Headlines & features

First, failure. Then recriminations. Reminiscent of former Chicago mayor Michael Bilandic who was castigated for failed snowfighting back in the 1970s and ousted from office, DC mayor Adrian Fenty is taking his lumps for the failure of the capital city's snowfighting efforts which have shut down the federal government for a week and left many homebound waiting for plows and spreaders to unclog public streets. The Washington Examiner contrasts Fenty's public crews with the performance of successful private contractors who have been able to keep shopping center and office building parking lots cleared.

Despite preparations, DC area snowfighters are struggling with what President Obama has termed "Snowmegeddon." Today's projected foot of snow will establish a new winter record; the current record is 54" and we had 45" entering the current storm (of course people in Wisconsin and Upper Michigan laugh since they can get that much in a week and keep things moving.

Forbes magazine reports on New York City's campaign to reduce salt intake, adding:

While DC are snowfighting agencies thrilled at the news that a 46,000-ton salt shipment reached the Port of Baltimore yesterday and opinions vary as to whether a "salt shortage" affect the area, crews in Lake County, IL, north of Chicago, are sitting pretty -- the result of improved salt procurement planning after facing shortages the last two winters. The Lake County Journal reports:

Among the hundreds of stories about the difficulties encountered by DC-area snowfighters and the homes, families and businesses dependent on their success, is this reviewing the economic devastation of failed snowfighting.

Salt reduction activists are in the midst of a media blitz promoting regulations on the amount of sodium food manufacturers should be allowed to put in processed foods. Hold on, says Dr. Michael H. Alderman in the current issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA): the evidence of a benefit "is generally acknowledged to be opinion or common 'practice.'" He summarizes the current controversy:

Undisclosed conflicts of interest explain the spate of anti-salt articles flooding the media, Morton Satin writes in BakeryandSnacks.com .

The February issue of Water Conditioning and Purification contains an article on "Softener Discharge Versus Aerobic Wastewater Treatment Units : Design is key -- research answers questions in the age-old debate." The article explains in straightforward terms the "age-old debate" and the historical research showing that water softener discharges into on-site wastewater treatment systems is not detrimental and may even be beneficial -- and that the earlier research left some questions unanswered.

FoodNavigator reports a new Mintel Global New Product Database survey showing that more food products are using sea salt. "(T)here were 1,573 product launches across Europe in 2007, 1,971 in 2008, and an impressive 2,621 last year. There have already been 171 launches in 2010."

This editorial in Psychology Today highlights the shaky science and lack of common sense behind population wide sodium reduction campaigns.