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Louisiana teachers' union concerned about educators' future; Supreme Court hears arguments in Trump immunity case; Court issues restraining order against fracking waste-storage facility; Landmark NE agreement takes a proactive approach to CO2 pipeline risks.

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Speaker Johnson accuses demonstrating students of getting support from Hamas. TikTok says it'll challenge the ban. And the Supreme Court dives into the gray area between abortion and pregnancy healthcare, and into former President Trump's broad immunity claims

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The urban-rural death divide is widening for working-age Americans, many home internet connections established for rural students during COVID have been broken, and a new federal rule aims to put the "public" back in public lands.

Some School Supplies Made with Toxic Plastic

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Thursday, August 18, 2011   

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Minnesota parents are being offered a lesson in back-to-school shopping as they head to the malls to get their children ready for class.

The group Healthy Legacy is warning that some school supplies contain harmful chemicals which can affect a child's learning ability and health. Organizer Kim LaBo says backpacks, for example, often contain polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

"Also known as the poison plastic. And the good news is there are lots of alternatives to this harmful chemical that the parent can buy and they oftentimes cost the same or less as the PVC vinyl product."

Other school supplies that could spell trouble include plastic lunch boxes and vinyl three-ring binders, LaBo says.

"One of the problem additives to vinyl plastic is a chemical called phthalates that was banned from many products for kids, but is still allowed in school supplies. It was banned because of concerns about health effects. It's been linked to asthma and to kinds of disrupting key stages of development in children."

Instead of vinyl, LaBo says, parents should purchase supplies which use cardboard, metal or fabric - at least until changes in how school supplies are made.

"Unfortunately, our current laws are very outdated, so there is an effort, both here in Minnesota and across the country to change those laws so parents don't need a guide in order to find products that are safe for their children."

A guide to safe school-supply shopping is online at HealthyLegacy.org or chej.org.



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