There isn’t much Congress agrees on these days, but one area that has enjoyed uncommon bipartisan support is food safety. On Tuesday, the Senate passed new legislation by a vote of 73 to 25 that would greatly increase the Food …
Policy & Industry
Physical Risk vs. Perceived Risk: Explaining the TSA Backlash
Radiation, invasion of privacy, skepticism over utility, plain old unfairness — informed by complacency about the risk of terrorism, the reasons for the public’s outcry against the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) …
ACLU Cites Walgreens For Refusing Emergency Contraception to Men
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) specifically allows anyone over the age of 17 to purchase emergency contraception regardless of gender, but Walgreens stores in Texas and Mississippi seem to be having trouble enacting that policy.
TSA Outrage: Would You Rather Get Screened or Blown Up?
I haven’t actually been to an airport since the new Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screening policies were rolled out. But it still seems pretty clear to me that the public’s fear and outrage over airport …
“Family Only” Hospital Visitation Rules Get Scrapped
In a victory for patients and their loved ones, a new federal regulation was announced Wednesday that dramatically loosens the rules on hospital visitors.
FDA Cracks Down on Alcoholic Energy Drinks
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent warning letters to four beverage companies Wednesday, which manufacture popular alcoholic energy drinks, finding that the products combining alcohol and caffeine were not safe.
Should We Worry About Radiation Exposure From New Airport Scanners?
The new “strip search” scanning machines at airport security checkpoints are increasingly causing furor over issues of privacy, decency and health.
Will the FDA Ban Sales of Four Loko?
On the heels of several statewide bans on alcoholic energy drinks like Four Loko and Joose, the Food and Drug Administration is expected to weigh in this week on the safety of drinks that mix caffeine and alcohol.
From ‘God Committee’ to ‘Death Panel,’ Dialysis Investigation Reveals Deadly Conflicts
A shocking and important investigation by the nonprofit journalism group ProPublica has found that kidney dialysis patients are more likely to die in the U.S. than in almost any other industrialized nation,
A Microchip Restores Partial Sight to Blind Patients
In a small experiment involving 11 patients, researchers in Germany were able to restore visual ability in three blind patients by implanting a battery-powered chip behind the retina.
Study: Stroke Sufferers More Likely to Die on Weekends
A new study of stroke sufferers in Canada found that those who were rushed to the emergency room on a weekend were 12% more likely to die than those who were admitted during the week.
Gulf Seafood Is Safe to Eat, FDA and NOAA Say
As of Nov. 1, 96% of relevant Gulf of Mexico waters became available for commercial and recreational fishing — up from 63% during the worst of the Gulf oil spill — the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) …
United’s Travel Technology Excludes the Blind, Lawsuit Alleges
For most people, touch-screen check-in kiosks at airports have transformed air travel for the better.
