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ChangeQuakes Of The Week

October 02, 2006

TOP CHANGEQUAKES OF THE WEEK
** Researchers Make Nuclear Reactor Fuel More Powerful
** Privacy Concerns Spur RFID Legislation
** U.S. Communities Not Prepared For Aging Population
** Drug-Resistant Bugs On The Rise

MORE CHANGEQUAKES TO WATCH

TOP CHANGEQUAKES OF THE WEEK

Researchers Make Nuclear Reactor Fuel More Powerful

(TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGEQUAKE) -- MIT scientists have designed a reactor fuel that they believe can make nuclear power plants 50% safer and more powerful. Researchers say their new technology should be ready for commercial use in existing reactors in about 10 years.

go.reuters.com

Privacy Concerns Spur RFID Legislation

(REGULATORY CHANGEQUAKE) -- In 2005, the actions of a small-town school district in Northern California set off a chain of events that could lead to groundbreaking legislation limiting the use of RFID in California and, if other states pick up the rallying call, across the nation.

www.eweek.com

U.S. Communities Not Prepared For Aging Population

(ECONOMIC CHANGEQUAKE) -- A tidal wave of aging baby boomers will overwhelm many U.S. communities with special needs such as handicap access and long-term care, but fewer than half of cities and towns have begun to plan for it, according to a new report.

go.reuters.com

Related Story: Boomers Face Tough Road As They Age
www.usatoday.com

Drug-Resistant Bugs On The Rise

(ECONOMIC CHANGEQUAKE) -- In hospitals around the world, doctors have fewer effective weapons to use against germs, especially those that attack the sickest of the sick, and in some cases, they say they're simply out of ammunition. A report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that in tests of more than 8,500 strains of acinetobacter tested at more than 300 hospitals, those that were no longer treatable with any of the four classes of antibiotics increased from 4.5% in 1995 to 16.7% in 2004; those susceptible to only one kind of antibiotic rose from 14% to 25.6%.

www.usatoday.com

MORE CHANGEQUAKES TO WATCH

TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGEQUAKES

More Couples Use Embryo Tests For 'Designer Babies'

Boy or girl? Almost half of U.S. fertility clinics that offer embryo screening say they allow couples to choose the sex of their children, the most extensive survey of the practice suggests.

www.chron.com

CORPORATE CHANGEQUAKES

Why Online Video Sites Are Hot Targets

As TV viewing habits change, media companies -- and advertisers -- are looking elsewhere: They've set their sights on a new breed of startups. As the Internet snaps to life with homemade movies, TV shows and other forms of video, companies that offer online video are seeing the value of their businesses surge.

www.businessweek.com

Related Article: Cuban: Only A Moron Would Buy YouTube
www.eweek.com

ESPN Shutters Mobile Service

ESPN is closing down its cell phone company for sports fans after less than a year, planning instead to forge deals with other wireless operators to offer Mobile ESPN's multimedia content. ESPN's decision marks the retreat of one of the highest-profile and most-heavily marketed efforts to create what's known as an "MVNO," short for mobile virtual network operator.

www.usatoday.com

REGULATORY CHANGEQUAKES

Senators Drop Legislation For China Tariffs ... For Now

Two senators are abandoning legislation that would have hit Chinese goods with steep tariffs of 27.5%. The lawmakers promised, however, to renew efforts next year meant to spur Beijing to change currency policies they say cost millions of American jobs.

www.mercurynews.com

Congress OKs Port Security Bill

Congress approved a major ports security bill during the weekend, providing new steps to safeguard the 11 million shipping containers entering the United States each year. The bill approves $400 million a year over five years for risk-based grants for training and exercises at ports. It requires the nation's 22 largest ports, which handle 98% of all cargo entering the country, to install radiation detectors by the end of 2007.

www.kansascity.com

Online Gambling On The Ropes

Online gambling companies took a severe body blow during the weekend. The U.S. Congress passed a bill outlawing credit-card and money-transfer companies from accepting payments to gambling Web sites -- effectively halving the value of some large-cap online gambling stocks.

www.forbes.com

N.Y.C. Proposes Restaurant Trans Fat Ban

New York City's Health Department on Tuesday proposed a near ban on the use of artificial trans fat at restaurants, likening its health danger to that of lead paint.

go.reuters.com

ECONOMIC CHANGEQUAKES

Study: Cuts Benefit All Taxpayers

A new study shows Americans of every income have benefited from a drop in federal income tax rates as Bush administration tax cuts enacted since 2000 took effect. But those earning $75,000 to $500,000 are shouldering a larger share of total taxes paid as millions more of them earn higher incomes and get hit with the Alternative Minimum Tax.

www.usatoday.com


FDA APPROVAL CHANGEQUAKES

FDA Approves Amgen Colon Cancer Drug

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Wednesday it had approved Amgen's drug Vectibix for the treatment of advanced colon cancer. The drug is expected to compete with Erbitux from ImClone Systems, and analysts believe that peak sales for the drug would exceed $1 billion a year.

go.reuters.com