2018 Feature Picture Story
          Second Place
Brian Snyder, Reuters
“Black Lung”
The Black Lung Disability Trust Fund is at risk of insolvency – as black lung rates hit highs not seen in decades – which could force the fund to restrict benefifits or shift some of the fifinancial burden to taxpayers. Government research shows the incidence of black lung rebounding, despite improved safety measures. In February, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health confifirmed 416 cases of advanced black lung disease in three medical clinics in rural Virginia from 2013 to 2017 – the highest concentration of cases ever seen.
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