Health
Lead hazards still taint cheap toys
Mary Shedden of The Tampa Tribune reports on the continuing problem of lead turning up in children’s toys produced outside the U.S. Using independent testing, her investigation turned up toxic levels of lead in one out of three pieces of costume jewelry or trinkets purchased from area stores. In some cases, items subject to recalls…
Read MoreATVs: Deceptively Dangerous
An in-depth special report by The Oregonian explores the dangers of ATVs. “Over the past decade, the machines have soared in popularity, with 7.6 million in use. The result: Record numbers of riders end up in emergency rooms and morgues as accidents kill about 800 people a year and injure an estimated 136,700.” The multimedia…
Read MoreBomb factory workers seek cancer compensation
Nuclear bomb factory workers face steep hurdles getting compensation from the government after contracting cancer. As the U.S. closes many nuclear weapons sites, a growing number of those who helped build bombs are turning to lawyers and legislators to argue they are being treated unfairly, The Washington Post‘s Michael Alison Chandler and Joby Warrick report.
Read MoreMedical research group’s conflicts of interest revealed
Reporters Susanne Rust and Cary Spivak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel detailed conflicts of interest involving the Constella Group, a private health research company that performs hundreds of millions of dollars worth of work for the federal government while also representing major pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies such as Merck and GlaxoSmithKline. The reporters analyzed federal…
Read MoreNumerous South Florida restaurants cited for critical health code violations
Mc Nelly Torres of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that nearly 2,500 restaurants in South Florida were cited for critical violations by state inspectors between July 2006 and January 2007. Since 1997, there has been a 66 percent increase in the number of confirmed food-borne illnesses tied to restaurants. “In December, the state issued disciplinary…
Read MoreRecurring health violations uncovered in NC university cafeteria
In a quick-hit investigation, Corey G. Johnson of the Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer, uncovered a history of sanitation violations in the Methodist University student cafeteria. “Since Sodexho opened the Green and Gold Cafe in October 2002, 19 inspection reports have pointed to recurring improper sanitation of food contact surfaces and the need to use approved cleaning…
Read MoreToxic vapors threaten well-being of residents of Victor, NY
The Democrat and Chronicle of Rochester, N.Y., presents stories from a two-month investigation into toxic vapor releases related to toxins improperly disposed of near Victor, N.Y., more than 17 years ago.”State officials, drawing upon numerous visits and hundreds of water samples over the last 15 years, have mapped the damage: a mile-long plume of contaminated…
Read MoreHealthcare nonprofits spend millions in federal funds, operate in secrecy
In a two-part series, Clark Kauffman of The Des Moines Register examined the Iowa Foundation for Medical Care, the largest of 53 federally funded Quality Improvement Organizations. The newspaper found that the tax-exempt Iowa foundation, which investigates complaints of poor patient care received by Iowa’s 500,000 Medicare beneficiaries, reviewed only 12 complaints in 2005. That…
Read MoreDrug abuse, crime on rise among paramedics
A special report by Andrew McIntosh of The Sacramento Bee reveals problems with paramedics and EMTs in the state of California. Substance abuse is on the rise among paramedics, including theft of morphine on hand to treat patients in the field. Additionally, lax oversight of the paramedic and EMT licensing systems have led to fired…
Read MoreHousing conditions for Milwakee’s impoverished mentally ill
Reforms promised after the story reveals that man under Milwaukee County’s care was dead for days before his body was discovered. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter Meg Kissinger continues her year-long coverage of housing conditions for Milwakee’s impoverished mentally ill. The latest story details how a man had been dead for up to four days before…
Read More