WASHINGTON, DC — Inside the new May issue of AARP Bulletin: An alarming report on potentially dangerous black market medications flooding the nation’s pharmacies and hospitals. The cover story exposes the secrets and awkward truths that your doctor, waiter, flight attendant, auto mechanic and other professionals aren’t telling you. Other stories include a report on how to handle estate planning for second-marriages; a guide on healthy eating as we age; an article that reveals how the Vet­erans of Foreign Wars of the US (VFW) is now focused on recruiting new members; property deed, tax and credit help hoaxes; and a Q & A with Frank Abagnale.

Black Market Meds Are Flooding the Nation’s Pharmacies and Hospitals: By all accounts, the drug supply in the United States is among the safest and most tightly controlled in the world. But it’s under a growing threat from organized and white-collar criminals pushing stolen, out-of-date, adulterated or fake medications that make their way into pharmacies, nursing homes, hospitals and doctors’ offices. At best, they are suspect because they are sold outside of the regulated supply chains. At worst, they may be medically worthless or even toxic.

Cover Story: Sometimes the people who help get us through life, the so-called experts, don’t tell us everything. Here are the journeyman secrets, awkward truths and indispensable intel straight from the source. Experts include a doctor, auto mechanic, fitness trainer, car salesman, HR professional, nutritionist, plumber, nurse, real estate agent, flight attendant, hairstylist, contractor, financial planner and career coach. For example, the financial planner tells readers that parents should think twice before gifting huge amounts of money to their children; the flight attendant says to use the restroom in the terminal; andthe hairstylist explains that men should allow themselves to go gray as it never looks natural when they color it.

Old Soldiers Win New Recruits: As veteran organizations such as the VFW and American Legion face a crisis of dwindling memberships, a new effort by older veterans to engage more with younger veterans is helping to bring in a new generation of leadership, and bridge divides that have long existed between veterans of different wars.

The Second-Marriage Dilemma: Estate planning can be tricky for couples who have former spouses.Inheritance matters tend to be easy when you’ve been married only once. If you die first, your assets—whatev­er they are—usually go to your spouse. If you have children, you divide the money among them equally. Unequal inheritance sometimes makes sense. But for the sake of future family harmony, equal amounts work best. If you enter into a second marriage, however, the choices get harder—espe­cially if you remarry later in life. How much, if anything, do you want to leave to your new spouse? These decisions can be tough to make, espe­cially if you and your new beloved find that you don’t agree.

Help or Hoax?: Why pay for what typically costs nothing? It’s always a good question, especially with some private companies out there trying to charge you hefty fees for government or financial services that are usually free, especially those involving property deeds, promises to lower property taxes and repair credit. At best, what the companies do is legal but unnecessary. Sometimes they provide little more than you-do-the-leg­work instructions to get documents at government offices and websites. At worst, their letters, phone calls and emails trick you by pretending to have official government affiliation—and for their fees, they do noth­ing but collect personal in­formation for identity theft. Don’t shell out for services you can easily get for free (or for just a few bucks).

What to Eat, When to Eat It: You know that a healthy diet has a balance of nutrients. But when you eat is also important. In fact, the timing of your meals has an impact on every­thing from weight loss to insomnia.The article contains five tips that will help you make the most of your meals.

Frank Abagnale, Fraud Fighter: In an exclusive interview, Frank Abagnale, fraud fighter, The AARP Fraud Watch Network ambassador, whose years as a confidence man were depicted in the film Catch Me If You Can, tells journalist Hugh Delehanty about the latest scams, how to avoid identity theft and how he changed his life.

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About AARP Bulletin
The definitive news source for AARP’s members, AARP Bulletin (http://www.aarp.org/bulletin/) reaches more than 23.5 million households each month in print, with additional news and in-depth coverage online. Covering health and health policy, Medicare, Social Security, consumer protection, personal finance, and AARP state and national news developments, AARP Bulletin delivers the story behind the key issues confronting 50+ America. The monthly consumer-oriented news publication has become a must-read for congressional lawmakers and Washington opinion leaders, and it provides AARP members with pertinent information they need to know.

About AARP
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with a membership of nearly 38 million that helps people turn their goals and dreams into 'Real Possibilities' by changing the way America defines aging. With staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, AARP works to strengthen communities and promote the issues that matter most to families such as healthcare security, financial security and personal fulfillment. AARP also advocates for individuals in the marketplace by selecting products and services of high quality and value to carry the AARP name.  As a trusted source for news and information, AARP produces the world's largest circulation magazine, AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to political campaigns or candidates. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org or follow @aarp and our CEO @JoAnn_Jenkins on Twitter.

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Paola Torres, AARP, 202-434-2555, ptorres@aarp.org