The American Red Cross was founded more than 140 years ago on May 21, 1881, in Washington, D.C., by Clara Barton, a nurse who treated soldiers during the American Civil War, and a close group of ...

The American Red Cross said Monday that it is experiencing an emergency blood shortage, and extreme heat may be partly to blame. In a press release, the organization said its national blood ...

The number of people donating blood has dropped 40% over the last two decades, according to the Red Cross. Severe winter weather and illnesses could make an already bad situation even worse, it says.

A summer slump in donations, made worse by climate disasters, has led to a national shortage at the American Red Cross, which distributes 40 percent of the blood supply.