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| U.S. heading off 'fiscal cliff' despite Senate efforts Monday, Dec 31, 2012 06:58 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States was headed over the "fiscal cliff" - at least temporarily - at midnight on Monday as time was running out for lawmakers to back a last-minute deal between the White House and Senate leaders to avert severe tax increases and spending cuts. After months of fruitless argument between Republicans and Democrats, the White House and Senate reached an agreement that would delay harsh spending cuts by two months, administration sources said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Venezuela's Chavez in stable condition, says son-in-law Monday, Dec 31, 2012 06:34 PM PST  CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is in stable condition and spent Monday with his daughters, the cancer-stricken leader's son in law said in an appeal for supporters to ignore rumors about his condition. Chavez has not been seen in public nor heard from in more than three weeks. The vice president said on Sunday that the 58-year-old was suffering a third set of complications after surgery in Cuba on December 11, his fourth operation in 18 months. ... Full Story | Top |
| Sour end to 2012 masks positive trends in America Monday, Dec 31, 2012 05:53 PM PST  CHICAGO (Reuters) - Many Americans seem to be in a sour mood as 2013 begins, after Hurricane Sandy ravaged parts of the East Coast, a gunman massacred 20 school children in Connecticut and a long, contentious election campaign was followed by failure to resolve the "fiscal cliff" issue by year-end. Americans have not been very optimistic since the Great Recession of 2008-2009, but the gloom had begun to lift this year until the blast of bad news as 2012 ended, IPSOS pollster Cliff Young said on Monday. IPSOS polling showed that some angst set in as the year ended. ... Full Story | Top |
| Clinton suffers clot behind right ear, full recovery seen Monday, Dec 31, 2012 05:39 PM PST  WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton suffered a blood clot in a vein between her brain and skull behind her right ear but is expected to make a full recovery, her doctors said on Monday in a statement released by the State Department. Clinton did not suffer a stroke or neurological damage as a result of the clot, the doctors said, adding that "she is in good spirits, engaging with her doctors, her family and her staff." The U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| "Fiscal cliff" tumble looms despite Senate efforts Monday, Dec 31, 2012 03:36 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States was on track to tumble over the "fiscal cliff" at midnight on Monday, at least for a day, as lawmakers held back from supporting an eleventh-hour plan from Senate leaders to avert severe tax increases and spending cuts. The U.S. House of Representatives looked unlikely to vote on a Senate "fiscal cliff" plan before midnight, possibly pushing a legislative decision into New Year's Day, when financial markets will be closed. The plan was heavy on tax increases and light on spending cuts, which was unlikely to appeal to Republicans in the House. ... Full Story | Top |
| Senate eyeing two-month delay of automatic spending cuts: McCain Monday, Dec 31, 2012 03:19 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A possible deal between Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and Vice President Joe Biden to avert the "fiscal cliff" would include a two-month delay in automatic federal spending cuts that were due to begin this week, Republican Senator John McCain said on Monday. McCain said the deal would include $24 billion in other spending cuts to cover the cost of the delay, and would also include a one-year extension of unemployment benefits. ... Full Story | Top |
| House expects to reconvene at noon Tuesday - Representative LaTourette Monday, Dec 31, 2012 02:58 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives expects to reconvene on Tuesday at noon, Representative Steven LaTourette said, after negotiations to avert the "fiscal cliff" developed slowly on Monday. LaTourette, a Republican, also said that House members have been told to stay close on Monday evening and that they may be called back to continue negotiations. (Reporting by Rachelle Younglai; Editing by Will Dunham) Full Story | Top |
| Combative Obama knocks Republicans, says fiscal deal in sight Monday, Dec 31, 2012 02:47 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama, in remarks that needled Republicans and resembled a victory lap, said on Monday an agreement with Congress to avoid a "fiscal cliff" of tax increases and spending cuts was in sight. The Democratic president appeared at a White House event in the early afternoon with cheering supporters to press for lawmakers to complete a deal that would extend tax cuts for the middle class, raise rates for high earners and extend unemployment insurance for people seeking work. ... Full Story | Top |
| Skeptical Senate Democrats seek meeting with Biden on "fiscal cliff" deal: aide Monday, Dec 31, 2012 02:18 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Skeptical U.S. Senate Democrats requested a meeting on Monday with Vice President Joe Biden about the tentative deal on the "fiscal cliff" that he is forging with Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, a Democratic Senate aide said. With the deal apparently short of needed support, Democrats are hopeful that Biden will meet with them, but have not yet received a commitment, the aide said. Some Democrats complain that Biden went too far to find common ground with McConnell. ... Full Story | Top |
| Texas health program can exclude Planned Parenthood: judge Monday, Dec 31, 2012 02:06 PM PST SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Reuters) - Texas won a court victory on Monday in its effort to stop state funds under a health program for low-income women from going to clinics affiliated with Planned Parenthood, a group that provides abortions at some of its facilities. A Texas judge allowed the state to go ahead with a revamped program for poor women, the Women's Health Program, that does not include Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood said it does not provide abortions at clinics that participate in the state women's health program. ... Full Story | Top |
| Naloxone reverses overdoses without hefty price tag Monday, Dec 31, 2012 02:03 PM PST NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Distributing a drug that reverses drug overdoses in heroin users would save lives and be cost-effective, according to a new analysis. U.S. researchers, who published their findings in the Annals of Internal Medicine on Monday, calculated that one death may be prevented for every 164 naloxone injection kits they distribute to heroin users. That, the researchers say, works out to be a few hundred dollars for every year of healthy life gained. ... Full Story | Top |
| Are recession babies prone to be delinquent teens? Monday, Dec 31, 2012 01:10 PM PST NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new analysis of data on U.S. teens born during the early 1980s ties slightly higher rates of adolescent smoking, drinking, arrests and thefts to macroeconomic conditions during the first year of life. What was "striking for us was it basically went across all socioeconomic strata," said Dr. Seethalakshmi Ramanathan, the lead author of the study. "From a national level, it seems like everyone is affected." Ramanathan's study focused on babies born around the time of the recessions of 1980-1981 and 1982, when unemployment rates around the nation ranged from 6. ... Full Story | Top |
| FDA new drug approvals hit 16-year high in 2012 Monday, Dec 31, 2012 12:55 PM PST  LONDON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. regulators approved 39 new drugs in 2012, the most in 16 years, suggesting that pharmaceutical makers are poised for growth after losing billions of dollars in recent years to generic drug makers because of patent expirations. There were eight approvals in December alone, including a new treatment from Johnson & Johnson called Sirturo for drug-resistant tuberculosis approved on Monday, the first new TB drug in decades. ... Full Story | Top |
| FDA approves Salix's diarrhea drug for HIV/AIDS patients Monday, Dec 31, 2012 10:54 AM PST (Reuters) - U.S. health regulators approved Salix Pharmaceuticals Ltd's drug to treat diarrhea in HIV/AIDS patients on antiretroviral therapy, a combination of medicines used to treat HIV infection. Diarrhea is a common reason why HIV/AIDS patients discontinue or switch their antiretroviral therapies. The drug, called Fulyzaq, is intended to be used in HIV/AIDS patients whose diarrhea is not caused by an infection from a virus, bacteria, or parasite. Until now, there have been no therapies for HIV-associated diarrhea approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. ... Full Story | Top |
| Fiscal cliff talks stuck on spending cut demand: source Monday, Dec 31, 2012 10:19 AM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate negotiators trying to seal a pact to avert the "fiscal cliff" are hung up over demands that new spending cuts be found to pay for a cost associated with fixing a Medicare issue, according to a congressional aide. The aide, who asked not to be identified, said the disagreement revolves around demands that $30 billion in spending cuts be found to prevent a significant pay cut to doctors treating elderly Medicare patients. Without congressional action, that pay cut would begin on January 1 and it could discourage doctors from treating Medicare patients. ... Full Story | Top |
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