Buyers Steer Clear Of Cashed-In Clunkers

(NAPSI)-Nearly 700,000 used cars were traded in and sent to be scrapped under the federal Car Allowance Rebate System, or "Cash for Clunkers." But how many of those autos actually made it to the scrap yard? Experts say it could pay for used car buyers to ask just that.

Some now warn that although it is illegal to resell any car traded in under the Cash for Clunkers program, many of the used cars that were supposedly scrapped may in fact be resold around the country.

Protecting Yourself

Fortunately, there are ways for car buyers to protect themselves. For instance, working with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Carfax recently added the vehicle identification number (VIN) of every car included in the Cash for Clunkers program to its database.

The information is available for free at www.carfax.com/clunkers. After plugging in the 17-digit VIN, the free check alerts buyers and sellers to any vehicle that was supposed to be scrapped as part of the initiative. The company's vehicle history reports also include the clunker information in addition to other important facts about a car's past--facts that a seller may be unaware of or choose not to reveal. Carfax Reports can indicate if a car was in a flood, fire or wreck or if its odometer may have been illegally rolled back.

It's also smart for shoppers to give a car a visual inspection and have the car inspected by a trusted mechanic before they buy. A few things to look for:

•Make sure the seller's name and the vehicle identification number matches on all documents and the car itself.

•Be aware of malfunctioning air bag indicator lights. The light should turn on briefly when you start the engine and then turn off.

•Cracked wires or interior rust; cars that were once under water will rot from the inside out. Wet wires become brittle and metal bolts and brackets will start rusting when they dry out.

Learn More

For more information on the Cash for Clunkers program and guidelines, visit www.cars.gov. For more information on vehicle history reports, visit www.carfax.com.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page

Dangerous Contraceptive Drug Yaz and Yasmine Raise Serious Health Risks

Some women may have sustained serious injury after taking contraceptives under the names "Yaz" "Yasmin" or "Ocella." Use of the drug may cause strokes, heart attacks, DVT (blood clots in legs), Pulmonary Embolism (blood clots in lungs, and dehydration, leading to kidney stones or gall bladder disease.

What is Yaz?
Yasmin and Yaz are contraceptive drugs produced by Bayer Healthcare. Yasmin and Yaz are known as "fourth generation" combination oral birth control drugs because they contain a combination of the hormones estrogen (ethinyl estradiol) and progestin (drospirenone). Yasmin was approved for use in the United States in 2001, while Yaz, a lower dose version, was approved for use in 2006. It is marketed under the name Ocella as a generic brand. The difference between Yaz and Yasmine is in the amount of the estrogen component, ethinyl estradiol. Yasmin contains 30 mcg ethinyl estradiol, while Yaz contains a lower dose of 20 mcg. This contraceptive is one of the most popular contraceptives and has been heavily marketed to women throughout the United States promoting its use in treating premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).

Why is Yaz dangerous?
There are several reasons.

Dehydration. This key ingredient Drospirenone may cause dehydration and then increase potassium levels in the blood, which, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), can be dangerous. Dehydration can lead to kidney stones and gallbladder disease.

Heart Problems. Potassium acts as a critical control in cardiac rhythm. Because of that, this imbalance can cause heart rhythm disturbances. This process can result in a stroke, heart attack, the formation of blood clots, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism, and even death.

Blood clot conditions including DVT and Pulmonary Embolism are serious Yaz side effect reported by women using this fourth-generation birth control pill. Many women with no family history of blood clots have suffered from life threatening injuries involving clots. The type of hormones in birth control pills can increase the risk of developing blood clots which can lead to serious problems especially if they are not diagnosed early.

After having a blood clot many women are then faced with life-changing side effects including being on blood thinners, pain in the area of the clot, and increased risk of developing another clot.

One of the more serious conditions reported by women who used Yaz or Yasmine are strokes. There are two main types of strokes: ischemic stroke (caused by blockage) and hemorrhagic stroke (caused by bleeding). Women who are otherwise healthy with no prior stroke problems have experienced a stroke where no other health issues exist. After having a stroke many women are then faced with life-changing side effects including permanent loss of movement, difficulty communicating and permanent loss of brain functions.

Quality Control. Recently, the FDA has taken action against Bayer to limit the drug's entry into the nation from Germany where it is manufactured citing serious quality control issues.

Has Bayer Properly Warned You About the Risks?
Bayer has also been cited by the FDA for overstating the benefits of Yaz and understating the risks in taking the contraceptive in its marketing of the drug. As part of an agreement with the FDA and more than two dozen state legal officials, Bayer was pressured into removing the ads, but is still marketing the drug with a new ad campaign which started early in 2009. "Those products were the company's top-selling pharmaceuticals last year, with global sales of $1.8 billion," according to The New York Times.

Article provided by Marcus & Mack

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page

Largest Environmental Bankruptcy in U.S. History Will Result in Payment of $1.79 Billion Towards Environmental Cleanup & Restoration

/PRNewswire/ -- As a result of the largest environmental bankruptcy in U.S. history, $1.79 billion has been paid to fund environmental cleanup and restoration under a bankruptcy reorganization of American Smelting and Refining Company LLC (ASARCO), the Justice Department, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of the Interior and Department of Agriculture announced today.

ASARCO is a leading producer of copper and one of the largest nonferrous metal producers in the United States. It is based in Arizona and is responsible for sites around the country that are contaminated with hazardous waste.

The money from environmental settlements in the bankruptcy will be used to pay for past and future costs incurred by federal and state agencies at more than 80 sites contaminated by mining operations in 19 states. Those states are Arizona, Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, and Washington.

"The effort to recover this money was a collaborative and coordinated response by the states and federal government. Our combined efforts have resulted in the largest recovery of funds to pay for past and future clean up of hazardous materials in the nation's history. Today is a historic day for the environment and the people affected across the country," said Associate Attorney General Tom Perrelli.

"Today's landmark enforcement settlement will provide almost one billion dollars to clean up polluted Superfund sites," said Cynthia Giles, Assistant Administrator for the EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. "This will mean cleaner land, water and air for communities across the country."

"This settlement exemplifies government at all levels working effectively for the American taxpayer to recover damages from polluters and restore and protect important national landscapes and significant wildlife resources that have been injured," said Interior Assistant Secretary Tom Strickland. "In consultation and collaboration with our state and tribal co-trustees, this money will be used exclusively to restore, replace or acquire the equivalent of resources injured at more than a dozen sites where ASARCO operated and we have identified natural resource damage."

"I would like to thank the Department of Justice, the Environmental Protection Agency and USDA Office of General Counsel for their diligence in reaching this comprehensive settlement that will so benefit restoration of public lands," said Joel Holtrop, Deputy Chief for the National Forest System, U.S. Forest Service, Department of Agriculture. "This settlement provides significant resources to address land restoration from past mining activities on National Forest System lands in Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana and Washington."

Under the terms of the plan, all allowed claims were paid in full along with interest. Funds were distributed as follows:

-- The United States received approximately $776 million which will be
distributed in accordance with the underlying settlements to address
over 35 different sites;
-- The Coeur d'Alene Work Trust was paid $436 million;
-- The three custodial trusts--which address the owned but not operating
properties of ASARCO and involve a total of 13 states and 24 sites -
were paid a cumulative total of approximately $261 million; and
-- Payments totaling in excess of $321 million were paid to 14 different
states to fund environmental settlement obligations at over 36
individual sites.


In total, the payment will address environmental cleanup and restoration at more than 80 sites around the country. Much of the money paid to the United States will be placed in special accounts in the Superfund to be used by EPA to pay for future cleanup work. It will also be placed into accounts at the Department of Interior and the Department of Agriculture to pay for natural resource restoration.

ASARCO filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S. bankruptcy code on Aug. 9, 2005. American Smelting and Refining Company or ASARCO has operated for nearly 110 years--first as a holding company for diverse smelting, refining, and mining operations throughout the United States and now as the Arizona-based integrated copper-mining, smelting, and refining company.

By the time it filed for bankruptcy, ASARCO's core operating assets were limited to certain operations in the states of Arizona and Texas. However, it continued to own numerous non-operating properties that were highly contaminated and was subject to environmental claims at sites that were not owned by the company.

In August 2009, following lengthy litigation, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas held a two-week hearing on competing plans of reorganization for ASARCO that would allow the company to be purchased out of bankruptcy. During this hearing, two competing plans emerged that proposed to pay creditors in full with interest.

On Aug. 31, 2009, Judge Richard Schmidt of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Corpus Christi issued a recommendation to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to confirm the plan proposed by ASARCO's parent company--a subsidiary of Grupo Mexico. U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen in Brownsville accepted Judge Schmidt's recommendation and confirmed Grupo Mexico's plan on Nov. 13, 2009.

On Dec. 9, 2009, Grupo Mexico met its funding obligations and the plan was consummated. Additionally, the environmental payment and property transfer obligations outlined in the numerous settlement agreements, which had been approved by the Bankruptcy Court over the course of the litigation, were complied with.

The full payment of environmental claims, plus interest, will facilitate the cleanup of contamination and restoration of natural resources at numerous sites across the country. The reorganized company remains liable for environmental liabilities at the properties that it will continue to own and operate.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page

Toxic Chemicals in Bodies Report From Centers for Disease Control: Environmental Health Advocates Respond

/PRNewswire/ -- The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) expected to be released today by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is on the right track with a focus on testing people's bodies for chemical contamination, say environmental health advocates working on chemical exposure issues.

According to Pamela K. Miller, executive director of Alaska Community Action on Toxics, "While we are very relieved the CDC is stepping up its focus on chemical exposure with important monitoring of toxics in people's bodies, we'd like them to collect data to reflect geographic location in order to assess regional exposure patterns." In Alaska, Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) - chemicals that can take many years to break down - drift North on wind and water and impact Indigenous people. Alaska has one of the highest rates of birth defects in the nation. Some scientists believe that the gender imbalance of more girls being born than boys in the Arctic is due in part to exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals that drift North.

Sharyle Patton, program director at Commonweal, says, "CDC should make individual results available to those they have tested. As the European Union begins its pilot biomonitoring study, it will be making plans to do just this, given EU legal support for the right to know. In the interests of transparency and access, and as leaders in national biomonitoring programs, surely we can do the same."

Margaret Reeves, Ph.D., senior scientist with Pesticide Action Network North America, who works with farmworker and rural communities says, "It is necessary for CDC to link time of year of specimen collection and the occupations of those tested to see patterns with pesticide applications and other exposures."

Peter Orris, MD, MPH, Professor and Chief of Service, Environmental and Occupational Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center welcomes the report as important: "I would hope that CDC will continue to collect information and will also look at intergenerational comparisons to help protect women of child bearing age from those chemicals that may damage the developing fetus."

"Biomonitoring studies provide direct evidence that people are exposed to harmful chemicals, and these studies should be linked with policy actions to reduce and prevent exposures," according to Davis Baltz, M.S., a Senior Associate working on chemical policy issues with Commonweal.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page

Federal Court Rules Massive Wind Energy Project in Violation of Endangered Species Act

/PRNewswire/ -- Federal district court Judge Roger Titus of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland has issued a comprehensive ruling that an industrial wind energy facility in Greenbrier County, West Virginia will kill and injure endangered Indiana bats, in violation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The court concluded that "the development of wind energy can and should be encouraged, but wind turbines must be good neighbors." This is the first federal court ruling in the country finding a wind power project in violation of federal environmental law, and it highlights the critical importance of balancing the creation of renewable energy and protection of endangered wildlife species under the ESA.

The court recognized that "the two vital federal policies at issue in this case are not necessarily in conflict" because defendants Invenergy and Beech Ridge Energy could have sought a permit under the ESA which would "allow their project to proceed in harmony with the goal of avoidance of harm to endangered species." The ESA provides for the issuance of permits that authorize projects in endangered species habitat, but only when the United States Fish and Wildlife Service attaches strict and enforceable conditions designed to minimize the impact on imperiled species.

In finding a violation of the ESA, the court held, based on extensive expert testimony and other evidence, "that, like death and taxes, there is a virtual certainty that Indiana bats will be harmed, wounded, or killed imminently by the Beech Ridge Project in violation of ... the ESA, during the spring, summer, and fall." Accordingly, the court held "that the only avenue available to Defendants to resolve the self-imposed plight in which they now find themselves is to do belatedly that which they should have done long ago: apply for a permit" under the ESA.

In holding that the project is "certain to imminently harm, kill, or wound Indiana bats," the court relied heavily on testimony by leading bat biologists Dr. Thomas Kunz of Boston University, Dr. Michael Gannon of Penn State, and Dr. Lynn Robbins of Missouri State University. Dr. Kunz - whom the court has described as the "leading expert in the field of bat ecology in the United States" - testified that the project will not only kill endangered Indiana bats, but may kill more than a quarter of a million bats overall, including species already being decimated by threats such as the devastating disease known as white-nose syndrome.

Plaintiffs in the case - the Animal Welfare Institute, Mountain Communities for Responsible Energy, and caving enthusiast Dave Cowan - applauded the court's ruling.

"As this nation embraces renewable energy which all of the plaintiffs support, it is critical that such projects be undertaken consistent with federal law to ensure that our rush to develop a green energy future doesn't jeopardize imperiled species," said D.J. Schubert, a wildlife biologist with the Animal Welfare Institute. "In this decision, the court sends an unequivocal message that the 'green energy' label does not exempt wind power from compliance with federal laws protecting wildlife and the environment," added William Eubanks, an attorney with Meyer, Glitzenstein & Crystal which represented plaintiffs in this case. "Indeed, other wind power companies are complying with the ESA permitting process, the Congressionally mandated vehicle for minimizing harm to listed species."

The court enjoined the construction of any additional wind turbines and prohibited the operation of all existing turbines between April 1 and November 15 until an Incidental Take Permit is obtained. Operating the existing turbines between November 16 and March 31 is not likely to impact Indiana bats since they hibernate during the winter months. Per an earlier agreement between the parties and the court, 40 of the 122 planned wind turbines have been erected to date, and those are generally farthest from known winter populations of Indiana bats.

"We do not oppose responsible development of renewable energy projects be they wind farms, solar farms, or tidal energy projects but there must be independent federal regulation of these project to avoid unintentional consequences to protected species," said John Stroud, spokesperson for Mountain Communities for Responsible Energy. "This court has made clear to Beech Ridge and its parent company, Invenergy, that the ESA has teeth, that the Indiana bat will be harmed by this project, and that these companies don't get a free pass to violate the ESA," said Dave Cowan, an avid spelunker who has explored many of West Virginia's caves.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page

New Report: States Cut Funding for Tobacco Prevention Programs Despite Receiving Record Amounts of Tobacco Revenue

Georgia ranks 50th in the nation on the amount of dollars spent on tobacco use prevention.

/PRNewswire/ -- The states are collecting record amounts of revenue from the 1998 tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes, but have cut funding for programs to reduce tobacco use by more than 15 percent in the past year, according to a report released today by a coalition of public health organizations.

With the nation's adult smoking rate stalled after decades of decline, the report warns that continued progress is at risk unless states significantly increase funding for programs to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit. The report also calls on Congress to ensure that health care reform legislation includes adequate funding for disease prevention initiatives, including tobacco prevention and cessation, and mandates coverage in Medicaid and other health insurance programs for smoking cessation medication and counseling.

The report, titled "A Broken Promise to Our Children: The 1998 State Tobacco Settlement 11 Years Later," was released by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Lung Association and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. These organizations have issued annual reports assessing whether the states have kept their promise to use funds from the state tobacco settlements - estimated to total $246 billion over the first 25 years - to fight tobacco use. The states also collect billions more each year from tobacco taxes.

Key findings of this year's report include:

-- The states this year (Fiscal Year 2010) will collect $25.1 billion in
revenue from the tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes, but are
spending just 2.3 percent of it - $567.5 million - on tobacco
prevention and cessation programs (the states also receive $62 million
in federal grants for tobacco prevention, for total funding of $629.5
million). With more states expected to increase tobacco taxes in the
coming year, that revenue figure is certain to increase.
-- In the past year, states have cut funding for tobacco prevention by
$103.4 million, or 15.4 percent. Including cuts approved just last
week, New York made the largest cut - $25.2 million, or 31 percent -
despite having a successful program that has reduced smoking to well
below national rates. Other states with large cuts include Colorado,
Maryland, Pennsylvania and Washington.
-- Only one state - North Dakota - currently funds a tobacco prevention
program at the level recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC). Only nine other states fund tobacco
prevention at even half the CDC-recommended level, while 31 states and
DC provide less than a quarter of the recommended funding.
-- Tobacco companies spend $20 to market tobacco products for every one
dollar the states spend to fight tobacco use. According to the latest
data from the Federal Trade Commission, tobacco companies spend $12.8
billion a year on marketing.


The report comes as recent surveys have found that smoking declines in the United States have slowed and even stalled. The CDC in November reported that the adult smoking rate in 2008 was 20.6 percent - essentially unchanged since 2004 when 20.9 percent smoked. While smoking among high school students has declined by 45 percent from a high of 36.4 percent in 1997, 20 percent of high schoolers still smoke and declines have slowed in recent years.

"To continue reducing tobacco use, elected officials at all levels must resist complacency and redouble efforts to implement proven strategies," said Matthew L. Myers, President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "Despite their current budget challenges, the states lack excuses for failing to do more. They are collecting record amounts of tobacco money, more of which should be used to fight the tobacco problem. And there is overwhelming evidence that tobacco prevention programs not only reduce smoking and save lives, they also save money by reducing tobacco-related health care costs. Those states that make short-sighted decisions to cut tobacco prevention will pay a steep price in lives and dollars."

"The inadequate funding of tobacco prevention and cessation programs is a powerful example of misplaced priorities in our nation's health care system," said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D., M.B.A., President and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. "We spend too much on treating people after they get sick and too little on keeping them healthy in the first place. Investing more in proven tobacco prevention programs and policies, like smoke-free restaurants and workplaces, will help people lead healthier lives and reduce health care costs."

"There is absolutely no question that the devastating toll and financial burden of tobacco use is a huge drain on our nation's economy and contributor to spiraling health care costs," said Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association. "It's a travesty that only a small fraction of tobacco settlement funds is actually being used to support tobacco prevention programs in states. If we allow this to continue, how can we expect to ever realize the true potential of settlement dollars to save lives and improve the physical and economic health of this country."

"Fully funded tobacco prevention and cessation programs stop addiction before it starts and improve the health of our nation's communities," said John R. Seffrin, Ph.D., chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), the advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society. "States must do better at funding programs that help reduce tobacco use and protect the health of children, 3,500 of whom try their first cigarette every day."

"As more states are turning to tobacco taxes to help during these difficult economic times, states need to spend a portion of the revenue on tobacco prevention and control programs - especially those programs to help smokers quit," said Charles D. Connor, American Lung Association President and CEO. "Increasing tobacco taxes is a proven and effective way to reduce the number of adults and youth who smoke, but as they make tobacco products more expensive states also have a responsibility to ensure that the nearly 46 million smokers in this country have the help they need to quit."

The report cites conclusive evidence that tobacco prevention and cessation programs work to reduce smoking, save lives and save money. Maine, which has long had one of the best-funded programs, has reduced smoking by 71 percent among middle school students and by 64 percent among high school students since 1997. Washington state, before cutting its program by 42 percent this year, reduced adult smoking by 30 percent and youth smoking by 50. An August 2008 study found that California's tobacco control program, the nation's longest-running, saved $86 billion in health care costs in its first 15 years, compared to $1.8 billion spent on the program, for a return on investment of nearly 50:1.

Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the U.S., killing more than 400,000 people and costing $96 billion in health care bills each year. Every day, another 1,000 kids become regular smokers - one-third of them will die prematurely as a result.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page

Aggravated...

Has anyone else noticed how the food industry is shorting us? I know times are tough and they're doing what they need to do to stay afloat in many cases, but grrrrrrrr....

What am I talking about?

My frozen egg muffin company has cut the piece of cheese (small though it already was) in half. The price of the package is still the same, I just get less cheese per sandwhich. I know because I eat them often enough and always break the frozen cheese in half and put it on each side of the egg before nuking. Now there's not enough for one side.

I grabbed a couple of the drinks I regularly buy out of the fridge the other day. I probably wouldn't have noticed for a while if I hadn't taken two out, but one was 16 oz (the latest batch I bought) and the other was 20 oz. Same look, same cost, smaller bottle. Now all of a sudden I'm only able to find the drinks in the 16 oz size. I checked my stash, bought over multiple visits to the store, to check to make sure I wasn't nuts. Nope, they've always been 20 oz drinks.

The frozen meatless sausage I always buy? Until the last package I purchased, it had six servings. Now there are five. They're shorting me two sausages. Again, if I didn't buy it regularly I wouldn't have noticed. The price has gone up on those, so now I'm only going to buy them when they're on sale. Course, that'll mean that pretty soon there will only be 4 servings in a package .

I think it's sneaky. I understand the reasoning behind the move, but it's still sneaky. Unless you're really watching, and buy the product often enough to be aware, your grocery costs are going up and yet the bill looks the same.

Anyone else noticing this new "trick"?