Here's What Our Engagement Editor Saw in Her Recent Trip to China
Dear Reader,
Did you know that Shiitake mushrooms are not only a delicious ingredient in many dishes, but also a valued component of Traditional Chinese Medicine? During my recent trip back to China, I visited a few traditional pharmacies in my hometown to see what unique ingredients they offered—and a few really caught my eye:
Jujube berries (紅棗) – These sweet red fruits are often used to calm the mind and boost energy. They’re commonly brewed in teas or added to soups.
Dried orange peels (陳皮) – A fragrant and warming remedy, they’re used to help digestion and reduce phlegm. Their slightly bitter flavor usually adds depth to many herbal mixtures.
Chrysanthemum flower petals (菊花) – Light and floral, they’re typically steeped into a tea believed to help with sore throat, eye pressure, detoxification, and cooling the body.
Cinnamon (肉桂) – Yes, that cinnamon! It’s known for its warming properties; it’s used to stimulate circulation and ease cold-related discomfort. It also adds a comforting, spicy aroma to herbal formulas.
Yours sincerely,
Aorui Pi
Engagement Editor
Texas is updating its Ambient Air Monitoring Network, but vulnerable communities are left out. Here’s how you can speak up.
States are required to conduct a network assessment every five years to comply with federal monitoring requirements..
Although our reporting found that San Patricio County, Texas, has seen a 17-fold increase in toxic chemical risk and two oil spills near Ingleside on the Bay, the draft Texas 2025 Five-Year Ambient Air Monitoring Network Assessment prepared by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality did not recommend installing a single monitor in the county.
A 30-day public comment period for the draft Five-Year Assessment closes at 5:00 p.m. on June 30th. Public comments can be submitted to the TCEQ’s email or their P.O. box. Learn more here.
THINGS YOU SHOULD READ
✨ NEWS BEHIND THE NEWS
🌎 Alex was a panelist in the “Working Together to Fundraise for Climate Journalism” session at INN Days in Minneapolis! He talked about how the funding and reporting for our collaborative Texas series came about. We were also mentioned in a Nieman Reports opinion piece, “Battling a Climate Change Backlash”.
💰 Thank you, Saugat Bolakhe, our new sustainer!
🗒️ Fill out our Annual Audience Survey to help us understand who you are, why you engage with the news, and how we can be a part of your lives. It only takes a few minutes to complete, and we will randomly select two recipients to get a $50 gift card!
📱 ICYMI: We’re piloting a WhatsApp channel, which would help reach users who stay off social media, and curb misinformation at the source (share it with your immigrant parents, aunties, or uncles!)
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🍑 A SOUTHERN FLAIR
HAZARD, Kentucky — Bishop John Stowe urged Appalachia to heed the call of Laudato Si'. Here's how parishes are responding. (Brian Roewe, Earthbeat)
"There is great pride in the beauty of the Appalachian region," Stowe said. "And when we focus on the goodness of creation and our responsibility to live in harmony with creation, there is a more positive response."
COASTAL NORTH CAROLINA — Temperature Check: Understanding Life in a Warming Coastal Region (Natalia Sanchez Loayza, Shoresides)
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/temperature-check-understanding-life-in-a-warming/id1504903251?i=1000710288108MEMPHIS, Tenn. — SELC petitions EPA to say Memphis area in violation of ozone standards (Katherine Burgess, MLK50)
Memphis has been named an “Asthma Capital” by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, and Shelby County has received an “F” grade from the American Lung Association due to its ozone pollution for the past two years. The county leads Tennessee in emergency room visits for asthma.
🗺️ WHAT ELSE WE'RE READING
Want to enhance lab safety? Try a little role playing first (Myriam Vidal Valero, Nature)
They shattered glass, started controlled fires, screamed with despair, writhed on the floor and leaked out pools of fake blood in front of flustered students who had to work out how to respond to the situations without getting ‘injured’ themselves.
CARACARAÍ, Brazil — AI is making health care safer in the remote Amazon (Pedro Nakamura, Rest of World)
“Many things slip past our eyes, or we simply don’t know,” said Andrade. “The system lets us cross-check information much faster.”
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As Nepal’s biogas systems become obsolete after decades of widespread adoption efforts, communities are being forced to switch back to natural gas and firewood, pushing back the country’s renewable energy goals.
🛢️ "All Hell Breaks Loose": How Big Oil Ruined a Small Texas Town
Three export terminals that captured half of the U.S. crude oil export industry have formed around Ingleside on the Bay, turning the Texas Coastal Bend town into an unlikely fenceline community.
A three-part series produced by The Xylom and co-published by Drilled, Floodlight, and Deceleration News.
♟️ Perspective: Learning Math From an Ancient African Board Game
Owari is an ancient African game designed to teach the mathematical concept of fractals, a game that is enjoyed by children and adults in its modern form to this day.