by Sophia Bollag | Feb 7, 2014 | Environment, Health & Science
WASHINGTON – A proposed Environmental Protection Agency rule limiting power plants’ carbon emissions got a big thumbs-up from environmentalist Rep. Henry Waxman Thursday at a rally outside the EPA building. The California lawmaker and top Democrat on the House...
by Vesko Cholakov | Feb 6, 2014 | Health & Science, National Security
WASHINGTON — Financial regulators are struggling in the face of a changing environment – sophisticated cyber threats and inadequate safeguards prescribed by the Dodd-Frank Act, witnesses said at a Senate hearing Thursday. “The banking industry has existing...
by Lauren Caruba | Feb 5, 2014 | Health & Science
WASHINGTON — Second lady Jill Biden, a doctor and health care advocate, said Wednesday that family members and friends who are taking on more responsibilities as caregivers as troops return home and the baby boom generation ages need more training and support. Opening...
by Sophia Bollag | Feb 5, 2014 | Health & Science
WASHINGTON –The federal government should set higher digital security standards for companies collecting consumer information to avoid future data breaches like those at three major national retailers that affected millions of Americans’ data over the last few months,...
by Sylvan Lane | Feb 4, 2014 | Health & Science
WASHINGTON – A top official in the national drug czar’s office insisted Tuesday that President Barack Obama’s comments about the safety of marijuana usage do not reflect the White House policy on the legalization of the drug. Michael Botticelli, the deputy director of...
by Lauren Caruba | Feb 4, 2014 | Health & Science
WASHINGTON — Republicans pushed U.S. surgeon general nominee Vivek Murthy on Tuesday to address whether his support for gun control and the new health care law would affect his objectivity if he becomes the nation’s top doctor during a Senate confirmation hearing....
by Mary Kate Hayes | Feb 4, 2014 | Health & Science
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration launched its first national campaign against youth tobacco use Tuesday. “The Real Cost” campaign targets “on the cusp” teenagers, ages 12 to 17, according to Dr. Margaret Hamburg, FDA Commissioner of Food and Drugs. ...
by Lauren Caruba | Feb 3, 2014 | Health & Science
WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs cut its backlog of hundreds of thousands of disability claims by nearly one-third last year but is still struggling to modernize an outdated processing system, a report released Monday by the Iraq and Afghanistan...
by Lauren Caruba | Jan 28, 2014 | Health & Science
WASHINGTON — President Obama mounted a spirited defense of health care reform Tuesday night, acknowledging repeated attacks on the law while his administration works to smooth over its shaky rollout. The president, in his State of the Union address, gave his...
by Vesko Cholakov | Jan 22, 2014 | Health & Science, National Security
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama’s move to curb the mass data collection by the National Security Agency is a step in the right direction but crucial details remain to be addressed, Silicon Valley top companies said and pledged to continue pushing for reforms....
by Lauren Caruba | Jan 22, 2014 | Health & Science
WASHINGTON – In the midst of a cold freeze gripping the capital, thousands of people gathered Wednesday on the National Mall to protest federal funding for abortions and promote adoption on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, which legalized the procedure in...
by Vesko Cholakov | Jan 16, 2014 | Health & Science
WASHINGTON – The U.S. is lagging on commercial use of drones, manufacturers and scientists told the Senate science committee Wednesday, but several senators said they wanted to be sure the unmanned aerial vehicles won’t be used to spy on Americans. “These 20th century...