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Legislation introduced recently by Reps. Tom Cole, R-Okla., and Sanford Bishop, D-Ga., would make significant changes to the way the Food and Drug Administration regulates tobacco and nicotine products. These changes should be welcomed as a necessary corrective. If the purpose of tobacco control is to reduce tobacco-related addiction, illness and death, the FDA's current regulatory process may be off course. (Joel Nitzkin, 3/2)

I’ve been trying to bite my tongue about Oprah’s new cookbook, I really have. Who am I to judge one of America’s wealthiest women for sharing her weight-loss secrets and her favorite Weight Watchers-friendly recipes? Who am I to question if one of the most famous "yo-yo" dieters in dieting history has made peace with food or has simply managed to call a truce?Actually, who I am — a psychotherapist specializing in eating disorders — is exactly why I’ve got a problem with Oprah and every other celebrity who celebrates dieting. Because of who I am, I’m painfully aware of the downside of doing as celebrity diet proponents say, but not necessarily as they do. (Jean Fain, 3/1)

I'm no longer surprised when my nose suddenly starts to bleed. As a resident of Porter Ranch, I’ve become accustomed to unexpected nosebleeds, nausea and headaches— near daily reminders of the area’s toxic environment. Porter Ranch sits below Aliso Canyon, the source of the largest gas leak and methane release in United States history. In October 2015, one of the facility’s 115 aging gas injection wells “blew out,” spewing methane (a potent greenhouse gas), benzene (a carcinogen) and many other toxic emissions. (Hibino, 3/1)

Business and insurance interests are trying to wipe out insurance benefits that cover every working Iowan. Workers’ compensation is a required employee benefit. It covers medical treatment, lost wages and compensation to workers injured on the job. At least that’s what it’s supposed to do. (Saffin Parrish-Sams, 3/1)