4A
NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAS
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21. 2007
》 NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY
Iran to negotiate uranium program
BY GEORGE JAHN ASSOCIATED PRESS
VIENNA, Austria — Iran's chief nuclear envoy said Tuesday his country wants to negotiate over its uranium enrichment program, on the eve of a U.N. Security Council deadline that carries the threat of harsher sanctions, but the country's hard-line president said Iran will halt enrichment only if Western nations do the same.
Sanctions could be triggered by a report from Mohamed ElBaradei, the head of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency, to his agency's 35 board member nations, expected Wednesday. That report is expected to say Iran has expanded enrichment activities instead of freezing them.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, speaking to a crowd of thousands in Iran, said his country was ready to stop its enrichment program, but only
Ahmadineiad's call.
do the same — something the United States and others with similar programs are unlikely to even consider.
"Justice demands that those who want to hold talks with us shut down their
"Do you believe that's a serious offer?" White House press secretary Tony Snow asked. "It's pretty
"Justice demands that those who want to hold talks with us shut down their nuclear fuel cycle program too."
MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD
nuclear fuel cycle program too" he said. "Then, we can hold dialogue under a fair atmosphere."
Iranian president
The White House dismissed
make."
clear that the international community has said to the Iranians, 'You can have nuclear power but we don't want you to have the ability to build nuclear weapons.' And that is an offer we continue to
Nevertheless, Ahmadinejad's speech was unusually conciliatory, avoiding fiery denunciations
of the West, Iran's call for talks — voiced separately on Tuesday by Ahmadinejad, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and senior nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani — suggested an attempt to convey flexibility on the eve of the deadline.
Mottaki, in Turkey, said talks on the nuclear dispute should try to achieve an agreement allowing "Tran to achieve its rights" while eliminating "concerns" about its nuclear ambitions. Larijani, in Vienna, said his country was "looking for ways and means to start negotiations."
But the officials did not offer what the Security Council is demanding
— an immediate and unconditional stop to enrichment. Iran has long insisted that it will not stop its nuclear activities as a condition for negotiations to start.
MEDICINE
Company suspends lobbying efforts for vaccine
BY LINDA A. JOHNSON
ASSOCIATED PRESS
TRENTON, N.J. - Merck & Co. bowing to pressure from parents and medical groups, is immediately suspending its lobbying campaign to persuade state legislatures to mandate that adolescent girls get the company's new vaccine against cervical cancer as a requirement for school attendance.
The drug maker, which announced the change Tuesday, had been criticized for quietly funding the campaign, via a third party, to require 11 and 12 year old girls get the three dose vaccine in order to attend school.
Some had objected because the vaccine protects against a sexually transmitted disease, human papilloma virus, which causes cervical cancer. Vaccines mandated for school attendance usually are for diseases easily spread through casual contact.
such as measles and mumps.
"Our goal is about cervical cancer prevention and we want to reach as many females as possible with Gardasil." Dr. Richard M. Haupt,
Merck's medical director for vaccines, told The Associated Press
"We're concerned that our role in supporting school requirements is a distraction from that goal, and as such have suspended our lobbying efforts." Haupt added, adding
cervical cancer and two strains that cause most wart starts.
"Our goals is about cervical cancer prevention and we want to reach as many females as possible with Gardasil."
the company will continue providing information about the vaccine if requested by government officials.
Sales totaled $235 million through the end of 2006, according to Merck.
RICH M. HAUPT Merck Medical Director
Merck launched Gardasil, the first vaccine to prevent cervical cancer, in June. It protects against the two virus strains that cause 70 percent of
Last month, the AP reported that Merck was channeling money for its statemandate campaign through Women in Government, an advocacy group made up of female state legislators
across the country.
Conservative groups opposed the campaign, saying it would encourage premarital sex, and parents' rights groups said it interfered with their control over their children.
Even two of the prominent med
ical groups that supported broad use of the vaccine, the American Academy of Pediatricians and the American Academy of Family Practitioners, questioned Merck's timing, Haupt said Tuesday.
"They, along with some other folks in the public health community, believe there needs to be more time," he said, to ensure government funding for the vaccine for uninsured girls is in place and that families and government officials have enough information about it.
Legislatures in roughly 20 states have introduced measures that would mandate girls have the vaccine to attend school, but none has passed so far. However, Texas Gov. Rick Perry on Feb. 2 issued an executive order requiring Texas girls entering the sixth grade as of 2008 get the vaccinations, triggering protests from lawmakers in that state.
Perry defended his order Tuesday, a day after lawmakers in Austin held a lengthy hearing on the issue but failed to act on a bill to override the order.
Dr. Anne Francis, who chairs an American Academy of Pediatrics committee that advocates for better insurer reimbursement on vaccines, called Merck's change of heart "a good move for the public."
The Board of Police Commissioners, which is authorized under state law to fire police officers, will consider Corwin's recommendation. Hearings for the officers are scheduled for Feb. 27.
The officers, who initially were suspended with pay, now are on unpaid suspension pending the board's decision.
Corwin, who has the author
"Police officers are expected to help people, and this incident did not demonstrate that value." Police Chief James Corwin said in a written statement. "I expect members of this department to treat people with dignity and respect at all times. Behavior like this, although isolated, greatly disappoints me as a police chief and a human being."
ASSOCIATED PRESS
In Tuesday's recommendation to fire the officers, Corwin said Spencer and Schnell violated department policy by not providing Salva with medical treatment. He said they also violated the department's ethics and conduct rules.
Documents released with the chief's recommendation allege Spencer "repeatedly made statements to Salva in a condescending, demeaning and patronizing manner, which were discourteous and undignified."
Police chief: Fire negligent officers Hearing scheduled for Tuesday
Corwin ordered an internal investigation last month after the lawsuit was filed. Days later, he suspended Spencer and Schnell with pay.
Spencer has been a Kansas City police officer four years, and Schnell less than two.
Kansas City police officers Melody Spencer and Kevin Schnell stopped Sofia Salva in February 2006 for a fake temporary car tag and later arrested her on outstanding warrants. A police videotape released last month shows Salva repeatedly asking for medical attention, and the officers ignoring her.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Two police officers accused of ignoring the pleas of a pregnant woman who miscarried a day after she was thrown into jail should be fired, the Kansas City police chief said Tuesday.
T 785.856.5848
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UNCLASSIFIED (CONTINUED FROM 1A)
Her attorney, Andrew Protzman, declined to comment Tuesday about the chief's recommendation. He said the lawsuit against the department is going ahead as planned.
visit with fellow staff. He said inadequate maintenance funding sometimes made it harder for him to do his job.
Kaiser cited a case last year when a steam tunnel near lajayhawk Boulevard and 13th Street needed sudden and immediate repairs. The emergency disrupted campus traffic and caused buses to take an alternative route for months.
"It's all a matter of taking up time that could have been spent doing something else," Kaiser said.
Salva, 32, a Sudanese native, was nearly four months pregnant when she was pulled over. She filed a wrongful death and personal injury lawsuit against Kansas City police last month.
Kansan staff writer Nathan Gill can be contacted at ngill@kansan.com.
Phil Wilke, media man
"We are passionate about higher education because we are professional people." Farran said.
ager for the University's Kansas Public Radio station, said he did not mind using a vacation day to visit legislators. He said he thought it showed unclassified staff's dedication to the University.
Edited by Stacey Couch
>> CRIME
ity to terminate jail workers, fired detention officer Norman Johnson for his role in the incident. Johnson has 10 days to request a hearing to appeal the firing.
Wednesday, February 21st 12 noon-1 p.m. Big 12 Room, Kansas Union
Critical Conversations Series Books, Briefcases and Diapers: How does our campus climate measure up for parents?
Panelists:
Ola Faucher
Director, Dept. of Human Resources and Equal Opportunity
Sarah Frazelle
Graduate Student, Economics
Dr. Donna Ginther
Associate Professor, Economics
Dr. Mary Lee Hummert
Vice Provost for Faculty Support
Dr. Lisa Wolf-Wendel
Professor, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
Campuses across the country have been challenged to examine their policies and practices related to creating a "family-friendly" climate as parents are citing this as an important recruitment, retention and success factor. What are the current national trends? How does KU measure up? What changes are needed? Join our expert panel to discuss these issues.
Brought to you by the Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center, a program within the Student Involvement and Leadership Center and Student Success