Link Collection

Study tracked customers at 4 fast food restaurant chains in poor neighborhoods in NY where there are high rates of obesity after the laws forced the chains to post calories for all of their menu items. The study found that 28% of customers who noticed the calorie counts said that the information had influenced their ordering and 90% said that they had made healthier choices because the calories were posted. However, when the researchers checked the receipts afterwards to see what the customers actually ordered, they found that customers actually ordered slightly MORE calories than before the law forced the calorie counts to be displayed:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/06/nyregion/06calories.html?_r=1

Researchers worry that Tamiflu-resistant flu strains will be created because of all the Tamiflu that is contaminating rivers downstream from sewage-treatment facilities. Birds are natural flu carriers and are being exposed to waterborne residues of Tamiflu's active form so they might develop and spread drug-resistant strains of seasonal and avian flu:
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/47971/title/Excreted_Tamiflu_found_in_rivers

Utah Man was arrested for (twice) groping the nurse that was trying to help his girlfriend while she was in labor. No only did he miss the birth of his child, but weeks later he still hadn't seen the child!
http://www.standard.net/topics/sexual-abuse/2009/10/28/man-charged-groping-undergoes-testing

The Gaza Zoo is too poor to buy zebras, so they painted stripes on donkeys and the children (who have never seen a real zebra) love them:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/14/gaza-zoo-too-poor-to-buy_n_321019.html?slidenumber=0

The pension funds that cover teachers, police officers and other government employees lost $1 TRILLION during the stock market crash, making it difficult for local governments and fund managers to figure out how to cover the pensions of government employees in the future:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/10/AR2009101002360.html

Half of the workers in NY city have no sick days, forcing them to report to work even if they have the swine flu, which will increase the spread of the disease. This is a problem throughout the country, especially since the number of US workers with no sick leave has been increasing:
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/16/nearly-half-of-workers-lack-paid-sick-days-report-finds/

Study found that children who eat candy and sweets daily are more likely to be convicted of violent crimes as an adult. This link held true even after controlling for other factors such as gender, techers' reports at age 10, and parenting style:
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/10/02/daily-candy-in-childhood-linked-to-violence-in.html