Researchers find unsafe levels of industrial chemicals in drinking water of 6 million Americans
Drinking water supplies serving more than six million Americans contain unsafe levels of a widely used class of industrial chemicals linked to potentially serious health problems, according to a new study from Harvard University researchers.
The chemicals — known as polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFASs — have been used for decades in a range of industrial and commercial products, including non-stick...
Essure court ruling in California could bring more lawsuits
A California state court has cleared the path for nearly a dozen lawsuits to proceed that alleged that pharmaceutical company Bayer's permanent birth control device, Essure, seriously injured patients. The ruling could have major implications for device manufacturers who, like Bayer, argue that federal regulation of their products means they shouldn't be accountable for...
APNewsBreak: Amtrak settlements silencing crash victims
Amtrak has started settling lawsuits with victims of last year's deadly derailment in Philadelphia, and lawyers involved in the process say a strict confidentiality provision prevents them and their clients from talking about how they're doing or how much money they've received.
The railroad reached the first settlements last week, quietly resolving cases brought...
Boston Scientific issues voluntary recall of Lotus valve system
Boston Scientific Corp. has issued a worldwide voluntary recall for an older version of one of its most commercially promising devices, the Lotus transcatheter aortic heart valve replacement system, following the deaths of three patients.
The Aug. 1 recall affects about 250 Lotus valve systems that were manufactured before March 2016 but have not yet...
Consumer Reports urges higher Volkswagen U.S. diesel owner compensation
Influential U.S. magazine Consumer Reports urged the Justice Department to hike compensation to 475,000 owners of polluting Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) diesel vehicles and allow owners who opt for a fix to reconsider.
In comments filed on Friday on the proposed agreement, the magazine said the buyback offer undervalues retail prices and urged the use of values...
9/11 Victim Compensation Fund gets new master
On 9/11, Rupa Bhattacharyya was in an office near the White House watching TV as the second plane smashed into the World Trade Center. She walked nine miles home — too afraid to use the subway.
Now Bhattacharyya, the new special master of the federal 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, says she’s eager to dole out...
NY hospitals rated lowest in U.S.
New York’s hospitals collectively rank dead last among the 50 states in a new report card from the federal government, an Empire Center analysis shows.
On Wednesday, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its first-ever star ratings for hospitals across the country, based on 64 measures of quality.
Just one New York institution, the...
Pfizer in $486 million settlement of Celebrex, Bextra litigation
Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) on Tuesday said it has reached a $486 million settlement of litigation accusing it of causing big losses for shareholders by concealing safety risks associated with its Celebrex and Bextra pain-relieving drugs.
The accord is subject to negotiation of a final settlement agreement with the plaintiff shareholders, and would end more than...
308,000 Chevrolet Impalas recalled for faulty airbags
Nearly 308,000 Chevrolet Impala sedans were recalled Wednesday because potentially faulty wiring could potentially cause air bags not inflating in a crash, according to a filing to the National HIghway Traffic Safety Administration.
The recall covers 2009 and 2010 Impalas manufactured between April, 2008, to February, 2010.
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Antitrust suits aim to block two health care mergers
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration announced Thursday it will seek to block two giant health care mergers, citing concerns that the deals could drive up health care premiums, undermine innovation and reduce competition.
The Justice Department filed lawsuits challenging Anthem's $48 billion acquisition of Cigna and Aetna's $37 billion takeover of Humana, threatening to put an abrupt stop to the insurance...
