Medical Lab Quest Diagnostics says 34,000 customer accounts hacked

(NaturalNews) (NaturalNews) Medical laboratory company Quest Diagnostics has announced that hackers gained access to its mobile app in later November, stealing the personal health information of 34,000 people. The company has directly contacted the patients affected.

It’s no wonder that Quest Diagnostics was an alluring target for hackers. It is a Fortune 500 company that provides diagnostic services to one in three US adults every single year. Each year, it also provides services to half of the country’s hospitals and physicians.

The breach took place via its mobile app, MyQuest by Care360, which allows patients to manage their appointments and view their test results. The hack gave “an unauthorized third party” access to patient names, birth dates, lab results and telephone numbers. The hacked data did not contain Social Security numbers or financial or insurance information.

Patient privacy not safe

The hack is only the latest in a surging number of cyberattacks on health care companies. In the first 11 months of this year, 92 separate health care-related data breaches were reported (not including the Quest Diagnostics breach, which was reported this month). Last year, hacks compromised records for more than 12 million patients.

“For hackers, developing a targeted attack is a significant effort, so it’s no surprise that they focus on healthcare organizations that store highly valuable patient data (significantly more valuable than credit cards … ),” said Israel Levy, CEO of security company BUFFERZONE. He called the Quest Diagnostics hack “yet another indication that despite regulations like HIPAA, healthcare organizations still aren’t doing enough to protect themselves.”

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requires health care providers to guard the privacy of patients’ information. Thus, records stored or transmitted on remotely accessible networks should be protected with the highest levels of digital security — which by and large, does not seem to be happening.

In a high-profile case last year, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield — the second largest insurer in the country — suffered a data breach affecting the records of an astonishing 78.8 million people. In that case, no medical or credit card information was lost, but patients were warned that the information lost — names, birth dates, social security numbers, employment information, email addresses and even street addresses — was sufficient to fuel various types of identity theft and fraud. It also provided a way for scammers to contact patients, posing as representatives of Anthem, and try to gather more information.

Highly profitable targets

Evidence suggests that the hacked information sells for lucrative sums on the black market. Earlier this year, a hacker claimed to be selling a total of 655,000 patient records from three different health care organizations. The seller was asking for $100,000 to $395,000 per database.

Hackers can also find other ways to make money from the health care industry. In February of this year, Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center paid $16,664 (40 bitcoins) in ransom to hackers who had shut down its computer network. In this type of attack, known as ransomware, hackers encrypt the victim’s data and provide the decryption key only upon receiving a ransom payment.

Hospital CEO Allen Stefanek said patient care was unaffected and hospital records remained uncompromised, but that administrators had decided that “the quickest and most efficient way to restore our systems and administrative functions was to pay the ransom.”

Computer security experts normally advise against paying ransom, although in some cases this is contradicted by law enforcement, said Adam Kujawa, head of malware intelligence for digital security company Malwarebytes.

“Unfortunately, a lot of companies don’t tell anybody if they had fallen victim to ransomware and especially if they have paid the criminals,” Kujawa said, “but I know from the experiences I hear about from various industry professionals that it’s a pretty common practice to just hand over the cash.”

Sources:

Baltimore.cbslocal.com

FoxNews.com

FoxNews.com

FoxNews.com

Fox6Now.com

MyQuest.QuestDiagnostics.com

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FDA suggests new limit on lead used in lipstick... are you painting your face with toxic heavy metals?

(NaturalNews) Responding to widespread and growing concern about heavy metals in personal care products, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued a new draft guidance recommending lower limits for lead in many popular cosmetic products, including lipsticks, lip glosses, lip liners, eye shadows, blushes, body lotions, and shampoos.

While not binding, the recommendation by the FDA maintains that lead levels beyond 10 parts per million (ppm) represent a potential public health threat, as exposure to these amounts or higher result in detectable levels of lead in the blood. Lead, of course, is a known neurotoxin that tends to accumulate in the body over time.

According to reports, the FDA guidance was prompted by a Citizen Petition submitted in 2011 by an association representing the personal care products industry. This petition pushed the FDA to take a closer look at cosmetic products, and particularly those applied to the lips, to make sure they aren’t breaching safety levels that might put customers at risk.

Research conducted by the FDA shows that more than 99 percent of all cosmetic lip products and cosmetics applied externally – nearly all such products currently on the market – are tainted with lead. But the agency maintains that these levels are below the threat level.

“Although most cosmetics on the market in the United States generally already contain less than 10 ppm of lead, a small number contained higher amounts, and we are aware that some cosmetics from other countries contain lead at higher levels,” the FDA states on its website.

“This makes guidance on recommend maximum lead levels all the more important as more products are imported into this country.”

Lead still allowed in personal care products, along with other cancer-causing toxins

Like other FDA guidances that affect large industries, the new rules aren’t actually rules, nor are they enforceable. They are merely recommendations that the industry is urged to abide by, though there is no penalty for not abiding by them. This means that most personal care products will likely continue to contain lead and other toxins.

The FDA guidance also does nothing to address the many other toxic metals commonly found in personal care products such as cadmium, aluminum, and chromium. Research published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) back in 2013 found that of all the major brands tested, all of them were tainted with manganese, titanium, and aluminum.

Many of these toxins are known carcinogens, meaning they increase one’s risk of developing cancer. And these aren’t just at trace levels – they’re at levels that could pose some serious public health risks, though the FDA has yet to address the problem.

“As a group, these metals pose a host of potential health risks including damage to the brain and nerves, kidneys, as well as a variety of cancers,” Dr. Ken Spaeth, director of the Occupational and Environmental Medicine Center at North Shore LIJ Health System in Great Neck, New York, explained to CBS News several years back.

Those most at risk are often those heavily using such products, including young girls and pregnant women. Exposure to lead and other metals can interfere with the neurological and cognitive development of unborn babies, as well as younger adults and teenagers whose brains and organs are still developing.

“From a public health policy perspective, there should be zero tolerance for such metals (and other toxic contaminants) in consumer products, and personal care products in particular,” Dr. Spaeth added.

Sources for this article include:

CNN.com

FoxNews.com

CBSNews.com

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Doctors say delay in clamping umbilical cord could benefit health of babies

(NaturalNews) To have the partner cut the umbilical cord after birth is a common tradition for parents in our culture. To some, it plays a symbolic role in the birth process. Separating the baby from the placenta and welcoming him or her into the world is a ritual that is often completed in a matter of seconds. Unless the baby is premature, it is common in the U.S. for doctors to clamp and cut the cord within 15 to 20 seconds after birth.

However, medical staff and new dads should not be too quick to clamp and cut that umbilical cord. Waiting a minute could benefit the baby by giving it an extra rush of oxygen-rich blood. Decades ago, it wasn’t uncommon to wait five minutes or more to cut the cord. However, for unclear reasons doctors began rushing the procedure.

According to Dr. Tonse Raju, a perinatology specialist at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the value of immediate clamping has never been shown.

Delayed cord clamping boosts your baby’s health

Recently, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) published an opinion report online which was centered around their new recommendations to delay clamping of the umbilical cord by 30 to 60 seconds.

While this short time difference may not seem like a lot, much of the placental blood transfers in that first minute and there’s mounting evidence that it has some major health effects. Delayed cord clamping can lower the risk of transfusions, anemia, and bleeding in the brain.

Furthermore, the ACOG cited research that showed delayed clamping boosts levels of hemoglobin in the blood and helps prevent iron deficiency during the baby’s first year of life, which may potentially stave off developmental issues. One study found that waiting 3 minutes to cut the cord led to slightly better early brain development.

“While there are various recommendations regarding optimal timing for delayed umbilical cord clamping, there has been increased evidence that shows that the practice in and of itself has clear health benefits for both preterm and term infants,” Dr. Maria Mascola, lead author of the guidelines, said in an ACOG news release.

Today’s advice and possible risks

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), doctors or dads should wait one minute to cut the cord, while other experts say it is better to wait two or even five minutes. While there are still uncertainties about how long they should hold on, the ACOG report settled on “at least 30 seconds to one minute.”

Furthermore, the report stated that there is a small increase in jaundice in term infants undergoing delayed umbilical cord clamping. These children will require phototherapy after birth. However, there’s no evidence that waiting increases the mother’s risk of hemorrhage or maternal bleeding.

Also, NIH’s perinatology specialist Dr. Tonse Raju said longing the pause before cutting should not interfere with mom holding her baby and the important first skin contact. He recommended telling parents following, “While the baby’s nice and warm on your skin, we’ll take our time and then clamp.”

“And, in most cases, this [delayed clamping] does not interfere with early care, including drying and stimulating for the first breath and immediate skin-to-skin contact,” Dr. Maria Mascola said.

However, while delaying the process seems to be beneficial to your baby’s health, doctors won’t delay cutting the cord if the baby has breathing problems and needs emergency care.

Sources:

CBC.ca

Consumer.HealthDay.com

ACOG.org

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Whole Foods employees sue, claiming they were cheated out of holiday bonuses

(NaturalNews) Nine former Whole Foods managers have filed a class-action lawsuit in federal court against the grocery chain, alleging that they were fired for whistleblowing activities regarding a company bonus program.

The plaintiffs say they were cheated out of their shares of the bonus program by the company, and were fired when they complained about it.

Whole Foods announced the termination of the nine managers in early December, charging them with manipulating a “gainsharing” bonus program, which rewards employees whose departments perform under budget.

The company gave no details regarding the nature of the alleged “gaming” of the bonus system on the part of the managers, saying only that the matter was under investigation and that only a small number of stores were involved.

Since then, the nine managers have countered with the lawsuit, seeking $25 million apiece in damages.

From the Chicago Tribune:

“The former managers say Whole Foods engaged in ‘systemic wage theft’ at its stores nationwide and that the managers were punished for it after a ‘sham internal investigation.’

“The lawsuit also accuses Whole Foods of defamation for telling media outlets that the managers were stealing bonuses from their workers at stores in the Mid-Atlantic region.”

Lawsuit alleges Whole Foods cheated more than 20,000 employees out of their bonuses

The plaintiffs accused the company of performing its own manipulation of the bonus system to prevent employees from receiving their shares.

From Fox News:

“Under the program, the lawsuit claims, workers of eligible departments can share in overages. But the plaintiffs claim that Whole Foods avoided pay outs by shifting labor costs to other departments. The chain also created ‘fast teams’ — employees that ‘float from one department to another’ and ‘shifted labor costs among departments without properly accounting for it,’ court records show.”

The suit also alleges that Whole Foods executives were aware of the scheme to defraud its own employees and that at least 20,000 workers nationwide were affected.

“Whole Paycheck” notorious for overpricing, mistreating employees and lying about products

The hugely successful natural foods grocery chain is no stranger to controversy. Many have accused the chain of overpricing its products, underpaying its employees and engaging in deceptive marketing practices.

The chain’s notoriously high prices have led to the derisive nickname “Whole Paycheck,” since it’s considered fairly easy to spend an entire week’s salary on a relatively minimal shopping excursion at one of its stores.

In fact, a Barclay’s analysis released this week found many of the chain’s products to be “significantly overpriced,” and recommended lowering prices or else “continue to lose share in these departments.”

Whole Foods has also been accused of misbranding many items it sells to the public. There have been numerous reports of the chain having lied about sourcing, GMO content and toxic ingredients in their products.

But perhaps the biggest enduring complaint against the chain is that it mistreats and underpays its employees.

Whole Foods is staunchly anti-union and has reportedly fired employees for trying to start one. Many workers say that their working conditions are poor, wages are below standard, stores are under-staffed and employee turnover is high.

The chain – which has also been labeled a “faux-hippie Wal-Mart” – appeals to consumers for its supposed commitment to the environment and social justice but upon closer inspection, Whole Foods seems to embody the sort of corporate greed and bullying tactics it pretends to oppose.

But gullible consumers continue filing into the chain’s over-crowded outlets, eager to buy ridiculously priced specialty items that may or may not live up to labeling claims that such products are “dolphin-free”, “100% organic” or “turtle-safe.”

Many people figured out years ago that buying from local organic farmer’s markets is smarter and cheaper, and that there are other grocery chains selling natural food at reasonable prices.

In other words, there’s no real need to continue giving up your “whole paycheck” every time you go to the grocery store.

Sources:

ChicagoTribune.com

WashingtonPost.com

FoxNews.com

DailyProgress.com

Thrillist.com

MichaelBlueJay.com

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Top 10 stupidest new laws in California for 2017

(NaturalNews) I’m not in the habit of complaining at the outset of a column, but I’ve taken on a nearly impossible task — figuring out which, of the hundreds of new California laws about to go into effect, are the stupidest.

(Article by Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, republished from BreitBart.com)

Don’t laugh.  I’m serious.

It’s really, really hard to keep the list at 10 with hundreds of hare-brained schemes that became real laws.

After all, for far too long, the California legislature has been a “conservative-free zone” — even though there were a handful of “Republicans” occupying seats and taking up space.

I’m going to list the new laws in order of their egregiousness to me, but I’m open to additions or wholesale re-ordering if you care to comment.

Given that Californians are facing 898 new laws going into effect on January 1st, 2017, there’s plenty to hate.

1. Prop. 63: “2nd Amendment Nullification” Act.  Although various portions go into effect in various years — yes, they staggered implementation of this “critically needed reform,” some out to 2019 — this is the most sweeping assault on our long-cherished, God-given natural right as Americans to protect our lives and our freedom.  It requires you to pass a background check and pay for a permit to buy ammunition for the gun you may have just passed a background check to buy.  Yeah, that’ll stop criminals — who buy their guns and ammo in parking lots from other criminals. WooHoo! Next, it makes high-capacity magazine (any magazine that holds more than 10 rounds) illegal to possess — even if you bought it prior to the current ban and ownership was previously considered grandfathered.  This law should make it clear that the goal of the left is not “safety” — it’s control.
2. SB880: “Bullet Button Ban.”  For years, California Democrats have sought to ban a made-up classification of semi-auto rifles with “evil features” that they re-named “assault weapons” for propaganda purposes. Every year, California Democrats attempt to increase control over this “hated group” of guns — until they finally outright ban all semi-automatics.  This law will not do a single thing to further public safety, as the San Bernardino terrorist attack illustrated — determined mass murderers will simply ignore and work around all gun control laws — as if they are just words on paper. One last bit of irony: in a previous legislative session, this same bill was sponsored by none other than disgraced State Senator Leland Yee. If that name sounds familiar, you’re right.  Leland Yee wanted to “protect” Californians from “assault weapons” on our streets — that is, until he was arrested for trafficking fully automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades in exchange for campaign contributions.  He’s currently serving a five-year prison sentence.
3. SB3: Minimum Wage Hike to $15/hour by 2020.  As a result of a strong socialist push by unions and complicit governments — such as the union-controlled California legislature—businesses are looking to eliminate as many jobs as possible, investing in automation instead. When you combine this with unchecked illegal immigration — where you have an unlimited labor pool willing to work for subpar wages under the table — the future for entry-level jobs and small business owners in California is bleak.
4. AB1785 The “Hands Free” Law.  This is another example of government gone wild.  AB1785 prescribes driver behavior so severely that in and of itself, I believe it will cause more accidents — and more deaths.  Not only must the phone be dash mounted — meaning you’ll have a permanent distraction right in front of you — but you may not text, take photos or video, or enter GPS destinations while driving. Fat chance of stopping those activities with a mere $20 fine. The bill does stipulate that “the only time a driver is allowed to touch the device is when he or she is activating or deactivating a “feature or function.” However, that process should only involve a “single swipe or tap of the driver’s finger,” according to the bill,” mynewsla.com reports.   How about “hands off” my phone instead of an unenforceable “hands free” law? [1]
5. AB 1732: Single-User Restrooms.  If you’ve ever had to go so badly that you used the opposite sex restroom at a gas station or Starbucks, then perhaps you think this law is needed. But do we really need another law regulating bathrooms? Some businesses have already put signs on their single-use restrooms designating use by either sex.  And sometimes people just take it upon themselves. I can’t help but think this law is unnecessary and diminishes us as a society a little.
6. SB 1383: Controlling Cow Flatulence.  Not making this up.  In spite of the fact that 53 California dairy farmers went bankrupt, moved out of state, or just closed down this year, the Marxist-Progressives are back at it again. Capture cow farts or suffer heavy fines.  CARB (CA Air Resources Board) suggests inserting a tube into the cow’s digestive system and venting into a backpack.  Even liberals admit that laws like this, where government tries to control the uncontrollable, can have undesirable economic consequences.  Lost jobs, lost industries, lost revenue. Stupid law. [2]
7. AB 857: Ghost Gun Ban.  Even if you manufacture your own gun — starting with an 80% receiver — that requires you to have special skills and tools to complete the machining, you must now register it and obtain a serial number from the California Department of Justice.  The purpose of this law is simply to record your name and your firearm on a list for eventual confiscation.  Once again, control — not public safety — is the goal.
8. Prop. 65: Plastic Bag Ban. Since I’ve written extensively about how stupid I think the Plastic Bag Ban is, I won’t revisit the original bill.  But the idea of siphoning off the money collected and diverting it to fund some environmental activist group that will work to further restrict our freedom is nuts.
9. Prop. 57:  Early Release for so-called Non-Violent Criminals.  This was Governor Jerry Brown’s baby — the crown jewel of his prison reform initiatives. Among those offenses he considers “non-violent”:  rape of an unconscious person; human trafficking involving sex acts with minors; and assault with a deadly weapon. Blogger Felicia Wilson summed it up well (original emphasis):  “…Call me crazy, but shouldn’t a crime that includes the word rape or assault be considered, I don’t know… violent?” [3]
10. AB 2466: Felons Voting. Low-Level felons serving sentences outside of state prison get to keep their right to vote.  Hmm. Wonder which party this could possibly help?  Just like the “illegal alien vote,”  Democrats will have the felon vote locked down. This is simply about protecting their power and making it permanent.

When California Democrats promised to take to the streets to defend the rights of convicted felons, illegal aliens and welfare recipients, they weren’t kidding. If only they were as serious about cracking down on immigration cheats and violent criminals as they are about penalizing law-abiding citizens and gun owners, California would have more jobs, less crime — and might be a place people want to come to instead of fleeing.

Read more at: BreitBart.com

Sources:

[1] MyNewsLA.com

[2] LATimes.com

[3] TheFederalist.com

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China to Ban Domestic Ivory Trade By End of 2017

[unable to retrieve full-text content]The ban will shut the door to the world's biggest end-market for poached ivory

-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com

from Scientific American Content: Global

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Walking your children home from school and driving while caffeinated are now felony crimes in police state America

(NaturalNews) In Magnolia, Texas, it is now a felony crime to walk your own children home from school. Er, I mean the “government indoctrination center.” Seriously, parents can now be charged with serious crimes for merely meeting their children at the school and walking them home.

“The principal has decided that no matter how close the student lives to the school, the student must either take the bus, or the parent must wait in a long car pickup line,” reports Fox 26 in Houston.

“Try to walk your student off the campus and you could face criminal charges… Fox26 knows of 2 other parents who were just threatened with arrest.”

This is yet more evidence that even in Texas, the government thinks it owns your children. Parental rights are being obliterated across the country at a breathtaking pace, including in California where the state can now mandate government injections of your children with aluminum, mercury and other toxic substances that cause autism and neurological disorders.

The same government that has mandated these “immunizations” has also granted blanket legal immunity to the vaccine industry, so if a mandated vaccine harms your child, it’s now your problem to deal with and you can’t sue the manufacturer for its defective, harmful product. In effect, the government can force you to harm your child, then deny you due process in seeking compensation for damage to your child.

Man charged with DUI for driving under the influence of caffeine

Meanwhile in California, a man was arrested and charged with a DUI for driving while under the influence of caffeine. “38-year-old Joseph Schwab has been fighting a DUI for over a year, despite the fact that he was not under the influence of any illegal drugs at the time, he did, however, test positive for caffeine,” reports The Free Thought Project.

“[The officer] arrested him and took him to jail so his blood could be drawn for other drugs. His blood tests came back negative for all illegal drugs. But he did test positive for caffeine. For some reason, this was enough to charge Schwab with a DUI.”

In doing this, California’s incredibly stupid police state bureaucrats are setting a precedent that could get you charged with a felony crime for drinking Starbucks or Pepsi while behind the wheel.

Indeed, California can now raise all sorts of money to fund its illegal alien benefits programs by arresting and charging coffee drinkers with DUIs, generating huge cash flow revenues for the insane police state known better as “Collapsifornia.” (Much of the “justice system” in California is really just revenue generation.)

Solano County DA morons finally drop DUI charges after 16 months, admitting zero evidence

Now, after 16 months of threatening this 36-year-old driver with felony charges, the libtardocrats of Solano County have admitted they have no evidence of anything and must therefore drop the charges.

In their own twisted words, they still imply the driver was on some sort of drugs, but claim they couldn’t find them even after administering a forced blood test:

“After further consideration, without a confirmatory test of the specific drug in the defendant’s system that impaired his ability to drive, we do not believe we can prove the charge beyond a reasonable doubt,” says the county press release.

District Attorney Krishna Abrams typifies the kind of tyrannical bureaucrats you find throughout the California “injustice” system. They don’t care whether there’s any evidence at all. You’re “guilty” just because they want to get you (and the state has granted them exceptional powers to destroy the lives of innocent people).

I’ve seen other California DAs ruin the lives of completely innocent people, in Ventura County and LA County in particular. There’s no question that California has the most corrupt bunch of DAs in the entire country, and they all act like salivating tyrants who seethe with anger toward anyone who refuses to bow to their power. They are far more interested in prosecuting independent-minded people than criminal-minded people, it turns out.

“What this case illustrates is the arbitrary nature of the state to use any reason possible to find a person guilty,” writes John Vibes at TFTP. “The police state has claimed a right to search your most private property — your own blood. And, whatever they find inside it — can and will be used against you in a court of law.”

Remarkably, that’s true even if they find nothing at all.

Which leads me to ask the obvious question: What’s the point of blood tests when California bureaucrats have already decided you’re guilty even before the test results come back?

Ultimately, this gets back to the core falsehoods of liberalism, the new “religion” of Collapsifornia: Evidence is not necessary when they BELIEVE they are right. This same sort of lunatic, anti-science nonsense is what underlies the entire “climate change” hoax, too.

See my article The top 10 most outrageous science hoaxes of 2016 to learn more.

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