Opioid deaths now lowest in 3 years, but still worse than pre-pandemic
CBSN
Opioid overdose deaths have dropped to the lowest they have been in three years, new estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest, in the wake of a record surge of fatalities from the class of drugs that includes heroin and fentanyl during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The CDC estimates that there were 75,091 opioid overdose deaths for the year ending in April 2024, according to provisional figures published this week by the agency.
At its peak over last summer, the U.S. reached more than 86,000 estimated annual deaths. The pace of opioid overdose deaths still remains far worse than before the pandemic, when there were fewer than 50,000 fatal overdoses a year.
Hurricane Francine in Louisiana, flooding in the Carolinas and wildfires in California are among the extreme weather events impacting millions across the U.S. just in the past week. And it's not just about the physical risks — it's having a major impact on the affordability of having a home, as extreme weather continues to feed into the rising costs of home insurance.
The arrival of pumpkin spice lattes and cooler temperatures may mean fall is on its way, but nothing quite kicks off the season like when the leaves change into those vibrant hues of yellow, orange and red. The cascade of colors that erupts each September and October signal that change is on its way.
Several towns in southeastern North Carolina saw historic rainfall Monday as a potential tropical cyclone ripped through the area. Precipitation in Carolina Beach, along the coast near Wilmington, set an especially striking record. According to the National Weather Service, 18 inches of rain fell over Ocean Boulevard over the course of 12 hours — something that only happens "once every 1,000 years," meteorologists said.