More on teen sex offenders
The Chicago Tribune recently looked at the the plight of juvenile sex offenders who names soon could be added to public registries.
This story features a 19-year-old who was convicted of a sex crime five years earlier.
“Tim, who asked that his last name not be disclosed, said he was rejected by military recruiters and a college admissions office after he informed them of his history. And he is concerned that a year from now, a federal law might cause his full name, photo and address to be displayed on the Internet, just like adult sex offenders,” wrote Tribune reporter John Keilman.
The article also has insight from University of Oklahoma psychologist Barbara Bonner, who treats teenage sex offenders.
Sound off on new tobacco rules
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is seeking input on its “historic” new authority overseeing tobacco products.
The new legislation is meant to save the lives of smokers and prevent young people from starting the habit, according to lawmakers.
The FDA is seeking comments on a variety of related topics, from product content to advertising and marketing, according to a notice in the Federal Register.
“We’re interested in receiving input from across the country as the FDA begins to implement this important new authority intended to reduce the enormous toll of suffering and death caused by tobacco products in the United States,” said Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg, Commissioner of Food and Drugs. “We look forward to the public’s response.”
Click here for more information about the new tobacco regulations.
No money, no justice?
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has stopped testing DNA evidence in thousands of sexual assault cases because it is out of money, the Los Angeles Times reports.
The sheriff says he can no longer afford to send evidence to private labs to be analyzed, leaving thousands of cases in jeopardy unless more money becomes available.
Scary report on gun purchases
The Christian Science Monitor is reporting that about 900 people on the FBI’s terrorist watch list have passed background checks to buy a gun.
That is kind of worrisome no matter how you feel about the Second Amendment, isn’t it?
New perspective on newsroom cuts
I, for one, am keenly interested in the state of the newspaper industry, given that it is how I have chosen to make my living.
As such, I wince every time I read about job cuts at major newspapers.
I’m not sure how others react to such news, but the New York Times reports on a surprising group troubled by such cuts — death penalty opponents.
It seems they’re concerned the lack of investigative reporters at newspapers around the country will make it harder to unearth evidence that exonerates wrongly accused prisoners.
Read more here.
Rashes lead to face paint recall
This could put a crimp in some plans for upcoming festivals, fundraisers and carnivals.
Health officials are advising people to stop using water-based face paint distributed by a Nebraska company after some children suffered rashes, itchiness and swelling.
Several colors of face paint were voluntarily recalled by Fun Express Inc., a subsidiary of Oriental Trading Co. of Omaha. It was distributed nationwide.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration received reports of a cluster of adverse reactions at an event at an undisclosed location.
Tests showed “significant microbial contamination” in the face paint, which was manufactured in China.
Madelaine Base gets her face painted at a carnival at Truman Elementary School in Norman on May 8. Photo by Steve Sisney, The Oklahoman.
The FDA is urging people to discard the recalled paint or return it to the retailer where it was purchased.
The agency also is asking people or health care providers to report any problems with the recalled face paint.
Another day, another outbreak
Federal health officials have linked another legume to an outbreak of salmonella, which can cause fever, nausea and abdominal pain.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are warning people not to eat raw alfalfa sprouts, according to a news release issued Sunday.
Alfalfa sprouts have been linked to this latest salmonella outbreak, which has sickened 31 people in six states. Oklahoma is not one of them.
The illnesses began in mid-March. Cases are still being reported, and possible cases are in various stages of laboratory testing, so illnesses may appear in other states. No deaths have been reported. The number of infected people may be higher than currently reported because some illnesses have not yet been confirmed with laboratory testing, according to health officials.
This is the third legume-related salmonella outbreak since September.
More than 3,900 peanut products have been recalled since authorities linked a fatal salmonella outbreak to two plants operated by the Peanut Corporation of America.
Another strain of salmonella has been linked to pistachios from a California company that has recalled its entire 2008 harvest. Close to 600 products are now on the recall list.
Stillwater company promises laptop security
Dan Yost insists he could eliminate the worry that comes with news of a stolen laptop containing personal information of about 1 million Oklahoma residents.
Yost, who heads Stillwater-based MyLaptopGPS, said his company could have recovered that sensitive data as soon as it was discovered a state Department of Human Services-owned computer had been stolen.
Had our technology been in place on the stolen DHS laptop, it is quite likely that we would already have the thief in custody and the data recovered–if not simply deleted remotely,” Yost wrote in his blog on the company’s Web site.
Yost said the company can track stolen laptops via the Internet then return important files to their owners.
The company claims a 99.6 percent success rate, but Yost said he has been unable to sell its services to state officials despite repeated attempts.
For more information on the company’s services, click here.
Do you think this is a worthwhile investment? Is such protection something you would consider for your own laptop computer?
Pistachios still a concern
Peanut problems have gotten most of the attention over the past six months of so, but another crop of nuts is getting an increasing amount of scrutiny.
Close to 300 products made with pistachios have been recalled as state and federal health officials in California investigate salmonella contamination at one of the nation’s largest pistachio farms.
Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella Inc. has expanded its voluntary recall of roasted pistachios to include all lots of roasted in-shell pistachios and roasted shelled pistachios that were produced from nuts harvested in 2008, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Have all of these recalls made you think twice about eating nuts?
Peanut probe getting contentious
U.S. marshals have joined the search for contaminated peanuts linked to a salmonella outbreak that has sickened nearly 700 people.
Marshals served an inspection warrantWednesday at New Jersey-based Westco Fruit and Nuts Inc. after the company failed to allow U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials access to its records.
The company also resisted an FDA recall request, according to a news release from the agency.
Westco received peanut shipments from the Peanut Corporation of America, the company blamed for the outbreak, according to a Reuters report.
FDA cannot compel companies to recall products, but the peanut-related salmonella outbreak has resulted in the recall of nearly 4,000 products ranging from peanut butter crackers to ice cream to dog treats.
