This week, one of our authors, a scientist from Stanford University, writes that although plastics make people's day-to-day lives easier, and even more fun sometimes—they are in our toys, shoes, cars, sports equipment, and cosmetics, and are wrapped around our favorite foods—there is a lasting environmental cost to that convenience. His article is part of our plastics miniseries, which includes a piece on the ubiquity of synthetic chemicals and what that means for planetary and human health, a commentary on microplastics and the growing concern that they are showing up not just on beaches, but also in human bodies, and a slideshow featuring creative ways plastics are being recycled.
We also look at the unique challenges faced by people with diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and other chronic conditions who are managing their illnesses during humanitarian crises, including the war in Ukraine. We close out July with an op-ed about the rise in nicotine pouch use in the United States.
Finally, we have updated our new monkeypox outbreak timeline to account for all the recent global developments over the last week and will continue to do so. Please check it out if you have not already.
As always, thank you for reading, and be well. —Thomas J. Bollyky and Mary Brophy Marcus, Editors
