FDA
The FDA has expanded a recall of blood pressure medications because the pills could cause other serious health problems. Read on for a full list of the medications.
A middle school student in Washington state was stunned when his teacher put his desk in a bathroom stall.
And Walmart ends its car seat recycling program early due to a massive response from parents.
Here’s what you need to know in the daily roundup.
TOP STORY: Blood Pressure Medications Recalled Due to Cancer Risk
FDA
The Food and Drug Administration is recalling more blood pressure medications because they contain chemicals linked to increased cancer risk. Losartan Potassium Tablets, distributed by Torrent Pharmaceuticals Limited, contains “trace amounts” of N-Methylnitrosobutyric acid, which is a known carcinogen.
The FDA explains, “Losartan is used to treat hypertension, hypertensive patients with Left Ventricular Hypertrophy and for the treatment of nephropathy in Type 2 diabetic patients. Losartan Potassium and Hydrochlorothiazide tablets, USP is used to treat hypertension and hypertensive patients with Left Ventricular Hypertrophy.”
The recall was expanded to include several batches that were distributed nationwide. Patients can check whether their medication is included in the recall by looking at the manufacturer details on the bottle. Here is a list of the recalled products from the FDA:
- Losartan Potassium Tablets, USP 50mg, 1000 count. The batch number is 4DU2E009 with an expiration date of 12/31/2020.
- Losartan Potassium Tablets, USP 100mg, 90 count. The batch number is 4DU3E009 with an expiration date of 12/31/2020.
- Losartan Potassium Tablets, USP 100mg, 1000 count. The batch number is 4DU3D018 with an expiration date of 02/28/2021.
- Losartan Potassium / Hydrochlorothiazide Tablets, USP 50mg/12.5mg, 90 count. The batch number is BEF7D051 with an expiration date of 11/30/2020.
- Losartan Potassium / Hydrochlorothiazide Tablets, USP 100mg/25mg, 90 count. The batch number is 4P04D007 with an expiration date of 07/31/2020.
For images of all of the medicine labels, click here. The FDA says that patients taking Losartan should continue doing so until speaking with their doctor.
OFF-BEAT: School Puts Autistic Child’s Desk In a Bathroom Stall
A school district in Washington state is facing criticism after teachers decided to put a child’s desk in a bathroom. Danielle Goodwin’s 11-year-old son, Lucas, has autism and she told teachers that he performed best when he could do his work in a quiet place.
But Goodwin never expected that the middle school’s solution would be to move her son into a bathroom. Goodwin shared a photo of the desk situated over the toilet. She said the teacher had also “provided a camping mat and pillow for him to nap….on the bathroom floor.” Goodwin said Lucas had been able to work in the library in elementary school, but his new teacher reportedly said that wasn’t an option. She added that the teacher said the solution would work fine because the bathroom wasn’t used.
Goodwin wrote that her son was “humiliated, embarrassed, and disgusted at this inhumane suggestion that he work in a bathroom. I immediately took my son home and he will not be returning. When we got home he was throwing up from the anxiety.”
A spokesperson for the Bellingham Public School district told ABC affiliate KOMO-TV that officials were looking into what had happened. The statement further said, “We have taken immediate steps to remove the desk depicted in the photo and ensure that this space is not used as a learning space.”
WHAT’S BUZZING: Walmart Ends Its Carseat Recycling Program More Than a Week Early
Walmart
If you were planning on recycling your child’s car seat at Walmart, you’ll now need to make other plans for it. The retail giant had originally planned on accepting used car seats through September 30 in exchange for a $30 gift card.
Nearly 4,000 Walmart locations were participating in the program, which began on September 16. But Walmart is shutting it down early due to an “overwhelming response” from customers that “far exceeded expectations.”
In a statement on its website, Walmart explained that people brought in approximately one million car seats in just six days. The company explained that the number of seats is “the equivalent of diverting over 200 million plastic bottles from landfills, according to TerraCycle.”
For context, Target ran a similar recycling program beginning in April of 2016. According to USA Today, Target received about half a million car seats over a three-year period.
DAILY NEWS ROUNDUP
The first week of #fall could break record highs in parts of the Southeast: t.co/l0vAQxWlFe
- Temperatures will be 10 to 20 degrees warmer than average across the north and southeast during the first week of autumn.
- Dulce Maria Alavez, a 5-year-old girl from New Jersey, has been missing for nearly a week.
- Steven Weber died while trying to propose to his girlfriend Kenesha Antoine underwater in Tanzania.
- Former Manhattan GMAT employee Kimberly Watkins claims Andrew Yang fired her for getting married.
- Game of Thrones prequel trailers showing up on YouTube are fake or fan-made.
IN MEMORIAM
FacebookMalissa Longo and Aron Eisenberg
Actor Aron Eisenberg, best known for playing the role of Nog on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine passed away Saturday. He was 50 years old. His cause of death was not initially made public.
According to the Star Trek website, Eisenberg was born with only one kidney. He underwent two transplants in his life– the first when he was a teenager and the second in 2015.
Eisenberg’s wife, Malissa Longo, shared a touching tribute to him on Facebook. It read in part, “He was an intelligent, humble, funny, emphatic soul. He sought to live his life with integrity and truth… He made me (and still makes me) want to be the best human I can possibly be, because he always strove to be the best human he could be. His resilience and willingness to learn was and is an inspiration… I will be forever thankful for the time we had to love each other.”
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