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Sign Up for GAP's Daily Whistleblower News Service

Are you interested in receiving daily news updates related to whistleblowers, GAP program areas, and government accountability in general?

GAP offers a free daily news email program to the public - the Whistleblower News. This service provides a quick summary of news articles and editorials focusing on whistleblowers and GAP program areas. These program areas include: Corporate Accountability, International Reform, Environmental, Food Safety, Drug Safety, Nuclear Oversight, Legislation, National Security, and Government Accountability.

To sign up, email GAP Communications Director Dylan Blaylock at dylanb@whistleblower.org with the subject line "Subscribe to Whistleblower News" to sign up for the service.

As far as what the service entails, on most weekday mornings, an email covering three – seven articles will be sent out in the following format (all articles were previously included in the Whistleblower News).

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Outlet: New York Times
Headline: Justices Shield Medical Devices from Lawsuits
Author: Linda Greenhouse
Date: February 21, 2008
Topic: Drug Safety

Summary: A Supreme Court ruling has granted immunity from personal injury lawsuits to the makers of medical devices that cause harm to patients, provided the device originally obtained legitimate FDA approval. This means that, despite the FDA’s continuing incompetence in protecting public safety, if the FDA green lights a medical device that injures you, you have no legal recourse against the company who made it.

This remarkably industry-friendly decision is detailed well in an audio interview with NYT reporter Gardiner Harris, which can be found midway down the article’s Web page.

Similar Articles: New York Times (additional story), Washington Post, Reuters

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Outlet: Associated Press
Headline: Study: Lack of MRAPs Cost Marine Lives
Author: Richard Lardner
Date: February 15, 2008
Topic: Government Accountability

Summary: A study from a civilian Marine Corps official shows that the deaths or injuries of hundreds of Marines in Iraq could have been avoided if military officials had granted a 2005 request for MRAPs - vehicles designed to withstand attacks from improvised explosive devices (IEDs). GAP Client Franz Gayl wrote the study in question.

Similar Articles: USA Today

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Outlet: FOX News
Headline: Journalist Who Exposes U.N. Corruption Disappears from Google
Author: Michael Park
Date: February 18, 2008
Topic: International Reform

Summary: Internet goliath Google discontinued listing stories from Inner City Press, a United Nations-focused media organization, through its Google News program. In GAP's opinion, Inner City Press is the most effective and important media organization for UN whistleblowers.

Several important U.N. whistleblower claims and stories that are not picked up by mainstream media outlets are covered thoroughly by Inner City Press. This outlet’s continued coverage of important accountability issues result in outside pressure and real, effective change to strengthen worker rights at the international body.

After media pressure, Google has stated that it will put Inner City Press back up on the Google News Search in a week or so. (Editor’s Note: Google did re-list Inner City Press in a matter of days)

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Outlet: Financial Times
Headline: Court Extends Sarbox Protection to Whistleblowers Outside US
Author: Jeremy Grant
Date: February 15, 2008
Topic: Legislation

Summary: In major whistleblower law news, a judge has ruled that foreign employees of American corporations that blow the whistle on corruption that took place in America are protected by Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower protection laws.

Sarbanes-Oxley protections were enacted by Congress in 2002 after the fall of Enron. They provide whistleblower protections for public-traded company employees who blow the whistle on fraud, wrongdoing or corrupt practices.

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Outlet: Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Headline: Harmful Pesticides Found in Everyday Food Product
Author: Andrew Schneider
Date: January 30, 2008
Topic: Food Safety

Summary: A yearlong study has shown that “brain damaging” pesticides are present in children who had a diet that included conventional produce. When children switched to eating organic produce and juices, the potentially unsafe chemical levels could no longer be detected within eight to 36 hours.

The types of pesticides shown as being present, organophosphates, have attempted to be phased out over time by the EPA. But activists say the agency should take a much more aggressive approach to eliminating the pesticide usage, and that current acceptable limits are much too high – levels that could lead to neurological disorders. The study, which took place in Washington state, measured unsafe levels of chemicals in the urine and saliva of children ages three to eleven.

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To keep up with whistleblower articles and sign up for the service, email GAP Communications Director Dylan Blaylock at dylanb@whistleblower.org with the subject line "Subscribe." You will be able to opt out of the service at any time later on if you wish to discontinue it.

Government Accountability Project • www.whistleblower.org