First Lady Tracks Santa From Hawaii

While President Obama spent his Christmas Eve afternoon golfing with friends, the first lady was hard at work helping children from across the country track Santa's every move.
Mrs. Obama took roughly 30 minutes out of her Hawaiian family vacation to answer calls from children asking where Santa was located as part of the annual NORAD Tracks Santa program run by the North American Aerospace Defense Command, according to a White House official.
"Have you been a good boy this year?" Mrs. Obama asked Fischer from North Carolina.
"Yes, ma'am" responded the polite 5-year-old, who asked Santa to bring him a four-wheeler this year. Klye from Winona, N. J., wanted to know what the first lady's favorite present was when she was a young girl.
"When I was little. I loved Barbie dolls. I was a big Barbie doll kid, and every Christmas I got a new Barbie. One year I got the Barbie townhouse and the camper. It was very exciting," Mrs. Obama said. The first lady helped children track Santa and his sleigh as he delivered toys to little girls and boys in Africa, the Middle East and Europe.
"He's moving pretty fast. That's pretty exciting, isn't it?" she asked the Schaack children from Rocklin, Calif.
"He's going like 100 miles an hour!" one of the boys replied. "You guys go to sleep soon now so that he'll come to your house, all right?" the first lady cautioned.
The Obamas spending Christmas at their vacation home along the shores of Kailua, a quiet beach town on the east end of Oahu.

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U.S. urges Egyptians to bridge divisions after constitutional vote

The United States on Tuesday urged all sides in Egypt to increase political engagement after Egyptian officials announced that voters had overwhelmingly approved a new constitution drafted by President Mohamed Mursi's Islamist allies.
"President Mursi, as the democratically elected leader of Egypt, has a special responsibility to move forward in a way that recognizes the urgent need to bridge divisions," State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said in a statement, noting that many Egyptians had voiced "significant concerns" over the constitutional process.
"We hope those Egyptians disappointed by the result will seek more and deeper engagement. We look to those who welcome the result to engage in good faith. And we hope all sides will re-commit themselves to condemn and prevent violence," Ventrell said. (Reporting By Andrew Quinn; Editing

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Little change in overtreatment at doctors' offices

Although some Americans are getting more of beneficial treatments that were underused in the past, including drugs for heart disease, others are still being overtested or overtreated for a range of conditions, according to a new study. Researchers found U.S. doctors' offices made progress on six of nine "quality indicators" for recommended and underused therapies but only scaled back on two of 11 unnecessary and potentially harmful health services. Those findings reflect a growing concern over skyrocketing health care costs - and the realization that doctors and hospitals are going to have to find places where services can be scaled back. "We all know that we need to do something about it, and one component of the high health care costs is the overuse and misuse of therapies and interventions," said Dr. Amir Qaseem, director of clinical policy at the American College of Physicians. It's not about getting rid of services that are too expensive, he told Reuters Health, but evaluating what current tests and treatments may offer little value for certain patients. For example, two overuse indicators included in the new analysis are screening men age 75 and up for prostate cancer and screening women 75 and older for breast cancer. "For men who are getting screened over the age of 75, the likely benefit doesn't happen within a patient's lifetime," Qaseem said, because prostate cancer is often very slow-growing. And that's assuming prostate specific antigen (PSA) tests are beneficial at all. Regardless of a man's age, however, the tests can still lead to invasive biopsies that come with side effects such as a risk of incontinence and impotence. "We really need to start looking at some of these services that may be harmful," added Qaseem, who wasn't involved in the new research. The findings are based on nationally representative studies of adult care in outpatient offices, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Data came from 79,083 office visits in 1998-1999 and 102,980 visits in 2008-2009. During that span, the use of many recommended therapies improved. For example, 28 percent of people with coronary artery disease were given aspirin in 1998-1999, compared to almost 65 percent a decade later. Likewise, the use of statins more than doubled in those same patients, from 27 percent to 59 percent. In people with diabetes, statin prescriptions increased from 12 percent to 36 percent. However, there was little change in rates of unnecessary and overused services, including some types of cancer screening for older adults or x-rays and urine tests done as part of a general check-up. Two of those overuse indicators improved: cervical cancer screening for women over 65 dropped from 3 percent to 2 percent, and unnecessary antibiotic prescribing for asthma flare-ups fell from 22 percent to 7 percent. On the other hand, rates of prostate cancer screening for older men increased, from between 3 and 4 percent to almost 6 percent, according to findings published Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine. The lead author on the study from New York's Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Dr. Minal Kale, said the set of quality indicators her team used doesn't necessarily represent all tests and treatments provided in outpatient care. And she added that the overuse of medical services is a complicated issue. "Culturally, there's a lot of resistance to limiting access to health care services because it quickly becomes politicized," Kale told Reuters Health. "The question about overuse really needs to come back to quality. It's about quality of the care that we're delivering to patients." The goal, she said, is to "increase the value and the quality of our health care system while also paying attention to the costs."

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‘Dystextia': Gibberish texts sound stroke alarm

Imagine you were a devoted husband, waiting to hear from your wife about her due date after a visit to the obstetrician, and you saw these on your phone: "every where thinging days nighing" "Some is where!" That's what happened last December to a Boston-area man, who knew that autocorrect - known for its bizarre replacements - was turned off on his 11-week-pregnant wife's phone. You'd probably be tempted to make sure your wife, 25, got to the emergency room. When she did, doctors noted several signs of a stroke, including disorientation, inability to use her right arm and leg properly and some difficulty speaking. A magnetic resonance imaging scan - MRI - revealed that part of the woman's brain wasn't getting enough blood, clinching the diagnosis. Fortunately, her symptoms went away quickly, and the rest of the pregnancy went just fine after she went home from the hospital on low-dose blood thinners. The case, say three doctors from Boston's Harvard Medical School who reported it online today in the Archives of Neurology, suggests that "the growing digital record will likely become an increasingly important means of identifying neurologic disease, particularly in patient populations that rely more heavily on written rather than spoken communication." The authors describe the phenomenon as "dystextia," which is the word used by other doctors in an earlier case involving a migraine, and symptoms of a stroke diagnosed for other reasons. "In her case, the first evidence of language difficulties came from her unintelligible texts," one of the report's authors, Dr. Joshua Klein, told Reuters Health by email. Strokes are rare in women aged 15 to 34, with about 11,000 per year, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published last year. Dr. Sean Savitz, who directs the stroke program at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, said he has seen a few patients who sent emails suggesting they were having difficulty with language, a condition known as aphasia. Such clues usually come with other information however. In this case, for example, the patient's obstetrician's office later remembered that she had trouble filling out a form. And they might have caught the language difficulty earlier had the woman not had a weak voice, thanks to a recent upper respiratory infection. "So, this case report per se does not indicate to me if dystextia is going to be more common to pick up strokes," Savitz told Reuters Health by email, "but I do think it will be a valuable addition to the collection of information that neurologists should obtain when taking a history." "The main stroke warning signs with respect to texting would be unintelligible language output, or problems reading or comprehending texts," said Klein. "Many smartphones have an ‘autocorrect' function which can introduce erroneous word substitutions, giving the impression of a language disorder." Autocorrect, said Savitz, a professor of neurology, can confuse matters - even for doctors. "I have often joked with my colleagues when using the dictation of the smartphone, that it gives me an aphasia," he said. "Potential for lots of false positives!" SOURCE: Archives of Neurology, online December 24, 2012.

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NRA Takes Fire for Stance on Mental Illness

The National Rifle Association has come under fire by an association of psychiatrists for its characterization of people who commit violent crimes as "monsters," "lunatics" and "insane." The American Psychiatric Association, which represents more than 30,000 mental health professionals, released a statement that expressed its "disappointment" over the gun lobby's use of those terms in the wake of the massacre at the Sandy Hook Elementary school in Newtown, Conn., where Adam Lanza, 20, slaughtered 20 children, six school staffers and his mother. In a news conference last week, NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre repeatedly used the word "monsters" and "insane" to describe people who carry out mass shootings. And during an interview this weekend on "Meet the Press" LaPierre used the word lunatic "as a catchphrase for those who commit violent crimes," the APA said. In his news conference, LaPierre blamed the tragedy on Hollywood, the media, video games and the courts. His remarks also appeared to explicitly scapegoat those with mental illness. "How many more copycats are waiting in the wings for their moment of fame …" LaPierre said. "A dozen more killers? A hundred? More? How can we possibly even guess how many, given our nation's refusal to create an active national database of the mentally ill?" NRA Faces Backlash for Proposing Armed School Guards Watch Video National Rifle Association News Conference Interrupted by Protesters Watch Video Gun Violence Victims, Survivors Share Thoughts After Newtown Massacre Watch Video APA's President Dr. Dilip Jeste said in a statement over the weekend that LaPierre's comments were unfair and inaccurate. "Only 4 to 5 percent of violent crimes are committed by people with mental illness," Jeste said. "About one quarter of all Americans have a mental disorder in any given year, and only a very small percentage of them will ever commit violent crimes." APA's CEO Dr. James H. Scully added that LaPierre's remarks serve to perpetuate the idea that mental illness and evil are one and the same. "This is simply a relic of the past and has no place in our public dialogue. People who are clearly not mentally ill commit violent crimes and perform terrible acts every day. Unfortunately, Mr. LaPierre's statements serve only to increase the stigma around mental illness and further the misconception that those with mental disorders are likely to be dangerous," Scully said. The NRA remains unmoved. Their director of public affairs, Andrew Arulanandam, said he hadn't seen the APA statement and he wouldn't comment specifically on the Newtown shootings because he said he wasn't aware of any official information about Lanza's mental state -- but it wouldn't be unreasonable for anyone evaluating the Newtown killings to conclude the killer was mentally ill. NRA Chief Calls Assault Weapons Ban 'Phony' "Look at other similar shooting incidences. All of these shooters exhibited warning signs. The signs were there and people ignored them," Arulanandam said. "If the media wants to suggest that there was nothing wrong with these people, that's their concern but we believe -- and believe most Americans will agree -- these people were deranged." Bob Carolla, a spokesman for the National Alliance on Mental Illness said he agreed with the APA's statements and also pointed out that it hasn't been established that Lanza suffered from any sort of mental illness. Authorities have nothing but anecdotal information on Lanza's mental state at the time of the shootings.

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Venezuela's Chavez "improves slightly" after surgery: official

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's condition has "improved slightly" after a cancer operation in Cuba, the information minister said on Monday, amid doubts over whether the former soldier is in good enough health to continue governing. "The patient has shown a slight improvement in his condition," Venezuelan Information Minister Ernesto Villegas said during a terse televised statement, adding the president has maintained contact with family members. Chavez has not been heard from in two weeks following a fourth operation for an unspecified type of cancer in the pelvic region. The government has said he suffered post-operatory complications including unexpected bleeding and a lung infection, but offered few details about his actual condition. His death, or even his resignation for health reasons, would upend the politics of the South American OPEC nation where his personalized brand of oil-financed socialism has made him a hero to the poor but a pariah to critics who call him a dictator. His allies are now openly discussing the possibility that he may not be back in time to be sworn in for his third six-year term on the constitutionally mandated date of January 10. Opposition leaders say a delay to his taking power would be another signal that Chavez is not in condition to govern and that fresh elections should be called to choose his replacement. They believe they have a better shot against Chavez's anointed successor, Vice President Nicolas Maduro, than against the charismatic president who for 14 years has been nearly invincible at the ballot box. But a constitutional dispute over succession could lead to a messy transition toward a post-Chavez era. Maduro has become the government's main figurehead in the president's absence. His speeches have mimicked Chavez's bombastic style that mixes historical references with acid insults of adversaries. Opposition leader Henrique Capriles, who lost to Chavez in the October presidential vote, slammed Maduro in an interview published on Sunday for failing to seek dialogue with the opposition at a time of political uncertainty. "Maduro is not the one that won the elections, nor is he the leader," Capriles told the local El Universal newspaper. "Because Chavez is absent, this is precisely the time that (Maduro) needs help from people (in the opposition camp)." Chavez has vastly expanded presidential powers and built a near-cult following among millions of poor Venezuelans, who love his feisty language and social welfare projects. The opposition is smarting from this month's governors elections in which Chavez allies won 20 of 23 states. They are trying to keep attention focused on day-to-day problems from rampant crime to power outages.

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Catholic Church urges Irish to oppose abortion law

The head of Ireland's Catholic Church urged followers in his Christmas Day message to lobby against government plans to legalize abortion. Ireland, the only EU member state that currently outlaws the procedure, is preparing legislation that would allow limited access to abortion after the European Court of Human Rights criticized the current regime. The death last month of an Indian woman who was denied an abortion of her dying foetus and later died of blood poisoning has intensified the debate around abortion, which remains a hugely divisive subject in the predominantly Catholic country. "I hope that everyone who believes that the right to life is fundamental will make their voice heard in a reasonable, but forthright, way to their representatives," Cardinal Sean Brady said in a Christmas message on Tuesday. "No government has the right to remove that right from an innocent person." Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny, a regular Mass goer, is bringing in legislation that would allow a woman to have an abortion if her life was at risk from pregnancy. The country's Supreme Court ruled in 1992 that abortion was permitted when a woman's life was at risk but successive governments have avoided legislating for it because it is so divisive. The death of Savita Halappanavar, who repeatedly asked for an abortion while she was miscarrying in an Irish hospital, highlighted the lack of clarity in Irish law that leaves doctors in a legally risky position. Halappanavar's death re-ignited the abortion debate and prompted large protests by groups both in favor of and against abortion. Kenny and his conservative Fine Gael party have been criticized for tackling the abortion issue and some party members have indicated that they may not be able to back the law. Relations between the Irish government and the once dominant Catholic Church are at an all-time low in the wake of years of clerical sex abuse scandals. Kenny told parliament last year that the Vatican's handling of the scandals had been dominated by "elitism and narcissism" and accused it of trying to cover up the abuse. The speech prompted the Vatican to recall its ambassador, or nuncio, to Ireland. Brady, who has faced calls this year to resign over accusations he failed to warn parents their children were being sexually abused, said in his Christmas message that he wanted relations with government to improve. "My hope is that the year ahead will see the relationship between faith and public life in our country move beyond the sometimes negative, exaggerated caricatures of the past.

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Thousands mourn U.S.-Mexican singer Jenni Rivera

Thousands of mourners on Wednesday packed a Los Angeles theater to pay their final respects to Mexican-American singer Jenni Rivera more than a week after her death in a plane crash. Rivera, 43, best known for her work in the Mexican folk Nortena and Banda genres, died after the small jet she was traveling in crashed in northern Mexico on December 9. Rivera's family, dressed in white, led the memorial service eulogizing the singer. A bank of white roses was displayed in front of Rivera's bright red coffin and a brass band performed musical interludes. More than 6,000 people crowded into the theater about 30 miles north of her childhood home in Long Beach, California. Tickets for the service at the Gibson Amphitheatre sold out within minutes, organizers said. The daughter of Mexican immigrants, Rivera was called the "Diva de la Banda." She sold about 15 million albums and earned a slew of Latin Grammy nominations during her 17-year career. "Jenni made it OK for women to be who they are," her manager Pete Salgado said at the service. "Jenni also made it OK to be from nothing, with the hopes of being something." Rivera had five children, the first at age 15, and was married three times. Her third husband was baseball pitcher Esteban Loaiza. Rivera's private life influenced her songs, which often referenced living through hardship. "She's a fighter and she knows it's in all of us," Rivera's son Michael said between video tributes. In recent years, Rivera branched out into television, appearing on a reality television show and serving as a judge on the Mexican version of the singing competition "The Voice." Television broadcaster ABC was reported to be developing a comedy pilot for the singer. Rivera's plane crashed in mountains south of Monterrey killing all seven on board. The singer was to perform in the city of Toluca, 40 miles southwest of Mexico City, in central Mexico after a concert in Monterrey. It is not clear what caused the crash.

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Putin offers French tax row actor Depardieu a Russian passport

President Vladimir Putin offered French actor Gerard Depardieu a Russian passport on Thursday, saying he would welcome the 63-year-old celebrity who is embroiled in a bitter tax row with France's socialist government. Weighing into a dispute over a hike in taxes, Putin heaped praise on Depardieu, making the offer of citizenship in response to a question during his annual televised press conference. "If Gerard really wants to have either a residency permit in Russia or a Russian passport, we will assume that this matter is settled and settled positively," Putin said. French daily Le Monde reported on Tuesday that Depardieu had told his close friends he was considering three options to escape France's new tax regime: moving to Belgium, where he owns a home, relocating to Montenegro, where he has a business, or fleeing to Russia. "Putin has already sent me a passport," Le Monde quoted the actor as jokingly saying. Depardieu is well-known in Russia where he has appeared in many advertising campaigns, and in 2012 he was one of several Western celebrities invited to celebrate the birthday of Ramzan Kadyrov, Chechnya's Kremlin-backed leader. He also worked in Russia last year on a film about the life and times of the eccentric Russian monk Grigory Rasputin. He has already inquired about how to obtain Belgian residency rights and said he plans to hand in his French passport and social security card. In what has become an ugly public dispute, France's Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault criticized Depardieu's announcement as "pathetic" and unpatriotic. The actor hit back, accusing France of punishing success and talent. But Putin said he thought the feud was the result of a "misunderstanding". The 60-year-old former KGB spy said he was very friendly with Depardieu, saying he thought the actor considered himself a Frenchman who loved the culture and history of his homeland. Belgian residents do not pay a wealth tax, which in France is now levied on those with assets over 1.3 million euros ($1.7 million). Nor do they pay capital gains tax on share sales. Hollande is also pressing ahead with plans to impose a 75-percent super tax on income over 1 million euros. Russia has a flat income tax rate of 13 percent.

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UK's Kate and William to spend Christmas Day with her parents

Britain's Prince William and his pregnant wife Kate will spend Christmas Day with her parents, their office said on Saturday, in a break with the tradition of royals joining Queen Elizabeth at her country estate at Sandringham. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will celebrate in private with Carole and Michael Middleton at their home in the village of Bucklebury, about 50 miles west of London. "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will spend Christmas Day privately with the Middleton family," a St James's Palace spokesman said. The couple's decision was taken with the approval of the Queen. They are expected to visit Sandringham, in eastern England, for part of the Christmas holiday. Kate, 30, who married the second-in-line to the throne in April 2011, spent four days in hospital this month with an acute form of morning sickness. Members of the British royal family usually spend Christmas at Sandringham and stay until February, following a custom set by Queen Elizabeth's father and grandfather. Kate and William spent Christmas there last year, meeting scores of wellwishers. The Middletons are likely to join millions of Britons in watching Queen Elizabeth's annual Christmas broadcast, a tradition that her grandfather George V started in 1932. For the first time, the monarch has recorded her television broadcast in 3D. It will be shown at 1500 GMT on December 25.

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