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WEEK IN REVIEW Editorial for May 19-23, 2008

By Informify Staff

At the end of each week, we review the stories we covered and look for connections. This past week we found four major themes:

International Devastation: China, Myanmar & South Africa

Stories of unbelievable loss overshadowed other news again this week. Here's a wrap-up of the three disasters-natural and human-we covered:

China Earthquake: More than 51,000 dead

China's seismology department now says last week's earthquake registered 8.0 on the Richter scale. The quake in Sichuan province killed more than 51,000 people and injured 247,645. China has accepted foreign medical aid from Russia, Taiwan, Japan, Germany, and Italy.

Miraculous rescues of people trapped beneath rubble for six days and surviving on rainwater inspired hope. But at this point, soldiers had to turn from rescuing survivors to burying the dead, either in mass graves or through cremation. In some cases, they collected DNA samples from bodies to help relatives identify them later.

People who survived the quake now face new threats: rain, mudslides, communicable disease, unsafe drinking water, and lack of shelter. The Chinese government began relocating the more than 12 million homeless who haven't been able to move in with relatives or find shelter. They need more than 3 million tents to house the homeless. Factories around China are working three shifts to meet the demand.

China held three days of national mourning starting Monday. Each day at 2:28 p.m.-the exact time the earthquake hit a week ago-the country came to a standstill and quietly observed three moments of silence. Television programming was interrupted, Internet portals shut down their entertainment sites, and stock trading halted. Some say this was just the communist government's way of exerting its control. Others say it brought needed healing and solidarity to a country that has been embroiled in controversy for several months.

Myanmar Cyclone: More than 134,000 dead

It's been three weeks since Cyclone Nargis hit Burma. The death toll surpasses 134,000 and continues to climb as survivors face exposure, starvation and disease. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon visited Myanmar this week to ask Myanmar's junta to allow more international aid in to the country.

The cyclone affected 2.4 million people. Ban says aid has reached only 25% of those in need.

On Monday, Myanmar's regime agreed to accept aid and emergency personnel from members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Except for a few exceptions, food, water and supplies are usually required to be left at the airport in Yangon. On Thursday, nine UN helicopters delivered aid and provided emergency transportation in remote areas of Myanmar.

U.S. and French naval ships containing food, water and supplies wait offshore for approval to deliver the aid. So far Myanmar's government has refused, saying much of the international aid offered comes with strings attached and that the Myanmarese people can manage by themselves.

South Africa Violence: More than 12,000 displaced

Anti-foreigner violence erupted in South Africa two weeks ago. Native South Africans attacked immigrants living in shantytowns on the outskirts of Johannesburg. They also targeted businesses owned by foreigners, even those with legal residency. Most of the violence has been directed at immigrants from Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique, but some Chinese and Pakistanis have also been attacked.

Explanations for the xenophobic-driven hostility vary. Most agree, however, it revolves around the nation's poverty:

• The poor lack adequate housing, running water and electricity.
• The rising cost of food and the 23% unemployment make life difficult.
• The escalating crime rate in South Africa-50 murders a day-is the highest in the world.
• The government hasn't addressed the massive numbers of Zimbabweans immigrating to South Africa where they compete with locals for food, housing and jobs.

So far 42 people have died, police have arrested 400 people, and 16,000 have been displaced. President Thabo Mbeki sent in the national army Thursday to assist police trying to quell the fighting and protect immigrants.

Violence has also spread to the coastal city of Durban and the province of Mpumalanga. Many worry the brutality will discourage tourism, upon which the South African economy increasingly relies.

Constitutional Questions

We reported on two cases this week that concern civil rights and two cases that touch on 10^th Amendment issues.

Civil Rights & the Military

The first is closely related to ongoing questions about CIA interrogation techniques used in the war on terrorism. Apparently FBI field agents complained about specific CIA interrogations they witnessed in Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantanamo. FBI agents felt that these techniques were overly abusive. They also worried that any information obtained from these interrogations could not legally be used as evidence since coercion was involved.

FBI field agents are explicitly forbidden to use abusive or coercive methods when dealing with suspects. Because of this, supervisors instructed field agents to not participate in interrogations that violated this rule. A report released last week said that the majority of field agents put in the above situation left the interrogation room, though a few stayed to participate.

Even though reports of abuse have been filed by field agents since 2002, it appears the FBI did little to push back against the CIA and military. So far they seem to have deferred all responsibility to the CIA and Department of Defense.

Our second civil rights story also had a military connection. A federal appeals court handed down a decision that challenges the military's so-called "don't ask, don't tell" policy about homosexuals serving in the military. The Air Force summarily discharged the plaintiff in the case, Maj. Margaret Witt, after she served 18 years as a distinguished flight nurse. Witt had even received an award from President Bush less than a year before her dismissal.

Witt kept her private life private, and abided by the "don't tell" policy. An anonymous tip revealed her sexual orientation and destroyed her career, stripping her of her promotion and military pension. The court ruled the military must prove how Witt endangered the lives or morale of the service members around her. Based on her exceptional record of service, we imagine the Air Force will find it difficult to prove Witt was a liability.

10^th Amendment: California Emissions Restrictions & Virginia Abortion Ban

The 10^th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution reads, "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." This is sometimes referred to as "states rights," and refers to the perennial issue of balancing power between the federal government and state governments.

This week we wrote two stories that touched on this fundamental question. In both stories, the state laws in question were more restrictive than their federal counterparts.

The first involved California's struggle with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). California plans to require auto manufacturers reduce their car and truck emissions if they want to sell them in the state. Because California's requirements would be stricter than the federal government's Clean Air Act, California must obtain a waiver from the EPA. For a while it looked as if the EPA's administrator would issue the waiver.

But after a meeting with White House staff, EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson denied California its waiver.

Not only do we question where the line is between state and federal divisions of power in this situation, we also wonder what changed Johnson's mind. Although he denies it, A House committee investigation reveals Johnson's decision may have been influenced by the Bush administration.

Our second 10^th amendment story concerns the state of Virginia. For the second time, a federal appeals court overturned the state's Partial Birth Infanticide Act. In a 2-1 decision, the court said Virginia's law went too far when it deviated from the federal Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act. How? It didn't protect doctors from accidental violations.

The federal law allows protections for doctors who unintentionally perform a prohibited medical procedure while performing a legal procedure. (Apparently this does happen in rare cases.) But Virginia's law omits this provision. This was enough for two of the three judges to declare Virginia's ban unconstitutional.

More judges will hear both cases, and the separation between federal and state government will continue to be tested.

Health Updates: Breast Cancer, Cybrids & Pregnancy Stress

Once again readers were most interested in our health stories, with the vitamin D-breast cancer link being the most popular. Here's a wrap-up of health stories we covered this week:

Vitamin D Deficiency: May increase risk of breast cancer metastasizing

A new study sponsored by the Breast Cancer Research Foundation found a clear connection between low levels of vitamin D in breast cancer patients and the likelihood of their cancer metastasizing or causing death.

The study followed 512 women for 12 years. At the time of their breast cancer diagnosis, 38% were deficient in vitamin D. These vitamin D deficient women were 94% more likely to have their cancer metastasize and 73% more likely to die within 10 years of their diagnoses than those with healthy levels of vitamin D.

Doctors warned against taking vitamin D supplements until more research proves its benefit, however.

In a separate study, conducted at the University of California at San Diego, researchers found breast cancer rates increased the farther away from the equator women live. Their theory? Women living near the equator are exposed to more sunlight, which is converted into vitamin D.

Human-Animal Embryos: U.K. approves scientists use for stem cell research

Scientists at the University of Newcastle created the first human-animal hybrid embryos in March. On Monday, the British House of Commons voted 336-176 to permit scientists to continue developing these cytoplasmic hybrids-also called "cybrids" or "admixed embryos."

These cybrids, made by injecting a rabbit or cow egg with human DNA, can be used for stem cell research. Scientists hope this research will eventually lead to treatments for diseases and genetic defects such as cystic fibrosis and Parkinson's. Cybrids keep Great Britain, which produced the first cloned animal, at the leading edge of stem cell research.

Proponents say adult stem cells are already programmed to become certain organs, so scientists need embryonic stem cells, which aren't yet programmed, for more varied research. Opponents say society doesn't have the control to resist using admixed embryos for selfish purposes.

Reader Felicia from Corvallis, Ore., commented, "This will become the new standard for ‘good parenting.' The day is creeping up on us when we will say, ‘If you want to be a good parent, make sure to design a good child without flaws.' Like in the movie Gattaca."

Pregnancy Stress: May increase babies' risk of allergies and asthma

Researchers from Harvard Medical School released their findings Sunday that a mother's stress during pregnancy might put her baby at risk for allergies and asthma. More research is necessary to prove the connection.

Mothers with the highest stress during pregnancy were most likely to give birth to babies with higher levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE)-an antibody in mammals that may indicate allergy. These findings were true for women of all races, classes, education levels and smoking histories.

Other Top U.S. Stories this Week

VA and PTSD Diagnoses

In another embarrassing email scandal, a psychologist at a Veterans Administration (VA) hospital in Texas sent a message to her colleagues "suggesting" they make fewer Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) diagnoses to save time and money. VA Secretary James Peake condemned the memo and assured veterans it does not reflect VA policy.

Record Oil Prices

A routine federal oil and gasoline inventory report triggered oil investment frenzy this week, driving the price of a barrel of oil over $135. Though prices have since come down a few dollars, investors and consumers alike are watching what happens next. Will prices return to ranges more reflective of actual supply and demand trends, or will persistent concerns for future supply shortages continue to drive the prices higher?

Democratic Presidential Campaign

The Democratic presidential primary race between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton continued this past week. After Tuesday's primaries in Oregon and Kentucky, Obama claimed victory and Clinton pledged to see the race through to the end. Although their delegate count is close-Obama has around 1,962 and Clinton around 1,779-Obama is closer to getting the number of delegates he needs to take the nomination. Even though mainstream media and political pundits focus on delegate tallies, it appears likely we won't really know who the Democratic nominee is until after the convention in Denver this August.

Same-Sex Marriage in California

Thousands of gay and lesbian couples started planning their weddings last week when the California Supreme Court declared the state's ban on same-sex marriages unconstitutional. The ruling motivated same-sex marriage opponents to collect more than a million signatures-plenty to put a constitutional amendment initiative on the ballot in November.

Farm Bill Veto and Override

In a rare display of interparty cooperation, Democrats and Republicans passed a new U.S. Farm Bill in the House and Senate. Despite threats by President Bush to veto the new bill, members of Congress approved the measure by wide majorities. As promised, Bush vetoed the bill this week. Thursday, the House voted to override Bush's veto. Afterward it came to light that a clerk had inadvertently left out 34 pages of the bill when it went to the White House, raising questions of whether the veto and override really count. Either way, the president will likely re-veto the bill, and the House would again re-override. The Senate voted to override Bush' veto yesterday 82 to 13.