Show A2 — The Herald Journal Logan Utah Wednesday September 18 2002 H Nation ' I I In brief Stocks fall Government finds weight-los- s advertising riddled with deception ascautions shake poise WASHINGTON (AP) — Weight-los- s advertising is riddled with false or misleading claims that prey on millions of overweight people seeking help to shed pounds the Federal Trade Commission reported Tuesday ads make The FTC found that 55 percent of weight-los- s claims that lack proof or very likely are false “There are no fast and easy fixes” Surgeon General Richard Carmona wrote in a preface to the study “The public must adopt a healthy skepticism about advertising that promises miracles and scientific breakthroughs” Carmona said companies results in their promotions and pubshould use real weight-los- s Ushers and broadcasters should screen ads they run to ensure they “are based on science and not on wishful thinking” About 61 percent of US adults are overweight or Obese the of all Americana are trying report said and more than two-thirto lose or keep off weight Consumers spent about $35 billion in 2000 on weight-los- s products ranging from books arid videos to the report said and diet shakes drugs The FTC conducted the study with the Partnership for Healthy Weight Management a coalition that includes scien- lists government agencies and weight-los- s companies advertisements that Researchers examined 300 weight-los- s ran mostly during the first half of 2001 The ads were taken from television radio the Internet newspapers magazines and direct mail NEW YORK (AP) — A drop in industrial production ' and a profit warning from McDonald’s Tuesday took a jab at investors’ already shaky confidence in the economy prompting them to again sell off stocks The Dow Jones industrials fell more than 170 - ds AP photo ail Tracy Hollis 35 of Wyoming who contracted the West Nile vims exercises in her home as her mother Janet Ferris watches on Tuesday Hollis says doctors say It may take as long as three years for her to regain strength in her legs Hollis goes to the hospital three days a week for physical therapy and tries to exercise at home In between though she admits She has very little energy McBride wins Florida Dem nomination MIAMI (AP) — Janet Reno conceded the Democratic nomination for governor to Bill McBride on Tuesday — a full week after Florida’s bungled primary — after final vote counts showed him narrowly defeating the former attorney general The final but still unofficial count had the Tampa lawyer and political newcomer winning by about 4800 votes out of more than 13 million cast McBride will face Republican Gov Jeb Bush in November Reno conceded Tuesday afternoon She said she told McBride “he was going to be a great governor” McBride had claimed victory Thursday two days after one of the closest elections in Florida histoiy Reno gained a net total of 3400 votes in final counts released Tuesday by Miami-Dad- e Broward and other counties — not enough to erase the 8196-vot- e margin McBride held after last week’s preliminary tally The results will be certified by the state today III 21 lllfesll dearths Nil® i reported in DDDimois CHICAGO (AP) — Bob Meiscnheimer liked to sit in his back yard with friends oh sultry summer nights wearing a and trying to solve the world's problems The one that killed him — West Nile virus — has authorities scrambling for answers The mosquito-hom- e illness has hit Illinois harder than any other state this summer with 399 cases so far including 21 deaths That is far worse than even hot humid and swampy Louisiana’s 11 deaths The outbreak here is the deadliest in the nation since West Nile virus was first discovered in this country in New York City in 1999 irt Drought stress has flowers blooming WASHINGTON (AP) — Residents of drought-plague- d states may notice some flowering bushes and trees blooming out of season It's stress Some spring-bloomimagnolias have produced flowers at the US National Arboretum reports horticulturist Susan Mar-ti- n She said similar reactions sometimes occur in azalea! and other flowering plants Some pear trees have also been seen in bloom in Washington The unexpected flowers are not a result of recent rainfall in Eastern states she said Instead stress from the ongoing drought produces a chemical change in plants and that can trigger them to flower out of season die said Most often Martin saidit occurs in plants that were already under some other form of stress or were weakened for some reason As of the end of August some 48 percent of the contiguous United States was undergoing drought conditions according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ' Expert$are-juncertaiawb- the problem is so badJiere but their theories include Jrird migration patternk a teavy concentration of mosquito-infeste- d cemeteries and Illi-no- is residents’ summertime habits “You’ve got a short warm season and everybody loves to be outside To be told to cover up and wear repellent when you go outside you’re kind of messing up the party” said Kitty Loewy of the Cook County Public Health Depart- ment Bret Meisenheimer thinks that may explain his rold father’s death Sept 5 from West Nile encephalitis or brain swelling A World War II veteran and retired bricklayer Bob Meisenheimer had battled leukemia but was feeling pretty good Until he developed 360 investigated for alleged abuse CLEVELAND (AP) — Prosecutors have investigated 360 ' people including 100 priests accused of sex abuse in the city’s Roman Catholic Diocese over the last 50 years The time limits for bringing charges have been exceeded in almost all the cases but Cuyahoga County prosecutor William Mason said he expects some indictments from the th investigation “Our first priority was to protect the children who are in the schools now and those who will come in the future" Mason told The Plain Dealer for Tuesday’s editions His spokeswoman Kim Kowalski said Tuesday that investigators have interviewed more than 700 people claiming sexual abuse against priests nuns lay teachers administrators custodistudents and parents ans and school-ag- e five-mon- 76-yea- Illinois leads in cases of West Nile virus West Nile virus has hit Illinois the hardest this year with 399 reported human cases and 21 deaths according to the state's health department The Centem for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 71 deaths nationwide er u NOTE: Map District of Columbia stows casaacontkmedbytha CDCasotSapt a Current Case count for 2002 ‘V - CJlfo reports4 I human cases a t &3 Beit animal and up to 100 100 to 199 1 I 200 10 299 More than' 300 mosquito infections only SOURCES: Cenmi lor Disease Control and Prewndon about three weeks ago His son figures Meisenheimer got bitten during his nightly routine sitting out on the picnic table in Bethalto north of St Louis “I don’t think he ever thought a mosquito would get to him” Bret Meisenheimer said of his father Associae&Pin AP The Illinois victims have : ranged from a baby girl from the Chicago area who survived a severe case to a Suburban woman who did not Most people bitten by an infected mosquito do not become ill and most of those who do get' sick have only mild symptoms U n raw a mm i3iffl3ga(MnB CALL THE M Wed Sept 18 7i00-8£0pjn- v- - (Tfenii of ahtiid fot jOfTTBlIOn Him JOCuUwy Sr”- Hormone Problems Fibromyalgia ' ' i t 2 SltpDtpravatIonS V CALL MONDAY DtprislbnVv:iV FRIDAY & TRY THE SERVICE Chronic FitJguc MdichW:' - K j-- 4 pvnil — FOR FREE! ktynaWNilDsllnONthM t o 105S S rtrik 0 swMHftrtY ! lit- - iJTiTrtfJl Yri'tf(ijvirwj points “We saw some credible evidence that the economy is still sluggish in the production number and we saw credible evidence that corporate earnings are going to remain weak with the McDonald’s warning” said Arthur Hogan chief market analyst at Jefferies & Co The mariret’s biggest obstacles earnings and the economy “are' still with us” Hogan said : With its biggest drag being McDonald’s the Dow closed down 17263 or 21 percent at 820755 The market’s broader gauges also fell The Nastlaq composite index declined 1594 or 13 percent to 125994 The Standard & Poor’s 500 index fell 1758 or 2 percent to 87352 The last time all three indexes ended a session higher was a week ago in part because investors have been wary of making commitments to the market based on fears of a war with Iraq Investors have also been ' earnbracing for third-quartwhich ings warnings compa-nies will be issuing for the remainder of this month and have been equally discouraged by reports indicating that the economy remains soft ' Wall Street was pressured Tuesday by discouraging economic data from the Federal Reserve which said industrial production fell by 03 percent in August Analysts were forecasting an increase of 01 percent to 02 percent “This economic recovery keeps getting pushed out by these earnings warnings” said Barry Berman head trader for Robert W Baird & Co “And the letter (of agreement) from Iraq is still in the early stages The longer-rang-e concern is whether 6f not this is just fluff and that the war talk is just being postponed for a while” Analysts said investors were uninspired by Iraq’s agreeing to admit UN weapons inspec-tor- s without conditions because of skepticism about the country’s willingness to allow a real search for weapons of mass destruction Itjrlifi St II Isgii aS( i i QVOWQ Spa and WtHness Center Direct i ' |