Studies see new risks for cholesterol drug niacin

Studies see new risks for cholesterol drug niacin 

FILE - In this Wednesday, May 15, 2013, file photo, a pharmacist works at his desk located next to the prescription pick up counter in New York. New details from two studies reveal more side effects from niacin, a drug that hundreds of thousands of Americans take for cholesterol problems and general heart health.

New details from two studies reveal more side effects from niacin, a drug that hundreds of thousands of Americans take for cholesterol problems and general heart health. Some prominent doctors say the drug now seems too risky for routine use.

Niacin is a type of B vitamin long sold over the counter and in higher prescription doses. Some people take it alone or with statin medicines such as Lipitor for cholesterol problems.

Niacin users' main complaint has been flushing, so drug companies have been testing extended-release and combining other medicines with it to minimize that problem. Introduced in the 1950s, the drug hadn't been rigorously tested until recent years when makers of prescription versions were seeking market approval.

The two studies were testing prescription versions of niacin, and the bottom line - that it didn't help prevent heart problems any more than statins alone do - has already been announced. Some of the side effect information, including a troubling rise in deaths among niacin users in one study, also was known but many doctors have been waiting for full details and verification of the results before drawing firm conclusions about the drug's safety and effectiveness.

Those details are in this week's New England Journal of Medicine.

The larger study suggests that "for every 200 people that we treat with niacin, there is one excess death," plus higher rates of bleeding, infections and other problems - "a completely unacceptable level" of harm, said Dr. Donald Lloyd-Jones of Northwestern University in Chicago. "Niacin should not be used routinely in clinical practice at all."

He co-led a panel for the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology that recently issued new cholesterol treatment guidelines. The group did not recommend niacin but said it could be considered for certain patients. If the panel had seen the new results, it "almost certainly" would have recommended against niacin's routine use, Lloyd-Jones said.

Heart specialists stress that patients never should stop taking any medicine without first talking with their doctors. Many have shied away from niacin since the initial results came out, but more than 700,000 prescriptions for various niacin drugs are written each month in the U.S. The top brand is Niaspan, long sold by Abbott Laboratories and now by AbbVie, which had nearly $900 million in sales in the U.S. alone last year, according to IMS Health, a health data firm.

The larger of the two studies tested Tredaptive - a Merck & Co. combo of niacin and an anti-flushing medicine - in nearly 26,000 people already taking a statin. Full results confirm there was a 9 percent increase in the risk of death for those taking the drug - a result of borderline statistical significance, meaning the difference could have occurred by chance alone, but still "of great concern," Lloyd-Jones wrote in a commentary in the medical journal.

The drug also brought higher rates of gastrointestinal and muscle problems, infections and bleeding. More diabetics on the drug lost control of their blood sugar, and there were more new cases of diabetes among niacin users.

The initial results in December 2012 led Merck to stop pursuing approval of Tredaptive in the U.S. and to tell doctors in dozens of countries where it was sold to stop prescribing it to new patients.

Prompted by that study, leaders of an earlier one that tested a different niacin drug, Niaspan, re-examined side effects among their 3,414 participants and detailed them in a letter in the medical journal.

Besides more gastrointestinal, blood-sugar and other complications, the new report details a higher rate of infections and a trend toward higher rates of serious bleeding.

The consistency of the results on studies testing multiple types of niacin "leaves little doubt that this drug provides little if any benefits and imposes serious side effects," said Yale University cardiologist Dr. Harlan Krumholz.

"It's an astonishing reversal of fortune" for niacin, one of the very earliest cholesterol treatments, he said. 

"This is a billion-dollar drug and it never really had the evidence to warrant that sort of blockbuster status."

The studies were on prescription niacin; risks and benefits of over-the-counter forms are unclear.

Lloyd-Jones said niacin still may be appropriate for some people with very high heart risks who cannot take statins, and for people with very high triglycerides that can't be controlled through other means.

Krumholz said patients should talk with doctors about other treatment options besides niacin.

"This drug can hurt you," he said.

Israel: Hamas to pay price for its `no' to truce

Israel: Hamas to pay price for its `no' to truce

Mourners gather at a funeral at a mosque in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Tuesday, July 15, 2014, for Sarah Omar el-Eid, 4, bottom, and her father, Omar, 26, center, and her uncle Jihad, 27, top. The three were killed by an Israeli strike late Monday. Egypt presented a cease-fire plan Monday to end a week of heavy fighting between Israel and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip that has left at least 185 people dead, and both sides said they were seriously considering the proposal.

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) -- Israel resumed its heavy bombardment of Gaza on Tuesday and warned that Hamas "would pay the price" after the Islamic militant group rejected an Egyptian truce plan and instead unleashed more rocket barrages at the Jewish state.

Late Tuesday, the military urged tens of thousands of residents of northern and eastern Gaza to leave their homes by Wednesday morning, presumable a prelude to air strikes there.

Rocket fire from killed an Israeli man Tuesday, the first Israeli fatality in eight days of fighting. In Gaza, 197 people were killed and close to 1,500 wounded so far, Palestinian officials said, making it the deadliest Israel-Hamas confrontation in just over five years.

The Egyptian proposal, initially accepted by Israel, had been the first attempt to end the fighting.

It unraveled in less than a day, a sign that it will be harder than before to reach a truce. Hamas does not consider Egypt's current rulers - who deposed a Hamas-friendly government in Cairo a year ago - to be fair brokers.

Violence is bound to escalate in coming days.

Hamas believes it has little to lose by continuing to fight, while a truce on unfavorable terms could further weaken its grip on the Gaza Strip, a territory it seized in 2007. Underscoring that position, Gaza militants fired more than 120 rockets and mortar rounds at Israel on Tuesday, during what Egypt had hoped would be a period of de-escalation.

A particularly heavy barrage came around dusk, with more than 40 rockets hitting Israel in just a few minutes, including one that fell on an empty school. TV footage showed children cowering behind a wall in Tel Aviv's main square as sirens went off. An Israeli man in his 30s was killed near the Gaza border when he was delivering food to soldiers - the first Israeli death.

Hamas' defiance prompted Israeli warnings. In an evening address aired live on TV, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that after Hamas' rejection of the truce, Israel had "no choice" but to respond more forcefully.

"Hamas chose to continue fighting and will pay the price for that decision," he said. "When there is no cease-fire, our answer is fire."

After holding its fire for six hours, the Israeli air force resumed its heavy bombardment of Gaza, launching 33 strikes from midafternoon, the military said. In all, Israeli aircraft struck close to 1,700 times since July 8, while Gaza militants fired more than 1,200 rockets at Israel.

Netanyahu said Israel would have liked to see a diplomatic solution, but would keep attacking until rocket fire stops and Hamas' military capabilities are diminished. The Israeli leader said he would "widen and increase" the campaign against Hamas, but it remains unclear if that will include a ground offensive.

Israel has warned it might send troops into Gaza and has massed thousands of soldiers on the border. 

However, entering Gaza would likely drive up casualties on both sides. Israel has hesitated in the past to embark on ground operations for fear of getting entangled in the densely populated territory of 1.7 million.

Late Tuesday, the Israeli military told residents of the northern town of Beit Lahiya and the Gaza City neighborhoods of Shijaiyah and Zeitoun in automated phone calls to leave their homes by early Wednesday.

Sami Wadiya, a resident of one of the areas likely to be targeted, said he would not leave his home. "We know it's risky, but there are no secure places to go to," he said.

In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Israel has the right to defend itself, but that "no one wants to see a ground war."

"Our effort remains focused on seeing if we can return to a cease-fire," she said.

The current round has been the deadliest since a major Israeli military offensive in the winter of 2008-09. The previous outbreak of cross-border violence, in 2012, eventually ended with the help of Egypt, at the time seen as a trusted broker by Hamas.

Hamas officials Tuesday rejected the current Egyptian plan as is, noting they weren't consulted by Cairo. Some portrayed the truce offer as an ultimatum presented to Hamas by Israel and Egypt.

The officials said the Egyptian plan offered no tangible achievements, particularly on easing the border blockade that has been enforced by Israel and Egypt to varying degrees since 2007. Egypt tightened the closure in the past year by shutting down smuggling tunnels that were crucial for Gaza's economy, pushing Hamas into a severe financial crisis.

"The siege on Gaza must be broken, and the people of Gaza should live freely like other people of the world," Moussa Abu Marzouk, a top Hamas official, told the Lebanese TV channel Al-Mayadeen. "There should be a new equation so that we will not have a war on Gaza every two years."

Mushir al-Masri, a Hamas leader in Gaza, said the movement wants additional mediators and international guarantees of any deal.

"Mediation to end this aggression needs to come from different countries, and the guarantees should be given by different countries in order to commit the occupation (Israel) to what any future agreement might say," al-Masri said, without naming preferred brokers.

Qatar and Turkey, seen as more sympathetic to Hamas, have been involved behind the scenes, but it's not clear to what extent. The emir of Qatar visited Turkey for talks Tuesday with Turkish leaders.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Hamas' main political rival, was to meet Wednesday in Cairo with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and then fly to Turkey for high-level talks.

Before the latest fighting, Abbas had reached a tentative unity deal with Hamas that would have given him a new foothold in Gaza. However, a significant easing of the Gaza blockade in a truce deal would revitalize Hamas, make it less dependent on Abbas and possibly scuttle the unity agreement.

Abbas and his Western-backed Palestinian Authority have largely been sidelined in the past week, unable to change the course of events.

Hamas' popularity tends to rise when it fights Israel, usually at the expense of Abbas, who continues to advocate negotiating a deal with Israel on Palestinian statehood.

The Palestinian Authority's health minister, Jawad Awwad, who had traveled to Gaza to deliver medicine to the territory's largest hospital, was chased off by stone throwers. Hamas officials later apologized to him.

In Israel, there was also domestic political fallout.

Netanyahu is under a lot of pressure from hawks in his Cabinet and the ruling Likud Party to launch a ground offensive to put an end to the rocket fire. He faced blistering criticism from the right over initially agreeing to the Egyptian truce plan.

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman called a news conference in which he said Israel should not hesitate and "go all the way." He said the operation should conclude with the Israeli military controlling all of the Gaza Strip.

Netanyahu, meanwhile, fired Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon, one of his fiercest critics who didn't tone down his rhetoric during the offensive. Netanyahu said that by attacking the government at a time of war, Danon played into the hands of Hamas.

 

Nutter Thinks TV Viewer Perception of July 4th Concert Profanity Was Overblown

Nutter Thinks TV Viewer Perception of July 4th Concert Profanity Was Overblown

Mayor Michael Nutter, speaking with reporters about the “Welcome America” concert on July 4th. Photo
 
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Mayor Nutter says reports of rampant profanities by performers at this month’s “Welcome America” Fourth of July concert were somewhat exaggerated.

WPVI-TV, which broadcast the concert live, frequently cut away from the audio and video during the songs of every performer except Jennifer Hudson.

Mayor Nutter says he later compared the raw concert footage to the tape of the broadcast, and believes that the profanities were less frequent than first thought.

For full story go to: .http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/

EXCLUSIVE: Heroic Mother Of Children Who Perished In Gesner Street Fire Speaks To Eyewitness News

EXCLUSIVE: Heroic Mother Of Children Who Perished In Gesner Street Fire Speaks To Eyewitness News

 

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — “I was sleeping and my daughter waked, knocked on my door. And the windows they were red, the fire was coming up.”

Dewen Bowah, her voice barely audible after a week of hospitalization for burns and other injuries, spoke exclusively to CBS 3’s Walt Hunter about the horrifying moments early on the morning of July 5th as fire tore through the Southwest Philadelphia home where she was asleep with her five children.

“I love them; I didn’t know what to do,” Bowah told Hunter.

For full story go to:  http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/

Church of England says yes to women bishops

Church of England says yes to women bishops 
 

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, second right, and unidentified members of the clergy, arrive for the General Synod meeting, at The University of York, in York England, Monday July 14, 2014. The Church of England is set to vote on whether women should be allowed to enter its top ranks as bishops. The Church's national assembly, known as the General Synod, is meeting in York, northern England, where it will debate the issue ahead of a vote Monday.

LONDON (AP) -- The Church of England ended one of its longest and most divisive disputes Monday with an overwhelming vote in favor of allowing women to become bishops.

The church's national assembly, known as the General Synod, voted for the historic measure, reaching the required two-thirds majority in each of its three different houses. In total, 351 members of the three houses approved of the move. Only 72 voted against and 10 abstained.

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said the long-awaited change marks the completion of a process that started more than 20 years ago with the ordination of women as priests. He called for tolerance and love for those traditionalists who disagree with the decision.

"As delighted as I am for the outcome of this vote I am also mindful of whose within the church for whom the result will be difficult and a cause of sorrow," he said in a statement.

British Prime Minister David Cameron called it a "great day for the Church and for equality."

Opponents argued that allowing women into such a senior position in the church goes against the Bible. Others warned that the church should not be guided by secular ethics.

Lay member Lorna Ashworth, who did not support the move, said the church has entered new territory. "This is something we have to work out as we go along," she said.

The Church of England represents diverse religious groups from conservative evangelicals to supporters of gay marriage. Major changes can take years, even decades to bring about.

Two years ago similar legislation narrowly failed to reach the two-thirds majority with lay members, despite the approval from bishops and clergy.

After that vote failed, the church worked to build trust with its lay members, who lagged behind church leaders on the question of female bishops, and make the legislation more acceptable to opponents.

At the same time the church came under increasing pressure from the outside to reform in favor of women. Some of those who changed their vote this time around said they did not want to block changes the majority was happy with.

Monday's vote marks the latest advance of women in the church hierarchy.

The General Synod ruled in 1975 there was no fundamental objection to women becoming priests, but it took nearly two decades for the first women to be ordained.

Things are likely to move faster for aspiring female bishops. Welby told the BBC he expects the first woman bishop in the Church of England by next year.

He was less sure when asked if there will be a female Archbishop of Canterbury in his lifetime: "I've no idea. I'd be delighted if I did."

The Church of England was established by King Henry VIII who appointed himself as its head in 1534. The government still formally appoints the Archbishop of Canterbury, the spiritual leader of the church, and Queen Elizabeth II serves as its supreme governor.

Parliament maintains a role in church affairs, and will be called upon to ratify the female bishop legislation. Some 26 bishops are allocated seats in the House of Lords.

The Church of England is part of the global Anglican Communion with 77 million members in more than 160 countries. The Episcopal Church in the Unites States was the first member to have a woman bishop and is now led by a woman.

 

Thousands of Palestinians flee northern Gaza

Thousands of Palestinians flee northern Gaza

Palestinians flee their homes to take shelter at the United Nations school in Gaza City, Sunday, July 13, 2014. Israel briefly deployed ground troops inside the Gaza Strip for the first time early Sunday as its military warned northern residents to evacuate their homes, part of a widening campaign against militant rocket fire that's seen more than 160 Palestinians killed. Israel accuses Hamas of using Gaza's civilians as human shields by firing rockets from there. Critics say Israel's heavy bombardment of one of the most densely populated territories in the world is itself the main factor putting civilians at risk.

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) -- Thousands of Palestinian residents of the northern Gaza Strip fled their homes on Sunday and sought safety in U.N. shelters, heeding warnings from the Israeli military about impending plans to bomb the area in the sixth day of an offensive against Hamas that has killed more than 160 people.

The fighting showed no signs of slowing, despite international calls for a cease-fire and growing concerns about the mounting civilian death toll in Gaza. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and voiced U.S. "readiness" to help restore calm, while Egypt, a key mediator between Israel and Hamas, continued to work behind the scenes.

Amid the diplomacy, Israel said it was pushing forward with preparations for a possible ground invasion of Gaza. Thousands of troops have massed along the border in recent days.

"We don't know when the operation will end," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his Cabinet on Sunday. "It might take a long time." He said the military was prepared "for all possibilities."

Israel launched the offensive last Tuesday in what it said was a response to heavy rocket fire out of Hamas-controlled Gaza. The military says it has launched more than 1,300 airstrikes, while Palestinian militants have launched more than 800 rockets at Israel. The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza says 166 people have been killed, including dozens of civilians. There have been no Israeli fatalities, though several people have been wounded, including a teenage boy who was seriously injured by rocket shrapnel Sunday.

Early Sunday, the Israeli air force dropped leaflets around the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahia ordering people to evacuate their homes. Israel says much of the rocket fire has come from the area, and overnight Sunday, the military carried out a brief ground operation on what it said was a rocket-launching site that could not be struck from the air. Four Israeli soldiers were lightly wounded before returning to Israel.

The U.N. refugee agency for Palestinians, UNRWA, said some 17,000 Palestinians had headed to special shelters set up in 20 United Nations schools in Gaza.

"The fact that in a span of almost a few hours, 10,000 people sought refuge in these 15 schools is an indication to the difficult situation on the ground," said Sami Mshasha, a UNRWA spokesman.

Some raced by in pickup trucks, waving white flags. "Once we received the message, we felt scared to stay in our homes. We want to leave," said one resident, Mohammed Abu Halemah.

Shortly before nightfall, Israel carried out a series of airstrikes in the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahia. Hamas' Al-Aqsa TV station reported four airstrikes in a 10-minute span, and a large plume of black smoke could be seen over the area from the Israeli border. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Hamas, an Islamic militant group sworn to Israel's destruction, has remained defiant, and it continued to fire rockets into Israel throughout the day. It urged people in northern Gaza to stay in their homes and has so far rejected proposals for a cease-fire as unsatisfactory.

"They want us to put down our arms and leave the resistance," said Moussa Abu Marzouk, a top Hamas official, on his Facebook page. "They started the battle, and we will stay on our land and fight to protect our future."

Despite Israeli claims that it has inflicted heavy damage on the group, Hamas says it is largely unscathed, and Palestinian medics say most of the dead have been civilians.

The outbreak of violence follows the kidnappings and killings of three Israeli teenagers in the West Bank, the kidnapping and killing of a Palestinian teenager in an apparent revenge attack, and wide-ranging Israeli moves against Hamas militants and infrastructure in the West Bank. Hamas has demanded that hundreds of recently arrested activists be freed as part of a cease-fire.

Many of the airstrikes have been on the homes of wanted Hamas militants, putting their families at risk. In an attack on Saturday, the target of one such airstrike, Gaza's police chief, survived, while 17 members of his extended family were killed.

Israel accuses Hamas of using Gaza's civilians as human shields, putting people in the densely populated territory in danger.

"The leadership of Hamas and the other organizations has chosen - at a time when they are using the population of Gaza as human shields - to hide underground, to flee abroad and to deliberately put civilians in the line of fire," Netanyahu said.

Despite Israel's claims, the international community, including many of Israel's allies, have begun to express concerns about the growing civilian death toll.

The Israeli military said that one of the rockets fired by Gaza militants Sunday night "hit an electricity infrastructure in Israel that supplied electricity to the Gaza Strip, causing a power outage to some 70,000 Gaza civilians."

In Vienna, Kerry spoke Sunday with Netanyahu and highlighted U.S. concerns about the "escalating tensions," the State Department said.

Kerry "described his engagement with leaders in the region to help to stop the rocket fire so calm can be restored and civilian casualties prevented, and underscored the United States' readiness to facilitate a cessation of hostilities," the State Department said.

Egypt, meanwhile, said President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi spoke to the U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon. El-Sissi's spokesman quoted Ban as praising Egyptian efforts to halt the fighting and affirming that "Egypt is the most capable party to effectively participate in reaching a calm between the two sides." Netanyahu's office declined comment on diplomatic efforts.

Other countries were also involved. Germany's foreign minister said he would head to the region on Monday, while French President Francois Hollande tried to rally Arab and Muslim leaders to push for a cease-fire.

Hollande held telephone talks over the weekend with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki.

Marzouki spokesman Adnane Mancer said the French and Tunisian presidents agreed that Marzouki would try to talk to Hamas leaders and urge a cease-fire, while Hollande would try to do the same with other parties. A French presidential official said Hollande was talking to Israeli, Palestinian and other Arab officials.

On Sunday, Palestinians with foreign passports began leaving Gaza through the Erez border crossing. Israel, which cooperated in the evacuation, said 800 Palestinians living in Gaza have passports from countries including Australia, Britain and the U.S.

Rawan Mohanna, a 21-year-old chemistry major at the University of Texas, said she had arrived in Gaza with her family a month ago because her older sister was getting married to a Gazan.

Mohanna, who lives in Dallas, said her family is now returning to the U.S. with mixed feelings because her newlywed sister and other relatives were staying behind.

"It's bittersweet that we get to leave but they are still there and they can't get out," she said.

 

Southwest Philly Gesner Street Fire Draws Attention of Yeadon Mayor and Staff by Nathaniel Lee and Van Stone frontpagenews1@yahoo.com (267) 293-9201.

Southwest Philly Gesner Street Fire Draws Attention of Yeadon Mayor and Staff by Nathaniel Lee and Van Stone frontpagenews1@yahoo.com (267) 293-9201.

From L to R:  Lenny T. Tanzymore, Jr., Chief of Staff, Office of the Mayor, 

Yeadon Borough, Minister, Dr. Carolina Harris, Philadelphia Police Clergy,

Mayor Rohan K. Hepkins, Yeadon Borough, Lenard Travis, Official 

Spokesperson, Office of the Mayor, Yeadon Borough.

Photos by Nathaniel Lee

Nearly a week after a fire consumed several houses on the 6500 block of Gesner Street in Southwest Philadelphia, with a large population of African immigrants, community leaders met at the 12^th police district which included officials, local activists and concerned residents to discuss next steps and to help begin the healing process.

Four children are believed dead as a result of the blaze and several others remain hospitalized.

After the fire outraged residents held protests complaining that fire fighters arrived in an untimely manner.

Since the fire, residents and concerned citizens, both inside and outside the Southwest Philadelphia community, have joined in relief efforts and activities to help a grieving community find closure and to resolve hostilities.

Among those attending the meeting was the Hon. Mayor Rohan K. Hepkins, Yeadon Borough and Lenny T. Tanzymore, Jr., Chief of Staff, Office of the Mayor, Yeadon Borough.  Lenard Travis, Official Spokesperson, Office of the Mayor, Yeadon Borough, attended also.

Mayor Hepkins not only represents Yeadon but is also a member of the African –Caribbean community himself, being a naturalized citizen with Jamaican origins and whose wife hail from South Africa.

Hepkins said that he hoped to help the dialogue between the Liberian community and city officials and to help the community grieve while seeking ways to prevent a repeat of such tragedies.

“I’m here to support the Liberian community being that we are neighbors of Southwest where this happened,” said Hepkins.

“This is the beginning of a healing process, says Travis who said he couldn’t speak on the particular details of the horrific fire itself until investigations were finalized.

“Here, this evening, I would just like to have the citizens and city come together and we are going to discuss the issues,” he said.

This discussion of the issues, said Spokesman Travis, was critical.

“I believe that when we discuss the issue we’ll be in a better position to make some decisions on what direction we need to take in this,” said Travis.

Although representing the mayor of Yeadon, Travis says that he is also a resident of Philadelphia who believes everyone should come together during times of crisis.

“I think we just need to come together to help the community heal, to help the healing process,” the spokesman said.

“Back in the day we used to call Yeadon the suburbs of Philadelphia, and actually we borderline Southwest Philadelphia and so we are neighbors; neighbors help neighbors,” Travis said.

“We are really one community and we want to get together to help the community to grieve and sooth frayed nerves,” Mayor Hepkins said.

Those nerves had to do with the outpouring of discontent from members of the Liberian community who expressed outrage at the response of the local firefighters. Although details of the event are still being investigated, Hepkins says that details are still unfolding.

Records show that the fire was initially mislabeled by dispatchers as a minor trash fire but was later reclassified as a house fire. Despite the error call records seem to show that firefighters responded within minutes of the call.

Seven people killed in Lowell apartment building fire

 LOWELL, Mass. (WHDH) -

Authorities say that four adults and three children have died after a fire Thursday morning, at a Lowell apartment building. 

The fire was in a building at the corner of Queen Street and Branch Street and started at around 4 a.m. According to the Lowell Fire Chief a police officer on patrol saw the flames and ran to help people that were trapped. The fire started on the third floor and the victims are from two of the apartments.

"It's a tragic day for the city of Lowell," Mayor Rodney Elliott said.

Close to 60 people lived in the eight apartments in the building. The state fire marshal said that there was no sprinkler system and that fire crews had been called to the building several times in the past. There was a fire alarm system in the building but there was no word if it was working at the time.

“The second phase of our investigation, which is the forensic review and collection of physical evidence, is part of our origin and cause investigation. That is in the beginning stages now, investigative teams are in the building as best as they can access certain parts of the building, doing their work,” State Fire Marshal Steve Coan said.

Five of the seven fatalities were from the same family, including a mother, a father and three children. Their other two children survived. 

There are reports that people were jumping out of windows because of the intense flames. Some neighbors said that they saw people dropping young children and babies out of windows to be rescued.

"I woke up to screams. To a child saying 'Help me. Help me.' And then I ran to the window. I saw that... I looked outside. I saw that it was a child hanging from the window. And the parents were holding them. And then they dropped the child to save the child. I'm not sure if the child survived the fall," said witness Chandara Chun. 

Firefighters arrived on the scene and rescued five people from some of the top stories of the building. 10 people were rushed to the hospital but  as of 4 p.m. seven had been released and the other three were in good condition at Lowell General Hospital. The most serious injury was a fire captain who broke his leg after some debris fell from one of the walls.

The fire destroyed the building. The roof was entirely burned away, while the outer walls were charred and the siding melted.

Officials are investigating the origin of the blaze, saying it's too early to state if the fire is suspicious.The state fire marshal is promising a full review with the District Attorney's office.

Concerned family and friends looking to connect with residents affected by the fire may call the Red Cross at (800) 564-1234. 

Thursday night the owner of the building released a statement saying that he will cooperate with authorities and mourns for all of the losses. 

"Words cannot begin to express the sadness I feel for everyone affected by the devastating fire this morning. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who died and those who were injured. I have met with the authorities today and will continue to cooperate fully with the investigation into this tragedy," he said.

Gunman demanded to know ex-wife's whereabouts

Gunman demanded to know ex-wife's whereabouts 

This booking photo provided by the Harris County Sheriff's Office shows Ronald Lee Haskell. Haskell, 33, is charged with multiple counts of capital murder in the killings of two adults and four children Wednesday evening, Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Ron Hickman said early Thursday. He also is accused of critically wounding a 15-year-old girl in the shooting rampage.

 

SPRING, Texas (AP) -- A man charged with killing four children and their parents forced his way into the family's suburban Houston home, tied them up and shot them in the back of the head when they refused to tell him where his ex-wife was, authorities said Thursday.

The lone survivor of the attack, the slain couple's 15-year-old daughter, suffered a fractured skull when a bullet grazed her head. She played dead and called 911 after Ronald Lee Haskell left the house, prosecutors revealed at a court hearing.

A day after the slayings, investigators slowly built a picture of Haskell, who was the couple's estranged brother-in-law.

The 33-year-old man is accused of killing his ex-wife's sister, Katie Stay, and her husband and the children, ranging in age from 4 to 14, after binding them and putting the family face-down on the floor of their home.

Haskell had a handful of previous run-ins with law enforcement in Utah, where he had lived with his wife. Neighbors said Haskell's marriage was so rocky that Stay went to Utah last fall to help her sister escape the relationship and start a new life in Texas.

Stay "was very instrumental in helping her sister get here so she could have a fresh start. Katie's a spitfire. She has energy to stand up for what she believes is right and true," said Verena Beckstrand, a neighbor who choked back tears as she talked about the family.

Haskell had previously been jailed in 2008 in Logan, about 80 miles north of Salt Lake City, on charges of assault and domestic violence. His wife told police he dragged her by her hair and struck her in the head in front of their children.

Those charges were later dismissed as part of a plea deal, according to information released Thursday by Logan authorities.

Haskell was also served last year with a protective order from his ex-wife. It was dismissed in October after the couple filed for divorce, online court records show.

By Thursday morning, a small memorial with three candles and a plant had been set up at the front door of the family's two-story white-brick and brown wood-trimmed home. A couple with a child left a framed photo of the family with the inscription "Faith, Hope, Love."

"I don't think any of us will ever be able to see that house the same again," said Viri Palacios, who lives across the street. "I just want the word to get out they were a really, really good family."

The father, Stephen Stay, was a real estate broker. The mother was a helpful presence around the neighborhood, planning Halloween and Christmas parties for children, Palacios said.

A few blocks from the home at Lemm Elementary School, Principal Kathy Brown tied multi-colored ribbons around trees in front of the building and encouraged parents to do the same.

"It's to have positive bright thoughts about the family," Brown said, noting that two of the slain children had attended school there and a third had graduated from Lemm.

Documents from Thursday's preliminary court hearing show that the daughter who survived attempted to close the door after telling Haskell her parents were not home. But he kicked it in. The teen remained in critical condition in a Houston hospital.

In a statement, issued Thursday through the Harris County Sheriff's Office, Katie Stay's father, Roger Lyon, said his 15-year-old granddaughter "is expected to make a full recovery."

When the badly wounded daughter contacted authorities, she told them the gunman was planning to shoot other relatives, Hickman said. Police located Haskell's car, and took him into custody after a three-hour standoff.

"We are grateful for this miracle," Lyon said in his statement. "We are in awe of her bravery and courage in calling 911, an act that is likely to have saved all of our lives. She is our hero."

Haskell was wearing a FedEx shirt at the time of the attack, but authorities seemed uncertain whether it was a deliberate attempt to deceive.

Harris County Constable Ron Hickman initially said Haskell showed up at the Stay home "in the guise of a FedEx driver."

But he and other officials later declined to say whether Haskell used the uniform to gain access to the home. Hickman said investigators were not sure whether the suspect would have needed a disguise to get in the house, or if the children knew him.

Haskell had once done work for FedEx but not since January, the company said in a statement.

Online jail records did not list an attorney for Haskell, who was initially misidentified by authorities as the slain children's father. Police did not explain the mistake.

A divorce decree issued in February shows Haskell and Melanie Kaye Haskell were married in 2002 in Orange County, California. They separated in June 2013.

A judge granted joint custody of the couple's four children, ranging in age from 3 to 11, with Haskell's wife getting primary custody.

At the time of the divorce, Haskell was making $2,300 a month, although the records do not say what kind of work he did. He was ordered to pay $773 per month in child support. His wife was given the house, valued at $190,000, in the small town of Smithfield, Utah, just outside Logan.

 

Utah to appeal gay marriage ruling to high court

Utah to appeal gay marriage ruling to high court

FILE - In this Dec. 23, 2013, file photo, Jax and Heather Collins get married at the Salt Lake County clerk's office in Salt Lake City. Same-sex marriage advocates plan to deliver a petition with thousands of signatures to the Utah governor's mansion in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, July 9,

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Utah is going directly to the nation's highest court to challenge a federal appeals court ruling that gay couples have a constitutional right to marry, the state attorney general's office announced Wednesday.

The state opted to appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court rather than request a review from the entire 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver. That option is now off the table, no matter what the high court decides.

Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes' office said in a statement the appeal will be filed in the coming weeks, to get "clarity and resolution" from the highest court. "Attorney General Reyes has a sworn duty to defend the laws of our state," the statement said.

The Supreme Court is under no obligation to hear the appeal of the June 25 ruling by a three-judge 10th Circuit panel, said William Eskridge, a Yale University law professor. There also is no deadline to make a decision, he said.

The panel's June 25 ruling found states cannot deprive people of the fundamental right to marry simply because they choose partners of the same sex.

The 2-1 decision marked the first time a federal appeals court weighed in on the matter. It became law in the six states covered by the 10th Circuit: Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming.

However, the panel immediately put the ruling on hold pending an appeal.

The Utah case is certain to pique the Supreme Court's interest, but the justices usually look for cases that involve split rulings from federal appeals courts, said Douglas NeJaime, a University of California-Irvine law professor. The court may wait and take up the matter after one or more of the five other appeals courts with pending gay marriage cases has ruled.

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments about Virginia's ban in early May, and a ruling is expected soon. Arguments are scheduled for August and September in two different courts for cases out of Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Nevada and Idaho.

Eskridge doesn't expect a quick decision from the high court.

"Why make a decision on the Utah case until they see what the other circuits are going to do?" Eskridge said.

The ruling by the 10th Circuit panel upheld a lower court's decision that overturned Utah's gay marriage ban, which voters approved in 2004. More than 1,000 same-sex couples in Utah wed after the ban was struck down and before the Supreme Court issued a stay.

The panel considered a similar challenge to Oklahoma's gay marriage ban, but it has not ruled in that case.

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert hoped the state would appeal to the Supreme Court, his office said recently. The governor said the state already anticipated and budgeted for a need to defend the law before the highest court.

Utah has spent about $300,000 paying three outside attorneys to defend its same-sex marriage ban. It would cost another $300,000 to have the trio defend the case at the Supreme Court, the state estimates.

Plaintiff Moudi Sbeity called the decision to take the case to the high court "wonderful news." He and his partner, Derek Kitchen, are one of three gay and lesbian couples who sued Utah over its gay marriage ban.

"We are one step closer toward having our families recognized in our home state," Sbeity said. "It's definitely a case our Supreme Court needs to hear. The faster we can move on this, the better for all of us."

 

Washington state issues 24 marijuana shop licenses

Washington state issues 24 marijuana shop licenses 

In this photo taken Tuesday, July 1, 2014, Stevie Askew, a worker at Sea of Green Farms, packs recreational marijuana into blunts that will be sold in stores when legal recreational pot sales begin Tuesday, July 8, in Washington state. The grower, the first business licensed to grow recreational marijuana in Washington state, worked all weekend to have supplies ready for stores that were expected to be granted sale licenses on Monday.

 

SEATTLE (AP) -- Washington state issued its first retail marijuana licenses Monday with a middle-of-the-night email alerting bleary-eyed pot-shop proprietors that they'll finally be able to open for business.

"We're pretty stoked," said John Evich, an investor in Bellingham's Top Shelf Cannabis, in a 2:30 a.m. Pacific time interview with The Associated Press. "We haven't had any sleep in a long time, but we're excited for the next step."

Randy Simmons, the state Liquor Control Board's project manager for legal marijuana, said Sunday night that the first two dozen stores were being notified so early to give them an extra few hours to get cannabis on their shelves before they are allowed to open their doors at 8 a.m. Tuesday. The store openings are expected to be accompanied by high prices, shortages and celebration.

The state licensed 14 stores in western Washington and 10 in eastern Washington.

Spokane has three stores. Vancouver, Tacoma and Bellingham each have two. Seattle and the other cities on the list have one each.

The issuance of the retail licenses marked a major step that's been 20 months in the making. Washington and Colorado stunned much of the world by voting in November 2012 to legalize marijuana for adults over 21, and to create state-licensed systems for growing, selling and taxing the pot.

Sales began in Colorado on Jan. 1.

It remained unclear how many of the pot-shops being licensed in Washington planned to open on Tuesday. Officials eventually expect to have more than 300 recreational pot shops across the state.

At Cannabis City, which will be the first and, for now, only recreational marijuana shop in Seattle, owner James Lathrop worked into the night Sunday placing no-parking signs in front of his building, hoisting a grand-opening banner and hanging artwork before he turned his attention to his email - and the official notification that he was a licensed marijuana dealer.

"I've had a long day. It really hasn't sunk in yet," he said early Monday.

He planned to hold off on opening his store until noon on Tuesday.

"Know your audience: We're talking stoners here," he said. "I'd be mean to say they need to get up at 5 a.m. to get in line."

With the emailed notifications in hand, the shops immediately worked to place their orders with some of the state's first licensed growers. As soon as the orders were received, via state-approved software for tracking the bar-coded pot, the growers could place the product in a required 24-hour "quarantine" before shipping it early Tuesday morning.

The final days before sales have been frenetic for growers and retailers alike. Lathrop and his team hired an events company to provide crowd control, arranged for a food truck and free water for those who might spend hours waiting outside, and rented a portable toilet to keep his customers from burdening nearby businesses with requests to use the restrooms.

At Nine Point Growth Industries, a marijuana grower in Bremerton, owner Gregory Stewart said he and his director celebrated after they worked through some glitches in the pot-tracking software early Monday and officially learned they'd be able to transport their weed 24 hours later, at 2:22 a.m. Tuesday.

"It's the middle of the night and we're standing here doing high-fives and our version of a happy dance," he said. "It's huge for us."

Pot prices were expected to reach $25 a gram or higher on the first day of sales - twice what people pay in the state's unregulated medical marijuana dispensaries. That was largely due to the short supply of legally produced pot in the state. Although more than 2,600 people applied to become licensed growers, fewer than 100 have been approved - and only about a dozen were ready to harvest by early this month.

Nevertheless, Evich said his shop in Bellingham wanted to thank the state's residents for voting for the law by offering $10 grams of one cannabis strain to the first 50 or 100 customers. The other strains would be priced between $12 and $25, he said.

The store will be open at 8 a.m. Tuesday, he said, but work remained: trimming the bathroom door, cleaning the floors, wiping dust off the walls and, of course, stocking the shelves.

In Seattle, among those who planned to buy some of the first pot at Cannabis City was Alison Holcomb, the lawyer who drafted Washington's law. She said it was a good opportunity to remind people of the big-picture arguments for ending nearly a century of prohibition and displacing the black market, including keeping nonviolent, adult marijuana users out of jail; redirecting profits away from criminal groups; and ending racial disparities in who gets busted.

"No one thought legalization could happen in our lifetime," she said. "I think this is going to be a little overwhelming for me."

Pennsylvania State Police Vehicle Involved in Fatal Crash

ERIE, Pa --

A woman has died after her car hit a Pennsylvania State Police patrol vehicle that ran a stop sign.

The Erie Times-News reports that 57-year-old Donna Platz of Edinboro died early Saturday morning.

State police say Trooper Frederick Schimp was driving a 2013 Ford Explorer at about 3:30 a.m. Saturday when he ran a stop sign, and Platz's vehicle struck the car. Platz was pronounced dead at the scene about an hour later by the Erie County Coroner.

Schimp and Trooper Garrett Padasak, a passenger in the Explorer, were cut from the vehicle and taken to UPMC Hamot with moderate injuries. State police say the two were not responding to a call at the time of the crash. Both men are troopers at the Girard barracks.