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Planets circle the stars that dot the heavens. Before 1995, we couldn’t have said that with any certainty. Now we know of more than 300 planets orbiting distant stars, and we have a fleet of telescopes looking for them. The ultimate goal is to find another Earth orbiting a star like the Sun, but the quest on the way to that Holy Grail has yielded some strange benchmarks. CoRoT-exo3b, a dense planet orbiting another star COROT-exo-3b compared to Jupiter Meet the planet COROT-exo-3b. It orbits a star slightly larger, hotter, and brighter than the Sun. The star is not an...

CAMP TAJI, Iraq, Sept. 23, 2008 – During a World War II battle in Holtzwihr, France, a wounded U.S. soldier climbed into a burning tank, took a spot behind a .50-caliber machine gun and fired until the enemy was vanquished. Army Sgt. 1st Class Ernest Oberst watches the soldiers in his platoon conduct vehicle inspections northwest of Baghdad. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. J.B. Jaso III, Multinational Division Baghdad  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. At the age of 19, Audie Murphy was awarded the Medal of Honor, and to this day, he inspires military leaders and soldiers...

Tire companies, big box stores, and the government are putting the brakes on the use of lead wheel weights. Through EPA's National Lead-Free Wheel Weight Initiative, partners have agreed to phase-in the use of lead-free alternative wheel weights and reduce the amount of lead released into the environment by 2011. "Our partners have pledged to reduce or eliminate their use of lead wheel weights," said Susan Parker Bodine, assistant administrator of EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. "Their efforts will remove millions of pounds of lead from the environment and the waste stream." Eliminating lead wheel weights is...

Staff Sgt. Kristy Van Lanen, a native of West De Pere, Wisc., talks to directors of a non-governmental organization at the Iraqi Assistance Center in Baghdad July 19, 2008. NGOs are helping improve the economic stability and education levels of their Iraqi communities through education and training. Photo by Sgt. James Hunter. BAGHDAD — Iraqis continue to take more of a lead within their communities, helping improve the economic stability and education levels of their Iraqi communities. These Iraqis are a part of non-governmental organizations that gain funding through various agencies to fund facilities and training programs within their community.NGOs...

Food pantries in Iowa have been given approval to resume serving venison to the needy,” read the National Shooting Sports Foundation press release. “Earlier, anti-hunting entities had convinced state officials the meat was tainted by lead. Similar scare campaigns in North Dakota and Minnesota resulted in venison for the homeless being discarded.” How serious was the “problem”? “10 samples of ground venison from a food pantry were tested by the University of Iowa Hygienic Laboratory,” NSSF writes. “[E]ight had no detectable amounts and two had only trace amounts.” For this, a laudable program was halted, and the most unfortunate among...

After hearing about dental work containing lead, because it's made in China, I called my dentist to see if the crown material (porcelon-based) is made in China. He didn't know, but gave me the name of the company, "Cerec." I e-mailed the company, and am awaiting an answer.

When God made the world, He sprinkled it liberally with a soft, heavy, dull gray metal called lead. Humankind did the rest, finding countless uses for the abundant element. During the latter half of the 20th century, however, people began to grasp that certain applications of lead, particularly in gasoline and paint, posed a health hazard. The rest is history. Leaded gasoline came off the market in favor of low-lead, and finally unleaded. Paint manufacturers stopped using lead in pigments in 1978. But the stuff is still around, in homes, businesses, on old cars and trucks, and in public places...

Hundreds of North Dakotans can help solve a health mystery by participating in a study that will investigate possible risks associated with eating wild game killed by lead bullets. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the North Dakota Department of Health will test the blood-lead levels of 680 people in the state. The study, which starts Friday, will compare blood lead levels of people who eat venison with the levels of those who don’t.

Iraqi national policemen with the 2nd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 1st National Police Division, take cover after being attacked by criminals using small-arms fire during a combined operation in the eastern Baghdad neighborhood of Kamilayah April 21. The cordon-and-search mission included soldiers from 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, and 2nd Bn., 4th Bde., 1st NP Div. National Police Transition Team.Photo by Spc. Grant Okubo. FORWARD OPERATING BASE RUSTAMIYAH — Iraqi national police took the lead during a combined operation with Multi-National Division – Baghdad soldiers in the eastern Baghdad neighborhood of Kamilayah recently.National police from 2nd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 1st National...

The Myth of Helplessness : Those who accept no excuses get results Matthew Ladner, Goldwater Institute Daily Email, April 14, 2008 On April 4th, Arizona School Board Association analyst Michael T. Martin wrote a column opposing the state takeover of the Roosevelt school district. He asserts that widespread lead poisoning is the cause of Roosevelt’s problems. Lead poisoning has been much diminished since the elimination of lead paint and lead gasoline, but not entirely eliminated. An examination of the evidence is in order before writing off these kids. In our state of 6 million people, the Arizona Department of Health...

Associated Press Thousands of pounds of venison donated to food pantries this year has become a contentious gift in three states. Officials in North Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa warn that the meat could be contaminated by lead from bullets. Hunting groups are calling it an overreaction. "It's alarmist and not supported by any science," said Lawrence Keane, a vice president and lawyer for the Newton, Conn.-based National Shooting Sports Foundation, a trade association for the firearms and ammunition industry. "High quality protein is now taken out of the mouths of needy, hungry people." North Dakota health officials on Wednesday told...

NRA Members' Councils of California << Please cross-post & distribute this CAL-ERT >> << Please cross-post & distribute this CAL-ERT >> << Please cross-post & distribute this CAL-ERT >>  CAL-ERT  03/11/08 --- 3:00 PM  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ CALIFORNIA REGULATORY ALERTThis information is accurate at the time this CAL-ERT was written and originally distributed. The NRA Members' Councils of California will keep you informed as the situation changes in Sacramento.IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!!!CALIFORNIA FISH & GAME COMMISSION REGULATORY PROPOSALSWEEPING NEW REGULATIONS OVERSTEP EVEN THE EXTREME RESTRICTIONS OF AB821FISH & GAME COMMISSION NEEDS TO HEAR FROM YOU!   NOW!!!  The California Fish and Game Commission...

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Chris Collier has been a patient of Dr. Dave Rummel for 30 years. When it comes to teeth, Collier is more concerned about his health than his smile. "The reason I come here is because I know I can trust the dentist I have," Collier said. "I know I can get good workmanship." SLIDESHOW: Images From Report Rummel is one of the few dentists in central Ohio who makes his own crowns, bridges and dentures, but most other dentists rely on outside dental labs, 10 Investigates' Lindsey Seavert reported. The labs can be down the street or...

<p>The claim has the ring of a myth. But environmental scientists say it is real.</p>

Associated Press NEW YORK --The dangers of lead in some toys are well-known, but there are plenty of other ways people can be exposed to the metal. Young children are especially at risk of harm because their bodies are growing quickly. They can suffer damage to the brain and nervous system, slowed growth and other problems. In adults, excessive lead exposure can lead to problems in reproduction, high blood pressure, memory and concentration problems and other effects. Levels of lead in the air have plunged since the late 1970s with the removal of lead from gasoline. Today, most lead in...

RAMADI, Iraq – Iraqi civilians helped Iraqi Security Forces and Coalition Forces discover numerous caches 60 kilometers northeast of Ramadi Jan. 24. Acting on information provided by locals, the Iraqi Army alongside Company B, 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment discovered four caches, including the largest cache found in the Thar Thar region in 2008. The combined four caches included 2,550 pounds of homemade explosives; 10 pounds of plastic explosives; three mines; 1,500 feet of detonation cord; two mortar tubes; more than 300 rocket propelled grenade warheads; six 120mm mortar rounds; four 107mm rockets; and one heavy machine gun. One cache...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq – Soldiers from Company A, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, conducted a two-day combined operation with the Iraqi 3rd Brigade, 1st National Police Division and Concerned Local Citizens in Zelig, Iraq Jan. 20 and 21. Thirteen insurgent fighters were killed, two enemy trucks destroyed and 14 improvised explosive devices were found during the combined operation, which is part of the country-wide Operation Phantom Phoenix. Capt. William Clark, the commander of Company A, said Concerned Local Citizens took the lead in the operation. The Wheeling, Ill. native said the majority of IEDs were found in Zelig...

Yahoo! News Lead linked to aging in older brains By MALCOLM RITTER, AP Science WriterSun Jan 27, 3:28 PM ET Could it be that the "natural" mental decline that afflicts many older people is related to how much lead they absorbed decades before? That's the provocative idea emerging from some recent studies, part of a broader area of new research that suggests some pollutants can cause harm that shows up only years after someone is exposed. The new work suggests long-ago lead exposure can make an aging person's brain work as if it's five years older than it really is....

Could it be that the "natural" mental decline that afflicts many older people is related to how much lead they absorbed decades before? That's the provocative idea emerging from some recent studies, part of a broader area of new research that suggests some pollutants can cause harm that shows up only years after someone is exposed. The new work suggests long-ago lead exposure can make an aging person's brain work as if it's five years older than it really is. If that's verified by more research, it means that sharp cuts in environmental lead levels more than 20 years ago...

BAQUBAH, Iraq – Iraqi Army Soldiers killed one enemy combatant and detained 53 suspects during a joint operation with Iraqi Police, Concerned Local Citizens and Coalition Forces in the villages of Buhritz Al-Abarra and Imam Ways, just south of Baqubah Jan. 14-16. The operation, dubbed Viking Harvest II by CF, which is part of Operation Phantom Phoenix - a country-wide effort to eliminate al-Qaeda and other extremists in Iraq - also resulted in the clearing of more than 30 improvised explosive devices, the reduction of five booby-trapped houses and the discovery of two weapon caches. Three CLCs were killed and...

Magic Number 1,191 Romney 52 Huckabee 22 McCain 15 Thompson 6 Paul 2 Giuliani 1 Hunter 1 Total Delegates*

COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa -- Down more than 10 points in the polls here only weeks ago, Mitt Romney appears to be surging back days before Iowans head to their caucuses. Two polls released over the weekend showed Romney ahead of rival Mike Huckabee by several points, while another survey out Sunday has Romney in a statistical tie with the former Arkansas governor. That's a far cry from early November, when a surging Huckabee took the front-runner mantle from Romney and never looked back. While Iowa's caucuses -- the first test of the presidential contest - are difficult to poll given...

WASHINGTON -- While public polls show Mike Huckabee leading Mitt Romney in Iowa, a new survey of an oversized sample shows Huckabee slipping and no longer ahead of Romney. A private corporate interest commissioned a phone bank survey of 15,000 Iowans who say they will attend Republican presidential caucuses Jan. 3. It showed Romney with 30 percent and Huckabee at 26 percent. Sen. John McCain was third with 12 percent and Rudy Giuliani fourth at 9 percent. Fred Thompson had only 1 percent, with slightly fewer votes than Rep. Ron Paul (also at 1 percent). Numbers for both Huckabee and...

BROWNSVILLE — Concerns about lead contamination have prompted a San Antonio import company to expand its voluntary recall of Mexican candy, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. Villa-Mex Imports Inc., the company responsible for importing Tarritos, has agreed to voluntarily recall the candy, but state and local officials say it could take weeks before the item is completely removed from store shelves. Tarritos is the second brand of Mexican candy to be recalled this month after testing revealed elevated lead levels in the products. Productos Avila S.A. manufactures Tarritos and is also responsible for Barrilito, which was...

The Associated Press NEW YORK --A new report showed Wednesday that immigrant children are five times more likely to suffer from lead poisoning than U.S.-born children in New York City. The study in the January issue of the American Journal of Public Health also found that children who lived abroad within the previous six months - especially children from the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Mexico and Pakistan - were 11 times more likely to have lead poisoning. The city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said it is the first such study to look at lead poisoning in New York City's...

WASHINGTON -- Two weeks before the Iowa caucus, the race for president, while tightening among Democrats, is wide open on the Republican side, highlighting the unusual fluidity of the first campaign for the White House in over a half- century that doesn't include an incumbent president or vice president. A new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll shows that Rudy Giuliani has lost his national lead in the Republican field after a flurry of negative publicity about his personal and business activities, setting the stage for what could be the party's most competitive nomination fight in decades. After holding a double-digit...

New Calif. Law Requires Warning When Products Contain Lead Traces CLEVELAND -- As they put up holiday lights this year, some people are noticing something very strange on their new packages of lights – a label warning about possible hazardous chemicals in the lights. NewsChannel5's John Matarese reported that despite the warning label, the lights are not dangerous. Al Shelton went to buy some lights for outside his house, but found a label on the boxes warning about the lights' wires containing lead. The label read, "Handling these coated electric wires in this product exposes you to lead, a chemical...

In New Hampshire’s Republican Presidential Primary, the latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey shows former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney with 34% support and a nineteen-point lead. Making the most of his home field advantage, Romney has steadily increased his lead from fifteen points earlier in November, nine-points in October and three-points in September. The new primary election poll shows a virtual three-way tie for second place between former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Arizona Senator John McCain at 15% and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee at 14%. For Giuliani and McCain, those figures are a very slight dip...

(PROVIDENCE, R.I.) -- Hasbro Inc., the world's second-largest toy company, plans to place a newspaper ad to distance itself from a string of lead paint recalls that have plagued its competitors, Hasbro Chief Executive Alfred J. Verrecchia said Thursday. The ad, in the form of a letter to consumers, will appear in newspapers next week, Verrecchia said. He did not immediately have details on where and when it would appear, but said the message will be that Hasbro has had no recalls for lead or other dangerous chemicals, and people can feel good about buying Hasbro toys and games. "Our...

TAJI — “There will be no walking on my site,” said Sgt. 1st Class Tyroid Weston, a truck driver in the 202nd Brigade Support Battalion, to the new platoon of Iraqi Army (IA) Soldiers recently at CampTaji. “You are Strykers, you are swift and lethal; do you understand?” Weston and his team of four other non-commissioned officers with the 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division from Fort Lewis, Wash., graduate a new platoon of IA Soldiers every (10) days from the Iraqi Army Stryker Training Course in Taji. The course is designed to get IA Soldiers ready to...

BAQUBA — After three months of close mentorship with an advisory team from the U.S. Army’s 25th Infantry Division, the Diyala Operations Command has been validated to take the lead on security operations within Diyala province, just north of Baghdad. The Diyala Operations Command (DOC) is a headquarters unit charged with the synchronization of Iraqi Army, Police and other security forces operating in the province. Previously, the DOC received direction from the 25th Infantry Division, which commands Multi-National Division-North, encompassing all of northern Iraq, from the outskirts of Baghdad to the northern Iraqi border with Turkey. With this validation, the...

WASHINGTON -- About 175,000 Curious George Plush Dolls were recalled Thursday, becoming the latest toy made in China found to be contaminated with dangerous levels of lead. Manufactured by Marvel Toys,. of New York, N.Y., the Curious George dolls contain excessive amounts of lead in their surface paint, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

I hope no one minds the topic of this thread. With the holidays coming up, I thought this might be of use to not just me, but all parents, grandparents, families etc.. A list of ideas from others, and this thread could be an EXCELLENT reference guide. As a new grandparent of a child less than 2 1/2 yrs old, I am looking for safe alternative toys and toy parts that do not originate in china. If the toddler puts it in his/her mouth, (aside from being big enough that he/she can't swallow it)...it needs to be a material that...

Dishes, toys, jewelry and backpacks that have not yet been recalled all carry "worrisome" levels of lead, the nonprofit Consumers Union said on Monday. The group's Consumer Reports magazine staff recommended that people immediately stop using some of the products tested. "Our lab tests detected lead at widely varying levels in samples of dishware, jewelry, glue stick caps, vinyl backpacks, children's ceramic tea sets and other toys and items not on any federal recall list," the group wrote in a magazine report. It said the items were not included in recent recalls. Last week the Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled...

ATLANTA: Lipsticks tested by a US consumer rights group found that more than half contained lead and some popular brands including Cover Girl, L’Oreal and Christian Dior had more lead than others, the group said on Thursday. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics said tests on 33 brand-name red lipsticks by the Bodycote Testing Group in Santa Fe Spring, California, found that 61% had detectable lead levels of 0.03 to 0.65 parts per million (ppm). Lipstick, like candy, is ingested. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a coalition of public health, environmental and women’s groups, said the FDA has not set a...

August, Mattel Inc. recalled 7.3 million Polly Pocket play sets with small magnets that could come loose and, if swallowed, tear holes in a child's digestive system. Hearing that, Lisa Davis didn't think twice about removing the toys from her 5-year-old daughter's room and "chucking them in the trash" rather than returning the items for a replacement. "It's just not worth my time to go through the hassle," Davis said. "It's easier to quietly stick them in the trash when my daughter's not looking." This year, manufacturers and retailers have issued a steady drumbeat of recalls for unsafe items including...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Curious George doll bought at Toys "R" Us was found to be tainted with 10 times the legally-allowed lead level, and vinyl lunch boxes and backpacks also had high amounts of lead, the nonprofit group Center for Environmental Health said on Wednesday. The Curious George doll found with high amounts of lead was made by Marvel Entertainment Group Inc, the Oakland, California-based group said in a statement. A Marvel spokesman said he was unaware of the advocacy group's finding and had no immediate comment.Millions of toys made in China have been recalled over the last three...

NEW YORK -- Last month, Japanese car shoppers who test drove a Nissan vehicle were given a free logoed coffee mug for their time as a thank you. At least one consumer probably wished he had said, "No, thank you." According to reports, after drinking from the China-made freebie, he felt ill. It was later discovered that the mug contained excessive amounts of lead. More than 140,000 mugs were subsequently recalled. Nissan could not be reached for comment. Here in the U.S., California State Health Officials were forced to recall 300,000 lead-laden lunch boxes late last month that, ironically, promoted...

The hundreds of thousands of lunchboxes given away by state health officials were designed to promote healthful habits, bearing slogans such as "Eat Fruits & Vegetables and Be Active." Just one problem: At least some of them were made with unhealthful levels of lead. The California Department of Public Health said Thursday that it was recalling 300,000 green and blue canvas lunch coolers made in China and distributed throughout the state at health fairs and other events since 2004.

Federal Agencies Widen Focus Beyond Chinese-Made Toys To Mexican Dishes, Cookware; Vinyl Goods Scrutinized, Too The government is taking its concern about lead in consumer products beyond toys. New efforts by health and safety officials are looking at potential lead hazards in imported ceramic dishes and cookware made in China and Mexico, as well as lead in lunchboxes and vinyl baby bibs...... ......U.S. safety officials, however, say that the major concern among food-related items is ceramics. Ceramics can be a problem because the glazes often contain lead, which can help maintain rich color and shine. If the glazes are properly...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 12, 2007 – President Bush has nominated Marine Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis to receive his fourth star and to lead U.S. Joint Forces Command, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced yesterday. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis, commander of 1st Marine Expeditionary Force and President Bush’s nominee to lead U.S. Joint Forces Command, escorts Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during her May 23, 2007, visit to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif. Photo by Lance Cpl. Jerry Murphy, USMC  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Mattis, currently “dual-hatted” as commander of 1st Marine Expeditionary Force...

Test-drive a Nissan, win a lead-laced mug Fri Sep 7, 2007 4:24PM EDT TOKYO (Reuters) - Chinese merchandise took a fresh knock Friday when car maker Nissan said it was recalling tens of thousands of mugs it gave away in Japan because the paint contains excessive lead. It said it took the action after a hapless car-shopper fell ill after drinking from one of the mugs and complained. Nissan Motor said the cups, which it was giving to anyone who test-drove one of its cars in Japan during a sales initiative that started on August 16, had a lead content...

WASHINGTON (AFP) — The world's largest toy maker Mattel has announced its third mass recall in weeks amid fears that 848,000 Chinese-made Barbie and Fisher Price toys could be tarnished with lead-tainted paint. The latest recall, announced Tuesday, comes as Mattel continues to investigate its Chinese toy production. The European Commission meanwhile said Wednesday it may ban some Chinese-made goods unless Beijing demonstrates it is effectively dealing with dangerous products. Top Mattel executives rallied to stress the US toy giant was working around the clock to ensure its toys were safe, as the company said its relationships with some Chinese...

The recall covers 675,000 units of various Barbie accessory toys that were manufactured between Sept. 30, 2006, and Aug. 20, 2007. The action also involves 90,000 units of Geo Trax Locomotive Toys and 8,900 Big Big World 6-in-1 Bongo Band toys, both from the company’s Fisher-Price brand. The Big Big World products were sold at retailers nationwide from July through August of this year, while the Geo Trax toys were sold from September 2006 through August of this year.

Toys "R" Us has recalled about 27,000 wood coloring cases because one color of paint and some packaging contain too much lead. They were made in China.

Lead Concerns Cited For Chinese-Produced Toys WASHINGTON -- More children's items made in China have been recalled because they contain high levels of lead. The largest recall affects about 250,000 SpongeBob SquarePants address books and journals, manufactured in China and imported by Martin Designs. They have been recalled because paint on the metal spiral bindings can contain high levels of lead. The books feature the SpongeBob SquarePants character on the front cover and a black metal spiral binding. The UPC numbers (80773007505 for the address book and 80773002260, 80773075501 and 80773007551 for the journal) are printed on the back covers....

NewsMax/Zogby Poll: Romney Leads in IowaNewsMax.comWednesday, Aug. 22, 2007 UTICA, New York – While his national polling numbers remain lower than other Republican presidential contenders, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has established a solid lead in the key first caucus state of Iowa, a fresh NewsMax/Zogby telephone survey shows. Romney now leads among likely Republican caucus–goers in Iowa with 33% support, edging his nearest competitor – former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani – by 19 points. The survey comes just two weeks after the Ames Straw Poll in north central Iowa, where Romney swept to an easy victory over a...

The human body needs a diet enriched with many ingredients from the periodic table that sound less like food than like machine parts or spare change. We must have iron to capture oxygen, copper and chromium to absorb energy, cobalt to sheathe our nerves and zinc to help finger our genes. Other creatures demand the occasional sprinkling of tin, nickel, platinum, tungsten and even strontium. But when it comes to lead, the 82nd item on Mendeleev’s menu of the elements, the universal minimum daily requirement is zero. As far as we know, neither we nor any known life form needs...

(BEIJING) - China's problems with lead in consumer products go far beyond tainted toys. From playthings to paint to gasoline, Chinese companies use lead in a wide range of products and experts say China's children are suffering the health consequences. Beijing has prohibited leaded gasoline in recent years and has tightened standards for other goods. But enforcement is spotty, and lead is still so common that researchers say up to one-fifth of Chinese children tested had unsafe levels in their blood. In comparison, about 310,000 U.S. children ages 1 to 5, or less than 2 percent of that population, have...

Thank God my kids never used Baby pacifiers and teething rings, havn't most of them been made in China for a decade or more now. Maybe it's not the Vaccines giving autism.