local-reporting

Health experts and government agencies have flagged the potential dangers of dietary supplements, some of which promise energy, weight loss, increased muscle mass or improved sexual performance. Although such products often are promoted as “herbal” or “natural,” they can contain synthetic ingredients and toxic chemicals not listed on their labels.

The 2007-2009 recession hit state and local governments in the United States hard, and nearly every municipality had its own series of fiscal, political and societal constraints to navigate because of rising joblessness and falling revenues.