via Craig Unger, Salon The fatal meningitis epidemic sweeping the United States can now be traced to the failure of then-Gov. Mitt Romney to adequately regulate the Massachusetts pharmaceutical company that is being blamed for the deaths. At least 344 people in 18 states have been infected by the growing public health crisis and 25 … Continue reading
via Tom Philpott, Mother Jones You’d be forgiven for not noticing—unless you live in California, where you’ve likely been bombarded by geotargeted web ads and TV spots—but this election could spur a revolution in the way our food is made. Proposition 37, a popular Golden State ballot initiative, would require the labeling of food containing … Continue reading
via Lucia Graves, The Huffington Post It started with a coalition of disgruntled Americans, then a handful of governors took up the cause last year, and now — for the first time in nearly 20 years — a federal court will hear oral arguments in a lawsuit challenging the classification of cannabis as a dangerous … Continue reading
via Michael Felberbaum, ABC News A federal appeals court on Friday upheld a decision barring the federal government from requiring tobacco companies to put large graphic health warnings on cigarette packages to show that smoking can disfigure and even kill people. In a 2-1 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington affirmed a lower … Continue reading
via Bob Egelko, Politics Blog, The San Francisco Chronicle Mitt Romney’s selection of Paul Ryan as his running mate cements Romney’s own 180-degree turnabout on abortion. Ten years ago, as a candidate for governor, Romney promised to “protect the right of a woman to choose,” and pledged not to change “our pro-choice laws in Massachusetts.” … Continue reading
via Jennifer Bendery, The Huffington Post Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told a constituent in favor of legalizing marijuana that he doesn’t support the idea because drugs like pot lead to death. In a Feb. 14 letter to his constituent, McConnell said he has “serious concerns” about legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes, a topic … Continue reading
via Associated Press, MSNBC Medical milestone or privacy invasion? A tiny computer chip approved Wednesday for implantation in a patient’s arm can speed vital information about a patient’s medical history to doctors and hospitals. But critics warn that it could open new ways to imperil the confidentiality of medical records. The Food and Drug Administration … Continue reading
via Yahoo News US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer on Tuesday recalled one million packets of birth control pills over a packaging error that could put women at risk of unintended pregnancy. The pills, about half of which were the brand name Lo/Ovral-28 and the other half were generic norgestrel and ethinyl estradiol tablets, may be improperly … Continue reading
via Kevin Drum, Mother Jones In theory, any woman 17 or older can buy the Plan B emergency contraceptive over the counter. Younger teens can’t, and the Obama administration’s recent decision on Plan B keeps it that way despite the unanimous recommendation of an FDA panel. But at least 17-year-olds have easy access to Plan B, … Continue reading
Texas Gov. Rick Perry bristled at accusations during Monday’s GOP debate that he had done the bidding of a corporate donor by ordering schoolgirls to use a new vaccine. “The company was Merck, and it was a $5,000 contribution that I had received from them,” Perry said. “I raised about $30 million. And if you’re … Continue reading