Military now closer to getting vaccine
Washington Federal health officials have granted emergency authority for U.S. military personnel to receive the anthrax vaccine, and the Pentagon said Tuesday it plans to ask a federal judge to allow vaccinations to resume.
The military would be allowed to vaccinate U.S. forces for six months, but could not punish people who refused a shot, under authority granted last week by the Food and Drug Administration, according to a court filing Tuesday. Defense officials say military forces are at heightened risk of an anthrax attack.
But the Pentagon must first get U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan to agree. “This step could take some time,” a Pentagon official said.
Ruling in a lawsuit by six members of the armed forces, Sullivan suspended anthrax vaccinations in late October after he found fault in the FDA’s process for approving the drug.
The government, however, acknowledged that 931 people were “mistakenly vaccinated” after Sullivan ordered the halt on Oct. 27, including about 150 in January.
Defense officials have insisted the vaccine is safe and noted the judge has not disagreed. The lawsuit argued the vaccine was experimental and that it was being improperly used for inhalation anthrax as well as exposure to the bacteria through the skin.
Helms warns against Clinton as U.N. chief
Charlotte, N.C. They may both be out of office, but Bill Clinton remains the ultimate boogeyman for former Sen. Jesse Helms.
In a fund-raising letter for his senatorial library, Helms invokes the specter of the former president leading the United Nations after Kofi Annan retires next year.
“I’m sure you might agree that putting a left-wing, undisciplined and ethically challenged former President of the United States into a position of such power would be a tragic mistake,” wrote the 83-year-old Republican, who left office in 2003 after five terms.
The Associated Press obtained a copy of the letter Tuesday. It contains a petition asking President Bush to “rebuke all efforts by Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, and every other liberal in Congress to push for Bill Clinton to become Secretary-General of the United Nations.”
Based on unofficial rules governing selection of U.N secretaries-general, Clinton seems an unlikely candidate. Selection of the secretary-general rotates by region; it is Asia’s turn to choose the next U.N. leader and there are already several announced Asian candidates.
In addition, the secretary-general traditionally does not come from a country that is a permanent, veto-wielding member of the U.N. Security Council – a group that includes the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China.
Annan appointed Clinton on Tuesday to be a U.N. special envoy for tsunami reconstruction and to help resolve rebel conflicts in two of the hardest hit countries, Indonesia and Sri Lanka.
Thieves take more than 100 guns from store
Westfield, Pa. More than 100 guns were stolen from a Pennsylvania sporting goods store after the thieves apparently disarmed an alarm system, pried open the front door and smashed glass display cases.
Authorities posted a $5,000 reward Tuesday for information about the weekend theft at Ackley and Sons Sporting Goods. Owner Jeff Treadwell said most of the stolen weapons were handguns.
Judge satisfied with Jackson-trial jury pool
Santa Maria, Calif. The judge in the child molestation case against Michael Jackson said Tuesday he had a sufficient pool of about 250 prospective jurors willing to sit through the projected six-month trial, moving jury selection along more quickly than expected.
Superior Court Judge Rodney Melville said 300 more prospective jurors who had been scheduled to report Tuesday afternoon and today would not be needed.
The next stage begins Monday, when the prospective jurors will be questioned by the defense and the prosecution. The judge wants to seat a jury of 12, with eight alternates.