FBI: Millions Fraudulently Siphoned From Kids’ Food Aid Program
An investigation in Minnesota found evidence that money was siphoned away by charging taxpayers for nonexistent meals delivered to needy children. Separately, toxic methanol contamination of hand sanitizer drives a product recall in Tennessee.
The New York Times:
F.B.I. Sees ‘Massive Fraud’ In Groups’ Food Programs For Needy Children
Last year, with the federal government making available huge new sums of money for programs to feed needy children during the pandemic, a nonprofit organization called Advance Youth Athletic Development set up what it described as an enormous child care operation in northeast Minneapolis that could prepare 5,000 dinners each weeknight. Based on the group’s claims, the State of Minnesota channeled $3.2 million of the federal food aid to the program. (Farenthold, 3/8)
In other public health news —
AP:
Tennessee Company Recalls Hand Sanitizer Containing Methanol
A Tennessee company said it is voluntarily recalling 1-gallon containers of hand sanitizer after it was found to contain methanol, which can cause illness or death. Tennessee Technical Coatings Corp. is recalling all lots of Hand Sanitizer Isopropyl Alcohol Antiseptic 75%, which was distributed in Tennessee to retail customers and wholesale companies between April 2020 and August 2020, the company said. (3/9)
USA Today:
Genetically Modified Mosquitoes In Florida, California Get OK From EPA
Millions of genetically altered mosquitoes that are seeking to ward off their natural, disease-causing counterparts may soon be released in Florida and California after the Environmental Protection Agency approved a plan to further test these modified insects. Developed by the biotechnology company Oxitec, the altered Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are genetically modified so that males, which do not bite, are released into the wild and mate with females, which do bite. Their resulting offspring are either male or females that never survive to reach maturity, the company says. (Miller, 3/8)
The Boston Globe:
The Tooth Fairy Is Calling: Boston Researchers Seeking Baby Teeth For Health Study
Could children’s teeth tell us something about who they will become and what mental health challenges they could encounter? Dr. Erin Dunn believes they can, envisioning a day when physicians routinely scrutinize children’s incisors or canines — after they fall out — for signs of early life trauma, experiences researchers believe may increase a person’s risk of later problems. Such a screening, Dunn hopes, could one day become as routine as the blood tests doctors use to check a patient’s cholesterol and glucose levels, measures that indicate whether a person faces an increased risk of heart disease or diabetes. (Lazar, 3/7)
Columbus Dispatch:
Labrador Systems Robot Can Help People Move Items Around Their Home
Nationwide wants to know if a new generation of personal robots can help people stay at home as they age or face health issues. The Columbus insurance and financial services company has struck a partnership with robotics company Labrador Systems, which is developing robots designed to assist people moving items around their home. Nationwide sees the robots as a way to help people live well in retirement by allowing them to live longer in their homes, in addition to providing support for their caregivers. "Everyone wants to stay at home,’’ said Bobbi Jo Allan, Nationwide Innovation vice president. "If this is something that can help people do that longer, that feels like a win for all involved." (Williams, 3/8)
Fox News:
Positive Thinking May Improve Your Emotional Health: Study
Being optimistic may help to improve a person's emotional well-being, according to researchers. A study from the Boston University School of Medicine published Monday in the Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences followed 233 older men from the Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study over an eight-year period. The participants first completed an optimism questionnaire and reported daily stressors and positive and negative moods on eight consecutive evenings up to three times over an eight-year span from 2002 to 2010. Those who were more optimistic were less likely to report negative moods, and optimism was unrelated to emotional reactivity to or recovery from daily stressors. (Musto, 3/8)
