Legal: Cops Detain ProPublica Photog Over Town Sign Pix

Here's another one from the post-9/11 annals of security obsession: A news photographer snapping pix of a town's sign in Texas found himself detained and aggressively questioned by cops in two squad cars, a rather edgy local FBI/Homeland Security agent and, last but not least, a security guard from oil giant BP.

Police demanded to see the hapless photog's pictures and even passed his name on to the BP sluggo, despite the fact that it was clear from the pix nothing of any security value was on the camera. Read freelancer Lance Rosenfield's account at the ProPublica site here. (ProPublica had hired Rosenfield to snap the pix for two exposés on BP, linked in that item.) And here is ProPublica's response to the incident.

Investigations: Just 8% of Sunscreens Pass Safety, Marketing Muster

Just eight percent of sunscreens passed muster on a safety and marketing test, according to the fourth annual poll of the Environmental Working Group. Most sunscreens have potentially toxic ingredients or make exaggerated claims about effectiveness, the group reports. See the EWG's site for the list of approved products.

One of the results of the exaggerated product claims: People tend to stay in the sun longer than they should. That finding was confirmed by a new study by the Canadian Dermatology Association, which found Canadians are unaware of the impacts of sun damage and how to protect themselves. The Canadian Medical Association Journal also has this report on the issue.

TAGS: health