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ST. LOUIS NEWS TODAY - Thursday, June 23, 2005

Paul Brown Building Reopens With Stylish Living

JUNE 23, 2005 - Residents of the newly opened Paul Brown Loft Apartments, located at 206 North Ninth Street in the historic Paul Brown Building, across from the Old Post Office, can enjoy a variety of amenities including rooftop living (photo above) with wading pool, sundeck and Four Season Room; and loft style apartments (photo at left) featuring kitchens with European-style cabinetry, dark laminate countertops and original hardwood floors. Rental rates for the 222 units range from $615 to $1,445. Owner and developer Pyramid Construction spent more than $46 million restoring the Renaissance Revvial architecture style building.

Majority of Voters See Identity Theft and
Spyware as Serious Problems
ST. LOUIS, (PRNewswire), June 19, 2005 - A new Cyber Security Industry Alliance (CSIA) survey of 1,003 likely voters, conducted by Pineda Consulting, has revealed voters are becoming increasingly insecure about using the Internet and are looking for Congress, industry and consumer groups to do more to keep them safe online. It also revealed little difference between Republicans and Democrats on cyber security policy issues.

The survey found voters -- Republicans and Democrats alike -- are nearly unanimous in their fear of identity theft and spyware. Specifically, 97 percent of voters rate identity theft as a serious problem, while 93 percent find spyware a serious problem. In addition, the fear of identity theft is keeping many consumers from doing business online, with 48 percent indicating that they avoid making purchases on the Internet because they are afraid their financial information may be stolen. Overall, 71 percent of voters believe new laws are needed to protect consumer privacy on the Internet.

"Clearly voters are concerned about the security of their personal information on the Internet, and that fear is inhibiting the full potential of e-commerce," stated Paul Kurtz, executive director of CSIA. "Keeping the Internet a place where consumers feel confident doing business can only be achieved through a coordinated, comprehensive approach that includes tough punishment through better laws, high security standards from companies, partnership with consumer groups, and protection for consumers nationwide."

"We must be careful about the public policy course we chart in the next few years as it will have long-term consequences for innovation and economic growth. When legislation is deemed necessary, such as in the case of securing sensitive personal information, Congress should not duplicate requirements already set forth under existing Federal law, but should address 'gaps' in existing law and encourage the adoption of widely accepted cyber security standards."

The majority of Internet users (83%) have heard of spyware, although the level of awareness is not as ubiquitous as spam (93%). Of those not familiar with the term, 81 percent have experienced at least one of its symptoms, such as pop-up ads or decreased computer performance.
The more voters learn about spyware, the more it scares them. Without the benefit of a statement describing spyware, two-thirds of voters rated it a serious problem. When fully informed of the nature of spyware, nearly all voters (93%) considered it a serious problem.
Not all software that operates in the background is perceived as harmful by Internet users. For example, 67 percent of Internet users think the benefits of automatic security updates outweigh the possible risks.
More Internet users think small-time con artists and delinquent teenagers are the biggest threats to the safety of the Internet (45%) than enemy nations, organized crime and terrorist organizations (36%).
Only 28 percent of voters think government is placing the right emphasis on protecting our information systems and networks, as opposed to 64 percent who think that government needs to make protecting our information systems a higher priority.
Voters are much more likely to believe that privacy protection should be left to the U.S. Congress (60%) than to state legislatures (35%).
Despite the call for a legislative solution, only 32 percent of voters trust the Congress to do what's right for the Internet. On the other hand, 63 percent trust consumer groups like the Better Business Bureau.

"Voters are looking to government for more leadership and accountability on cyber security issues, and politicians are starting to respond," said Kurtz. "There are currently more than 18 pieces of federal legislation written to address cyber security, ranging from spyware to identity theft, and hundreds of similar bills on the state level. We need to address these key issues at a national level in a thoughtful, measured way."

Improved Newborn Screening Program
Expands Benefits
ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com), June 19, 2005 - Beginning July 1 Missouri's newborn screening program will increase the number of conditions it screens for from five to 27 and will bring the benefits of early intervention to even more Missourians.

In a statement, Governor Matt Blunt said, "This is excellent news for Missouri parents, families and taxpayers. Expanded screening will not only save lives but will also result in significant savings in education, healthcare and long-term disability costs by detecting and treating disorders as early as possible."

Newborn screening makes it possible to detect disorders early enough to treat and prevent severe medical complications which can result in disabilities and, in some cases, infant deaths. About 90 of 75,000 newborns in Missouri are confirmed to have one of the five diseases currently screened each year. As a result of the expansion, an estimated 10 to 15 additional infants each year will be identified and will benefit from early intervention and medical care.

A Congressional study found that for each child detected to have either phenylketonuria (PKU) or congenital hypothyroidism, the annual savings was $93,000. Applying this study's findings to Missouri for the past three years (2002-2004), the projected health care savings for these two conditions alone was almost $9.5 million.

Julie Eckstein, director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, said the expansion announced today propels Missouri to the national forefront in the area of newborn screening. She explained the new screening process will utilize a sensitive technology called tandem mass spectrometry. According to Eckstein, the federal government, the American College of Medical Genetics, the March of Dimes, the American Academy of Pediatrics and other national organizations, as well as the Missouri Genetic Advisory Committee, recommend increased newborn screenings.

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