Miscellaneous

• Federal Physician Whistleblower Protection

  Staff Writer | May 08, 2006 10:19 AM | 0 CommentsChicago, IL

  Good News. The U.S. Merit Protection Board has overturned a 2004 ruling by an Administrative Law Judge so that federal doctors can be guaranteed the same protection as other Federal Whistleblowers. This protects thousands of federal doctors and medical researchers, so called Title 42 workers who work on government research, medical work and safety reviews, who allege federal corruption. Title...

• DrugMakers Tracking Doctors Prescriptions

  Staff Writer | May 04, 2006 3:37 PM | 0 CommentsChicago, IL

  Physicians are finally realizing that pharmaceutical companies are giving the doctor's prescription preferences and patterns to their 90,000 sales people. The Prescription Data sets up which physicians should be rewarded with perks like gifts, meals and seminars. Targeting "early prescribers" or "cowboys" helps pharmaceutical salesmen promote particular name brand drugs to willing physicians. ...

• Butter Flavoring Health Risks Continue

  Staff Writer | April 27, 2006 2:40 PM | 0 CommentsChicago, IL

  Even after more than $100 Million in damages awarded to popcorn factory workers, the industry continues to ignore the health risks to its workers. The popcorn flavoring contains a chemical called Diacetyl which causes a potentially fatal lung disease requiring lung transplants. Epidemiologists have called OSHA's nonchalance to the problem "criminal". Over 150 workers have filed suits, 30 of...

• Vinyl Chloride Danger in Du Page

  Staff Writer | April 24, 2006 11:27 AM | 0 CommentsChicago, IL

  A lawsuit was just filed on Friday, April 21st, on behalf of residents of an unicorporated suburb in Du Page County, Illinois, alleging that vinyl chloride had seeped into ground water. The suit, against the Forest Preserve and BFI Waste Management Systems of North America, Inc., seeks Class Action status on behalf of 80 residents and 150 households threatened by the 543 acres of landfill...

• Asbestos Under the Capital

  Staff Writer | April 04, 2006 2:18 PM | 0 CommentsChicago, IL

  Workers employed by The Office Of The Architect of The Capital have written to legislators warning of extreme levels of asbestos in the tunnels below the Capital , so thick it can be physically picked up. According to a recently published report in The Hill, a newsletter on issues concerning Congress, the tunnel area, which links the Capital to the power plant, is so dangerous that the Capital...

• The Scalia Code

  Staff Writer | March 30, 2006 4:55 PM | 0 CommentsChicago, IL

  A new mystery has enveloped Washington - just what did Justice Scali's "Sicilian " hand gesture to a Boston Herald reporter mean? Apparently, Scalia took offense at the reporter's sarcasm when he approached Scalia outside a church and questioned the Justice's impartiality in matters of church and state. The gesture was described as a movement of the fingers on one hand under Scalia's chin,...

• Cromium Industry Guilty of Scientific Fraud

  Staff Writer | March 03, 2006 3:50 PM | 0 CommentsChicago, IL

  In yet another example how Corporate America intentionally manipulates data at the expense of workers, this week a team of scientists reported that the Chromium Industry had skewed data to hide the risk of lung cancer in workers exposed to low level of chromium. The orchestrated campaign by companies and their consultants was intended to persuade OSHA to weaken a proposed workplace standard. ...

• Supremes Rule For Black "Boys" Against Tyson Chicken

  Staff Writer | February 22, 2006 3:23 PM | 0 CommentsChicago, IL

  Congratulations to the Supreme Court for overturning an Appellate Court's decision which took away a 1.4 Million Dollar verdict for two black employees against Tyson Chicken in an employment discrimination case. The Appellate Court had held that a white chicken plant manager could not be sued for calling black employees "boys". The Supreme Court disagreed with the resoning of the Appeals...

• iPod User Sues Apple for Hearing Loss

  Staff Writer | February 02, 2006 2:41 PM | 0 CommentsChicago, IL

  According to the Associated Press, a Louisiana man has filed a Products Liability suit against Apple, seeking Class Certification for all iPod users who may have suffered noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) from the device. The complaint alleges that iPod's are "inherently defective in design and are not sufficiently adorned with adequate warnings regarding the likelihood of hearing loss". The...

• Supreme Court Justice Jokers

  Staff Writer | January 16, 2006 3:28 PM | 0 CommentsChicago, IL

  According to Jay D. Wexler, a law professor at Boston University, our Supreme Court Justices are funnier than you might expect. By reviewing transcript notations featuring "laughter", Professor Wexler's study found Justice Scalia to be the Court Jester whereas Justice Thomas prompted no laughter at all. (I guess the laughs still on us ever since the Thomas Confirmation Hearings.) The New York...