L.A. Times - National News

A story of shock, chaos and bravery unfolds in Ft. Hood shooting

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Eyewitnesses say the gunman sat and appeared to pray before calmly firing on his comrades. Officials say he got 100 rounds off before civilian officers brought him down in a firefight.

In the end, the shooting rampage at Ft. Hood came down to a gunfight between two civilian base police officers toting standard sidearms and a 39-year-old psychiatrist armed with .357 Magnum and a pistol equipped with laser sighting and extra bullets, officials said.

New study may deal final blow to acne drug Accutane

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The study bolstered evidence of a link between the drug, pulled from the market in June, and inflammatory bowel disease. No medication is as effective in treating severe cases of acne.

Teenagers and young adults suffering from severe, scarring acne may ultimately lose the most effective treatment for the condition.

Retracing steps of suspected Fort Hood shooter, Nidal Malik Hasan

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

As authorities try to find a motive for the Texas attacks, details of a devout Muslim begin to emerge.

Reporting from Killeen, Texas, and Silver Spring, Md. -- Over the last few weeks, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan drove off the vast Army base at Ft. Hood, Texas, at least a dozen times to enjoy seafood dinners with Duane Reasoner Jr., an 18-year-old he was mentoring in the ways of Islam.

American Muslims express fear, frustration after Ft. Hood shootings

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The news that the suspect is one of their own brings up familiar feelings. Besides fears of retribution, they're tired of sensing pressure to apologize for someone else's 'maniacal brutality.'

The news made Nihad Awad sick to his stomach.

Democrats secure abortion funding deal on eve of expected health vote

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Pelosi and others work into the night to try to clear roadblocks on the healthcare overhaul bill.

With a historic floor vote looming on their healthcare bill, House Democratic leaders secured an 11th-hour compromise late Friday night to settle a long-simmering debate over how to restrict federal funding for abortion.

Orlando shooting suspect says company left him 'to rot'

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Former employee Jason Rodriguez is in custody after a rampage in which one worker is killed and five wounded at a Florida engineering firm.

A former employee of an architectural engineering firm opened fire in the company's offices in a high-rise here, killing one person and wounding five others, according to authorities.

Wildlife filmmakers focusing on endangered cats

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Dereck and Beverly Joubert, who have spent 25 years documenting Africa's most iconic animals, have teamed with National Geographic on the Big Cats Initiative in an attempt to stop their extinction.

South African wildlife photographers and authors Dereck and Beverly Joubert have worked in some of Africa's most remote areas for more than 25 years, recording the life cycles and decline of some of the continent's most iconic animals, in the process winning five Emmys, a Peabody and a Wildscreen Panda Award.

Democratic consultant says he got a warning from White House after appearing on Fox News

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 08:59:00 -0800

'We better not see you on again,' the strategist says he was told by a White House official. Obama aides have taken an aggressive stance against the network and may be seeking to isolate it.

At least one Democratic political strategist has gotten a blunt warning from the White House to never appear on Fox News Channel, an outlet that presidential aides have depicted as not so much a news-gathering operation as a political opponent bent on damaging the Obama administration.

IPhone sales in China are nothing to call home about

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Only 5,000 of the Apple phones have sold since the Oct. 30 launch. High prices and a lack of Wi-Fi capability are blamed, especially with a thriving gray market in iPhones.

Apple Inc.'s iPhone has been a ringing success wherever it has been launched. But in China few are picking up the buzz.

High hopes for a malaria vaccine

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 19:11:00 -0800

The makers of Mosquirix announce a trial involving thousands of children in Africa. They aim to seek marketing approval as soon as 2012 and have a vaccine that reduces infections by 80% by 2025.

Each year, malaria kills more than 1 million people -- 90% of them in sub-Saharan Africa and 80% of them younger than 5 -- and makes 300 million people seriously ill. Major progress in controlling the disease has been made by the widespread adoption of bed nets to keep mosquitoes from attacking children at night and by the use of artemisinin-based therapy, which is the most effective treatment for infections.