The gunman who killed two of his co-workers and critically injured two others inside a California office building was identified Saturday as Andre Turner.
Turner, an employee of Southern California Edison in Irwindale, Calif., died of a self-inflicted gunshot, according to Irwindale Police chief Dennis Smith.
Although he was known to have been at work Friday morning, it was unclear whether he left and returned later with the weapon.
Armed with a semiautomatic handgun, Turner started firing at 1:30pm local time Friday and was "very deliberate about who he shot," according to an employee cited by the Los Angeles Times
"He did not like management," the employee said, adding that Turner "told [some] people to leave." Others barricaded themselves inside their offices and conference rooms, the newspaper reported.
The two fatally-shot workers, one of whom died at the scene and the other while on the way to the hospital, were identified as 53-year-old Robert Lindsay and 56-year-old Henry Serrano. Another man and a Hispanic woman, who were not named, remained in critical condition, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office officials said.
The facility comprises the three-story building where the shooting took place as well as a separate two-story building and has about 1,100 employees, mostly IT specialists.
The utility company was providing grief counseling for its employees and their relatives and establishing a fund for the people impacted by the shooting.
"This is one of the most horrible days in our company's history," Edison International chairman Ted Craver said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the employees."
The gunman is also believed to have killed himself, according to KTLA, who note that witnesses say they recognize the shooter as a former employee.
Two area schools were put on lockdown following the shooting.
Though SCE has offices at this location, this is not their corporate headquarters.
People inside the building have told the media they thought five or six people were shot. "Irwindale Police Chief Dennis Smith said three people were shot -- two males and a female -- and he had been told the gunman killed himself," according to City News Service.
SCE released a statement that read: "Southern California Edison confirms that there has been a shooting at our Rivergrade facility at 4900 Rivergrade Road in Irwindale. Police are on the scene and the building is on lockdown. SCE will provide more information as it becomes available.''
Three people, including the gunman, were killed and two injured in this afternoon's shooting at Edison, according to the Los Angeles Times. An anonymous source told the paper that the gunman was a systems analyst at the company. His name still hasn't been released. Some of the victims were supervisors.
Employees barricaded themselves in their offices so that the gunman couldn't get in.
CBS Los Angeles has a text exchange between a woman who worked at Edison and her husband, while she was inside the building. Spoiler alert: she's okay.
A source told the Times that the gunman was selective about who he shot: management. He told some people in the building to leave and targeted others. “It was a common area and he told people to leave and he was very deliberate about who he shot,” the employee said. “He did not like management.”
PONTIAC, Ill. — A neighbor said Saturday she saw an Illinois woman shoot at her 10-month-old baby before apparently killing herself.
Authorities have said five people, including two children and a baby, were killed in a murder-suicide, but they haven’t identified the shooter. The bodies were found Friday in Emington, a small farming community about 80 miles southwest of Chicago.
Neighbor Annelise Fiedler told The Associated Press that she heard a round of shots Friday afternoon and ran outside to her backyard.
She saw 30-year-old Sara McMeen in the next yard over hovering over her baby as if she’d dropped her. Fiedler asked McMeen if everything was alright, and “she looked at me and said, ‘No, everything is not alright.”
McMeen fired a shot at the infant, “and then I just ran,” said Fiedler, a town trustee. Fiedler said she didn’t see or hear what happened after that, and she didn’t see any of the other victims.
Along with McMeen, Livingston County coroner Michael Burke identified them as 29-year-old Daniel Warren, 8-year-old Skyler Lemke, 7-year-old Ian Lemke and 10-month-old Maggie Warren.
Livingston County Sheriff Martin Meredith said all the children belonged to McMeen, and he described Daniel Warren as her live-in boyfriend.
While not specifically saying the gunman was among the dead, Livingston County Sheriff Martin Meredith said the community was "safe from any harm" and authorities "are not looking for anyone in this crime."
County board member Bob Young, who lives in Emington, said the dead included a man, a woman, an infant, a first-grader and a fourth-grader. The family that lived in the house had moved to the town of about 100 people about 80 miles southwest of Chicago within the last six months, and the two older children attended school in nearby Saunemin.
Meredith said first responders found the bodies after Livingston County dispatchers received a call Friday afternoon. They were not immediately identified.
Livingston County authorities and Illinois State Police crime scene technicians were still working the scene late Friday, Meredith said.
Ronald Groetsema lives near the home where the family was found and said he heard six to eight gunshots, then heard a second round of four to six shots a few minutes later. Groetsema's 12-year-old son got off the school bus with the children who died, he said.
"They were happy because it was the last day of school before Christmas break," Groetsema said.
Young said he did not know the family well.
"We've seen the kids playing at the playground and talk to them," Young said. "We thought everything was fine.
When I took office, nearly 150,000 American troops were deployed in Iraq, and I pledged to end this war, responsibly. Today, only several thousand troops remain there, and more are coming home every day.
This is a season of homecomings, and military families across America are being reunited for the holidays. In the coming days, the last American soldiers will cross the border out of Iraq, with honor and with their heads held high. After nearly nine years, our war in Iraq ends this month.
Today, I’m proud to welcome Prime Minister Maliki -- the elected leader of a sovereign, self-reliant and democratic Iraq. We're here to mark the end of this war; to honor the sacrifices of all those who made this day possible; and to turn the page -- begin a new chapter in the history between our countries -- a normal relationship between sovereign nations, an equal partnership based on mutual interests and mutual respect.
Iraq faces great challenges, but today reflects the impressive progress that Iraqis have made. Millions have cast their ballots -- some risking or giving their lives -- to vote in free elections. The Prime Minister leads Iraq’s most inclusive government yet. Iraqis are working to build institutions that are efficient and independent and transparent.
With units still in Kuwait and Afghanistan, Odom said the work is not done, but the efforts in Iraq have helped bring some peace to Iraqis since the beginning of the war and the search for weapons of mass destruction in 2003.
“It’s too unstable of a situation right now to pull everyone out,” he said about units in Afghanistan, where the battalion is expected to deploy in August 2012.
U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands, has shown his support for the military and the battalion in the past, sharing in the return in October and commenting from Washington about the war’s end in Iraq.
“It’s time. Iraq is no longer a safe haven for terrorist training, planning or transit,” Brady stated in an email to The Courier. “In my view our American fighting forces have been magnificent, and have done everything possible to help the Iraqi government and security forces stand up on their own. Plus I don’t want our troops deployed anywhere where they fight with one hand tied behind their back, and that’s the case now in Iraq.”
Despite the safety of troops returning by Dec. 31, Kinney said she knows the happiness she holds in her heart is immense with her husband safe at home, but she struggles with her joy knowing that many more troops have yet to return.
“It’s hard having a joyful perspective, not knowing if the war’s truly over because not all of our troops are home yet,” she said. “Being from a military family, until all of the troops are home it’s hard to rejoice.”
While some Americans see the end of war in Iraq as leaving a job unfinished or unsuccessful, Odom said that leaving was similar to walking away from a job partially finished but reflected on the positive results of protecting civilians from terrorists and helping them establish a better place than before American troops arrived.
“Is there still work to be done? Absolutely, but hopefully the Iraqi police and military take it over and maintain stability,” Odom said.
TACOMA, Wash. -- Soldiers home for the holidays reflected Thursday on the official end of the Iraq war while attending a special holiday dinner catered by a Tacoma car dealership.
South Tacoma Auto hosted more than 300 military members and their families, serving them a big holiday meal for the second year in a row.
For Staff Sgt. Danny Bohman, who joined the military in 1987, it was great to spend the holidays with his wife and three kids.
Bohman fought in the first Gulf War in 1991, then returned to the region 12 years later after the Iraq War started. Back in 1991, it would have been hard to believe U.S. troops would still be in Iraq 20 years later. He thinks leaving is a step in the right direction.
"We've done all that we can accomplish for the most part," Bohman said. "Granted, I'm sure there's always more that can be done."
Just a few tables away, 20-year-old Pfc. Ruben Espinosa also enjoys a holiday meal with his wife. This is his first Christmas away from family in Florida.
Espinosa was born in 1991, the year of the first Gulf War. He just finished his training and will experience his first deployment next year. Odds are good he will never be deployed to Iraq.
For Staff Sgt. Danny Bohman, who joined the military in 1987, it was great to spend the holidays with his wife and three kids.
Bohman fought in the first Gulf War in 1991, then returned to the region 12 years later after the Iraq War started. Back in 1991, it would have been hard to believe U.S. troops would still be in Iraq 20 years later. He thinks leaving is a step in the right direction.
"We've done all that we can accomplish for the most part," Bohman said. "Granted, I'm sure there's always more that can be done."
Just a few tables away, 20-year-old Pfc. Ruben Espinosa also enjoys a holiday meal with his wife. This is his first Christmas away from family in Florida.
Espinosa was born in 1991, the year of the first Gulf War. He just finished his training and will experience his first deployment next year. Odds are good he will never be deployed to Iraq.
"I'm glad that it happened," Espinosa said, referring to the troop withdrawal. "It's about time."
It's impossible to say where the U.S. military will be deployed to 20 years from now. For now, these military families are simply glad to be spending the holidays together.
Dozens of Occupy Olympia demonstrators and 30 to 40 tents remained at Heritage Park shortly after midnight, violating state officials' deadline for the park to be vacated by 12:01 a.m. today. Loud music was playing, and there was no police or State Patrol presence.
Enterprise Services director Joyce Turner signed an order Thursday morning asking campers to remove tents, shelters, structures and other personal effects. Items that are left will be seized, and campers will have 15 days to pick them up, the order states. It wasn't clear early this morning when the items will be seized.
The move came more than a month after campers were asked Nov. 11 to leave voluntarily.
Public-safety and sanitary concerns are driving the state to act now, General Administration spokesman Steve Valandra said. He cited more incidents of drug use, confrontations and police responses. People have been urinating and defecating on the park, and there are needles strewn about, Valandra said.
What originally started out as a free-speech activity has turned into something else, he said.
It is a coincidence that campers were asked to leave after the special legislative session ended, he said.
He couldnt say exactly what will happen, or when, if the campers dont leave by the deadline. But he added later that therell be some leeway to the 12:01 deadline, and a staffer indicated there might be nothing left to remove.
People are packing stuff up and moving on, he said.
Demonstrators said in a statement that they planned to meet two hours before the deadline for camp defense and witness.
Occupy Olympia did not create the problems faced at camp, it said. These are the same problems faced in communities around the country.
About 60 tents remained at the camp Thursday afternoon, but that number dwindled as the day wore on. Camper Jc Romero vowed to stay.
Gundermann said troopers gave occupants plenty of time to leave the camp, and were not met with resistance although they had been prepared to make arrests.
"If that's how they wanted to make their statement, be arrested, we would have done that," he said. "But fortunately it didn't come to that. Everybody went peacefully and it worked out well."
Dozens of troopers swept through the park, removing tents and erecting a temporary fence to keep protestors from returning.
Some protestors, however, tried to move across the street into a vacant building. Olympia police moved in momentarily, but eventually protestors left that location peacefully as well.
Spokeswoman Elinor Paulus says she expects a couple of dozen people who remain in the park they have occupied since mid-October to be evicted. The state Department of Enterprise Services posted eviction notices at the camp Thursday, citing concerns with drug use and graffiti.
Paulus says about three dozen people moved into the two-story building that once service as housing authority offices but was bought by a developer who had planned a high-rise condo tower.
She says it's tentatively named in memory of the Olympia activist killed in 2003 by an Israeli bulldozer in Gaza.
This Congress needs to do its job and stop the tax hike thats scheduled to affect 160 million Americans in 18 days. This is not a time for Washington Republicans to score political points against the President. It is not a time to refight old ideological battles. And its not a time to break last summers bipartisan agreement and hurt the middle class by cutting things like education, clean energy, and veterans programs without asking the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share.
This is a time to help the middle class and all those trying to reach it by extending a tax cut worth $1,000 for the average family. The President has been very clear: Congress should not finish their business before finishing the business of the American people. They cannot go on vacation before agreeing to prevent a tax hike on 160 million Americans and extending unemployment insurance. That is simply inexcusable in this economy.
It should be a formality, and hopefully it's done with as little drama as possible when they get back in January."
The Senate had earlier overwhelmingly approved the tax break in a rare Saturday session. The final deal includes a provision the White House had opposed that speeds up a decision on the controversial Keystone XL pipeline.
But Obama said it was critical that families not see an increase in taxes on Jan. 1, and said the continued break would boost the economy.
Democrats had sought a surtax on millionaires to pay for a full-year extension, while Republicans wanted steep budget cuts. The short-term deal is funded by new fees on home loans from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Obama said that in the new year he'd renew a call for the "wealthiest few Americans to pay their fair share, and corporations to do without special taxpayer subsidies," saying that view was supported by most of the country.
The House is expected to finalize the deal on Monday, and Obama would likely quickly sign it. He has delayed his annual holiday visit to Hawaii until the deal is approved.
At 40, he is nearly half the age of his main rival Etienne Tshisekedi, who took 32% of the vote mainly in the west of country.
President Kabila enjoys most of his support in the east, where he was born in a rebel camp in the mountain forests where his father was leading the struggle against former strongman Mobutu Sese Seko.
He was a low-profile military commander when his father Laurent-Desire Kabila was assassinated in 2001, and was handpicked by the presidential inner circle to lead DR Congo as it was being torn apart by half a dozen warring armies.
Many opposition activists accused him, without proof, of being a national of neighbouring Rwanda, which had twice invaded its much larger neighbour.
Mr Kabila spent his childhood in Tanzania and spoke better kiSwahili and English than the languages most spoken in Kinshasa - French and Lingala, which he had to learn on the job.
Winning DR Congo's first democratic elections in more than 40 years at the tender age of 35 gave him the legitimacy to stamp his authority on the country and move out of his father's shadow.
The spectre of a calamitous standoff looms, with two people declaring they are president, a recipe for unmitigated disaster. This time round, the blame for this new episode in Congo’s continuing sitcom, must rest squarely on the shoulders of Kabila and his shadowy handlers, whoever they are.
Not that there should have been too much optimism accompanying the arrival in power of Kabila Junior, after the mysterious assassination of his father, who had been himself installed in power by foreign troops. There was always bound to be some scepticism as to the real mettle of the man and what he could do to keep his continent of a country together and at peace.
But the world loves youth, and this particular young man was given the benefit of the doubt by many as he was considered a lungful of fresh air after the gloomy passage of Kabila Senior. It looks as if that early goodwill has been all but expended, and once again Congo’s rulers have gone back to being Congo’s rulers, or maybe they never ceased being.
One would have thought there were enough historical reference points to warn Kabila and his people of the dangers of sliding back into the past, not least in the presence of Etienne Tchisekedi, the other declared president, who has been part of the tragic cast since Patrice Lumumba’s betrayal and murder in 1960.
Democratic Republic of Congo's top court Friday upheld President Joseph Kabila's re-election in last month's vote whose results are contested by his main rival, foreign monitors and rights groups.
Supreme court vice-president Jerome Kitoko formally declared that Kabila had won 48.95 percent of the vote against 32.33 percent for veteran opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi at the polling stations on November 28..
The court proclaims the election by a simple majority of Mr Joseph Kabila as president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kitoko said.
The decision confirmed the results declared on December 9 by the independent national election commission.
The rival candidates had a chance to challenge the results in the Supreme Court but few did so, amid wide concerns over the court's independence after Kabila expanded it from seven to 27 members before the election.
Kabila himself has admitted the election was flawed, but insists the result remains valid.
The European Union, the non-profit Carter Center set up by former U.S. president Jimmy Carter and other election monitors have voiced serious concern about the credibility of the polls, citing problems in the vote count and the loss of huge numbers of ballots.
The United States said that the elections were seriously flawed, even if it is unclear whether the irregularities changed the outcome.
Congo's election commission last Friday declared Kabila winner of the vote, which observers said lacked credibility and was marred by irregularities and violence.
The European Union and the United States have separately said the vote was flawed while French Prime Minister Alain Juppe said the situation in Congo was explosive, urging political leaders to seek a solution to the crisis.
Many hoped that Congo's second post-war election would set the vast mineral-rich Central African nation on the path to recovery and further investments in its resources, but the disputed election risks plunging it into a prolonged crisis.
Congo's opposition immediately said they "totally rejected" the ruling.
"The Supreme Court is just an instrument of Kabila, just like the electoral commission," said Alexis Mutanda, head of veteran opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi's election campaign.
Tshisekedi, who came second, has called the election results "a provocation" and said he considers himself Congo's president.
"The party is going to decide what to do, we just think its a masquerade," Mutanda said by phone.
He said the Congolese people were waiting for Tshisekedi to call for protests but could take matters into their own hands.
"He does not have to give the order, the people can take charge on their own," he said.
Kabila has brushed off criticism of the vote while the head of the election commission has said any irregularities during the poll were not enough to have changed the outcome.
Hastily installed as president in 2001 when his father Laurent was assassinated at the height of Congo's 1998-2003 civil war, Kabila went on to win election in a disputed vote in 2006.
He remains a divisive figure among the 70 million Congolese, hailed by some for unifying the vast country after a ruinous war but criticized by others for failing to tackle poverty and graft.
Norbert Mitumba Kilombo, Kabila's representative at the court, said after the judge's decision it was a happy day for Kabila and the country.
In what is turning out to be one of the best months ever for black-hole fanbois, a team of Dutch, Italian, and US space boffins has detected the "heartbeat" of what appears to be teensiest, weensiest black hole ever discovered.
"Just as the heart rate of a mouse is faster than an elephant's, the heartbeat signals from these black holes scale according to their masses," said University of Amsterdam's Diego Altamirano, referring to the newly discovered IGR J17091-3624 and a similar object, GRS 1915+105.
While GRS 1915+105 is a black-hole pipsqueak with a mass only 14 times that of our sun, IGR J17091-3624 is tinier still, estimated to be a mere three times as massive as Ol' Sol, a size that is close to the theoretical "mass boundary" at which the formation of a black hole becomes possible.
Compare those anorexic celestial bodies to the supermassive black hole discovered early this month, which is 10 billion times as massive as our li'l sun. Or, for that matter, to the two other black holes that turned up this month, one busily slurping a gas cloud and another being born.
An international team of astronomers utilizing NASA’s Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer (RXTE), believe that they’ve identified a candidate for the smallest known black hole. Using the RXTE, which detects X-rays coming from cosmic sources, the astronomers were able to identify a specific X-ray pattern – nicknamed a “heartbeat” – that indicates that a black hole is present in a binary system with the ordinary star. The “heartbeat” pattern is caused by the regular cycles of matter accumulated into the black hole from its neighboring star.
As the stellar matter (mostly gas) circles the event horizon of the black hole, its heated up to temperatures of millions of degrees, a process which causes X-rays to be emitted. The explusion of X-rays then temporarily pushes the gas away from the black hole, which is what causes the cyclical heartbeat-type pattern.
If the astronomers’ calculations are correct, this black hole is located about 16,000 to 56,000 light years away from Earth (a more precise distance hasn’t yet been determined). The black hole itself is only about three times the mass of the Sun, which means that the original star was just barely big enough to form a black hole. Our Sun, by contrast, lacks sufficient mass to form a black hole at the end of its life-cycle.
The astronomers plan to use this new data in conjunction with a similar X-ray pattern from another small black hole. As they continue to use that data and new data from the RXTE, they hope to learn more about smaller black holes and confirm that this X-ray heartbeat is really the sign of one.
Executives have met at Morton's steakhouses for more than three decades, talking shop and making deals. Now the storied Chicago chain is making a deal of its own, selling itself to Texas restaurateur and Landry's Inc. Chief Executive Tilman Fertitta.
Fertitta's acquisition of Morton's Restaurant Group Inc., announced Friday, values the high-end steakhouse chain at about $116.6 million. Houston-based Fertitta is offering $6.90 per share in cash for Morton's, a 33.7 percent premium over the company's Thursday closing price of $5.16. The deal is expected to close in early February 2012.
On Friday, shares of Morton's soared nearly 33 percent to close at $6.85.
Morton's had said in March it was considering a sale of the company and had the blessing of Castle Harlan Inc. and Laurel Crown Partners LLC, its largest shareholders. Fertitta already owns 5 percent of Morton's. The industry veteran, whose holdings at Landry's include Rainforest Cafe and Claim Jumper, described himself as a longtime admirer of the Chicago steakhouse.
"Morton's is the largest, most iconic high-end restaurant chain in America and I've always thought a lot of it," Fertitta told the Tribune in an interview. "They have excellent food and great service."
Morton's has 77 steakhouses in 64 cities worldwide; it also operates Trevi, an Italian restaurant at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. While the recession caused revenues to fall almost 15 percent to $281.1 million in 2009, the company rebounded last year with the help of an expanded bar menu offering lower-price items. When Morton's reported third-quarter earnings in October, it projected full-year 2011 revenues of $321 million to $323 million.
Fertitta said he plans to retain much of Morton's management, which he praised for having "grown the company in tough times over the last couple of years."
In a statement, Morton's Chief Executive Christopher Artinian said "Tilman has an outstanding portfolio of restaurants. He really understands the value of the Morton's brand and our people, and is well-positioned to further enhance our reputation as the world's best steakhouse.
The price represents a 34 percent premium over Morton's Thursday closing stock price of $5.16. The deal price is based on the company's 16.9 million outstanding shares.
Morton's shares rose $1.64, or 32 percent, to $6.80 in morning trading.
Fertitta already owns about 5 percent of Morton's stock, making him the company's fourth-largest shareholder, according to FactSet. He will finance the deal with cash and debt.
Morton's said earlier this year that it was considering a sale of the company. The company's board has approved Fertitta's offer. Morton's said its largest stockholder, Castle Harlan, has agreed to tender its shares. The investment firm owns about 28 percent of the steakhouse chain.
Morton's owns 77 of its namesake steakhouses in the U.S., China, Mexico, Canada and Singapore. It also operates the Italian restaurant Trevi in Las Vegas.
Fertitta said that Morton's is one of the most recognizable and successful steakhouse brands in the world, and he plans to refresh and modernize the restaurants.
The sale is expected to close in early February.
Landry's also owns the Golden Nugget Hotel & Casinos in Nevada and Atlantic City, N.J., along with hotels and aquariums in Denver and Houston. Landry's said it expects about $2 billion in revenue in 2011.
FDA has granted "Humanitarian Device Exemption" (HDE) approval of the Berlin Heart EXCOR(R) Pediatric Ventricular Assist Device (VAD).
The Berlin Heart EXCOR(R) Pediatric VAD is a mechanical cardiac support system for critically ill pediatric patients suffering from severe heart failure. The system is designed to support pediatric patients of all age groups, from newborns to teenagers, and is intended to bridge patients awaiting heart transplantation from days up to several months, until a donor heart becomes available. The Berlin Heart EXCOR(R) Pediatric VAD, which has previously been approved for use in Europe and Canada, is now the only Ventricular Assist Device that is designed specifically for the pediatric population to be approved in the United States.
The National Principal Investigator for the Berlin Heart EXCOR(R) Pediatric VAD study, Charles D. Fraser, Jr., M.D., Surgeon-In-Chief and Head of the Division of Congenital Heart Surgery at Texas Children's Hospital and Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, said, "On behalf of the many investigators, coordinators, and administrative personnel involved in the study, I am extremely gratified by the news that the EXCOR(R) Pediatric VAD has achieved an HDE approval by the FDA. This is a landmark event for children suffering from terminal heart failure. The medical community is now able to offer this lifesaving device to support desperate children who would not otherwise survive while awaiting a heart transplant. This ushers in a new era for children with heart disease. The study involved an incredible effort from 15 centers across North American with extensive experience in pediatric heart failure and transplantation and should serve as a model for future collaborative device investigations involving children, industry, medicine, and the FDA."
Dr. Stefan Thamasett, Chairman of the Board of Berlin Heart, said, "This milestone marks the closure of a long process, and we are very happy that we were able to reach this for the Berlin Heart Group. Our special thanks goes to all of the participating clinics and their doctors as well as our countless patients and their relatives; and of course we would like to thank our employees, because without their tireless commitment we would not have been able to reach this goal. We are looking forward to a new and exciting chapter in the history of Berlin Heart."
It is intended for use by pediatric patients with severe isolated left ventricular or biventricular dysfunction who are candidates for cardiac transplant and who require circulatory support.
The advisory panel in July reviewed results from studies that involved two pediatric cohorts -- children ages 30 days to 4 years and children ages 4 to 16. In both cohorts, the EXCOR had better results in terms of survival to transplant compared with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). ECMO is the current standard of care, but it is not FDA approved.
The FDA has designated the EXCOR a Humanitarian Use Device because the condition for which it is approved affects fewer than 4,000 individuals in the U.S. annually.
"Previous adult heart assist devices were too large to be used in critically ill children to keep them alive while they wait to get a new heart," said Susan Cummins, MD, MPH, chief pediatric medical officer in the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, in a statement.
The mechanical pulsatile device consists of one or two external pneumatic blood pumps, connecting tubes, and the driving unit.
Going back to the 1980s, the federal government has been spending money to combat the spread of HIV and AIDS. For most of that time, the effort excluded state and local programs to provide drug users with clean syringes -- even though study after study proved they were highly effective.
Given the choice of using dirty needles to inject drugs or using sterile ones, addicts generally prefer the latter. And every one who makes that choice cuts off an avenue for the transmission of the AIDS virus. These programs curb the epidemic without stimulating more drug use. They also protect unwitting innocents whose sexual partners might contract the virus through contaminated syringes.
The evidence is not really in dispute. The National Institutes of Health Consensus Panel on HIV Prevention has said, "An impressive body of evidence suggests powerful effects from needle exchange programs....Studies show reduction in risk behavior as high as 80%, with estimates of a 30% or greater reduction of HIV in IDUs (intravenous drug users)." It also concluded they are cost effective.
Currently Zambia’s new infection rate stands at 82,000 cases every year despite the prevalence rate dropping from 16.1 percent to 14.3 percent five years ago.
Ms Mundia said HIV and AIDS education for young people plays a vital role even in global efforts to end the AIDS epidemic.
“Despite the fact that HIV transmission can be prevented, each year, hundreds of thousands of young people become infected with the virus. Globally, in 2009 alone, there were 890,000 new HIV infections amongst young people aged 15 to 24. A thing that could be avoided if HIV and AIDS lessons were introduced early like at the age of 10 or better still below,” Ms Mundia said.
And National AIDS Council board chairperson Joshua Banda, said the suggestion to introduce HIV/AIDS as a subject in primary schools will be tabled before the Ministry of Education.
Bishop Banda said providing young people with basic AIDS education enables them to protect themselves from becoming infected.
“Young people are often particularly vulnerable to sexually transmitted HIV, and to HIV infection as a result of drug-use. Acquiring knowledge and skills encourages young people to avoid or reduce behaviours that carry a risk of HIV infection.
“Even for young people who are not yet engaging in risky behaviours, AIDS education is important for ensuring that they are prepared for situations that will put them at risk as they grow older,” Bishop Banda said.
And Zambia Disability HIV/AIDS and Human Rights programme director Elijah Ngwale also was in support of the suggestion, saying high illiteracy levels among pupils in school has contributed to the increased infection rate.
Mr Ngwale said AIDS education also helps to reduce stigma and discrimination, by dispelling false information that can lead to fear and blame.
“This is crucial for prevention, as stigma often makes people reluctant to be tested for HIV and individuals that are unaware of their HIV infection are more likely to pass the virus on to others,” he said.
Mr Ngwale said educating young people about HIV and AIDS necessitates discussions about sensitive subjects such as sex and drug use. “Many people believe that it is inappropriate to talk to young people about these subjects and fear that doing so will encourage young people to indulge in risky behaviours. Such attitudes are often based on moral or religious views rather than evidence, and severely limit AIDS education around the world,” he said.
He said substantial evidence shows that educating young people about safer sex and the importance of using condoms does not lead to increases in sexual activity.
Most delegates suggested that the HIV and AIDS lessons be included in the primary school curriculum so that pupils start learning about HIV and AIDS as early as grade four when they are ten years or slightly younger.
In a significant milestone in the battle against AIDS, Gilead Sciences (GILD) of Foster City on Thursday asked the government to make one of its drugs the world's first approved medication to help prevent the spread of HIV, the virus that can lead to the deadly disease.
Studies of the drug have shown it sharply reduces the risk of HIV infection in those who don't have the AIDS virus but who often engage in risky practices that lead to the disease. The drug, called Truvada, has been used for years as a treatment for people who already have HIV.
"This is really an exciting moment," said Mitchell Warren, executive director of the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition, which closely tracks AIDS-related studies. "The implications are huge." Although health authorities say the best way to avoid becoming infected with HIV is to use condoms and avoid other risky behavior, such as sharing drug needles, he said, "there are many people who can benefit from an additional prevention option."
Because several international trials done by federal agencies and others have shown Truvada to be effective in blocking transmission of the virus, many people are hoping the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reviews Gilead's application swiftly, said Dr. Connie Celum of the University of Washington.
The two most significant clinical trials submitted this week to US regulators showed that Truvada reduced the risk of contracting HIV in men who have sex with men by 44 per cent, and by 73 per cent among heterosexual couples when one of the partners was already infected.
John Martin, Gileads chief executive, said: The data from these large-scale clinical trials suggest that Truvada may have a role to play in meeting the urgent public health need to reduce new HIV infections.
Criticisms which regulators will have to debate including the argument that wider use of Truvada could trigger the development and spread of a form of HIV resistant to the pill, undermining its use as a therapy particularly if it is only taken intermittently. Evidence of resistance in the two trials was very limited.
Others have suggested that those without HIV taking the pill could be disinhibited, taking greater risks and abandoning other practices which sharply cut the likelihood of infection such as the use of condoms.
Mitchell Warren, head of Avac, an advocacy group, welcomed Gileads decision to seek approval, while cautioning the drug would need to be prescribed with broader preventive advice. Prep is not just a pill.
The Aids Healthcare Foundation, a US-based HIV treatment and advocacy group, cautioned this autumn that preventive use should not be pursued at the risk of contributing to, rather than controlling, the epidemic.
For those on low incomes in developing countries and with inadequate health insurance, including in the US, Truvadas preventive use could also create fresh ethical problems, with tensions between patients and those without HIV both seeking access to the medicine.
ORANGE, Calif. -- Kobe Bryant's wife, who stood by her husband when he was charged with sexual assault in 2003, filed for divorce on Friday from the Los Angeles Lakers star, citing irreconcilable differences after a decade of marriage.
Vanessa Bryant signed the papers on Dec. 1. Kobe Bryant signed his response on Dec. 7 and it was filed Friday, according to the documents.
"The Bryants have resolved all issues incident to their divorce privately with the assistance of counsel and a judgment dissolving their marital status will be entered in 2012," according to a statement from a representative for the couple.
In the filing, Vanessa Bryant asked for joint legal and physical custody of the couple's two daughters, Natalia, 8, and Gianna, 5. Kobe Bryant asked for the same in his response. Vanessa Bryant also requested spousal support.
The Bryants "ask that in the interest of our young children and in light of the upcoming holiday season the public respect our privacy during this difficult time," according to the statement.
Bryant met his future wife in 1999 on a music video shoot when Vanessa Laine was 18 years old. Six months later, she and the then-21-year-old Bryant became engaged. They married on April 18, 2001.
The Bryants have been through trying times together.
Vanessa Bryant appeared at a news conference with her husband when he was charged with sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman who worked at the exclusive Lodge & Spa at Cordillera near Vail, Colo., in 2003. She held his hand and stroked it tenderly as the NBA star admitted he was guilty of adultery – but nothing else. Earlier she had issued her own statement to the media, vowing to stand by her husband.
The Bryants "ask that in the interest of our young children and in light of the upcoming holiday season the public respect our privacy during this difficult time," according to the statement.
Bryant met his future wife in 1999 on a music video shoot when Vanessa Laine was 18 years old. Six months later, she and the then-21-year-old Bryant became engaged. They married on April 18, 2001.
The Bryants have been through trying times together. Vanessa Bryant appeared at a news conference with her husband when he was charged with sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman who worked at the exclusive Lodge & Spa at Cordillera near Vail, Colo., in 2003. She held his hand and stroked it tenderly as the NBA star admitted he was guilty of adultery — but nothing else. Earlier she had issued her own statement to the media, vowing to stand by her husband. "I know that my husband has made a mistake — the mistake of adultery," she said in the statement at the time. "He and I will have to deal with that within our marriage, and we will do so. He is not a criminal."
A year later, prosecutors dropped the criminal charge against Kobe Bryant because the woman did not want to go ahead with a trial.
Last year, Kobe and Vanessa Bryant settled litigation with a former maid who accused the NBA star's wife of harassment. The Bryants countersued Maria Jimenez for violating a confidentiality agreement by talking to reporters about the family.
The pop superstar, 30, is now engaged to her former manager, a source confirms to Us Weekly. Trawick popped the question on Thursday night, his 40th birthday, when he and the "I Wanna Go" singer shared a romantic private dinner. "Yes, we are engaged," Trawick later told Access Hollywood, adding that both he and his wife-to-be are "over the moon."
"This is something they've both wanted for a long time," the source explains to Us. "It's a way to cement their family. They're both extremely happy and can't wait to become man and wife." The spouses-to-be plan to celebrate their engagement Friday night at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas.
Spears coyly hinted at the big news on Twitter Friday morning, writing: "OMG. Last night Jason surprised me with the one gift I've been waiting for. Can't wait to show you! SO SO SO excited!!!! Xxo"
(After wrapping her Femme Fatale world tour in Puerto Rico last weekend, Spears and Trawick -- along with Sean Preston, 6, and Jayden, 5, her sons with ex Kevin Federline -- moved to a 10,000 square-foot estate outside of L.A.)
The duo first met in 2006 in a professional capacity. Then at William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, Trawick began representing the "Hold It Against Me" singer while she was still wed to Federline, 33.
Spears, donning a short, nude Herve Leger dress, stepped out a few hours later and revealed her highly-anticipated Neil Lane sparkler during a congratulatory welcome on the hotel's mezzanine. Planet Hollywood Chairman Robert Earl presented Trawick with an oversized birthday cake in a quick ceremony.
"She wanted it to be quick because her kids where upstairs and she wanted to put them to bed," a source told PEOPLE.
Following the celebration, the duo stopped in at Sugar Factory's Chocolate Lounge where they shared a turkey burger and a club sandwich in a room closed off to the public to give the couple privacy. A line of waiters where later seen bringing a tray of cupcakes and a large sundae of ice cream covered in sprinkles.
And what better place to end the night than Paris's Chateau Nightclub. Surrounded by friends, Spears, 30, and Trawick, 40, hung out in their own private VIP table overlooking the club's dance floor.
"Britney seemed happy, holding Jason's hand," an onlooker said. They called it a night around 1 a.m.
WASHINGTON--Senators racing for the exits after a year of bitter battles passed legislation Saturday that would extend a Social Security payroll tax cut and jobless benefits for just two months, setting the stage for the next fight until February.
While a partial victory for President Barack Obama's year-end jobs agenda, the measure awaiting House approval next week contains a provision demanded by Republicans to pressure the White House into approving construction of a Canada-to-Texas oil pipeline that promises thousands of jobs.
Democratic and GOP leaders option for the short-term extension after failing to agree on big enough spending cuts to pay for a full-year renewal of the payroll tax cut. The 2 percentage point tax cut affects 160 million taxpayers. The weekly jobless payments average about $300 for millions of people who have been out of work for six months or more.
The measure was approved by an 89-10 vote during a Saturday session.
Votes were scheduled later Saturday on a $1 trillion-plus catchall spending measure setting the day-to-day budgets of 10 Cabinet agencies. The House cleared the spending bill Friday.
In a statement, White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer indicated Obama would sign the two-month extension measure, saying it had met his test of "preventing a tax increase on 160 million hardworking Americans" and avoiding damage to the economy recovery.
The House's approval Friday of the $1 trillion spending bill averted a government shutdown that otherwise would have begun Friday at midnight.
But a presumptive deal on a year-end package to extend the payroll-tax cut and unemployment benefits was more complex, and the two sides agreed to prolong it for just two months rather than a year because they couldn't agree on how to pay for it. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are increasingly battle-weary after a year of brinkmanship and are ready to go home for the holidays.
The deal would extend for two months the current cut in the Social Security payroll tax for wage earners to 4.2%, from 6.2%. It also would continue for that time a program that provides up to 99 weeks of unemployment benefits. And it would adjust the Medicare payment formula so doctors participating in the health-care program for the elderly won't see a steep cut in payments.
Senators said they expected the House to approve the deal, but Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) hasn't been enthusiastic about extending the payroll-tax cut for only two months, and the chamber has proven unpredictable this year.
As a sweetener, Republicans won an accelerated timetable for approval of the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada to the Gulf Coast of Texas, which they touted as a big victory.
Some Democrats worried about the pipeline's environmental impact, and Mr. Obama, who had delayed a decision on it, strongly opposed accelerating the approval. But Republicans say the project would create jobs, and they made it clear they wouldn't give in.
"These people are nuts who think that we shouldn't put that pipeline in. My gosh, plus 20,000 jobs—are you kidding?" said Sen. Orrin Hatch (R., Utah).
But the White House said it is crucial to conduct the necessary health, safety, and environmental review before approving the deal, and the 60-day window provided in the deal isn't enough time for that, so the permit can't be approved.
"Despite the fact that it almost certainly leads to no permit being granted by the administration, the GOP insisted on including this provision," said a senior administration official.
White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer issued a statement Friday embracing the tentative agreement. "The President said that Congress cannot go home without preventing a tax increase on 160 million hardworking Americans, and the deal announced tonight meets that test," he said, calling it "a significant victory for the American people and the economy." Mr. Obama, he said, "urges Congress now to finish up their business for the American people."
Even if the measure clears Congress, the deal means lawmakers in two months will be once again debating the contentious issues surrounding the payroll-tax cut, including how to pay for it.
Democrats, stressing that they had wanted a longer-term deal, nonetheless said it would be politically advantageous for them to revisit the issue in February, since they favor the popular payroll-tax break while many Republicans oppose it.
Lawmakers in the end agreed only on one funding mechanism—an increase in the fees that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac charge lenders.
Until late in the day Friday, leaders of both parties had been uncharacteristically upbeat. "We are making really good progress on being able to handle the issues that everybody knows are outstanding," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.).
Democrats initially seemed to have the upper hand on the payroll bill, since they supported the popular tax break while many Republicans opposed it. But then Democrats refused to sign off on the spending bill unless Republicans agreed to a payroll-tax deal, and that allowed Republicans to accuse them of courting a government shutdown.
The 1,220-page spending bill includes funding for a broad swath of the government, from the Pentagon to major domestic agencies. It passed the House on a bipartisan vote of 296-121, with 86 Republicans and 35 Democrats voting against it.
Some Republicans voiced frustration that so many of their GOP colleagues vote against every spending bill because the cuts are never big enough. "We're a divided Congress, and you get what you can," said Rep. Jack Kingston (R., Ga.).
The final arguments over the spending bill concerned not spending levels but a handful of policy issues that seemed small-bore compared with the bill's vast scope.
Minnesotas unemployment rate dipped to 5.9 percent in November.
That comes even after employers cut 13,000 jobs in that same month. While this dip is good news for the state, it could cost the unemployed their emergency benefits
The Federal Unemployment Benefits are set to expire over the next few weeks, and unless congress extends them, some 15,000 Minnesotans will need another source of income.
"We're pretty steady people come in here for a lot of different reasons," said Michael Haney, Workforce Center Manager.
At the Minnesota Workforce Center in Rochester, despite the drop in unemployment, they are still seeing many in need of unemployment benefits.
"Their reactions are they get a feeling of what is it that is available for them," said Scott Metcalf, Veteran Employment Services.
But because of the drop, Minnesotans may no longer qualify for extended unemployment benefits.
"All the extended benefits are tied into the unemployment rate, and so there are several different extensions, and all are tied into whether or not the state has an unemployment rate of a certain amount."
Currently, the law allows states to extend unemployment benefits if the unemployment rate is more than 6.5 percent. Governor Dayton wrote to congress to not only urge them to extend the benefits that expire at the end of the year, but to lower that rate to 5.5 percent.
"I think what Governor Dayton is saying is don't penalize those states that are working really hard at getting people back to work."
Without a change, thousands of Minnesotans could see their benefits window narrowed. But it also all depends on what congess decides with the extension of unemployment benefits overall.
The existing program of jobless benefits consists of a complex series of extensions to state-managed unemployment insurance that is paid for, in part, with premiums deducted from workers’ paychecks. As the jobless rate rose following the 2007 recession, Congress enacted series of those emergency extensions – or tiers – to the state-funded plans that typically provide 26 weeks of benefits.
There are four tiers of extended benefits. The Republican plan would maintain the first, 20-week, tier and cut the second one, now available in states with a jobless rate above 6 percent, by one week, to 13 weeks. The current third and fourth tiers, which provide as much as 19 weeks in states where the jobless rate is 8.5 percent or higher, would be eliminated. A separate Extended Benefits program can add as much as another 20 weeks, depending on the jobless rate in the state. That program would expire gradually, state by state, through 2012.
Despite recent signs of improvement in the job market, the unemployment rate has remained stubbornly high compared to past economic recoveries. That’s especially true for people out of work for extended periods. The jobless rate has exceeded 8.5 percent for the past 31 months, longer than at any time since the Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking that rate in 1948. The average duration of unemployment now stands at nearly 41 weeks, according to the latest monthly jobs data.
That number will likely remain stubbornly high until the economic recovery spreads to several critical industries that haven't been hiring. Those sector aren't adding jobs because they’re “structurally impaired,” according to a recent research report from economists at Credit Suisse. And it looks like they’re going to remain crippled for some time.
From real estate, to finance to manufacturing, these sectors have all but shut down as job-creators. Together, these industries account for about half of the jobs lost from the January 2008 peak to the January 2010 trough. With little or no job growth from these sectors, it’s as if half of the job market’s cylinders just aren’t firing.
