Current Events in February 2014

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    Making makeup last longer (if you use it at all)

    This article is certified at least 25 percent hypocrisy-free

    Confession: I've had a love-hate relationship with cosmetics ever since that long-ago day my mother deemed me old enough to wear makeup. And, although it's embarrassing to admit now, I remember thinking how lucky I was to be a girl rather than a boy — after all, if a boy looks hideous, poor thing, it's not socially acceptable for him to camouflage his hideousness beneath layers of colored powders and goop.

    It took me a few years to suspect maybe I should reverse that thought process: why is it socially acceptable for a boy to go out in bareface, but not a girl? What kind of stupid sexist double standard is that?

    The kind I still fall for, apparently, because if you look at my byline photo it's spectacularly obvious I dolled up for it: no, my lips aren't really that dark, my eyelids aren't that shimmery and I don't naturally have that brown/black barrier line delineating my eyeballs from the rest of my face (which isn't really that smooth and shine-free).

    Beauty 911

    All this flashed through my mind in a millisecond as I checked out this press release produced by my colleagues at Consumer Reports: “Money-saving fixes to make makeup last longer.”

    Five things on the list. Five perfectly cromulent pieces of advice: for example, if you suffer a “BEAUTY 911: Broken lipstick” (bold-print lettering lifted from the original), it tells you how to weld the broken pieces back into a single solid lipstick, which is undeniably less expensive than throwing the lipstick away and buying a new replacement.

    As for tip number five — using hot water and your thumbnail to remove dried-hairspray clogs from a hairspray nozzle — not to brag or anything, but I figured that out before I was even old enough to drive. There's also advice on how to repair a cracked eyeshadow palette, rejuvenate a bottle of congealing nail polish and, for false-eyelash wearers, how to make single-use lashes last for multiple wearings.

    Excellent money-saving tips, all of them. But you know what would save even more money? Not bothering with such cosmetics at all! At least not for everyday use — I still keep a stash of emergency coverup on hand, for those days when the God of Pimples bestows His unwanted blessings upon my face, and on special occasions I still like to doll up in fancy clothes and accessories (including cosmetics) -- but when we will dispense with the idea that (for example) my bare, ordinary eyelids are just not acceptable for public view unless they're coated with shimmery powders that cost more per ounce than pure silver bullion?

    I don't know. Until then, however, I'm still going to wear makeup before allowing myself to be photographed in a professional context. And I'm still kind of annoyed with myself for this.

    I've had a love-hate relationship with cosmetics ever since that long-ago day my mother deemed me old enough to wear makeup....

    Consumer group opposes delaying flood insurance rate hikes

    Delaying rate hikes "asks America to stick its head in the mud," says Consumer Federation

    Few government programs lose as much money as the National Flood Insurance Program, currently $24 billion in debt and likely to sink even further below the waterline as a new summer storm season approaches. 

    The problem is pretty simple: subsidized flood insurance encourages people to live in flood-prone areas. Congress addressed the issue in 2012 with the Biggert-Waters Law that would begin raising premiums to more realistic levels this year.

    But a measure passed by the Senate last month would delay implementation of the premium increases, ostensibly to give low- and middle-income homeowners more time to prepare for the sharply higher insurance rates.

    The Consumer Federation of America thinks this is a bad idea, saying it would mislead homeowners about their vulnerability to flooding, undermine the flood program’s financial viability and increase costs to taxpayers.

    Risking lives

    “The Senate proposal for reforming flood insurance asks America to stick its head in the mud, rather than address the problem of a flood program that is encouraging people to live in high-risk flood plains, unnecessarily risking people’s lives and possessions,” said J. Robert Hunter, CFA’s Director of Insurance and former Administrator of the flood insurance program and Texas Insurance Commissioner. “You cannot lower prices by ignoring the real risk of flood; real reform requires transparency and honesty about the true cost of living in flood zones for homeowners, developers and taxpayers.

    In a letter to Congress, CFA urges the House to reject the Senate bill and let the higher rates go into effect.

    “It is much worse for consumers to be misled by inadequate rates from their own government than to have high rates that signal the real risk and informs the consumer to be careful,” CFA wrote in its letter to Congress. “Homeowners who buy new homes in areas that they think are safe from floods are harmed when old maps underestimate risk. ... These homebuyers and their families are at risk of being killed or injured if a storm hits, or of having their homes or treasured possessions destroyed. Paying a little more and being truly aware of the risk is a blessing, not a curse, for consumers.”

    Few government programs lose as much money as the National Flood Insurance Program, currently $24 billion in debt and likely to sink even further below the...

    Lifelong exposure to food packaging may be harmful

    Current testing protocols may not be adequate to protect health, scientists warn

    Eating is sort of like smoking. A single instance isn't likely to be harmful but over a lifetime, the effects can add up. The same is true of food packaging, according to a commentary in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health

    The synthetic chemicals used in the packaging, storage, and processing of food might be harmful to human health over the long term, environmental scientists warn in the commentary. This is because most of these substances are not inert and can leach into the foods we eat, they say.

    Despite the fact that some of these chemicals are regulated, people who eat packaged or processed foods are likely to be chronically exposed to low levels of these substances throughout their lives, say the authors. And they say far too little is known about their long term impact, including at crucial stages of human development, such as in the womb.

    Entire population

    "Since most foods are packaged, and the entire population is likely to be exposed, it is of utmost importance that gaps in knowledge are reliably and rapidly filled," they urge.

    They point out that lifelong exposure to food contact materials or FCMs -- substances used in packaging, storage, processing, or preparation equipment -- "is a cause for concern for several reasons."

    These include the fact that known toxicants, such as formaldehyde, a cancer causing substance, are legally used in these materials. Formaldehyde is widely present at low levels in plastic bottles used for fizzy drinks and melamine tableware.

    Secondly, other chemicals known to disrupt hormone production also crop up in FCMs, including bisphenol A, tributyltin, triclosan, and phthalates.

    "Whereas the science for some of these substances is being debated and policy makers struggle to satisfy the needs of stakeholders, consumers remain exposed to these chemicals daily, mostly unknowingly," the authors point out.

    Furthermore, potential cellular changes caused by FCMs, and in particular, those with the capacity to disrupt hormones, are not even being considered in routine toxicology analysis, which prompts the authors to suggest that this "casts serious doubts on the adequacy of chemical regulatory procedures."

    Eating is sort of like smoking. A single instance isn't likely to be harmful but over a lifetime, the effects can add up. The same is true of food packagin...

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      Existing-home sales drop in January

      Prices, however, continued their move upward

      Last month's bout of nasty winter weather is being blamed for a drop in existing-home sales to the lowest level in a year-and-a-half.

      According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), sales of previously-owned homes -- completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops -- dropped 5.1% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.62 million, the lowest since 4.59 million in July 2012. The January pace was also 5.1% below the year-ago level of 4.87 million.

      The harsh winter weather was a major factor. “Disruptive and prolonged winter weather patterns across the country are impacting a wide range of economic activity, and housing is no exception,” said Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist. “Some housing activity will be delayed until spring. At the same time, we can’t ignore the ongoing headwinds of tight credit, limited inventory, higher prices and higher mortgage interest rates. These issues will hinder home sales activity until the positive factors of job growth and new supply from higher housing starts begin to make an impact.”

      Prices on the rise

      Continuing inventory shortages continue to lift prices in much of the nation. The median existing-home price for all housing types in January was $188,900 -- up 10.7% from January 2013.

      Distressed homes -- foreclosures and short sales -- accounted for 15% of January sales, compared with 14% in December and 24% in January 2013. The median is the point at which half of the prices were higher and half lower.

      Where they're selling

      • Existing-home sales in the Northeast fell 3.1% percent to an annual rate of 620,000 in January, and are also 3.1% below January 2013. The median price was $241,100, up 6.6% from a year ago.
      • Sales in the Midwest dropped 7.1%% to a pace of 1.04 million, and are 8.8% below a year ago. The median price in the Midwest was $140,300 -- 7.6% higher than January 2013.
      • In the South, existing-home sales were off 3.5% to an annual level of 1.95 million, but are 1.6% higher than the same time last year. The median price rose 9.4% from a year ago -- to $161,500.
      • Sales of existing homes in the West were at a pace of 1.01 million in January -- down 7.3% from the month before, and 13.7% below a year ago. Sales in the West are attenuated by tight inventory in many areas, pushing the median price to $273,500 -- up 14.6% year-over-year.

      Last month's bout of nasty winter weather is being blamed for a drop in existing-home sales to the lowest level in a year-and-a-half. According to the Nat...

      Falafel King recalls Hatch Green Chile hummus and wraps

      The products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes

      Falafel King of Boulder, Colo., is recalling 10-ounce containers of Hatch Green Chile Hummus and 8.5-ounce Hatch Green Chile Wraps.

      The products have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

      No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with the recalled product.

      The products in question were distributed to retail stores in certain areas of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Nebraska.

      The Hatch Green Chile Hummus comes in a 10 ounce clear plastic container with a black-rimmed lid, the UPC #822986-10305-2 printed on the back label and a “Sell By” date beginning 02/14/2014 through 03/16/2014 printed just above the back label where the UPC / bar code is located.

      The Hatch Green Chile Wraps are individually wrapped in clear plastic wrap, the UPC #822986-70205-7 printed on the front label and a sticker printed with “Sell By” 02/28 through 02/27 on the back of the package.

      Consumers who have purchased the products with the “Sell By” dates noted in this recall are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.

      Consumers with questions may contact Falafel King at 303-443-1346 Monday-Friday, 9:00a.m.–5:00p.m. MST.

      Falafel King of Boulder, Colo., is recalling 10-ounce containers of Hatch Green Chile Hummus and 8.5-ounce Hatch Green Chile Wraps. The products have the ...

      Coleman Runestone children’s shoes recalled

      The metal rivets surrounding the shoestring holes can have sharp edges

      The Eastman Footwear Group of New York, N.Y., is recalling about 12,200 pairs of Coleman Runestone style children’s shoes.

      The metal rivets surrounding the holes where the shoestring is secured can have sharp edges, posing a laceration hazard.

      The firm has received one report of an adult who scratched or cut his finger. No medical attention was required.

      The Runestone children’s shoes are black with gray mesh fabric panels on the side of the shoe with a green “Coleman” logo name and lantern graphic on the tongue. The black shoestrings on the shoes are threaded through green fabric tabs on the top of the shoe. A label located on the inside of tongue of the shoes identifies the style as Runestone.

      The shoes, manufactured in China, were sold at Big 5 Sporting Goods retail stores nationally from January 2013, through December 2013, for about $39.

      Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled shoes and return them to a Big 5 Sporting Goods store for a full refund, or contact Eastman Footwear for instructions on returning the shoes for a refund.

      Consumers may contact Eastman Footwear at (800)786-0282 ext. 301 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday.

      The Eastman Footwear Group of New York, N.Y., is recalling about 12,200 pairs of Coleman Runestone style children’s shoes. The metal rivets surrounding th...

      Infantino recalls teething toys

      The tail of the monkey can pose a choking hazard

      Infantino LLC, of San Diego, Calif., is recalling about 191,000 Go Gaga Squeeze & Teethe Coco the Monkey teething toys.

      The tail of the monkey can pose a choking hazard to young children.

      The firm has received seven reports of infants choking or gagging on the monkey’s tail. No injuries have been reported.

      This recall involves the Go Gaga Squeeze & Teethe Coco the Monkey teething toys. This squeaking toy is made of soft orange rubber and is shaped like a monkey. The toy measures 4.5 inches tall by 5 inches long and is intended for ages newborn and up. “Infantino” is marked on the back toward the rear and model number 206-647 is marked on the inside of the rear left leg

      The teething toys, manufactured in China, were sold exclusively at Target stores nationwide and online from December 2012, through January 2014, for about $13.

      Consumers should immediately take the recalled products away from infants and contact Infantino to receive a free replacement toy.

      Consumers may contact Infantino toll-free at (888) 808-3111 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. PT Monday through Friday.

      Infantino LLC, of San Diego, Calif., is recalling about 191,000 Go Gaga Squeeze & Teethe Coco the Monkey teething toys. The tail of the monkey can pose a ...

      Facebook buys WhatsApp for $19 billion

      WhatsApp users don't sound too happy

      Facebook's own reputation might be damaging it, if reactions to the company's planned $19 billion ($4 billion in cash, plus $15 billion in Facebook shares and stock units) acquisition of the WhatsApp cross-platform messaging service is any indication.

      While industry analysts initially agreed the move was a smart one from Facebook's perspective — the Reuters headline “Wall Street sees sense in Facebook's $19 billion WhatsApp purchase” is a typical example — the Wall Street Journalnoted that actual Facebook stockholders are slightly less enthused, as the collective value of Facebook shares fell by $1.5 billion by midday Thursday, the day after the announcement broke.

      And current WhatsApp users appear even less enthused. Facebook's announcement of the planned acquisition almost immediately inspired the development of a new Facebook page called “Please Don't Ruin WhatsApp” (which collected over 200 “likes” in only the first 20 hours of its existence), and, as Los Angeles Times reporter Jessica Guynn noted, many WhatsApp users reponded to the news by either canceling their accounts, or threatening to.

      The main concern cited by most WhatsApp users was the fear that Facebook would clutter WhatsApp with ads. (WhatsApp is –or at least, was – ad-free; its income stream derives from its annual 99-cent subscrption fees.)

      However, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg said that “WhatsApp will continue to operate independently within Facebook. The product roadmap will remain unchanged.”

      Facebook's own reputation might be damaging it, if reactions to the company's planned $19 billion ($4 billion in cash, plus $15 billion in Facebook shares ...

      Judge orders Aereo to shut down in Denver, Salt Lake City

      It's the first win for broadcasters in their battle with Aereo

      Television broadcasters have finally managed to eke out a small victory against Aereo, the rogue cable-like service that has been sucking money out of their cash drawers.

      A federal appeals court judge in Denver said Aereo was violating broadcasters' copyrights. Tenth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Dale Kimball ordered the service shut down in Denver and Salt Lake City and blocked it from starting in Idaho, Kansas, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Wyoming.

      The victory may be short-lived, however. The Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments in the case, which pits the fast-growing start-up against broadcast giants including ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC.

      The case revolves around the royalty payments that cable systems pay to broadcasters for redistributing their programming. Aereo claims it is not a cable system; it says it simply operates a bank of miniature antennas in each city it serves -- one antenna per customer.

      Aereo thus argues that it is not redistributing the broadcasters' programs for profit but is merely acting as a remote antenna for each of its customers.

      Objections dismissed

      Federal district and appellate judges elsewhere have dismissed the broadcasters' objections, leaving the broadcasters in a state approaching hysteria.

      Some network executives have gone so far as to argue that they will pull the plug on themselves and take their stations off the air if Aereo is victorious in court. The stations would then be available only on cable.

      Of course, this would shut off service to millions of consumers who have their own antennas but consumers have been an afterthought in this as in so many other debates that pitch supposed Davids and Goliaths against each other.

      While the seemingly noble warriors grunt, strut and smack each other, playing to the cheering crowds in the stands, it's worth remembering that the prize they're fighting for is not peace, love and freedom. Instead, it's the lowly consumer, who will be taken out back and stripped of his worldly goods as soon as the main event is over.

      Television broadcasters have finally managed to eke out a small victory against Aereo, the rogue cable-like service that has been sucking money out of thei...

      What's holding back the economy?

      Author suggests the global economy simply produces too much stuff

      Since the financial crisis of 2008, which turned a regular recession into the Great Recession, the economy has struggled to recover. More than five years later economic growth is anemic, despite the Federal Reserve's massive and relentless stimulus efforts.

      Unemployment only recently dropped below seven percent and huge numbers of Americans are working part time or have dropped out of the labor force altogether.

      What's responsible for this? In the political world there is a lot of finger-pointing. Republicans blame the Obama administration's policies. The administration blames the Republicans in Congress for being obstructionists. But is there a bigger picture, something we're missing?

      Too much supply, not enough demand

      Investment banker Daniel Alpert argues the cause of our endless slump lies in the fact that, in today's global economy there is simply too much supply and not enough demand. The economic principle of supply and demand is, after all, tried and true. Prosperity usually results when the two are more or less in balance.

      Today, Alpert argues, in his book “The Age of Oversupply,” the global economy has inundated the world with supply. While Americans are dropping out of the labor force because they can't find a job, many of those jobs are going to people who can perform the tasks and happen to live in other countries.

      Retail businesses that once required consumers to come to their stores, look at available merchandise on display and either pay the posted price or drive to another store to find a better deal, no longer have that kind of leverage. The Internet allows consumers to shop from home, searching for not only the best product but also the best price. Not only is Target competing with Amazon but, to a lesser extent, Etsy and hundreds of other similar niche businesses that are competing for consumer dollars. There seems to be an endless supply of product and businesses providing it.

      Inflation?

      When the Fed began printing billions of dollars to try to stimulate the economy, many economists warned of massive inflation because of all that extra money. But inflation hasn't occurred, in part, says Alpert, because supply of everything continues to outstrip demand.

      Not only is there little or no inflation, policymakers are more worried about deflation, which they see as a bigger problem. When there is more supply than demand, businesses lose pricing power and must cut prices. Eventually the value of everything – including assets – goes down.

      For consumers, such a situation is a double-edged sword. Having an abundance of choices and supply at ever-lower prices is a consumer's dream. But most consumers are also employees, and if the company that employs you goes out of business because it can't sell enough of its goods and services at a profitable price, you have no money to shop that abundant supply.

      Is there a fix?

      So, if the economy is so out of whack, how does it get fixed? Not, Alpert maintains, by the Fed's stimulus efforts, which has focused mainly on the banking system.

      Rather, he advocates massive spending on infrastructure improvements as a way to kickstart economic growth. He also suggests large writedowns of private debt and further bank reforms, two steps not likely to be popular with his fellow investment bankers.

      Since the financial crisis of 2008, which turned a regular recession into the Great Recession, the economy has struggled to recover. More than five years l...

      Kansas researchers looking for ways to stem spread of tularemia in cats

      Cats in parts of the Midwest are more likely to come down with the disease

      A Kansas State University epidemiologist is helping cats, pet owners and soldiers stay healthy by studying feline tularemia, a serious problem for cats and their human friends in parts of the Midwest. 

      Ram Raghavan and his research team say that a certain combination of climate, physical environment and socio-ecologic conditions are behind tularemia infections among cats in the region. More than 50 percent of all tularemia cases in the U.S. occur in Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Arkansas, Raghavan said.

      Ticks, rabbits and rodents help spread the disease, which can also spread to humans through ticks and insect bites as well as through cat bites and scratches. If left untreated, tularemia can be fatal both to humans and animals.

      If cats hunt outdoors or come into contact with an infected rabbit, insect or animal, they can bring tularemia back to their owners.

      Raghavan's research so far has found that tularemia is more likely to appear:

      • In newly urbanized areas.
      • In residential locations surrounded by grassland.
      • In high-humidity environments. Raghavan found that locations where tularemia was confirmed had high-humidity conditions about eight weeks before the disease appeared.

      Warm weather

      While tularemia is more common in young children and men, people also can get the disease when mowing lawns in a contaminated area, Raghavan said. Both human and feline tularemia cases peak through late spring and summer -- when the weather is warmer, more ticks are present and more people are outside. Tularemia cases decrease at summer's end.

      "Climate plays such a huge role in zoonotic diseases," Raghavan said. "With all the talk about climate change, we need to know if there are any significant climate effects that are causing tularemia cases to increase."

      A problem for the military

      Tularemia also poses concerns for the military and soldiers during training exercises, whether they are training in U.S. bases or bases around the world. During training, soldiers are actively engaged in the environment and that increases the risk of tularemia infection.

      "They could be crawling on the ground and may come in contact with a dead animal or rabbit that was infected with tularemia," Raghavan said. "The soldiers also can be bitten by ticks. All it takes is a few bacteria to cause infection."

      Because of the low infection dose of organisms, it is even more important to understand tularemia because of its potential as a bioterrorism tool, Raghavan said.

      "If a little of the bacteria was present in the form of an aerosol, it could be released in a crowded area and potentially infect a lot of people very quickly," Raghavan said. "Because it is such a rare disease, not everyone is prepared for it, even though the treatments are very simple. Untreated infections can cause death."

      Symptoms of tularemia in humans may include fever, swelling of lymph nodes, skin ulcers near tick bites, or cough, chest pain and difficulty breathing in more serious cases. Clinical signs in cats include lethargy, anorexia and fever. People should contact their doctor or their veterinarian if they observe tularemia symptoms, Raghavan said.

      Kansas State University veterinarians perform a feline exam. (KSU photo)A Kansas State University epidemiologist is helping cats, pet owners and soldiers...

      Connecticut photographer's use of a drone irks local cops, leads to lawsuit

      Police allegedly get journalist suspended for videotaping fatal car crash

      A Connecticut photojournalist is suing the Hartford police department for lost wages, civil rights violations and other damages, alleging that police got the man suspended from his job (though he was neither arrested nor charged with anything).

      Pedro Rivera used a remote-controlled model aircraft (commonly known as a "drone," at least when used in military contexts) flying at a height of 150 feet to get video of a fatal car crash. Rivera worked as a photographer and editor for a local TV station, but was not on the clock when he filmed the accident.

      Private use of remote-controlled model aircraft is legal, Rivera's lawsuit says, and indeed, Rivera was not charged with any crime. But the Hartford Courantreports that “Rivera was suspended for a week without pay after Lt. Brian Foley, commander of the department's major crimes division, informed Rivera's employer of the incident and requested that he be disciplined, the lawsuit alleges.”

      Rivera said, “It’s absolutely ridiculous. I wasn’t charged, I didn’t violate anything. They went after my job …. I think what happened to me falls in the category of the war on cameras by the police. Whenever the police are videotaped, they try to detain people and confiscate the camera.” 

      Rivera is being represented by attorney Norm Pattis, who wrote in the lawsuit that “Defendant Foley complained that the plaintiff had interfered with the police department's investigation of the accident, and had compromised the crime scene's 'integrity.' Upon information and belief, defendant Foley either requested that discipline be imposed upon the plaintiff by his employer, or suggested that the employer could maintain its goodwill with the employer by disciplining the plaintiff …. Defendant Foley intended to chill, and did chill, the plaintiff in his First Amendment right to freedom of speech [and] was inspired by improper motive: to wit, to prevent the public at large to have video reports of what police officers do in the investigation of a crime."

      A Connecticut photojournalist is suing the Hartford police department for lost wages, civil rights violations and other damages...

      New hope in treating Alzheimer's agitation

      Relief may come in the use of antidepressants

      A generic antidepressant drug -- citalopram – has been found to relieve agitation significantly in a group of patients with Alzheimer's disease.

      In lower doses than those tested, the drug -- sold under the brand names Celexa and Cipramil -- might be safer than antipsychotic drugs currently used to treat the condition, according to results of a clinical trial led by Johns Hopkins researchers that included seven other academic medical centers in the U. S. and Canada.

      For the study, reported in the Feb. 19 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, Constantine Lyketsos, M.D., M.H.S., and his colleagues recruited 186 Alzheimer's patients who showed a collection of symptoms including emotional distress, excessive movement, aggression, disruptive irritability and disinhibition.

      None experienced adequate symptom relief with non-medical therapies, and some experienced failed treatment with antipsychotic drugs. Though antipsychotics are often used as first-line medications for Alzheimer's-related agitation, they significantly increase the risk of strokes, heart attacks and death, Lyketsos says.

      At the start of the study, patients also underwent tests to define the extent of their agitation, memory and other cognitive skills, and their caregivers' stress levels, a factor strongly linked to the well-being of those with Alzheimer's.

      The patients were then separated into two groups. For the next nine weeks, about half took increasing doses of citalopram that peaked at 30 milligrams per day, and the rest took an identical-looking placebo.

      At the end of the study period, the same set of tests was given, along with electrocardiograms. The study drug is linked to adverse effects on heart function, including irregular heartbeat, a harbinger of a heart attack.

      “Significant relief"

      Results showed that patients on the drug had significant relief from their agitation symptoms, Lyketsos says. In one measure of agitation, about 40% of patients who took citalopram had "considerable relief," compared to 26% of patients who took the placebo. The caregivers for these patients reported less stress.

      However, patients on the drug were also more likely to have slightly decreased cognitive function. "It was not huge, but measurable," says Lyketsos, director of the Johns Hopkins Memory and Alzheimer's Treatment Center and director of the Department of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. "That introduces a tradeoff."

      Not without risk

      More concerning, he adds, is that patients on citalopram had longer QTc intervals, a measure of abnormal heart function that increases the risk of heart attacks. However, Lyketsos says, antipsychotic medications also used to treat agitation increase heart attack risk as well, perhaps even more substantially.

      Lyketsos and his colleagues hope to test if a lower dose of citalopram might be just as effective in treating Alzheimer's-related agitation with less risk for cognition and heart function. In the meantime, he says, the drug offers an alternative to antipsychotics.

      "If the agitation is not responding to non-medication treatments and your patient's agitation isn't improving, there are no great options," Lyketsos says. "But here's another medication choice that might be safer than other medications and seems to be just as effective."

      A generic antidepressant drug -- citalopram – has been found to relieve agitation significantly in a group of patients with Alzheimer's disease. In lower ...

      Sen. Markey proposes personalized guns

      Only the registered owner would be able to fire the weapons

      Just about everything is personalized these days. Your Facebook page, your Pandora stations, your smartphone apps, your car and many other consumer products and services are reflections of your tastes, habits and quirks.

      So why not your guns?

      Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) thinks guns should be manufactured with an interlock that lets only the registered owner fire them. He says this would reduce crimes committed with stolen guns, keep children from shooting themselves and others with their parents' guns and, in general, curb the incidence of gun violence and accidents.

      At a news conference yesterday, Markey outlined his "Handgun Trigger Safety Act” and noted that Rep. John Tierney (D-Mass.) introduced the same legislation in the House last year.

      “No one wants children to get access to a handgun and hurt themselves or others,” said Markey. “In the 21st century, we should use advances in technology to our own advantage and save lives, and the Handgun Trigger Safety Act will help ensure that only authorized users can operate handguns. This is the type of gun safety legislation that everyone – regardless of political party or affiliation – should be able to support.”

      More research

      Markey also called for allocating $10 million to finance studies of gun violence from a public health perspective.

      “We need to study gun violence like the public health crisis it is,” he said. “Funding for a federal gun violence research agenda should be a permanent priority so that we no longer look back and say that we didn’t commit any resources to a cause of death that took more people last year than leukemia.”

      In 2013, President Obama lifted a 17-year ban on federal gun violence research but there has been no funding specifically appropriated for the effort.

      Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), who joined Markey at the Boston news confrerence, said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a research plan in place but needs funding to implement the plan.

      “Gun violence costs our country an estimated $174 billion every year," said Maloney. “All we're asking for is six one-hundredths of a percent of that amount to help figure out why and prevent future tragedies."

      Responding to Markey's proposal, the National Rifle Association's Institute for Legislative Action said it is not opposed to the development of smart guns but would oppose government attempts to require fingerprint-reading technology on gun grips.

      "[The] NRA recognizes that the "smart guns" issue clearly has the potential to mesh with the anti-gunner's agenda, opening the door to a ban on all guns that do not possess the government-required technology," the group said.

      Just about everything is personalized these days. Your Facebook page, your Pandora stations, your car and many other consumer products and services are ref...

      Inflation barely visible at the start of 2014

      Energy accounts for most of the rise in the CPI for January

      With apologies to Carl Sandburg, inflation crept in to 2014 on little cat feet.

      According to the government, the consumer price index (CPI) inched up 0.1% in January, putting the inflation rate for the last 12 months at a modest 1.6%.

      Energy and food

      Most of last months increase was the result of a 0.6% rise in energy prices. Electricity costs rose 1.8% -- for the largest increase in almost 4 years, while natural gas prices surged 3.6%, and fuel oil was up 3.7%. Gasoline prices were down 1.0% after rising in December. Over the last year, energy prices have increased 2.1%, with all major components rising.

      Food costs rose 0.1% in January, with the major grocery store food group indexes mixed. Three of the six were higher, cereals and bakery products, and dairy and related products both up 0.5%. Prices for meats, poultry, fish and eggs also increased -- rising 0.4%. In contrast, costs for fruits and vegetables fell 0.3%, while nonalcoholic beverage prices fell 0.2%. The index for other food at home was unchanged in January. Food prices were up 1.1% over the past year.

      Core rate

      The “core rate” of inflation, which excludes the volatile energy and food categories, rose just 0.1% in January. A major contributor was the the cost of shelter, which was up 0.3%. Other increases were posted in the prices for medical care, recreation, personal care and tobacco. Declines were posted in the costs of airline fares, used cars and trucks, new vehicles and apparel.

      The complete January CPI report is available on the Labor Department website.

      Jobless claims

      The Labor Department is also reporting a small decline in the number of initial claims for unemployment benefits last week.

      The number of first-time applications dropped by 3,000 in the week ending February 15 to a seasonally adjusted total of 336,000, stabilizing at what some analysts are calling a relatively low rate.

      The 4-week moving average, which is less volatile than the weekly number and considered a more accurate gauge of the labor market, rose 1,750 to 338,500.

      The full report can be found on the Employment and Training Administration website.

      With apologies to Carl Sandburg, inflation crept in to 2014 on little cat feet. According to the government, the consumer price index (CPI) inched up 0.1%...

      Business opportunity scam shut down

      The unemployed and underemployed were targeted

      The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has reached settlements with a handful of companies and individuals that bans them from selling business or work-at-home opportunities. The parties are also required to surrender assets to the FTC.

      As part of its crackdown on scams that falsely promise business opportunities targeting unemployed or underemployed people, the FTC filed a complaint against Shopper Systems LLC, Revenue Works LLC (also doing business as Surplus Supplier), EMZ Ventures LLC, The Veracity Group LP, Brett Brosseau, Michael Moysich and Keith R. Powell.

      Consumers deceived

      The complaint charged the defendants with misleading consumers who were seeking to run their own business providing mystery shopping services to retailers, and tricking them into paying money to join programs with recurring monthly charges.

      Along with the settlement, a federal court has approved the filing of an amended complaint adding Concept Rocket LLC and Shopper Select LLC as defendants, and Georgia Farm House Land Holdings LLC, PKP Holdings, Stephanie Powell, and Sportsmen of North America LP as relief defendants who profited from the scheme but did not participate in it.

      Settlement details

      The settlement order against Moysich, Concept Rocket, Revenue Works, Shopper Select and Shopper Systems, bans them from selling business or work-at-home opportunities, sending unauthorized text messages, and selling products or services with negative-option features. The settlement order against Brosseau and EMZ Ventures bans them from selling business or work-at-home opportunities and sending unauthorized text messages.

      The orders also impose a judgment of more than $40.5 million against these defendants, which will be suspended when the Moysich defendants have surrendered $55,000 in frozen assets, and the Brosseau defendants have surrendered $88,000 in frozen assets and nearly $270,000 from the sale of property in Georgia, Vermont.

      The settlement order against Powell and The Veracity Group bans them from selling business or work-at-home opportunities. It also imposes a judgment of more than $14.8 million, which will be suspended when Powell has surrendered his assets, including more than $115,000, to the FTC, and the Veracity Group has surrendered telecommunication equipment to a court-appointed receiver for liquidation.

      As stipulated in all three orders, the full monetary judgments will become due immediately if the defendants are found to have misrepresented their respective financial conditions.

      The Federal Trade Commission has reached settlements with a handful of companies and individuals that bans them from selling business or work-at-home oppor...

      Is college worth it? Pew survey says it is

      Finds college grads earn much more than those with only a high school diploma

      With rising tuition and student loan debt, there has been growing debate over the value of a college degree. Is it worth the cost?

      Former Education Secretary William Bennett is on the side of those who say it isn't. His 2013 book “Is College Worth It?” argues that only 150 out of 3,500 U.S. colleges and universities provide an education that is worth the investment it requires. He points out that nearly half of those who start a four-year education drop out. 

      But a new survey of young adults, members of the Millennial generation, suggests that the expense and time investment is worthwhile. The Pew researchers surveyed 2,000 young adults and supplemented it with an analysis of U.S. Census Bureau economic data.

      Across the board

      “On virtually every measure of economic well-being and career attainment — from personal earnings to job satisfaction to the share employed fulltime — young college graduates are outperforming their peers with less education,” the researchers conclude.

      The survey also compared today’s young adults with previous generations at the same age. It found the disparity in economic outcomes between college graduates and those with a high school diploma or less formal schooling has never been greater in the modern era.

      For example, the economic analysis finds that Millennial college graduates ages 25 to 32, who are working fulltime, earn more annually — about $17,500 more — than employed young adults holding only a high school diploma. The pay gap was significantly smaller in previous generations.

      Better shot at fulltime job

      College-educated Millennials are also more likely to be employed fulltime than their less-educated counterparts, but only slightly more – 89% vs. 82%. But are college-educated Millennials really that much better off? Another Pew study, from 2012, may cast some doubt.

      That study found an increasing number of young adults living at home with their parents. According to the analysis of Census data, a record 21.6 million, or 36%, of 18- to 31-year-olds were living at home. That figure was the highest percentage recorded in at least four decades, and represents a slow but steady increase from the 32% share living at home before the Great Recession.

      Maybe the Millennials living with Mom and Dad are the ones who didn't go to college. No doubt some are, but the Pew research doesn't specifically address that question. It does note that, of the 21.6 million Millennials living in their parents’ home in 2012, at least a third and perhaps as many as half are college students.

      Graduates think it was worth it

      The latest Pew study finds that among employed Millennials, college graduates are significantly more likely than those without any college experience to say that their education has been “very useful” in preparing them for work and a career. Better educated young adults are more likely to say they have the necessary education and training to advance in their careers.

      Millennials, age 25 to 32, believe by an overwhelming majority that their college degree has already paid off. Even those who had to borrow money to attend school feel that way.

      The point of the study confirms it is still a very difficult time to be entering adulthood, with fewer jobs and greater competition to get them. But the researchers conclude it may not be that a college degree today is worth so much more, but that a high school diploma is worth so much less.

      For example, in 1979 when the first wave of Baby Boomers were the same age that Millennials are today, the typical high school graduate earned about three-quarters of what a college graduate made. Today, Millennials with only a high school diploma earn 62% of what the typical college graduate earns. They may be worse off than their college-educated peers, but neither is doing all that well.

      “To be sure, the Great Recession and the subsequent slow recovery hit the Millennial generation particularly hard,” the researchers conclude. “Neither college graduates nor those with less education were spared.”

      With rising tuition and student loan debt, there has been growing debate over the value of a college degree. Is it worth the cost?Former Education Secret...

      Verizon, Netflix at odds over Internet traffic jam

      Lots of consumers watch Netflix, which Verizon thinks entitles it to more money

      You could see this coming. Like a, well, house of cards, the Internet is a complex structure that works surprisingly well, considering how many players are involved in stitching the whole mess together from one millisecond to the next.

      There's been this little issue called "net neutrality" that's been around forever but of interest only to the technocentric. It's about to become a lot more interesting to everybody.

      Here's why: Irked by the success of Netflix and the amount of traffic it pours onto the net each day, Verizon and other carriers are demanding that Netflix pay them a premiuim for transmitting that traffic. A report in today's Wall Street Journal quotes Netflix as saying its average prime-time speeds dropped by 14% last month, just as the hit series "House of Cards" returned for its second season on Netflix.

      Being throttled?

      Consumers rate Verizon Fios

      Verizon customers who pay $70 or more for "unlimited" FiOS broadband Internet service are becoming very familiar with the little "loading" graphic that appears much more frequently lately, when the video and audio pause because of network congestion -- or, as conspiracy theorists suggest -- purposeful throttling.

      One longtime FiOS customer in the Washington, D.C., area said he had never seen the "loading" graphic on Netflix until this month. 

      Why now? One potential explanation is that a federal appeals court ruled last month that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) does not have the authority to impose net neutrality rules requiring that Verizon and other carriers treat all traffic equally.

      The idea behind the Internet when it was founded was that everyone could transmit and receive data on an equal basis, limited only by the speed of their local connection to the Internet. 

      Disappointed Dilberts

      Telephone and cable companies -- who once imagined that they would be the movie and entertainment titans of the future -- find this irksome and have been arguing that major content distributors like Netflix should pay more for using so much bandwidth.

      The content distributors reply that they pay millions of dollars for their Internet connections, while consumers collectively pay millions for their local connections through Verizon and other companies and that the "backbone" costs are the responsibility of the carriers. (This is vastly oversimplified but a more detailed explanation quickly becomes yawn-inducing).

      An argument conveniently overlooked by the carriers is that if Netflix suddenly went away, most of its subscribers would likely switch to Hulu, Amazon Prime and other video distributors, generating just as much traffic as currently exists but perhaps spreading it out over more distributors.

      While technically, backbone issues aren't covered by net neutrality -- which formally applies only to "last mile" service -- the debate over who pays for heavy video usage is only likely to get worse and seems certain to play a role in the Comcast-Time Warner merger, which would create a broadband collossus with a great deal of power over what consumers are able to see ... and how many "loading" graphics they have to endure in the process. 

      You could see this coming. Like a, well, house of cards, the Internet is a complex structure that works surprisingly well, considering how many players are...

      Study: retirees not tapping their IRAs

      Seniors appear to be taking full advantage of tax shelter

      If you talk to someone at or near retirement age about their finances, you'll likely hear a lot of angst about whether or not they have saved enough money. Indeed, studies show a large number of Americans are approaching their "golden years" with little or no savings.

      But despite that worry, retirees who have socked money away in an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) appear highly reluctant to spend that money.

      The Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) has just completed a study of IRAs for the year 2011. It counted 20.3 million accounts containing $1.456 trillion in assets. Most of the IRAs were classified as traditional IRAs or Roth IRAs.

      Required withdrawals

      What the EBRI researchers found remarkable is that just over 16% of traditional and Roth IRA accounts had a withdrawal in 2011, including 20.5 percent of traditional accounts. The only reason the percentage was that high, they say, is the law requires individuals ages 70½ or older to make a minimum withdrawal each year.

      This percentage was largely driven by activity among traditional IRAs where the individual owners were required to make withdrawals from their tax-qualified accounts.

      The IRA has become a major portion of the U.S. retirement system and by EBRI's accounting, makes up about 25% of all U.S. retirement assets. In many cases these IRAs were funded by rolling over an employer-based retirement plan assets after a job change or retirement. Regardless of how the money got there, it doesn't appear to be going anywhere as the account holders appear in no hurry to spend it.

      While almost three-fourths of the accounts examined in the EBRI IRA Database were classified as traditional IRAs, over 90% of the accounts with a withdrawal were in that category. Of accounts that had a withdrawal in 2011, 65.1% were owned by those ages 60 or older and 43.8% by those ages 70 or older, while just 10% were owned by those ages 25–44.

      Traditional and Roth IRAs

      With a traditional IRA, contributions are tax deductible in the tax year they are made. Once deposited, these funds provide another tax break – they can earn income or achieve capital gains without being taxed. Only when the owner of the account withdraws money from the account is there any sort of tax payment. Withdrawals are taxed as ordinary income in the tax year they are made.

      A Roth IRA is different because contributions are not tax deductible. However, the earnings – income from dividends or capital gains – are not taxed. Best of all, withdrawals are not taxed and there is no requirement to start making withdrawals at age 70 ½.

      That last fact shows up when the EBRI researchers analyzed who was making IRA withdrawals in 2011. A full 90% came from traditional IRAs that have the mandatory withdrawal requirement. Only 6.4% came from Roth IRAs. It's easy to conclude that if traditional IRA account owners weren't required to make a withdrawal, many wouldn't.

      Taking advantage of tax break

      There aren't many places that your investments can work and grow tax-free, but an IRA is one place they can. Retirees who own IRAs are likely using them as a way to build wealth and – at this point at least – don't need the money to cover living expenses in their retirement.

      When the researchers looked at the median withdrawal rate for those taking a withdrawal from their accounts, they found a big difference between those with a traditional IRA and those with a Roth. The rate for traditional IRAs was 6.9%, compared with 40.0% for those taking a withdrawal from Roth IRAs. Remember, Roth distributions aren't taxed while traditional distributions are.

      While the median withdrawal rates suggest that many individuals are highly likely to maintain the IRA as a source of income throughout retirement, the researchers say further study is needed to see if these people are keeping their withdrawal rates at these levels as they get older. But at this point, retirees who have saved apparently don't feel the need to tap those savings.

      If you talk to someone at or near retirement age about their finances, you'll likely hear a lot of angst about whether or not they have saved enough money....

      Google asks Glass users: don't be a Glasshole

      Good luck with that.

      Back when horses were still people's primary mode of transportation, there was a common saying about people who “locked the barn door after the horse has been stolen.” In other words: trying to prevent a problem after it's already happened.

      Meanwhile, Google has published a list of dos-and-don'ts etiquette suggestions for wearers and users of Google Glass, saving the best piece of advice for last: don't “Be creepy or rude (aka, a “Glasshole”).

      One way to avoid being a Glasshole is to follow the third suggestion on the “Do” list: “ask for permission” before using Glass to take videos or photographs of others.

      Problems ahead

      For all the snark possibilities about “Glassholes,” one needn't be a Luddite to worry about the anti-privacy implications of Google Glass. Last October, for example, a tech blogger for the Huffington Post (bearing in mind that Luddites, by definition, are not the sort of people who get jobs as tech bloggers) warned that “People aren't seeing the legal problems ahead with Google Glass.”

      Even in preliminary testing phases, Google Glass has opened a Pandora's Box of legal concerns. If it does become the next big thing in wearable technology, what are the ramifications for intellectual property and personal privacy when somebody can secretly film or take a picture of you with, literally, the wink of an eye?... blogger Robert Scoble is so gaga for Google Glass he says he wears them everywhere, and posted this supposed picture of himself wearing them in the shower to prove it. But this is exactly the type of thing that should get privacy advocates all lathered up -- where does privacy end when everybody has access to wearable technology? This could go far beyond sexting and sex scandals when nobody knows whether or not they are being watched, no matter what they are doing.

      Search online for complaints about Google Glass, and you'll find many that make use of the word “Orwellian”-- a reference to George Orwell's dystopian classic 1984.

      But, to be fair, Google Glass (and smartphone cameras and sundry other cheap, ubiquitous recording devices) are distinctly non-Orwellian in a very important way: in Orwell's world of 1984, spy technology was a one-way street. The totalitarian government could spy on and record everybody, but nobody could spy on or record the government.

      But a world where everybody can spy on everybody else … well, Orwell never foresaw that and humanity is still trying to figure out how to deal with it, but meanwhile it's worth repeating: Don't be a Glasshole. Or any rhyming variant thereof.

      Back when horses were people's primary mode of transportation, there was a common saying about people who locked the barn door after the horse was stolen....