Let there be peace
Vice President Joe Biden is supposed to speak in response to the Newton, Connecticut shooting of 20 children and six teachers. In Obama’s speech during the services for the children and teachers he said that he wanted to, “use whatever this power holds,” in order to keep this incident from happening again. Today Biden will address not only gun control but also that of mental health illnesses.
Soon to be food
Some government employees are finally allowed to exercise the right to voice their concerns in a consequence free environment now that President Obama signed the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act (WPEA). This act will help resolve the issue of the FDA and USDA intimidating their employees to keep their concerns quiet. Since employees of these government agencies feared retaliation for speaking out against their employer, many have sat idly by while they believed public health was at risk. The consequence of demotion, firing, or relocation was enough for employees to keep their opposition to themselves. However, the WPEA has now been signed and FDA and USDA employees are officially free to voice their concerns to supervisors without the possibility of unfair retaliation. This is a step in the right direction for honest and healthy working conditions in an industry that has a big impact on the food we eat.