Bill in Congress Would Force Action on U.S. Troops’ Blast Exposure

[ad_1] Lawmakers from both parties plan to introduce a sweeping bill in Congress on Wednesday that would force the military for the first time to track and limit troops’ exposure to damaging shock waves from firing their own weapons. Routine exposure to blasts in training and combat was long thought to be safe. But research suggests that over time, exposure to repeated blasts can cause microscopic brain injuries that lead to profound mental problems, like mood swings, insomnia, substance abuse, panic attacks and suicide. The bill, known as the Blast…

Sickened by U.S. Nuclear Program, Communities Turn to Congress for Aid

[ad_1] When Diane Scheig’s father, Bill, came home from work at the Mallinckrodt factory in St. Louis, he would strip down in their garage and hand his clothes to her mother to immediately wash, not daring to contaminate the house with the residue of his labors. Mr. Scheig, an ironworker who helped build the city’s famous arch, never told their family exactly what he was doing at the plant, where scientists first began processing uranium for the Manhattan Project in 1942. But by the age of 49, he had developed…

Congress passes $1.2 trillion spending package, averting shutdown at last minute

[ad_1] Washington — Congress narrowly averted a partial shutdown early Saturday, passing a massive spending package mere hours after a midnight deadline passed. The package fully funds the government through September and ends a monthslong fight over spending that persisted six months into the fiscal year.  The Senate approved the $1.2 trillion package, which was unveiled early Thursday in a vote of 74 to 24. Hours earlier, it advanced out of the House in a 286 to 134 vote.  The Senate slipped past the deadline after an hourslong standoff on…