February 23, 2011

Maine Gov: “Worst Case Is Some Women May Have Little Beards”

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Today, the Bangor Daily News reports on Maine governor Paul LePage’s weird comments on the chemical bisphenol A. Last week, LePage remarked:

“Quite frankly, the science that I’m looking at says there is no [problem],” LePage said. “There hasn’t been any science that identifies that there is a problem.”

LePage then added: “The only thing that I’ve heard is if you take a plastic bottle and put it in the microwave and you heat it up, it gives off a chemical similar to estrogen. So the worst case is some women may have little beards.”

Quick, someone call JAMA! We have a scientist in the house, folks.

Unfortunately, bizarre though LePage’s comments may be, he’s not the only one confused about BPA, as I reported in my piece on BPA in canned foods. The FDA can’t seem to make up its mind on the issue, despite National Institutes of Health’s finding that BPA is of “some concern for effects on the brain, behavior, and prostate gland in fetuses, infants, and children at current human exposures.”

Also, I don’t want a beard, even a little one. Just saying.

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We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

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