High-profile child deaths spark push for welfare agency transparency

Several states have enacted or considered laws this year to increase reporting and oversight of child neglect and abuse. Some of the new laws came after high-profile deaths or abuse cases, with lawmakers citing warning signs such as repeated visits from child services or complaints about unsafe family dynamics. The issue often draws support — even unanimously — across party lines.

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New World screwworm fly

Flesh-eating screwworms head for American livestock

Southern states are bracing for a potential invasion of the New World screwworm that could disrupt livestock markets and raise already high meat prices. So far, the parasite has yet to land in the United States, but it has been spreading across Mexico and Central America. Previously eradicated from the United States in the 1960s, the fly can infest livestock, pets, wildlife and in rare cases, humans.

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