Issue #3- Safe to Eat?

Summary: In more recent years there has been an increase in the number of food-borne illnesses. All of these cases have gotten the nation's attention and even the government is now worried. A bacteria that has caused many of the illnesses and deaths has been Escherichia coli (E. coli.) Just last year there was an incident that killed 3 people and made over 200 people sick. This case originated from a California farm. Many other outbreaks occurred that caused more people to become sick. There are many reasons for the sudden outbreaks but experts say the most likely reason is because Americans are trying to eat healthier which leads them to eating more fresh produce. Often times the produce is eaten raw unlike meat or fish which is cooked which usually kills harmful bacteria.) Another thing that America has started doing is going their produce locally, mainly in Arizona and California. One last reason that experts think is because processing and distributing the produce happens in large factors and numbers that when a bacteria gets in it affects more produce which will affect more people. As of right now safety standards are not very enforced and quite lenient. The fruit and vegetables are watched over right now by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and meat and poultry are very watched over by the Department of Agriculture. Many large groups have began developing their own standards to regain their costumers trust in their product. Consumers are starting to believe and argue that there should be just one agency that controls and regulates the safety of the U.S. food supply. The supporters of this idea believe that the agency could have mandatory guidelines for all the processes that go into our countries produce production. Supporters of a government run agency also believe that the FDA should be better funded. They believe that way there can be more jobs and be able to do more research on how to prevent such outbreaks of food-borne illnesses. People who do not believe there should be a government run agency that looks over the food industry and specifically produce believe that it will put many businesses at stake. Even though the sales went down of produce after many outbursts the industry was still able to recover. "Critics of the government regulation point out that the industry can respond faster and more effectively than any federal agency." Also pointed out is that if there were a government run agency the cost of producing produce would increase which would get passed along to the consumer who would have to pay more for their fruits and vegetables.

Opinion: I think that there should not be a government run agency that deals with mandating and controlling our produce. I do think that the rules should be much more enforced so that outbreaks like this do not happen as often as they are happening now. I feel that tax payers do not need to pay for something that we won't really get to hear about and see what kind of progress is happening. I also think that it is a good thing that Americans are trying to eat healthier and we should not be punished for that by having the prices of produce raised. Tom Mullen agrees with me in that there should not be a government run agency. He talks about how since the FDA has been created the drugs for foods aren't any safer and there really hasn't been much of a change in the way our produce has been handled and he believes it has not helped outbreaks and creating something like this or expanding the FDA would not be a benefit to Americans either.

Issue #1
Issue #2

1 in 10 kids in U.S. has ADHD, new study says

Summary: In recent years more and more kids have been diagnosed with ADHD. Some think that the actual percent of kids is not growing but because there are better screenings and awareness for it that may result in more cases being shown. It is said that almost 1 in 10 U.S. children have ADHD. ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and it results in kids having a hard time paying attention. This can be treated with drugs or therapy though. The children that are diagnosed 2/3rds of them are seeking medical attention. In recent studies it have been calculated that approximately 5.4 million kids have been diagnosed with ADHD which is 1 million up from the last calculation that was done. Researchers are not positive why such the increase but they are sure that many more parents are telling their kids they have ADHD. One thing that the researchers did was keep tract of who had ADHD and of those who had it last survey about half of them had a mild case.

Opinion: I feel that I have even noticed more awareness about ADHD and that it is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. i feel kids are more comfortable talking about it which could a reason why there seems to be such an increase in the amount of kids diagnosed. I think that it is good to have kids on medication just in case. Also I feel that parents are becoming much more acceptable and supportive towards this. I feel that the more and more research that is done and new tests that come out the more people will be able to learn from this. I feel surveys like this one should be done more often so they can be up to date and continue accurate research.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40113826/ns/health-kids_and_parenting/

15 buried alive, Costa Rica on storm "red alert"

Summary: Today in Costa Rica a hill that was soaked with rain collapsed and many homes killing at least 15 people and several dozen people are still missing. search parties have already gone out but only corpses have been found. The slide was due to an excessive amount of rain over the last couple of days. A river has already flooded and that sent 600 people to shelters alone, and this slide will not help any. Also a problem now is getting places. Many areas you can no longer drive because there are boulders piled 10 feet high. there has been attempts of making tunnels or moving the rocks but the workers have had to stop because of the fear of another land slide. To add to all these problems a dam broke in Parrita which is close to the Pacific coast. Along with a dam, many bridges have collapsed. Because of all these destruction's some 1,500 Costa Ricans are in shelters. The rain is said to continue into tomorrow.

Opinion: I think that this is an awful awful thing to happen to anybody and any country! I can't imagine what these people are going through and how much stress is being put on their life! Not only do they have to deal with everyday things but now having to worry about where they are going to sleep and what their next meal will be, I can't even imagine! I really hope that other countries can step in and give a helping hand. Hopefully  these rains will stop soon and that they can get this mess cleaned up as quickly as possible! I also hope that they can find as many people and not give up! I feel that if Costa Rica handles this well it could really bring them and surrounding countries together.

Study: Toxic chemicals prevalent after BP spill

Summary: Today researchers found that deep down in the ocean there are toxic chemicals that are still left over from the BP spill. The levels in some areas are high enough to kill aquatic creatures. Back in May there was research conducted and the oil was found as far as 8 miles away and since then there has been even more oil released and that's what concerned the researchers so much. The thing that the researchers are most concerned about now are chemicals call polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or PAHs. These awful chemicals can kill animals instantly if high enough concentration, or if low concentration it can cause cancer over a period of time. At first the biggest concern about the PAHs were how toxic they were but now months after the spill the PAHs are still there so the concern now is how long do these toxins last in water? It has also been found that the chemicals are as far away as 13km away and still are very high concentrated. One study that was conducted found that at certain places the PAHs are 40% higher than they were before the spill. One thing that has not happened yet is that the chemicals have not gotten into fish, shrimp or crab from the Gulf of Mexico.

Opinion: I can't believe that more terrible things are being found from this awful oil spill! I feel that BP should take more responsibility and I know they are helping with clean up but I feel that this chemical should be a major thing to focus on and try to get rid of. All of the animals in the Gulf play a huge role in our economy. We may not necessarily eat them or use them all specifically but every animal is part of the food chain and in order for us to live and have a successful economy we need many things from the Gulf of Mexico. I really hope that researchers are able to find a way to get rid of the PAHs. I know that it will be a difficult task because there is so much of it and it is so far out and deep in the ocean. But I feel that if researchers and the company really got after it they could make progress. Also I think that more studies need to be done on the PAHs to see how to get rid of it and answer many unanswered question people have.

Regular workouts ward off the comon cold

Summary: Working out regularly has always been encouraged and has proven that it keeps a person in better shape and healthier overall. A new study shows that working out could also help you prevent catching the common cold. Studies have shown that going for a brisk 30-minute walk 5 times a week catch far less and less severe colds than people who don't do anything. A survey was done from 1,000 people and it was found that people who worked out 5 or more times a week their colds last 45% shorter than the peoples cold who only worked out once a week or not at all. They have found that the more often a person exercises the more often their immune cells will be alert. Getting the immune cells moving is really what will provide the body with best protection. People may think that your diet or weight may be more important but researchers stand that physical activity is the most important thing a person can do to keep a cold away.

Opinion: I think that this new discovery is great! I personally couldn't agree more with it. I have been participating in sports for a very long time and many of them have been in the fall and winter when common colds usually start to become more noticeable. I have have noticed that very few of the athletes get colds while they are in season especially compared to the kids who are not doing activities. I feel that no matter what, people should spend a part of their day exercising and now people really should because of this new discovery. I feel that it would not only help themselves but it would also help the people they are around (coworkers, family, etc.) in knowing that they have a less chance of getting sick which means a less chance of getting other people sick.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39958059/ns/health-fitness/

Tornado flips vehicles, damages Texas school

Summary: On Sunday in Rice, Texas a town was damaged from a very strong tornado. The tornado was able to flip several cars but one that was major was that a semi-trailer flipped and landed on another car going down Interstate 45. Two people were hurt in that accident but the injuries were only classified as minor once they got to the hospital. Another thing that shook the town was that the school was hit by the tornado. As far as the principal knows there were no injuries from the school event. 3 people were omitted to the hospital but all patients were said to have injuries from traffic and the tornado and all injuries were minor.

Opinion: I feel that living in Minnesota I do not know exactly what kind of pain of trauma these people are going through. There are tornado's around here but I feel that they are never quite as destructive and there definitely aren't as many as down south. I do not know exactly what these people or what this town is going through but I feel very sorry for them! I feel that if a school is damaged, no matter how, a community will be hurt from it. I just hope that this community can get together and help the injured people and help to rebuild the school. Possibly out of this destruction this could bring a sense of community and belonging to the town.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39827601/ns/weather/

"Hiccup Girl" charged with first-degree murder

Summary: In 2007 Jennifer Mee was nationally recognized for her condition of uncontrollable hiccuping. At one point in her life she had 50 hiccups in just one minute and this went on for 5 weeks of her life. She tried many different treatments and had seen countless doctors but nobody could figure out what was wrong with her. Eventually the hiccups stopped but still nobody knows what the cause to them were. This young teenager that everybody felt pity for no longer will receive that same feeling. On Sunday she was arrested along with 2 other people and is being charged with first-degree murder. Shannon A. Griffin was the victim and was said to have several gun shots in her upper body. Investigators believe she was a victim of a armed robbery. The crime was committed in Florida and since Florida has the death penalty if the 3 are found guilty they could face the death penalty.

Opinion: Back in 2007 when Jennifer Mee was on the today show and was being interviewed about her unusual hiccuping disorder I did feel bad for her and I'm sure I wasn't the only one watching that day that felt bad for her. I didn't understand how there could be such a thing that doctors could not fix and that instead she just had to deal with them! Once I saw the head line for this article I thought there was no way that it was the young girl who was on the today show just a few years ago...but sure enough, it was. I do not feel sorry at all for people who commit such a terrible crime. I have no idea what kind of mind set they must be in to do such a terrible thing. So many people besides just the person who died and their family is affected and sometimes I feel that the murders don't think of anybody besides themselves when they do such a terrible thing. I feel that the case should be more looked into and I feel that the death penalty should be reconsidered if the 3 are found guilty but also they should get the type of punishment they deserve.\

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39827189/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/