| U.S. election coverage
Barack Obama's showing was nearly as impressive. He won Connecticut, Georgia, Alabama, Delaware, Utah and his home state of Illinois. He also prevailed in caucuses in North Dakota, Minnesota, Kansas, Idaho and Colorado. While Clinton and Obama are locked in a protracted battle for delegates that is far from over, the New York senator turned back what many had predicted would be a Super surge for Obama, who had drawn tens of thousands of supporters to a series of rallies across the country in his frenetic sprint to voting day. Because of the way Democrats apportion delegates, based on the proportion of votes in congressional districts, Clinton's headline-grabbing night will not necessarily translate into a huge jump in delegate support and the two already have their sights set on crucial upcoming faceoffs in Maryland, Virginia, Ohio and Texas.
APP to boost production of Heparin
As Baxter International Inc. halted the production of blood-thinner Heparin, Schaumburg-based APP Pharmaceuticals Inc. is in a rush trying to grab a bigger market share. Baxter and APP are the biggest Heparin producers in the U.S. each having almost 50 percent of market share. Generic-injectable-maker APP is aware of the great opportunity that this situation represents in order to increase its top line. "We are going to ramp up our production to meet the U.S. demand as much as we can," APP spokeswoman Maili Bergman declared. APP is in good shape to take advantage of the current situation because it already has the facilities required to produce Heparin, and they have already been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. However, the company will have to figure out how to increase its manufacturing capability.
Makah whaling case postponed; no judge
A trial date was supposed to be set this week for five Makah Indians accused of illegally killing a gray whale last year, but the tribal court had to postpone the hearing because there's no judge to conduct it. Jean Vitalis, the tribe's former chief judge, was expected to hear the case but left the bench after her contract was not renewed. The new top jurist, former Associate Judge Emma Doulik, recused herself, citing "strong emotions" about the case. The tribe asked the Quinault Tribe's chief judge to hear the case, but she declined, citing health reasons. The whalers are charged with violating the tribe's Gray Whale Management Plan, breaking state and federal laws and reckless endangerment for firing a high-powered rifle at the whale.
Letters to the Editor
MY HEART goes out to Christina Faleni who cannot send her daughter (a promising student) to university because she simply cannot afford it (DD Prohibitive costs of education no good for our nation February 13). Yet last week the Democratic Alliance spokesperson on Education, Donald Smiles revealed in a parliamentary sitting that the Eastern Cape Department of Education has once again underspent its annual budget. This time round it was a whopping R249 million. This makes the R13 032 needed by the Falenis seem like a drop in the ocean. Smiles said that this underspending was criminal and the department should be charged for theft. I feel that he is quite right. This department is stealing the dreams and ambitions of many promising learners.
Federal cuts hurt Bucks rehab program
President Bush's 2009 budget proposal would cut funding to recovery programs across the country, including a local program that helps people remain drug and alcohol free. The Bucks County Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependence Inc. was counting on $350,000 to expand its programming into Bristol Township, said Executive Director Beverly Haberle. The council was awarded the grant in September and earlier this month Haberle signed a lease on a space at the former Delhaas High School on Route 413 where it planned to deliver services. It is very important to people who are struggling with recovery and their families to be able to get the help they need and sustain recovery, she said. The Recovery Community Services Program is one of 13 Health and Human Services programs totaling $2.8 billion that would be cut or reduced if the budget plan passes.
Revising late-term abortions proposed
TOPEKA | Abortion opponents announced planned legislation Thursday that they say would enhance enforcement of late-term abortion laws and prevent women from getting coerced abortions.</p><p>The measure would give district and county attorneys the ability to see abortion records and pursue a case if they think a crime was committed.</p><p>The announcement came a day after a judge allowed a grand jury to examine the medical records of 2,000 women who sought late-term abortions at Wichita physician George Tiller's clinic.</p><p>Women who sought abortions and their families also would be allowed to file civil suits against those they think violated the state's abortion law, said Rep. Lance Kinzer, a Republican from Olathe.</p><p>“A very good and limited late-term abortion law in the state of Kansas is not being followed and enforced,” Kinzer said.</p><p>But the proposed measure “trivializes the real pain and heartache that women and their families go through when they have to make a decision” to have an abortion, said Julie Burkhardt, chief operating officer for ProKanDo, which supports abortion rights.</p><p>She highlighted a part of the proposal that would allow citizens to take the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to court if it did not issue the public abortion data it is required to disclose.</p><p>Burkhardt said the measure was an effort to restrict legal access to abortion and intimidate abortion providers.</p><p>Kansans for Life said the proposed new measure would help prevent coerced abortions.</p><p>One of the provisions would require women to have at least 30 minutes of reflection time beforehand and be given a copy of the doctor's determination about the baby's viability.</p><p>Other provisions include:</p><p>- Allowing women the chance to see any ultrasound images of their fetus or hear a fetal heartbeat.</p><p>- Requiring the Kansas Board of Healing Arts to revoke the medical license of a doctor who breaks the state's late-term abortion law.</p><p>- Requiring doctors to retain abortion records for 10 years instead of the current five.</p><p>- Allowing the attorney general or district or county attorney to prosecute a reported violation in the county where the abortion was performed or where the woman lives.
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