WEDNESDAY: AMA Reconsiders Endorsement

CHICAGO: Suddenly the American Medical Association has cold feet. After agreeing to allow the Sunbeam Corporation to use the AMA logo on its medical equipment, the organization said today it wants to reconsider the five-year endorsement package. Why? It seems the esteemed group of doctors have not actually tested Sunbeam's wares, which makes the 'stamp of approval' meaningless. Critics maintain the AMA could hurt its credibility by lending its name for cash. TIME science writer Christine Gorman agrees: "It's when the money is changing hands that we start questioning this kind of agreement," she says. Will the AMA back down? The American Heart Association did when its endorsement deal came under fire several years ago. But you could say today's AMA doesn't have that much of a heart.