WAMU 88.5 : The Diane Rehm Show

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Safety Concerns At Compounding Pharmacies

A deadly meningitis outbreak last year drew attention to a relatively new segment of the drug industry: large-scale compounding pharmacies. The Food and Drug Administration is calling for new, stronger and clearer legislation to effectively oversee firms that mix custom drugs for specific patients. In the past two decades, compounding pharmacies have grown into a multimillion dollar business, making some of the highest risk drugs available. But they are not required to follow the safety rules that apply to commercial drug makers. State pharmacy boards have an uneven record of policing them. A panel joins Diane to discuss efforts to improve the safety and oversight of compounded drugs.

NPR

From Classic Toys To New Twists, Kids Go Back To Blocks

NPR's Neda Ulaby investigates a trend in toys that sounds awfully familiar: Manufacturers are finding new ways to get kids interested in playing with blocks, both real and virtual.
NPR

And The Winner Of The World Food Prize Is ... The Man From Monsanto

The prize is sometimes called the "Nobel Prize for food and agriculture." And this year's winners include Monsanto executive Robert Fraley, a pioneer in genetically engineered crops. If there's a single person who personifies the company's controversial role in American agriculture, it's probably Fraley.
NPR

Capitol Hill's Partisan And Racial Divide Cast In Bronze

A 7-foot tall statue of famed abolitionist Frederick Douglass is more than just a tribute to the man. It's a larger-than-life reminder of the fight over voting rights and statehood for Washington, D.C.
NPR

Federal Agents Accuse Two Of Plotting Deadly X-Ray Weapon

Officials say the suspects did not acquire a radiation source for a weapon, but they finished building a remote control that was meant to operate it.

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