Congress Sends Monsanto a Late Valentine—at Your Expense

They added a sneaky clause to pending chemical safety legislation. Action Alert! Last year, we told you about a chemical safety bill—one drafted by the chemical industry, and one that will do little to protect consumers from the estimated 84,000 chemicals registered for use in the US. That bill, sponsored by Sens. Mark Udall (D-NM)… Continue reading Congress Sends Monsanto a Late Valentine—at Your Expense

Bad Trade Deal Gets Worse

An underhanded maneuver could make the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) even worse than it was originally. Action Alert! The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) picked up on an almost imperceptible but vitally important change in the TPP text. It was widely understood that the text had been completed and finally made public after years of hyper-secrecy when… Continue reading Bad Trade Deal Gets Worse

Crony FDA Chief Approved by Senate

Do your senators support crony medicine? Last week, the Senate voted overwhelmingly to approve the nomination of Dr. Robert Califf as FDA Commissioner. The final tally was 89 “yea” votes, seven abstentions—and only four “no” votes. The four were Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Joe Manchin (D-WV), and Ed Markey (D-MA). Presidential candidates Ted… Continue reading Crony FDA Chief Approved by Senate

Natural Alternative 10,000 Times More Effective than Chemo

New research suggests that a common household food attacks cancer at the root. A recently published study in PLoS indicates that a substance found in ginger called 6-shogaol is a potent agent in fighting breast cancer—much more potent than chemotherapy and much less dangerous. Shogaol—from the Japanese word for ginger, shōga (生姜)—is special because it… Continue reading Natural Alternative 10,000 Times More Effective than Chemo

FDA, Allied Monopolists, and Allied Media Continue War on Medical Testing Innovation

These three want lab-testing pioneer Theranos to be history. The future of medicine is at stake. Action Alert! In 2013, we reported on Theranos, a new and exciting venture that had the potential to revolutionize medicine by making medical testing cheaper, faster, and more convenient. The basic idea was simple—to create testing technology that would… Continue reading FDA, Allied Monopolists, and Allied Media Continue War on Medical Testing Innovation

Is Your State Being Targeted by a Medical Monopoly?

It may be—if a secretive, private, and powerful organization called the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) gets its way. State-based Action Alerts! For years now, we have been reporting on the machinations of the FSMB, especially their most recent efforts to pass their Interstate Medical Licensure Compact in as many states as possible. Don’t… Continue reading Is Your State Being Targeted by a Medical Monopoly?

HSAs Should Cover Supplements!

New bills in both chambers of Congress agree. Action Alert! Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and three of his colleagues, Sens. Rubio (R-FL), Barrasso (R-WY), and Johnson (R-WI), have introduced a bill that would allow Health Savings Account (HSA) funds to go toward dietary supplements without having to get a doctor’s prescription; the same would apply to health… Continue reading HSAs Should Cover Supplements!

Tide Turning against Ag-Gag Laws?

After last year’s landmark decision in Idaho, more ag-gag laws are being challenged in court. State-based Action Alert! Last year, we reported that a federal district court found Idaho’s “ag-gag” law unconstitutional on First Amendment grounds. Like similar ag-gag laws in seven other states, Idaho’s law made it a felony to document and expose illegal… Continue reading Tide Turning against Ag-Gag Laws?

War on Natural Medicine Continues

If a mainstay treatment of natural medicine doctors is shown to be safe and effective by government research, what do you do? Ban it! Action Alert! Congress passed the Drug Quality and Security Act in response to bad medicine from a rogue compounded-drug company, which the FDA had known about and refused to shut down.… Continue reading War on Natural Medicine Continues

Nominee for FDA Commissioner Clears Another Hurdle

Dr. Robert Califf has deep ties to the drug industry—and he’s one step closer to becoming the new FDA commissioner. We must stop this. Action Alert! He recently cleared the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and is now headed for a full floor vote. Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Bernie Sanders (D-VT), and Ed… Continue reading Nominee for FDA Commissioner Clears Another Hurdle