Debunkers.org Blog

From this news article, we learn of the latest amusing episode of Canada’s health care system. And we learn of the media that covers up for it. Get the lede on this article:

A critically ill Hamilton preemie turned away from McMaster Children’s Hospital is all alone in a Buffalo intensive care unit because her parents don’t have passports to get across the border.

Uh, no. The premature infant is all alone because Canada does not have enough neonatal intensive care units. Period.

The infant is in Buffalo, because a decaying ex-industrial town in the United States has more health care resources than an entire Canadian province.

Enjoy the contrast in these two lines of the news story:

A second area mom has also been separated from her children since being turned away from McMaster’s NICU, which is closed to new admissions about 50 per cent of the time….

Dr. Peter Fitzgerald, president of McMaster Children’s Hospital, said he’s in discussions with the Ministry of Health about getting more beds for the NICU, which is already the largest and most modern in Ontario.

Now that Steve Warshak got 25 years prison sentence for 93 counts stemming from the fraudulent sale of “Enzyte” male enhancement drug.

Federal prosecutors accused the company of bilking customers out of $100 million through a series of deceptive ads, manipulated credit card transactions and refusal to accept returns or cancel orders. Judge Spiegel ordered the company, along with other defendants, to forfeit more than $500 million — a figure based on how much Warshak and the company took in.

“This is a case about greed,” Spiegel reportedly said as he reviewed the case. “Steven Warshak preyed on perceived sexual inadequacies of customers.” Spiegel said one aspect of the fraud relied on the reluctance of customers to come forward, which would mean admitting they ordered the sexual enhancement pills.

Personally, “Bob’s” wife would have given me physical performance issues.

Story at this link

[ Bruce ]Ivins committed suicide this week before he could be charged with murder for mailing the toxin-laced letters, which spread nationwide alarm just weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks in New York and Washington. Authorities said the letters, filled with anthrax powder, may have been a warped plot for Ivins to test his vaccine on victims.

I’ve very puzzled what to think of this story.   Although the news coverage is surprising thin today - in my opinion - this should be a huge story.  The anthrax attacks so soon after 9/11 terrified this nation, almost shut down mail service in several major cities.

Remember that Steven Hatfield, pursued for years by the FBI, recently settled for  almost $6million from the Department of Justice.

So while I want this episode to be over, and I want the suspect for these attacks to be identified - so that I don’t have to panic if I open a letter with talcum powder spilling out - we have the FBI’s word that they were about to indict this man for the attacks.

And frankly, given their track record, there ought to be a special, extra-strong, extra-spicy, extra-crispy new and improved “presumption of innocence” when the FBI accuses someone of a high profile crime.

So why is the word suspect in quotes?  Ask Richard Jewell.  Ask Steven Hatfield.