Friday Roundup

Here are some articles of interest published within the last 7-10 days.

Health
ADHD risk may be tied to pesticide exposure before birth, MSNBC, Aug 19,2010
Brief intro: "Children whose mothers were exposed to widely-used pesticides such as malathion during pregnancy may be at increased risk of developing an attention disorder by age 5, a new study shows."

CDC: More U.S. teens getting vaccinated, MSNBC, Aug 19, 2010
Brief intro: "More U.S. teens are getting recommended vaccines against certain cancers, meningitis and infectious diseases, government researchers reported on Thursday."

State sued over prenatal services, Omaha World-Herald, Aug 19, 2010
Brief into: "Eight months pregnant and with a history of gestational diabetes, an Adams County woman faces birth complications and brain and heart defects in her baby.

She went to court Thursday seeking to reverse the state’s decision to end government-paid, prenatal services for illegal immigrants and some other low-income women."

Race and Society

Three of Four Americans Say Race Relations Are Same or Worse, Investor's Business Daily, August 18, 2019

Brief Intro: "Americans hoped that race relations in the U.S. would improve with Barack Obama in the White House. But a majority of those surveyed in the latest IBD/TIPP poll see no difference, and more of those who do see a change think it’s been for the worse."

Reconciliation After Accusation of Bias, New York Times, August 17, 2010

Brief Into: "Shirley Sherrod, who lost her Agriculture Department job over misconstrued comments she made about race, is publicly making amends with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People after its president condemned her for the remarks."

Weekly Roundup

Here is a roundup of articles of interest published within the last 7-10 days:

Health

San Francisco proposal would limit toys in kids meals, USA Today, August 13, 2010
Brief Intro: "In San Francisco, newly proposed legislation would ban toys from most kids meals sold at McDonald's, Burger King and other chains unless the meals meet more stringent calorie and sodium limits. The legislation also would require fruit or veggies in each meal."

US Typhoid cases linked to tropical fruit, San Francisco Chronicle, August 14, 2010
Brief Intro: "A San Francisco woman stricken with typhoid fever may be part of a rare outbreak of the disease linked to a frozen tropical fruit product used to make milkshakes and smoothies, San Francisco public health officials said Friday."

Eat an Apple (Doctor's orders), New York Times, August 12, 2010
Brief Intro: "Doctors at three health centers in Massachusetts have begun advising patients to eat “prescription produce” from local farmers’ markets, in an effort to fight obesity in children of low-income families. Now they will give coupons amounting to $1 a day for each member of a patient’s family to promote healthy meals."
Education

Schools are given grade on how students do, New York Times, August 9, 2010Brief Intro: "In most school systems, what happens to students like Ms. Croslen after they obtain their diplomas is of little concern. But the New York City Department of Education acknowledges that despite rising graduation rates, many graduates lack basic skills, and it is trying to do something about it.

This year, for the first time, it has sent detailed reports to all of its high schools, telling them just how many of their students who arrived at the city’s public colleges needed remedial courses, as well as how many stayed enrolled after their first semester. The reports go beyond the basic measure of a school’s success — the percentage of students who earn a diploma — to let educators know whether they have been preparing those students for college or simply churning them out."

House OKs emergency bill to halt teacher layoffs, USNWR, August 10, 2010

Brief Intro: "Summoned back from summer break, the House on Tuesday pushed through an emergency $26 billion jobs bill to protect 300,000 teachers, police and others from election-year layoffs. President Barack Obama was to sign the measure by day's end"

Research shows a good kindergarten education makes dollars and sense, USNWR, August 12, 2010

Brief Intro: "Harvard University economist John Friedman says he and a group of colleagues found that students who progress during their kindergarten year from attaining an average score on the Stanford Achievement Test to attaining a score in the 60th percentile can expect to make about $1,000 more a year at age 27 than students whose scores remain average."

Race and Society

Dr Laura Schlessinger apologizes for use of N word, Seattle Post Intelligencer, August 13, 2010

Brief Intro: "On Tuesday, Schlessinger received a call from a black woman asking how to handle racist comments from her white husband's friends. The caller also asked if the N-word is offensive.

Schlessinger said "black guys use it all the time," and repeated the word a few times, but she never directed it at the caller. When the caller objected, Schlessinger said, "Oh, then I guess you don't watch HBO or listen to any black comedians."

Friday Roundup - Current Awareness

Here is a listing of articles of interest published within the last 7-10 days:

Topic: Health
Healthiest state for kids? MSNBC.com/AP, 7/27/10
Brief Intro: "The Annie E. Casey Foundation released its report Tuesday on how the 50 states fared in 10 categories of children's health. Survey organizers said the numbers do not reflect the current economic downturn. The data were collected from 2000 to 2008, before most U.S. families were hit by the recession."

New insurance pool set up for Kansans with pre-existing conditions Kansascity.com/AP, 7/30/10

Brief Intro: "The state of Kansas is taking applications for a temporary insurance program that would offer coverage to those with pre-existing medical conditions who have not been able to find other insurance for six months or more."

New sensor brings fresh hope to diabeteics, Foodconsumer.org, 7/30/10

Brief Intro: "In the July 28, 2010 issue of the journal Science Translational Medicine, the article titled “Function of an Implanted Tissue Glucose Sensor for More than 1 Year in Animals” describes the use of this glucose-sensing device as an implant in animals for over one year

At the conclusion of human clinical trials and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval, the device may be a welcome alternative for people with diabetes currently required to use finger sticks, and short-term needle-like glucose sensors that have to be replaced every three to seven days."


Topic: Immigration
Judge blocks controversial parts of Arizona law MSNBC.com, 7/28/10

Brief Intro: "The law will still take effect Thursday, but without many of the provisions that angered opponents — including sections that required officers to check a person's immigration status while enforcing other laws. The judge also put on hold a part of the law that required immigrants to carry their papers at all times, and made it illegal for undocumented workers to solicit employment in public places."

U.S. senator Lindsey Graham: Deny citizenship to children of illegal immigrants Examiner.com, 7/30/10

Brief Intro: "Senator Lindsay Graham announced today that he has talked with other key senators about drafting an amendment to the Constitution that would deny citizenship to illegal immigrants' children born in the United States."

In Colorado, debate over program to check immigration history of the arrested New York Times, 7/29/10

Brief Intro: "Now, as Gov. Bill Ritter Jr. weighs whether to use Secure Communities, already in effect in 480 jurisdictions in 27 states, immigrant rights groups have been privately pushing him to reject the program. Critics say it promotes racial profiling by the local police and would undermine trust between immigrants and law enforcement, in a state that has particularly strict immigration laws."

Current awareness - Friday roundup

Here is a list of articles of interest that have been published within the last 7-10 days:

Topic: Economics
Nevada retains highest state unemployment rate - New York Times, July 20, 2010

Brief Intro: "Michigan had previously held the highest state jobless rate for four years running. But that changed in May, when Nevada overtook it. And according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics report released today, Nevada held onto that top slot with a rate of 14.2 percent in June. Michigan, by comparison, had a rate of “only” 13.2 percent."

The gender pay gap by state - New York Times, July 13, 2010
*Interactive map
Brief Intro: "For all full-time wage and salary workers across the country, women’s median weekly wages were 80.2 percent of men’s last year. But there is considerable variation among the states."

Study finds Americans' economic insecurity at 25-year high - Newsweek, July 22, 2010
Brief Intro: "Newsweek published a story today that takes a look at the findings of a recent Rockefeller Foundation study that found that Americans are less economically secure than in any time over the last 25 years".

Topic: Health
What the doctor is really thinking - New York Times, July 20, 2010
Brief Intro: "A study currently under way, called the OpenNotes project, is looking at what happens when doctors' notes become available for a patient to read, usually on electronic medical records. In a report on the early stages of the study, published Tuesday in the Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers say that inviting patients to review the records can improve patient understanding of their health and get them to stick to their treatment regimens more closely."

In US cities, HIV linked more to poverty than race - Yahoo News (AP), July 19, 2010
Brief Intro: "The study, released Monday, suggests that HIV is epidemic in certain poverty-stricken urban neighborhoods. And, more significantly, poor heterosexuals in those neighborhoods were twice as likely to be infected as heterosexuals who lived in the same community but had more money."

Economic status may affect kids' hearing aid care - Yahoo News (Health Day), July 20, 2010
Brief Intro: "Poor children with hearing loss are as likely as other children to receive cochlear implants, but they may experience more complications afterward, a U.S. study has found."

Topic: Education
NC protesters march over school busing decision - Yahoo News (AP), July 20, 2010
Brief Intro: "About 1,000 people marched through North Carolina's capital to protest a school busing policy that they say will lead to resegregation of area schools."

NBC hosting education summit in September - Yahoo News (AP), July 19, 2010
Brief Intro: "NBC News is convening its own summit with education and political leaders in September to talk about ways to improve schools in light of statistics showing the U.S. lagging in student achievement."

Topic: Juvenile justice
Federal oversight for troubled N.Y. youth prisons - New York Times, July 14, 2010
Brief Intro: "Four of New York’s most dangerous and troubled youth prisons will be placed under federal oversight, strict new limits will be imposed on the use of physical force by guards, and dozens of psychiatrists, counselors and investigators will be hired under a sweeping agreement finalized on Wednesday between state and federal officials."

Juvenile detention center offers education to kids - The Spokesman Review, July 19, 2010
Brief Intro: "In the 2009-’10 school year, the programs at Spokane County Juvenile Detention Center and Martin Hall in Medical Lake reached more than 2,200 kids between the ages of 8 and 18. About 200 additional young people were served by the Structured Alternative Confinement School, which is for juveniles on electronic home monitoring or who are court ordered to go to school."

Friday roundup - Current awareness

Current awareness articles published within the last 7-10 days.

Topic: Health disparities

Poll: Fewer opportunities seen for minority kids – AP, July 7, 2010

Brief Intro: “Minority children have fewer opportunities than their white peers to gain access to high-quality health care, education, safe neighborhoods and adequate support from the communities where they live, according to a nationwide survey of professionals who work with young people.”

Disparities in Care: Grant secured to help get dental care to disadvantaged children – Redlands Daily Facts, July 15, 2010

Brief Intro: “A dental program targeting disadvantaged children expects to serve 3,000 kids and 1,000

pregnant moms in San Bernardino County over a three-year period.

UMMC seeks greater collaboration on health issues – Northeast Mississippi Daily

Journal, July 13, 2010

Brief Intro: “Mississippi is on the wrong end of several measures of health , and leaders at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine are reaching out statewide to help remedy one of the most glaring lacks.”

Topic: Children and obesity

Child obesity programs not created equal – Chicago Tribune, July 16, 2010

Brief Intro: “Researchers studied the success of three three-year community intervention programs, each targeting a different age group of more than 1,000 children — those younger than 5, primary school-age children and teens. Each group had a similar control population that received no intervention.”

Ambitious Best Food FITS! Program to combat obesity in San Marcos – Texas State University News Service,

July 15, 2010

Brief Intro: “Supported by a $150,000 grant from the Texas Department of State Health Services, Best Food for Families, Infants and Toddlers! (Best Food FITS!) will attempt a community-wide intervention designed to influence eating habits from an early age.”

Community works in fight against obesity – Herald Tribune, July 15, 2010

Brief Intro: “Area health care professionals, dietitians, teachers, fitness specialists and concerned parents attended a workshop Wednesday to help develop a school-based obesity intervention plan for students and families.”

Topic: Vulnerable populations
Economic security index – A new measure of economic risk for American families – Rockefeller Foundation, July 13, 2010
Brief Intro: “The Rockefeller Foundation & Yale University economic security expert Jacob Hacker invite
the media to attend the launch of the "Economic Security Index" (ESI). The ESI is the first simple,
integrated measure of income insecurity. The ESI launch will highlight new statistics on the percentage of
American families with a 25% or greater income loss in 2010 and in prior years.”

More families, single adults seek shelter – Journal Sentinel, July 15, 2010

Brief Intro: “A sharp increase in calls for emergency shelter in Milwaukee County shows that more and

more families and single adults exhausted their means and their housing options in the first half of the year.”

HUD TO HOLD NATIONAL FAIR HOUSING POLICY CONFERENCE IN NEW ORLEANS – HUD.GOV, July 15, 2010

Brief Intro: “Demonstrating the urgency to end housing discrimination, the U.S. Department of Housing and

Urban Development today announced that it will hold a national fair housing conference in New Orleans,

starting Monday, July 19. The five-day conference will feature leading scholars, advocates, government

officials, and community leaders focused on providing equal housing opportunities, increasing economic

opportunities for low-income individuals, and meeting the needs of persons with disabilities.”

The Angry Heart - Documentary on Health Inequality

The Angry Heart is a 57 minute documentary that takes a look at health inequality with a focus on African-American heart health. The documentary focuses on Keith Hartgrove, a 45-year old African-American man who has had three heart attacks and reviews how institutional racism has affected his health. With input from experts like Cornell West and Drs. Camara Jones and Nancy Krieger, this is an excellent documentary that serves to educate the viewer of what factors contribute to the perpetuation of health inequality for African-Americans.