VERIZON

 

We have been enduring problems with VERIZON that seem endless. 

Poor customer service, refusal to address problems unless a 

COMPLAINT is filed with the

DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS....

IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM, FILE A COMPLAINT....

HERE'S THE LINK: 

https://licensing.reg.state.ma.us/pubLic/oca-support/mg-dtc-complaint-form.asp

 

Skepticism led woman to send dog DNA to Orig3n

By Jeannette Hinkle / Daily News Staff

Posted Oct 23, 2020

Genetic Counselor Katie Stoll was skeptical when she bought an at-home genetics test kit from a company called Orig3n in December 2017.

The kit was advertised to parents looking to better understand their children’s genetic profiles.

“From food allergies to natural abilities for language and learning, the results help you get to know your child even better,” Orig3n said of its “Childhood Development” genetic test kit.

- Related: Orig3n violated rules for years before being approved for COVID-19 testing

Stoll purchased the test kit not to learn more about her child, but to learn more about Orig3n, a Boston-based consumer genetics company that pivoted to COVID-19 testing last spring and is now facing sanctions from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services after the lab produced at least 383 false positive coronavirus test results last summer.

Stoll, working on her own, eventually submitted two samples to Orig3n for analysis. First, she sent the company a swab from her mixed-breed dog, Ginger, then later, a sample of tap water from her kitchen sink. Neither of the samples were identified as nonhuman by Orig3n lab employees.

Stoll is a board-certified genetic counselor who now works as executive director for the Genetic Support Foundation, a nonprofit based in Olympia, Washington, that aims to provide independent information about genetics.

In a 2018 complaint she wrote to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health — spurred by Orig3n’s failure to identify the dog and tap water samples as nonhuman — Stoll said that in ordering the kits, she as a consumer wanted to see if the company was forthright about the potential risks and limitations of the kind of genetic testing it offered. She also wanted to know if the company required a consent form, since the test was for children.

Orig3n CEO Robin Smith said last week that while the type of DNA analysis his company offers is relatively new, it provides one tool among many to help people make decisions about their lives.

But direct-to-consumer genetic testing continues to be viewed with skepticism in the scientific community.

Sarah Nelson is a senior research scientist at the University of Washington specializing in the ethical and social implications of genomics — the study of all of an individual’s genes — and direct-to-consumer genetic testing. The university’s molecular biology and genetics programs were ranked sixth in the world by U.S. News & World Report.

There’s a wide range in the quality and validity of direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies and the products they offer, Nelson said, but overall, the genetics community has reservations about genetic tests billed as being able to advise people about their predisposition to certain traits.

“There’s skepticism that we even understand the genetic basis of diseases and traits well enough to be reporting back to individuals, just the scientific credibility,” she said. “Maybe in 20 years we’ll know enough to give people that type of information, but right now, it’s premature.”

Lindsay Farrer, a medical geneticist and Boston University’s chief of biomedical genetics, said direct-to-consumer genetic testing often misleads customers because the companies use population-level data from studies about genetic links to certain traits or diseases and wrongly apply that data into risk assessments for random individuals.

Usually, the studies used by companies like Orig3n are based on very specific populations, such as older white European women, that don’t always represent the range of people ordering the tests.

“The information they give, even if it’s of limited applicability, the accuracy of it is, at best, modest,” he said. “I guess my conclusion would be buyer beware.”

‘It’s downright chicanery’

Stoll watched Orig3n advertise at sporting events including NFL and NHL games with concern, but it was the company’s online advertisements for its Childhood Development test kits that prompted her to place an order herself.

Stoll thinks consumer genetic test kits like the ones offered by Orig3n also push important ethical boundaries, especially when it comes to children. Children can’t consent to learning information about their DNA that has the potential to shape the rest of their lives, she said, even if their parents can.

Stoll said she didn’t trust Orig3n with her child’s DNA or her own, so instead, she swabbed the cheek of her dog, Ginger. After sending the kit containing Ginger’s DNA to Orig3n, she got a full report back from the company on Jan. 18, 2018, about the dog’s genetic profile, which showed, among other things, that she was likely to have mild struggles with reading.

She said she gave the company a second chance. She ordered another Childhood Development kit, and sent in a sample of tap water from her kitchen sink on March 17, 2018. Again, she got a full report back from Orig3n. According to the report, the tap water would need longer to develop skills required for language learning.

Farrer laughed out loud when he learned that Orig3n had returned profiles for Stoll’s dog and the sample of tap water from her kitchen sink.

“I can’t think of a word to describe it, but it is beyond incompetence,” he said. “If that’s the case, they are not competent to do what they’re doing. If they’re getting DNA out of tap water, then that’s bacterial DNA and that is clearly different from human DNA.”

“If they can’t generate results reliably, then it’s worse than snake oil,” Farrer said. “It’s downright chicanery.”

A lab in transition

The company’s report on Stoll’s sample of tap water was signed by Orig3n’s then-lab director, a board certified geneticist, which deeply disturbed Stoll.

She reached out to the lab director, who told Stoll that she had resigned from the company, and that when the tap water sample was submitted, Orig3n was transitioning to a new director.

The lab director “was not onsite at the laboratory when the test was performed and she had very limited visibility into the testing operations at that time,” Stoll wrote in her complaint letter.

Stoll told the DPH that she was concerned about Orig3n’s ethics, it’s technical proficiency and it’s professional oversight.

“I hope that (the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) will investigate these concerns and act as necessary in the interest of public safety,” Stoll wrote in the complaint, dated Sept. 24, 2018.

In an emailed response to a similar complaint Stoll sent to the federal Food & Drug Administration, Tim Stenzel, writing on behalf of FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, said the agency takes reports like hers seriously.

“We will evaluate this matter to determine what follow-up action is appropriate,” Stenzel wrote. “The type and extent of any follow-up is dependent upon the nature of the problem, the possible impact on the public health, and the availability of our resources.”

A DPH investigation into Orig3n conducted before Stoll filed her complaint found the lab had fixed lab issues that led to the company’s failure to identify dog DNA as nonhuman.

In April 2020, despite three previous investigations by other agencies into quality control problems in Orig3n’s lab, the FDA gave the company emergency authorization to conduct coronavirus testing. In May, the DPH recommended Orig3n as a testing option for nursing homes facing deadly outbreaks.

For Stoll, the eventual finding by regulators that problems at Orig3n’s lab led to the reporting of hundreds of false positive COVID-19 tests showed a dangerous weakness in how governmental agencies are overseeing labs that test human samples, whether those tests are used for diagnostic purposes or personal betterment. False diagnostic test results can pose a danger to patients because doctors make medical decisions based on those results.

That weakness needs to be addressed so Americans can trust the results of their lab tests, especially amid a deadly pandemic, she said.

“I feel discouraged,” Stoll said last week. “What does the system mean when you do things the right way and you file complaints to the right agencies and nothing happens, and then something horrible like this happens? It just feels terrible, really.”

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: GALVIN sounds off on CENSUS — WALSH’S spending surge — The CORONAVIRUS complaint HOTLINE

BY STEPHANIE MURRAY GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. SENATE FACE-OFF COULD BE A MODEL FOR COVID-ERA DEBATES — The debate between Sen. Ed Markey and GOP challenger Kevin O'Connor had just begun on Monday night when an argument over a pandemic-inspired change to the format broke out. Hours before the debate began, the host network GBH announced a new format: Markey and O'Connor would debate in separate studios. The program was the only time Markey and O'Connor plan to debate ahead of the Nov. 3 election. A day before the debate, Markey announced he tested negative for the virus. And moderators Jim Braude and Margery Eagan also took voluntary Covid-19 tests. O'Connor did not directly say whether he had taken a test for the virus or not, instead saying he was adhering to the debate rules, which did not require a coronavirus test. "Our view is the world changed on Friday and we tried to change with it. Our goal was to make things as safe for both of you and us as possible," Braude said. O'Connor took issue with the last-minute switch because public health guidelines hadn't changed, and because the set-up strayed from what the campaigns had agreed to. Markey debated his primary opponent Rep. Joe Kennedy III in the same studio a number of times. "The guidelines we agreed to were carefully agreed to. They were safe, they were sound," O'Connor said. The additional precautions could serve as a model for the upcoming debates between President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden. Days after the first presidential debate, the president became ill with coronavirus, raising questions about whether he was contagious when he shared the stage with Biden last week. Markey and O'Connor debated in separate studios, and the resulting split-screen was at times reminiscent of a heated cable news segment, with some crosstalk and interruptions. But it also kept the candidates at a safe social distance. Vice President Mike Pence and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris sparred on Monday over the format for Wednesday's sole vice presidential debate format, which will include a plexiglass divider. Markey said he believes Biden and Trump should carry on with the rest of their scheduled debates, while an O'Connor spokesperson said he is focused on his own race. If Trump is still ill or otherwise tests positive for the virus, Markey said the pair should find an alternative way to debate. "I think that conditions can be constructed that would make it safe for both of them to debate," Markey said. "If there's another alternative that can be constructed, even if the president does not test negative such as we had tonight, then yes, these debates should go on. Joe Biden wants the debates to go on, I think the American people want the debates to go on." Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com. TODAY — Sen. Ed Markey speaks at a Berkshire Democratic Brigades monthly meeting. Rep. Katherine Clark holds a press conference in Cambridge on the SAVE Federally-Assisted Housing Act. Rep. Ayanna Pressley speaks at a virtual town hall hosted by One Fair Wage. NorthTV hosts a debate between Democratic state Sen. Becca Rausch and Franklin Town Councilor Matt Kelly.   JOIN TODAY - A PLAYBOOK INTERVIEW WITH REP. JAMES CLYBURN & ERIC HOLDER : The way that Americans are voting in this year's presidential election is changing. What ballot access problems are Black and minority voters facing? Join Playbook authors Jake Sherman and Anna Palmer today at 9 a.m. ET for an interview with House Majority Whip James Clyburn and former Attorney General Eric Holder on mail-in voting, the Black Lives Matter movement, and what Democratic priorities should be in the next Congress. REGISTER HERE.     THE LATEST NUMBERS – “Massachusetts reports 465 new COVID cases, 20 coronavirus deaths on Monday,” by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: “Massachusetts health officials reported 465 new coronavirus cases on Monday after seeing several days of daily reports reaching more than 600. There are now 132,905 confirmed COVID cases in Massachusetts.” DATELINE BEACON HILL – “5 charts that tell the story of COVID-19 in Mass.” by Martin Finucane, John Hilliard, Ryan Huddle and Dasia Moore, Boston Globe: “How is the state doing in its battle against the coronavirus? Some experts say it’s time for caution, but Massachusetts is moving ahead with reopening in many cities and towns. These five charts tell the story of a state that, with a lot of sacrifice, crushed the virus earlier this year — and is now seeing the virus creep back again.” – “Local School Officials Criticize Baker's Pandemic Performance,” by Meg Woolhouse, GBH News: “Scituate Superintendent William Burkhead says the South Shore community has pulled off reopening schools this fall in spite of Gov. Charlie Baker, not because of him. By the time the state issued medical guidance metrics for students, Scituate's own Medical Advisory Committee was already at work on the problem.” – “Massachusetts still doesn’t have localized data to verify Census Bureau’s claims of widespread participation, Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin says,” by Steph Solis, MassLive.com: “The U.S. Census Bureau claims 99.8% of Massachusetts residents have been accounted for with nearly one-third of them being reached during door-knocking efforts for the decennial count. Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin says that’s highly unlikely, but federal census officials won’t give him the data to let him check their work.” – “Massachusetts residents burning up the COVID-19 snitch line,” by Joe Dwinell and Erin Tiernan, Boston Herald: “Coronavirus snitch line comments obtained by the Herald run the gamut from callers declaring Gov. Charlie Baker will spend ‘eternity in hell’ for his COVID crackdown to a strip club losing its liquor license after a dancer and patrons were caught maskless. Nobody is spared in the often-anonymous complaints. More than 200,000 calls have been logged in the state’s 211 coronavirus compliance system since the onset of the pandemic in March, according to state records.” – “Middlesex DA, inspector general clash over drug lab scandal,” by Maggie Mulvihill, Boston Globe: “A $6.2 million probe of the state drug lab scandal has sparked a heated dispute between the Middlesex district attorney’s office and the state inspector general, who have recently exchanged letters disputing whether the investigation was sufficient to fully account for the conduct of disgraced chemist Sonja Farak.” WHAT CITY HALL IS READING – “Walsh’s campaign finance report shows a spending surge. Is he gearing up for a reelection fight?” by Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: “Mayor Martin J. Walsh, who hasn’t said if he’s running for reelection next year, increased his campaign spending last month, including doling out more than $50,000 for consultants, new campaign finance data show. He continues to have significantly more cash in the bank than City Councilors Andrea Campbell and Michelle Wu, who have announced they are running for mayor in 2021.” – “Here’s what Michelle Wu said about Andrea Campbell entering the 2021 mayoral race,” by Christopher Gavin, Boston.com: “City councilors Michelle Wu and Andrea Campbell are both vying for Mayor Marty Walsh’s job as Boston’s 2021 municipal elections shape up. The councilors have some similar stances when it comes to the Walsh administration, as both have criticized the mayor for how he has approached racial equity and have offered their first-hand experience on what it’s like to face racial injustices and disparities as a strength for their respective candidacies.” – “Campbell says Boston is primed for change,” by Sarah Betancourt, CommonWealth Magazine: “For Andrea Campbell, action is what distinguishes her platform and ideas from Mayor Marty Walsh. Campbell, a black District 4 city councilor, announced her run for the city’s top office on September 24. The 38-year-old Mattapan resident believes that the country and city are ‘in a unique moment’ where people are seeking more than just a dialogue about race and systemic inequities.” FROM THE HUB – “Hundreds protest flu vaccine mandate for Massachusetts schoolchildren outside Boston federal court,” by Steph Solis, MassLive.com: “Hundreds packed the yard behind the Boston federal courthouse Monday afternoon protesting the flu vaccine mandate as the organizer, who challenged the Baker administration’s the mask mandate, awaits a decision on his lawsuit from a federal judge.” – “Progressive prosecutors aim to change the criminal justice system from the inside,” by Candace Smith, Jake Lefferman and Allie Yang, ABC News: “Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins in Boston is part of that wave. She and Gardner each refer to themselves and their Black women counterparts as ‘sisters’ in the fight. Rollins said she was ‘really tired’ of hearing what seemed like unending news about deadly confrontations between police officers and ‘overwhelmingly, Black males.’” – “137 Essex County Prisoners Test Positive For COVID-19,” by Deborah Becker, WBUR: “Essex County Sheriff officials confirmed 137 prisoners at the Middleton Jail and House and Correction have tested positive for the coronavirus, in widespread testing done over the weekend involving 889 prisoners. In a statement released Monday evening, Essex Sheriff Kevin Coppinger said 31 staff and vendors at the Middleton jail also tested positive.” – “Some parents around Mass. want kids to return to in-person learning full time. Here’s why.” by Dialynn Dwyer, Boston.com: “It’s only been a few weeks since Beth Humberd’s son started third grade, and already, she’s concerned by the impact of the remote learning on his development and engagement with his education. After just a week of the hybrid instruction, which splits his week into two in-person days and three remote in Andover Public Schools, she told Boston.com she could see her 9-year-old, usually a good student who likes school, growing apathetic about learning.” PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES – “Cash-strapped MBTA could be hit hard by service cuts,” by Adam Vaccaro, Boston Globe: “Facing a financial crisis, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority officials are planning wide-ranging service cuts that could reach $255 million and impact the entire transit system, a prospect that public transportation advocates say could be devastating. MBTA officials have warned for weeks that they are preparing major spending cuts, but new details presented to the agency’s governing board on Monday indicate the agency could cut service on all modes of transportation.” – “Expect delays in delivery of new Red, Orange Line cars,” by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: “MBTA officials said on Monday that the delivery of 404 new Red and Orange Line vehicles will be delayed by at least a year, and they plan to invoke a penalty clause against the Chinese manufacturer of $500 per day per vehicle.” – “Police halted traffic on I-93 to make way for New England Patriots escort,” by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: “The New England Patriots had a flight to catch Monday morning — and it came at the expense of some local commuters. After their game against the Kansas City Chiefs was postponed until Monday night following the news of quarterback Cam Newton’s positive COVID-19 test over the weekend, the Patriots had to wait for the results of additional team-wide tests Monday morning before flying out to Kansas City.” YOU'VE GOT MAIL – “More than 1.6 million Massachusetts voters applied for mail-in ballots in presidential election, Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin says,” by Steph Solis, MassLive.com: “More than 1.6 million voters in Massachusetts applied to vote by mail in the Nov. 3 election, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth Bill Galvin said Monday. At least 200,000 of those ballots have already gone out 29 days before the presidential election, he said. Local election clerks should expect to get the ballots by Monday so they can send them out to voters, though legally the state has until Friday to get them to the clerks.” THE SENATE SHOWDOWN – “Markey and GOP challenger face off in televised debate,” by Victoria McGrane, Boston Globe: “Senator Edward J. Markey and his Republican challenger, attorney Kevin O’Connor, faced off in their only debate of the general election Monday night, each accusing the other of being a partisan extremist as they tangled over mask-wearing, health care, environmental policy, and President Trump’s pending nominee to the US Supreme Court. It was a weird and winding televised debate, with the candidates speaking from separate studios.” – “Ed Markey and Kevin O’Connor clash over coronavirus, Supreme Court in sole Senate debate,” by Lisa Kashisnky, Boston Herald: “U.S. Sen. Edward Markey and Republican challenger Kevin O’Connor clashed over everything from the coronavirus crisis, to the Supreme Court, to health care in a fiery debate that laid bare their stark ideological differences just as voting gets underway.” DAY IN COURT – “Asylum-Seekers Argue To Stay In Mass.; Trump Administration Wants Them To Wait In Mexico,” by Shannon Dooling, WBUR: “The Trump administration is asking the First Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday to send three women and two children, all asylum-seekers currently living in Massachusetts, back to Mexico while their asylum applications are processed.” – “Medical parole for prisoners doesn’t mean immediate release,” by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: “The Supreme Judicial Court heard arguments Monday in the cases of Vinnie and another inmate, Robert Malloy, which shed light on the difficulties facing inmates – and jail officials working to place them –– even after inmates are paroled under the state’s new medical parole law.” – “Lawyers Allege Prisoner Mistreatment Continues At Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center,” by Deborah Becker, WBUR: “The fallout continues over the violence that erupted at Massachusetts' maximum security prison almost nine months ago. After a weeks-long lockdown, a lawsuit and lawmaker visits to the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center, some say prisoners are still being mistreated and prison officials have retaliated against those who've complained.” – “1st federal trial since pandemic kicks off in Springfield; masks and plexiglass abound,” by Stephanie Barry, Springfield Republican: “Although the tenets of the criminal justice system remain the same, the first trial in U.S. District Court since the coronavirus pandemic began looked like an alternate universe. The primary witness area is surrounded by layers of thick plastic and resembles a National Hockey League penalty box. Jurors are spread beyond the jury box into the courtroom to maintain social distancing.” TRUMPACHUSETTS – “How Will Boston Cope if Trump Wins…Again?” by Jonathan Soroff, Boston Magazine: “So what if he wins again? How will snowflakes like me fend off a complete meltdown? And how will Boston—a bastion of progressive blue—withstand it? I’ll revert to Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’s five stages of grief to trace the past four years, and, with some insight from a few experts, offer some prognostications about what a second Trump term might look like here at home.” THE CLARK CAUCUS – “Democrat congresswoman knocks McConnell over airline furloughs amid coronavirus-relief negotiations,” by Michael Ruiz, Fox Business: “Democratic Massachusetts Rep. Katherine Clark knocked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for not taking up a House coronavirus-relief bill after she said she had an emotional encounter with a flight attendant about to be furloughed. ‘On my flight home from DC, the flight attendant got on the loudspeaker and announced it was her last flight,’ Clark wrote on Facebook Saturday.” ABOVE THE FOLD — Herald: “BURNING UP THE SNITCH LINE,” — Globe: “Trump stages dramatic return.” FROM THE 413 – “UMass COVID cases rising steadily,” by Jacquelyn Voghel and Scott Merzbach, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “COVID-19 cases at the University of Massachusetts continued to climb over the weekend, with the university reporting 23 more over the weekend. That brings to 121 the number of those connected with UMass who have tested positive since Aug. 6. Slightly more than 100 of these cases have been reported since Sept. 25, when the university announced that a cluster of 13 students had tested positive, bringing the cumulative total at UMass to 33 at the time.” THE LOCAL ANGLE – “City helps residents pay rent to avoid evictions,” by Mike LaBella, Eagle-Tribune: “Two dozen Haverhill families and residents at risk of being evicted from their homes have received money to help pay their rent and utility bills, city officials said. The officials said more residents can get help as the pandemic continues to cause financial problems to the public. The city has used a new program administered by Community Development Department to give almost $50,000 to the two dozen struggling families and individuals.” – “14-year incumbent faces challenger in Plymouth County treasurer race,” by Wheeler Cowperthwaite, The Patriot Ledger: “Democrat Thomas O’Brien, who has held the treasurer position since 2006, is facing a Republican challenger in the general election. One incumbent Democrat and one challenging Republican are running in this year’s election for treasurer of Plymouth County, a position that rarely grabs headlines but manages vast sums of money as part of its duties.” – “COVID-19 spikes in Framingham. Health dept. drops warnings for parties, goes straight to fines. Schools scale back return to in-person learning.” by Jeannette Hinkle, MetroWest Daily News: “Framingham announced a major spike in coronavirus cases on Monday. An additional 44 residents tested positive for COVID-19 since Oct. 2, bringing the city’s active case count to 145, the highest number of active cases in Framingham since late August. … To crack down on get-togethers leading to new cases in the high-risk community, Framingham will no longer issue warning letters to hosts of illegal gatherings before levying fines. Now, one illegal gathering will earn party hosts a $500 fine.” TRANSITIONS – Patricia DiOrio joins Ørsted as the company’s new head of project development. DiOrio is based in Boston and will sit on the company’s North American leadership team. – Alex Bradley is joining the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office, and previously served as press secretary in Attorney General Maura Healey’s office. Tweet. HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to Tara DiJulio, senior director of global corporate comms at GE; and to former Becky Grossman for Congress political director Jonny Levenfeld and finance director Gian DeFilippis, who are 24. Want to make an impact? POLITICO Massachusetts has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Bay State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness among this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com.   DON'T MISS A THING AT THE MILKEN INSTITUTE GLOBAL CONFERENCE : POLITICO's Ryan Heath and Ben White are teaming up to bring you exclusive coverage of the 23rd annual Milken Institute Global Conference featuring 4,000+ participants and 500 speakers from more than 70 countries. 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