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Stuff Of Stink Bombs Investigated For Role In Pregnancy
Scientists at the University of Leicester are investigating how the stuff of stink bombs and flatulence could play a critical role in the human reproductive system.

Thousands Of Federal Workers Now Protected From Secondhand Smoke Exposure
American Lung Association Calls Upon President Obama to Protect Entire Federal Workforce
News of the day
Senate Begins Debate On Sotomayor's Supreme Court Confirmation
The Senate on Tuesday began its floor debate on the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, the Wall Street Journal reports (Bravin, Wall Street Journal, 8/4). The debate will continue for the rest of the week before a final floor vote is held Thursday or Friday (Oliphant/Savage, Los Angeles Times, 8/5). Twenty-eight Republicans have said they will oppose her nomination. As of Tuesday, six Republicans were undecided (Stern, CQ Today, 8/4). In addition, at least six Republicans plan to vote for Sotomayor"s confirmation, while none of the 60 Democrats in the Senate have come out against her.Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), who has announced his opposition, said, "I have expressed the view since this process began that we are at a fork in the road," asking, "Will we continue to adhere to the classical idea of American jurisprudence? Or will we follow results-oriented judging in which judges cease to be committed to equal justice?" He also said that "certain aspects of her record troubled me, ... whether she is deeply committed to the ideal of objectivity and impartiality" (Los Angeles Times, 8/5). Sotomayor opponent Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) expressed concern about Sotomayor"s statement in a speech that "a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experience would more often than not reach a better conclusion" than a white male judge. Inhofe said, "Well, that"s pretty emphatic. There"s no other way you can interpret that," adding, "She thinks a woman with her experience can make a better conclusion than a white male," and "to me, I consider that racist" (CQ Today, 8/4).However, Sotomayor supporter Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said, "Those who struggle to pin the label of judicial activist on Judge Sotomayor are met by her solid record of judging based on the law." He added, "She is a restrained, experienced and thoughtful judge who has shown no biases in her rulings." Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said, "You can"t find a nominee with better experience than Judge Sotomayor. She has seen the law from all sides." Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) said, "When Judge Sotomayor takes her seat at the Supreme Court, America will have come of age" (Los Angeles Times, 8/4).
Diagnostics

Regulations Seek To Crack Down On Medical ID Theft

New regulations seek to crack down on a little known form of identity theft -- medical identity theft, according to Kaiser Health News. "Armed with as little as a stolen name, Social Security number and date of birth, an imposter can walk into a doctor"s office or hospital and receive services billed to the victim or the insurance provider. Although few statistics are available, the Federal Trade Commission reports that medical identity theft accounts for 1.3 percent to 3 percent of all identity theft crime -- about 250,000 cases each year." A new FTC regulation, the "Red Flags Rule," is set to take effect on August 1 to address at least part of the problem. "The rule would require physicians" offices and hospitals, among other businesses, to create new protocols to spot the "red flags" of identity theft. These could include detecting fake or altered IDs, inconsistencies in a patient"s medical records or fraud alerts from consumer reporting agencies. Doctors are not only required to implement procedures ... that allow them to detect these warning signs effectively but also to spell out what they"ll do when they find something fishy. ... But medical provider groups, including the American Medical Association, insist the rule is misguided. Their reasoning, in part, comes down to the actual language of the law." The statute states that businesses that regularly extend or renew credit are required to implement the new protocols. This category includes auto dealers, lawyers, utility companies and any physician"s office or hospital that accepts insurance or allows a payment plan (Gold, 7/24). This information was reprinted from kaiserhealthnews.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at kaiserhealthnews.org. © Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.


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