WASHINGTON (AP) — As the Zika virus escalates into a public health crisis, members of Congress remain entrenched politically, with Republicans and Democrats pointing fingers over the failure to act as the number of mosquito-transmitted cases in the U.S. grows.
A federal appeals court will consider on Monday whether a U.S. congressional committee and one of its former staff are immune from having to cooperate with an insider-trading investigation. A three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals plans to hear arguments on enforcing two subpoenas that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sent to Congress as part of its investigation. The SEC is investigating the trading of Humana Inc stock in 2013 ahead of a government announcement about physician reimbursement rates, which affect the revenue of Humana and other health insurers.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Beg, borrow and steal: Zika preparation involves a bit of all three as federal, state and local health officials try to get a jump on the mosquito-borne virus while Congress haggles over how much money they really need.
Mexico’s lower house of Congress on Monday approved a proposal to cut taxes on some sugar-sweetened drinks despite concerns the move would hinder the fight against obesity in Latin America’s No. 2 economy. Mexicans are among the world’s biggest drinkers of sodas made by companies like Coca-Cola Co and PepsiCo Inc, and in 2013, the country became the first major market to tax high-calorie soft drinks, by 1 peso ($0.06) per liter. The 500-strong lower house voted 423 to 33 to give general approval to a package of fiscal measures that included a 50 percent cut in taxes on soft drinks with less than 5 grams of added sugar per 100 ml.
Hindered by court decisions, the White House and Congress, OSHA’s war on health hazards has faltered.