Plastic water bottles are linked to heart disease, diabetes. The first major study of health effects in people from a chemical used in plastic baby bottles, food cans and a host of other products shows a connection between them and a higher risk for heart disease and diabetes. People who have a higher exposure to bisphenol A or BPA have a 39-percent higher risk for those diseases, the study’s authors say. And because of the possible public health implications, the results “deserve scientific follow-up,” the scientists added. But the study is preliminary, far from proof that the chemical causes heart disease and diabetes, The Associated Press reports. Two Dartmouth College analysts of medical research said the study raises questions but provides no answers about whether the ubiquitous chemical is harmful. The findings were released Tuesday to coincide with the researchers’ presentation of their findings at a Food and Drug Administration scientific advisers’ hearing. The FDA has the power to limit use of BPA in food containers and medical devices but last month released an internal report concluding that BPA exposure is not enough to warrant action. Since then, another government agency released a separate report concluding that risks to people, in particular to infants and children, cannot be ruled out. Past animal studies have suggested reproductive and hormone-related problems from BPA. The new study is the largest to examine possible BPA effects in people and the first to suggest a direct link to heart disease, said scientists Frederick vom Saal and John Peterson Myers, both longtime critics of the chemical. Dr. Ana Soto of Tufts University said the study raises enough concerns to warrant government action to limit BPA exposure. No government action has been taken so far. However, health officials recommend that you limit your use of plastic water bottles with the number 7 on the bottom, and avoid microwaving plastic containers.

Drug war is devastating Black communities. A $45 billion policy has had devastating consequences for millions of African Americans, says a drug policy expert, who is to debate his position before a London crowd. Absent fathers, orphaned children and growing numbers of HIV and Hepatitis C infections are what some African Americans are facing due to the U.S. war on drugs. Exactly 25 years ago, former president Ronald Reagan announced his zero tolerance measure to tackle what he saw was a growing epidemic of illegal drug use in the nation. Politicians believed that millions of federal dollars should be spent on prosecuting and sentencing drug users in the hope that it would reduce drug addiction and send out the message of zero tolerance. In 2005, the Office of National Drug Control stated that the federal government has spent more than $45.5 on the war on drugs, and it appears that African Americans are facing the brunt of this no-nonsense policy, reports the Voice of London. According to a 2006 report by the American Civil Liberties Union, African Americans make up an estimated 15 percent of drug users but they account for 37 percent of those arrested on drug charges, and 74 percent of all drug offenders sentenced to prison. Deborah Peterson Small a former director of the Drug Policy Alliance will speak about the racism within the war on drugs policy at the conference. “The war on drugs policy has had a devastating effect on African-American communities, particularly poor communities that already suffer from a whole host of economic and social problems,” she said. Pointing to prison sentencing, Small, a New Yorker, says the mandatory-minimum-sentence policy for low-level drug offences subjects people who are low-level participants to the same or harsher sentences as major drug dealers. Currently, crack cocaine is the only drug for which the first offense of simple possession can trigger a federal mandatory-minimum sentence. Possessing 5 grams of crack with a street value of $1,000 carries an automatic five-year jail sentence. Despite the high rate of African-American drug convictions, a recently released report by Human Rights Watch, found that African Americans are not the greatest users of drugs. According to Jamie Fellner, author of the report, Whites are more likely to be drug users.

NBA player is latest athlete to face housing market struggle

Denver Nuggets guard Allen Iverson is offering a $1 million break on his Villanova, Pa., home. The 14,000-square-footer has six bedrooms, his-and-hers marble bathrooms, a 12-seat movie theater, pool house and four-acres of land. But after at least a year on the market, Iverson and his wife, who bought the house together in 2003, have generated little interest. The price is down to $3.9 million. So get out those checkbooks.

Coach says Ed Johnson won’t play this week, following incident

Super Bowl-winning coach Tony Dungy (above) says the Colts’ Ed Johnson won’t suit-up this week following Johnson’s drug arrest early Wednesday. Cops say Johnson was pulled over for speeding in Indianapolis about 1 a.m. and was later charged with marijuana possession. The lineman was released on bond from the Hamilton County Jail. Team management says the incident will be further investigated to determine if any action is taken. The NFL says the matter will also be reviewed under the league’s substance abuse policy.

Puncher hit with claim of contract violation. At this rate, Floyd “Money” Mayweather could wind up known as Floyd “Need A Loan” Mayweather. First, he had $7 million in jewels stolen from his house and now he’s the target of a lawsuit. A Florida real estate dealer says the boxing standout wiggled away from an $8 million property purchase after signing a contract stating that his company put $1.7 million into escrow toward the buy. But the developer claims Mayweather never properly established the account before trying to move into the spot. Mayweather’s being sued for damages and costs associated with the seller’s having taken the property off the market.

Congressional Democrats drop child health bill. Congressional Democrats have scrapped plans for another vote on expansion of the Children’s Health Insurance Program. The move spares Republicans from a politically difficult vote just weeks before elections this fall, the Washington Post reports. Before the summer recess, Democrats had vowed repeatedly to force another vote on the popular program. But Democrats say they have shifted course, after concluding that President Bush would not sign their legislation and that they didn’t have the votes to override a veto. Mr. Bush vetoed two earlier versions of the legislation, which he denounced as a dangerous step toward “government-run health care for every American,” and the House sustained those vetoes.  The move effectively shelves the legislation, which was aimed at expanding state health care coverage for  poor and middle-income families, is effectively dead for now. “We are not going to change any votes on the children’s health insurance bill. We still don’t have enough to override a veto,” said Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.), chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. “Those who opposed this bill can face the voters and explain why they believe 10 million kids should not get health coverage.” 

Free drug samples could cost uninsured more. Free drug samples provided to physicians by pharmaceutical companies could actually be costing uninsured patients more in the long run, according to a study done by researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and colleagues. The retrospective study looked at the prescribing habits of more than 70 physicians in a university-affiliated internal medicine practice in the months immediately before and after the closing of their drug sample closet. The results indicate that the availability of free samples from pharmaceutical companies greatly impacts whether an uninsured patient is given a prescription for a generic or a brand-name drug. The complete findings can be found in the September issue of Southern Medical Journal. “It’s true that samples can save patients money in the short-run,” said David P. Miller, M.D., lead researcher and internal medicine physician at Wake Forest Baptist. “But our study shows that they may end up paying more in the long run when they are given prescriptions for brand-name only drugs.” After looking at 2,000 cases, researchers found that, for uninsured patients, the percentage of medications prescribed as generics rose from 12 percent to 30 percent after the clinic closed its drug sample closet. For Medicaid patients, however, there was no significant change in generic prescribing.
Natural label is no guarantee. The word “natural” on a food label sounds like it might mean the food is better for you, but a University of Missouri nutritionist says that isn’t necessarily the case. “The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sets standards for the nutrition information and health claims that can be made on a food label,” said Tammy Roberts, nutrition and health education specialist with University of Missouri Extension. “Claims made on food labels are to be truthful and not misleading. Still, it’s easy for some claims to be confusing.” The three terms that many people are confused about are “natural,” “healthy” and “organic,” Roberts said. “Many people think they all mean about the same thing, but there are different specific meanings for all of these terms,” Roberts told U.S. News & World Report. When a food is labeled as “natural,” it means that the product does not contain any synthetic or artificial ingredients or is minimally processed. According to Roberts, the food label should explain how the producer is using terms such as “no added colorings” or “no added artificial ingredients” along with the “natural” claim. For a food to be labeled as “healthy,” it must meet certain criteria for the amount of fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium and have specific minimum amounts of vitamins, minerals or other beneficial nutrients. If a food is labeled as “organic,” it must meet standards set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the way the food is grown or produced. “It is important to note that USDA makes no claims that organically grown food is more nutritious or safer than other non-organically produced food,” said Roberts.

DMX gets sweet plea deal on Miami drug charges. After cursing at his recent bond hearing and saying he wasn’t coming back to a Florida court on pending drug charges, rapper DMX has been proved correct. X’s lawyer Brad Cohen, who once competed on Donald Trump’s show “The Apprentice,” got the hook-up: a deal letting the rapper plead guilty to attempted purchases of cocaine and weed, in exchange for time already served in jail and a $483 fine. If he’s not returned to Arizona on a bench warrant within 15 days, the performer is free. Not a bad look after Judge Lawrence Schwartz warned Cohen about X’s mouth; the rapper had muttered, “I ain’t coming back on f–king Oct. 3,” the date Schwartz set after denying bond. “You need to tell your client that I’ve heard the ‘F’ word before,” Schwartz told Cohen. “…He can send it to me anytime he wants to come in, if that’s what makes him happy, but he certainly didn’t help his stature any with what he mumbled as he left the podium.” Apparently, something did help the rapper’s “stature” – he could’ve faced six years in prison, if convicted.

Tyrese Gibson: “Racing is what I do…for real.” Maybe the adrenaline from shooting scenes in his current flick simply hasn’t worn off, but singer-actor Tyrese shows little concern about admitting to an illegal pastime: street racing. The former Guess jeans model says he’s challenged his Death Race co-star Jason Statham to a contest off the set. Nevermind the danger, possible jail time or less-than-exemplary image, the singer says he literally wants to take it to the streets with Statham: “He’s like this big rock star, but let’s take it to the freeway for real. Let’s go get us a high-speed speeding ticket. Let’s go dip in and out of the traffic. So let’s go make it happen. I’m calling him out, and I’m gonna keep calling him out until he accepts my offer because I’m ready. Racing is what I do in the streets for real.” Keep an eye out for Tyrese at a courthouse near you.

A Motown vocalist dies of cancer

Motown singer Pervis Jackson, of the popular 1970s group The Spinners, has died. Jackson, whose voice can be heard on hits including “Rubber Band Man,” was hospitalized, suffering from cancer in Detroit . He was 70 years old when he passed on Monday.

Rapper is on Arizona ’s “no bail” hold

The good news is that DMX will go at least a month and a half without being arrested again. The bad news is that he’s locked up in Arizona until his next court date in October after he was collared in Miami last week. X had missed a hearing on Arizona drug charges days earlier, later telling his lawyer that he’d checked himself into a Florida hospital for unspecified reasons. Cops later found the rapper at a Wal-Mart store where he was promptly picked up and then sent back to Arizona , where he’s listed on “no bail” hold. DMX has been arrested more than a half-dozen times on various charges this year.

Rapper’s hospitalization reportedly caused court absence.

Rapper DMX’s lawyer says the performer had an excuse for missing his latest court hearing. X reportedly checked into a Miami hospital Tuesday, preventing him from returning to Arizona for a scheduled appearance on drug charges. Meanwhile, the Arizona judge in the case issued a warrant for DMX’s arrest after he missed a court date on the charges. Details aren’t clear about the nature of X’s ailment, but the judge who issued the warrant hadn’t been told the rapper was hospitalized. His lawyer hopes DMX can return to Arizona without being taken into custody. Legal problems and arrests have plagued the artist for most of 2008. Attorney Charles Kozelka says X is “serious” about getting help for substance abuse.

Cigarette legislation clears the house.

Legislation that gives the U.S. Food and Drug Administration broad authority to regulate cigarettes and other forms of tobacco cleared the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday. The White House issued a statement voicing “serious concerns” about the bill and said advisers would recommend a presidential veto. Backers, including public health groups and many Democrats, said the measure would help curtail youth smoking, prevent heart disease and reduce rising health-care costs. “With this legislation, we will place sharp and sorely needed limits on access to tobacco products and on tobacco advertising and marketing,” said Rep. John Dingell, a Michigan Democrat who chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The White House, however, said the legislation would “put an enormous burden on the FDA” that could detract from other public health responsibilities. Requiring the FDA to oversee tobacco products also “could be perceived by the public as an endorsement that these products are safe, resulting in more people smoking,” the White House said. The bill, which cleared the House in a 326-102 vote, would authorize the FDA to police cigarette labeling and recall tobacco products seen as unreasonably harmful. The FDA also would have to approve all new cigarettes and other tobacco products, and set standards for so-called reduced-risk products. The agency would not be empowered to ban cigarettes or require nicotine levels of zero.

U.N. will remove staff from Darfur
The UN-African Union mission (UNAMID) announced it will be removing staff from the Sudan, reports the BBC. There are 9,600 uniformed peacekeepers and around 1,300 civilians involved with the mission in Darfur. No word yet on how many will be removed; however a UNAMID commander said that despite the withdrawal, the peacekeepers would still be looking to keep up their presence in the region. “We will continue to protect the U.N. personnel and U.N. facilities that are here, and we will continue to help the humanitarian organizations to continue to do their job of rendering humanitarian services to the people in Darfur,” Gen. Martin Luther Agwai said. The process will begin today, according to a Sudanese official, who added, “This is a unilateral decision which the Sudanese government was not involved in.” This announcement comes not too long after an International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor announced he was looking to arrest Sudan’s president on war crimes charges. The U.N. officially has nothing to do with the ICC, but with the troop withdrawal, it may be preparing itself for a potential increase in problems within the region, reports the BBC. Earlier this month, an attack on UNAMID peacekeepers by a militia in Darfur left seven dead and 22 injured.

Drug plane with a fake Red Cross logo seized in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone police seized a plane loaded with an estimated $54 million worth of cocaine at an airport not far from the capital Sunday. The small white plane, which reportedly had a fake Red Cross symbol on it, landed in Freetown’s Lungi airport, without being authorized, a police spokesman told BBC. “When police searched the aircraft, some 600kg (1,320 lbs.) of cocaine was discovered along with gallons of fuel and several AK47 and AK48 rifles … with 339 rounds of cartridges,” the spokesman told Agence France-Presse. Eight foreigners have been arrested in connection with the incident. The pilots of the plane fled in a vehicle that drove up to the fence by the runway, and airport security did not try to stop them, reports the BBC. After setting up roadblocks, though, the police later arrested seven foreigners – three Colombians, two Mexicans a Venezuelan and a U.S. citizen, not too far from the airport. On Monday, another suspect, a Cuban-American, was arrested. Sierra Leone citizens also have been questioned by police. “It’s drawn attention to the fact that we have to do more. There must be many more flights like this. It’s something that governments can lose control over,” said Michael Schulenburg, who heads the U.N. mission in Sierra Leone. The group warned last month that smugglers are seeking new ways of getting drugs from South America to Europe.

President says the killings are unavoidable in fight against drug dealers
More Mexican drug traffickers are killing one another, a fact, the nation’s president says, signals success in the war against drugs. “We are truly hitting crime’s operative structure. This is making it so that the gangs are fighting among themselves, and that is causing the deaths that are occurring in the country,” President Felipe Calderon told CNN. On Monday alone, suspected drug dealers killed 21 people in the state of Chihuahua, which is known as a hotspot. Since the beginning of the year, more than 1,000 people have been killed in drug-related violence, reports the news service. A top police official and four other officers died this month in a raid. Calderon believes that the violence is necessary to win the war on drugs. “It will cost human lives because we have decided to fight to rescue our country. That unfortunately will mean that some Mexicans will lose their lives,” he said. The nation has long struggled with rampant drug trafficking; Mexico has seized more money and more cocaine from cartels than any other nation and every year about 300 tons of cocaine makes its way across the border to the United States.

Nigerian oil field goes back to work after attack
Six days after being attacked by Nigerian militants, an oil field in the country continues production, reports the BBC. The Bongo oil field, run by energy company Royal Duthch Shell, produces a 10th of the oil coming out of the African nation. “We’re up and running on Bonga,” a spokesman for the company said. This comes after members of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (who claimed responsibility on the recent attack) called a ceasefire, at the urging of community elders, set to begin from midnight on Tuesday until further notice.