Congress urges Washington Football Team to lift NDAs
Two members of the House of Representatives are urging the NFL and the Washington Football Team to release individuals from non-disclosure agreements that would prevent them from discussing sexual harassment and workplace issues at owner Daniel Snyder’s club.
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Health contractors vetted stars' politics for US virus ad
This photo combination shows from left: musician Christina Aguilera in Los Angeles, March 29, 2012, comedian George Lopez in Los Angeles, Dec. 25, 2012, and actor Jack Black in Las Vegas, April 25, 2012. Public relations firms hired by the Department of Health and Human Services vetted the political views of hundreds of celebrities, including Aguilera, Lopez, and Black, for a health education advertising campaign on the coronavirus outbreak. That's according to documents released Thursday by a House committee.
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US vetted stars' politics to showcase Trump virus response
Director Judd Apatow believes Trump “does not have the intellectual capacity to run as president,” according to a list of more than 200 celebrities compiled by one of the firms. “I have ordered a strategic review of this public health education campaign that will be led by our top public health and communications experts to determine whether the campaign serves important public health purposes,” Azar told the subcommittee, which is investigating the federal government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak. Because public health policy around the coronavirus pandemic has become so politically polarized, it’s unclear how well a confidence-building campaign from the government would play. And Trump has alienated much of the medical establishment with his dismissive comments about basic public health measures, such as wearing masks. Antony and Quaid were among just a few celebrities who were approved for the campaign, according to the documents.

New bill aims to cap nicotine levels in e-cigarettes
(CNN) - U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi announced new legislation Monday that would put a cap on the concentration of nicotine in e-cigarette products. The move mirrors regulations in places like the European Union, which imposes the same cap of 20 milligrams per milliliter. Experts say that high nicotine concentrations have played a role in what they describe as an epidemic of vaping among youth. "Capping the concentration of nicotine in e-cigarettes is integral to ending the youth vaping epidemic by making these products less addictive, less appealing to youth, and less harmful to public health. "The nicotine salts that are used in the more recent generations of e-cigarettes make the product very palatable."

Signs point to majority of lung injury patients vaping THC products
Of more than 500 patients who offered information on what substances they used, nearly 77% reported THC-containing products, while nearly 57% reported nicotine-containing products. Health officials identified 234 unique vaping products across 87 brand names. In some cases, patients were found to have used THC products who initially said they hadn't. Multiple avenues are being tested for, including cutting agents or adulterants that might be added to vaping products. "However, we do not know whether the only risky substance for lung injury is the THC-containing products."

House Intel likely to subpoena Giuliani, Barr
Getty Images(CNN) - Attorney General William Barr and the president's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani are likely to be called to testify in the House Intelligence Committee's impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump and Ukraine, according to a House Democrat who sits on the committee. Rep. Mike Quigley told CNN's Jim Sciutto on Friday that he has "several questions" for Giuliani including whether the president's personal lawyer has a security clearance. Asked if the committee would enforce subpoenas or hold the two men in contempt should the White House attempt to block their testimony, Quigley said, "I think the committee will take whatever actions are necessary." Illinois Democratic Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, another committee member, told reporters on Capitol Hill Friday that it "makes sense" for the committee to invite Barr or Giuliani to testify since "both are obviously central figures." Trump asked Zelensky to work with Giuliani and Barr, even suggesting four times during the call that Barr will call Zelensky.

Lawmaker asks FDA to crack down on Juul's 'fraudulent' medical claims
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat from Illinois, said that the agency should "protect the American public from the fraudulent and unapproved medical claims" made by the company. At the subcommittee hearing in July, several people testified that the company was directly marketing to children in high school, to the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and to smoking cessation groups. The FDA said that it will respond to Krishnamoorthi about the questions raised in his letter and that the investigation is ongoing. "The FDA continues to closely scrutinize potentially false, misleading or unsubstantiated claims on a case-by-case basis to ensure that the public, including both adults and youth, are not misled." In other communications, the company says it cannot make claims that its products are safer, in line with FDA regulations.