Flu outbreak kills more children, hospitalizes more seniors

Tony Pugh

WASHINGTON -- In the deadliest week yet for the nation's stubborn influenza outbreak, nine more children died of flu-related illness last week, bringing the season's pediatric death toll to 29, as local health officials nationwide continue to take protective measures to stop the spread of the virus.

At the halfway point of the 2012-2013 flu season, the number of child deaths has nearly matched the 34 that died in the mild 2011-2012 flu season, U.S. health officials said Friday.

REVIEW: Golden Globes

Poor Seth MacFarlane. Until Sunday night, hosting the Oscars must have seemed so easy. What did he have to do, really, to shine? 

The fates of Obama and Romney are tied up in 11 key states

WASHINGTON -- Eleven states are likely to decide whether President Barack Obama or Republican Mitt Romney will be elected president Tuesday.

Campaigns still avoid negative tone in storm's aftermath

RIGANTINE, N.J.--As relief workers began clearing up the devastation of Hurricane Sandy, President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney avoided overt partisan politics on Wednesday.

Sandy heads toward New Jersey coast

PHILADELPHIA -- A hyperbole-generating Hurricane Sandy, almost 1,000 miles across now, has turned toward New Jersey and is already having a major impact.

Biden stirs the Democratic base; Ryan does same for GOP

WASHINGTON -- The 90-minute showdown between Vice President Joe Biden and Republican challenger Paul Ryan may be most remembered for Biden's grinning, laughing and seemingly mocking of his younger opponent. But the more lasting impact was reinforcing the fact that election is an unusually telling referendum on how people want America governed -- and a call to arms for the bases of both parties.

Sexual assault a silent epidemic

Acquaintance and date rape pose greater threat than stranger rape

Don’t talk to strangers. It’s one of the first lessons kids hear. Society places a lot of emphasis on the danger strangers may pose. But what society neglects to tell us is that those we already trust can also be a threat – often even a larger threat than those we don’t know. 

Supreme Court and colleges will clash over affirmative action

WASHINGTON — At South Carolina’s Clemson University, ensuring racial diversity in enrollment has a special resonance because of the region’s history of segregation and discrimination. “That legacy still overshadows much of what we’ve been able to accomplish in more balanced enrollments,” said Leon Wiles, the school’s chief diversity officer.

Senate is a tossup as GOP hopes of a takeover fade

WASHINGTON -- The presidential race isn't the only unpredictable war for control of Washington this year. Keep an eye on the U.S. Senate.

College Board: SAT reading scores lowest in 40 years

National reading scores on the SAT college-entrance exam have sunk to their lowest point in 40 years, and the proportion of test takers deemed fully prepared for college remains flat at 43 percent, the test's sponsors announced Monday morning.

Apple's iPhone 5 isn't only payoff for waiting in line

SAN FRANCISCO --Charlie Hufnagel isn't sure whether he wants an iPhone 5 when it goes on sale Friday, but that didn't stop him from being first in line at the Apple store near Union Square. In fact, he's been there since Monday morning --after all, he's being paid for it.
Huge crowds and guaranteed media coverage have spawned a subculture of enterprising opportunists piggybacking off Apple hype.

Defining the '47%': Who's not paying taxes and why

WASHINGTON -- Mitt Romney's controversial claim that 47 percent of Americans "pay no taxes" and are "dependent upon government" is an overstatement that put his presidential campaign on the defensive Tuesday as it scrambled to explain what he meant.

FAMU attorneys alter motion to dismiss Champion hazing suit

ORLANDO, Fla. _ Attorneys for Florida A&M University on Thursday altered their motion to dismiss a wrongful death suit by the family of Robert Champion, taking out a controversial passage strongly suggesting that the late FAMU drum major was responsible for his own hazing death in Orlando last November.

Student loan debt seen as growing threat to the economy

CHICAGO -- Move over, mortgages. Get out of the way, Greece. Another economic doomsday scenario is emerging. Student loan debt has reached about $870 billion, exceeding credit cards and auto loans, and balances are expected to continue climbing, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said last month.

College rankings' validity, usefulness at issue

ATLANTA -- College rankings are so important to the Taylor family that even fifth-grader Lauren studies them. The Atlanta girl, who dreams of oceangoing trips in research vessels, has already narrowed her search to a few schools.

FAMU says drum major Robert Champion caused his own hazing death

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Florida A&M University is not responsible for drum major Robert Champion's hazing death, according to a court document filed Monday night.
Champion himself is. In a 23-page motion seeking dismissal of a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Champion's family in Orange County circuit court, FAMU's attorneys laid out a blunt response: Champion was a 26-year-old leader in FAMU's famous marching band who knew the dangers of hazing.

College drinking spikes as freshmen taste freedom and alcohol

As college gets under way, incoming students across the state are entering a world of long lectures, daunting professors, crushing course loads, new friendships and, often, lots and lots of drinking.

Obama speech frames campaign as a choice between two visions

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Four years after riding a wave of optimism into the White House, Barack Obama offered a more sobering message about the future as he asked Americans for another term to help complete the country's recovery from the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

Student reluctantly agreed to hazing to gain respect, friend says

ORLANDO, Fla. Florida A&M University drum majors Robert Champion and Keon Hollis grew close in 2011, working together to direct the school's famous marching band.
Yet one situation frustrated both young men as they tried to keep their fellow musicians in line during last fall's football season, according to a recent affidavit by Hollis.
Band members were challenging the newly promoted drum majors' authority. There was a lack of respect.

Post-abortion support group to hold second session

Provide help and support for those who need it. That’s all Tianna Spears – an N.C. State junior – ever wanted to do with her post-abortion support group, "The Beautiful Pain Movement."

FAMU band bus ‘president’ faces felony

ORLANDO, Fla. — Dante Martin, identified as the so-called “president” of the band bus on which Florida A&M University drum major Robert Champion was fatally beaten last fall, faces a charge of felony hazing in Champion’s death, new court documents show.

9/11 still fresh in memory for many

'Flashbulb' memory phenomena creates collective recollection

Many people remember exactly when and where they were when they received the news of the tragedy.

What does smartphone war mean for innovation?

LOS ANGELES - Steve Jobs didn't live to see the outcome of the bruising war that pitted his iPhone and iPad against mobile devices that use Google's Android software. But he issued the call to arms.

A new American generation faces its own struggles with HIV

MINNEAPOLIS-- The frightened teenager spent her 14th birthday at Children's Hospital in Minneapolis. For weeks, the doctors didn't know what was wrong -- until she tested positive for HIV.

Deception on student data damages Emory's reputation, experts say

Emory University's reputation as one of nation's most respected institutions has been jeopardized after its disclosure that the school misrepresented information used for college rankings, education specialists say. "They did something blatantly dishonest," said Rita Kirshstein, director of the Delta Cost Project, a Washington-based group that studies higher education spending and affordability. "Their reputation is going to be hurt; it's not going to be destroyed."

Massive, growing debt looms over US politics

For decades, Americans demanded and got more government than they paid for. Now the accumulated debt looms over the country's politics and stymies its government.

Congress pulls plug on Pell Grants; thousands of students affected

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. -- A mother of four who was laid off in 2008, Danielle Torno had planned on turning her life around next year with the help of a Cal State East Bay business degree.

College grads, 30 isn't the new 20

It's graduation time again, and according to the National Center for Education Statistics, about 1.78 million students will walk across a stage and pick up a college diploma.

Zimmerman is jailed on second-degree murder in Trayvon Martin shooting

ORLANDO, Fla.- On a rainy night in February, George Zimmerman fired a single shot, killing 17-year-old Trayvon Martin and sparking an international outcry. Thursday, he will face a judge, accused of the teenager's murder.

Parents of black teens find Trayvon Martin case hits close to home

CHICAGO -- When their son was about to enter his teens, Paul and Jeanne Miller of Flossmoor decided it was time to have the talk. As a black male, they told him, some people will make judgments about you and view you with suspicion based solely on your race. Recently, as Jeremy, 16, was preparing to get his driver's license, his father told him what to do if he were ever stopped by police: Keep your hands visible on the steering wheel at all times.

Justices suggest Medicaid expansion is unconstitutional

WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court's conservative justices took aim Wednesday afternoon at a final key piece of President Barack Obama's health care law, suggesting it was unconstitutional to require states to expand their Medicaid programs to cover more poor Americans. The states have "no realistic choice," said Justice Anthony Kennedy, effectively accepting the argument by 26 states challenging the law that they are being unjustly forced to administer a massive Medicaid expansion.

Martin Luther King Jr. memorial dedicated in Washington

WASHINGTON — The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. wasn't a big guy — but he cast a long shadow. The nation's first black president dedicated the civil rights leader's granite memorial on the National Mall Sunday, along with King's children and friends. They spoke of King's vision, his courage, and his fight for racial and economic justice.

From street protests to electioneering, frustrated liberals rising

WASHINGTON - Demoralized liberals are trying to get their mojo back. Frustrated with Congress, outmaneuvered by the tea party and all but silent as the GOP swept the 2010 elections, liberals say they've had enough

Newly released files cloud FBI's anthrax finding

WASHINGTON - In early 2002, federal agents who were hunting the anthrax killer were trying to winnow a suspect list that numbered in the hundreds. They knew only that they were looking for someone with access to the rare Ames strain of anthrax used in research labs around the world. Profilers said the perpetrator probably was an American with "an agenda."

Bad economy stalls a generation

MINNEAPOLIS -- Ashley Cassidy has spent most of her career trying to find a way to support herself without her parents' help. So far, it hasn't been easy. Cassidy has returned home twice after earning college degrees.

Obama to Congress: Pass my $447 billion jobs plan now

WASHINGTON-With the nation verging on renewed recession, President Barack Obama urged a divided Congress Thursday night to back his new $447 billion jobs package, which he promised would give a "jolt to an economy that has stalled."

Residents of landlocked towns left stunned by Irene's damage

BRATTLEBORO, Vt.-Rippling creeks became deadly deluges. Bridges collapsed into roiling waves. Dry streets turned into fast-rising lakes, closing in around stunned towns that never knew they might be in the path of a tropical storm expected to drench the coast, not the countryside.

College: Expensive, but a smart choice

The 3 million Americans who graduated from high school last spring have had to grapple with a big decision: whether to continue with their educations this fall. In today's economic climate, a growing number of families are questioning the value of higher education. Will an investment in college pay off? Or will it simply be a high-cost ticket to the ranks of the unemployed?

Obama's detailed birth certificate released

WASHINGTON-Saying the country does not have time for "silliness," President Barack Obama on Wednesday urged focusing on issues including high gas prices and the economy after the White House released his long-form birth certificate.

Budget meeting at White House ends with no deal

WASHINGTON-An Oval Office meeting Tuesday morning yielded no deal on a final budget resolution, raising the specter of a government shutdown at week's end. President Obama had called Tuesday's meeting in an effort to finalize a deal that Democrats have said was within reach but Republicans had yet to coalesce around.

Revenge of the nerds: Job opportunities abound for black engineers

ST. LOUIS-Brenda Nathan doesn't shy away from the perception of her chosen profession she embraces it. "I'm a complete nerd," boasted the California Polytechnic State University mechanical engineering major, one of 8,000 young people attending the National Society of Black Engineers convention in St. Louis recently. "I take pride in it."

Shooting sparks discussion of incendiary political talk

WASHINGTON - When Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was targeted for defeat last year with a map showing a rifle's cross hairs over her district, she worried it might incite violence. "When people do that, they've got to realize there's consequences to that action," she said, after Sarah Palin used the cross hairs to tell her followers of 20 House Democrats who should be defeated.

Climate change reveals disease as national security threat

WASHINGTON - One of the most worrisome national security threats of climate change is the spread of disease, among both people and animals, U.S. intelligence and health officials say. But more than a decade after such concerns were first raised by U.S. intelligence agencies, significant gaps remain in the health surveillance and response network not just in developing nations, but in the United States as well, according to those officials and a review of federal documents and reports. And those gaps, they say, undermine the ability of the U.S. and world health officials to respond to disease outbreaks before they become national security threats.

Longtime diplomat Richard Holbrooke dies

Richard C. Holbrooke, the hard-charging diplomat who brokered peace in the Balkans and then took on an even tougher task as the Obama administration's special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, died Monday night at age 69.

Senate advances tax-cut compromise

The Senate overwhelmingly advanced President Barack Obama's $858 billion tax-cut package Monday in a vote that heightened pressure on reluctant House Democrats and enhanced the likelihood of congressional approval for the compromise.

Poll: Majority of Americans want to keep health care law

A majority of Americans want the Congress to keep the new health care law or actually expand it, despite Republican claims that they have a mandate from the people to kill it, according to a new McClatchy Newspapers-Marist poll.

Tuition outpaces inflation, College Board says

LOS ANGELES -- State budget cuts and declines in philanthropy and endowments helped push the cost of college tuition up much higher than general inflation across the country this year, amounting to an increase of 7.9 percent at public campuses and 4.5 percent at private ones, according to a study by the nonprofit College Board.

‘Tea party' victories confirm its position as new political power center

WASHINGTON-The "tea party" movement, a loose amalgam of activists united chiefly by their determination to make government smaller, was on track to elect dozens of Republicans on Tuesday night and to confirm its standing as a rising power in national politics.

GOP House would intensify scrutiny of Obama

PORTLAND, Ore.- Both the White House and the Republican congressional leadership are quietly preparing for clashes between the two branches of government that could play out if the GOP takes control of the House and presses investigations into administration actions. Republican lawmakers who would be in charge of investigative and oversight committees plan to renew a stack of information demands that have languished before federal agencies over the previous 22 months and have indicated that, if victorious next month, they will use subpoena power if necessary to compel testimony and documents.

Black vote may be key

House, Senate outcome may ride on turnout

WASHINGTON – African-American voters could have a major impact on the outcome of 20 House of Representatives races and 14 Senate contests if they can reverse a pattern of low turnout in nonpresidential election years, according to a report that the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies released Thursday.

Rise of the New Right

Tea Party claims mantle of change

Calling for change in an election is the norm it seems — and that's what the emerging Tea Party is all about. The conservative movement — some might even call it radical — is challenging not just Democrats but the GOP establishment as well.

What's hot on campus: Textbook rentals

PHILADELPHIA -- Gregory Dyer, a Villanova University senior, stood in an aisle at his campus bookstore searching for his introduction-to-art textbook. He gasped. New, "Living With Art" would cost the English major $130. Used, it was a mere $97.50.

Democrats grapple with waning enthusiasm 2 years after Obama nomination

Two years ago on Aug. 25, the Democratic Party gathered in Denver energetic and confident of victory to nominate Barack Obama for president.

What a difference a deep recession, two wars, a yearlong argument over health care, a tea party movement, a massive deficit, a minor scandal or two, a muddled message and partisan gridlock can make.

How to avoid a college weight gain: You can skip the 'freshman 15'

Wes Minton of Dallas watched his roommate sit around, drink beer, and gain close to the classic freshman 15 at the University of Redlands in California last year.

As someone who had struggled with weight most of his life, he didn't want that to happen to him.

Bone-marrow match elusive; black donors too few

Some African-Americans with leukemia, lymphoma and other diseases are unable to have lifesaving stem cell or bone marrow transplants because of a critical shortage of black donors, doctors and health officials said. Of the 8 million people who have registered as potential donors with the National Marrow Donor Program, just 600,000 -- 7 percent -- are black. That severely limits a black's chance of being matched with a donor for transplant. 1 comment

Obama signs student loan reforms into law

Declaring himself an ally of American students in a fight against commercial banks, President Barack Obama on Tuesday signed a new law designed to free up more money for higher education by ending the role of banks as "middlemen" in the college lending process.

Recession pushes parents to enroll at community colleges along with kids

Lucy Horton -- just one of the millions of Americans out of work -- rushes out of English class at Harper Community College, a requirement for the associate's degree she is seeking in search of a better life. As the 49-year-old leaves the Palatine, Ill., campus, her 19-year-old daughter is just arriving -- same subject, different generation.

Bone-marrow match elusive; black donors too few

Some African-Americans with leukemia, lymphoma and other diseases are unable to have lifesaving stem cell or bone marrow transplants because of a critical shortage of black donors, doctors and health officials said. Of the 8 million people who have registered as potential donors with the National Marrow Donor Program, just 600,000 -- 7 percent -- are black. That severely limits a black's chance of being matched with a donor for transplant.