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News Idaho nuclear lab fined after workers exposed to radiation Medication tied to rare meningitis outbreak may have reached 23 states Analysis: In fog of numbers, little tax clarity from Obama-Romney Medication tied to rare meningitis outbreak reached 23 states Obama fights back after debate setback Obama, Romney debate sheds little light on healthcare issues Medicines Co stops trial of blood loss drug on safety issues Americans have mixed feelings about healthcare: Reuters/Ipsos poll Colombian president says doing well after cancer surgery Canada's XL Foods to increase safeguards after huge beef recall U.S. authorities charge 91 in $430 million Medicare fraud Morocco bars visit by Dutch abortion rights ship Gum disease linked to psoriasis: study More parks don't mean more walking: study Romney, Obama both like deficit-cutting plan, to a point Idaho nuclear lab fined after workers exposed to radiation SALMON, Idaho (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Energy fined a nuclear research lab in Idaho more than $400,000 on Thursday for multiple safety violations stemming from two mishaps last year that caused workers to be contaminated with radiation. "DOE considers these events to be of high safety significance," John Boulden, a director of enforcement and oversight for the Energy Department in Washington, D.C., wrote in the violation notice issued to the Idaho National Laboratory in Idaho Falls. ... Full Story Top Medication tied to rare meningitis outbreak may have reached 23 states NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Reuters) - A steroid medication linked to the death of at least five people from rare fungal meningitis may have been administered to patients in 23 states, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control said on Thursday, raising fears the rare outbreak could spread. In a briefing for reporters, the CDC said five people had died so far and 35 had fallen sick from fungal meningitis in six states. The outbreak was first reported in Tennessee, where three people have died and 25 of the cases have been reported. The other confirmed deaths were in Virginia and Maryland. ... Full Story Top Analysis: In fog of numbers, little tax clarity from Obama-Romney (Reuters) - For an event so freighted with expectations of tax insights, the Obama-Romney debate on Wednesday offered few clues on what the candidates' tax plans could mean for average Americans. Republican nominee Mitt Romney stuck to his strategy of promising tax cuts. To pay for this, he pledged again to close yet-to-be-named tax loopholes. And he said new tax revenues would come from economic growth spurred by lower taxes. ... Full Story Top Medication tied to rare meningitis outbreak reached 23 states NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Reuters) - A steroid medication linked to the death of at least five people from rare fungal meningitis may have been administered to patients in 23 states, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control said on Thursday, raising fears the rare outbreak could spread. In a briefing for reporters, the CDC said five people had died so far and 35 had taken ill from fungal meningitis in six states. The outbreak was first reported in Tennessee, where three people have died and 25 of the cases have been reported. The other confirmed deaths were in Virginia and Maryland. ... Full Story Top Obama fights back after debate setback DENVER (Reuters) - A day after a muted performance in a presidential debate, U.S. President Barack Obama fought back against Republican rival Mitt Romney on Thursday and the Democrat's re-election campaign vowed to learn lessons from the setback. A feisty Obama told a rally of some 12,000 people that the former Massachusetts governor was untruthful during Wednesday's 90-minute debate in Denver, which most observers reckoned the Republican won. "When I got onto the stage, I met this very spirited fellow who claimed to be Mitt Romney," Obama said. ... Full Story Top Obama, Romney debate sheds little light on healthcare issues WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and his Republican challenger Mitt Romney agree that the $2.8 trillion U.S. healthcare system is broken, but neither candidate on Wednesday presented voters with a clear idea of how to fix it. Their comments about Medicare, Medicaid and healthcare in general dominated more than one-quarter of a presidential debate and gave both candidates a chance to articulate their policies for an estimated 50 million viewers. Healthcare is a top issue in the November 6 election. The U.S. ... Full Story Top Medicines Co stops trial of blood loss drug on safety issues (Reuters) - The Medicines Co said it discontinued a mid-stage study of its experimental drug to reduce blood loss during surgery due to evidence of risk to patients. Shares of the company fell 4 percent in extended trade, after closing at $26.64 on the Nasdaq on Thursday. Medicines Co, known for its blood thinner Angiomax, did not disclose the nature of the safety issues. The company said it is assessing all patient data from the study to determine the cause of the safety issues and any potential link to the drug. ... Full Story Top Americans have mixed feelings about healthcare: Reuters/Ipsos poll (Reuters) - It's no secret that 2010's Affordable Care Act is unpopular - except when it's not. Reuters/Ipsos polling reveals a remarkably high level of approval for nearly all the provisions of the act, often in the 80 percent range, even though respondents oppose the legislation, commonly known as "Obamacare," by 55 to 45. Remarks made during the October 3 presidential debate added confusion rather than clarity to the healthcare issue. ... Full Story Top Colombian president says doing well after cancer surgery BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos made his first public appearance after prostate cancer surgery on Thursday and said he was fine and working from his hospital room. At a critical time in his presidency when Santos is about to start peace negotiations with Marxist rebels, the 61-year-old shocked the Andean country this week when he announced he was suffering from prostate cancer and needed surgery. "Everything went fine ... ... Full Story Top Canada's XL Foods to increase safeguards after huge beef recall (Reuters) - XL Foods, the owner of the Canadian beef plant that is at the center of one of Canada's largest meat recalls, said on Thursday it will increase food safety measures once the government allows the Brooks, Alberta, facility to reopen. It was the company's first statement since the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) suspended the plant's operating license last week, as more steaks, roasts, ground beef and other products are recalled that may contain E. coli bacteria. ... Full Story Top U.S. authorities charge 91 in $430 million Medicare fraud WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Ninety-one people including doctors, nurses and other medical professionals were charged criminally in a new sweep of Medicare fraud involving seven U.S. cities and $430 million in alleged false billing, officials said on Thursday. It was the government's second big raid in recent months after a similar effort in May alleged $452 million in fraud in Medicare, the U.S. health program for the elderly and disabled. ... Full Story Top Morocco bars visit by Dutch abortion rights ship RABAT/AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Morocco on Thursday barred Dutch abortion rights activists from docking their campaign ship to spread awareness about safe abortion methods in a Muslim country that bans the practice. Women on Waves announced last week its intention to send their ship into the Moroccan port of Smir after visits to traditionally Roman Catholic countries Spain, Portugal and Ireland at the invitation of local women's groups. ... Full Story Top Gum disease linked to psoriasis: study NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People with chronic gum disease seem to be slightly more likely to develop the skin condition psoriasis, according to a new study. Taiwanese researchers found that in a group of more than 230,000 people, those with gum disease were 54 percent more likely to get psoriasis over five years. The study is among the first to investigate the link between the two conditions and doesn't necessarily mean gum disease can cause psoriasis. "We don't know very much about what the risk factors are for chronic inflammatory diseases like psoriasis," said Dr. ... Full Story Top More parks don't mean more walking: study NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who live within a half-mile of lots of parks and fields go on fewer walks than those who don't have much parkland nearby, a new study from Australia suggests. The findings run contrary to the notion that people get more exercise and are healthier when they have access to outdoor recreation, researchers said. It's possible, they added, that urban neighborhoods with few parks may instead have lots of cafes, schools and community centers that facilitate walking for transportation. ... Full Story Top Romney, Obama both like deficit-cutting plan, to a point WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney praised the deficit-cutting framework known as Simpson-Bowles in their debate on Wednesday, but neither candidate has embraced the politically unpopular choices put forward in the plan. A bipartisan presidential commission - named after its chairmen, Republican Alan Simpson and Democrat Erskine Bowles - proposed in 2010 a combination of spending cuts and tax increases to reduce the federal debt. ... Full Story Top

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