Miscellaneous News

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Hazards of tire aging

Human factors/ergonomics (HF/E) researchers at North Carolina State University have found that vehicle owners may not be aware that older but relatively unused tires can fail and cause crashes.

16 Oct 2006

New York Times examines voter guides emphasizing Christian teachings on abortion, xloning, embryonic stem cell research

The New York Times on Saturday examined five Christian voting guides that emphasize church teachings on issues such as abortion, human cloning and human embryonic stem cell research.

16 Oct 2006

Groups supporting, opposing South Dakota abortion ban conducting different campaign strategies

Supporters of a law (HB 1215) banning abortion in South Dakota except to save a woman's life recently have been staging "high-profile" activities throughout the state in their campaign to urge voters to uphold the ban in the November election, Reuters reports.

16 Oct 2006

Missouri tobacco tax proposal to appear on November ballot

The Missouri Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled unanimously that a proposed constitutional amendment to raise tobacco taxes should be placed on the Nov. 7 ballot, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

16 Oct 2006

Warnings to be placed on all booze in the UK

In an attempt to deal with the problem of binge drinking, the British government wants health warnings to be printed on all wine bottles, cans and bottles containing alcohol.

16 Oct 2006

Simple sight test and glasses could make a dramatic difference to the lives of more than 150 million people

Children fail at school, adults are unable to work and families are pushed into poverty as a result of uncorrected visual impairment.

11 Oct 2006

British the fattest people in Europe

If new figures released by the British Government are to be believed, the British are now the fattest men and women in Europe.

11 Oct 2006

Latest recall - lettuce with E. coli

In the latest scare over foods contaminated by the bacteria E. coli, another Californian grower has recalled a product, but this time it is not spinach or ground beef, but lettuce.

9 Oct 2006

Canadians paralysed after drinking carrot juice

Carrot juice which was withdrawn from the market late last month is thought to be responsible for the illness of two Canadians who are paralyzed and are severely ill in hospital.

9 Oct 2006

Federal Agencies collected $1.47B in fraud from government health insurance programs in FY 2005

The Department of Justice and the HHS Office of Inspector General in a report issued this week announced that their joint Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program -- which attempts to reduce waste, fraud and abuse in federal health care programs -- will collect $1.47 billion from criminal or civil cases brought during fiscal year 2005, The Hill reports.

8 Oct 2006

Debate between antiabortion, abortion-rights supporters now focusing on contraception

"If you're among the millions of Americans who don't like the idea of abortion but also don't like the idea of banning it, good news is on the way" in the form of two bills recently introduced in the House, William Saletan, science and technology reporter for Slate magazine, writes in a Washington Post opinion piece.

5 Oct 2006

Illinois Bill introduced to repeal, replace parental notification law

Illinois state Rep. John Fritchey (D) on Tuesday introduced a bill (HB 5840) that would repeal and replace a parental notification law revived recently by the state Supreme Court, the AP/Belleville News Democrat reports.

5 Oct 2006

Schwarzenegger's veto of prison condom distribution bill politically motivated

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's (R) veto last week of a bill (AB 1677) that would have allowed not-for-profit organizations to distribute condoms in prisons is "another cynical political maneuver" and a "fundamentally irresponsible choice to make the world more dangerous for inmates and civilians alike," a Los Angeles Times editorial says (Los Angeles Times, 10/5).

5 Oct 2006

World challenge to improve air quality

The World Health Organization (WHO) is today challenging governments around the world to improve air quality in their cities in order to protect people's health.

5 Oct 2006

FBI and FDA investigate spinach packing companies in California

As a result of the nationwide outbreak of E. coli the FBI and agents from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have searched two spinach packaging companies in order to ascertain that food safety procedures were properly followed.

5 Oct 2006

Carrot juice with botulism latest food scare from California

A Floridian woman, the fourth victim of botulism poisoning contracted from drinking spoiled carrot juice, is suffering from paralysis.

4 Oct 2006

Federal response to Hurricane Katrina examined

"Federal Health Policy Response to Hurricane Katrina: What it Was and What it Could Have Been," Journal of the American Medical Association.

3 Oct 2006

Chicago dentist has license suspended following death of a 5-year-old patient

Following the death of a 5-year-old patient, a dentist in Chicago has had his license to practice suspended by State regulators.

2 Oct 2006

Spinach now safe but FDA still worried

Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is now saying it is safe to eat spinach and that they believe all the E. Coli-tainted spinach produced by the San Juan Bautista, California-based Natural Selection Foods company has been recalled, the FDA still has concerns.

2 Oct 2006