Archives: Morning Breakouts

"Scientists have developed genetically modified [GM] chickens that don't transmit bird flu [H5N1] to other chickens," HealthDay News/Bloomberg Businessweek reports. "This achievement could stop bird flu outbreaks from spreading within poultry flocks and possibly reduce the risk of bird flu epidemics that could lead to flu virus epidemics in humans, according to the researchers at the Universities of Cambridge and Edinburgh in the United Kingdom," whose findings appear in the Jan. 14 issue of the journal Science, according to the news service (Preidt, 1/13).

A Phase II trial published Friday in Lancet Infectious Diseases has shown that RTS,S, the "experimental malaria vaccine from GlaxoSmithKline provides African children with long-lasting protection" against malaria, Reuters reports. "Scientists conducting the mid-stage trial at the Kenya Medical Research Institute said results showing the shot offered 46 percent protection for 15 months meant it had 'promise as a potential public health intervention against childhood malaria in malaria endemic countries'," the news service notes (Kelland, 1/14).

Republican leaders in the House have scheduled debate to begin on Tuesday. And, although the vote - which will follow a day later - is largely considered symbolic, it will kick off the GOP push to defund the bill and undo some of its more unpopular provisions.

Politico reports that nearly identical percentages of respondents say the health law is either the best or the worst thing President Barack Obama has done since taking office. Meanwhile, in a separate story, a Blue Cross Exec defends the health law's individual mandate, saying that dropping it would "create a dangerous set of conditions."

Reuters reports on the findings from a study done in the Netherlands.

The researchers noted that since these lobbying organizations often urge greater access to new drugs and treatments, these contributions should be made public.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Wednesday "reported that last year's corn and soybean crop was smaller than its earlier estimates," Minnesota Public Radio reports. "As a result, prices for corn, soybeans and wheat are rising quickly, sparking concern about higher food prices" (Steil, 1/13).

In follow-up coverage of the WHO's announcement Wednesday of a plan to contain the spread of artemisinin-resistant malaria, news outlets examined the scope of the problem, reactions to the plan and speculations by some of how the anticipated $175 million annual cost would be funded.

Wednesday marked the one-year anniversary since a massive earthquake struck Haiti, the Miami Herald reports. "At 4:53 p.m., Haiti fell silent. It was a rare quiet time

Women's eNews examines U.N.'s new agency U.N. Women, which officially got off the ground on Jan. 3. According to the news service, U.N. Women's "Manhattan headquarters remain unoccupied, said U.N. Women spokesperson Gretchen Luchsinger"; employees from the previous U.N. entities that focused on women's issues remain in "scattered offices around the U.N. Secretariat building"; and "[s]even high-level staff positions" remain unfilled.