Headlines

The Institute of Medicine, a branch of the National Academy of Sciences, is working on behalf of the U.S. Veterans Affairs Department to investigate burn pits on military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan and any links that they may have to the illnesses being reported by Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans and contractors.

Recognizing the immediate need of millions for reliable medical care and clean, safe water in Haiti following the devastating January 12, 2010, earthquake, litigation firm Motley Rice LLC has become a corporate donor to both Water Missions International and Doctors Without Borders. Both are not-for-profit organizations that have had a presence in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, since the 7.0 point earthquake.

Tony Roles, an Air Force veteran who served for more than 12 years, was stationed at Balad Air Force Base in Iraq and is now warning his fellow service men and women about the alleged health hazards of burn pits.

Anne Kearse spoke at the Cutting Edge Issues in Asbestos Litigation Conference.

In an interview with Sky Radio, litigator Joe Rice spoke at length about asbestos litigation and the future of asbestos-related cases, saying that such cases are not a thing of the past.

Motley Rice attorney and former Department of Transportation Inspector General Mary Schiavospeaks with PBS for their FRONTLINE investigative report entitled Flying Cheap about the safety concerns and controversy regarding major airlines that outsource flights to smaller, regional carriers.

On Monday, February 8, 2010, Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. announced a voluntary recall on 2010 Model Year Prius vehicles and Lexus Division 2010 HS 250h vehicles to allow for updates to the software in the vehicles' anti-lock brake systems (ABS). No additional Toyota, Lexus or Scion vehicles have been included in this recall.

Kelly Kennedy, a Military Times reporter who has been covering stories on the alleged health hazards of burn pits since 2008, speaks with NPR's Guy Raz about how she first learned about the burn pits being used for waste disposal and the reaction that she has gotten from service members who wish to share their stories.

Motley Rice's environmental attorneys filed a federal lawsuit Friday, January 29, 2010, against Babcock & Wilcox Power Generation Group and the Atlantic Richfield Co. on behalf of three Kiski Valley, PA residents who claim that the nuclear enriching facilities exposed them to radiation contamination and chemical exposure.

Lawmakers, as part of the 2010 Defense Authorization Act, have requested a report from the Pentagon about the potential health hazards of burn-pit exposure on those stationed on bases in Iraq and Afghanistan.