13 million in southern, western states under flash flood warnings – National & International News – MON 22Aug2022

13 million in southern, western states under flash flood warnings. Late stage cervical cancer diagnoses are up in the South. Mexico arrests former attorney general over 2014 disappearance of 43 students.

NATIONAL NEWS

13 million in southern, western states under flash flood warnings

A weekend of torrential rain has sparked flash flood warnings in northeast Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Louisiana and, Arkansas. More rain is expected in many of the affected areas today. Dallas received 3 month’s worth of rain overnight after a recent spell of 67 days with no rainfall. This morning, many vehicles were trapped as the city’s streets flooded. So far, there are no confirmed fatalities.

Many of the areas that received heavy rains in recent days had been suffering drought conditions. This means that much of the ground cover like grass has died and the ground itself is too hard and parched to absorb huge volumes of water. That makes these areas much more prone to flooding and even mudslides.

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Late stage cervical cancer diagnoses are up in the South

Between 2001 and 2018, a lack of regular screenings has caused a 1.3%-per-year increase in late stage (stage 4) cervical cancer cases nationwide. Stage 4 cervical cancer has a five-year survival rate of 17%. The greatest rise in late-stage cervical cancer diagnoses was among white women in the South, aged 40 to 44. Late-stage cervical cancer cases in this group has risen an average of 4.5% each year.

Dr. Alex Francoeur, an OB-GYN at UCLA says “This is a disease that only 17% of patients will live past five years. So, if you’re a 30-year-old who won’t live past their 35th birthday, that’s tragic”.

These trends are indeed tragic and avoidable. It underscores the importance of regular pap smears. The CDC recommends that women start getting pap smears at 21 and every three years after that. If cervical cancer is detected early enough, it has a five-year survival rate of over 90%.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Mexico arrests former attorney general over 2014 disappearance of 43 students

Mexico has arrested its former Attorney General Jesús Murillo Karam in connection with the disappearance of 43 students in the state of Guerrero. The students were on their way to a protest in Mexico city when municipal police in Iguala fired upon them. Beyond that, little is known of their fate. Bone fragments have been recovered from only 3 of the victims.

The families of the slain students have accused the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), which previously governed Mexico, of a massive cover-up. In 2015, Karam, a member of PRI, led a controversial investigation into the students’ disappearance. Ultimately, he laid the blame on cartels. But this conclusion sparked years of protest in Mexico, whose citizens suspect the nation’s armed forces of involvement.

Karam has been charged with forced disappearance, torture and the obstruction of justice.

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