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Pink or blue? Boy or girl? Many parents-to-be find out whether they’re going to have a baby by using a home pregnancy test. Now, there’s at-home blood tests that can reveal the sex of an unborn baby as early as seven weeks, and with surprising accuracy.
ALSO INSIDE Thousands Of Florida Mortgage Brokers Flee Industry Expert: BP Spill Likely Cause Of Sick Gulf Fish Consumers Save With ‘Secondary Market’ Deals How To Decipher Confusing Genetically-Modified-Food Labels Study: Children With Autistic Siblings Face Greater Risk Golden & UM Speak About NCAA Investigation
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Thousands Of Florida Mortgage Brokers Flee Industry lender, typically between 0.5 and 1.25 percent of the loan or $500 to $1,250 per $100,000. They may also work for banks or even double as real estate agents.
TALLAHASSEE (CBS4)- During the Florida real estate boom of the mid-2000s, one of the most lucrative ways to make a living — or commit fraud — was to be a mortgage broker. More than 82,000 Floridians were licensed just four years ago, but the collapse of the housing market, stronger licensing requirements and background checks, and tougher loan requirements have cut that number by roughly 90 percent: the state currently licenses about 10,600 loan originators, as the profession is now called. Most got out of the business or moved elsewhere. Some of the small percentage who committed crimes went to prison. “Everybody wanted to be a mortgage broker or a Realtor, because it was just being an order taker,” said Mike Ferrie, a Tallahassee real estate agent and district vice president for the Florida Board of Realtors. “It was easy pickings. When the bottom hit, it got a lot more realistic.” Mortgage brokers, renamed loan originators by new legislation, are responsible for verifying that loan applicants are financially qualified. They are paid a commission by the
In Florida, many were committing fraud. For the past two years, the state has led the nation by far in mortgage fraud and has been at or near the top in many prior years. Florida accounted for more than 27 percent of all home loans nationally that were investigated in 2010, the LesixNexis Mortgage Asset Research Institute reported in May. In 2008, The Miami Herald found that the state had licensed 4,000 brokers who had criminal backgrounds, with members of that group committing $85 million in fraud. Many of them were setting up straw buyers to qualify for mortgages and then stole the money. Cases like these led to more regulation. A Florida law that took effect late last year ramped up requirements for brokers and lenders. They now must renew their licenses annually, and the cost of the application fee and collateral costs increased $50 to $332. The renewal cost is $254, an increase of $104. The new laws also require annual criminal background checks for license renewals and disqualify people from ever obtaining licenses if they’ve been convicted of any felony that includes fraud. On the federal level, the Dodd-Frank Act passed last year put new restrictions on the types of mortgages that can be written and removed lender incentives for steering borrowers to high-cost loans. The feds in 2008 also passed the SAFE act, which requires each loan originator to complete 20 hours of pre-
license education and an additional eight hours of continuing education each year. Broker Linda Knowlton said the system has swung from one extreme to the other. “There just weren’t any checks and balances in the system,” said Knowlton, vice president of Mortgage Group Services in Fort Myers. “There are now so many it’s sometimes difficult to do your jobs.” But even with the tougher regulations, the crime continues. In late April, state law enforcement officials announced they had arrested five people in Tampa for their roles in a mortgage fraud scheme. Fifty fraudulent residential mortgage loan applications and associated documents allegedly were sent to lenders in several counties in west-central Florida. Just a month earlier, state authorities and the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office arrested 11 people from the Miami area on racketeering charges after a two-year investigation. That case also allegedly involved mortgage brokers in Flagler, Volusia and Lake counties in eastcentral Florida. The investigation, named “Operation Fast Cash Kickback,” found falsified appraisals among several other schemes. The penalties can be severe. Earlier this year, the former president of a New Jersey-based mortgage company was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for orchestrating a $136 million fraud. But even for honest brokers, it has been a tough business to stay with. Kristi Endres earned some $250,000 annually
for three straight years from 2004 to 2006 writing mortgages in the overheated Fort Myers market. The housing bust not only got her, but her husband, John, who had a profitable excavating business in southwest Florida, the part of the state hardest hit by the housing crisis. “We pretty much lost everything,” said Endres, who is living this summer in Madison, Wis., where her husband has found work. “Before we lost every dime we ever had we finally decided we had to pack it in.” They sold their waterfront home for a third of the once-appraised $750,000 price and are buying a 40-foot motorhome so they can travel to places where they find work. She has returned to school and earned a degree so she can work as a physicians’ assistant. “We all take our hard knocks and learn from it,” said Endres, who lived in Florida for 28 years and still returns for winters and maintains residency in the state. “Our story is very similar to a lot of other people we know,” she said. “Most of my friends lost pretty much everything they had.” Ferrie said even though the tightened rules have hurt some, overall they’ve been good for the industry. “The qualified ones are still out there,” he said. “The lenders are still loaning money, but they’ve tightened their belts because of the guidelines. The leniency has gone away.” (© 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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Expert: BP Spill Likely Cause Of Sick Gulf Fish his days of fishing the Gulf are numbered. “I don’t think we’ll be fishing in five years – my opinion,” he lamented about his job as a commercial fisherman. He and others say they’re pulling in more diseased fish than ever before. Dr. Jim Cowan is a professor of Oceanography at Louisiana State University. He can’t determine the exact cause of the lesions on the fish, but said it is a “likely assumption that it has something to do with the spill.” He said the majority of the diseased fish are being found between Galveston, Texas and Panama City. “In fact, almost 50-percent of the red snapper that we caught on some of these reefs had secondary infections,” he added.
Reporting Maggie Newland MIAMI (CBS4) — More than a year after the largest oil spill in United States history, anglers along the Gulf of Mexico are seeing sick fish. Researchers are trying to determine exactly what is causing the fish to develop lesions, eroded fins and missing scales. Fisherman Lucky Russell doesn’t feel lucky. He’s concerned
He said that none of the diseased fish are making it to store shelves, so consumers should not have cause for concern. “We’re in no way trying to infer that this is a human health issue,” said Cowan. A University of South Florida researcher is currently conducting a six week study – the first comprehensive study of the health of fish in the Gulf. He’ll catch and examine more than 4,000 fish. “What we’re going to do is establish a baseline for fish disease.
So, even if we don’t find any potential pathology now, we can go back two or three or four years from now and see if there was some slow time bomb that was going off,” explained Dr. Steve Murawski. The number of sick fish in the Gulf depends where you go. In areas not affected by the oil, it’s one percent or less, and even in some hotspots only two percent to five percent of the fish are sick.
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State Planning SunPass Express Lanes On Palmetto, I-75 are also part of the major project happening on I-595 from I-95 to I-75. Prasad said design has just begun putting them on I-75 in Broward all the way to Palmetto Expressway. The express lanes would then go south on the Palmetto Expressway to State Road 836/Dolphin Expressway.
Reporting David Sutta dsutta@cbs.com
FT. LAUDERDALE (CBS4) – Those variable toll SunPass express lanes on I-95 from Miami north to the Golden Glades are the way of the future according to the state’s transportation secretary. During a visit to Miami on Monday, Department of Transportation Secretary Ananth Prasad laid out the big picture during a speech to FDOT workers. Over the next ten years, the state hopes to design and build a network of SunPass express lanes which would link Miami-Dade and Broward’s major highways, according to CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald. The I-95 SunPass express lanes are already scheduled to be extended north to Ft. Lauderdale. The variable toll express lanes
According to Prasad, the express lanes on the Palmetto Expressway could be completed in the three years and the entire next work up and running by 2017 or 2018. Approval for the project is expected by the end of the year. Construction could start next year. Barbara Kelleher with FDOT told us the plan is likely going to move forward and, “It’s real.”
drivers though are still benefiting. “The free lanes, the open lanes are running much better because some of that traffic is using the managed lanes.” Kelleher said. Meanwhile, drivers who use I-75 in the daily commute have probably noticed some lane shifts going on. In an unrelated project, the state Department of Transportation is working on improving the Miramar Parkway interchange. The $11 million project calls for an additional lane in each direction to ease merging between the turnpike and Miramar Parkway. The plan also calls for modifying two the ramps on Miramar Parkway so that traffic stops at new signals. The Griffin Road interchange is scheduled to get a similar makeover.
The plan is similar to 95 express, which opened up four dedicated lanes from Downtown Miami to the Golden Glades.
Two years ago, the Pines Boulevard interchange was updated with new offramps that stop at traffic signals.
When first proposed a few years ago drivers were outraged by the thought of paying to use a free roadway. They dubbed them the Lexus lanes because that’s who would be using it.
On the Miami-Dade end of the highway, construction will begin this fall to add another lane on the I-75 ramp to the Palmetto Expressway and add an additional lane on the Palmetto from I-75 to NW 103rd Street.
A recent survey of 5,000 commuters showed that is somewhat the case. The average driver speeding down an express lane makes over $76,000. 60% are white and 60% are women. FDOT claims the free
Built nearly a quarter of a century, when western Broward was largely undeveloped, today more than 120,000 drivers use the highway on a daily basis.
Collecting tolls ranging from 25 cents to $5 has the express lanes paying for themselves. And now it appears many Broward drivers are eager to pay as well. Andrew Faber commute estimates he drives 40,000 miles a year. “Just with the express lanes that they did in Miami it’s made such a huge difference,” Faber said. Stephanie Riguad said she pays tolls already to avoid traffic on I-75. She told CBS4 she could see herself using the toll lanes. “You know what? Maybe that’s a good idea,” she said. “Maybe it will lower the traffic. I think it’s a good idea.” CBS4 had a hard time finding drivers worried about paying a toll to use express lanes. “If you are trying to get somewhere faster you are just paying for a shortcut,” Edgar Ramirez said. Some of this has to do with money. People are driving less so gas taxes used to pay road improvements is dwindling. Express lanes generate their own funding through tolls. So not only are they considered an improvement to traffic flow, but it’s money for FDOT to keep moving forward.
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Ft. Lauderdale Tops List Of Most Dangerous Cities To Drive MIAMI (CBS4) – If you think drivers are dangerous in South Florida, you’re right, especially in Fort Lauderdale which has topped a new list of the 15 most dangerous U.S. cities for driving. According to the CNBC report, the list is based on traffic fatality statistics compiled from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Four Florida cities made the list including Fort Lauderdale which was ranked first, Orlando was ranked second, Jacksonville was 11th and St. Petersburg came in at 12th. So why does Florida rank so badly? Some blame the high number of New York transplants, tourists driving in unfamiliar territory and senior citizens, not to mention spring breakers, who may have compromised vision or reflexes.
Here’s the entire list: 1. Fort Lauderdale 2. Orlando 3. Augusta-Richmond Co., Georgia 4. Little Rock, Arkansas 5. San Bernardino, California 6. Salt Lake City, Utah 7. Chattanooga, Tennessee 8. Jackson, Mississippi 9. Memphis, Tennessee 10. Lubbock, Texas 11. Jacksonville 12. St. Petersburg 13. Tulsa, Oklahoma 14. Birmingham, Alabama 15. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
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Consumers Save With ‘Secondary Market’ Deals Hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of secondary stuff is finding its way to a growing number of new sites and stores where you can buy it without the big markup of a middleman. The savings range from 40 to 90-percent.
compared to thousands of complaints about new products.
But before you buy, know the lingo so you’re not surprised.
“I honestly have had very good experience buying refurbished items. Some of the items appear to be absolutely brand new,” said Dworsky.
If something is “new” it really means new. Perhaps retailers just had too many. Reporting Al Sunshine SUNSHIA@wfor.cbs.com
If a product is “open box” or “damaged box,” it means the device has been opened or the box is damaged, but it should still work just fine.
MIAMI (CBS4) — Some say it’s the best-kept discount shopping secret that can save you hundreds of dollars on almost everything you buy. Here’s how to score bargains on items sold through the “secondary market.”
The riskiest stuff is “as is”: what you see is what you get. The product could have missing remotes or no instruction manuals, for example. The payoff? It’s the cheapest stuff.
Warehouses full of merchandise come in by the truckload: Flat-screen TVs, laptop computers, video games, telescopes, power tools — even cement-mixers. A giant GENCO Marketplace facility is “mission control” for stuff many bigname companies couldn’t sell in their retail stores. GENCO is just one U.S. wholesaler that now sells straight to consumers for bargain prices on what’s called the secondary market.
“We have not tested the product. It’s going to have the biggest discount associated with it. There is a little bit of ‘buyer beware’ on it,” said Robert Auray, GENCO Marketplace president and chief executive officer. “Refurbished” stuff is a very popular secondary-market sale. It was returned to a retail store with a problem, but it’s been fixed up, re-tested and deemed good to go. In fact, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission reports in the past two years, it’s gotten only three safety complaints about refurbished items,
Consumer advocate Edgar Dworsky, who operates ConsumerWorld.org, furnished his house with secondary-market items.
The secondary market isn’t just for electronics. Bargain hunter Jaime Palmucci has a closet full of secondary market finds. She paid $62 for a $620 jacket. She also got a $360 dress for one dollar and also paid amazingly low prices on Marc Jacob sunglasses and Ernest Sewn jeans. Her secret to great secondary market deals is using social media like Facebook, Twitter and blogs to find out the very latest deals. She also uses comparison shopping search engines like priceblink.com. While Palmucci saves on money, she admitted she pays in another way. “I’ve probably spent a little bit more time finding the deals,” said Palmucci. Insiders agree that using social media is the way to shop because inventory is always changing and you can check out the reputation of sites by reading comments people leave.
The most important shopping tip — know the merchant’s return policy and what your options are if something is defective. “It’s absolutely critical to know what the return policy is, particularly on refurbished items you don’t want to get stuck with it,” said Dworsky. Some stores will offer warranties and extended warranties on what you buy, so be sure to check that out. Also, make sure you understand what the shipping charges are as well, especially with big box items like flat screen TVs and computers so you don’t get stuck paying a fortune. Check out the following ‘secondary market’ websites for deals: NoBetterDeal.com Overstock.com Woot.com TechLiquidators.com
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August 19, 2011
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S. Fla. Pawn Shops Cashing In On Modern Day Gold Rush “They’re not selling because they need to, they’re selling because right now is the right time to sell,” said Eduardo Deboyrie of Gables Pawn and Jewelry. Deboyrie has been buying lots of gold and then turning around and selling it to a refinery at a time when prices are hitting more than $1,700 an ounce. And people aren’t just coming in to sell one piece, they’re selling all of their gold. “You can hold on a little longer and see what happens. But when you start seeing gold head back into the low $1,600s, you lost your window of opportunity,” said Deboyrie. Some gold traders on Wall Street think this is the start of an upward trend. Reporting Gio Benitez GBenitez@cbs.com CORAL GABLES (CBS4) – The price of gold is on the rise and South Florida pawn shops have seen a business boom as people try to cash in their precious metals.
“In the short term, yeah this is a huge rally, technically speaking, maybe it’s overbought, maybe it’s not. The longterm picture, in spite of a debt ceiling agreement, in spite of an S&P downgrade, it’s very, very bullish long-term for gold,” said Paul Sacks, a gold trader. But why? It’s all about perception. Gold is considered one of the safest investments. In fact, when most of the stocks
dropped dramatically Monday, gold stocks were up, and Deboyrie does not see that changing anytime soon. “I think we can foresee gold going up in the future, with the way things are going,” said Deboyrie.
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Marine Plans Walk To Benefit Kids With Cleft Palates Reporting Maggie Newland DORAL (CBS4)- A Marine who served in Afghanistan is on a new mission: helping kids in South Asia. In September, Winston Fiore will begin a 5,000 mile hike to raise funds to help children born with a cleft palate. Winston said he’s raising money for the International Children’s Surgical Foundation (ICSF). “Each surgery only takes a couple hours time and only takes about $240,” Fiore said at a luncheon for members of the Rotary Club of Doral. “That’s how much it takes to completely turn a kid’s life around.” Sgt Fiore, from Indiana, has been riding his motorcycle across the country speaking to different groups about the hike he calls the “Smile Trek.” And one of his many stops included various cities across South Florida,
including a visit to Doral. Fiore met with The Rotary Club of Doral, which raised a total of $2,000 for Smile Trek Friday afternoon. Fiore got the idea for the Smile Trek in 2007 while he was deployed in Senegal. “Coming from a middle-class American household, it was certainly an eye opener to me to see women carrying gallons of water on their heads or kids dressed in rags digging through piles of trash,” he said. Seeing extreme poverty inspired him to help children in the developing world. So after hearing about ICSF, Fiore realized a simple surgery could give kids with little else: a reason to smile. For more information on Smile Trek, go to www.smiletrek.org.
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Boy Or Girl? A Simple Gender Test Raises Ethical Concerns
CHICAGO (CBS4) – Pink or blue? Boy or girl? Many parents-to-be find out whether they’re going to have a baby by using a home pregnancy test. Now, there’s at-home blood tests that can reveal the sex of an unborn baby as early as seven weeks, and with surprising accuracy. Though not widely offered by U.S.doctors, gender-detecting blood tests have been sold online to consumers for the past few years. Their promises of early and accurate results prompted genetics researchers to take a closer look. They analyzed 57 published studies of gender testing done in rigorous research or academic settings — though not necessarily the same methods or conditions used by direct-to-consumer firms. Dr. Eftichia Kontopoulus is a maternal fetal medicine specialist at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center. She says the test could be extremely beneficial for doctors and parents, especially families at risk for genetic disorders. “The main medical benefit of knowing a gender so early is to exclude certain genetic diseases that are rare – certain diseases that are inherited only let’s say in male fetuses,” she explaind, adding, “perhaps they don’t need to do as many genetic testing later on for that fetus knowing for example that fetus is female would exclude that the baby would have that disease.” The study raises concerns about couples using such tests for gender selection and abortion, but doctor Kontopoulus says she feels that risk is small.
“Of course there’s a risk of misuse of the test but if used properly I think it’s a big advancement in prenatal care,” she said.
other reasons has not been endorsed by guideline-setting medical groups and some experts consider it experimental.
Couples who buy tests from marketers should be questioned about how they plan to use the results, the study authors said.
Dr. Lee Shulman, chief of clinical genetics at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, said the testing “isn’t ready for prime time.”
The analyzed test can detect fetal DNA in mothers’ blood. It’s about 95 percent accurate at identifying gender when women are at least seven weeks’ pregnant — more than one month before conventional methods. Accuracy of the testing increases as pregnancy advances, the researchers concluded. Conventional procedures, typically done for medical reasons, can detect gender starting at about 10 weeks. The new analysis, published in Wednesday’s Journal of the American Medical Association, involved more than 6,000 pregnancies. The testing used a lab procedure called PCR that detects genetic material — in this case, the male Y chromosome. If present in the mother’s blood, she’s carrying a boy, but if absent, it’s a girl. Tests that companies sell directly to consumers were not examined in the analysis. Sex-detection tests using mothers’ urine or blood before seven weeks of pregnancy were not accurate, the researchers said. Senior author Dr. Diana Bianchi, a reproductive geneticist and executive director of the Mother Infant Research Institute at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, called the results impressive. She noted that doctors in Great Britain are already using such testing for couples at risk of having children with hemophilia or other sex-linked diseases, partly to help guide treatment decisions. The research indicates that many laboratories have had success with the test, but the results can’t be generalized to all labs because testing conditions can vary substantially, said Dr. Joe Leigh Simpson, a genetics professor atFloridaInternationalUniversity. He was not involved in the study. Simpson noted that using genderdetection blood testing for medical or
He said his hospital doesn’t provide the blood tests, and doesn’t offer more conventional techniques, including amniocentesis, to women who have no medical reason for wanting to know their baby’s gender. “I would have a lot of difficulties offering such a test just for gender identification. Gender is not an abnormality,” Shulman said. “My concern is this is ultimately going to be available in malls or shopping centers,” similar to companies offering “cute” prenatal ultrasound images. Recent research found that increasing numbers of women inIndiawho already have daughters are having abortions when prenatal tests show another girl, suggesting that an Indian ban on such gender testing has been ineffective. The expense of marrying off girls has contributed to a cultural preference there for boys. Evidence also suggests thatChina’s limits on one child per couple and traditional preference for male heirs has contributed to abortions and an increasingly large gender imbalance. There’s very little data on reasons forU.S.abortions or whether gender preferences or gender-detection methods play a role, said Susannah Baruch, a policy consultant for the Generations Ahead, an advocacy group that studies genetic techniques and gender issues. Consumer Genetics Inc. a Santa Clara, Calif.-based company sells an “early gender” blood test called “Pink or Blue” online for $25 plus $265 or more for laboratory testing. It boasts of 95 percent accuracy, using a lab technique its scientists developed from the type of testing evaluated in the new analysis, said Terry Carmichael, the company’s executive vice president. Carmichael said the company sells more
than 1,000 kits a year. He said the company won’t test blood samples unless women sign a consent form agreeing not to use the results for gender selection. The company also won’t sell kits to customers in China or India because of fears of gender selection, he said. Medical techniques that can detect gender include amniocentesis, usually done at around 16 weeks, using a needle to withdraw fluid surrounding the fetus to identify abnormalities; chorionic villus sampling, done at around the 10th week to detect abnormalities by examining placenta tissue; and ultrasound, most accurate at around 13 weeks. The first two methods can slightly increase risks for miscarriages. (TM and © Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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UM Study: Soy Supplements Don’t Prevent Bone Loss symptoms during the first years of menopause. Results of the study showed, soy isoflavone supplements neither prevented bone loss nor reduced symptoms of menopause. The findings of the SPARE Study, which stands for “Soy Phytoestrogens As Replacement Estrogen”, were published in the August 8 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Reporting Vanessa Borge MIAMI (CBS4) – A new study from the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami has found that contrary to popular belief, soy supplements do not help women during menopause. The two-year, $3 million study funded by the National Institutes of Health looked at the effects that the popular supplement had on bone health and menopausal
Scientists say the soy craze among menopausal women is partly due to the lower incidence of symptoms found in Asian women. “Women in Asia consume a lot of soy foods and they seem to have less hot flashes and less fractures. The belief is that estrogen found in soy beans provides these things,” Silvina Levis, M.D., director of the Osteoporosis Center, principal investigator and lead author of the study said. Because of this, researchers say women
turned to soy to avoid some of the nasty side effects of menopause. “Sleepless nights, you wake up two or three times in the middle of the night with hot flashes,” said Marcia Vidal, a participant in the study. “You’re moody, your sentimental, you feel overly stressed.” It’s those symptoms that women have tried to avoid by using soy. “The consumption of soy foods and soy supplements has dramatically increased in the last few years, particularly among women who start taking various over-thecounter products around the time of menopause, believing that these products will provide all the benefits and none of the risks of menopausal hormone therapy,” Levis said in a statement. While the study found no benefit in taking the soy phytoestrogen tablets, it also found that there were no harmful effects.
The participants, women between the ages of 45 to 60 who were within five years of menopause, were randomly assigned to receive either daily soy isoflavone tablets or the placebo. The women were followed for two years and underwent a bone density test (DXA) at the beginning and the end of the study to measure the rate of bone loss. “During the study I wanted to feel affects, but no, nothing,” said Vidal. Whether they were taking the soy tablets or the placebo tablets, the participants showed similar levels of bone loss and menopausal symptoms.
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Doctors Seeing Male Infertility On The Rise fertility problem, but it wasn’t with Andrea, it was with Anthony. After a simple test, doctors found his sperm count was zero. “I was very embarrassed by the whole situation,” said Anthony. “When we first found out we couldn’t have children we didn’t talk about it with anybody,” said Andrea.
Reporting Cynthia Demos CDemos@cbs.com PEMBROKE PINES (CBS4) – Couples who struggle with infertility will do anything to figure out the problem, and the testing usually starts with the woman. But many doctors are seeing male infertility on the rise. After trying for three years to have a baby, South Florida couple Anthony and Andrea Temperino found out there was a major
The Temperino’s met with Pembroke Pines infertility specialist Dr. Ellen Wood, who discovered that Anthony had a thyroid problem which affected his sperm. With a few changes in his diet and lifestyle, doctors were able to extract viable sperm from Anthony and join it with his wife’s egg, which was then implanted back in Andrea. The result was a healthy baby boy named Ayden, who is now four months old. “Every child is a miracle, but these children are real miracles they wouldn’t be here if not for the doctors and technology,” said Anthony.
Dr. Wood says over the past 30 years male infertility has been steadily on the rise. Forty percent of her female clients are infertile, another 40 percent of her male patients are infertile, and the other 20 percent, both the male and female couples are having problems. “There’s speculation that the plastic bottles and the lining of cans can leak estrogen into the environment and those estrogens could affect certain males,” said Dr. Wood. In the Temperino’s case, changing his diet to all organic did the trick. “The interesting thing about male infertility is there are certain toxins that affect certain men,” said Dr. Wood. Infertility treatments can be expensive. If not covered by insurance, procedures can cost anywhere from 16 to 25 thousand dollars, depending on the test or treatment. IVF is responsible for 4 million births.
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How To Decipher Confusing Genetically-Modified-Food Labels “Americans increasingly want to know more about their food before they eat or buy it. They want to know where it’s made, how it’s grown and what’s in it,” said Elisa Zied, a registered dietitian, nutritionist and author. Sometimes labels help, but sometimes they only make things more confusing. “I think it’s very difficult for a consumer to understand what exactly it is that they’re considering buying,” said one grocery shopper. Reporting Cynthia Demos CDemos@cbs.com MIAMI (CBS4) — With so many concerns about our food supply, terms like “genetically modified,” “organic” or “GMO-free” can be confusing and make your head spin. What do those labels actually mean and which ones are the right choice for you and your family? With today’s labels, even the most scrutinizing shopper can get confused.
Zied, who wrote “Nutrition at Your Fingertips,” helps decipher the lingo, starting with genetically modified (GMO) foods. “If a food is genetically modified it means its genes are altered. DNA from one species is inserted into another species to create a unique genetic combination that doesn’t occur in nature,” said Zied. “At least 60 to 70 percent of processed foods that you’ll find in grocery stores contain at least one genetically engineered ingredient.”
Currently the Food and Drug Administration doesn’t require specific labels for GMO foods, but you may see companies point out when they are not genetically modified, with “non-GMO” or “GMO-free” labels.
seal on products that have 95 percent or more organic ingredients.
“Though you might not see it that often, a PLU sticker on produce can tell you a little something about the food,” said Zied.
When it comes to dairy, “rBGH” or “rBST” will signify things such as artificial hormones.
For example, a five-digit number that starts with an “8” is genetically modified, although it’s rarely used. But stickers starting with “9”s stand for organic and can be found on lots of produce.
There’s even something to look for with sugar.
What makes something organic? “If a food is organic that means it was prepared without synthetic pesticides, herbicides, fungicides or synthetic fertilizers and it’s also not been genetically modified or radiated,” said Zeid. You will only see the official United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) organic
“If you see ‘made with organic ingredients,’ that means the product contains at least 70 percent organic ingredients,” Zied said.
“When you’re reading a label for sugar and its non organic sugar, know that sugar may be sugar from sugar cane with genetically modified sugar beets,” said Zied. No matter your stance on genetically modified, organic or other products, knowing what your food is made of matters. Read the label and figure out what it is you’re feeding to your family.
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Study: Children With Autistic Siblings Face Greater Risk 26 percent developed autism versus 9 percent of girls. Autism is already known to be more common in boys. The study involved 12 U.S. and Canadian sites and was published online Monday in Pediatrics. Earlier studies were more local or involved fewer sites. Ozonoff said parents of autistic children often ask her, “How likely am I to have another child” with autism? She said her study provides a more up-to-date answer. CHICAGO (CBS4) — A new study suggests that nearly one-in-five children with an autistic older sibling will develop the disorder, too — a rate much higher than previously thought.
However, Ozonoff noted that 80 percent of siblings studied did not develop autism, and that the prevalence rate was an average. It may be different for each family, depending on other risk factors they may face.
Researchers followed 664 infants who had at least one older brother or sister with autism. Overall, 132 infants or about 19 percent ended up with an autism diagnosis, as well, by their third birthdays. Previous smaller or less diverse studies reported a prevalence of between 3 percent and 14 percent.
Autism has no known cause, but experts believe genetics and external influences are involved. Researchers are examining whether these could include infections, pollution and other non-inherited problems. Ozonoff noted that siblings often are exposed to similar outside influences, which could partly explain the study results.
“We were all a bit surprised and taken aback about how high it is,” said lead author Sally Ozonoff, a psychiatry and behavioral sciences professor with the Mind Institute at the University of California at Davis.
Infants in the study were enrolled before they showed any signs of autism, such as poor eye contact and little social interaction.
The highest rates were in infants who had at least two older siblings with autism — 32 percent of them also developed autism. Also, among boys with autistic siblings —
The research “gives us a more accurate prediction of what the chances of recurrence of autism are within a family so that families that have children with autism have up-to-date information about what the, what the risk of having additional children,” Ted
Hutman, a Ph.D. with the UCLA Center for Autism Research and Treatment, who was involved with the study, told CBS News. “So, it’s useful information from the perspective of family planning.” The study is an important addition to autism research and “has critical implications for families who are deciding whether they’ll have another child,” said Catherine Lord, director of the Institute for Brain Development at New York-Presbyterian/ Weill Cornell Medical Center. Lord was not involved in the study. Kathleen Lanese, of New York, said having one son with autism didn’t make her think twice about trying to have another child, even though she knew there was a chance the second would be affected, too. “We wanted another child and we were going to take whoever we got,” said Lanese, who was not involved in the study. Still, when her younger son was a baby, she said she “watched him like a hawk” for autism signs. He was diagnosed with autism at 16 months, earlier than her older boy. Ozonoff said the study should prompt families and their children’s doctors to be vigilant with infants whose older siblings have autism. Early diagnosis is important, because experts say behavioral treatment has the best chance of working if started early. “Pediatricians need to listen and make a very focused plan for how to monitor those
things, rather than taking a wait-and-see attitude” toward children with autistic siblings, Ozonoff said. Alycia Halladay, a research director at the advocacy group Autism Speaks, said the study provides a more robust, accurate prevalence estimate than previous studies, and strengthens the idea that family history is a risk factor. Her group, the National Institutes of Health, and the Canadian Institute for Health Research are among those who paid for the study. (TM and © Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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DNA Matters When Treating Breast Cancer “Tamoxifen is metabolized from an inactive drug into the active drug by enzymes called CYP2D6,” explained Dr. Elisabeth McKeen, a Medical Oncologist at PB Cancer Institute. If people have the normal CYP2D6 genes then they rapidly convert Tamoxifen to the active drug and Tamoxifen works for them, but problems arise when they have a CYP2D6 mutation. Reporting Natalia Zea nzea@cbs.com MIAMI (CBS4) — Millions of women take the drug Tamoxifen to prevent their breast cancer from coming back or, if they are at high risk they may take it to avoid getting breast cancer. But a new study indicates that some women may not process the drug properly, making it is less effective at warding off cancer.
“If they inherit one or two mutations then they make the drug less active,” said Dr. McKeen. “And studies have shown that these women are more likely to have their cancer come back.” A simple blood test determines whether patients have the CYP2D6 mutation and whether they should take a different drug such as Arimidex, Femara, or Aromasin. There is also a second concern with
Tamoxifen. Drugs used to treat depression may also make Tamoxifen less effective. “The most common drugs that compete for these enzymes are the anti-depressants. They are serotonin, the SSRIs, the serotonin reuptake inhibitors like Zoloft and Prozac,” said Dr. McKenn who explained, “Women on Tamoxifen should not take Zoloft or Prozac.” A hint that Tamoxifen may not be working for you or that you’re not metabolizing it into the active drug would be that you’re not having hot flashes. The National Cancer Institute says Tamoxifen has been used for almost ten years to reduce the risk of breast cancer in women who have an increased risk of developing the disease. Two studies have confirmed the benefit of taking the drug daily for five years.
August 19, 2011
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Vitamin Therapy Is A New Way To Get Your Daily Dose
MIAMI (CBS4) — Many Americans take vitamins to stay healthy. Now, a new controversial vitamin treatment claims to give tired and stressed out people more of a boost. It’s called intravenous vitamin therapy.
“I felt energized after the treatment, probably within six hours, and the next day I felt fantastic compared to how I felt before,” Friedrich said.
individuals who are really stressed, really tired and don’t have that named disease but they know that something is wrong,” Dr. Kokayi suggested.
Intravenous vitamin therapy is a way to get nutrients into the body quickly, using an IV.
Doctors tweak the therapy based on the patient’s blood work and a review of their medical history. The concoction typically includes a variety of things, such as: Vitamin B Complex, Magnesium, B5, Calcium, B12 and B6, among other things.
“It’s intended to give the physiologic system of the person a boost,” said holistic doctor Kamau Kokayi. “That might be in terms of energy, immune system it might be because they’ve been deficient in taking in nutrients or been very stressed.”
So what makes this any different than popping a handful of vitamins you buy over the counter?
IV vitamin therapy is a treatment being offered in more and more alternative and homeopathic doctor’s offices around the country.
“Because of the concentration you can get of the nutrients. They bypass the GI track, they go right into the blood and into the cells,” Dr. Kokayi explained.
It looks like mad science, a lab guru creating a concoction some say could leave you feeling like a new person.
At one time it was only for patients diagnosed with a specific disease. Now, it’s for anyone in need of a boost.
Maria Friedrich swears by it.
“I would recommend IV therapy to
The American Medical Association has no policy on this treatment. The FDA does not normally regulate vitamins, or vitamin therapy unless they are being used as a drug to treat a medical condition.
Dr. Kokayi said there are some drawbacks to consider, including time, needles and cost. “You come in, you have to sit for an hour, you get a little needle stick,” he said. The therapy isn’t typically covered by insurance, unless you have an official diagnosis for malnutrition, and it could require several treatments. The effectiveness of each treatment also declines as you start to feel better.
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Golden & UM Speak About NCAA Investigation involvement with former UM players. His attorney, Maria Elena Perez, said Shapiro told the NCAA he provided players with the use of a yacht and other favors. Perez said she and Shapiro had been talking with the NCAA for a couple of months. The university responded to the NCAA investigation saying:
Reporting Tim Kephart MIAMI (CBSMiami.com) – The University of Miami and head coach Al Golden gave the first public statements from the school Tuesday morning about the ongoing NCAA investigation into claims made by a Ponzi schemer about potential rules violations including impermissible benefits. The NCAA is investigating claims made by former UM booster Nevin Shaprio. The former booster pled guilty to running a nearly $1 billion Ponzi scheme in June, but last year said he was going to write a book about his
“When Nevin Shapiro made his allegations nearly a year ago, he and his attorneys refused to provide any facts to the University of Miami. The University notified the NCAA Enforcement officials of these allegations. We are fully cooperating with the NCAA and are conducting a joint investigation. The University of Miami takes these matters very seriously.” If the NCAA finds anything, and the Hurricanes did notify the NCAA themselves first, the Canes punishment will be less severe because the school was proactive. Still, the charges, if substantiated could prove damning to the school’s football future. UM head coach Al Golden said that he’s
been emailing his players about the issues that have brought down Georgia Tech, Ohio State, and the University of North Carolina. Golden said that his players have a “Cane Code” they’re given by his staff where benefits and agents are discussed. Coach Golden said he was “surprised” by the NCAA investigation and was gathering information at the same time all of the media was trying to learn more. “Clearly there were some articles yesterday, but when it comes to contact with the NCAA, I haven’t had any,” Golden said. Golden also said that his staff takes things like educating the team about compliance, “seriously,” and gave credit to the university’s compliance department for their actions. “Since I’ve been here, this is the tightest compliance department that I’ve been around,” Golden said. “They are strong, they have incredible manpower, and they’re on top of everything.” Still, Golden admitted that some of his
players may have made mistakes in the past that prompted the investigation. But, he’s not part of the investigation and isn’t allowed to ask players what they did or did not do. Shaprio’s involvement with the school dates back to 2001 and the days of Larry Coker and carried through to Randy Shannon’s teams. Among the players mentioned in connection with Shapiro are Tavares Gooden, Devin Hester, Jon Beason, and Randy Phillips, according to InsidetheU.com. The question will come down to whether any of the players associated with Shapiro played with the school in the last four years. The NCAA has a statute of limitations of four years, so unless a player implicated with Shapiro played with the school since 2007, the school could be off the hook. One issue the NCAA will have to determine is how credible Shapiro is. Being a convicted Ponzi schemer puts him in a negative light. Still, Shapiro had donated roughly $150,000 to the football program since 2001; and when the NCAA is investigating, it casts a shadow over a school until the investigation is finished.
CBS4 Newspaper August 19, 2011 Edition
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Horoscopes provided by www.starlightastrology.com
Gemini (May 22-June 21)
Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 22)
Leo (July 23-Aug. 23)
Cancer (June 22-July 22)
Don’t allow colleagues to put unreasonable pressure on you. Problems with in-laws or relatives may be more damaging than you realize. Deception and doubts may surround your involvement with friends and relatives. You need a day to rest and relax with the ones you love. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Saturday.
Your partner could also use some time alone with you. Disputes may start because of a lack of honesty. You may find that someone at work hasn’t been trustworthy. Plan a nice evening for two. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Wednesday.
Do a little shopping. You’re likely to find a real bargain. Over spending or unexpected bills could set you back. Travel will be most enticing. Consider a cruise. Take some time out. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Friday.
Tell it like it is. Your stability will aid you in getting support from your fellow workers. You need to sit back and enjoy. Elders may get you going this month. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Thursday.
Pisces (Feb. 19-Mar. 20)
Aries (Mar. 21-Apr. 20)
Taurus (Apr. 21-May 21)
Virgo (Aug. 24-Sept. 22)
A need to express yourself may come out in creative ways. You may find your self in a romantic situation. Social events will be plentiful. You may find your self in a romantic situation. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Wednesday.
New relationships could evolve through group activities. You’re eager to learn. Take the initiative and go after your goals. Residential moves will be hectic and may be unsatisfactory. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Wednesday.
Don’t waste this exciting day by sitting at home. One-sided relationships are likely. Relationships will become stronger. You may find yourself in a predicament with family members. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Tuesday.
You’re in the mood to do things such as competitive sports, or perhaps a night on the town. You can buy or sell if you’re so inclined. Spending too much time talking to friends or relatives could easily turn into a debate that could lead to estrangement. You can’t do everything on your own. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Monday.
Aquarius (Jan. 21-Feb. 18)
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 23)
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20)
Sagitarius (Nov. 23-Dec. 21)
You might find added popularity with those around you this month. Don’t start a dispute unless you’re prepared to accept irreversible results. Concentrate on spending quality time with children and friends. Spend some quality time with the one you love. Your talents will shine at work. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Tuesday.
Don’t try to get even without having all the facts. This will not be the best day to try to push your ideas or concerns. You will probably have to defend your mate. You will be emotional when dealing with coworkers or employers. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Wednesday.
You may be sensitive concerning friends and their situations. You may have major blowups with someone you love if you don’t back down. Your lack of responsibility and attention has been a key issue in your relationship. Your passionate nature may make you jealous if your mate has been too busy to take care of your needs. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Saturday.
You can make some money if you get involved in a conservative financial prospect that is presented to you. Take a break; you can finally mend any disputes on the home front. It’s a good time for long awaited relationships to begin. Take care of any medical problems if they’ve been troubling you. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Monday.
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7 4 5 8 2 9 3 1 6
L O C A L .
6 1 8 5 7 3 2 9 4
4 8 6 9 3 2 7 5 1
1 7 2 4 6 5 8 3 9
5 9 3 1 8 7 6 4 2
SUDOKU
INSTRUCTIONS: Enter digits from 1 to 9 into the blank spaces. Every row must contain one of each digit. So must every column, as must every 3x3 square.
9 7
3 9 5 8 4 7 2 8 1 4 5 1 2 9 6 1 3 7 2 5 3 6 9 6
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8 3 1 7 4 6 9 2 5
August 5th Solution
9 6 7 2 5 1 4 8 3
2 5 4 3 9 8 1 6 7