2008 Woodie Awards
News From Around the States
Courtney Roy
Issue date: 2/23/05 Section: News
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On Friday, 18 February the Food and Drug Administration was advised by a panel of experts to allow three leading painkillers-Celebrex, Bextra, and Vioxx, to stay on the market, despite the unanimous decision that these drugs can cause heart problems. Bextra and Vioxx were only deemed safe to stay on the market by a narrow margin. Celebrex, which has been deemed safer received a vote of 31 to 1 to keep it on the market, Vioxx and Bextra received a 17 votes to stay on the market.
Most of the panel also said that the agency should place warnings on the labels of these drugs outlining the risks, ban consumer advertising, and require each prescription to contain a guide explaining the risks. Members of the panel also made it clear that these drugs should no longer be as widely used as they have been in the past. Several of the panel members said that patients needing pain relief should first try naproxen, which is sold on the market as Aleve by Bayer before resorting to these three drugs, which are classified as cox-2 inhibitors. Although the vote of the panel is not binding, the FDA typically follows the decisions made, and it is expected that Vioxx, which was taken off of the market in September by its maker Merck, will be reintroduced.
National Guard Offers Bonus to those Willing to Re-enlist
The National Guard is offering $15,000 to anyone willing to re-enlist for anther six years, which would undoubtedly mean another tour in Iraq. Those willing to re-enlist for three years would receive a bonus of $7,500. For the first time in a decade, the National Guard failed to meet enlistment goals this year, and with the US currently in a time of war, this could lead to even further strain on the Armed Forces. The bonuses were indeed successful; in the first weeks that the bonus was available, re-enlistment rates rose across the nation, though much of the gain was from a small North Carolina battalion, whose members signed up together in order to receive a tax break. Despite this it is too soon to gauge the success of the program due to the fact that the early members could have been "artificially strong."
For many, this bonus is reason enough to spend another six years in the National Guard. Members re-enlisting plan to use to money for a variety of things: a vacation, a new car, a down payment on a home, debt payments, or savings for education. These members are embracing the bonuses, which were introduced in mid-December to strengthen the forces, which now constitute a large part of the military in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Former Presidents Join to Help in Tsunami Relief
On Thursday, 17 February former President George Bush boarded an official United States plane in Houston, and flew to Los Angeles to pick up former President Bill Clinton. Next, the pair was heading off to Phuket, Thailand, where they would make their first appearance to help raise money for tsunami victims. From Thailand, they continued to Banda Aceh, Indonesia, on Sunday and Sri Lanka and the Maldives on Monday. This trip embodies what has been a growing friendship between two men that had fought bitterly in the 1992 election, and marks an important bond.
In the past months, the two men have been seen speaking fondly for each other, and showing great concern. According to aides, when Mr. Clinton was hospitalized for a quadruple bypass heart surgery, Mr. Bush was almost immediately on the phone. At the opening of his library, where Mr. Bush was present, aides were shocked at the friendliness between the two men as they talked. More recently, they have been seen together frequently, appointed as the current President Bush's representatives for tsunami aid. Beyond work, they were seen together joking at the Superbowl, where they sat side-by-side.
This friendship could offer important political opportunities, softening the edges of what seemed to be an extremely bitter political rivalry at a time when Mr. Bush's son is entering his second term and Mr. Clinton's wife is considering a presidential run in 2008.
Catholic Group Receives New Sex Abuse Reports
On Friday 18 February Roman Catholic Bishops reported that they had received 1,092 new sex abuse complaints, made by 1,083 people, mainly men. The executive director of the Office of Child and Youth Protection of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops said that the majority of the complaints, which were filed against 756 priests, occurred about 30 years ago. Of these 756 priests, about half have already been accused of abuse, and auditors found that most are dead or out of the ministry. The findings were released Friday by the conference, which was formed in 2002 in response to the explosion of sex abuse scandals.
Last year the bishops released an analysis conducted by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, based on figures from bishops and religious orders, and discovered that 10,667 minors had allegedly been abused from 1950 to 2002. The actual number of victims will most likely never be found, due to the fact that many victims of abuse never step forward. The goal of the auditors work is to determine if the 195 dioceses in the United States have programs to help victims and educate both employees and parishioners. A greater percentage of dioceses have moved to put such programs in place, 96% as compared to 90% in previous years.