking the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC) to reject Duke Energy's excessive rate increase request.
Since the petition drive began, one of Duke Energy's two subsidiaries in the state, Duke Energy Carolinas, has lowered their rate increase request to 9.5% over the next 2 years and Duke Energy Progress agreed to a rate increase of 6.8% over the next two years, also lower than the original rate increase request. While that is an important move in the right direction, Consumer Reports submitted a letter to the NCUC telling them that the proposed reduction in the rate hike was not enough, as it continues to raise utility profits through residential ratepayer price increases.
CR has also profiled individual consumers detailing how skyrocketing electricity bills are straining everyday households in North Carolina and throughout the country.
This campaign in North Carolina is part of Consumer Reports' broader nationwide energy affordability initiative. Through petitions, consumer storytelling, research, and policy advocacy, CR is working to ensure households have a seat at the table as utilities seek approval for billions of dollars in grid infrastructure investments and AI data center expansion.
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Original text here: https://advocacy.consumerreports.org/press_release/consumer-reports-launches-media-campaign-in-north-carolina-to-fight-duke-energy-rate-hikes/
[Category: Business]
Children's Health Defense Issues Commentary: CDC Officially Lists One Measles Death, as Agency Works to Create Standard Definition
FRANKLIN LAKES, New Jersey, Sept. 24 -- Children's Health Defense, an organization that says it restores and protects the health of children by eliminating exposures to environmental toxins, issued the following commentary by Henrick Karoliszyn, investigative reporter for The Defender:
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CDC Officially Lists One Measles Death, as Agency Works to Create Standard Definition
The CDC is working with state epidemiologists to create a standard definition for measles deaths. The agency launched the project earlier this summer, before Pennsylvania announced two "measles-associated" deaths, setting
... Show Full Article
FRANKLIN LAKES, New Jersey, Sept. 24 -- Children's Health Defense, an organization that says it restores and protects the health of children by eliminating exposures to environmental toxins, issued the following commentary by Henrick Karoliszyn, investigative reporter for The Defender:
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CDC Officially Lists One Measles Death, as Agency Works to Create Standard Definition
The CDC is working with state epidemiologists to create a standard definition for measles deaths. The agency launched the project earlier this summer, before Pennsylvania announced two "measles-associated" deaths, settingoff a controversy after the coroner who reviewed the deaths contradicted Gov. Josh Shapiro and the state health department, telling the media that one of the deaths was not caused by measles.
September 23, 2026
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is working with state epidemiologists to create a standard definition for measles deaths.
The CDC launched the project earlier this summer, before Pennsylvania announced two "measles-associated" deaths, setting off a controversy after the coroner who reviewed the deaths contradicted Gov. Josh Shapiro and the state health department, telling the media that one of the deaths was not caused by measles.
"Pennsylvania may classify deaths as 'measles-associated' under its state surveillance definition, but CDC is working with the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) to establish a standardized definition for measles deaths to ensure consistent reporting across jurisdictions," U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Press Secretary Grace Davis Jamison told The Defender.
"CDC will apply the same national standard to every state and report any measles-caused deaths when the National Center for Health Statistics identifies measles as the underlying cause based on death record information submitted by the states," Jamison said.
On Aug. 25, the Pennsylvania Department of Health announced two deaths, both infants, describing them as "measles-associated." In mid-September, the state announced two additional deaths, including one of a 40-year-old woman with a long history of underlying illness.
The CDC measles surveillance page, updated today, displays an asterisk with only one recorded death in 2026. The accompanying note says, "This number is subject to change; CDC will update its reporting as additional information becomes available and relevant reviews are completed."
The federal government recently revised how it counts measles deaths in response to ongoing scrutiny around whether the Pennsylvania fatalities labeled "measles-associated" were actually caused by measles.
The Guardian recently reported the CDC will base its measles death count on data from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
The CDC updated its site today, only after the NCHS alerted the agency about a measles-related death, Jamison said.
"Through its standard process, NCHS verified that the death occurred and that measles was listed as the underlying cause of death," Jamison told The Defender.
Previously, the CDC pulled its measles death figures from the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS), which receives public health surveillance data from state, local and territorial health departments.
NCHS tracks only the official causes of death as reported on death certificates, while the NNDSS reports include additional information about a person's health status at the time of their death.
CDC listed Pennsylvania deaths, then removed them
Pennsylvania, meanwhile, has reported four measles-associated deaths, along with 792 confirmed cases and 155 hospitalizations as of Sept. 21.
Pennsylvania defines a measles-associated death as one occurring within 30 days of symptom onset in a person with clinical evidence of infection, a positive laboratory test and no unrelated cause of death. Health officials also consider medical records and evidence of exposure.
The state said it conducted investigations with county coroners before classifying the four deaths. The Pennsylvania Department of Health did not respond to requests for comment from The Defender.
Inside Medicine reported that the CDC initially listed Pennsylvania's first two deaths before U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. asked CDC Director Erica Schwartz to remove them.
The change highlights the difference between a death being "associated with" measles and measles being listed as its underlying cause.
An associated death may involve complications or secondary infections following measles, while an underlying-cause standard can be more restrictive.
Secondary infections from measles can sometimes lead to death
"Measles-associated death" is a standard designation that the World Health Organization (WHO) and the CDC have used for decades, said Matthew Ferrari, Ph.D., director of the Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics at Penn State.
"It's the most useful distinction because it is a case that could have been prevented by a measles vaccination, or by early detection and isolation," Ferrari told The Defender.
"Measles is severely immunocompromising, so it is very often a secondary infection that is the ultimate cause of death," he added. "That doesn't change the fact that preventing the measles case would have prevented the secondary infection."
Ferrari said the definition of a measles-associated death has become more expansive over time as scientists have learned more about measles' long-term effects on immunity.
He pointed to research by Dutch virologist Rik de Swart showing that the measles virus kills memory immune cells that protect against infections a person has previously fought off. That suggests illnesses long after a measles infection could be traced to the immune damage it caused, Ferrari said.
Proving that this leads to deaths is difficult because such deaths are hard to document, he added.
Research by epidemiologist Michael Mina, M.D., Ph.D., has found a detectable rise in deaths from all causes after measles outbreaks, Ferrari said, though he cautioned that the finding shows correlation, not causation.
Karl Jablonowski, Ph.D., senior research scientist at Children's Health Defense (CHD), said that deaths caused strictly by measles are rare and that federal agencies bringing more clarity around what constitutes death as an underlying cause is critical.
"'What is the mortality burden of the current outbreak? Or, should I be afraid?' Those are two very different questions that could be asked of the same reported death count," Jablonowski said.
There are so few measles deaths that it is possible and appropriate to include comorbidities when reporting them, Jablonowski said. "An individual can assess their risk based on how similar they are to others whose death is associated with measles."
He also said the Pennsylvania cases in particular became politicized instead of scientific.
"Gov. Josh Shapiro declared two measles-associated deaths, then proceeded to say 'vaccine' 70 times during the press conference. One was born without a heartbeat and a ruptured spleen, and the other was a 6-week-old afflicted with Amish lethal microcephaly," Jablonowski said.
He added: "Context matters. A political apparatus of state departments of health makes measles deaths politicizable. Requiring death certificates to describe measles as a cause of death in a national measles death statistic adds reliability to the reported number, not detracts from it."
Texas measles deaths in 2025 sparked similar controversy
Similar questions emerged during the 2025 West Texas outbreak, when state officials reported two measles-associated deaths in school-aged children.
The CDC continues to list three deaths -- the two in Texas and one in New Mexico -- for 2025.
In February 2025, a 6-year-old girl died in a hospital after testing positive for measles and developing pneumonia. Her parents later told The Defender that her measles symptoms appeared to be improving while her fever and breathing worsened.
CHD obtained the child's medical records from the parents. Dr. Pierre Kory, who has extensive experience in pulmonary and critical care medicine, analyzed the records. Kory told CHD.TV, the girl died from a secondary bacterial pneumonia that had "little to do with measles."
A second child, 8-year-old Daisy Hildebrand, died in April 2025. Texas officials described her death as "measles pulmonary failure."
However, physicians who reviewed Daisy's records told The Defender that she died from acute respiratory distress caused by hospital-acquired pneumonia. They said she contracted an antibiotic-resistant E. coli infection during a previous hospital stay.
The Texas cases illustrate why classifying deaths can be complicated. Measles can cause pneumonia and suppress immune function, but patients may also experience bacterial infections, underlying illnesses or complications related to medical care.
A uniform definition could help states classify such deaths consistently.
The CDC had recorded 3,471 confirmed measles cases nationwide as of Sept. 17. Pennsylvania accounted for the country's largest active outbreak, while Texas, South Carolina and Utah also experienced substantial outbreaks during the resurgence that began in 2025.
The unresolved issue is whether the eventual federal definition will preserve the broader category of measles-associated deaths used by states -- or count only deaths for which measles is formally identified as the underlying cause.
Related articles in The Defender
* CDC Revamps System for Counting Measles Deaths, as Pennsylvania Reports Fourth 'Measles-Associated' Death (https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/cdc-revamps-system-counting-measles-deaths-pennsylvania-reports-fourth-measles-associated-death/)
* 40-Year-Old Pennsylvania Woman With 'Long, Long History' of Underlying Illnesses Dies After Catching Measles (https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/40-year-old-pennsylvania-woman-history-underlying-illnesses-dies-after-catching-measles/)
* Vaccinated People Can and Do Spread Measles, Peer-Reviewed Analysis Finds (https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/vaccinated-people-can-and-do-spread-measles-peer-reviewed-analysis-finds/)
* 6-Week-Old Amish Infant With Fatal Genetic Condition Died From Measles, Coroner Confirms (https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/pennsylvania-amish-infant-fatal-genetic-condition-died-measles-lancaster-county-coroner-confirms/)
* Coroner Contradicts Pennsylvania Health Officials, Says Measles Didn't Cause Newborn's Death (https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/coroner-contradicts-pennsylvania-health-officials-measles-did-not-cause-newborn-death/)
* 2 'Measles-Associated' Deaths in Pennsylvania Spark Media Blitz -- But Officials Won't Release Details (https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/pennsylvania-two-measles-associated-deaths-media-blitz-officials-decline-share-details/)
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Henrick Karoliszyn, DSW, is an investigative reporter for The Defender.
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Original text here: https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/cdc-officially-lists-one-measles-death-as-agency-works-create-standard-definition/
[Category: Health Care]
