I love the beautiful summer days here in the Seattle area. People are streaming into Western Washington due to the mild weather, attractive as climate change worsens, and the job opportunities. It’s so nice to be enjoying 70 degree weather as many areas of the country swelter. I’m also appreciating my wonderful garden.
The approval of a new drug to treat Alzheimer’s disease is controversial. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave full approval to the drug lecanemab (Leqembi) Thursday to treat adults with Alzheimer’s disease. In January, Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy organization, urged the agency not to approve the drug.
Another lithium-ion battery recall reminds us that we need to pay attention to the possible fire hazards with the batteries. VRURC is recalling about 190,000 portable chargers. They can ignite, posing a fire risk. VRURC has received one report of fire during a flight, which injured four flight attendants who had to be treated for smoke inhalation.
The Fourth of July is all about red, white, and blue to celebrate the country’s birthday, the 248th this year. What are some ways Americans celebrate? They host or join a family or neighborhood event. Examples include: picnicking or barbecuing or enjoying outdoor activities such as hiking, fishing, swimming, sports, or camping.
Your July Fourth celebration could be ruined with a serious injury and trip to the emergency room. Fireworks related injuries continue to be high, and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is urging consumers to either watch community fireworks displays or take steps to use consumer-grade fireworks safely.
Have you been able to purchase any decent celery lately? Although celery isn’t one of my favorite vegetables, and it’s not one of the more nutrient-packed ones, I do like to eat it once in a while. In addition, I’ve just started drinking smoothies and celery is a good thing to add occasionally along with fruits and spinach or kale.
Genetic testing, where a company examines your DNA, often from a saliva sample, and sends you a report about your family background or your likelihood for developing certain health conditions, is all the rage. It sounds like a great idea, but can you trust a company when it promises to keep your sensitive DNA data private?
It’s a tragedy that more babies are dying in loungers and companies are continuing to sell dangerous ones. Although Boppy newborn loungers were recalled in September 2021 due to the risk that infants can suffocate, shortly after the recall two additional infants died in loungers in unsafe sleep environments.
Another huge recall with dozens of injuries points out once again the importance of keeping up on product recalls. About 469,000 self-cleaning juicers are being recalled by Empower Brands in the United States and with an additional 10,900 recalled in Canada. The juicers can rupture during use.
