Helen Palmer

Latest Stories (187)

A clean house, or a clean bill of health?

Jul 24, 2007
A report released today suggests that some cleaning products might be hazardous to your health. But there's no way to know what's in your detergent because the ingredients aren't listed. Helen Palmer reports.

Crisis over Roche AIDS drug recall

Jul 24, 2007
Cancer-causing byproducts forced the drug maker to stop production, leaving many in the developing world without inexpensive options for treating HIV. Activists want Big Pharma to step in. Helen Palmer reports.

Taking nonprofit hospitals to tax

Jul 23, 2007
The IRS is cracking down on hospitals that get tax breaks for providing charity care after a study finds many facilities spend just 1 percent of their revenue helping those who simply can't pay. Helen Palmer reports.

Powering down the PC

Jul 20, 2007
The EPA's new list of Energy Star-compliant computers comes out today, and PC makers have even set their sights on far exceeding the federal standards. Good news for the environment, not to mention all the money we'll save, Helen Palmer reports.

Seeking mental health care equality

Jul 18, 2007
Democrats have made insurance coverage for psychiatric disease a high priority this summer. Separate bills are making their way through both houses of Congress, but business interests are supporting the Senate's version. Helen Palmer tells us why.

Fuel prices could leave more hungry

Jul 16, 2007
The World Food Program says it's going to be harder to feed the world's hungry on its budget. Gas prices and the production of biofuels are pushing produce prices off the charts. Helen Palmer reports.

Massachusetts health plan check up

Jul 16, 2007
Universal health coverage will be one of the top issues in the '08 election, so the Massachusetts experiment to require it is getting lots of scrutiny. Two weeks in and people have been signing up by the thousands. But who are they? Helen Palmer has more.

Surfing for Paxil plaintiffs

Jul 11, 2007
Thousands of young people who took Paxil are entitled to a share of a $42 million class action settlement, so one consumer watchdog group posted a video on YouTube to spread the word: If they want the cash, they gotta make the claim. Helen Palmer has the story.

Food safety still on back burner

Jul 10, 2007
Drug safety's high on the agenda in Washington this week, as the House debates a bill to extend fees the pharmaceutical industry pays the FDA to speed approvals, but some folks say there's greater danger in the "F" than the "D." Helen Palmer has details.

$1 million to rat out your company!

Jul 3, 2007
An alliance of software companies is offering up to a cool seven figures to whistleblowers who report their companies' use of pirated or illegally copied computer programs. Helen Palmer reports.