Author: Reporter

Nearly all of the world’s 35,000 online pharmacies are being run illegally and consumers who use them risk getting ineffective or dangerous drugs, according to the U.S. Trade Representative’s annual report on ” notorious markets.” The report also singled out 19 countries over concerns about counterfeit or pirated products. In addition, it named about three dozen online retailers, many of them in China or elsewhere in Asia that it said are allegedly engaged in selling counterfeit products or other illegal activities. The report says 96% of online pharmacies were found to be violating the law, many operating without a...

For about 50 years, adding cavity-preventing fluoride to drinking water was a popular public health measure in Yorktown, a leafy town north of New York City. But in September, the town’s supervisor used his emergency powers to stop the practice. The reason? A recent federal judge’s decision that ordered U.S. regulators to consider the risk that fluoride in water could cause lower IQ in kids. “It’s too dangerous to look at and just say ‘Ah, screw it. We’ll keep going on,'” said the town supervisor, Ed Lachterman. Yorktown isn’t alone. The decision to add fluoride to drinking water rests...

Dr. Vanessa Rodriguez is no stranger to talking about death. As a palliative care doctor at New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital, she works with families of patients at the ends of their lives. Many are hesitant to talk about death before the fact since it means imagining a future without their loved one. Talking about death is never easy, but doing so early can help families prepare. Here is how to open the floor for an often tricky conversation. START AN OPEN AND HONEST DIALOGUE Thinking through details and resolving loose ends can help families cope when the inevitable...

Evelyn Seabrook was able to buy a home even though she had only a high school diploma. Glenn Flood worked his way up the career ladder to become a public affairs officer for former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. And Calvin Stevens had a dual military and federal service career that took him to high levels in both. Now in their late 70s and early 80s, the three retirees are part of a generation of Black Americans who used the military and federal civil service to pursue the American dream. They acknowledge there were challenges. But they believe they received...