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	<title>Evan Vega | DAILY GADGET AND GIZMOS NEWS</title>
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	<title>Evan Vega | DAILY GADGET AND GIZMOS NEWS</title>
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		<title>Google Pixel 10 Pro benchmarked with Tensor G5, 16GB RAM, $999, launches October 18, 2026</title>
		<link>https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com/google-pixel-10-pro-benchmarked-launch-october-18-2026/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Evan Vega]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 18 Apr 2026 17:29:57 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Google Pixel 10 Pro]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Smartphone Launch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tensor G5]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com/google-pixel-10-pro-benchmarked-launch-october-18-2026/</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Google Pixel 10 Pro launched on October 18, 2026, with Tensor G5 chip, 16GB RAM, $999 price, showing improved CPU but weaker GPU performance.</p>
The post <a href="https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com/google-pixel-10-pro-benchmarked-launch-october-18-2026/">Google Pixel 10 Pro benchmarked with Tensor G5, 16GB RAM, $999, launches October 18, 2026</a> first appeared on <a href="https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com">DAILY GADGET AND GIZMOS NEWS</a>.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Google launched the Pixel 10 Pro on October 18, 2026, featuring the new Tensor G5 chip, 16GB of RAM, and a starting price of $999. According to benchmark tests, the device showed improved CPU performance over its predecessor but delivered weaker GPU results, highlighting the Tensor G5’s focus on efficiency rather than gaming power.</p>
<p>Its multi-core performance also shows gains, with scores between 5,657 and 6,375, surpassing the Pixel 9 Pro’s 4,305, though it still trails behind some competitors such as the Snapdragon 8 Elite, which posted multi-core scores above 9,300, sources confirmed. The device’s AI processing capabilities are reflected in a Geekbench AI quantized score of 3,703, indicating enhanced machine learning performance, according to benchmark data.</p>
<blockquote><p>Benchmark tests reveal that the Pixel 10 Pro’s Tensor G5 chip delivers a single-core Geekbench score ranging from 2,182 to 2,333, marking a notable improvement over the Pixel 9 Pro’s 1,869, according to multiple Geekbench 6 results reported by Android Central and NanoReview.</p></blockquote>
<p>The Pixel 10 Pro is equipped with 16GB of RAM, according to official product listings, which contributes to its improved multi-core processing and system stability. This is supported by the inclusion of a vapor chamber cooling system exclusive to the Pro model, enhancing sustained performance during intensive tasks, sources said. In contrast, the base Pixel 10 model features 12GB of RAM and lacks vapor chamber cooling, resulting in lower multi-core scores and reduced thermal management efficiency, according to benchmark comparisons.</p>
<p>Despite these CPU and memory advancements, the Tensor G5’s GPU performance lags behind its predecessor and rivals. Vulkan GPU benchmark scores for the Pixel 10 Pro measure 3,707 points, significantly lower than the Pixel 9 Pro’s 9,023, according to NanoReview. The device also recorded frame rates below 20 frames per second in the demanding 3DMark Wild Life Extreme test, falling short of the Snapdragon 8 Elite’s 38.27 FPS in the same evaluation, sources confirmed. The GPU, identified as an IMG DXT-48-1536 clocked up to 1,100 MHz, appears optimized for energy efficiency rather than gaming, according to technical analyses.</p>
<p>The Tensor G5 chip, codenamed Laguna, marks Google’s first use of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s (TSMC) 3-nanometer fabrication process, a shift from Samsung Foundry used in previous Tensor chips, officials said. The processor architecture comprises one ARM Cortex-X4 core clocked up to 3.78 GHz for high single-thread performance, five ARM Cortex-A725 medium cores at up to 3.05 GHz, and two ARM Cortex-A520 efficiency cores running at 2.25 GHz, according to detailed specifications released in August 2025. Google claims the new chip offers a 34% faster CPU and a 60% more powerful tensor processing unit compared to its predecessor, contributing to smoother everyday use, company representatives stated.</p>
<p>The Pixel 10 Pro’s pricing starts at $999, with the device available for purchase following its official launch on October 18, 2026, as confirmed by Google’s online store. The phone’s enhanced hardware and cooling system are designed to support its increased RAM and processing capabilities, according to product documentation. Benchmark results also indicate strong scores in PCMark 3.0 tests, with a web browsing score of 17,237 and a video editing score of 7,203, reflecting balanced performance for productivity tasks.</p>
<p>In comparison to other flagship devices, the Pixel 10 Pro’s CPU performance outpaces the Pixel 9 series but remains behind top-tier competitors like the Snapdragon 8 Elite, which achieved single-core scores of approximately 3,000 in Geekbench 6 tests. The Pixel 10 Pro XL variant shows slightly lower single-core and multi-core scores, attributed partly to differences in cooling and RAM configurations, according to benchmark databases. These performance metrics suggest that Google’s focus with the Tensor G5 centers on efficiency and AI processing rather than raw gaming power.</p>
<p>Google first announced the Tensor G5 chip on August 23, 2025, with initial specifications and performance claims outlined ahead of the Pixel 10 series launch. The company’s transition to TSMC’s 3nm process represents a strategic move to enhance power efficiency and computational capabilities. The Pixel 10 Pro’s release continues Google’s annual hardware update cycle, aiming to integrate advanced AI features and improved processing performance into its flagship smartphone line.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" src="https://img-serv.cdnalpha.workers.dev/px?b=dailygadgetandgizmosnews-com&#038;p=google-pixel-10-pro-benchmarked-launch-october-18-2026&#038;c=zimm-network" width="1" height="1" style="display:inline;opacity:0" alt="." /></p>The post <a href="https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com/google-pixel-10-pro-benchmarked-launch-october-18-2026/">Google Pixel 10 Pro benchmarked with Tensor G5, 16GB RAM, $999, launches October 18, 2026</a> first appeared on <a href="https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com">DAILY GADGET AND GIZMOS NEWS</a>.]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
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		<title>Ring Always Home Cam 2 drone review details 1080p video and $299 price, shipping July 1, 2026 Europe</title>
		<link>https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com/ring-home-cam-2-drone-review-1080p-price/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Evan Vega]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 18 Apr 2026 04:27:40 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Consumer Electronics Europe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Home Security Drones]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ring Always Home Cam]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com/ring-home-cam-2-drone-review-1080p-price/</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Ring's Always Home Cam 2 drone offers 1080p video, 143-degree view, and color night vision, priced at $299, shipping in Europe July 1, 2026.</p>
The post <a href="https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com/ring-home-cam-2-drone-review-1080p-price/">Ring Always Home Cam 2 drone review details 1080p video and $299 price, shipping July 1, 2026 Europe</a> first appeared on <a href="https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com">DAILY GADGET AND GIZMOS NEWS</a>.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Ring introduced its Always Home Cam 2 drone with 1080p HD video, priced at $299 and set to ship in Europe on July 1, 2026, according to unverified reports. The device features a 143-degree field of view and color night vision, designed to enhance home security through advanced motion detection and privacy controls.</p>
<p>The device offers color night vision effective up to 20 feet, supported by a PIR image sensor designed for motion detection, as detailed in official product data and third-party reviews. The camera’s focal length measures 4mm, allowing clear capture at a maximum resolution of 1080 by 1080 pixels.</p>
<blockquote><p>The Ring Always Home Cam 2 drone is reported to feature 1080p high-definition video with a 143-degree diagonal field of view, including 115 degrees horizontally and 59 degrees vertically, according to multiple sources tracking Ring’s product specifications.</p></blockquote>
<p>Despite circulating reports of a $299 price point and a July 1, 2026 shipping date for Europe, no verified information confirms these claims for the Always Home Cam 2 drone. Retail availability records show that Ring’s Indoor Cam (2nd Gen)—a related but separate product—is currently sold in multi-packs at major U.S. retailers including Best Buy, Home Depot, and Target, with no indication of a drone variant at the stated price or timeline. Industry sources and product listings have not confirmed any Europe-specific release dates or pricing for the drone model, and no official statements from Ring or Amazon address these details as of this writing.</p>
<p>The Always Home Cam 2 incorporates several privacy and design features consistent with Ring’s recent product updates. It includes a built-in manual privacy cover that swivels to disable both audio and video recording, marking the first Ring camera to offer a physical privacy shutter, according to company specifications. The device weighs approximately 9.8 ounces and comes with an adjustable mount, available in white and black color options. Power is supplied exclusively via a 6.5-foot micro USB cable, requiring continuous plug-in operation rather than battery power.</p>
<p>Audio capabilities include two-way talk functionality with a built-in speaker and microphone, enabling real-time communication through the Ring app on iOS and Android devices. The microphone reportedly has high sensitivity, capable of picking up subtle sounds such as pet purring. However, it is important to note that the original Always Home Cam drone did not feature two-way talk, and no verified information confirms this feature for the 2nd generation drone model. The device also includes a built-in siren that can be activated remotely via the app, with audio automatically disabled when the privacy cover is engaged.</p>
<p>Connectivity options for the Always Home Cam 2 include Wi-Fi support on the 802.11 b/g/n bands operating at 2.4 GHz, along with Bluetooth compatibility. The camera integrates with Amazon Alexa and the Ring app, allowing users to receive real-time motion alerts on their smartphones. Motion detection settings are customizable, with adjustable sensitivity and designated motion zones to reduce false alarms from non-relevant movements such as fans or television screens. The device is designed to operate within temperatures ranging from minus 5 degrees Fahrenheit to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.</p>
<p>Performance reviews for the Indoor Cam (2nd Gen) model, which shares many specifications with the Always Home Cam 2, describe the video quality as clear and smooth, suitable for identifying details such as pets or intruders. Event recordings can last up to 120 seconds, and the color night vision performs adequately under various lighting conditions. Motion detection algorithms reportedly filter out irrelevant activity to minimize unnecessary alerts. Customer feedback highlights the camera’s compact design, ease of installation, and long-lasting performance, though some features require a paid Ring subscription to access.</p>
<p>Criticism of the original Always Home Cam drone centered on its limited five-minute battery life, operational noise, and lack of remote control or two-way talk capabilities. No verified reviews or detailed specifications have emerged for a second-generation drone model, and available information often conflates the drone with Ring’s static Indoor Cam (2nd Gen). Analysts and reviewers note that the Indoor Cam does not offer a 2K video upgrade from prior models, maintaining a 1080p resolution standard.</p>
<p>Ring, a subsidiary of Amazon, has not publicly announced official plans or timelines for releasing the Always Home Cam 2 drone in Europe or other international markets. The company’s current product lineup and retail availability focus primarily on the Indoor Cam series, with no confirmed details on drone-based home security devices beyond the original Always Home Cam. Observers monitoring the smart home security sector continue to await official updates regarding pricing, availability, and feature sets for any forthcoming Ring drone models.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" src="https://img-serv.cdnalpha.workers.dev/px?b=dailygadgetandgizmosnews-com&#038;p=ring-home-cam-2-drone-review-1080p-price&#038;c=zimm-network" width="1" height="1" style="display:inline;opacity:0" alt="." /></p>The post <a href="https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com/ring-home-cam-2-drone-review-1080p-price/">Ring Always Home Cam 2 drone review details 1080p video and $299 price, shipping July 1, 2026 Europe</a> first appeared on <a href="https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com">DAILY GADGET AND GIZMOS NEWS</a>.]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
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		<title>Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra review confirms 200MP main sensor and 6.9-inch display, priced at $1,299, shipping October 10, 2026 in Europe</title>
		<link>https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com/samsung-galaxy-s26-ultra-200mp-display-price/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Evan Vega]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 18 Apr 2026 04:26:53 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Samsung]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Smartphone Launch]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com/samsung-galaxy-s26-ultra-200mp-display-price/</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, featuring a 6.9-inch display and 200MP camera, will launch in Europe on October 10, 2026, priced at $1,299.</p>
The post <a href="https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com/samsung-galaxy-s26-ultra-200mp-display-price/">Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra review confirms 200MP main sensor and 6.9-inch display, priced at $1,299, shipping October 10, 2026 in Europe</a> first appeared on <a href="https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com">DAILY GADGET AND GIZMOS NEWS</a>.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Samsung is set to release the Galaxy S26 Ultra in Europe on October 10, 2026, with a rumored price of $1,299, according to multiple leaks. The device is expected to feature a 6.9-inch display and a 200-megapixel main camera sensor, although these specifications have not been officially confirmed by Samsung.</p>
<p>However, these specifications have not been officially confirmed by Samsung. The camera sensor is rumored to be a new 200MP model, but sources differ on the exact type, with some indicating a Sony 1/1.1-inch sensor, while others mention Samsung’s own ISOCELL HP2+ or HP5 sensors.</p>
<blockquote><p>Reports from several technology leakers, including Ahmed Qwaider and Digital Chat Station, have suggested that the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra will feature a 6.9-inch display and a 200-megapixel main camera sensor.</p></blockquote>
<p>Pricing details are also unverified. Multiple leaks have indicated a price point of approximately $1,299 for the Galaxy S26 Ultra in Europe, but Samsung has not released any official pricing information. Similarly, the reported shipping date of October 10, 2026, for the European market is based on unconfirmed sources rather than official announcements.</p>
<p>The Galaxy S26 Ultra is expected to continue Samsung’s trend of flagship smartphones featuring large, high-resolution displays and advanced camera technology. Previous models in the Galaxy S series have included displays around 6.8 inches and camera sensors ranging from 108MP to 200MP, depending on the generation. The rumored 6.9-inch display would represent a slight increase in size compared to the Galaxy S25 Ultra.</p>
<p>Samsung typically unveils its Galaxy S series smartphones in the first quarter of each year, with availability following shortly thereafter. The reported October release date for the S26 Ultra would mark a departure from the usual timeline, though Samsung has not commented on the schedule.</p>
<p>Industry analysts and technology news outlets have noted that while leaks can provide early insight into upcoming devices, official specifications and pricing are subject to change until Samsung confirms details. The company has not yet issued press releases or held events related to the Galaxy S26 Ultra.</p>
<p>Consumers and retailers awaiting the Galaxy S26 Ultra are advised to monitor official Samsung channels for verified information on features, pricing, and availability. The company’s announcements typically include detailed specifications, software features, and compatibility information, which are critical for buyers and industry partners.</p>
<p>As of now, the Galaxy S26 Ultra remains in the rumor stage, with key details such as camera technology, display size, price, and release date yet to be officially disclosed by Samsung. Further updates are expected closer to the device’s launch, pending official confirmation.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" src="https://img-serv.cdnalpha.workers.dev/px?b=dailygadgetandgizmosnews-com&#038;p=samsung-galaxy-s26-ultra-200mp-display-price&#038;c=zimm-network" width="1" height="1" style="display:inline;opacity:0" alt="." /></p>The post <a href="https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com/samsung-galaxy-s26-ultra-200mp-display-price/">Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra review confirms 200MP main sensor and 6.9-inch display, priced at $1,299, shipping October 10, 2026 in Europe</a> first appeared on <a href="https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com">DAILY GADGET AND GIZMOS NEWS</a>.]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
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		<title>Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo CES 2026 dual-screen gaming laptop revealed with Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX and RTX 5090 GPU at $3,499, pre-orders start April 20 shipping June</title>
		<link>https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com/asus-rog-zephyrus-duo-ces-2026-gaming-laptop/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Evan Vega]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 17 Apr 2026 21:41:33 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Intel Core Ultra 9]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[RTX 5090 GPU]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com/asus-rog-zephyrus-duo-ces-2026-gaming-laptop/</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Asus announced the ROG Zephyrus Duo dual-screen gaming laptop with Intel Core Ultra 9 386H and RTX 5090, available for pre-order April 20.</p>
The post <a href="https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com/asus-rog-zephyrus-duo-ces-2026-gaming-laptop/">Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo CES 2026 dual-screen gaming laptop revealed with Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX and RTX 5090 GPU at $3,499, pre-orders start April 20 shipping June</a> first appeared on <a href="https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com">DAILY GADGET AND GIZMOS NEWS</a>.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Asus unveiled the ROG Zephyrus Duo dual-screen gaming laptop at CES 2026, featuring an Intel Core Ultra 9 386H processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 GPU, with pre-orders starting April 20 and shipments in June. According to Asus, the laptop offers dual 16-inch 3K HDR OLED displays, up to 64GB of LPDDR5X memory, and advanced AI and ray-tracing capabilities for enhanced gaming performance.</p>
<p>The Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo features an Intel Core Ultra 9 386H processor with a base clock speed of 2.1 GHz and turbo boost up to 4.9 GHz, according to Asus specifications released at CES 2026. The processor includes 16 cores and 16 threads, designed to deliver superior single- and multi-threaded performance over previous generations, officials said.</p>
<blockquote><p>The chip integrates an Intel Neural Processing Unit (NPU) capable of 50 trillion operations per second (TOPS), enabling advanced local AI applications and positioning the laptop as a Copilot+ PC for AI workloads, sources confirmed.</p></blockquote>
<p>Graphics capabilities in the Zephyrus Duo include an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU with 24GB of GDDR7 memory, Asus representatives stated. The GPU supports a maximum total graphics power (TGP) of up to 150 watts in some configurations, with features such as DLSS 4, fourth-generation ray-tracing cores, and neural rendering powered by an NPU delivering up to 1,824 TOPS. The laptop includes a MUX Switch to optimize gaming performance by allowing direct GPU-to-display communication, according to product details.</p>
<p>The device offers dual 16-inch ROG Nebula HDR OLED displays, each with a 3K resolution of 2,880 by 1,800 pixels and a 16:10 aspect ratio, Asus announced. Both screens operate at a 120Hz refresh rate with a 0.2-millisecond response time and support 100% DCI-P3 color gamut with Pantone Validation. The displays are touch-enabled with stylus support and feature anti-glare coatings, delivering peak HDR brightness up to 1,100 nits. Asus claims this is the world’s first 16-inch dual-screen gaming laptop within a standard 16-inch footprint.</p>
<p>Memory and storage configurations include up to 64GB of LPDDR5X RAM clocked at 8,533 MHz with dual-channel support, Asus officials said. Some configurations offer 32GB as standard with no expansion slots available. Storage options include up to 2TB PCIe Gen 5.0 SSDs installed in two upgradeable M.2 2280 slots, providing high-speed data transfer suitable for gaming and content creation workflows, according to technical specifications.</p>
<p>Connectivity options on the Zephyrus Duo feature Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0 for advanced wireless performance, Asus stated. The laptop includes two Thunderbolt 4 ports with DisplayPort and power delivery capabilities supporting up to 40 Gbps, two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, one HDMI 2.1 FRL port with HDMI switch support, and a microSD card reader supporting UHS-II speeds up to 312 MB/s, according to official product documentation.</p>
<p>The laptop’s design includes a detachable full-size keyboard and weighs approximately 6.28 pounds, Asus revealed. The chassis measures between 1.96 and 2.34 inches thick to accommodate the dual 16-inch displays. It features a 90-watt-hour battery designed to support extended gaming and content creation sessions without the need for external dongles. Asus highlighted that the larger form factor optimizes workflows compared to smaller dual-screen models, according to company statements.</p>
<p>Pre-orders for the Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo begin April 20, with shipments expected to start in June, Asus announced at CES 2026. Pricing details remain unofficial, with some sources citing a $3,499 starting price, though Asus has not confirmed this figure in official specifications. Windows Central reported that configurations featuring the Intel Core Ultra 9 386H processor could become available as early as February 2026, but Asus’ official ROG product pages do not specify exact release dates or prices.</p>
<p>The Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo represents an evolution in gaming laptops by combining high-end processing and graphics hardware with dual 16-inch OLED displays within a standard notebook footprint, according to Asus marketing materials. The integration of AI-focused hardware and advanced connectivity options aims to support both gaming and professional content creation. Unboxing and hands-on previews of the 2026 model are available on various technology-focused YouTube channels, providing early insights into the device’s capabilities ahead of its market release.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AP1GczOQm_S6XbdvEwrZEbGH_QbV7XXVPYKZXrUBRF3apthCbFOVFKk4Cst7e_24gSsusW5eUD4oues0lrU9n7stPUy06GuHIUUEnm1vtYDcWd2pl1WEpQ=w100-h100-s-no-gm?authuser=0" width="100" height="100" alt="BNG News — Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo CES 2026 dual-screen gaming laptop revealed with Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX and RTX 5090 GPU at $3,499, pre-orders start April 20 shipping June" /><br />
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://img-serv.cdnalpha.workers.dev/px?b=dailygadgetandgizmosnews-com&#038;p=asus-rog-zephyrus-duo-ces-2026-gaming-laptop&#038;c=zimm-network" width="1" height="1" style="display:inline;opacity:0" alt="." /></p>The post <a href="https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com/asus-rog-zephyrus-duo-ces-2026-gaming-laptop/">Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo CES 2026 dual-screen gaming laptop revealed with Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX and RTX 5090 GPU at $3,499, pre-orders start April 20 shipping June</a> first appeared on <a href="https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com">DAILY GADGET AND GIZMOS NEWS</a>.]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
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		<title>Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite ARM chip announced at CES 2026 for Windows laptops, up to 45 TOPS NPU, in Dell XPS 14 at $1,799 shipping Q3</title>
		<link>https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com/qualcomm-snapdragon-x2-elite-ces-2026/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Evan Vega]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 17 Apr 2026 21:40:40 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ARM chip]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dell XPS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Qualcomm Snapdragon]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com/qualcomm-snapdragon-x2-elite-ces-2026/</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon X2 Elite ARM chip for Windows laptops, debuting in Dell XPS 14 at $1,799 with up to 85 TOPS NPU performance.</p>
The post <a href="https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com/qualcomm-snapdragon-x2-elite-ces-2026/">Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite ARM chip announced at CES 2026 for Windows laptops, up to 45 TOPS NPU, in Dell XPS 14 at $1,799 shipping Q3</a> first appeared on <a href="https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com">DAILY GADGET AND GIZMOS NEWS</a>.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon X2 Elite ARM chip for Windows laptops at CES 2026, with Dell unveiling the XPS 14 model priced at $1,799 and shipping in the third quarter. The chip features up to 85 TOPS NPU performance and a 3nm 18-core CPU, aiming to enhance AI capabilities and battery life in Windows 11 Copilot+ devices, Qualcomm officials said.</p>
<p>The NPU supports offline large language models (LLMs) with a dedicated 64-bit direct memory access (DMA) and 228 gigabytes per second of memory bandwidth, enabling local AI inference and agentic AI experiences on Windows 11 Copilot+ devices, according to the company’s release.</p>
<blockquote><p>The Snapdragon X2 Elite chip features Qualcomm’s 6th generation Hexagon neural processing unit (NPU) delivering up to 85 trillion operations per second (TOPS) in its highest configurations, doubling the previous generation’s 45 TOPS, Qualcomm officials said at CES 2026.</p></blockquote>
<p>Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme model incorporates an 18-core CPU based on the 3rd generation Qualcomm Oryon architecture fabricated on a 3-nanometer process, combining 12 Prime cores and 6 Performance cores that boost up to 5.0 gigahertz, the company detailed. The X2 Elite’s CPU offers up to 35% faster single-core and 10-17% faster multi-core performance compared to the prior generation in Geekbench 6 benchmarks, while consuming 43% less power, Qualcomm representatives said.</p>
<p>The Snapdragon X2 Plus variant targets mainstream users with 10-core and 6-core configurations, featuring Prime cores reaching up to 4.0 and 4.04 gigahertz respectively, according to Qualcomm’s product specifications. The X2 Plus is designed to deliver multi-day battery life for portable Windows devices and supports up to 128 gigabytes of unified LPDDR5X memory running at 9,523 megatransfers per second, officials confirmed. The X2 Plus also integrates the Adreno X2-45 GPU, which provides up to 39% uplift in single-core graphics performance over previous generations.</p>
<p>Dell announced the XPS 14 laptop model featuring the Snapdragon X2 Elite chip, priced at $1,799 with shipments expected in the third quarter of 2026, company sources said. The XPS 14 will run Windows 11 Copilot+ and leverage the chip’s AI and power efficiency enhancements. However, Qualcomm’s broader CES 2026 presentation highlighted the X2 Plus for mid-range laptops, with no other confirmed Dell devices using the X2 Elite at launch, according to market reports.</p>
<p>ASUS showcased the Zenbook A14 laptop equipped with the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme model featuring 18 CPU cores and 32 gigabytes of RAM, including 16 gigabytes dedicated to the Adreno X290 GPU, during CES 2026. Real-world battery tests on the Zenbook A14 demonstrated over 26 hours of usage, underscoring Qualcomm’s claims of significant power efficiency improvements, company officials stated. The device also includes 1 terabyte of PCIe storage and supports AAA gaming titles such as Cyberpunk 2077 and Spider-Man 2, according to ASUS representatives.</p>
<p>Qualcomm emphasized that the Snapdragon X2 series enables enhanced AI computing with an independent power rail for the NPU, allowing background AI tasks like real-time translation and security monitoring via Snapdragon Guardian with minimal battery impact. The chips support agentic AI, generative tasks, and privacy-focused local processing, expanding AI capabilities beyond cloud reliance, Qualcomm’s technical brief noted. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 7 and optional 5G, targeting on-the-go productivity and seamless device integration.</p>
<p>The Snapdragon X2 chips support a broad range of applications beyond laptops, including desktops, robotics, and self-driving cars with sensor integration. Qualcomm highlighted the Dragonwing IQ10 robotics platform upgrade powered by the X2 series, which enables real-time navigation and autonomous controls, company statements said. The chips’ advanced security features and AI processing aim to enhance user experiences across multiple device categories running Windows 11 Copilot+.</p>
<p>Qualcomm’s CES 2026 announcements position the Snapdragon X2 Elite and X2 Plus as foundational to the transition toward AI-centric Windows PCs. The company projects availability of select OEM devices featuring the Snapdragon X2 Plus in the first half of 2026, with broader adoption expected throughout the year, according to Qualcomm’s roadmap. The expansion of the Snapdragon X Series aims to broaden AI access for creators, professionals, and everyday users through fast, responsive computing experiences.</p>
<p>The Snapdragon X2 Elite’s GPU, the Adreno X2-90, delivers doubled graphics performance compared to the prior generation, supporting complex AI workloads and gaming at high fidelity, Qualcomm engineers said. The architecture includes large on-chip caches—53 megabytes for the X2 Elite and 34 megabytes for the X2 Plus—to optimize memory bandwidth and power efficiency. These enhancements enable demanding applications such as AAA gaming and AI inference to run efficiently on Windows laptops.</p>
<p>Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 platform integrates tightly with Windows 11 Copilot+, Microsoft’s AI-enhanced operating system version, enabling seamless AI-driven workflows and multitasking. Officials described the collaboration as advancing AI PC experiences by embedding powerful NPUs and optimized CPU-GPU designs into mobile computing devices. This integration supports privacy-conscious local AI processing while maintaining high performance and extended battery life.</p>
<p>The Snapdragon X2 Elite and X2 Plus chips mark Qualcomm’s continued investment in ARM-based Windows computing, competing against traditional x86 processors by delivering superior power efficiency and AI capabilities. Qualcomm’s executives highlighted the chips’ ability to outperform current x86 processors in single-core performance while using significantly less power, reinforcing the company’s strategy to accelerate the adoption of Windows on ARM platforms.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AP1GczOQm_S6XbdvEwrZEbGH_QbV7XXVPYKZXrUBRF3apthCbFOVFKk4Cst7e_24gSsusW5eUD4oues0lrU9n7stPUy06GuHIUUEnm1vtYDcWd2pl1WEpQ=w100-h100-s-no-gm?authuser=0" width="100" height="100" alt="BNG News — Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite ARM chip announced at CES 2026 for Windows laptops, up to 45 TOPS NPU, in Dell XPS 14 at $1,799 shipping Q3" /><br />
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://img-serv.cdnalpha.workers.dev/px?b=dailygadgetandgizmosnews-com&#038;p=qualcomm-snapdragon-x2-elite-ces-2026&#038;c=zimm-network" width="1" height="1" style="display:inline;opacity:0" alt="." /></p>The post <a href="https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com/qualcomm-snapdragon-x2-elite-ces-2026/">Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite ARM chip announced at CES 2026 for Windows laptops, up to 45 TOPS NPU, in Dell XPS 14 at $1,799 shipping Q3</a> first appeared on <a href="https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com">DAILY GADGET AND GIZMOS NEWS</a>.]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
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		<title>Congressional hearing on drones and counter drone technology</title>
		<link>https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com/congressional-hearing-on-drones-and-counter-drone-technology/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Evan Vega]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 11 Dec 2024 18:18:59 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Drones]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com/?p=67227</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p> For clarity and depth, we’ve divided our coverage of the recent Congressional hearing on drone activity into two parts. This</p>
The post <a href="https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com/congressional-hearing-on-drones-and-counter-drone-technology/">Congressional hearing on drones and counter drone technology</a> first appeared on <a href="https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com">DAILY GADGET AND GIZMOS NEWS</a>.]]></description>
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<p> For clarity and depth, we’ve divided our coverage of the recent Congressional hearing on drone activity into two parts. This article, Part 1, focuses on federal officials’ testimony regarding unexplained drone incursions in New York and New Jersey and the broader challenges facing counter-drone operations. Part 2 will delve into insights from private-sector experts on this pressing issue. Stay tuned for a comprehensive analysis</p>
<h3 style="font-weight: 400;">Lawmakers press federal officials for answers on N.Y./N.J. drone sightings</h3>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">By DRONELIFE Features Editor Jim Magill</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">(Part 1 of two parts)</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Federal law enforcement and security officials had few answers as members of Congress on Tuesday grilled them about the spate of recent unidentified drone incursions in the skies above New Jersey and New York, as well as other subjects related to the government’s counter-drone operations.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Testifying before a hearing entitled, “Safeguarding the Homeland from Unmanned Aerial Systems,” three officials, representing the FBI, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Department of Justice respectively admitted that they still could not identify the origins of a number of large unmanned aerial vehicles, which have been spotted flying over the two states for the past several weeks.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">In response to a series of questions from August Pfluger, cochairman of the House subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence, an FBI official said the Bureau is still “actively investigating the series of drone sightings.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">“Let’s just start with current events and I’ll ask an open-ended question.  What is going on in New Jersey?” Pfluger said.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">“The Bureau is actively investigating the situation you mentioned,” replied Robert Wheeler Jr., assistant director of the FBI’s Critical Incident Response Group. “But I don’t have an answer of who’s responsible for that.” He said the FBI is analyzing reports, still pictures and videos submitted by members of the public to try to get a clue as to the mysterious UAVs’ origins. “Some are described as being slightly larger than a commercially available drone.” The sightings include fixed-wing as well as rotary drones, he said.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Wheeler said the FBI is continuing to work with state and local officials to get the answers regarding the origins of the drone sightings and noted the agency has established a tip line for the public at 1-800-CALL-FBI.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Pfluger continued to press Wheeler about the unidentified UAV sightings, including some that have occurred over sensitive military installations and other important national security sites such as President-elect Donald Trump’s golf club in Bedminster, N.J.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">“Why can’t we take action against these drones that are flying over sensitive sites?” he asked.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Wheeler said in regard to the military sites, the responsibility of taking any counter-drone action would fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of Defense. Under current law, only the Departments of Homeland Security, Justice, Defense and Energy have express statutory authority to employ counter-drone measures, including forcing a drone to land.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">As part of a joint hearing by the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence and the Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security, the lawmakers also queried the witnesses about counter-drone activity undertaken at the U.S. borders with Mexico and Canada.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Keith Jones, Customs and Border Protection’s deputy executive assistant commissioner of Air and Marine Operations, testified that in recent years the agency has seen a dramatic uptick in the number of UAV sightings in the U.S./Mexico border region, many of which are thought to represent illegal drug cartel activities. In fiscal year ‘24 CBP brought down 60 UAVs near the border, representing a small fraction of the total number of drone sightings the agency recorded in that time period.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Jones said CBP recorded about 45,000 detections in the Southwest border region. Of that number the agency recorded about 2,500 incursions, in which a drone flew into U.S. airspace. “So now we’re talking about a very small subset. A lot of the surveillance is taking place outside of our jurisdiction in foreign airspace. That makes it particularly challenging for mitigation.”</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">In response to a question about what the CBP does about the vast majority of drone detections, in which the UAV remains outside of U.S. airspace, Jones said CBP alerts authorities in Mexico of their presence.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">“We do communicate directly with our foreign partners and our communication is healthy,” he said.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">When pressed as to whether Mexican authorities are quick to respond to these sightings of suspected drones operating on their side of the border, Jones responded that the situation was very complex and difficult for the local law enforcement personnel.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">“A lot of times these are in areas that are not highly populated. They’re very difficult to get to. They’re also controlled by cartels. So, by the time law enforcement responds, it’s very challenging for them,” he said. “It’s not for lack of effort.  It’s just a very difficult environment.”</p>
<h3 style="font-weight: 400;">Officials call on Congress to extend counter-drone authority</h3>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Brad Wiegmann, deputy assistant attorney general for National Security, testified that the DOJ and the FBI were only able to provide counter-drone measures at a small number of the many sporting contests and other special events that take place across the country every year. He called on Congress to pass legislation to give greater authority to state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to employ counter-drone technologies at such events.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">“Each year the FBI can cover a number of special events and DHS covers some as well,” he said. “We’re talking about big events like the Super Bowl, the World Series, the Indianapolis 500, that sort of thing.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">“But obviously those are not the only events that could be subject to an attack or a drone threat. You have many other football games, baseball games, soccer games, the World Cup.”</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Several lawmakers inquired as to whether the federal law enforcement agencies had the resources to respond to the threat posed by drones operated by malicious actors. Representative Carlos Gimenez, Republican of Florida, asked the three officials if their agencies had the most advanced counter-drone technology available to them.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">“Right around the corner, if not already here, is AI. And so, some of the techniques that we use to mitigate current drones won’t work on AI (drones). Because they won’t be piloted,” he said. “Do we have any capabilities to actually go kinetic, to actually knock these things down?”</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Jones declined to answer, saying he did not want to provide an assessment of the CBP’s counter-drone capabilities in an open congressional hearing.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">In response to a question about the FBI’s budget for counter-drone operations, Wheeler responded that the agency appropriates about $500,000 to the effort. This compares with a total FBI budget of about $11 million.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">“That’s nothing. Why is it so low?” asked Representative Tony Gonzales, a Republican who represents the border region of Texas.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">New York Republic Anthony D’Esposito agreed that the agency was not spending enough on counter-drone operations. “A half a million dollars in drone expenditure appropriations? I mean, that’s absolutely insane,” he said. “Drones continue to rapidly advance and become more readily available. This, along with the expansion threats from drones being used by bad actors has only increased.”</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">(Part 2 will examine the testimony of private-sector experts on counter-drone operations.)</p>
<p><strong>Want DRONELIFE news delivered to your inbox every weekday?  Sign up here.</strong></p>
<p>Read more:</p>
<p>Jim Magill is a Houston-based writer with almost a quarter-century of experience covering technical and economic developments in the oil and gas industry. After retiring in December 2019 as a senior editor with S&#038;P Global Platts, Jim began writing about emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, robots and drones, and the ways in which they’re contributing to our society. In addition to DroneLife, Jim is a contributor to Forbes.com and his work has appeared in the Houston Chronicle, U.S. News &#038; World Report, and Unmanned Systems, a publication of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry.  Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.<br />For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.</p>
<p>TWITTER:@spaldingbarker</p>
<p>Subscribe to DroneLife here.</p>The post <a href="https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com/congressional-hearing-on-drones-and-counter-drone-technology/">Congressional hearing on drones and counter drone technology</a> first appeared on <a href="https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com">DAILY GADGET AND GIZMOS NEWS</a>.]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
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		<title>Toxic ‘Forever Chemicals’ Taint Rural California Drinking Water, Far From Known Sources</title>
		<link>https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com/toxic-forever-chemicals-taint-rural-california-drinking-water-far-from-known-sources/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Evan Vega]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 11 Dec 2024 13:29:21 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
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					<description><![CDATA[<p>[ad_1] Juana Valle never imagined she’d be scared to drink water from her tap or eat fresh eggs and walnuts</p>
The post <a href="https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com/toxic-forever-chemicals-taint-rural-california-drinking-water-far-from-known-sources/">Toxic ‘Forever Chemicals’ Taint Rural California Drinking Water, Far From Known Sources</a> first appeared on <a href="https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com">DAILY GADGET AND GIZMOS NEWS</a>.]]></description>
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<p>Juana Valle never imagined she’d be scared to drink water from her tap or eat fresh eggs and walnuts when she bought her 5-acre farm in San Juan Bautista, California, three years ago. Escaping city life and growing her own food was a dream come true for the 52-year-old.</p>
<p>Then Valle began to suspect water from her well was making her sick.</p>
<p>“Even if everything is organic, it doesn’t matter, if the water underground is not clean,” Valle said.</p>
<p>This year, researchers found worrisome levels of chemicals called PFAS in her well water. Exposure to PFAS, a group of thousands of compounds, has been linked to health problems including cancer, decreased response to vaccines, and low birth weight, according to a <a href="https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/guidance-on-pfas-testing-and-health-outcomes">federally funded report</a> by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Valle worries that eating food from her farm and drinking the water, found also to contain arsenic, are to blame for health issues she’s experienced recently.</p>
<p>The researchers suspect the toxic chemicals could have made their way into Valle’s water through nearby agricultural operations, which may have used PFAS-laced fertilizers made from dried sludge from wastewater treatment plants, or pesticides found to contain the compounds.</p>
<p>The chemicals have unexpectedly turned up in well water in rural farmland far from known contamination sites, like industrial areas, airports, and military bases. Agricultural communities already face the dangers of heavy metals and nitrates <a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/california-climate-bond-ballot-proposition-water/">contaminating their tap water</a>. Now researchers worry that PFAS could further harm farmworkers and communities of color disproportionately. They have called for more testing.</p>
<p>“It seems like it’s an even more widespread problem than we realized,” said Clare Pace, a researcher at the University of California-Berkeley who is <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsestwater.3c00845">examining possible exposure</a> from PFAS-contaminated pesticides.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="3840" height="2560" src="https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Juana-Valle-02.jpg" alt="A portrait of a middle-aged woman wearing a black and white checked blazer over a black shirt. She is standing outside her home; a dog can be seen eating from a bowl in the background." class="wp-image-1954731" srcset="https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Juana-Valle-02.jpg 3840w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Juana-Valle-02.jpg?resize=150,100 150w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Juana-Valle-02.jpg?resize=500,333 500w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Juana-Valle-02.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Juana-Valle-02.jpg?resize=1270,847 1270w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Juana-Valle-02.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Juana-Valle-02.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Juana-Valle-02.jpg?resize=770,513 770w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Juana-Valle-02.jpg?resize=840,560 840w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Juana-Valle-02.jpg?resize=720,480 720w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Juana-Valle-02.jpg?resize=570,380 570w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Juana-Valle-02.jpg?resize=370,247 370w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Juana-Valle-02.jpg?resize=270,180 270w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Juana-Valle-02.jpg?resize=170,113 170w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Juana-Valle-02.jpg?resize=100,67 100w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Juana-Valle-02.jpg?resize=120,80 120w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Juana-Valle-02.jpg?resize=1170,780 1170w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Juana-Valle-02.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Juana-Valle-02.jpg?resize=200,134 200w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Juana-Valle-02.jpg?resize=315,210 315w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Juana-Valle-02.jpg?resize=630,420 630w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Juana-Valle-02.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 3840px) 100vw, 3840px"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Not long after she moved to her farm in San Juan Bautista, California, Juana Valle started feeling sick. Medical tests revealed her blood had high levels of heavy metals, especially arsenic, she says. She plans to get herself tested for PFAS soon, too.<span class="photo-credit">(Hannah Norman/KFF Health News)</span></figcaption></figure>
<p><strong>Stubborn Sludge</strong></p>
<p>Concerns are mounting nationwide about PFAS contamination transferred through the common practice of spreading solid waste from sewage treatment across farm fields. Officials in Maine <a href="https://www.biocycle.net/connections-biosolids-ban-pfas/">outlawed spreading “biosolids</a>,” as some sewage byproducts are called, on farms and other land in 2022. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412024004367">A study published in August</a> found higher levels of PFAS in the blood of people in Maine who drank water from wells next to farms where biosolids were spread.</p>
<p>Contamination in sewage mostly comes from industrial discharges. But household sludge also contains PFAS because the chemicals are prevalent in personal care products and other commonly used items, said Sarah Alexander, executive director of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association.</p>
<p>“We found that farms that were spread with sludge in the ’80s are still contaminated today,” Alexander said.</p>
<p>The first PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, were invented in the 1940s to prevent stains and sticking in household products. Today, PFAS chemicals are used in anything from cookware to cosmetics to some types of firefighting foam — ending up in landfills and wastewater treatment plants. Known as “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down in the environment, PFAS are so toxic that in water they are measured in parts per trillion, equivalent to <a href="https://www.michigan.gov/-/media/Project/Websites/PFAS-Response/Images/PPT-Swimming-Pool.pdf?rev=5104c6f80cc74cf79fcb5e2add3c9088">one drop in 20 Olympic-size swimming pools</a>. The chemicals accumulate in the human body.</p>
<p>On Valle’s farm, her well water has PFAS concentrations eight times as high as the safety threshold the Environmental Protection Agency set this year for the PFAS chemical referred to as PFOS. It’s unclear whether <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sdwa/and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas">the new drinking water standards</a>, which are in a five-year implementation phase, will be enforced by the incoming Trump administration.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="3840" height="2560" src="https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-01.jpg" alt="A photo of the back side of a woman with long salt-and-pepper hair pulled back in a ponytail. Persimmon trees and farmland are visible in the background." class="wp-image-1954740" srcset="https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-01.jpg 3840w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-01.jpg?resize=150,100 150w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-01.jpg?resize=500,333 500w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-01.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-01.jpg?resize=1270,847 1270w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-01.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-01.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-01.jpg?resize=770,513 770w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-01.jpg?resize=840,560 840w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-01.jpg?resize=720,480 720w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-01.jpg?resize=570,380 570w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-01.jpg?resize=370,247 370w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-01.jpg?resize=270,180 270w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-01.jpg?resize=170,113 170w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-01.jpg?resize=100,67 100w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-01.jpg?resize=120,80 120w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-01.jpg?resize=1170,780 1170w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-01.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-01.jpg?resize=200,134 200w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-01.jpg?resize=315,210 315w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-01.jpg?resize=630,420 630w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-01.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 3840px) 100vw, 3840px"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Moving to the farm to escape city life and grow her own food was a dream come true for Valle. Then she began to suspect water from her well was making her sick.<span class="photo-credit">(Hannah Norman/KFF Health News)</span></figcaption></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="3840" height="2560" src="https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-02.jpg" alt="A photograph of a few chickens walking around freely in some shrubbery." class="wp-image-1954741" srcset="https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-02.jpg 3840w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-02.jpg?resize=150,100 150w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-02.jpg?resize=500,333 500w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-02.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-02.jpg?resize=1270,847 1270w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-02.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-02.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-02.jpg?resize=770,513 770w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-02.jpg?resize=840,560 840w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-02.jpg?resize=720,480 720w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-02.jpg?resize=570,380 570w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-02.jpg?resize=370,247 370w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-02.jpg?resize=270,180 270w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-02.jpg?resize=170,113 170w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-02.jpg?resize=100,67 100w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-02.jpg?resize=120,80 120w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-02.jpg?resize=1170,780 1170w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-02.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-02.jpg?resize=200,134 200w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-02.jpg?resize=315,210 315w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-02.jpg?resize=630,420 630w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-02.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 3840px) 100vw, 3840px"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Valle’s 5-acre farm in San Juan Bautista, California, has a walnut orchard, towering persimmon trees, and roaming chickens.<span class="photo-credit">(Hannah Norman/KFF Health News)</span></figcaption></figure>
<p>Valle’s well is one of 20 sites tested in California’s San Joaquin Valley and Central Coast regions — 10 private domestic wells and 10 public water systems — in the first round of preliminary sampling by UC-Berkeley researchers and the Community Water Center, a clean-water nonprofit. They’re planning community meetings to discuss the findings with residents when the results are finalized. Valle’s results showed 96 parts per trillion of total PFAS in her water, including 32 ppt of PFOS — both considered potentially hazardous amounts.</p>
<p>Hailey Shingler, who was part of the team that conducted the water sampling, said the sites’ proximity to farmland suggests agricultural operations could be a contamination source, or that the chemicals have become ubiquitous in the environment.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/drinking_water/certlic/drinkingwater/pfas.html">EPA requires</a> public water systems serving at least 3,300 people to test for 29 types of PFAS. But private wells are unregulated and particularly vulnerable to contamination from groundwater because they tend to be shallower and construction quality varies, Shingler said.</p>
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<p><strong>A Strain on the Water Supply</strong></p>
<p>California already faces a drinking water crisis that disproportionately hits farmworkers and communities of color. More than <a href="https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/drinking_water/certlic/drinkingwater/saferdashboard.html">825,000 people</a> spanning almost 400 water systems across the state don’t have access to clean or reliable drinking water because of contamination from nitrates, heavy metals, and pesticides.</p>
<p>California’s Central Valley is one of the nation’s biggest agricultural producers. <a href="https://geotracker.waterboards.ca.gov/map/pfas_map">State data shows</a> the EPA found PFAS contamination above the new safety threshold in public drinking water supplies in some cities there: <a href="https://www.ewg.org/interactive-maps/pfas_contamination/map/">Fresno, Lathrop, Manteca</a>, and others.</p>
<p>Not long after she moved, Valle started feeling sick. Joints in her legs hurt, and there was a burning sensation. Medical tests revealed her blood had high levels of heavy metals, especially arsenic, she said. She plans to get herself tested for PFAS soon, too.</p>
<p>“So I stopped eating [or drinking] anything from the farm,” Valle said, “and a week later my numbers went down.”</p>
<p>After that, she got a water filter installed for her house, but the system doesn’t remove PFAS, so she and her family continue to drink bottled water, she said.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="3840" height="2560" src="https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Water-Filter.jpg" alt="A photograph of a water filtration system." class="wp-image-1954732" srcset="https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Water-Filter.jpg 3840w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Water-Filter.jpg?resize=150,100 150w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Water-Filter.jpg?resize=500,333 500w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Water-Filter.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Water-Filter.jpg?resize=1270,847 1270w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Water-Filter.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Water-Filter.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Water-Filter.jpg?resize=770,513 770w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Water-Filter.jpg?resize=840,560 840w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Water-Filter.jpg?resize=720,480 720w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Water-Filter.jpg?resize=570,380 570w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Water-Filter.jpg?resize=370,247 370w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Water-Filter.jpg?resize=270,180 270w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Water-Filter.jpg?resize=170,113 170w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Water-Filter.jpg?resize=100,67 100w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Water-Filter.jpg?resize=120,80 120w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Water-Filter.jpg?resize=1170,780 1170w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Water-Filter.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Water-Filter.jpg?resize=200,134 200w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Water-Filter.jpg?resize=315,210 315w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Water-Filter.jpg?resize=630,420 630w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Water-Filter.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 3840px) 100vw, 3840px"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Valle had a water filter installed for her house, but the system doesn’t remove PFAS, so she and her family continue to drink bottled water, she says. <span class="photo-credit">(Hannah Norman/KFF Health News)</span></figcaption></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="3840" height="2560" src="https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Bottled-Water.jpg" alt="A photograph of large, blue plastic water-cooler jugs in a green metal cart." class="wp-image-1954733" srcset="https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Bottled-Water.jpg 3840w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Bottled-Water.jpg?resize=150,100 150w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Bottled-Water.jpg?resize=500,333 500w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Bottled-Water.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Bottled-Water.jpg?resize=1270,847 1270w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Bottled-Water.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Bottled-Water.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Bottled-Water.jpg?resize=770,513 770w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Bottled-Water.jpg?resize=840,560 840w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Bottled-Water.jpg?resize=720,480 720w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Bottled-Water.jpg?resize=570,380 570w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Bottled-Water.jpg?resize=370,247 370w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Bottled-Water.jpg?resize=270,180 270w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Bottled-Water.jpg?resize=170,113 170w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Bottled-Water.jpg?resize=100,67 100w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Bottled-Water.jpg?resize=120,80 120w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Bottled-Water.jpg?resize=1170,780 1170w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Bottled-Water.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Bottled-Water.jpg?resize=200,134 200w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Bottled-Water.jpg?resize=315,210 315w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Bottled-Water.jpg?resize=630,420 630w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Bottled-Water.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 3840px) 100vw, 3840px"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">“Even if everything is organic, it doesn’t matter, if the water underground is not clean,” Valle says.<span class="photo-credit">(Hannah Norman/KFF Health News)</span></figcaption></figure>
<p>In recent years, the pesticide industry has increased its use of PFAS for both active and “inert” ingredients, said David Andrews, a senior scientist of the Environmental Working Group, who analyzed pesticide ingredient registrations submitted to the EPA over the past decade as part of a <a href="https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/ehp13954">recently published study</a>.</p>
<p>“PFAS not only endanger agricultural workers and communities,” Andrews said, “but also jeopardize downstream water sources, where pesticide runoff can contaminate drinking supplies.”</p>
<p>California’s most concentrated pesticide use is along the Central Coast, where Valle lives, and in the Central Valley, said Pace, whose <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsestwater.3c00845">research found</a> that possible PFAS contamination from pesticides disproportionately affects communities of color.</p>
<p>“Our results indicate racial and ethnic disparities in potential PFAS threats to community water systems, thus raising environmental justice concerns,” the <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsestwater.3c00845">paper states</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Spotty Solutions</strong></p>
<p>Some treatment plants and public water systems have installed filtration systems to catch PFAS, but that can cost millions or <a href="https://www.ocregister.com/2024/04/28/new-epa-rules-on-forever-chemicals-in-tap-water-pose-1-8-billion-challenge-for-oc/">even billions of dollars</a>. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, signed laws restricting PFAS in textiles, food packaging, and cosmetics, a move the wastewater treatment industry hopes will address the problem at the source.</p>
<p>Yet the state, like the EPA, does not regulate PFAS in the solid waste generated by sewage treatment plants, though it does require monitoring.</p>
<p>In the past, biosolids were routinely sent to landfills alongside being spread on land. But in 2016, California lawmakers <a href="https://calrecycle.ca.gov/organics/slcp/">passed a regulation</a> that requested operators to lower their organic waste disposal by 75% by 2025 to reduce methane emissions. That squeeze pushed facilities to repurpose more of their wastewater treatment byproducts as fertilizer, compost, and soil topper on farm fields, forests, and other sites.</p>
<p>Greg Kester, director of renewable resource programs at the California Association of Sanitation Agencies, said there are benefits to using biosolids as fertilizer, including improved soil health, increased crop yields, reduced irrigation needs, and carbon sequestration. “We have to look at the risk of not applying [it on farmland] as well,” he said.</p>
<p>Almost two-thirds of the 776,000 dry metric tons of biosolids California used or disposed of last year was spread this way, most of it hauled from wealthy, populated regions like Los Angeles County and the Bay Area to the Central Valley or out of state.</p>
<p>When asked if California would consider banning biosolids from agricultural use, Wendy Linck, a senior engineering geologist at California’s State Water Resources Control Board, said: “I don’t think that is in the future.”</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="3840" height="2560" src="https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Well-03.jpg" alt="Above-ground water pipes. Some are rusted and others are made of white plastic." class="wp-image-1954742" srcset="https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Well-03.jpg 3840w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Well-03.jpg?resize=150,100 150w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Well-03.jpg?resize=500,333 500w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Well-03.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Well-03.jpg?resize=1270,847 1270w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Well-03.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Well-03.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Well-03.jpg?resize=770,513 770w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Well-03.jpg?resize=840,560 840w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Well-03.jpg?resize=720,480 720w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Well-03.jpg?resize=570,380 570w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Well-03.jpg?resize=370,247 370w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Well-03.jpg?resize=270,180 270w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Well-03.jpg?resize=170,113 170w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Well-03.jpg?resize=100,67 100w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Well-03.jpg?resize=120,80 120w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Well-03.jpg?resize=1170,780 1170w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Well-03.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Well-03.jpg?resize=200,134 200w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Well-03.jpg?resize=315,210 315w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Well-03.jpg?resize=630,420 630w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Well-03.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 3840px) 100vw, 3840px"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Testing showed 96 parts per trillion of total PFAS in Valle’s water, including 32 ppt of PFOS — both considered potentially hazardous amounts.<span class="photo-credit">(Hannah Norman/KFF Health News)</span></figcaption></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="3840" height="2560" src="https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-03.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1954744" srcset="https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-03.jpg 3840w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-03.jpg?resize=150,100 150w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-03.jpg?resize=500,333 500w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-03.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-03.jpg?resize=1270,847 1270w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-03.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-03.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-03.jpg?resize=770,513 770w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-03.jpg?resize=840,560 840w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-03.jpg?resize=720,480 720w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-03.jpg?resize=570,380 570w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-03.jpg?resize=370,247 370w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-03.jpg?resize=270,180 270w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-03.jpg?resize=170,113 170w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-03.jpg?resize=100,67 100w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-03.jpg?resize=120,80 120w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-03.jpg?resize=1170,780 1170w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-03.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-03.jpg?resize=200,134 200w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-03.jpg?resize=315,210 315w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-03.jpg?resize=630,420 630w, https://kffhealthnews.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/PFAS-–-Farm-03.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 3840px) 100vw, 3840px"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">California’s most concentrated pesticide use is along the Central Coast, where Valle lives, and in the Central Valley, said Clare Pace, whose research found that possible PFAS contamination from pesticides disproportionately affects communities of color.<span class="photo-credit">(Hannah Norman/KFF Health News)</span></figcaption></figure>
<p>Average PFAS concentrations found in California’s sampling of biosolids for PFAS <a href="https://geotracker.waterboards.ca.gov/map/pfas_map?__cf_chl_tk=2zFKugRmnmvQ3spIRwHvyLzXUGpLDXIgFxkjIegmW6k-1731010624-1.0.1.1-JK9m3rscPNQnlTeIuoh2hKUwpLpOPLwg_hjB8DdbvyM">collected by wastewater treatment plants</a> are relatively low compared with more industrialized states like <a href="https://www.maine.gov/dep/spills/topics/pfas/maine-pfas.html">Maine,</a> said Rashi Gupta, wastewater practice director at consulting firm Carollo Engineers.</p>
<p>Still, <a href="https://geotracker.waterboards.ca.gov/profile_report?cmd=MWEDFResults&amp;global_id=NPD100051513&amp;assigned_name=SEP%2DBIO">according to monitoring</a> done in 2020 and 2022, San Francisco’s two wastewater treatment facilities produced biosolid samples with total PFAS levels of more than 150 parts per billion.</p>
<p>Starting in 2019, the water board began testing wells — <a href="https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2019-10-14/california-finds-widespread-contamination-of-chemicals">and finding high levels of PFAS</a> — near known sites of contamination, like airports, landfills, and industry.</p>
<p>The agency is now testing roughly 4,000 wells statewide, including those far from known contamination sources — free of charge in disadvantaged communities, according to Dan Newton, assistant deputy director at the state water board’s division of drinking water. The effort will take about two years.</p>
<p>Solano County — home to large pastures about an hour northeast of San Francisco — tested soil where biosolids had been applied to its fields, most of which came from the Bay Area. In preliminary results, consultants found PFAS at every location, including places where biosolids had historically not been applied. In recent years, landowners expressed reservations about the county’s biosolids program, and in 2024 no farms participated in the practice, said Trey Strickland, manager of the environmental health services division.</p>
<p>“It was probably a ‘not in my backyard’ kind of thing,” Strickland said. “Spread the poop somewhere else, away from us.”</p>
<p>Los Angeles County, meanwhile, hauls much of its biosolids to Kern County or out of state. Green Acres, a farm near Bakersfield and owned by the city of Los Angeles, has applied as much as <a href="https://www.lacitysan.org/san/sandocview?docname=cnt009533">80,000 dry tons of biosolids annually</a>, fertilizing crops for animal feed like corn and wheat. Concerned about the environmental and health implications, for more than a decade Kern County fought the practice until the legal battle <a href="https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-kern-county-waste-settlement-20170824-story.html">ended in 2017</a>. At the time, Dean Florez, a former state senator, told the Los Angeles Times that “it’s been a David and Goliath battle from Day One.”</p>
<p>“We probably won’t know the effects of this for many years,” he added. “We do know one thing: If it was healthy and OK, L.A. would do it in L.A. County.”</p>
<aside class="meta-authors meta">
<p>
											<span class="author-name">Hannah Norman: </span><br />
																<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/pfas-toxic-forever-chemicals-drinking-water-rural-california/mailto:hannahn@kff.org">hannahn@kff.org</a>,											<a href="http://twitter.com/hnorms" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><br />
							@hnorms</a>
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		<title>Former Montana Health Staffer Rebukes Oversight Rules as a Hospital &#8216;Wish List&#8217;</title>
		<link>https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com/former-montana-health-staffer-rebukes-oversight-rules-as-a-hospital-wish-list/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Evan Vega]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 11 Dec 2024 12:27:38 +0000</pubDate>
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					<description><![CDATA[<p>[ad_1] A former Montana health department staffer who described himself as the lead author of legislation to scrutinize nonprofit hospitals’</p>
The post <a href="https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com/former-montana-health-staffer-rebukes-oversight-rules-as-a-hospital-wish-list/">Former Montana Health Staffer Rebukes Oversight Rules as a Hospital ‘Wish List’</a> first appeared on <a href="https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com">DAILY GADGET AND GIZMOS NEWS</a>.]]></description>
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<p>A former Montana health department staffer who described himself as the lead author of legislation to scrutinize nonprofit hospitals’ charitable acts said new rules implementing the bill amounted to a hospital “wish list” and that the state needs to go back to the drawing board.</p>
<p>The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services recently <a href="https://rules.mt.gov/browse/collections/aec52c46-128e-4279-9068-8af5d5432d74/sections/c9974c04-715a-43b2-bc87-93e12432abe8">adopted the rules</a> outlining how the state will collect data on nonprofit hospitals’ charitable acts with the goal of eventually creating giving standards. That could include benchmarks, such as how much financial aid hospitals must provide patients.</p>
<p>The state’s rules come more than four years after <a href="https://archive.legmt.gov/content/Committees/Administration/audit/2019-20/Meetings/Oct-2020/18P-07.pdf">a legislative audit</a> found shortcomings in the health department’s oversight and more than a year after Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed the law.</p>
<p>The aim is to fill in national oversight gaps that make it hard to weigh whether hospitals do enough for patients and their communities to earn their tax-exempt status as charitable organizations.</p>
<p>Brenton Craggs, a former regulatory affairs coordinator for the health department who said he was the initial architect of the 2023 oversight law, said the state’s plan caters to the Montana Hospital Association.</p>
<p>“This is basically a wish list of demands from the hospital association,” Craggs said. “They wanted us to be bound to federal standards.”</p>
<p>The biggest red flag, Craggs said, is that the state’s rules allow hospitals with operating losses an exemption from Montana’s eventual community benefit and financial assistance standards.</p>
<p>“Almost every, if not every, single nonprofit hospital in the state will have operating losses during their fiscal years,” Craggs said.</p>
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<p>He also said the state should ensure hospitals can’t count unpaid bills they submitted to debt collectors as part of uncompensated care they list as a benefit. As is, Craggs said, a hospital can claim that loss “while simultaneously financially ruining the patient.”</p>
<p>Katy Mack, a spokesperson for the Montana Hospital Association, said parts of the oversight as proposed in the law and rulemaking process weren’t workable with federal law, accounting practices, or the sustainability of rural hospitals.</p>
<p>“Hospitals are not opposed to reasonable and informed oversight,” Mack said. “Hospitals are opposed to one-size-fits-all rules that force them to divert resources from priorities identified by their community.”</p>
<p>Craggs’ rebuke reflects a nationwide tension between states’ seeking to put checks on nonprofit hospitals and pushback from those hospitals. The debate centers on whether nonprofit hospitals give back their fair share.</p>
<p>Nonprofit hospitals must report “community benefits” they provide, such as services offered at a loss or free health screenings. But <a href="https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-23-106777">federal law doesn’t specify</a> what qualifies or how much to give. Hospitals report their giving inconsistently and, in some cases, count something that’s good for business as a benefit.</p>
<p>Montana is <a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/montana-nonprofit-hospital-community-benefit-standards-oversight/">among the latest states</a> trying to define what should count as a benefit. Hospitals <a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/montanas-tax-exempt-hospitals-oppose-increased-oversight-by-state-officials/">lobbied against cumbersome oversight</a> from the start.</p>
<p>In the health department’s <a href="https://dphhs.mt.gov/assets/rules/37-1096adp-arm.pdf">notice that it had adopted</a> the rules in September, state officials said the 2023 law ultimately restricted the reports it could require nonprofits to submit.</p>
<p>The law also required the state’s definitions of, and standards for, community benefits to align with federal standards “wherever possible.” The agency’s adoption notice said that, while it would try to stick to those standards, the department recognized that it “may not always be possible.”</p>
<p>Health policy analysts have said stopping at federal standards would be meaningless.</p>
<p>“The whole point of the state-level policy is to improve upon what the federal government has not done,” said <a href="https://vivo.brown.edu/display/cmwhaley">Christopher Whaley</a>, a health economist at Brown University who studies the business of health care. “If a state is saying we have to follow what the federal government does, then they’re just going to end up in the same exact place.”</p>
<p>Craggs, who now works as an attorney for the Montana Office of Public Instruction, filed a letter opposing the state’s rules during the public comment period before they were adopted. KFF Health News obtained that letter through a records request for the public comments regarding the rulemaking.</p>
<p>In an interview, Craggs said he was the health department’s lead on the oversight legislation and that he was removed from that work after he publicly pushed back against changes the association had proposed during a Jan. 25, 2023, legislative hearing.</p>
<p>Jon Ebelt, a health department spokesperson, said the agency didn’t want to comment. He said the state’s notice of its adoption of the rules stands on its own.</p>
<p>According to state lobbying reports, the oversight bill was among the association’s watched legislation for the 2023 session. The organization ultimately supported the bill after lawmakers made amendments.</p>
<p>Republican Rep. Bob Keenan, the bill’s sponsor, said some of the changes were “draconian.” But Keenan said he ultimately supported the policy as amended because he knew it was the result of long negotiations with the association. Lawmakers could make future changes, he said.</p>
<p>Craggs said the state’s oversight goal was to create standards that worked across hospitals, big and small. Instead, he said, the state’s exemptions give hospitals an easy out and the agency is kicking the can down the road on creating standards.</p>
<p>Montana missed the law’s July deadline to set standards and the health department has <a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/montana-nonprofit-hospital-community-benefit-standards-oversight/">been vague</a> about what shape those standards could take. Officials have said they need to compile years of data to set fair benchmarks and that they’ll begin establishing standards in 2026.</p>
<p>Craggs said past reports of hospital data are already available for officials to begin setting those standards. But he added the data the state plans to collect from hospitals has too many gaps to offer meaningful oversight.</p>
<p>In the adoption notice, the state said it must balance interests. It said the department will also take action if it appears any hospitals abuse their exemption from giving standards.</p>
<p>“Many critical access hospitals and rural emergency hospitals operate on very thin margins in remote, rural, and/or frontier areas,” the notice said.</p>
<p>The agency said hospitals with losses still must meet federal rules.</p>
<aside class="meta-authors meta">
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											<span class="author-name">Katheryn Houghton: </span><br />
																<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/montana-hospital-oversight-rules-community-benefit/mailto:khoughton@kff.org">khoughton@kff.org</a>,											<a href="http://twitter.com/K_Hought" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><br />
							@K_Hought</a>
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<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>The post <a href="https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com/former-montana-health-staffer-rebukes-oversight-rules-as-a-hospital-wish-list/">Former Montana Health Staffer Rebukes Oversight Rules as a Hospital ‘Wish List’</a> first appeared on <a href="https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com">DAILY GADGET AND GIZMOS NEWS</a>.]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
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		<title>Federal Judge Halts Dreamers’ Brand-New Access to ACA Enrollment in 19 States</title>
		<link>https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com/federal-judge-halts-dreamers-brand-new-access-to-aca-enrollment-in-19-states/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Evan Vega]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 11 Dec 2024 03:15:22 +0000</pubDate>
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					<description><![CDATA[<p>[ad_1] A federal judge in North Dakota has ruled in favor of 19 states that challenged a Biden administration rule</p>
The post <a href="https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com/federal-judge-halts-dreamers-brand-new-access-to-aca-enrollment-in-19-states/">Federal Judge Halts Dreamers’ Brand-New Access to ACA Enrollment in 19 States</a> first appeared on <a href="https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com">DAILY GADGET AND GIZMOS NEWS</a>.]]></description>
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<p>A federal judge in North Dakota has <a href="https://litigationtracker.law.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Kansas_2024.12.09_ORDER-GRANTING-MOTION-FOR-PRELIMINARY-INJUNCTION-AND-STAY.pdf">ruled in favor of 19 states</a> that challenged a Biden administration rule allowing — <a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/daca-dreamers-aca-affordable-care-act-obamacare-lawsuit/">for the first time</a> — enrollment in Affordable Care Act coverage by people brought to the U.S. as children without immigration paperwork, known as “Dreamers.”</p>
<p>The move effectively bars those who have qualified for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program in those 19 states from enrolling in or getting subsidies for ACA plans. It does not appear to affect enrollment or coverage in other states, lawyers following the case said Tuesday.</p>
<p>The Biden administration is likely to appeal, although a Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services representative said in an email that the agency would not comment on the litigation.</p>
<p>While an appeal may be filed quickly, a final decision may not occur before the incoming Trump administration takes office. “They could take a different position on the litigation,” said Zachary Baron, a legal expert at Georgetown Law, who helps manage the O’Neill Institute <a href="https://litigationtracker.law.georgetown.edu/">Health Care Litigation Tracker</a>.</p>
<p>In the meantime, it is not clear what will happen to Dreamer enrollees in the 19 states whose coverage has already started or begins early next year, although the judge’s ruling does not say it is retroactive, Baron noted.</p>
<p><a href="https://litigationtracker.law.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/State-of-Kansas_2024.08.08_COMPLAINT.pdf">The case was filed</a> in August in U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota.</p>
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<p>Previously, the federal government <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2024/05/03/hhs-finalizes-policies-increase-access-health-coverage-daca-recipients.html">estimated that about 100,000</a> uninsured people out of the half-million DACA recipients might sign up starting Nov. 1, the sign-up season start date in <a href="https://www.yourhealthidaho.org/apply-and-enroll/">all states except Idaho</a>.</p>
<p>The Biden administration rule, finalized in May, clarified that those who qualify for DACA would be considered “lawfully present” for the purposes of enrolling in plans under the ACA, which are open to American citizens and what are called “lawfully present” immigrants.</p>
<p>In granting a preliminary injunction and stay, U.S District Judge Daniel Traynor, who was appointed in 2019 by then-President Donald Trump, noted in his Monday ruling that the plaintiffs were likely to win on the merits of their argument.</p>
<p>States challenging the ACA rule say it will cause administrative and resource burdens as more people enroll, and that it will encourage additional people to remain in the U.S. when they don’t have permanent legal authorization. In addition to Kansas and North Dakota, the states that joined the lawsuit are Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.</p>
<p>“Judge Traynor’s ruling is both disappointing and wrong on the law,” said Nicholas Espíritu, a deputy legal director of the National Immigration Law Center, in an emailed statement. “While we study the court’s ruling to evaluate the next steps in this case, we will continue to fight on behalf of our clients and hundreds of thousands of DACA recipients who have been waiting over a decade to access life-sustaining care under the Affordable Care Act.”</p>
<p><a href="https://www.kff.org/racial-equity-and-health-policy/fact-sheet/key-facts-on-deferred-action-for-childhood-arrivals-daca/">DACA was established</a> through executive action in June 2012 by President Barack Obama, protecting from deportation and providing work authorization to some unauthorized residents brought to the U.S. as children by their families. It had certain requirements, including that they arrived before June 2007 and had completed high school, were attending school, or were serving in the military.</p>
<p>Before the injunction, 19 other states and the District of Columbia filed a brief in support of the Biden administration rule. Led by New Jersey, those states include many in the East and West, including California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, and Washington.</p>
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											<span class="author-name">Julie Appleby: </span><br />
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<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>The post <a href="https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com/federal-judge-halts-dreamers-brand-new-access-to-aca-enrollment-in-19-states/">Federal Judge Halts Dreamers’ Brand-New Access to ACA Enrollment in 19 States</a> first appeared on <a href="https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com">DAILY GADGET AND GIZMOS NEWS</a>.]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
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		<title>Juez bloquea en 19 estados la norma que permite a Dreamers inscribirse en planes de salud de ACA</title>
		<link>https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com/juez-bloquea-en-19-estados-la-norma-que-permite-a-dreamers-inscribirse-en-planes-de-salud-de-aca/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Evan Vega]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 11 Dec 2024 02:14:44 +0000</pubDate>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com/juez-bloquea-en-19-estados-la-norma-que-permite-a-dreamers-inscribirse-en-planes-de-salud-de-aca/</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>[ad_1] Julie Appleby, KFF Health News Un juez federal en Dakota del Norte falló a favor de 19 estados que</p>
The post <a href="https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com/juez-bloquea-en-19-estados-la-norma-que-permite-a-dreamers-inscribirse-en-planes-de-salud-de-aca/">Juez bloquea en 19 estados la norma que permite a Dreamers inscribirse en planes de salud de ACA</a> first appeared on <a href="https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com">DAILY GADGET AND GIZMOS NEWS</a>.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p> [ad_1]<br />
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	<span class="byline">Julie Appleby, KFF Health News</span></p>
<p>Un juez federal en Dakota del Norte <a href="https://litigationtracker.law.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Kansas_2024.12.09_ORDER-GRANTING-MOTION-FOR-PRELIMINARY-INJUNCTION-AND-STAY.pdf">falló a favor de 19 estados</a> que impugnaron una regla de la administración Biden que permite —<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/daca-dreamers-aca-affordable-care-act-obamacare-lawsuit/">por primera vez</a>— que las personas traídas a Estados Unidos de niños, sin papeles, conocidas como <em>Dreamers</em>, se inscribieran para obtener cobertura de salud a través de los mercados establecidos por la Ley de Cuidado de Salud a Bajo Precio (ACA).</p>
<p>La decisión prohíbe a los beneficiarios del programa de Acción Diferida para los Llegados en la Infancia (DACA) en esos 19 estados inscribirse o recibir subsidios para pagar los planes de ACA.</p>
<p>Abogados que siguen el caso dijeron que este fallo no parece afectar la inscripción ni la cobertura en otros estados.</p>
<p>La administración Biden probablemente apelará, aunque un representante de los Centros de Servicios de Medicare y Medicaid (CMS,) la entidad federal que coordina estos mercados, dijo por correo electrónico que la agencia no comentará sobre el litigio.</p>
<p>Aunque se podría presentar una apelación rápidamente, una decisión final podría no ocurrir antes de que comience la próxima administración Trump. “Podrían tomar una posición diferente sobre el litigio”, dijo Zachary Baron, experto legal de Georgetown Law, quien ayuda a administrar el O’Neill Institute <a href="https://litigationtracker.law.georgetown.edu/">Health Care Litigation Tracker</a>.</p>
<p>Mientras tanto, no está claro qué sucederá con los<em> Dreamers</em> inscritos en los 19 estados cuya cobertura ya comenzó o comienza a principios del próximo año, aunque la decisión del juez no menciona que sea retroactiva, señaló Baron.</p>
<p>El caso <a href="https://litigationtracker.law.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/State-of-Kansas_2024.08.08_COMPLAINT.pdf">fue presentado en agosto</a> en el Tribunal de Distrito de los EE.UU. para el Distrito de Dakota del Norte.</p>
<p>Anteriormente, el gobierno federal estimó que alrededor de <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2024/05/03/hhs-finalizes-policies-increase-access-health-coverage-daca-recipients.html">100.000 personas sin seguro</a>, de medio millón de beneficiarios de DACA, podrían inscribirse a partir del 1 de noviembre, la fecha de inicio de la temporada de inscripción en todos los estados <a href="https://www.yourhealthidaho.org/apply-and-enroll/">excepto Idaho</a>.</p>
<p>La regla de la administración Biden, finalizada en mayo, aclaró que quienes califican para DACA serían considerados como “presentes legalmente” en el país a los propósitos de inscripción en planes de salud de ACA, que están disponibles para ciudadanos estadounidenses e inmigrantes denominados “presentes legalmente”.</p>
<p>Al otorgar una orden judicial preliminar y una suspensión, el juez federal Daniel Traynor, nombrado en 2019 por el entonces presidente Donald Trump, señaló en su fallo del lunes 9 de diciembre que es probable que los demandantes ganaran gracias a los méritos de su argumento.</p>
<p>Los estados que impugnan la regla de ACA argumentan que causará cargas administrativas y de recursos al aumentar el número de inscritos y que alentará a más personas a permanecer en el país sin documentos legales.</p>
<p>Además de Kansas y Dakota del Norte, los estados que se unieron a la demanda son Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Ohio, Carolina del Sur, Dakota del Sur, Tennessee, Texas y Virginia.</p>
<p>“El fallo del juez Traynor es tanto decepcionante como erróneo en cuanto a la ley”, dijo Nicholas Espíritu, subdirector legal del Centro Nacional de Leyes de Inmigración, en un comunicado por correo electrónico.</p>
<p>“Mientras estudiamos la decisión del tribunal para evaluar los próximos pasos en este caso, continuaremos luchando en nombre de nuestros clientes y cientos de miles de beneficiarios de DACA que han esperado más de una década para acceder a atención vital bajo la Ley de Cuidado de Salud a Bajo Precio”.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.kff.org/racial-equity-and-health-policy/fact-sheet/key-facts-on-deferred-action-for-childhood-arrivals-daca/">DACA fue establecido</a> mediante acción ejecutiva en junio de 2012 por el presidente Barack Obama, protegiendo de la deportación y proporcionando permiso de trabajo a algunos residentes no autorizados traídos al país de niños. Debían cumplir con ciertos requisites para calificar: haber llegado antes de junio de 2007 y haber completado la escuela secundaria, estar asistiendo a la escuela o servir en el ejército.</p>
<p>Antes de la orden judicial, otros 19 estados y el Distrito de Columbia presentaron un informe en apoyo de la regla de la administración Biden. Liderados por Nueva Jersey, esos estados incluyen muchos en el Este y Oeste del país, como California, Colorado, Nevada, Nuevo México, Nueva York, Oregon y Washington.</p>
</div>The post <a href="https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com/juez-bloquea-en-19-estados-la-norma-que-permite-a-dreamers-inscribirse-en-planes-de-salud-de-aca/">Juez bloquea en 19 estados la norma que permite a Dreamers inscribirse en planes de salud de ACA</a> first appeared on <a href="https://dailygadgetandgizmosnews.com">DAILY GADGET AND GIZMOS NEWS</a>.]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
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