Infant cold medicine off the shelf: Incomplete
Drug makers pulled cold remedies for children and infants off the shelf Thursday, a pre-emptive strike by drug manufactures before government advisers weigh on the medicine. The move raises the question of whether drug companies are actually concerned over the health of children, or if they’re just anticipating of government action.
The Food and Drug Administration reported in recent years that there is a link between children’s deaths and the cold medicine. The FDA will debate the issue in the following week, but its preliminary research has concluded that young children shouldn’t be taking the medicine.
FEMA drawing up response plans: C
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, a favorite government agency for Hurricane Katrina and Rita victims, is quietly drawing up response plans to a handful of major disasters, the Associated Press reported Thursday.
Plans include responses to devastating earthquakes beneath San Francisco and St. Louis and catastrophic storms in South Florida and Hawaii.
FEMA is calling these "base plans," which is unorthodox since states usually develop such responses.
Under Michael Brown’s infamous performance during Katrina, FEMA’s credibility was washed away in the raging tides of New Orleans. It will be a long time before many Americans have confidence in the emergency task force when calamities strike. It’s a step in the right direction, but whether these plans are successful will depend on how FEMA reacts when tragedy strikes.
Cheatin’ Politicians: F-
Former Mexican presidential candidate Roberto Madrazo was awarded first place in the Berlin marathon in the men’s age-55 category after finishing with 2:41:12 on Sept. 30.
The problem: At that speed, Madrazo’s feet should have been on fire, along with his pants.
Race officials disqualified him on Monday after it was made apparent that he’d taken a short cut.
The electronic tracking chip he was wearing recorded him running nine miles in only 21 minutes, the same distance it took the world record holder 41 minutes and 29 seconds to run.
Madrazo, who has a history of being a shady politician, tried to use the old "I never meant to finish, I just went directly to the finish line for my participation medal" excuse.
As representatives for the people, politicians are expected to be honest to their community. People are already skeptical of shady politicians, there’s no need to add fuel to the fire.
