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The hidden dangers of legal highs

“In comparison with regular drugs, there is hardly any data on the harm these new drugs do. Manufacturers in the UK, China and eastern Europe take any of these chemicals or dozens more, blending them with inert substances into uncontrolled, unstated doses, and selling them online. These products, with names such as Barry White and Dutchy, are the most concerning: customers are very often young people, some of whom find it hard to buy drugs anywhere else, or prefer to stay on the right side of the law. Manufacturers do not list their contents, or give any dosage instructions, since to do so would render them liable for prosecution.” Continue reading →

Living in U.S. raises risk of allergies

“Children born outside the United States have a lower risk of asthma, skin and food allergies, and living in the United States for a decade or more may raise the risk of some allergies, said a study Monday. The research in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that certain environmental exposures could trigger allergies later in life, overcoming the protective effects of microbial exposure in childhood. The study examined records from 2007-2008 phone surveys of nearly 92,000 people in the United States, where food and skin allergies have been on the rise in recent years.” Continue reading →

China hits back with report on U.S. human rights record

“China on Sunday retorted the U.S. criticism and distortions of its human rights situation by publishing a report of the U.S. human rights record. The Human Rights Record of the United States in 2012 was released by the Information Office of China’s State Council, or the Cabinet, in response to the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2012 issued by the U.S. State Department. China in the report argued that there are serious human rights problems in the U.S. which incur extensive criticism in the world, as it has posed as ‘the world judge of human rights’ again.” Continue reading →

Authorization for Use of Military Force: a blank check for war without end

“The Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), passed after the attacks of 11 September 2001, provides the legal cornerstone for the so-called US ‘war on terror’. It allows the US government to wage war at anytime, any place and on anyone deemed a threat to national security. The AUMF opened the doors to the US wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya; attacks on Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia and Mali; the new drone bases in Niger and Djibouti; and the killing of American citizens, notably Anwar al-Awlaki and his 16-year-old noncombatant son. It is what now emboldens the hawks on the warpath to Syria, Iran and North Korea.” Continue reading →

Overcharge: 29 States Mandate High-Cost “Green” Power Generation

“Of the 50 states in the United States, 29 of them have state laws mandating renewable energy programs for local power generation plants. The trouble is, these alternative fuels are expensive. Natural gas costs have fallen by 70% since 2005. Fracking has made the difference. New supplies have lowered natural gas prices. This means that the 29 states are prohibited from buying low-cost, clean-burning natural gas. This raises the cost of electricity. In only 16 of these states have state legislators begun to discuss the possibility that these laws are economically foolish.” Continue reading →

India gives top security protection to country’s richest man Mukesh Ambani

“The Indian government is to provide the country’s richest man Mukesh Ambani, head of energy giant Reliance Industries, with full-time security from armed commandos, media reports said Monday. India’s home ministry approved the move, the Times of India said, two months after a letter threatening to harm Ambani was hand-delivered to his office in Mumbai, allegedly from the banned Indian Mujahideen militant group. Citing an unnamed government source, the newspaper said Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde had approved the so-called ‘Z category’ top-grade security for Ambani, which is usually reserved for prominent political leaders.” Continue reading →

‘No frills’ Indian hospitals offer $800 heart surgery

“What if hospitals were run like a mix of Wal-Mart and a low-cost airline? The result might be something like the chain of ‘no-frills’ Narayana Hrudayalaya clinics. Using pre-fabricated buildings, stripping out air-conditioning and even training visitors to help with post-operative care, the group believes it can cut the cost of heart surgery to an astonishing 800 dollars. Already famous for his ‘heart factory’ in Bangalore, which does the highest number of cardiac operations in the world, the latest ‘Temple of the Heart’ projects are ultra low-cost facilities. ‘Our target is to build and equip a hospital for six million dollars and build it in six months.'” Continue reading →

Oregon Teachers Traumatized by Unannounced Shooter Drill

“Panic erupted on Friday at Pine Eagle Charter school in rural Oregon when two masked men carrying handguns burst into a teachers’ lounge and opened fire. After the initial chaos, the terrified teachers realized the guns were firing blanks and that they were the subject of an unannounced shooter drill. The little school in Halfway, Oregon was having an in-service day, so the children were at home at the time of the drill. The terrifying action has drawn criticism from many but Principal Cammie DeCastro has defended it, saying, ‘For us not to know how we were going to respond is leaving us open’.” Continue reading →