The American public handed over 371 tons of prescription drugs to the government this past weekend.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) collected the unused, expired and unwanted pharmaceuticals, equaling about nine tractor-trailer trucks, from more than 5,800 nationwide locations as part of its sixth scheduled National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.

Saturday's haul collected 50 percent more pills than the previous event, which the agency pointed to as a sign of support for the program.

The total would have been higher had sequester-imposed spending cuts not shaved off more than $30 million, officials said.

A new government report identifies myriad factors for the disappearance of honeybees, a previously mystifying phenomenon that has baffled scientists since 2006.

The report, jointly released on Thursday by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), blames "a complex set" of environmental stresses that have caused a dramatic decline among bee colonies, a symptom dubbed colony collapse disorder.

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The study contradicts a White House report crediting administration rules since 2002 with $800 billion in benefits above costs.

A handful of advisory groups will meet in upcoming weeks, and are announcing those meetings in Friday's Federal Register. Here's what to expect:

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, an independent government agency, is holding a meeting on May 8 to consider a wellness program. 

Friday's Federal Register will feature rules and proposals on a wide variety of issues, from Medicaid and Medicare to a grant program that brings broadband access to rural communities. Here are the new and proposed regulations:

Healthcare:
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is proposing payment rates for skilled nursing facilities for fiscal 2014.

As investigators sift through the rubble at West Fertilizer, safety advocates and the agriculture industry appear headed for a showdown over the regulation of chemicals linked to this month’s deadly explosion in Texas, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Only days after the blast, fertilizer industry officials told The Hill they were worried about a potential regulatory overreaction, and a key lawmaker signaled this week that a congressional probe could lead to more stringent restrictions, according to RegWatch.

The Obama administration is moving to appeal a court ruling allowing the “morning-after pill” to be sold to women and girls of all ages, following the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of the drug this week for females 15 and above, The New York Times reports.

New rules designed to let Americans keep their health histories private face administrative and technological challenges, as the electronic sharing of medical records is set to explode in the coming years, according to the Journal.

The Federal Reserve raised the possibility of increasing its bond-buying program, an economic stimulus measure that was expected to be dialed back as the national recovery takes hold, The Washington Post reports. 

More than 1.8 million people have signed on to a petition pressing the Obama administration keep genetically modified salmon out of grocery stores and restaurants, opponents of the so-called "Frankenfish" announced Wednesday.

A rule that would expand animal welfare regulations to online puppy mills is heading to the White House for final review. 

The regulation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is expected to close a loophole that has prevented oversight to stores that sell pets online and via phone, which animal advocates claim can be puppy mills in disguise. Under the rule, those stores would need to get a license from the USDA and would have to meet federal animal health and safety standards. 

Currently, all pet stores are exempt from licensing and regulations of the Animal Welfare Act, which sets minimum standards for commercial animal treatment. The law, first passed in 1966 and updated several times since, ensures pets are given adequate housing, veterinary care, food and water.

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