National Desk

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The New York Sun

WASHINGTON


HUMAN TESTING OF RICIN VACCINE TO BEGIN IN TEXAS Researchers in Texas will begin clinical trials of a candidate vaccine against the deadly toxin ricin, a biological agent that can only be tested in select labs. University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas received approval from the Food and Drug Administration to conduct the safety trial in humans. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as little as 500 micrograms of ricin – about what fits on the head of a pin – is enough to kill an adult. Lethal doses depend on how the poison is delivered – by powder, mist, pellet, or dissolved in water. The poison can be made from waste left over from processing castor beans. Because castor beans are easy to obtain and the poison remains potent despite exposure to temperature extremes, government officials worry that it could become a tool of terrorists. Unless treated quickly, there is no antidote. Symptoms arrive late and can be confused with other illnesses. The Texas researchers will test the safety of a genetically engineered protein vaccine, RiVax, developed by a team led by UT Southwestern’s Dr. Ellen Vitetta. “This clinical trial will tell us whether the vaccine is safe. Everything says it should be,” said Dr. Vitetta, director of the Cancer Immunobiology Center at UT Southwestern.


– Associated Press


WEST


NTSB INVESTIGATES ICE ON WINGS OF EBERSOL PLANE MONTROSE, Colo. – Investigators said yesterday they were looking into whether ice on the wings or a mechanical problem contributed to the fiery crash of an executive jet that killed the 14-year-old son of NBC Sports Chairman Dick Ebersol and two others. National Transportation Safety Board investigator Arnold Scott said the plane had not been de-iced before its attempted takeoff Sunday morning in light snow, fog, and freezing temperatures outside this southwest Colorado town. Mr. Scott said investigators were also examining the jack screws that raise and lower the wing flaps, but he said nothing had been ruled out as a potential cause. The plane’s cockpit voice recorder was taken to an NTSB lab in Washington, where analysts were reviewing the pilots’ final words. Mr. Scott declined to discuss the contents but said the 31-minute recording was in good condition. The plane carrying Mr. Ebersol and two of his sons skidded off the end of the runway and exploded. Montrose County Coroner Mark Young said Edward “Teddy” Ebersol, a freshman at The Gunnery boarding school in Washington, Conn., was killed when he was ejected from the plane and crushed by the wreckage. The family lives in Litchfield, Conn.


– Associated Press


SOUTH


TRAUMATIC HURRICANE SEASON DRAWS TO A CLOSE PENSACOLA, Fla. – One of the most traumatic hurricane seasons in Florida history officially ended yesterday with Governor Jeb Bush calling the occasion a time for “reflection and celebration.” Florida was hit by four hurricanes in a single season, a two-month barrage of storms that triggered the nation’s biggest natural-disaster response. The hurricanes took 117 lives in Florida, destroyed more than 25,000 homes and heavily damaged 4,600 more. Damage was estimated at $42 billion, surpassing the $34.9 billion caused in 1992 by Hurricane Andrew, the nation’s single most costly storm. Mr. Bush toured some of the most severely affected areas, beginning at Escambia County’s new emergency operations center. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30. Hurricane Charley plowed into southwestern Florida in mid-August, and Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne slammed the state in September. The only other time on record when four hurricanes hit one state in a year was Texas in 1886.


– Associated Press


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