EPA Says Higher Radiation Levels Pose ‘No Harmful Health Effect’

“In the event of a dirty bomb or a nuclear meltdown, emergency responders can safely tolerate radiation levels equivalent to thousands of chest X-rays, the Environmental Protection Agency said in new guidelines that ease off on established safety levels. The EPA’s determination sets a level ten times the drinking water standard for radiation recommended under President Barack Obama. It could lead to the administration of President Donald Trump weakening radiation safety levels, watchdog groups critical of the move say.”  More …

McConnell Pulls Out the Stops to Help Trump’s Judicial Picks

“One of the big mysteries of 2017 has been whether Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley would stick to the practice (following that of his immediate Democratic predecessor, Pat Leahy) of letting the home-state senators of judicial nominees veto them, or bend to conservative pressure to let Donald Trump’s nominees go forward no matter what. ”  More …

The Secretive Sackler Family Making Billions from the Opioid Crisis

“You’re aware America is under siege, fighting an opioid crisis that has exploded into a public-health emergency. You’ve heard of OxyContin, the pain medication to which countless patients have become addicted. But do you know that the company that makes Oxy and reaps the billions of dollars in profits it generates is owned by one family by the name of Sackler?”  More …