What to look out for, and how to protect yourself. Action Alert! A Greenpeace report has found that several major sportswear brands—including Adidas, Nike, and Puma—contain polyfluorinated chemicals (PFCs), nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs), and phthalates. All of these chemicals are linked to major health issues. PFCs, which make items stain-proof, are linked to problems like low […]
Medical device companies appear to be trying to buy dentists, exposing children to high levels of unnecessary radiation. The New York Times ran a story a few years ago illustrating the extent to which cronyism (showing partiality to long-standing friends for mutual financial benefit, rather than following good science) determines medical care—in this instance, dental […]
Will produce from California be contaminated with toxic chemicals from fracking fluid? Action Alert! In the face of a four-year-long drought, some farmers in California are turning to unconventional sources for the water they need to irrigate their crops: oil-drilling companies. The Los Angeles Times reports that Chevron, one of the largest oil companies in […]
Armed with this precedent, it’s time to roll these anti-consumer laws back in other states. State-based Action Alert! Recently, a judge in the federal District Court for Idaho ruled that the state’s so-called “ag-gag” law was unconstitutional on First Amendment grounds. Idaho’s bill was signed into law last year and, like similar ag-gag laws in […]
Being rich and famous does not necessarily mean you get better healthcare. Hillary Clinton’s campaign has released a letter from one of her doctors giving her a clean bill of health after a full medical exam and attesting to her physical ability to serve as president. The letter revealed that Mrs. Clinton is being treated […]
Help us make sure your legislators on Capitol Hill hear about this. Action Alert! A recent article published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) calls on lawmakers to label genetically modified foods. The authors begin by pointing out the well-established fact that genetic modifications to make plants resistant to herbicides and pesticides have […]
The senator’s bill has been repeatedly defeated. Why capitulate now? A trade journal reports that some in the supplement industry are apparently considering supporting a Durbin-style proposal for a supplement pre-market notification system. It was reportedly discussed at a recent trade meeting. What is the explanation? One that we have heard is that some supplement […]
Richard Pan, the California state senator whose infamous pro-vaccine bill sailed to victory on the winds of pharmaceutical industry dollars, is now in serious hot water with his constituents. A major recall effort seeks to remove Sen. Pan from office. If the movement garners enough signatures—which must equal 20% of the total votes cast in […]
The Los Angeles Times says yes, and low-fat won—which will make some big advertisers happy. Unfortunately, the Times made a hash of the actual study. Here’s the headline: “For fat loss, low-fat diets beat low-carb diets handily, new research finds.” Unfortunately not a word of this is true. The article, which was published in the […]
The FDA knew all about the endoscope risk six years ago, but has ignored it. Action Alert! Over the last few years, you may have seen one of the several tragic stories of antibiotic-resistant “superbug” outbreaks in major hospitals that have killed dozens of patients and sickened hundreds more. Some of these outbreaks are linked […]