Protecting Consumers

Feb 8, 2016

Top 400 Taxpayers See Tax Rates Rise, But There’s More to the Story

As Americans were gathering party supplies to greet the New Year, the Internal Revenue Service released their annual report of cumulative tax data reported on the 400 tax r...

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Feb 4, 2016

Chlorine Bleach Plants Needlessly Endanger 63 Million Americans

Chlorine bleach plants across the U.S. put millions of Americans in danger of a chlorine gas release, a substance so toxic it has been used as a chemical weapon. Greenpeace’s new repo...

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Jan 25, 2016

U.S. Industrial Facilities Reported Fewer Toxic Releases in 2014

The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data for 2014 is now available. The good news: total toxic releases by reporting facilities decreased by nearly six percent from 2013 levels. Howe...

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Jan 22, 2016

Methane Causes Climate Change. Here's How the President Plans to Cut Emissions by 40-45 Percent.

UPDATE (Jan. 22, 2016): Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released its proposed rule to reduce methane emissions...

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more news

Food Safety Bill, OSHA Nominee Approved by Senate Panel

Nov 18, 2009 by Matthew Madia

The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee met this morning to mark up the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (S. 510) and to vote on the nomination of David Michaels to serve as head of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

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FDA May Delay Oyster Rule after Industry Pressure

Nov 17, 2009 by Matthew Madia

In response to industry and political pressure, the Food and Drug Administration may be backing away from a regulation that would require oyster sellers to process oysters to kill Vibrio vulnificus, a bacteria that can sicken or kill those it infects. The regulation was supposed to take effect in 2011, but FDA may delay action while it further studies the issue.

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Despite Life-Saving Potential, Oystermen Balk at Regulation’s Cost

Nov 10, 2009 by Matthew Madia

The oyster industry is fighting the Food and Drug Administration over FDA’s new policy intended to make oyster consumption safer. The FDA said last month that oysters from the Gulf of Mexico harvested during warmer months must be processed to kill the bacteria vibrio vulnificus which can sicken and even kill consumers, especially those with chronic illnesses.

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USDA Budget Leaves Food Safety Agency Wanting

Oct 14, 2009 by Matthew Madia

When Congress finalized on Thursday the Department of Agriculture’s FY 2010 budget, it fulfilled President Obama’s request to give a modest funding boost to the Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS). Unfortunately, it appears the agency will be unable to close the gap in its inspection force responsible for policing the nation’s supply of meat and poultry.

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Top Ten Risky Foods under FDA’s Watch

Oct 6, 2009 by Matthew Madia

Yesterday, I blogged about a New York Times article that details the myriad flaws in the USDA’s regulation of ground beef. Today, a new report by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) spotlights the Food and Drug Administration’s struggles to ensure the safety of non-meat products.

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Lack of E. Coli Regulation Imperils Consumers

Oct 5, 2009 by Matthew Madia

The Sunday New York Times’ exposé on ground beef and E. coli is a must read for anyone concerned about food safety. There is too much good information in the story – which begins by recounting the tale of a young woman who became frighteningly ill after eating a frozen hamburger – to recount here.

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Commentary: Obama Reform Proposal would Improve Transparency in Financial Markets

Transparency is integral to a responsive, accountable, and ultimately functioning government, but it is also a vital component of a functioning economy. Indeed, a number of federal institutions exist to ensure that depositors, lenders, and borrowers have access to relevant financial data that allows them to engage in mutually beneficial transactions. The Obama administration's financial regulatory reform proposal acknowledges the important role that transparency plays in the economy's financial sector and contains a number of measures to increase transparency in the notoriously opaque financial system.

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Politicians Influenced Device Approval, FDA Report Says

Sep 25, 2009 by Matthew Madia

Responding to alleged political interference, the Food and Drug Administration will review the safety of an approved knee-injury aid.

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Majority of Americans Support Food Safety Reform, Poll Finds

Eighty-nine percent of Americans support more aggressive food safety regulation, according to a poll commissioned by The Pew Charitable Trusts. The findings could place added pressure on Congress as it considers whether to make food safety reform a top legislative priority in 2009.

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Americans Want Better Food Safety Regulation

Sep 8, 2009 by Matthew Madia

A vast majority of Americans wants government to play a more proactive role in protecting the nation’s food supply, according to a new poll commissioned by Pew Charitable Trusts.

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