Flint's poisoned water
Drinking water for the nearly 100,000 residents of Flint, Michigan has been contaminated with toxic lead. Researchers discovered that children with high lead levels in their blood has doubled. President Barack Obama declared a state of emergency and sent in the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help with relief efforts, which have been focused on the delivery of bottled water.
The crisis dates back to April 2014, when the state of Michigan decided to switch water sources as part of cost-saving measures. Flint is a city that has been coping with serious financial struggles for decades. Unemployment is at 16 percent and poverty impacts 42 percent of its residents. The city's population today is less than half of what it was in the 1970s. When the decision to switch the water supply was made, the city was under the control of an emergency financial manager who had sweeping powers.
The new source of water, however, was highly corrosive to the city's lead pipes. Residents started complaining that their water looked, smelled and tasted abnormal. They also experienced rashes, hair loss and other health problems. Even a local General Motors facility stopped using the water because it was causing damage to their car parts. But the complaints were ignored for months and city officials insisted the water was safe to drink. It was not until October that state governor Rick Snyder admitted the situation was much worse than he previously thought and announced a plan to revert back to the original water supply.
While Snyder has apologised for the crisis, locals are still searching for answers. Despite a federal and state investigation into the mishandling, two lawsuits have already been filed by residents against the governor and other state officials. Join our conversation at 19:30GMT.
Trailer
Recently Updated Shows
Have I Got News for You
Based on the week's news, Have I Got News for You is fronted by guest hosts and features two regular team captains, Paul Merton and Ian Hislop. Each week the show invites two guests to cast a jaundiced eye over the week's news, resulting in a fast flow of anarchic, spontaneous and hugely entertaining wit and humour. Guests typically represent the world of politics, comedy, show-business and journalism, and are often themselves particularly newsworthy participants. The final touches of Have I Got News for You are put together only hours before recording, allowing guests to comment on the late-breaking news stories of the day.
Home and Away
Home and Away follows the lives and loves of the residents in Summer Bay, a fictional seaside town of New South Wales. The series initially focuses on the Fletcher family – Tom, Pippa and their five foster children, Frank Morgan, Carly Morris, Lynn Davenport, Steven Matheson and Sally Fletcher – who relocated from the city and moved into the Summer Bay House, where they took on the new job of running the caravan park, and eventually took in a sixth foster child, Bobby Simpson.
Dateline NBC
Dateline NBC presents in-depth coverage of news stories. Rather than just reading news reports, as most news shows do, the reporters for this show research their subjects and interview the people closely involved to create an informative work of investigative journalism.
Gogglebox Australia
Gogglebox Australia is based on the U.K. smash hit of the same name and is a weekly observational series which captures the reactions of ordinary Australians as they watch the news, argue over politics, cheer their favourite sporting teams and digest current affairs and documentaries. Ten chosen households will be rigged with special cameras to capture every unpredictable moment.