A Brief List of 2012 Food & Grocery Recalls

Have you ever walked into a grocery store on Monday and purchased a brand new food product (at least to you) that you think might be really nice to try. After cooking it up you thought it was pretty good, even if you possible got sick (but with all the random things we ingest it is always hard to figure out what exactly got us sick). So you decide to go back to the store the following Monday and pick up the same product. But lo and behold…. It is no longer being carried.  You decide to do some investigating (aka… type  the product name in Google) and all of a sudden you see a news report saying that the product has been recalled due to Salmonella poisoning!

Toxic Exposure from Plastic Bottle Manufacturers- BPA

Many consumers are raising an eyebrow over products containing a component known as BPA. Agencies such as the FDA, CDC, and many other government and private companies are learning more and more about this chemical, and the findings are not good. Learn what you need to know about toxic BPA exposure as a consumer.

Preparing for the future…Again- (Social Security)

In case you have never heard of Social Security or are a bit unsure as to what exactly it is- here is a brief definition: Social Security is a type of social insurance meant to protect citizens from succumbing to financial troubles from unemployment or underemployment due to age, disability, and other special circumstances (ideally). Funds for Social Security benefits are pulled from federal payroll taxes and are then paid to the citizen when they qualify for benefits under certain criteria. Social Security comes out of the worker’s paycheck and it is paid back to them once they need it due to retirement, disability, or death – if a worker dies before collecting benefits, Social Security is typically paid out to their spouse or family. The threat of Social Security becoming a thing of the past is nearing closer to reality. The government has had to restructure the program many times to ensure benefits to the current recipients of SSI, but future generations may possibly never collect benefits.

Cerebral Palsy: Your Rights and Social Responsibility

 

Having a baby is one of the happiest moments in a parent’s life. From the moment you learn that you are pregnant, emotions of excitement and anticipation accompany you until the delightful moment that your little one enters the world.  Mothers work hard to ensure that they eat properly, get enough rest and take care of themselves while pregnant to ensure the health of their baby.  Couples interview doctors and choose a qualified care provider that can make assure their child is cared for during pregnancy and delivery.  Parents put their trust in hospitals and medical professionals every day asking of them one simple thing – do a good job and deliver my child safely.  Unfortunately accidents during delivery happen, and when they do children are at risk for cerebral palsy.

Defining the EPA’s Superfund

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, has a mechanism in place to identify and rectify geographic sites that harbor extensive pollutants as a result of industrial production.

It is called the Superfund, an environmental remediation program that came into being as a result of toxic waste sites. This Superfund, which is also the name of an actual remediation fund - the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, or CERCLA – provides the dollars need for cleanup.

Fracking Linked to Earthquakes

The furor over fracking has barely died down after reaching a peak several months ago which resulted in New York banning fracking – a ban expected to be overturned. Meanwhile, a majority of states involved in the process appear to be maintaining what amounts to a veil of secrecy over the real issues. These include advance notice of where (and when) oil drillers anticipate fracking; the precise ingredients of the chemical stew used to frack individual sites; what will be done with the wastewater; and a number of other details that add up to either environmentally permissible or totally unsustainable fracked oil and gas extraction.

Human Rights - Should Undocumented Workers be Protected Under US Law?

An undocumented worker is someone working off the books; they are usually not on the payroll and have not completed any tax forms. These people have not provided the company or person they work for with identification of having a legal status to work in this country. Most places of employment require a photo id, social security card or work visa to be eligible for hire. In many states, the burden of proof of legal documentation of employees lies with the employer as they will face steep fines for undocumented workers. The intention behind these laws is the employer and employee are both protected, but it also creates some unfortunate situations. One example is employers taking advantage of these individuals because they are too afraid to speak up for themselves.