Class Assignment 1

Story 1:

Killing everyone on board, a military airplane crashed yesterday afternoon. The crash happened not too far from Chile's Juan Fernandez Islands, in the Pacific Ocean.

Twenty-one people have been reported dead, this time, including a popular Chilean television personality Felipe Camiroaga. Chile officials say that searchers and fishermen found four bodies, two women and two men, this morning. Chilean Defense Minister Andres Allamand says “After a search involving the commander in chief of the FACh (Chilean air force), the conclusion has been reached that the impact was so powerful it would have led to the instant death of those on board the plane.” If there are any, the President, Sebastian Pinera, said that the government will do everything they can to recover as many bodies as possible.

It is shocking because Chile has one of the best air-safety records in Latin America. The last time the air force had a plane crash was in 2000 on the south coast of Chile; that day fourteen people died. The time before that was way back in 1991 off the same coast and twenty people died then.

Story2:

Atrial Fibrillation is something millions of people worldwide suffer from each day. This pasted Sunday a new drug that could help with this problem, was introduced in Paris.

European Society of Cardiology was the place that everything took place. The results were published on the website of the New England Journal of Medicine. The study of the new medicine, Eliquis, included 18,201 people and 1,034 clinical sites in 39 countries, including the United States. Studies showed that the drug prevented 21 percent more strokes then the medicine, Warfarin, which people are taking now. It helps with 31 percent fewer incidents of major bleeding. It also reduced total deaths by 11 percent.

Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer expect to introduce the new drug for approval to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration by the end of 2011. If it does get approved its makers plan to trumpet in its marketing campaign. “It’s a remarkable achievement. This is one of the most significant advances in cardiovascular medicine in the last five years, no question.” said by Dr. Valentin Fuster, a past president of American and World Heart Associations.

Story3:

Tropical storm Lee has brought many rain storms and floods all across the gulf coast. Warnings have been issued all the way from the Louisiana-Texas state line to the town of Destin in Florida.

Thousands of people along the coast have no power. Some parts of Louisiana and Mississippi have no power because of heavy rain and wind that knocked down power lines. There are also pats that have started flooding, getting to businesses and homes as well. It is expected for the storm to dump more than a foot of rain across the Gulf Coast. Officials have ordered evacuations of bayou towns that are coming up on the storms list.

76-year-old, Eva Alexie, who lost her house in 2008 due to Ike, did not heed orders to evacuate. Her new house today sits 8 feet above ground. About a foot of water stood beneath her home Saturday (today). “I should be used to this. It happens pretty often. I just thank God it won’t be getting in my house this time.” says Eva in good spirit.