A couple of days ago we noted that a new health scare is on the horizon, one linked to the discovery of a class of flame-retardant chemicals called PBDEs in salmon. An article in the August 12 Wall Street Journal confirms our interpretation.

The credibility of the peer review process has come under vehement attack.
Scientists who receive no-strings-attached financial support for their research from demonized industries -- tobacco, pharmaceuticals, and food, among others -- are no longer deemed trustworthy.

The world received the news today of the death of Julia Child -- a master cook, author, television personality -- and a lady with a great deal of common sense.

Yesterday's warning from acting FDA director Lester Crawford about the possibility of terrorists using contaminated pharmaceuticals as a weapon against us should cause everyone to reflect on the real risks associated with our nation's latest obsession: importing less expensive prescription drugs from Canada.
Specifically, Dr. Crawford noted that "cues from chatter" gathered around the world are raising concerns that terrorists might use the drug supply, particularly illegally imported prescription drugs, to hurt and kill Americans.

A recent study comparing x-ray analyses of asbestos-related lung damage revealed some troublesome results.

I offer full disclosure right up front: I love FoxNews. It is my favorite channel. Other than a brief peek at NBC's Today show at 7am each day, FoxNews is the only channel I watch. I find them to be, as their logo brags, "fair and balanced." It seems that many other Americans agree with me: FoxNews is frequently cited as being #1 in national viewership of cable news channels.
But despite my great allegiance to Fox, I think there is room for improvement at that network. A lot of room.

If our medical malpractice tort scheme were a patient, its condition would be critical. The system is ailing, and rather than treating it with an eye toward long-term solutions, the fixes have been quick: emergency insurance, caps on damages.
All avoid the basic question: How can our dysfunctional tort system be fixed?
In theory, negligent care resulting in injury should be reasonably compensated, with oversight provided by impartial courts. Liability insurance would protect doctors and hospitals from ruinous judgments, and be affordable.

I've been a Mets fan all my life (and that's something, considering I was born in 1947), so I reacted to the news about ace pitcher Tom Glavine's recent auto accident with alarm. Not that I expect great things from the team this year that dream faded away like a highway mirage in July. But even though Tom is at an advanced age for a pitcher, he may well have a few more good years in him, and there's no doubt the team will be better next year (I always say that!). So I was upset to hear of his injuries and then relieved to learn of their minor nature he lost his two front teeth.

August 9, 2004 marked the third anniversary of President Bush's decision to limit federal funding of embryonic stem cell (ESC) research to cell lines created before August 2001. On this anniversary, First Lady Laura Bush defended her husband's policy and suggested that his opponents, including Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry and members of former President Reagan's family, have overstated the benefits of such research.

With every new bit of terrorist-related news, we hear that the color on the Department of Homeland Security's terror threat system is or isn't changing from yellow (elevated) to orange (high), for example (here in New York City it's been orange since 9/11). Not that that change actually gives the average person any real directive on how he or she should change behavior. Now I'm beginning to wonder if we're seeing a similar phenomenon with respect to food salmon in particular.