LIFE GOES ON: Psychological Power of a Uniform
PSYCHOLOGICAL POWER OF A UNIFORM My doorbell rang around 10am. I looked through the curtain and saw a UPS man with a package at my back door. I opened the door. He entered. First sign….
How the Gov’t Is Saddling Parents with College Loans They Can’t Afford
No Income? No Problem! Steve Lance put both his sons through college by taking out federal Parent Plus loans. Like many parents, he’s now deeply in debt. (Mark Abramson for The Chronicle) By Marian Wang,…
Operator of Celebrity Fan Websites to Pay $1 Million to Settle Charges of Illegally Collecting Children’s Information Without Their Parents’ Consent
Artist Arena Ran Sites For Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez The operator of fan websites for music stars Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Demi Lovato, and Selena Gomez has agreed to settle Federal Trade…
Yale Scientists Map New Pathway To Treat Depression
Written by Lisa Chedekel Yale University Photo Ketamine regenerates synaptic connections. For a decade, scientists have been trying to explain why a single dose of the drug ketamine manages to do what typical antidepressants don’t:…
Feds Halt Massive Tech Support Scams
Tens of Thousands of Consumers Allegedly Tricked Into Paying for Removal of Bogus Viruses and Non-Existent Spyware, and Allowing Scammers to Remotely Access their Computers The Federal Trade Commission has launched a major international crackdown…
Can Medical Homes In Connecticut Reduce Health Disparities?
Written by Colleen Shaddox Patient-centered medical homes are designed to improve health care quality while lowering costs, but advocates also want to make sure that the new primary care model tackles another issue – health…
Are High-Volume Dental Chains Exploiting Kids on Medicaid?
Written by Olga Pierce (File, Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) David Heath of the Center for Public Integrity recently investigated a new breed of corporate dental care chains that cater to low-income adults and children. Heath collaborated with…
Fake Security “Scareware” Marketer Ordered To Pay $163 Million Judgement
At the Federal Trade Commission’s request, a federal court imposed a judgment of more than $163 million on the final defendant in the FTC’s case against an operation that used computer “scareware” to trick consumers…
Arizona Atty Gen Sues Largest Drug Wholesaler For Illegally Jacking Up Prices On Popular Drugs
The nation’s largest drug wholesaler is being sued by the Arizona Attorney General’s office on claims that the firm artificially inflates prices on many of the most popular drugs, in violation of Arizona’s consumer laws….
Frequency Of Juveniles Detained Varies Widely In Connecticut, With Hartford Being The Strictest
Written by Lisa Chedekel And Elizabeth Hamilton Juveniles in the Hartford judicial district who break the law are far more likely to be locked in a pre-trial detention center following arrests or referrals than juveniles…
Westport Plastic Surgeon Again Cited By DPH
Written by Theresa Sullivan Barger A Westport plastic surgeon who is on probation and was fined $29,000 last year faces further sanctions following unannounced inspections of his center that found additional violations for lax management…
Breast Cancer Gene Patent Suit Heads Back To High Court
Written by Barbara Puffer The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) this week asked the U.S. Supreme Court to invalidate patents for two genes used to test for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer held by a…
Discover Card’s Deceptive Telemarketing Practices Cost CompanyOver $200 Million
Yet another credit card issuer will have to pay back millions of dollars to customers for misleading telemarketing practices. Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the FDIC announced that Discover will refund $200 million…
Connecticut Foreclosure Victims Get Payday From $25 Billion Bank Settlement
Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen said today that payment claim forms are going out to thousands of Connecticut borrowers whose homes were lost to foreclosure between Jan. 1, 2008 and Dec. 31, 2011, and who…
Hospital Errors Kill Almost As Many As Auto Accidents In U.S.
If you think going into surgery in an American hospital is scary, wait until you read the statistics on what can happen to you once you get there: One out of four hospitalized patients will…
Hartford Condo Suit Illustrates Issues When Buying Into Small Complex
When considering buying a condo in a small complex, keep in mind the fewer the units the more potential there is for nightmares. On the surface, everything may look fine in a complex with fewer…
Bogus ‘Platinum Credit Card’ Sellers Will Pay $7.5 Million to Settle FTC Charges
Banned from Telemarketing, Credit Card Marketing The operators of a Philadelphia-based telemarketing scheme will pay more than $7.5 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that they peddled bogus “platinum” credit cards and illegally debited…
Ct Med Board Wants Colon Irrigation Regulated
Written by Theresa Sullivan Barger The state Medical Examining Board voted Tuesday to require that people who perform colon irrigations fall under the scope of medical practice and should be licensed. The board had a…
Omega-3 Supplements Don’t Appear To Improve Heart Health
Are you one of the millions who take over-the-counter omega-3 supplements to improve your heart health? If so, you might want to eat more fish instead and get real omega-3. “Researchers looked at 20 studies…
Feds Accuse On-Line Placement Services For Senior Care Of Failing To Actually Check Out Facilities
Two Online Placement Services for Senior Care Centers Settle FTC Charges Allegedly Did Not Check Out Long-Term Care Facilities As Claimed Two companies that recommend long-term care facilities for senior citizens have agreed to settle…