Alcoholism Assessment and Treatment

Alcoholism Assessment and Treatment: "This study will provide evaluation and treatment of a broad range of people with drinking problems. The program consists of a state-of-the-art clinical work-up and uses outpatient counseling treatment approaches. "

FOUR GUILTY IN $24 MILLION MEDICARE BILLING SCAM

FOUR GUILTY IN $24 MILLION MEDICARE BILLING SCAM: "An Orange County man who was one of the ringleaders of a large-scale durable medical equipment ('DME') scheme that defrauded Medicare out of millions of dollars was sentenced yesterday to ten years in prison."

Bipolar Disorder Exacts Twice Depression’s Toll in Workplace

Bipolar Disorder Exacts Twice Depression’s Toll in Workplace: "Bipolar disorder costs twice as much in lost productivity as major depressive disorder, a study funded by the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has found. Each U.S. worker with bipolar disorder averaged 65.5 lost workdays in a year, compared to 27.2 for major depression. Even though major depression is more than six times as prevalent, bipolar disorder costs the U.S. workplace nearly half as much — a disproportionately high $14.1 billion annually. Researchers traced the higher toll mostly to bipolar disorder’s more severe depressive episodes rather than to its agitated manic periods."

OCC Publishes Newsletter Covering Revisions to the Community Reinvestment Act

OCC Publishes Newsletter Covering Revisions to the Community Reinvestment Act: "WASHINGTON - National banks invested $638 million to revitalize and stabilize communities in the second quarter of 2006 just one year after revised Community Reinvestment Act regulations took effect, according to a new Office of the Comptroller of the Currency publication."

New FluChip Test Enables Quick Diagnosis of Flu Strains

New FluChip Test Enables Quick Diagnosis of Flu Strains: "Laboratories across the U.S. can perform some basic tests on an influenza (flu) virus within several hours. However, only the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and a handful of other labs around the world have the high-level biosafety facilities needed to perform specialized tests that can reveal critical details about a virus such as its geographic origin. A new test may change that, allowing labs across the country to diagnose influenza infections and learn more about the viruses causing illness."

Advanced HIV Drug Approved for Resistant Infections

Advanced HIV Drug Approved for Resistant Infections: "For years, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS, has frustrated drug developers. The virus rapidly mutates and, as parts of its structure change, it becomes resistant to treatment. But doctors will soon have a potent new tool in their arsenal. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved Prezista (darunavir), the first antiviral drug designed to treat drug-resistant strains of HIV. "

IRS Announces Standard Amounts for Telephone Tax Refunds

IRS Announces Standard Amounts for Telephone Tax Refunds: "The Internal Revenue Service today announced the standard amounts that most long-distance customers can use to figure their telephone tax refund. These amounts, which range from $30 to $60, will enable millions of individual taxpayers to request the telephone tax refund without having to dig through old phone bills. "

Sumatran Tiger Cubs' Debut on September 2

Sumatran Tiger Cubs' Debut on September 2: "The National Zoo and FONZ will celebrate the official public debut of the Zoo's three Sumatran tiger cubs on September 2. Come to the Great Cats exhibit to enjoy special talks by Zoo keepers, arts and crafts for kids, giveaways, and discovery tables where kids can see and touch tiger artifacts and objects such as a tiger skull, claws, and pelt, and the big, rubber 'boomer balls' the tigers play with. "

SEC Small Business Forum to Focus on Interactive Data and Capital Formation

SEC Small Business Forum to Focus on Interactive Data and Capital Formation: "The Securities and Exchange Commission's annual Forum on Small Business Capital Formation at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 29, 2006, at its Washington, D.C., headquarters, will focus on the advantages filing interactive data with the SEC can give smaller public companies and on capital formation challenges facing small business. "

New How-To Guide for Removing Data from Storage Media

New How-To Guide for Removing Data from Storage Media: "Before ditching or donating that used computer, CD or other data-storage media, sensitive or personal information should be properly “sanitized,” according to a new guide from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Information systems store information using a wide variety of media, including “hard” copy, such as paper printouts and facsimile ribbons, and electronic media, including cell phones, CDs or DVDs, and hard drives. Even if stored data supposedly has been deleted, in many cases residual data can be retrieved and reconstructed"

U.S. Passports: Vacation Memories A Snap With A Passport Purchased At U.S. Post Offices

U.S. Passports: Vacation Memories A Snap With A Passport Purchased At U.S. Post Offices: "Now, the U.S. Postal Service makes applying for passports a little more memorable for customers. Get a Passport, Travel the World,' a two-month promotional partnership between the Postal Service and Shutterfly, allows customers who apply for a new passport at select Post Office locations to qualify for a free, customer-designed, 20-page Classic Photo Book through Shutterfly (www.shutterfly.com)."

Labor Day 2006: Statistics on the American Worker - Strong, Competitive and Growing

Labor Day 2006: Statistics on the American Worker - Strong, Competitive and Growing: "On Labor Day 2006, our nation's economy is strong and growing. Unemployment is low, job opportunities are expanding, and compensation is rising. But more still needs to be done to keep America's workforce the most competitive and innovative in the world. "

Verizon And Bellsouth Eliminate Imposed DSL Fees: FCC Statement

Verizon And Bellsouth Eliminate Imposed DSL Fees: FCC Statement: "I am pleased that both Verizon and BellSouth have eliminated fees recently imposed on their DSL customers. Consumers should receive the benefits of the Commission's action last summer to remove regulations imposed on DSL service. The continued deployment of broadband at affordable prices for consumers remains my top priority as Chairman.'"

Obesity in Men Linked to Infertility

Obesity in Men Linked to Infertility: "Men with increased body mass index (BMI) were significantly more likely to be infertile than normal-weight men, according to research conducted at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), one of the National Institutes of Health"

U.S. Labor Department Sues Houston Drywall Firm to Recover over $500,000 in Back Wages for Employees Working on Mississippi Gulf Coast

U.S. Labor Department Sues Houston Drywall Firm to Recover over $500,000 in Back Wages for Employees Working on Mississippi Gulf Coast: "The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has sued Benitez Drywall LLC, a Houston-based drywall company, and its owners for alleged violations of the overtime and recordkeeping provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The complaint was filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division following an investigation by the department's Wage and Hour Division (WHD). Back wages are expected to exceed $500,000 for more than 500 construction workers. Also named in the department's lawsuit are Ruben Benitez, president of the company and Hoguer Benitez, vice president."

FDIC Makes Public July Enforcement Actions against Banks and individuals

FDIC Makes Public July Enforcement Actions against Banks and individuals: "The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) today released a list of orders of administrative enforcement actions taken against banks and individuals in July. No administrative hearings are scheduled for September."

FEMA Warns Of Inland Flooding From Tropical Depression Ernesto

FEMA Warns Of Inland Flooding From Tropical Depression Ernesto: "WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) warns that Ernesto still remains a threat and residents should be aware of inland flooding and other dangers after the storm passes. Federal and state officials remind people in Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and other states along the East Coast to continue to monitor weather forecasts."

Fraud Alert: Hurricane Season and Phishing Sites

Fraud Alert: Hurricane Season and Phishing Sites: "Phishing emails may appear as requests for donations from a charitable organization asking the users to click on a link that will then take them to a fraudulent web site that appears to be a legitimate charity. The users are then asked to provide personal information that can further expose them to future compromises."

Teen drivers' crash rates go down significantly under provisions of California's graduated licensing law

Teen drivers' crash rates go down significantly under provisions of California's graduated licensing law: "The main finding of a new evaluation of graduated licensing is a 23 percent overall reduction in the per-capita crash involvement rate of 16-year-old drivers in California. Crashes went down more in the high-risk situations specifically addressed by graduated licensing — nighttime crash rates went down 27 percent, and crash rates with teen passengers decreased 38 percent. The study was conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety"

Race Discrimination: Retailer Target Corporation Must Face Trial on Race Discrimination Charges

Race Discrimination: Retailer Target Corporation Must Face Trial on Race Discrimination Charges: "The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago has reversed a lower federal court in Milwaukee and ruled that an U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) race discrimination suit against the giant retailer Target Corporation should go to trial. The appeals court found that the EEOC had presented sufficient evidence -- that Target refused to hire four African American applicants for entry-level management positions because of their race -- to require a full trial. The court also held that a trial was required on the issue of whether Target had destroyed employment applications in bad faith, and whether its changed policies with respect to retaining records were sufficient. "