Brianna Smith is a freelance writer and editor in Southwest Michigan. A graduate of Grand Valley State University, Brianna has a passion for politics, social issues, education, science, and more. When she’s not writing, she enjoys the simple life with her husband, daughter, and son.


Twinkies Recalled Over Salmonella Contamination

Unfortunately for Twinkie lovers everywhere, a seasonal version of Hostess Twinkies joined a growing list of foods on a recall list because of potential Salmonella contamination. The source of the contamination? The Valley Milk plant in Strasburg, VA. The recall itself began last November when, at the request of the FDA, “armed U.S. Marshals raided the


An Estimated 1.3 Million Honda Vehicles Recalled Due To Takata Airbags

Honda is back in the news due to its recent decision to recall about 1.3 million vehicles because of concerns over their Takata airbags exploding. With the recall, Honda plans on replacing the metal inflators in passenger-side airbags in order to make the vehicles safer. However, this isn’t the first time Honda has had to


Will Trump Tackle Hidden Fees?

No one likes hidden fees. Unfortunately, they’re everywhere. From hotel rooms, cell phone services, concert tickets, and much more, many can agree that hidden and other unexpected fees are getting out of control. In fact, some consumer groups, like the Consumer Federation of America (CFA), believe that hidden and unexpected fees should “be fully disclosed


GOP Senators Demand Dismissal of Top Consumer Bureau Director

President-elect Trump’s inauguration is nearly upon on, and already there are two GOP senators demanding that Donald Trump fire the Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Richard Cordray. In a letter recently sent to Trump’s transition team, the two GOP senators, Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah), made a case for Cordray’s


Study Discovers Longer ER Waits for the Mentally Ill

One would think that in the year 2017, we would have proper services available to the mentally ill, including ensuring that they’re not being pushed aside and forced into longer wait lines in the ER. Unfortunately, in many emergency rooms throughout Massachusetts, this is the reality that mentally ill patients have to endure day in


New Paper Shines Spotlight On Popular Morning Sickness Drug

For many women, pregnancy is one of those magical times full of excitement. Unfortunately, pregnancy also doles out one particular unpleasant side effect to many moms to be — morning sickness. Morning sickness is one of the more common side effects of pregnancy and impacts an estimated 75% of women. About 1% of women experience


Review Panels for Medical Malpractice Claims?

Last week we discussed tort reform and Republican plans to overhaul the Affordable Care Act. A part of their plans may include a controversial proposal led by Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.), who has recently been nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to become the top health official in the nation. His controversial proposal would fund “state-run


New York To Debate Statute Of Limitations On Sex Crimes

When it comes to sex crimes, a vast majority of them go unreported. Unfortunately, those that are reported rarely result in justice. In fact, in a report conducted by the Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault, of the few sexual assaults that are reported each year, only about “9% of rapists get prosecuted. Alarmingly, only 5%


Trump Deposed In Legal Battle Against Chef José Andrés

In a little over two weeks from now, President-elect Donald Trump will officially become our next President. However, his new position as our Commander-in-Chief won’t slow down the handful of lawsuits he’s dealing with on the side, such as the one he’s tangled in right now with D.C. restaurateur and celebrity chef, José Andrés. The


Republicans Consider Tort Reform In ACA Overhaul

Since Trump’s election, there has been a lot of talk from Republicans about repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and implementing a plan of their own with tort reform. But why tort reform? Well, many GOP leaders, including Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan and HHS Secretary-designate Tom Price (R-GA) believe there is a medical malpractice