Some ways you can help save the planet Posted by frayam at 04/26/05 12:57 PM

Kermit says, "It's not easy being green." Maybe so. But don't let it stop you from trying. Learn how to save money while protecting your health and the environment, find out how green products stack up to their mainstream counterparts, and much more.

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Too much information? Posted by Rob at 04/25/05 11:47 AM

At a recent DC conference for prescription drug insiders, a drug company lawyer used the opportunity to criticize legislation that would make clinical drug trial results public.

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What will they think of next? Posted by frayam at 04/22/05 01:42 PM

If it looks like a duck and it smells like a duck, it may NOT be a duck! These days, there's absolutely no end to the ingenuity of hackers and ID theives. The latest scam is called pharming, and it can happen to even the savviest Internet users without our knowing it.

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Progress toward prescription drug reform Posted by Rob at 04/20/05 02:49 PM

There’s a whirlwind of activity on pharmaceutical drug reform. Many states have introduced legislation to provide better disclosure and transparency – whether it be disclosure of clinical trial results through a state-based clinical trial registry, good faith duties for pharmaceutical benefit managers, or requiring drug companies to say what they spend on marketing to doctors.

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More fatal medical errors at the beginning of the month Posted by frayam at 04/19/05 11:22 AM

Consumers should be extra cautious the first few days of each month, as deaths from medication errors increase 25% above normal, according to new research by University of California, San Diego sociologist David Phillips.

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When Texas freezes over Posted by jamere at 04/13/05 03:55 PM

I just testified in support of a Texas bill to allow us to put a "security freeze" on our credit file.

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Little things make a big difference. Posted by mitcka at 04/12/05 06:34 PM

The next time I'm in the hospital, I'll be watching like a hawk for good handwashing by staff, and then there's all those cell phones, pens, clipboards and other things that move from room to room!

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Can ChoicePoint be a TurningPoint? Posted by mitcka at 04/12/05 06:25 PM

Choicepoint faces lawsuits--and now new federal legislation.

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What one state gives, another takes away! Posted by mitcka at 04/09/05 06:00 PM

Virginia just passed a bill to give you information about hospital infections in Virgina hospitals. That same information won't be available in Maryland, where the Senate just killed HB 199.

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Iowans swimming in manure? Posted by mitcka at 04/08/05 06:54 PM

Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) are now the norm for raising pigs and chickens across the great plains states. A new report on Iowa CAFOs documents their effect on rural communities.

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Posted prices--what a great idea! Posted by mitcka at 04/06/05 05:27 PM

Buying a house is a lot easier if you know the price. Manufactured homes sit on the lot with no posted price information--and consumers can get shafted.

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Big brother is an insurance agent Posted by mitcka at 04/06/05 04:23 PM

Thanks to an anonymous poster on SlashDot for information about a strange bill moving forward right here in my home state of Texas. It authorizes a big government database of auto insurance information and RFIDs embedded in car inspection stickers.

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FDA in a sorry state Posted by mitcka at 04/06/05 04:15 PM

The Lancet, a major medical journal, has come to the conclusion that “FDA is in a sorry state.” Agreed.

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Tired of banks putting a "hold" on checks you deposit? Posted by mitcka at 04/06/05 02:14 PM

Although a new federal law makes it fast and easy for banks to cash the checks we write--we still wait days for access to the money from checks we deposit. That can change with support for the Consumer Checking Account Fairness Act.

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Security Freeze bills give you control over your credit report! Posted by mitcka at 04/06/05 10:00 AM

Twenty states are considering bills to give you control over the dissemination of your credit report information. This movement for more financial privacy is largely driven by consumer demand for real solutions to identity theft.

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Drug TV ads troubling, but ads for doctors even more disturbing Posted by mitcka at 04/06/05 09:46 AM

Our new song “The Drugs I Need,” a parody of prescription drug ads we see on TV, seems to have touched a nerve. But doctors are getting a lot of advertising too, and a new study finds that these ads make a lot of unsupported claims.

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