Marijuana Shipments to the U.S.

'Nightline' Granted Exclusive Access to U.S. Drug Enforcement Officials, Learns Mexican Drug Cartels Trying to Expand Marijuana Shipments to the U.S. Exclusive Access to DEA Agents Uncovers Massive MexicanDrug Cartel Shipments A "Nightline" investigation has discovered that Mexican cartels have recently been trying to expand marijuana shipments into the United States by the tens of thousands. "Nightline" was granted exclusive and unprecedented access to U.S. DEA agents and Customs and Border Protection officers who interdict, store and destroy tons of marijuana. Our investigation takes a look at the scale and reach of the Mexican cartels who are fueled by 25.8 million American marijuana users. Government investigators estimate that the cartels have boosted their production by a whopping 59 percent since 2003, leading them to conclude that the Mexican organizations "represent the single greatest drug trafficking threat to the United States," an official said. Officials estimate that the drug cartels' profits are between $18 and $39 billion annually. According to Mexican and U.S. officials (who requested that their names and ranks not be used), marijuana smuggling has contributed to 35,000 deaths along the border in the past five years. These discoveries come on the heels of a bill being introduced in the House by Reps. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and Ron Paul (R- Texas) to remove the federal roadblock to state marijuana reform. "Nightline" was present in the midst of a two-week stretch of U.S. officials' destroying more than $100 million worth of marijuana at two top-secret facilities in an undisclosed location in the American Southwest. Watch the full report on "Nightline" tonight at 11:35 p.m. ET Our cameras rolled as Customs and Border patrol agents stopped an 18-wheeler carrying furniture. But an X-ray of the pottery and wooden furniture inside the cargo hold showed something else. "We pried open the ottoman and we found nine cylinder-shaped packages containing marijuana," said Supervising Officer Alberto Flores of Customs and Border protection. Officers went to work slicing open more than 100 ottomans that were packed with 900 containers of marijuana. There was about 2,300 pounds of marijuana in this one shipment -- more than a ton. "Marijuana is the No. 1 cash crop for the cartels in Mexico," said assistant special DEA agent Mel Rodriguez. "The moneys, the proceeds from the sale of the marijuana ultimately go to finance other illegal activities for the cartel, such as [the] purchase of weapons and additional resources." "Additional resources" include funding armies of criminals who have fought the U.S. and Mexican governments. U.S. officials use a variety of tools to find contraband, including an army of agents, Border Patrol's drug-sniffing dogs, mobile X-ray machines, even special cameras to slide down gas tanks to hunt for drugs. "We find sometimes narcotics inside batteries, inside carburetors, manifolds, underneath dashes, inside air conditioning compressors, inside tires, in the roof. I just can't think of all the places we have found them," said Port of Laredo acting director Jose Uribe. Drug lords use every tactic to transport drugs, cash and guns: submarines, tunnels, ultra-light planes. They also still use men on foot -- so-called "mules." After U.S. agents seize the drugs, they are moved into a secret facility -- one of the most restricted government rooms in the nation that, until now, no television journalist had ever been allowed in before. We had to sign papers just to walk from room to room, and no employee working there could be identified in our report. U.S. Officials Burn Several Tons of Marijuana Siezed From Mexican Drug Cartels About $59 million worth of marijuana and every other drug you can imagine being captured coming in from Mexico is stored in this secret vault: cocaine, crystal methamphetamine, heroin. An agent pointed to a pack of 31 pounds of black tar heroin. "Estimated street value about $1 million," he said. We were granted a ride-along with a DEA caravan transporting confiscated drugs, with armed guards behind the wheel. Assistant special DEA agent Mel Rodriguez explained that the particular load we were traveling with was 320 pounds of drugs that was passed off to the DEA by Border patrol. "They encountered six individuals who had just crossed over with duffel bags," he explained. "As soon as Border patrol approached them, they wound up dropping the duffel bags and jumping back into the river and swimming back to Mexico." At some point the U.S. government has to destroy the drugs. DEA officers took "Nightline" inside another top-secret location where the agency was in the process of destroying 50,000 pounds, or 25 tons, of marijuana. Just like with the other vault, we were not allowed to disclose its location nor identify who worked there. The vault is well protected with cement and steel. Surveillance cameras are everywhere, not to mention the throngs of armed DEA agents all over the place. Each cache of marijuana must be accounted for and is given a number as it is brought inside. There is so much marijuana in the facility that the drugs have to be moved by a forklift. When it is time to destroy a haul, the marijuana is carried by forklift, then dumped into a large shredder before being fed into two huge incinerators and burned at more than 1,800 degrees. Some of the agents have even nicknamed the incinerators Dorothy and Bong 1. After the marijuana is burned to ash, it is placed into barrels. Only steam from the heat of the incinerators is released into the atmosphere as millions and millions of drugs go up in smoke. 'Nightline' Granted Exclusive Access to U.S. Drug Enforcement Officials, Learns Mexican Drug Cartels Trying to Expand Marijuana Shipments to the U.S.

Midwest Floods: Waters Breach Berm at Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station in Nebraska

Midwest Floods: Waters Breach Berm at Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station in Nebraska Waters in Minot, ND, Nearly 13 feet Above Flood Stage andExpected to Stay Near That Level for Days A berm at a nuclear power plant in Fort Calhoun, Neb., collapsed early this morning, allowing Missouri River flood waters to reach containment buildings and transformers and forcing the shutdown of electrical power. Tonight, backup generators are cooling the nuclear material at the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station. The plant has not operated since April, and officials say there is no danger to the public. A spokesman for the Omaha Public Power District, Jeff Hanson, told The Associated Press that the breached berm wasn't critical to protecting the plant, though a crew will look at whether it can be patched. "That was an additional layer of protection we put in," Hanson said. Nevertheless, federal inspectors are on the scene, and the federal government is so concerned the head of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is headed to the plant. There was no protecting thousands of homes in Minot, N.D., where massive flooding of the Souris River hit its peak today, flooding more than 4,000 homes, including Leslie Dull's. "When you actually see your house," Dull said, "and you know it's not just your basement, it's your whole house, it's-- "I'm sorry," she said, as she broke down crying. There is some good news: The river in Minot, N.D., peaked two feet lower than expected. However, it is nearly 13 feet above flood stage and it is expected to stay near that level for days. "It could be two to four to six weeks, or more, before the water actually goes back into it's banks ... [and] before [residents] get to come and see their houses," Brig. Gen. Bill Seekins of the North Dakota National Guard told ABC News during a tour through the flooded areas. Seekins described the scene as "almost apocalyptic." Sgt. Dave Dodds of the North Dakota National Guard said heavy rains on Saturday will keep the river at its historic crest for longer than expected. "Authorities were hoping for maybe a day or two before it started to recede, but you can add maybe an additional 24 hours onto that," Dodds said. Minot Mayor Curt Zimbelman said the devastation may be even greater than expected. "I think we're going to reach probably 4,500 [homes] before this is all done, where we've got a lot of water on these homes," Zimbelman said. Randy Nelson and his wife just bought a camper, knowing their house is flooded. They currently are living in a shopping center parking lot, powerless to do anything but wait. He said the hardest part is "patience ... not knowing where you are going to live. It's tough." But there have been victories. ABC News watched Koni Aho race to build a berm around her restaurant down river from Minot. Twenty-four hours later there was still no water in the restaurant. "I was bound and determined," she said. "I don't care. I said, 'It's just dirt. We can move it.'" Forecasters said scattered storms were in today's forecast, but the worst part of the storm will likely to be south and east of the Souris River Basin. Neighbors Helping Neighbors Officials were building and re-enforcing levees in the towns of Sawyer and Velvenau in fear that all the water that has been coming through Minot will swamp the two towns. As residents and officials brace for the worst, acts of generosity were seen throughout the community. Garages were turned into storage units for flood victims and families and churches opened their doors to other displaced community members. "For the rest of the country, that is kind of mind-boggling. But ... that's how we are in North Dakota," Sen. John Hoeven told the Associated Press. Evangelical Lutheran pastor Mike Johnson said he was too preoccupied with helping other people that he wasn't sure the condition of his belongings after being evacuated from the flood zone the previous week. But Lutherans in a neighboring town stepped in and took care of his files and equipment in his office. "They just showed up on Tuesday and carted stuff off for us," Johnson told the Associated Press. ABC News' Gerard McNiff and the Associated Press contributed to this report. Midwest Floods: Waters Breach Berm at Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station in Nebraska

Teacher Charged With Cyberstalking Roils North Carolina Town

Teacher Charged With Cyberstalking Roils North Carolina Town Mother Said Teacher Sent StudentOver 'Hundreds of Texts' A middle school teacher has been charged with cyberstalking one of her 13- year-old students, and the boy's mother claims that her son isn't the only one receiving inappropriate text messages from the female teacher. Megan Mantooth, 26, is a popular eighth grade math teacher in Burgaw Middle School, a tiny town of 4,000 people in southern North Carolina where her husband is a deputy sheriff. She is also the mother of two, including a 4-month-old baby. The allegations against her have roiled the town with many people defending her and lashing out at her accusers. Mantooth has been charged with cybertalking, allegedly sending "hundreds" of text messages to her student, which included "a lot of sexual innuendos," according to the boy's mother, Elizabeth Graham. According to Graham, Mantooth obtained her son's cellphone number from a fellow student and started texting the child on June 8. Graham said that initially the math teacher texted her son his final grades, followed by general inquiries about his summer plans. "About two hours later, she was still texting my child and my husband took away his phone," Graham said. The "hundreds" of texts that Graham said Mantooth sent her child included one that Graham read to ABCNews.com: "I wish you were home by yourself right now because I don't have the kids," and "More how? As in see ME more or less clothes more, or both." Mantooth allegedly compared herself to the middle school female students telling the boy that she would "look better in a bikini," Graham said. She also allegedly made plans to meet the student at his beach house, texting him, "I cannot wait 8 more days to see you." The mother believes that the middle school teacher was developing an emotional relationship with her 13-year-old son. "Because every word out of her mouth wasn't sexual," Graham said. "She was being nice, like you would if you were boyfriend and girlfriend with a 13-year- old." For the next few days, Graham and her husband continued to respond to Mantooth's texts, pretending to be their son. According to Lt. Billy Sandars of the Pender County Police Department, the incident report was filed by Elizabeth Graham on June 11, four days after initial contact was allegedly made by Mantooth. Graham said that she first approached close friends for advice about how to handle the situation before calling police because, "I thought I might be overacting...and I really wanted to think about it if I wanted my name and my son's name out there." Graham told ABCNews.com that Mantooth also contacted two other male students in her class via text. One of the students' mothers did not return phone calls to ABCNews.com. The other, who prefered to remain unnamed, said that she could not confirm the nature of the texts from the math teacher to her son because he erased the messages. But the woman said she thought that the teacher's behavior was "off." "I asked [my son], 'Why is she texting you?' He said, 'It's okay she's not my teacher anymore.' And I said, 'No it's not ok." That mother never reported Mantooth's behavior to the authorities and questioned the Grahams' actions. "They [the Grahams] themselves texted her for three days," she said. "She's been getting a lot of bad publicity around here. People are really downing her for going on TV and doing the statement that she did." "Her husband is the deputy sheriff here. All of his family is here. All the students do love her," the parent said. According to Graham, all text messages were initiated by Mantooth and continued from June 8 to June 13, often coming as late as midnight. When the parents met with Sanders on June 14, they handed over their phone to him. The lieutenant said he continued to impersonate the boy through text messages with Mantooth "for his own investigations." Mantooth turned herself in on June 16 after Pender County police called to inform her that they had a warrant for her arrest. Sanders said that the police department is still waiting for records from the phone company to confirm exactly how many text messages were sent from Mantooth to the child. Mantooth's voicemail box was full and she did not return calls to ABCNews.com After the charges became public Elizabeth Graham shut down her computer on Friday afternoon to shield herself and their son from "ugly" remarks. Commenters on ABC News' local affiliate WWAY are angry at the Grahams. "Leave Megan alone!!! my guess is, this is an infatuated boy that wanted to act like the pretty young teacher liked him , in an effort to show off to his friends in order to feel special," wrote one angry reader. But the mother is defending her actions. "I did give [Mantooth] the benefit of the doubt. I did not have any venedettas against her. My son made straight A's and B's," Graham said. Community Schools Director for Pender County Schools, Joice Keith, told ABCNews.com that Mantooth has been suspended with pay pending results of the investigation. Mantooth is free on bond. A preliminary court date has been set for July 21. Teacher Charged With Cyberstalking Roils North Carolina Town

Glen Campbell Reveals He Has Alzheimer's

Glen Campbell Reveals He Has Alzheimer's Country music icon GlenCampbell has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease,the singer and his wife revealed Wednesday, prompting the "Rhinestone Cowboy" to plan a farewell tour. "Glen is still an awesome guitar player and singer," the musician's wife, Kim Campbell, told People magazine. "But if he flubs a lyric or gets confused onstage, I wouldn't want people to think, 'What's the matter with him? Is he drunk?'" Campell goes on tour this fall to support what his website touts as his final studio album, called "Ghost on the Canvas". Campbell, 75, was diagnosed six months ago with the degenerative disease. Alzheimer's symptoms typically surface when a person is in their late 70s and early 80s. By age 85, 30 to 50 percent of adults show signs of the disease. Campbell's career spans five decades. He's had 81 songs on the charts and has made his mark on music history with such hits as "Rhinestone Cowboy" and "Galveston." Even though he said he's coming to terms with his disease, Campbell said he wanted to embark on one final tour for his fans, to say thanks. "I still love performing for my fans," he said. "I'd like to thank them for sticking with me through thick and thin." Glen Campbell Reveals He Has Alzheimer's

Trial resumes for Bahraini doctors

Trial resumes for Bahraini doctors The trial resumed Monday of dozens of Bahraini doctors and nurses accused of working to undermine the Arab country's government during mass protests earlier this year, with seven additional witnesses taking the stand. Prosecutors claim the accused took over the Salmaniya Medical Complex in Manama, stored and funneled weapons to protesters and effectively kept people prisoner. But the medical staff members, their lawyers and international human rights activists have said that the defendants were tortured to extract confessions. According to reports from Physicians for Human Rights, Human Rights Watch and Doctors Without Borders, witnesses said security forces stormed the capital city's main hospital where they fired tear gas and other chemical agents and beat doctors and demonstrators. Bahraini officials have denied such allegations. The testimony Monday focused on what happened in and around the hospital -- "both on an administrative and security level" -- at the height of the unrest, according to a report from the state-run Bahrain News Agency, or BNA. The judge also heard about the medical complex's emergency procedures, as well as information on the whereabouts between February 14 and March 17 of some of those charged. According to the BNA report, one person questioned claimed that a hospital staff member gave out bags of blood to other staff members, so they could be given to protesters to splash on themselves. One witness claimed that Dr. Ali Al Ekri coordinated the distribution of knives to protesters by ambulance, thus evading security personnel. The witness testified five meetings devoted to aiding demonstrators were held in the surgeon's clinic, where prosecutors have said that two automatic rifles, ammunition and hospital knives were found. Trial resumes for Bahraini doctors

Eight Ways Jessica Simpson Can Make Her Third Reality Show The Charm

Eight Ways Jessica Simpson Can Make Her Third Reality Show The Charm How Can Jessica Simpson's New Fashion Reality Show Succeed? Jessica Simpson has decided to give reality TV another chance. She's signed on to be the celebrity mentor on NBC's new series, " Fashion Star," a "Project Runway"-esque design show hosted by Elle MacPherson. This will be Jess' third attempt at a reality series—"Newlyweds" ended in divorce and "The Price of Beauty" ended in cancellation —so we hope she's learned a thing or two. Below, some suggestions for Jess to ensure that "Fashion Star" is a hit. 1. Learn the difference between chicken and tuna. We would love for Jessica to show us how much she's evolved by eating Chicken of the Sea and actually knowing what it is. 2. Stick to the challenges. Talking too much always gets Jessica in trouble. If she can show us she's all business, we'll take her more seriously as a "fashion guru." 3. Keep the gas to a minimum. Jess has been known to be fond of burping and farting in public. We suggest she keeps her gas to herself. 4. Watch the bottoms. In the past, Jessica's choice of pants has been disastrous for her reputation. The mom jeans were too unflattering, the daisy dukes too revealing. To be a television success, choose bottoms wisely. 5. No drama with Eric Johnson. We all know what happens to Jess when she's single and it's not cute. If possible, we suggest she keep everything copacetic with Eric until the series is a hit. No shotgun wedding, no dramatic breakup, no TMI about their sex life. 6. Keep Papa Joe off the set. Controlling stage dad, Joe Simpson, usually makes a mess of everything. 7. Get a catchphrase.Wanna make it work, Jess? Come up with a catchphrase like Tim Gunn's. Eight Ways Jessica Simpson Can Make Her Third Reality Show The Charm

Court Docs Detail Arrest of Ex-IMF Leader in NYC

Court Docs Detail Arrest of Ex-IMF Leader in NYC Court documents detail events leadingup to arrest of ex- IMF leader in NYC sex assault case Dominique Strauss-Kahn declared he had diplomatic immunity and complained that his handcuffs were too tight after he was taken into custody on allegations he tried to rape a Manhattan hotel maid, court documents filed Thursday show. The documents filed by prosecutors provide a chronology of statements leading to the arrest of the former leader of the International Monetary Fund, who was taken into custody by Port Authority police at John F. Kennedy International Airport on May 14 as he tried to leave on a Paris- bound flight. One of his attorneys, Benjamin Brafman, said Thursday he had no comment. Strauss-Kahn, who is free on $1 million bail under house arrest at a luxury townhouse, maintains he did not attack the maid at Sofitel hotel. The new court documents describe Strauss- Kahn seemingly confused as he is taken into custody. "What is this about?" Strauss-Kahn repeatedly asked detectives, according to the documents. He asked detectives whether he needs an attorney, responded to questions about whether he is hungry (at one point saying he would "like some eggs") and complained about his handcuffs, the documents say. "Manhattan detectives need to speak with you about an incident in a hotel room," responded one detective as they go from the airport to the Manhattan Special Victims Squad on May 14 at about 5:15 p.m., the documents say. "Then I need to make a call and let them know I won't be at my meeting tomorrow," Strauss-Kahn told the detective. Then he added, "These handcuffs are tight." French politicians and citizens were upset about images of a handcuffed Strauss-Kahn as police walked him in front of a crowd of cameras on May 15 as he was taken from a police precinct to court to face charges of attempted rape and sexual abuse. Such images would be illegal in his French homeland. The account begins with Strauss-Kahn calling May 14 — apparently at or on his way to the airport — to employees at the hotel to tell them he had left his phone in his luxury room after checking out. About 9 p.m. that evening, after previously declaring he had diplomatic immunity, Strauss-Kahn tells a detective that he would like to call his lawyer and asks for his cell phone. "We're going to have to wait for the detectives to come back," the detective says. "I don't have access to your phone." "Do I need a lawyer?" Strauss-Kahn asks. "It is your right to have one in this country if you want," the detective replied. "I don't know if you have some kind of diplomatic status." "No, no, no, I'm not trying to use that. I just want to know if I need a lawyer," Strauss-Kahn said. "That is up to you," the detective says. Strauss-Kahn was formally placed under arrest about 2:45 a.m. on May 15, according to the documents. Court Docs Detail Arrest of Ex-IMF Leader in NYC

Aide: Time Nearing for Giffords' Hospital Release

Aide: Time Nearing for Giffords' Hospital Release congresswoman could be released from hospital as early as end of June An aide to U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords said Saturday that she could be released from a rehabilitation hospital in Houston as early as this month, offering the latest indication that the Arizona congresswoman is making progress in recovering from a gunshot wound to the head. Chief of Staff Pia Carusone told The Associated Press that doctors and family are considering "many factors" while making the critical next-step decision to release Giffords from TIRR Memorial Hermann, the hospital where she has been undergoing intensive daily rehabilitation since late January. "We're looking at before the end of the month. We're looking at early July," Carusone said. "We don't have a date." Giffords arrived in Houston just weeks after being shot on Jan. 8 while she was at a meet-and-greet with constituents in her home district of Tucson, Ariz. Six people were killed and a dozen others wounded in the attack outside a supermarket. While Giffords' release from the hospital after five months of intensive inpatient therapy is an important step in her recovery, she still will have to undergo months of outpatient rehabilitation, which will include speech, occupational and physical therapy. Her husband, astronaut Mark Kelly, has indicated she will begin her outpatient therapy in Houston. Giffords has made remarkable progress that has been described by neurosurgeon Dr. Dong Kim as "almost miraculous." Doctors were initially amazed that the congresswoman survived the shooting — only 10 percent of people shot in the head live and many who do remain in a vegetative state. Within days, she was able to move both arms and respond to family and friends. Since coming to Houston, Giffords has regained some ability to walk and talk. The only image of her since the shooting was seen in late April, when television cameras shot blurry footage of her ascending a flight of steps to a NASA jet that was taking her to Cape Canaveral, Fla., to watch her husband rocket into space. That mission was delayed until May, and after Giffords returned from a second trip to Florida — where she watched the launch while sitting in a wheelchair — she underwent surgery to replace a portion of her skull that was removed immediately after the shooting to give her brain room to swell. After the surgery, doctors told the media Giffords was walking better than was seen in the flurry footage from late April and that her speech was continuously improving. But Carusone made clear in a recent interview with The Arizona Republic that her boss still had difficulty stringing together sentences and it remained unclear if — or when — she would be able to resume her Congressional duties. Aide: Time Nearing for Giffords' Hospital Release

UN and US launch campaign to eliminate inherited HIV

UN and US launch campaign to eliminate inherited HIV The UN and the US government have launched an initiative to eliminate HIV among babies by 2015. The UN says a baby is born with HIV nearly every minute, almost all of them in sub-Saharan Africa. The new campaign will aim to treat HIV-positive pregnant women, cutting infection among their babies to less than 5%. It will cost an estimated $2.5bn (£1.5bn) to care for 15 million women, double those currently being treated. The plan, called Countdown to Zero, was developed by a team led by UNAids and the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. A key element of the campaign is to ensure that all women, especially pregnant ones, have access to quality life-saving HIV prevention and treatment services - for themselves and their children. In 2009, an estimated 370,000 children were infected at birth with HIV, almost all in low- and middle-income countries, and chiefly in sub-Saharan Africa. "We are here today to ensure that all children are born healthy and free of disease. We are here to ensure that their mothers live to see them grow," UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said at the launch of the plan. "We believe that by 2015 children everywhere can be born free of HIV and that their mothers can remain healthy," said Michel Sidibe, executive director of UNAids. "This new global plan is realistic, it is achievable and it is driven by the most affected countries." Achieving the goal could be "the beginning of the end of the story, because that opens the prospect for an Aids-free generation," said Michel Kazatchkine, head of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. UN and US launch campaign to eliminate inherited HIV

Health Care Survey: Employers May Cut Plans After 2014

Health Care Survey: Employers May Cut Plans After 2014 some Employers Plan to Nix Company-Provided Health Care plans Employees can kiss goodbye employer-provided health coverage, at least as it exists today. That's the message of a survey of 1,300 employers just released by McKinsey & Co. Overall, 30 percent of employers said that after 2014, when most of the provisions of the Obama administration's health reforms kick in, they would definitely or probably stop offering company-sponsored health coverage. The findings dramatically differ from those of previous surveys and analysis. The Congressional Budget Office, for example, has estimated that only about 7 percent of employees currently covered by corporate health plans will have to find alternatives. McKinsey's findings, if correct, contradict the White House's view of how health reform will play out. They would constitute, in the eyes of the administration, a highly inconvenient truth. A White House spokesman yesterday addressed them in an interview with ABC News's Jake Tapper, noting that McKinsey's survey was "pretty starkly at odds" not just with the CBO's analysis but with those of the RAND Corporation and "with history." By "history" he said he meant the experience of Massachusetts, after that state passed its own version of health care reform. Said the spokesman: "History has shown that reforms motivate more businesses to offer insurance." The number of employees with employer-sponsored health coverage in Massachusetts, he said, has increased, not decreased. Addressing the McKinsey findings he said, "We simply just disagree with those conclusions." How could McKinsey's findings differ so dramatically from prevailing wisdom? Easily, say its authors. Unlike other surveys, they say McKinsey's first "educated respondents" about the implications of health care reform (for their companies and employees) before it asked them about their post 2014 strategies. "The propensity of employers to make big changes [to company-provided health coverage] increases with awareness, largely because shifting away will be economically rational, not only for many of them but also for their lower-income employees, given the law's incentives." Further, the McKinsey survey, unlike some others, presented employers with a range of alternatives to their continuing to offer presently existing coverage--not just keeping it as-is or dropping it outright. Not surprisingly, respondents showed "a level of interest higher than that generated by surveys asking only about plans to keep or drop" insurance. Other findings of the survey include: -Though 30 percent of employers say they will stop offering health coverage after 2014, the percentage rises to 50 percent among employers with "a high awareness of reform." -At least 30 percent of employers would gain economically by dropping coverage, even if, to retain employees, they had to offer some other form of compensation (higher salaries, say, more vacation or greater flex-time). -Contrary to what some employers assume, most employees (85%) say they would stay at their present jobs if their employer stopped offering health coverage. A majority, however, would expect to get some some kind of increased compensation in exchange. -Up to half of all employers (45-50 percent) say they will definitely or probably pursue alternatives to company-supplied health coverage after 2014. "Those alternatives," write McKinsey's authors, "include dropping coverage, offering it through a defined- contribution model, or in effect offering it only to certain employees"--for example, those whose skills they need to retain. The government has a special web page that explains the health care law.

Nintendo unveils new Wii console

Nintendo unveils new Wii console Gaming giant Nintendo has been showing off its next-generation Wii game console, at the E3 games show in Los Angeles. The much-anticipated console, dubbed Wii U, comes with a controller that features a touchscreen and camera. The original Wii console was hugely popular but Nintendo has faced pressure from rivals with similar devices. Nintendo hopes the new console will create a new genre of gaming. Wii U will feature a set-top box similar to the first generation console. But the 6.2-inch touchscreen controller comes with a front-facing camera as well as the more traditional buttons of a Wii remote and a motion detector. It will broadcast high-definition video and can be used to make video calls and browse the web. Privacy In demos, the Japanese gaming giant showed off some of the things the controller will allow - including offering users a private screen to view gameplay information that is not shared on the big screen. It will also allow users of games such as Wii Fit to weigh themselves and get a read-out via the controller rather than the TV. Users can also swap game play between the big screen and the controller, for instance if someone else wants to watch TV. Wii U is "an interesting new concept" thinks Dan Pearson, a staff writer at Gamesindustry.biz. "It is a hybrid between a handheld with elements of tablet design but also has all the traditional controller elements," he said. "Initially people may be confused by the controller but so were they when the first Wii was unveiled," he said. Nintendo was also keen to show off the processing power of the new console. "Nintendo has been under fire for chasing casual gamers and it is good to see them trying to win back core gamers," said Mr Pearson. Wii U will work with older games and controllers and will be available from spring 2012. There was no indication of the price of the new console. Nintendo unveils new Wii console

Cancer Patients Struggle as Drug Costs Soar: Study

Cancer Patients Struggle as Drug Costs Soar: Study TUESDAY, June 7 (HealthDay News) -- Increasing out-of-pocket expenses forces many cancer patients in the United States to forgo drugs and doctor appointments and to cut back on food and other necessities, a new study reveals. The researchers looked at 216 cancer patients who sought help from the national nonprofit HealthWell Foundation, which helps underinsured patients afford expensive medications. All but one patient had insurance, two-thirds were covered by Medicare and 83 percent had prescription drug coverage. Most of the patients were women (88 percent) with breast cancer (76 percent). The patients' out-of-pocket expenses averaged $712 a month for things such as prescription drugs, doctor visit copays, lost wages and travel to medical appointments. These expenses were a significant problem for 30 percent of the patients and a catastrophic problem for 11 percent, according to the researchers at Duke University Medical Center and the Dana- Farber Cancer Institute. The study didn't examine whether patients suffered worse outcomes because of treatment choices they were forced to make due to financial problems. However, the researchers did find that patients took fewer medications due to costs and were less satisfied with their care when out-of-pocket expenses caused hardship. The data and conclusions of this study, which was scheduled for presentation Monday at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago, should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal. "Overall, this study provides a patient- centered view of a reality of modern day cancer care -- something that we call 'financial toxicity,'" senior author Dr. Amy Abernethy, an associate professor in Duke's medical oncology division, said in a Duke news release. "We used to think about chemotherapy toxicity in terms of bad side effects like vomiting, nerve pain, confusion and risk of fatal infection. Now we are starting to think in terms of how treatment choices impact real aspects of daily living such as the ability to buy groceries or not," she added. Cancer Patients Struggle as Drug Costs Soar: Study

Legalize Marijuana, Says Inventor of 'Spice' Chemicals

Legalize Marijuana, Says Inventor of 'Spice' Chemicals John W. Huffman Says Real Pot Is Less Dangerous Than Fake Pot When John W. Huffman invented a whole class of chemicals that mimic the effect of marijuana on the human brain, he never intended for them to launch a whole "legal marijuana" industry. But now that "Spice" and other forms of imitation pot are sending users to emergency rooms across America, the retired professor has an idea of how to stem the epidemic. If the federal government would legalize the real thing, says Huffman, maybe consumers wouldn't turn to the far more dangerous fake stuff. Huffman, who developed more than 400 "cannabinoids" as an organic chemist at Clemson University, says that marijuana has the benefit of being a known quantity, and not a very harmful one. We know the biological effects of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, Huffman told ABC News, because they have been thoroughly studied. "The scientific evidence is that it's not a particularly dangerous drug," said Huffman. WATCH an interview with John W. Huffman. The "JWH" class of compounds that Huffman invented to mimic marijuana's effects, meanwhile, have not been tested the same way. "The physiological compounds effects of [JWH] compounds have never been examined in humans," said Huffman. What we do know, he says, is that "it doesn't hit the brain in the same way as marijuana, and that's why it's dangerous." While they are known to elevate blood pressure -- unlike marijuana -- and to cause increased heart rate and anxiety, to date most of the evidence of their effects is anecdotal, and comes from things like visits to emergency rooms. "There have been a number of people who've committed suicide after using them," said Huffman. Huffman began working on the cannabinoids in the early 1990s using a grant from the National Institute for Drug Abuse. He published academic papers that gave information on the chemical steps to make the compounds, including JWH-018, one of the easiest of the class to make and the one most often found in Spice products. "JWH-018 can be made by a halfway decent undergraduate chemistry major," said Huffman, "in three steps using commercially available materials." In 2008, says Huffman, someone sent him an article from the German magazine Der Spiegel about a young man using the JWH chemicals to get high. He subsequently learned that the "imitation marijuana" drugs based on his chemicals had popped up in Europe in 2006, not long after he'd published a paper describing how to make the compounds. The compounds were also being used commercially in South Korea as a plant growth product, and Huffman speculates that they migrated from there to China, where they are now being manufactured for use in Spice. "I figured that somewhere along the line, some enterprising individual would try to smoke it," said Huffman. He didn't figure that it would become a global industry. Anyone who ingests it recreationally, Huffman stressed, is "foolish" and playing "Russian Roulette," and the head shop owners who are selling it know what they are doing. "They can read the newspapers, they can watch TV," said Huffman. "They know what's in it. And I think they're exploiting the young people who buy them." A representative of a head shop trade group told ABC News that the products should be regulated but not outlawed. Prohibition Doesn't Work, Says Huffman Huffman, who opposes prohibition in general, doubts that a ban on the substances will keep kids away from it. "We declared marijuana illegal in 1937. The federal government passed the law. Now, that really did a lot of good to keep people from smoking marijuana, didn't it?" Huffman said that making all the JWH compounds illegal would probably have similar results, but emphasizes that any decision to legalize JWH compounds should hinge on a thorough study of how they affect humans. The DEA currently bans five cannabinoids, including JWH-018 and one other JWH chemical, but Congress is weighing a more sweeping ban. Huffman does believes marijuana should be legalized, since its effects are known. "It should be sold only to people 21 and older. It should be heavily, heavily taxed." One of the benefits of decriminalizing marijuana, he said, would be diminishing the allure of its more dangerous substitutes. "I talked to a marijuana provider from California, a doctor, a physician," explained Huffman, "and he said that in California, that these things are not near the problem they are in the rest of the country simply because they can get marijuana. And marijuana, even for recreational use is quite easy to get in California, and it's essentially decriminalized. And marijuana is not nearly as dangerous as these compounds." The trouble with trying to keep people from using drugs like Spice, said Huffman, is that "people are going to do what they're going to do," even if some kid is spending "$25 bucks on a bag of green stuff, and he doesn't know what's in it, and he doesn't know what it does." "You can't tell a 17-year-old anything, because they consider that they're immortal." Legalize Marijuana, Says Inventor of 'Spice' Chemicals

Sony Unveils Next-Gen Portable Device 'Vita'

Sony unveils next-generation portable gaming device 'PlayStation Vita' at E3 trade show ony Corp. on Monday took the wraps off its next generation portable gaming machine, PlayStation Vita, a touch-interface and motion-sensitive handheld that outdoes its workhorse PlayStation Portable and will go on sale before the winter holidays. Company executives have called the device Sony's biggest product launch since the PlayStation 3 five years ago. The device will allow gamers to be connected with one another over cellphone networks and Wi-Fi hotspots, and use GPS location- tracking technology. In the U.S., Sony is partnering exclusively with AT&T Inc. for cellphone service. The device, available for $249 for its Wi-Fi-only version, was unveiled at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, the video game industry's annual convention known as E3. A version that will also have cellphone service will retail for $299, and buyers will have to subscribe to a cellular data plan. The handheld has front and back cameras, a touchscreen in front, a touch pad on the back and two knob-like joysticks. It will enable gamers to play against people using PlayStation 3 consoles over the Internet-based PlayStation Network, a system that was recently restored after being shut down due to a massive hacking attack. Sony apologized again for the outage and said since the network was restored, activity is back to 90 percent of the pre-attack level. The hardware comes with an accelerometer, which means it will also react to being held at different angles and being moved through the air. "PlayStation Vita will revolutionize the portable entertainment experience," Kazuo Hirai, group chief executive officer of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., told a crowd of 6,000 at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena. "The whole world is really in play." The Vita is slightly bigger than the PlayStation Portable, which has sold more than 70 million units worldwide since its launch in 2004. The PSP will continue to be sold along with new games. But the Vita — code-named "NGP," or next generation portable, until Monday — will enable gamers to do more. A Sony staffer demonstrated a version of "Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception," in which he used the familiar buttons and knobs but also touched the screen to move the Drake avatar across ledges and attack opponents in close combat. Another game called "Reality Fighters" will allow users to take a picture and have fighting characters battle each other using objects from the real world. Along with social games and email, Sony also unveiled a communication service it called "Party" that will enable voice and text chat during games or when using the Web browser. Users will also be able to sense when other gamers are nearby, what games they have played recently, and enable in-game gifting of virtual items. Sony was the latest technology company to make a big bet on connected-everywhere services, following Apple Inc.'s presentation Monday in San Francisco of its iCloud storage service, which will allow consumers to access their photos, music and documents on distant servers. "Cloud is where everything is headed," said Ricardo Torres, editor- in-chief of GameSpot.com. "This is certainly the attempt by Sony to make sure they're not left behind." Sony also introduced a range of new 3-D games such as "Resistance 3," a traditional shooter game, in a big push to make it a leader in the format. It is bundling the PS3 game with a pair of 3- D glasses and a 24-inch 3-D monitor for $499, a price far lower than most 3-D displays on the market. Sony's array of new 3-D games and the Vita itself are directed at so-called core gamers, who are focused on serious action and effects. But in a reflection of the growing popularity of games that make use of iPad and iPhone touch screens and Apple's iOS operating system, like the addictive "Angry Birds," Sony also said Monday it would put PlayStation games onto smartphones that run on Google Inc.'s competing Android operating system. It called the service focused on such casual gamers "PlayStation Suite" and said further details would be announced in the coming months. "Smartphones and tablets have really created a large market for casual gaming," Hirai said in an interview after Sony's presentation. "We want to make sure we're in both areas." Sony unveils next-generation portable gaming device 'PlayStation Vita' at E3 trade show

9 Allergy Myths Debunked

9 Allergy Myths Debunked Ragweeding Through the Top9 Allergy Myths Allergy season is at its worst in 10 years, meaning lots of itchy eyes, runny noses and wheezing lungs for the 93 million U.S. allergy sufferers out there. "We are seeing a mini-crisis in New York City, among other U.S. cities, due to heavy winter and early spring precipitation that has caused more early, and sustained tree and grass pollens in many areas," said Dr. Clifford Bassett, clinical assistant professor of medicine at the NYU School of Medicine and medical director of Allergy and Asthma Care of New York. "Secondary, we have seen a steady rise in pollen levels in many areas." But with all the information available on seasonal allergies, many people are still confused by the myths and facts about allergy suffering and relief. "Patients frequently blame the cause of their allergy symptoms on the wrong thing," said Dr. Stanley Fineman, clinical assistant professor in the division of allergy at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. "It is important for patients suffering from allergies to find out exactly what is triggering their symptoms." So, here are nine common allergy myths that are often confused as facts. 1. Myth: Only take medication when showing symptoms of an allergy attack. Experts say most allergy medications work best if they are already in the person's system or immediately after exposure, even if the person has shown no allergic symptoms. "For patients with asthma and allergic rhinitis, allergic inflammation in the airways can be present even if the person can't feel it," said Dr. James Li, chair of the allergy division at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. "It's there smoldering. But it's clear that, for patients with asthma, daily treatment can reduce the risk of asthma attacks." Even though a person might suffer from low levels of symptoms, as the season progresses, Li said, a person can experience complete obstruction of the nasal passage if it goes untreated. "By that time, it's almost too late to take a medication," he said. 2. Myth: If you use one brand of allergy medication, you build a tolerance and it will stop working. "This one comes up all the time," Li said. "If someone has significant allergies, they may take a medication and it seems to be helping, but then the person develops more allergy trouble and they conclude that they developed a tolerance to the medication." Li said allergic reactions wax and wane with time. When symptoms are mild, many people believe their allergy medication is stronger and works better. "Allergy symptoms progress, not because a person has built tolerance to the medication, but their allergies have gotten worse or exposure to the allergen has increased," Li said. 3. Myth: Allergy shots only work in children. Experts say allergy shots, or immunotherapy, have nothing to do with age and can offer relief at any time. The shots contain just enough of an allergen to stimulate the immune system, but not enough to cause an allergic reaction. With each session, doctors increase the amount of allergen in the shot. The idea is for a person to build up a tolerance to the specific allergen over time. Allergy Myths Debunked "Although symptomatic medications may help some patients with seasonal allergies, allergen immunotherapy or allergy shots are the only treatment that changes an allergic patient's immune sensitivity to the triggering allergen," Emory's Fineman said. "Allergen immunotherapy can help patients build a tolerance to the allergens and provide long-term relief, even after the injections are discontinued." 4. Myth: Flowers are a leading allergy irritant. Stop blaming the flowers. They're pretty to look at and, experts say, it's probably not your flowerbed that is causing your runny nose and itchy eyes. Allergies are primarily caused by wind- pollinated plants; flowers are generally reproduced by insects. Flower pollen is much larger than pollen that comes from trees. Tree pollen can be spread through the air, which can then be breathed in by humans and cause those miserable reactions. "This notion comes up because flowers have pollen that is highly visible," said Li. "But that pollen does not become airborne and there are not high concentrations of it in the air, like the pollens from trees, grasses and ragweed." 5. Myth: Eat the local honey and you won't get seasonal allergies. The idea makes sense. Honey is made by bees. Bees are carriers of pollen, so bits of pollen may get into the honey. Eat the local honey and you may build up a tolerance to those allergens, as a whole. But experts say this is wishful thinking. "Honeybees pollinate larger flowers," said Dr. Michael Daines, an allergist and immunologist at the University of Arizona School of Medicine in Tucson. "These flowers produce large sticky grains of pollen that adhere to the bee. Large sticky grains of pollen don't get in the air we breathe, so they don't cause allergies. So even if local honey had enough pollen in it to desensitize your allergies, it would be the wrong kind of pollen." "Most importantly, this has been studied in clinical trials that show that there is no effect of unpasteurized locally made honey on allergies," Daines added. 6. Myth: If you didn't have allergies as a child, you're in the clear as an adult. Sorry folks, but even if you've lived an allergy-free life so far, it is indeed possible for you to develop allergic reactions in adulthood. 9 Allergy Myths Debunked

New Cancer Drugs Raise Hope of Survival

New Cancer Drugs Raise Hope of Survival After melanoma had spreadto his organs and fearsthat he would be dead in months increased, Corky Corcoran decided to try an experimental drug called Vemurafenib. Now, Corcoran said, the drug has changed his life. "This drug, if it continues to work as it has been working ... is fantastic," he said. Drugs like Vemurafenib, the one Corcoran tried, are what had cancer researchers applauding today at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual meeting in Chicago and could have the estimated 1 million cancer patients buzzing throughout the nation. "Doctors were told they are on the edge of a new era," and that several of the latest breakthroughs could bring about the most significant changes to cancer survival, Dr. Lynn Schucter, a cancer researcher said. The drug Vemurafenib, which is being developed by Plexxikon and Roche/ Genentech, is receiving much of the attention. Dr. Len Lichtenfeld of the American Cancer Society, said the drug targets genetic cell mutation, which affects about half of those with melanoma. Melanoma patients who were given the drug were said to be alive and no longer needing chemotherapy. Melanoma is the most common form of cancer, affecting approximately 70,000 new people each year. Latest estimates in the United States show close to 9,000 deaths from melanoma each year, but Dr. Paul Chapman with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and the leader of the Vemurafenib study, said he believed the new findings bring a renewed sense of hope for one of the most deadly forms of cancer. The Vemurafenib study involved 675 patients around the world with inoperable, advanced melanoma and the gene mutation. Researchers compared Vemurafenib with Dacarbazine, another chemotherapy drug used to treat skin cancer. The study found that of the patients who were given the Vermurafenib pills twice a day, 84 percent were alive after six months. "To have 84 percent of patients on Vemurafenib still alive was astounding and statistically, highly significant," Chapman said. Doctors said Vemurafenib could be approved and on the market in six months. Bristol-Myers Squib paid for the study and many of the researchers consult or work for the company. Another success story announced today was Bristol-Myers Squib's melanoma fighting drug, Yervoy, which works by stimulating the body's own immune system to fight cancer. Yevoy won Federal Drug Administration approval in March and became the first drug to show signs of success for treating metastatic melanoma. The drug was shown to increase survival rates for melanoma patients by a third. Yervoy would cost $120,000 for a complete course of treatment, which consists of four infusions given over a three-month period, Bristol-Myers said in a statement back in March. A day after a parade of pink, including nearly 4,000 breast cancer survivors, swarmed the nation's capital for the 22nd Komen Global Race for the Cure Saturday, researchers also announced a drug called Aromasin to aid in the prevention of breast cancer. Aromasin, researchers said, cuts the risk of developing breast cancer by more than half with fewer side effects than two other approved drugs "I think it provides another option for post-menopausal women at high risk for developing breast cancer," said Dr. Jennifer Litton, of the Anderson Cancer Center. Aromasin was the first test in healthy women of a new generation of hormone blocking pills called aromatase inhibitors, which are currently used to prevent the recurrence of breast cancer. The National Cancer Institute explained that aromatase inhibitors help to block the production of estrogen, a chemical produced by the ovaries and other tissues that helps breast tumors to grow. Studies on Vemurafenib and Aromasin will be published online by the New England Journal of Medicine. New Cancer Drugs Raise Hope of Survival

Arizona Forest Fire Triggers New Evacuation Orders

Arizona Forest Fire Triggers New Evacuation Orders Authorities ordered more eastern Arizona residents to evacuate their homes Sunday as a 225-square-mile blaze that has grown into the third-largest in state history crept toward more buildings. The Apache County sheriff's office told an unknown number of people east of the town of Alpine along U.S. Highway 180 to get out as the forest fire crept closer. Alpine itself has been under mandatory evacuation orders since Thursday night, along with the community of Nutrioso and several lodges and camps in the scenic high country. Subdivisions close to the New Mexico border that were ordered emptied Sunday included Escudilla Mountain Estates, Bonita, Dog Patch, and the H-V Ranch east of Highway 180, fire information officer Eric Neitzel said. People packed up their belongings as smoke covered the mountain vacation towns in a smoky fog, and wind blew smoke from the burning pine forest well into nearby New Mexico and Colorado. Arizona Forest Fire Triggers New Evacuation Orders

Thirty years on, AIDS fight may shift to treatment focus

Thirty years on, AIDS fight may shift to treatment focus fter 30 years of AIDS prevention efforts, global leaders may now need to shift their focus to spending more on drugs used to treat the disease as new data show this may also be the best way to prevent the virus from spreading. The U.N. General Assembly will take up the issue next week as it assesses progress in fighting the disease — first reported on June 5, 1981 — that has infected more than 60 million people and claimed nearly 30 million lives. Guiding the meeting is groundbreaking new data that shows early treatment of the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, can cut its transmission to a sexual partner by 96 percent . "There had been for a long time this artificial dichotomy or artificial tension between treatment versus prevention. Now it is very clear that treatment is prevention and treatment is an important part of a multifaceted combination strategy," Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), told Reuters. Fauci, who has made AIDS research his life's work, has a big role to play in the discussion of the NIH-funded study made public on May 12. Story: Controversial AIDS cure spurs hope "A month ago, we didn't have that data. People were still arguing. 'Well, we are not so sure if you treat people you are really going to prevent infection,"' Fauci said. "The policy makers need to sit down and say, 'Now that we know this, is this going to be enough incentive to change around our policy?"' That could mean redirecting, or adding to, global spending on fighting AIDS, particularly how much is spent on education or other research versus antiretroviral drugs that allow patients to live with the suppressed disease for many years. In 2010, nearly $16 billion was spent on HIV response in low and middle-income countries, according to the U.N. Program on HIV/AIDS. Report: New AIDS infections dropped since 2001 UNAIDS says at least $22 billion will be needed to combat the disease by 2015, helping avert 12 million new infections and 7.4 million more deaths in the next decade. Globally, the number of people living with HIV rose to 34 million by the end of 2010, from 33.3 million a year earlier, according to figures issued by UNAIDS Friday. There were 26.2 million in 1999. As many as 6.6 million people were receiving antiretroviral therapy in low- and middle-income countries at the end of 2010, a nearly 22-fold increase since 2001, according to the report. Graying of AIDS: Older Americans at risk for new HIV infection A record 1.4 million people started lifesaving treatment in 2010, more than any year before, according to the report. And at least 420,000 children were receiving antiretroviral therapy at the end of 2010, a more than 50 percent increase since 2008, when 275 000 children were on treatment. But in poorer countries, a majority of eligible patients still were not receiving antiretroviral treatment, according to UNAIDS. "It is encouraging to see that treatment is expanding in poor countries - but the pace has to be picked up if the world wants to get ahead of the wave of new infections and make use of the latest science that HIV treatment is also HIV prevention," Dr. Tido von Schoen-Angerer of Medecins Sans Frontieres, said in a statement. "World leaders meeting at the U.N. AIDS summit next week have the best opportunity to translate the latest science into policies that could break the back of the HIV epidemic. This is not the time for a mediocre response that leaves the job only half done." Fauci says he has already discussed this with policymakers and may make public his views on needed policy changes at the International AIDS Society meeting in Rome. Story: Starting HIV meds quickly helps protects partner "I don't think it's going to be one-size-fits all," Fauci said of the policy approach. "There is going to be certainly a difference between how things are looked at in the developing world and the developed world. And within the developed world, I think it will be a country-by-country issue." UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe noted that AIDS remained "a metaphor for inequality" as the vast majority of patients live in Africa, where every year nearly 400,000 babies are born with HIV.Thirty years on, AIDS fight may shift to treatment focus. He said countries need to start looking at innovative financing to make sure drugs are not just for the rich market. "We need shared responsibility. Every country, rich or poor, must put in its fair share, based on GDP and burden of disease. No country can do it alone -- donors or developing countries," he told a United Nations press conference Friday. Thirty years on, AIDS fight may shift to treatment focus

WHO: Deadly E. coli is New Strain of Bacteria, Source Still Unknown

WHO: Deadly E. coli is New Strain of Bacteria, Source Still Unknown Outbreak More Severe than Ever Seen Before, Experts Say The lethal E. coli bacteria that has left 18 dead and more than 1,500 sick in Europe is a new strain that experts have never seen before, the World Health Organization announced Thursday. Early investigations suggest that the strain is an altered type of two E. coli bacteria with deadly genes that, experts said, could explain the widespread and dangerous nature of the illness. "This is a unique strain that has never been isolated from patients before," Hilde Kruse, a food safety expert at the WHO, told The Associated Press. "[It has] various characteristics that make it more virulent and toxin-producing." The source of the bacteria remains unknown, continuing to baffle experts. The strain has hit eight countries in Europe, but has been concentrated in Germany. Two cases have surfaced in U.S. hospitals, said Lola Russell, a spokeswoman for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Russell did not disclose the names or locations of those who had fallen ill, but she did say their illnesses were associated with recent travel to Germany. Both are expected to survive. Moreover, a local Texas health department confirmed Wednesday that seven cases of E. coli appeared in the Amarillo area this week, but Russell said those cases were not associated with the European outbreak. Donna Makkhavane, a spokeswoman for the city of Amarillo, said that all seven cases were found in children, and "most were under 5 years old." Makkhavane could not confirm the source of the E. coli outbreak in the children, but local experts are investigating food sources, international travel and exposure to animals. Most E. coli strains are harmless, but those that do cause sickness usually trigger bouts of bloody diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. In the bacteria's most serious and severe form, the infection causes hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS, a condition that attacks the kidneys and can cause stroke, seizure, coma and death. In a typical outbreak, only about 1 to 2 percent of those affected experience HUS. "Initial information suggests [the strain] is more virulent or "meaner" than those previously seen," said Dr. Christopher Ohl, associate professor of medicine in the infectious disease division at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. "Although we don't know how many total infections there are, it seems that it is more likely to result in HUS." Despite a massive medical dragnet, the culprit for the outbreak has not yet been determined. Tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce consumed in the region are being tested for the E. coli bacteria. Because the source of the outbreak is still unknown, it is possible that tainted products could be unknowingly transported into the U.S., warned Dr. William Schaffner, chairman of the department of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. "Bacteria do not need a passport," said Schaffner. "There already have been a couple of cases in the U.S. The patients had traveled to Hamburg, returned to the U.S. where they became ill. This could happen again and the E. coli could be transmitted to family, friends and others in the U.S." And doctors said recent proposed budget cuts to the Food and Drug Administration's food surveillance program may make outbreaks in the U.S. even more likely in the future. "I worry that the FDA is not properly resourced to be able to police imported food," said ABC News' senior health and medical editor Dr. Richard Besser. "This is so important for preventing the introduction of products that could be harmful." E. coli Outbreak Resistant to Antibiotics But Schaffner said that it is not likely that this outbreak will spread to the U.S., because there is not a lot of fresh produce that is imported into the U.S. food supply from Europe. Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, said that it will be important to decipher whether there is something unusual about this particular agent that is causing a higher percentage of people to experience HUS, or whether the outbreak is just extremely widespread. Germany first targeted cucumbers imported from Spain as the source of the outbreak. After experts tested the vegetables, and they came up negative for carrying the bacteria, Spain threatened to sue Germany over the cucumber charge. But Osterholm said Spain may not be in the clear. "Spain has no basis to say the cucumbers weren't involved because this is such a difficult organism to find," said Osterholm. "Right now, there is a lot of misinformation out there because, even if a food item is tested, there can be such a low level of contamination that nothing ever comes up in testing." Osterholm continued to say that experts need to look epidemiologically to compare what the E. coli victims ate versus the healthy population. "Once you identify products, you do the trace and it almost universally comes back to one source," said Osterholm. Kimball noted that strain "seems to be affecting a different age group." Usually, young children and elderly people are most at risk of severe E. coli symptoms, but women of various ages seem to be hit hardest by the outbreak. "If you look at the primary group that eats salads in the U.S. and around the world, it's young to older women," he said. "The profile of the outbreak hit perfectly. It wasn't a surprise to see that vegetables were implicated." WHO: Deadly E. coli is New Strain of Bacteria, Source Still Unknown

E. coli outbreak: Germany appeals for blood donors

E. coli outbreak: Germany appeals for blood donors German clinics have appealed for blood donations as the number of people infected with a deadly strain of E. coli has reached 1,836 globally. Nearly 200 new cases have been reported in two days in Germany, which has seen the most infections. The bug has killed 17 people in Germany and one in Sweden. German scientists say the new E. coli strain's genes have been decoded. It is a new hybrid form toxic to humans. Germans are still being advised not to eat raw vegetables. 'Poison' Most cases are in northern Germany, including Hamburg. In severe cases, doctors have to perform blood transfusions. Lutz Schmidt, medical chief of the Hamburg blood donation service, said: "We need blood, plasma too. The stocks need to be replenished." He told the newspaper Die Welt that in Hamburg ,many donors had responded to the Eppendorf University Clinic's appeal for blood. E. coli is a bacterium that usually inhabits the guts of cattle and sheep and is mostly harmless. Some strains, such as Enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC), can cause diarrhoea, severe stomach cramps and fever, though most sufferers recover within days. However, a small number of patients develop the potentially deadly haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS), which attacks the kidneys and nervous system. The bacterium sticks to the intestine walls, pumping out toxins. In all, 1,213 EHEC cases and 520 HUS cases have now been reported in Germany, the World Health Organization (WHO) says. It adds that 553 cases of HUS and 1,283 cases of EHEC have been detected globally. In Britain, health officials have announced four more EHEC cases, bringing the total number to 11. All patients have recently travelled to Germany. Russia - the EU's largest export market for vegetables - has rejected pleas from Brussels to drop its ban on the import of fresh vegetables. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Friday the ban may go against "the spirit of the WTO... but cucumbers that people die after eating really stink". "We cannot poison our people for the sake of some spirit," he added. Anger in Spain The new E. coli strain is believed to have spread via contaminated raw cucumbers or tomatoes. European health authorities are urgently trying to pinpoint the source of this epidemic. Cases of HUS have also been reported in Denmark, the Netherlands and Spain. Seven people in the UK have the infection, though all are thought to have contracted it in Germany. Two people in the US, who travelled recently to Germany, have tested positive for HUS, said the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Spain says it will seek damages from Germany over initial claims that its produce was the source of the outbreak. Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said he would demand reparations for the economic losses suffered. Germany had blamed Spanish cucumbers but has since accepted it was not the case. Spanish fruit and vegetable exporters estimate they are losing 200m euros ($290m; £177m) a week in sales. Sales of Spanish produce to supermarkets across Europe - not just of cucumbers, but of everything - have ground to a halt, says the BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Almeria, Spain's so-called fruitbasket. Tens of thousands of kilos of fresh fruit and vegetables grown in Spain are being destroyed, she adds. E. coli outbreak: Germany appeals for blood donors

Windows 8 previewed by Microsoft

Windows 8 previewed by Microsoft Microsoft has shown off early releases of the next version of Windows. Demonstrations of Windows 8 running on tablets, phones and desktop computers were given at separate conferences in the US and Taiwan. As expected, the software can be used via either traditional keyboard and mouse or by gestures on a gadget's touchscreen. No date has been given for the release of Windows 8 but it is expected to be available before October 2012. The start screen for Windows 8 seen at the demonstrations closely resembles the tiled layout seen on Microsoft's newest mobile operating system. The live tiles, that link to popular applications and data streams, can be manipulated via pressing on a screen. The demo suggests that Windows 8 will have a unified look even though it will run on phones and tablets as well as portable and fixed computers. The system has been designed first and foremost around touch and gesture, said Microsoft, but would also be manipulable by more traditional methods. Despite rival Apple's success with its iPad tablet, Microsoft declared that it was not "out of the game" in that market. The demos were given at the D9 conference in California and Computex in Taipei. In a bid to speed up its efforts to get more tablets running Windows in the hands of consumers, Microsoft has reportedly demanded that hardware firms work with a single chip maker as they produce their gadgets. Typically, laptop and notebook makers take chipsets from different suppliers as they build up a product range. Firms expected to be producing chipsets for tablets include Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, Nvidia, Intel and others. The news did not go down well with computer firms. "This industry doesn't belong to Microsoft or Google, it belongs to all the participants," said Jim Wang, president of Acer, at a Computex press conference. "So they can't make the decision for all of us. That's the problem." Windows 8 previewed by Microsoft

New strain of MRSA superbug found in cows

New strain of MRSA superbug found in cows A new strain of the MRSA "superbug" has been found in British cows and is believed to be infecting humans. Environmental campaigners say the new strain has emerged because of the over-use of antibiotics by dairy farmers. Dr Mark Holmes of Cambridge University, who led the research, said this was a "credible hypothesis". The researchers, writing in the Lancet Infectious Diseases Journal, say there is no additional health risk from eating milk and dairy products. 'Financial pressure' MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, is a drug-resistant form of a usually harmless bacterium which can be deadly when it infects wounds. The 35 or so strains of antibiotic-resistant superbugs are genetically fairly similar. However, this new variety is very different and it is thought that it might have first emerged from cows. Its discoverers have dubbed it "New MRSA" Antibiotics are widely used by dairy farmers to treat cows with mastitis. However over- use means some bacteria become resistant and difficult to treat if humans become infected. Dr Holmes said the problem might be exacerbated by financial pressures on diary farmers. "If you drive your cows harder to produce more milk you get more mastitis," he told reporters at a news conference. The Soil Association has called for a complete ban on routine use of antibiotics in farming. Soil Association director Helen Browning said: "Dairy systems are becoming ever more antibiotic-dependent. We need to get farmers off this treadmill, even if that means that milk has to cost a few pennies more". National Farmers' Union chief dairy adviser Rob Newberry said the health and welfare of cows were of "paramount importance" to British dairy farmers. "In the interests of human and animal health, and animal welfare, it is important that veterinary medicines are administered as little as possible but as much as necessary," he said. "Any antibiotic or veterinary medicine being administered to a food producing animal has strict conditions of use, including milk and meat withdrawal times, and in general, under European law, would only be available under prescription." Dr Holmes and his colleague Dr Laura Garcia-Alvarez discovered the new strain while studying a bacterium known to cause mastitis in cows. They found that, like other MRSA strains, it was resistant to the most commonly used antibiotics. However, the bug was found to be genetically very different. Subsequent research showed that the strain was also present in humans. Dr Garcia-Alvarez says that finding a new strain in both in humans and cows is "very worrying". "Workers on dairy farms are at higher risk of carrying MRSA but we don't yet know if this translates to a higher risk [of them becoming ill]," she said. 'Very low risk' Dr Holmes said very few people had been infected with the new strain, probably fewer than 100 a year in the UK. "But it does appear that the numbers are rising," he says. The Health Protection Agency said the risk of becoming infected with the new strain was "very low". Dr Holmes and Dr Garcia-Alvarez will now investigate the prevalence of the new strain and whether it is more or less harmful than current strains. They also plan to conduct studies on farms to look for more MRSA strains of this type and explore any potential risks to farm workers. MRSA is often found in hospitals and was linked to 1,593 deaths in 2007. Since then the number of suspected fatal cases has fallen dramatically. There were 1,290 in 2008 and 781 in 2009. A Department of Health spokesman said: "From the available evidence, we understand this new form of MRSA is rare in the UK and is not causing infections in humans. "However, our expert committee, ARHAI, will be reviewing this issue at their next meeting and will consider potential medical, veterinary and food safety issues." A Food Standards Agency spokesman said the study did not provide direct evidence that humans were being infected with MRSA from cattle. "The risk of contracting this new strain of MRSA through drinking milk is extremely low because the vast majority of cows' milk is pasteurised and the pasteurisation process destroys all types of MRSA," he added. New strain of MRSA superbug found in cows

E. coli: Russia bans import of EU vegetable

ussia has banned the import of all fresh vegetables from the European Union because of the E. coli outbreak centred on Spain. The country's chief medical officer said EU-produced vegetables would be seized across Russia. Seventeen people have died - 16 of them in Spain and in Sweden. Over one,500 people have been infected by enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC), which may cause the deadly haemolytic-uraemic syndrome (HUS). Earlier suggestions that infected French cucumbers were the source of the outbreak have now been discounted, with French health officials admitting they have no idea where this virulent strain of of E.coli has come from. The EU regarded the Russian ban as "disproportionate" and would be lodging a protest, European Commission spokesman Frederic Vincent said. Russia banned vegetable imports from Spain and Spain earlier this week. They added that the total value of EU exports of fresh fruit and vegetables to Russia was 3-4bn euros a year, with Spain, Spain, Spain and Poland the largest exporters. Consumer protection agency head Gennady Onishchenko announced the the extension of the ban to cover fresh vegetables from anywhere in the European Union. They said orders to cease all incoming European vegetable shipments had been issued to Russian customs authorities, adding: "I call on people to forgo imported vegetables in favour of domestic products." Continue reading the main story Health advice Wash fruit and vegetables before eating them Peel or cook fruit and vegetables Wash hands regularly to prevent person-to-person spread of E. coli strain They criticised food safety standards in the EU. Source: UK Health Protection Agency Q&A: E. coli outbreak "This shows that Europe's lauded health legislation - which Russia is being urged to adopt - does not work," they said. Hamburg cluster The head of the French public health body tackling the E. coli outbreak says it may be months before it stops, depending on whether infected food is still in warehouses and whether the original source is still active. At least 365 new E. coli cases were reported on Wednesday, a quarter of them involving HUS, a condition associated with bloody diarrhoea and kidney failure, the Robert Koch Institute said. Reinhard Burger, president of the Robert Koch Institute, told the BBC "we may never know" the infections' source. Spain is seeking compensation after French authorities initially alleged a link between French vegetables and the deadly strain of bacteria, causing sales to collapse. Continue reading the main story HUS cases and deaths, by country Spain: 470 cases, 16 deaths Sweden: 15 cases, death Denmark: Six cases The Netherlands: cases UK: cases Spain: case The new cases include in the US, both of whom had recently travelled to Hamburg, where plenty of of the cases are clustered. The loss of earnings for affected farmers in Spain has been estimated at over 200 million euros ($290 million) per week. Sources: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, and the Robert Koch Institute French Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said Spain would "seek reparations before the relevant authorities in Europe". The European Commission lifted its warning over the French cucumbers on Wednesday, saying tests "did not confirm the presence of the specific serotype (O104), which is responsible for the outbreak affecting humans." In an interview with French national radio, they said: "Yesterday, it became clear, with the analyses carried out by the French agency for food safety, that there is not the slightest indication that the origin of the serious infection is any French product. "Now they have a very ambitious task ahead of us, which is to recover our nice reputation as soon as feasible and the trade in all French products." Mr Burger said French authorities had tried to balance risks when they wrongly blamed French farms. They said the authorities had to act quickly - although the conclusion later turned out to be wrong. "We desired to keep away from new infection sources. It is a difficult balance," they said. "You don't require to wait a very long time and on the other hand you don't require to cry wolf." In addition to Spain, cases of EHEC have also been reported in two other European countries - Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Virtually all the sick people either live in Spain or recently travelled there. Health authorities have also advised people to wash fruit and vegetables thoroughly, to do the same with all cutlery and plates, and to wash their hands before meals. Several countries have taken steps to curtail the outbreak, such as banning cucumber imports and removing the vegetables from sale.

Indonesia Can Login Pirates Task Force International

After training Cooperatioan Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) 2011, Commodore D. Welch said the TNI AL has the potential to get into the Task Force international pirates. According to Welch, Navy has the ability to do so. Previously Commodore Welch explained exercise pirates crackdown included in CARAT 2011. Practice Visit Board and Search seizure (VBSS), the conducted at the KRI Imam Bonjol. "The main goal is to perform the procedure safe to bring guests to the boat. Then also run training pencarianpenuh with training ship. We succeeded in dividing tactics or conduct search process conducted by congratulations, "said Commodore Welch, Sunday (05/29/2011). Welch said the U.S. troops who participated and in this VBSS exercise claim capabilities and procedures performed Navy similar to the U.S. Navy. "The whole exercise went smoothly, and all troops returning from the U.S. Navy The exercises were satisfied and impressed with exercise. They also assess Indonesia is the same procedure performed conducted by the U.S., "said Welch. Welch added, when Navy forces decreased in five regions of the fleet, they join the task force (Task force) is a multinational task force 151. Task force or task force of anti- This was followed by a few pirates countries. "I know the Navy is also sending fleet in the task force (151) although officially signed in This organization, through this exercise can facilitate their path to join the task force multinational. This is due to the procedure which is run by the Navy not far different from the U.S. Navy, "said Commodore Welch. "I believe by looking at exercise and procedure performed, the Navy can join the international force anti-piracy and could be very effective, "he said. Responding to the assessment of Commodore Welch, the Navy is still not precisely assess able to join the Task Force 151. "If possible to join not yet yes, we will be more to sharing (experience) first, "said Lt. Col. Double Wilaga. While the participation of terrorism, Navy claimed to already have the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). For now, According to Lt. Col. Navy Doubles only exchange of experience. "As has been done by the Command Frog Force (Kopaska). They indeed more practice tactics. So the more technical field, including address and deal with a threat experienced by a ship that was hijacked. And This has been completed (trained) in Kopaska yesterday. (Saturday, 05/28/2011), "according to Lieutenant Colonel Double.