Friday, May 8, 2015


News Clips For The Day


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/justice-department-to-investigate-baltimore-police-forces/

Justice Department to investigate Baltimore police force
By REENA FLORES CBS NEWS
May 8, 2015

Photograph – U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Loretta Lynch testifies during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee January 28, 2015 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.  MARK WILSON, GETTY IMAGES

Attorney General Loretta Lynch is opening a Justice Department review of the Baltimore Police Department (BPD), after the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray, a black man who suffered a spinal injury and later died in police custody.

"Rather than examining whether the police department violated good policies, we will examine if they violated the constitution and the community's civil rights," Lynch said Friday at a press conference announcing the civil pattern of practice investigation.

Arrest to death: What happened to Freddie Gray
What DOJ probe means for Cleveland, Ferguson cops

Justice Department investigators "will seek to determine whether there are systemic violations of the Constitution or federal law by officers," according to a press release. The probe will focus on the police use of force, including deadly force. The Justice Department will also review BPD's stops, searches and arrests, as well as whether there is a pattern or practice of discriminatory policing.

In one of her first acts at the Justice Department, the newly installed attorney general paid a visit to Baltimore, meeting with city officials and members of Congress.

"If unconstitutional policies or practices are found we will seek a court enforceable agreement to address the issues, and we will move forward to improve policing in Baltimore even as the pattern of practice investigation is underway," Lynch told reporters. "Our goal is to work with the community, public officials, and law enforcement to create a stronger, better Baltimore."

The attorney general cautioned, however, that the Justice Department cannot "be the hand reaching into every police department."

"The reality is we cannot litigate ourselves out of this problem," Lynch said. "It is not the intention of the department to engage in an investigation or review of every police department across the country."

After Freddie Gray's death, protests and violent riots rocked Baltimore. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency in the city, imposing a curfew and sending in National Guard troops to quell the protests.

Last week, Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby announced homicide charges for the six police officers involved in Freddie Gray's death. The officers were then put under arrest and taken to jail, though they posted bail later that evening. The DOJ is also conducting a concurrent civil rights investigation into Freddie Gray's death.

The Justice Department has recently ramped up its investigations into local law enforcement agencies, after the shootings of unarmed black men by officers sparked protests around the country. The Baltimore review follows probes into the police forces of cities like Ferguson and Cleveland. In Ferguson, then-Attorney General Eric Holder led his department in conducting a civil rights investigation. The report found the black population was routinely disproportionately subjected to excessive police force, baseless traffic stops and citations for infractions such as walking down the middle of the street.




"Rather than examining whether the police department violated good policies, we will examine if they violated the constitution and the community's civil rights," Lynch said Friday at a press conference announcing the civil pattern of practice investigation. Justice Department investigators "will seek to determine whether there are systemic violations of the Constitution or federal law by officers," according to a press release. The probe will focus on the police use of force, including deadly force. The Justice Department will also review BPD's stops, searches and arrests, as well as whether there is a pattern or practice of discriminatory policing. …. "If unconstitutional policies or practices are found we will seek a court enforceable agreement to address the issues, and we will move forward to improve policing in Baltimore even as the pattern of practice investigation is underway," Lynch told reporters. "Our goal is to work with the community, public officials, and law enforcement to create a stronger, better Baltimore." The attorney general cautioned, however, that the Justice Department cannot "be the hand reaching into every police department." The DOJ is also conducting a concurrent civil rights investigation into Freddie Gray's death.”

“... we will seek a court enforceable agreement to address the issues.” Lynch explained that the DOJ is going to work with local people to make improvements and that their involvement in every city across the country isn't possible. If they get one or more good court cases trying the constitutionality of the widespread unethical police practices, other local law suits and criminal complaints can be based on that, hopefully. I would like to see a network composed of local citizens groups to spearhead changes where they live, and to stimulate other localities to do the same. I would like to see whites, Hispanics, blacks and all other races and religious groups working together in a cooperative way rather than in competition, to create more genuine goodwill. Religious groups, Neighborhood Watch, mentoring of young people and community improvement projects would all help to create the kind of neighborhoods which are safer and more prosperous. Minority people running for city government positions are also needed. The Internet would help the groups to stay in touch and work together. I personally think court cases are better than endless protest marches, and will be less disturbing to local populations. Even though they do good, peaceful protest marches cause many citizens to feel resentment toward the minorities in question rather than advancing their goals. I understand the real meaning of a protest march, of course; it is a show of force and in some cases is necessary to bring about change, especially where wealthy white groups are firmly in control of the local governments. All in all, there is a huge need for much more neighborhood activity than we have had in recent years. I think that will bring about widespread improvements.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/conservatives-win-unexpected-majority-in-u-k-election/

Conservatives win unexpected majority in U.K. election
Last Updated May 8, 2015

Photograph – British Prime Minister David Cameron delivers a speech outside 10 Downing Street on May 8, 2015 in London, England, after the Conservative Party was confirmed as the winner of a closely-fought general election.
CHRISTOPHER FURLONG/GETTY IMAGES

LONDON - The Conservative Party swept to power Friday in Britain's parliamentary elections, winning an unexpected majority that returns Prime Minister David Cameron to 10 Downing Street in a stronger position than before.

After meeting with Queen Elizabeth II on Friday afternoon, Cameron returned to his office to announce he would form a majority Conservative government.

In remarks outside, he signaled a conciliatory tone, congratulating his former coalition partner, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, and opposition Labour Party leader Ed Miliband. Both resigned as leaders Friday after disappointing election results for their parties.

"We can make Britain a place where a good life is in reach for everyone who is willing to work and do the right thing," he said.

Cameron promised to govern as the party of "one nation, one United Kingdom," bringing the election to a much-quicker-than-expected conclusion. Polls ahead of Election Day had shown Conservatives locked in a tight race with the opposition Labour Party, raising the possibility of days or weeks of negotiations to form a government.

But Cameron pulled off a majority government -- a small majority, but one just big enough to govern.

He did that by turning Labour's Miliband not just into a political opponent, but into an object of ridicule, said CBS News' Mark Phillips. And he was helped in the cause by an inept Labor campaign symbolized by Miliband breaking one of the basic rules of politics: don't eat a bacon sandwich in front of the cameras.

The Tory-supporting press jumped on the image. Miliband was not just a free-spending Laborite whose policies would jeopardize the economic recovery, he just didn't look like a Prime Minister. Now, he won't be.

Labour took a beating, mostly from energized Scottish Nationalists (who want an independent state), who pulled off a landslide in Scotland, annihilating Labour in what used to be its stronghold.

"I'm truly sorry I did not succeed," said Labour's Miliband. "We've come back before and this party will come back again."

Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon told the BBC that the vote represented "a clear voice for an end to austerity, better public services and more progressive politics at Westminster."

"The Scottish lion has roared this morning across the country," said former SNP leader Alex Salmond, who was elected in the seat of Gordon.

Nick Clegg's Liberal Democrats, who had propped up the Conservatives in the last government, were virtually wiped out. The party lost most of its seats as punishment for supporting a Conservative-led agenda since 2010. Clegg did hold onto his seat.

With the Conservatives winning an outright majority in the 650-seat House of Commons, the election result looked to be far better for him than even his own party had foreseen. With 643 constituencies counted, the Conservatives had 326 seats to Labour's 230.

The prime minister beamed early Friday as he was announced the winner of his Witney constituency in southern England.

"This is clearly a very strong night for the Conservative Party," he said.

Cameron, who would be the first Conservative prime minister to win a second term since Margaret Thatcher, vowed to counter the rise of Scottish nationalism with more powers for Scotland and Wales.

"I want my party, and I hope a government that I would like to lead, to reclaim a mantle that we should never have lost -- the mantle of one nation, one United Kingdom," he said.

Almost 50 million people were registered to vote in Thursday's election. Votes in each constituency were counted by hand and the results followed a familiar ritual. Candidates, each wearing a bright rosette in the color of their party, line up onstage like boxers as a returning officer reads out the results.

But if the form was familiar, the results were often shocking.
Among the early Scottish National Party winners was 20-year-old student Mhairi Black, who defeated Douglas Alexander, Labour's 47-year-old foreign policy spokesman and one of its most senior figures. Black is the youngest U.K. lawmaker since 13-year-old Christopher Monck entered Parliament in 1667.

One of the big losers of the day was U.K. Independence Party leader Nigel Farage, who resigned after losing his race. His party ran third in opinion polls, but by early Friday had won only one seat because its support is spread out geographically.

Britain's economy -- recovering after years of turmoil that followed the 2008 financial crisis -- was at the core of many voters' concerns. The results suggest that many heeded Cameron's entreaties to back the Conservatives as the party of financial stability.

Public questions at television debates made plain that many voters distrusted politicians' promises to safeguard the economy, protect the National Health Service from severe cutbacks and control the number of immigrants from eastern Europe.

British voters reacted with surprise as they awoke to the news. Polls had shown a virtual dead heat in the race, and many expected weeks of wrangling over who would be in power.

"I thought it would be closer," said account manager Nicky Kelly-Lord, 38.

But some, like project manager Jonathan Heeley, 42, thought it inevitable that a country struggling to rebuild in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis would be anxious to keep the economic recovery going.

"The country's rebuilding itself and people want to stay with that," he said.

The pound surged as much as 2 percent after exit poll results were released, as investors took that as reassurance that the country will not see days or weeks of uncertainty over the formation of a new government.




“After meeting with Queen Elizabeth II on Friday afternoon, Cameron returned to his office to announce he would form a majority Conservative government. In remarks outside, he signaled a conciliatory tone, congratulating his former coalition partner, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, and opposition Labour Party leader Ed Miliband. Both resigned as leaders Friday after disappointing election results for their parties. …. Black is the youngest U.K. lawmaker since 13-year-old Christopher Monck entered Parliament in 1667. …. The pound surged as much as 2 percent after exit poll results were released, as investors took that as reassurance that the country will not see days or weeks of uncertainty over the formation of a new government.”

It's not as though the British elections will create any noticeable ripples over here in the US, but reading this article gave me a view of how their elections are held and counted. For one thing this term “forming a government” doesn't exactly happen here, though the President does appoint a Cabinet to oversee the bureaucracy departments and the president's executive activity. Because presidential vs legislative elections are not held at the same time in most years, and just because a new president is elected, that doesn't affect the congressional members at all. Each one of the legislative representatives wins his or her seat for a particular term on his own, and after that will have to run again to keep his seat.

Even if there is an impeachment such as happened with Richard Nixon, who then did promptly resign, his Republican Party members all retained their seats and his Vice President became President in his place. If a Vice President cannot serve, the Speaker Of The House can then become President, and after him/her the President Pro Tempore of the Senate. After that it goes to cabinet members, starting with the Secretary of State. There is no need for a new election for President or for the legislature until the next election cycle comes up.

If a political party “loses the confidence of the public,” that's no cause to have a new election. Each member will still retain his seat until his term is up unless he is involved a criminal scandal of some kind which will render him/her “unfit to serve.” That's why, probably, we have so much “gridlock” in our legislative activity. The old hard core enemies are all still retained in their seats. The actions of Congress, especially, are almost constantly a battle royale, with the Tea Party trying to stick something obnoxious like anti-abortion language into each new bill or budget that comes up for discussion. The Democrats, of course, know they will do that and put up an equally vociferous fight. My favorite of these techniques is the Senate “filibuster,” which consists of a member who wants to block the progress of a bill or a Presidential appointment by standing up in front of the cameras and filling up the air space with words which often have nothing to do with the bill or person in question. That can go on for many hours or even days. This last year the Tea Party member Ted Cruz spent at least thirty minutes reading the Dr. Seuss story “Green Eggs and Ham.” Personally, I can't stand Cruz, but that was funny. I have to say, he can be cute.

When a president is elected he doesn't get to pick and chose congressional members as they suit him, but must work with his party to try to get more party members elected in Congress and the Senate. That's why party members are frequently out on the road campaigning for a member of their party rather than in the Congrss and Senate doing their job. President Obama right now is in the minority party, since the Tea Party Republicans dominate. He has infuriated them in the last year or so by courageously making numerous changes as he wants to by a series of Executive Orders. Those changes can be ended by the Tea Party when President Obama's present term of office is over, just as they will try to destroy “Obamacare” if they can. Socialized medicine and the whole Social Security system is hated by ultraconservatives, while “corporate welfare” is considered just fine in their eyes. Those of us who care more about human beings and civil rights, of course, despise the Koch brothers and other corporate monstrosities.

I know some of you readers are in England, because every day when I finish this blog and publish it, I look at the readership statistics for the day. Some twenty or so of you at this time are in the UK. Hope you find this description of our elective system interesting or humorous. Best wishes to you.





COMPOUNDING – HISTORICAL AND MODERN – THREE ARTICLES


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/feds-open-investigations-into-compounding-pharmacies/

Feds open investigations into compounding pharmacies
CBS NEWS
May 7, 2015

Photograph – Dr. Paul Borger
 CBS NEWS

CBS News has learned there are multiple federal investigations underway into 90 compounding pharmacies and doctors for suspicious practices.

PART I: "Free" Pain Meds For Veterans Cost Taxpayers Big Bucks
PART II: Doctors "Complicit" In Costly Abuse Of Military Health Benefits

In a recent investigation related to compounding pharmacies, CBS News correspondent Jim Axelrod reported on Paul Borger, a doctor who runs a weight loss clinic in Davenport, Iowa.

Borger wrote a prescription for pain creams for Axelrod even though the two had never met or spoken.

The Pentagon told us Thursday it has suspended payments on all prescriptions signed by Dr. Borger, as well as three other physicians. Payments to four compounding pharmacies have also been suspended.




“CBS News has learned there are multiple federal investigations underway into 90 compounding pharmacies and doctors for suspicious practices. …. The Pentagon told us Thursday it has suspended payments on all prescriptions signed by Dr. Borger, as well as three other physicians. Payments to four compounding pharmacies have also been suspended.” This is another wasteful and disgusting situation of the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing. Despite the oversight of the USDA there are at least two areas that are not being watched at all – vitamins/supplements/herbal remedies and these compounding pharmacies. Not only are these products very likely not even effective and may be dangerous, they are extremely expensive. I would like to see all quackery driven out of the field of medicine and not financed by any government group from Medicare to the VA. I would like for the selling of such products to be illegal – a criminal matter. It's fraud pure and simple, and many patients really need some competent medical attention which would help their condition.





http://drugtopics.modernmedicine.com/drug-topics/content/tags/compounding-bill/s-959-passage-would-close-40-compounding-pharmacies-survey?page=full

S. 959 passage would close 40% of compounding pharmacies, survey says
By Julia Talsma, Content Channel Director
September 26, 2013

A new poll sent to independent compounding pharmacies by the Professional Compounding Centers of America (PCCA) found that approximately 40% of pharmacies surveyed would close their businesses under the requirements of Senate Bill 959, The Pharmaceutical Quality, Security, and Accountability Act.

S. 959 requires that pharmacies register as “compounding manufacturers” if they compound sterile preparations for human use, compound sterile preparations in advance of receiving a prescription, and dispense the preparations outside of the state. Pharmacies must chose to be a “traditional” compounding pharmacy or register as a “compounding manufacturer”. The pharmacies may not operate in both categories from the same facility.

In addition, compounding manufacturers are only permitted to sell their preparations to hospitals, clinics, and prescribers with a purchase order. They would be limited to an FDA list for non-sterile compounding.

Traditional compounders could still fill prescribers’ order for office use, but would have to keep the names of all patients to whom a physician has administered the compound from the office order. Reconciliation of the patients receiving the compound would be required within 14 days of administration. In addition, there would be a limit of no more than 10% of total compounded drugs in a 30-day period for office-use compounds.

“The survey showed that pharmacies would be either forced to give up their pharmacy business or make painful changes to their business that would greatly reduce access to compounded preparations, increase costs, and/or eliminate local jobs,” said PCCA President Jim Smith in a press statement.

“If this rate is typical, of 7,500 compounding pharmacies nationwide, 3,075 pharmacies would be forced to give up their pharmacy business or change them in ways detrimental to them, the economy, their patients, and prescribers – while doing nothing to improve the safety of compounded medications.”

Smith said that PCCA disagrees that S. 959 will enhance patient safety by giving the FDA more federal authority over this state-regulated profession.

Both Senate and House committee leaders who oversee health policy reached an agreement September 25 on the compounding legislation and legislation to improve drug safety in the pharmaceutical supply chain with the Drug Quality and Security Act. Senate HELP Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) had introduced S. 959 in May, a bill designed to help ensure compounding safety following last year’s deadly meningitis outbreak that was linked to the New England Compounding Center, Framingham, Mass. 



The article above, though a little outdated, shows other concerns in the past over compounding pharmacies. In this case an outbreak of meningitis was the result. See below for a brief history of compounding.



Compounding
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pharmaceutical compounding (done in compounding pharmacies) is the creation of a particular pharmaceutical product to fit the unique need of a patient. To do this, compounding pharmacists combine or process appropriate ingredients using various tools. This may be done for medically necessary reasons, such as to change the form of the medication from a solid pill to a liquid, to avoid a non-essential ingredient that the patient is allergic to, or to obtain the exact dose(s) needed or deemed best of particular active pharmaceutical ingredient(s). It may also be done for more optional reasons, such as adding flavors to a medication or otherwise altering taste or texture. Compounding is most routine in the case of intravenous/parenteral medication, typically by hospital pharmacists, but is also offered by privately owned compounding pharmacies and certain retail pharmacies for various forms of medication. Whether routine or rare, intravenous or oral, etc., when a given drug product is made or modified to have characteristics that are specifically prescribed for an individual patient, it is known as "traditional" compounding.

Due to the rising cost of compounding and the shortage of drugs, many hospitals have shown a tendency to rely more upon large-scale compounding pharmacies to meet their regular requirement, particularly of sterile-injectable medications. When compounding is done on bulk production of a given formulation rather than patient-specific production, it is known as "non-traditional" compounding (which, as discussed below, is arguably not "compounding" but rather "manufacturing"). This development raises concerns about patient safety and makes a case for proper regulatory control and monitoring.[1]

History

Before mass production of medications became widespread, compounding was a routine activity among pharmacists. Community pharmacists who have experience with compounding techniques are now less common.

Pharmaceutical compounding has ancient roots. Hunter-gatherer societies had some knowledge of the medicinal properties of the animals, plants, molds, fungus and bacteria as well as inorganic minerals within their environment. Ancient civilizations used pharmaceutical compounding for religion, grooming, keeping the healthy well, treating the ill and preparing the dead. These ancient compounders produced the first oils from plants and animals. They discovered poisons and the antidotes. They made ointments for wounded patients and perfumes for customers.

The earliest chemists were familiar with various natural substances and their uses. These drugartisans compounded a variety of preparations such as medications, dyes, incense, perfumes, ceremonial compounds, preservatives and cosmetics. Drug compounders seeking gold and the fountain of youth drove the alchemy movement. Alchemy eventually contributed to the creation of modern pharmacy and the principles of pharmacy compounding. In the medieval Islamic world in particular, Muslim pharmacists and chemists developed advanced methods of compounding drugs. The first drugstores were opened by Muslim pharmacists in Baghdad in 754.[2][3]

The modern age of pharmacy compounding began in the 19th century with the isolation of various compounds from coal tar for the purpose of producing synthetic dyes. From this one natural product came the earliest antibacterial sulfa drugs, phenolic compounds made famous byJoseph Lister, and plastics.

During the 1800s, pharmacists specialized in the raising, preparation and compounding of crude drugs. Crude drugs, like opium, are from natural sources and usually contain several chemical compounds. The compounding pharmacist often extracted these crude drugs using water oralcohol to form extracts, concoctions and decoctions.

Pharmacists began isolating and identifying the active ingredients contained within these crude drug concoctions. Using fractionation or recrystallization, the compounding pharmacist would separate the active ingredients, like morphine, and use it in place of the crude drug. During this time modern medicine began.

SEE WEBSITE ABOVE FOR THE WHOLE ARTICLE





AUTISM – TWO ARTICLES


http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/families-donate-brains-to-help-autism-research/

Families donate brains to help autism research
MAY 8, 2015, 5:25 AM

Video -- Some parents of children with autism are taking a bold step to help researchers understand the disorder -- donating their children’s brains to science after they die. Hena Daniels reports on what the Autism BrainNet program hopes to accomplish.


https://www.autismspeaks.org/site-wide/brain-research

Study on Autism and Synapses Sheds New Light on Brain Structure
August 22, 2014

Photograph – Dr. Paul Wang looks at the insights and new questions raised by a study on autism and excess brain-cell connections

Developmental pediatrician Paul Wang is Autism Speaks' senior vice president and head of medical research. We asked Dr. Wang to elaborate on the recent study on a surplus of synapses and autism.

The study on brain synapses in autism, led by Drs. Guomei Tang, David Sulzer, and colleagues, has been receiving a lot of attention.  This study helps us to understand the differences in brain structure that are found in autism. This new research actually fits very well with other recent work, which shows that individuals with autism have differences in brain connectivity.  That is, different areas of the brain do not coordinate with each other in the same way as they do in other persons.  Dr. Tang and Sulzer’s research gives an explanation for this atypical connectivity, because synapses are the physical connections through which brain cells communicate with each other. 

An interesting feature of brain development is that the number of synapses actually decreases as children grow older.  Toddlers and pre-schoolers have more synapses than teenagers, and those “extra” synapses are supposed to get “pruned” away as the years go by.  Tang and Sulzer’s work shows that in autism, the number of synapses is normally high early in life, but fails to decrease in the usual way.  As a result, teenagers with autism end up with more synapses than is typical.

Drs. Tang and Sulzer, and their team, also studied a particular mouse that is considered a research model for autism.  This mouse has a mutation in the gene for tuberous sclerosis, which increases the risk for autism in people, and the mouse also has too many synapses.  The researchers treated their mice with a drug (rapamycin) that decreased the number of synapses and improved social behaviors.

Rapamycin (also called sirolimus) is used in human patients with organ transplants to prevent rejection.  Unfortunately, it can have severe side effects, including suppressing the immune system, lung inflammation, and risk for diabetes.  Because of these side effects, it cannot be recommended for children with autism.  But it is worth knowing that a very similar drug, called everolimus, is actually being studied in patients with tuberous sclerosis, a genetic disorder that causes tumors, cognitive impairments, and increases risk for autism. 

Scientists will now be hot on the trail of new drugs that are safer, and that help to restore normal pruning of synapses.  But we don’t know whether synaptic pruning is a problem in only a small number of patients with autism, or a larger number.  Research will need to address that question, too.  And even if a drug can normalize pruning and behavior in mice, it may not have the same effects in people with autism.  That question can only be answered by direct testing, in clinical drug trials.

As a final note, I’d like to join Drs. Tang and Sulzer in thanking the families who showed incredible generosity by donating the brains of their departed children for research.  We are hopeful that the insights made possible by their act of kindness have put us on the trail of future treatments for autism.

Autism Speaks actively supports autism brain banking through Autism BrainNet.
Learn about donor registration here.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/north-carolina-residents-near-coal-ash-plants-told-not-to-drink-water/

North Carolina residents near coal ash plants told not to drink water
By MARK STRASSMANN CBS NEWS
May 7, 2015

Photograph – Deborah Graham
 CBS NEWS

SALISBURY, N.C. -- Dozens of North Carolina residents protested Thursday outside the Duke Energy stockholders meeting in Charlotte to express anger at the utility following concerns with their wall water. The state recently told the residents their well water is unsafe to drink but Duke Energy says it's not responsible.

The issue dates back to February 2014, when a closed Duke Energy plant caused a massive coal ash spill into the Dan River. Ever since, North Carolina's Department of Energy and Natural Resources (DENR) has been testing wells within 1,000 feet of coal ash ponds. The agency says 152 wells tested positive for toxins above state health department standards.

Deborah Graham can see Duke Energy's Buck Steam Station Plant from her house. The utility sent inspectors in May 2014 to test her well water. She says they told her they didn't find anything wrong with her water.

But she began using bottled water last month when DENR told the Grahams to stop drinking or cooking with their wall water because its testing of the water showed high levels of vanadium -- a heavy metal found in coal ash that may cause cancer.

"Have I slowly been poisoning myself?" wondered Graham after receiving the news.

But in a letter to residents Duke Energy said: "We have no indication that (our) plant operations have influenced (your) well water."

In a statement to CBS News, the utility said elements such as vanadium are common in North Carolina wells and typically caused by rocks and soil in the area.

The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) has sued Duke Energy to force the cleanup of the utility's 32 coal ash ponds.

"The coal ash contains these metals at concentrations that are hundreds of thousands to millions of times higher than the concentrations in the original coal and they're dumped in enormous quantities," said John Suttles, an attorney with the SELC.

If DENR can prove the contamination came from coal ash, it says it will require the utility to provide a permanent, alternate water supply.




“Dozens of North Carolina residents protested Thursday outside the Duke Energy stockholders meeting in Charlotte to express anger at the utility following concerns with their wall water. The state recently told the residents their well water is unsafe to drink but Duke Energy says it's not responsible. The issue dates back to February 2014, when a closed Duke Energy plant caused a massive coal ash spill into the Dan River. Ever since, North Carolina's Department of Energy and Natural Resources (DENR) has been testing wells within 1,000 feet of coal ash ponds. The agency says 152 wells tested positive for toxins above state health department standards. …. But she began using bottled water last month when DENR told the Grahams to stop drinking or cooking with their wall water because its testing of the water showed high levels of vanadium -- a heavy metal found in coal ash that may cause cancer. "Have I slowly been poisoning myself?" wondered Graham after receiving the news. But in a letter to residents Duke Energy said: "We have no indication that (our) plant operations have influenced (your) well water." …. The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) has sued Duke Energy to force the cleanup of the utility's 32 coal ash ponds. "The coal ash contains these metals at concentrations that are hundreds of thousands to millions of times higher than the concentrations in the original coal and they're dumped in enormous quantities," said John Suttles, an attorney with the SELC. If DENR can prove the contamination came from coal ash, it says it will require the utility to provide a permanent, alternate water supply.”

Duke Power is acting just like Big Tobacco did some years back when they denied, denied and denied, but finally had to give up the fight. They were required by the Surgeon General to put a warning on each cigarette pack that cigarettes cause cancer. Thank goodness the DENR is taking decisive action in this case, too. I'm not a “commie pinko,” but I do hate to see big business get away with murder – and poisoning the water is murder.




TEXTING AND DRIVING – TWO ARTICLES


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/can-the-federal-government-help-stop-texting-and-driving/

Can the government stop people from texting and driving?
CBS NEWS
May 8, 2015

Photograph – Is texting and driving addictive?

This week, Oklahoma became the latest state to ban texting while driving, joining 45 other states and Washington, D.C. that have passed laws forbidding the practice. But as CBS News Correspondent Kris Van Cleave found when he spent some time observing drivers, the laws aren't exactly keeping people from using their phones.

A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Survey found that at any moment during the day, 660,000 drivers were using a cell phone or manipulating electronic devices while driving. Texting is believed to be the leading cause of accidents among teenage drivers, with more than 3,000 fatalities estimated each year.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota, has been trying to make a dent in the problem for years. She has introduced bills to use peer-to-peer prevention to educate teenagers about the dangers of texting while driving and to encourage states to adopt a graduated system of licensing new drivers. She likens the campaign to end texting and driving to the efforts to increase the use of seatbelts over the last several decades.

"We have seen this work so effectively with seatbelts," Klobuchar told Van Cleave. "In 1970, less than 15 percent of Americans were wearing seatbelts. Now it's 90 percent. Why is that? Laws got put in place, people started getting fined, there were education efforts where people started to understand how dangerous it is. We can do the same thing with texting and Facebooking and distracted driving. We just have to get those laws into place."

Next week, Klobuchar is introducing a bill that will encourage states to toughen penalties for texting and driving and increase safety programs aimed at reducing texting while driving. One version of the legislation has already cleared Congress but a reauthorization in the Surface Transportation reauthorization bill better targets federal dollars for the issue. Klobuchar told CBS News that there is money set aside to give states for their education program, but problems with the program's structure led to just one state, Connecticut, getting money last year.

"We are literally wasting millions of dollars that can go to the states in education efforts," she said.

SEE ALSO: Texting while driving: Does banning it make a difference?

She envisions state grants from the federal government that would help them implement more graduated penalties, like fines, which will also help states earn more money.

"The only way this works with seatbelts is when we started having fines and not only making a national statement about it, but also a state by state statement about it," she said. "When people started learning through their schools, how dangerous it was not to wear seatbelts, they started to wear a seatbelt."

But police officers say that catching people who are texting while driving is not easy because officers have to see people actually manipulating their phones, not using them.

"They hide it or put their phone down in their lap or down here on the steering wheel in front of them," Corporal Nate Ratnolfski, who patrols Montgomery County, Maryland, told Van Cleave. "It's definitely not the easiest charge to enforce."

Since Maryland banned texting while driving in October 2013, county officials have written just 635 citations for the infraction.

Klobuchar argues that a "national statement" about texting while driving might also help make a difference, citing other national initiatives like the Violence Against Women Act, and she also favors random spot checks for texting while driving infractions.

CBS News Producer Katie Ross Dominick contributed to this story.



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-device-for-eyes-free-texting-while-driving/

New device for eyes-free texting while driving
By AMANDA SCHUPAK CBS NEWS
May 4, 2015

From the if you can't beat 'em, join 'em school of product marketing, a new device called RayGo aims to make texting while driving easier and less dangerous.

Figuring that people are going to text and drive and there's little hope of that stopping any time soon, an Israeli team adapted technology designed for the blind to give drivers an eyes-free way to hear and reply to messages.

"RayGo is a product for the many of us who use their phones even though we know it's wrong, providing a much safer way to engage with your smartphone while driving," the creators wrote on their Indiegogo page, where they have surpassed their goal of raising $30,000 to fund the first round of manufacturing.

The RayGo app connects via Bluetooth to a four-way button that clips onto your steering wheel and to the car's stereo. It takes messages from other apps, including your phone's default text app, Gmail, WhatsApp, Spotify and Facebook Messenger, and reads them out loud through your car speakers. Pressing the buttons on the wheel with your thumb lets you toggle through options to skip to the next message, reply with a preset response such as, "Driving, chat in 30 minutes," or dictate an answer of your own.

Because it can all be done with voice prompts, you don't even have to take your phone out of your pocket or purse. RayGo uses your phone's GPS tracking and a gyroscope in the button device to determine if you're in the middle of a turn or are driving too fast to safely pay attention, and will automatically pause the readout until you're back on a straightaway.

One study out last year found that the risk of a crash or near-miss among young drivers increased more than sevenfold if they were dialing or reaching for a cellphone and fourfold if they were sending or receiving a text message. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that nine Americans are killed every day in accidents that involve a driver who was distracted by some other activity.

New research has found that car-crash hospitalizations have fallen in states with relatively strict bans on texting and driving.

"Distracting driving is a huge issue," said CNET editor Dan Ackerman. "There's definitely a point of view that says this is a terrible idea; you should not interact with your phone while you're driving. You could also say people are going to do it anyway. We've never never been able to stop people from physically taking out their phones and texting while they're driving, so if you can make it a little bit safer maybe that's a plus."

The product is now available for preorder and will ship beginning in September. It works with Android phones and a fully functioning version for iPhones will come out later in the year.




Klobuchar – “A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Survey found that at any moment during the day, 660,000 drivers were using a cell phone or manipulating electronic devices while driving. Texting is believed to be the leading cause of accidents among teenage drivers, with more than 3,000 fatalities estimated each year. …. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota, has been trying to make a dent in the problem for years. She has introduced bills to use peer-to-peer prevention to educate teenagers about the dangers of texting while driving and to encourage states to adopt a graduated system of licensing new drivers. …. She envisions state grants from the federal government that would help them implement more graduated penalties, like fines, which will also help states earn more money. "The only way this works with seatbelts is when we started having fines and not only making a national statement about it, but also a state by state statement about it," she said. "When people started learning through their schools, how dangerous it was not to wear seatbelts, they started to wear a seatbelt." But police officers say that catching people who are texting while driving is not easy because officers have to see people actually manipulating their phones, not using them.”

New device – "Figuring that people are going to text and drive and there's little hope of that stopping any time soon, an Israeli team adapted technology designed for the blind to give drivers an eyes-free way to hear and reply to messages. "RayGo is a product for the many of us who use their phones even though we know it's wrong, providing a much safer way to engage with your smartphone while driving," the creators wrote on their Indiegogo page, where they have surpassed their goal of raising $30,000 to fund the first round of manufacturing. …. and reads them out loud through your car speakers. Pressing the buttons on the wheel with your thumb lets you toggle through options to skip to the next message, reply with a preset response such as, "Driving, chat in 30 minutes," or dictate an answer of your own. Because it can all be done with voice prompts, you don't even have to take your phone out of your pocket or purse. …. The product is now available for preorder and will ship beginning in September. It works with Android phones and a fully functioning version for iPhones will come out later in the year.”

I personally believe in individuals CHOOSING to “do the right thing.” There is no need to mess with a phone while driving. We can all wait to hear from our sweetie pie for a few more seconds. If the phone rings while the car is moving, pull over and only then answer it.