Nsikan Akpan appears in the following:
COVID-19 upended NYC’s nursing workforce. 3 years later, hospitals are trying to rebuild it.
Tuesday, April 04, 2023
While workforce data shows new nurses are entering the profession in large numbers, those monitoring health care trends said staffing gaps remain at NYC hospitals.
Health workers in NYC describe confusion, errors in early days of asylum seeker vaccine clinics
Tuesday, March 28, 2023
A medical company contracted by NYC to bring migrants up to date on vaccines struggled early on, according to internal documents and interviews with staff members.
3 years after NYC’s first COVID death, grievers find support with one another
Tuesday, March 14, 2023
Members of COVID support groups are united by the difficulties each has faced losing a loved one to a virus that has been politicized and, in some circles, dismissed as a cause of death.
Toxic fumes detected at popular Brooklyn shuffleboard club for past 2 years
Friday, March 10, 2023
Residents of Gowanus are crying foul over toxic vapors that are seeping into the Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club. State regulators have known about the contamination for nearly two years.
Should NYC compost its tons of dog poop? One neighborhood is trying it.
Tuesday, March 07, 2023
In Battery Park City, dog owners have already composted nearly 5,700 pounds of pet feces since 2019 to help grow plants on roadside medians. That’s just over half a ton a year.
Overdose prevention centers save lives but remain in legal limbo, as NYC moves toward expansion
Friday, March 03, 2023
The NYC health commissioner explains how City Hall plans to support supervised injection sites and other portions of a new initiative to reduce overdose deaths 15% by 2025.
Norovirus, a gross stomach bug, appears to be hitting NYC. Good luck finding out where.
Friday, February 24, 2023
While NYC’s health department tracks norovirus more than other agencies, the federal government doesn't require hospitals to report cases of the illness.
Bald eagles are returning to New Jersey
Monday, January 30, 2023
Their numbers have risen to 250 nesting pairs, according to the NJ Bald Eagle Project Report.
New York bans beauty products containing mercury, a neurotoxin long used in cosmetics
Thursday, January 26, 2023
New York has become the third state to ban the distribution or sale of cosmetics and personal products that contain mercury.
Major climate bill revived by NY legislators to charge Big Oil for greenhouse gas pollution
Friday, January 20, 2023
The bill aims to bring in a total of $75 billion over a 25-year period.
New York Harbor School charts expansion as it teaches next generation of ocean stewards
Monday, January 16, 2023
Now in its 20th year of operation, the Harbor School prepares teenagers for green and sustainable jobs in the maritime sector – from scientific research to underwater welding.
Long Island City residents raise environmental concerns with proposed ferry landing relocation
Tuesday, January 03, 2023
A plan to demolish and relocate the ferry dock at Hunters Point South Park is drawing the ire of Queens residents who say it would release toxic pollution and block waterfront views.
Why coyotes aren't leaving New York City anytime soon
Thursday, December 22, 2022
According to Gotham Coyote Project, the furry canids are adapting to human food, changing their family habits and swimming through the East River.
Wastewater can predict COVID-19 surges, but NYC’s data remains elusive
Thursday, December 15, 2022
Nearly three years into the city’s wastewater surveillance program, NYC has neither a local dashboard nor a clear strategy for how testing results are used.
NYC health commish on surviving the tripledemic of RSV, flu and COVID-19
Monday, December 12, 2022
New York City health commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan offers advice for facing and treating the tripledemic.
EPA begins monitoring Brooklyn's newest Superfund site for potentially toxic fumes
Wednesday, December 07, 2022
The full health risks of the Meeker Avenue Plume remain unclear as studies remain ongoing.
EPA delays cleanup of Brooklyn’s toxic Newtown Creek Superfund site until 2032
Monday, December 05, 2022
The Newtown Creek is one of the most polluted bodies of water in the nation, fouled by more than a century of sewage overflows, oil spills and industrial waste.
What forced psychiatric hospitalization is like in New York City, as Mayor Adams pushes for more
Friday, December 02, 2022
The practice has long been in place for people considered threatening, and some in the mental health community say it often fails to leave patients better off.
A Long Island village is prepping for months without internet. Is NYC ready, too?
Monday, November 21, 2022
The village of Lynbrook recently released an 11-page plan detailing how the government and essential services could run without broadband.
NJ is suing Big Oil for causing the climate crisis. What would it take to win?
Monday, November 21, 2022
New Jersey follows nearly two dozen other jurisdictions with similar lawsuits. But none of these cases have been resolved yet, and fossil fuel companies are pushing back.
