Consumer & Lifestyle

Consumer & Lifestyle

Medical Testing: More Doesn't Always Mean Better

Submitted by Jose Carrazco on Fri, 2010-03-12 09:36

A spate of recent reports suggest that when it comes to health care, too many Americans are being over-treated.

Experts say there are many reasons, including doctors practicing defensive medicine, and patients used to medical technology who demand extensive tests and treatments.

New evidence and guidelines are recommending a step back, and more thorough doctor-patient conversations about risks and
benefits.

Lawmakers Probe Lax Enforcement of Animal Rules

Submitted by Jose Carrazco on Fri, 2010-03-12 09:30

A report by the federal Government Accountability Office has found that while stringent animal
protections may be on the books, the federal government is doing a lax job of enforcing them.

Ohio Democratic Rep. Dennis Kucinich has held hearings on the issue and says animal treatment is key to food safety.

In a written response to the GAO, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said it planned to use auditors' findings and
recommendations to improve efforts to enforce humane slaughtering laws.

GMAC CEO Will Receive No Cash Salary for 2010

Submitted by Jose Carrazco on Fri, 2010-03-12 09:25

The CEO of bailed-out auto finance giant GMAC Inc. will receive no cash salary for 2010 and will be compensated
in restricted stock, under a deal approved by Obama administration pay czar Kenneth Feinberg, according to people familiar with the matter.

The package appears to be less generous than one Feinberg approved for GMAC CEO Michael Carpenter late last year, say the
people, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter.

Liz Foster's picture

Ga. Senate approves property tax bill

Submitted by Liz Foster on Fri, 2010-03-12 09:09

The state Senate has approved a wide-ranging overhaul of property taxes in Georgia.

The Senate voted 54-to-zero for the measure on Thursday.  Its sponsor, Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers, says assessments in Georgia aren't keeping pace with fair market values.  The Woodstock Republican says the economy has dragged down home vales, but many assessments remain artificially high.

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Ga. Power bills to increase in April

Submitted by Liz Foster on Fri, 2010-03-12 09:05

Georgia Power customers will see their bills go up again.  The Georgia Public Service Commission voted four-to-one on Thursday to let the utility raise prices starting April 1. The average residential customer will pay $9.91 more a month from June
through September and $3.44 the other eight months of the year.

The hike is to help pay for the cost of fuel that the company uses to produce power. The increase is the company's seventh fuel
charge hike in as many years.

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"I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant"

Submitted by Coreen Savitski on Wed, 2010-03-10 11:03

Most women have nine months to prepare for the birth of a new baby.  Kelly Bottom says she had about nine seconds.

Last Thursday afternoon, the 32-year-old says she was doing laundry inside her Harrodsburg, Kentucky home when she felt like she needed to use the bathroom.  Minutes later she squatted on the bathroom floor and gave birth to a 6-pound, 15-ounce baby boy.

Bottom cut the baby's umbilical cord and cleaned him off before packing him into her car and driving to pick up her 7-year-old son from school.

Animal Activists Target Calif. Sushi Restaurant

Submitted by Jose Carrazco on Wed, 2010-03-10 08:49

Federal agents are investigating a high-end Santa Monica, Calif., sushi restaurant, following a video
sting orchestrated by the producers of the Oscar-winning documentary "The Cove."

U.S. attorney's spokesman Thom Mrozek said Tuesday that Santa Monica's The Hump restaurant is under investigation for serving slices of the endangered Sei whale.

Publix Stores Recall Seasoning Mixes

Submitted by 41 News on Tue, 2010-03-09 09:16

Publix Super Markets, which has more than 1,000 stores in five Southern states, has voluntarily recalled four kinds of seasoning mixes that may possibly be contaminated with salmonella.

Publix says it has taken the store-brand mixes off of its shelves. Shoppers may return them for a full refund.

The grocery store operator said late Monday that the mixes were made with hydrolyzed vegetable protein supplied by Basic Food
Flavors, which is based in Las Vegas.

Manufacturer Expands Pet Food Recall

Submitted by 41 News on Tue, 2010-03-09 09:08

Nature's Variety has expanded its recall of chicken-flavored pet food because of concerns over salmonella.

The Lincoln, Neb.-based company said Monday that the raw, frozen food is being recalled because it could be contaminated with salmonella.

The recall includes three-pound packages of chicken medallions, six-pound packages of chicken patties and two-pound packages of chicken chubs.

Initially, the company recalled only packages with a best-by date of Nov. 10, 2010. Now packages with best-by dates of Oct. 29
and Nov. 9, 2010, are also being recalled.

Rome Airport Debuts Body Scanner

Submitted by 41 News on Thu, 2010-03-04 08:50

Rome's main airport is trying out Italy's first body scanner at a terminal that serves U.S. airliners.

Authorities said the scanner went into use Thursday at Leonardo da Vinci airport's Terminal 5 on an experimental basis. If there
are no problems after a few weeks, more machines will be added.

Italy's civil aviation agency says that unlike other scanners using X-rays, this machine employs electromagnetism because the
nation's laws permit X-ray use only for medical reasons.

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