Future is in doubt for cheaper versions of biologic drugs
They were the drugs that were supposed to save the U.S. tens of billions of dollars. Called “biosimilars,” they are near-copies of complex and expensive biologic drugs to treat cancer, rare diseases and autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis and colitis. But U.S. sales have been so limited that their future...
Can fish oil supplements treat depression?
Fish oil supplements may ease depression in some people. Some studies in adults suggest that omega-3 fatty acids may help treat mild to moderate depression, but more research is needed. Fish oil is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, which play an important role in brain function. People with...
Tanning beds raise risk for skin cancer
Dear Mayo Clinic: My daughter and her friends are all talking about going to a tanning bed. I suggested to my daughter that she get a spray tan instead, but I don’t think I’ve convinced her, since she’s under the impression that tanning beds are somewhat safe. Is there any...
Health Happenings – Jul. 2, 2019
Blood drives — Noon-6:30 p.m. Monday , Charter Oak Church, 449 Frye Farm Road, Unity — 12:30-6 p.m. Monday , First United Methodist Church of Irwin, 310 Oak St. Appointments: 800-733-2767 or redcrossblood.org; walk-ins welcome Classes/programs • YWCA Westmoreland County, 424 N. Main St., Greensburg are hosting these classes: —...
Family: Former Charleroi resident Lynn Fleming dies from flesh-eating disease in FloridaVideo
MIAMI — A 77-year-old former Charleroi resident was infected by flesh-eating bacteria and died nearly two weeks after she fell and scraped her leg while walking on a Florida beach, her family said Monday. Wade Fleming told The Associated Press that his mother Lynn Fleming, who retired to Florida’s Gulf...
Jury awards nearly $60 million to ex-student burned in chemistry class
NEW YORK — A former high school student disfigured by a chemistry experiment was awarded nearly $60 million Monday by a jury that had heard him testify that the fireball left him in unbearable pain and feeling like he was “hopelessly burning alive.” The Manhattan jury capped a month-long trial...
Trump says tanks will be part of July Fourth in WashingtonVideo
WASHINGTON — President Trump isn’t taking “no tanks” for an answer on the Fourth of July. He said Monday that a display of U.S. military tanks will be part of a special event he’s headlining July 4 in Washington — and an Associated Press photographer saw at least two M1A1...
AP Analysis: Trump smiles with North Korea, threatens Iran
WASHINGTON — With North Korea, President Trump puts on the charm. But with Iran, he cranks up the pressure with economic sanctions and a stronger military presence in the Persian Gulf. He warned its leaders Monday they are “playing with fire.” Nuclear weapons are at the heart of the difficult...
Border Patrol Chief: Sexist Facebook posts ‘inappropriate’Video
CLINT, Texas — Sexually explicit posts about U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and comments mocking migrant deaths in a secret Facebook group for agents and employees are “completely inappropriate,” the head of the U.S. Border Patrol said Monday. The sexist posts published by ProPublica came in response to Monday’s visit by...
‘Incredible’ summer hailstorm buries Guadalajara under 6 feet of iceVideo
Despite high temperatures dominating the start of the summer, people in Guadalajara, Mexico woke up Sunday to an icy existence. A bizarre hailstorm left the city buried in up to six feet of ice. Guadalajara, the capital city of Jalisco with a population of almost 1.5 million people, saw at...
Millions of records sealed in Pennsylvania criminal justice reform effort
In an experiment being watched across the country, Pennsylvania court officials began scrubbing more than 3 million old, nonviolent criminal charges from the public docket over the weekend. They are scheduled to repeat that feat every month for the next year under the provisions of the state’s Clean Slate law....
Report: Don’t count fossil fuels out just yet
Fossil fuels haven’t gone the way of the dinosaur just yet. Although the fossil fuel share of total U.S. energy consumption increased slightly in 2018, it was the second-lowest share since 1902, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Overall energy consumption in the United States reached a record high...
After chaotic handling of Parkland, airport shootings, Broward Sheriff’s Office loses accreditation
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A state panel has voted unanimously to revoke the law enforcement accreditation of the Broward Sheriff’s Office, the largest sheriff’s office in Florida. The loss of accreditation — a voluntary certification sought by law enforcement agencies — won’t affect BSO’s operations in a major way. But...
Yellow jacket super nests appearing in Alabama
Alabama researchers are finding huge — like really, really big — yellow jacket nests across the state. Perennial yellow jacket nests are colonies that survive more than one year, have 15,000 insects (which is 3 to 4 times more than normal), and often have multiple queens. The warmer winters and...
Lawsuit challenges U.S. approvals of Keystone XL pipeline
BILLINGS, Mont. — Environmentalists are asking a federal judge to cancel permits and other approvals issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada. Attorneys for the Northern Plains Resource Council, Sierra Club and other groups filed the latest lawsuit against the long-delayed...
Lawyers say fetal death charges in Alabama ‘unjust,’ motion to dismiss
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Lawyers defending a woman indicted for manslaughter after a gunshot wound to the stomach killed her fetus say the charges are “completely unreasonable and unjust” and should be dismissed. Marshae Jones was arrested last week after a grand jury issued an indictment saying she intentionally caused the...
Body found in London garden fell from Heathrow-bound plane
LONDON — A stowaway fell from the undercarriage of a jet as it approached Heathrow Airport after a 9-hour flight from Nairobi, landing in a south London garden, police and airline officials said Monday. The Metropolitan Police force said the body of an unidentified man was found in a residential...
Funeral scheduled for detective who fought for Sept. 11 fund
NEW YORK — A funeral will be held Wednesday for a former New York City police detective who was a leader in the fight for the Sept. 11 Victim Compensation Fund. Detective Luis Alvarez appeared with former “Daily Show” host Jon Stewart last month to plead with Congress to extend...
Delay in 2020 census could gum up finely calibrated planning
ORLANDO, Fla. — President Donald Trump says he has asked about delaying the 2020 census over a citizenship question, but experts say any delay could gum up the U.S. Census Bureau’s finely calibrated timetable. The printing deadline was Monday. For months, the Trump administration argued that the courts needed to...
Limited-release lottery features 7 highly sought-after whiskeys
Pennsylvania residents have until 11 p.m. Saturday to opt in to the latest limited-release lottery by the state Liquor Control Board. The July lottery features seven highly sought-after whiskeys, the board said. Entry is limited to one bottle per household, per lottery. Featured products include: Lottery One features two bottles...
States looking to tackle college indebtedness in K-12 curricula
As student debt approaches $1.6 trillion nationally, presidential candidates are test-driving a raft of proposals to deal with what many consider a major problem. Everything from tuition-free public college to debt forgiveness was on the agenda when 20 Democratic presidential contenders took the debate stage last week. They aren’t alone...
Why wealth gap has grown despite record-long economic growth
WASHINGTON — As it enters its 11th year, America’s economic expansion is now the longest on record — a streak that has shrunk unemployment, swelled household wealth, revived the housing market and helped fuel an explosive rise in the stock market. Yet even after a full decade of uninterrupted economic...
Spanish town hosts annual wine battle
HARO, Spain (AP) — Getting drenched with red wine might not be everyone’s idea of fun, but it is the idea behind one of Spain’s most popular — and unusual — fiestas. The town of Haro staged the annual Wine Battle in Spain’s Rioja wine-growing region on Saturday. Organizers say...
Iran says it has broken stockpile limit set by nuclear deal
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran acknowledged Monday it had broken the limit set on its stockpile of low-enriched uranium by the 2015 nuclear deal, marking its first major departure from the unraveling agreement a year after the U.S. unilaterally withdrew from the accord. Iran had been expected for days to acknowledge...
Protesters in Hong Kong break into legislature, paint logos
HONG KONG (AP) — Hundreds of protesters in Hong Kong swarmed into the legislature’s main building Monday night, tearing down portraits of legislative leaders and spray-painting pro-democracy slogans on the walls of the main chamber. The sharp escalation in tactics came on the anniversary of the former British colony’s return...
