Current Events

Volkswagen executives on Wednesday signaled that the cost of the automaker's emissions scandal will mushroom but indicated that the company can absorb the blow.

New Volkswagen CEO Matthias Mueller, speaking to American reporters in a conference call, pledged to overhaul the company's operations, expose wrongdoers and chart a new global strategy.

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Washington — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV said Tuesday it is recalling 180,000 SUVs and trucks in two recalls for potentially faulty rear axles and fire risks from air conditioning lines.

The Italian American automaker is recalling nearly 94,000 2015 Jeep Cherokee SUVs to inspect and if needed replace vehicle air-conditioning lines.

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General Motors is recalling about 1.4 million vehicles, including about 1.3 million in the United States, because oil dripping on hot engine components has continued to cause fires despite three earlier recalls, the automaker said on Tuesday.

The company is aware of 1,345 fires in vehicles repaired in earlier recalls, Alan Adler, a G.M. spokesman, said in an email. There were 19 injuries described as minor and some structures, such as garages, were damaged, but the number was not immediately available, he said.

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At least eight people who received treatment at a hospital in York, Pa., have developed an infection from a medical device used during open-heart surgery, hospital and health officials said. Four of those who were infected have died, though officials said it was not clear whether the infection was the primary cause.

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Eating hot dogs, ham and other processed meat can cause colorectal cancer, and eating red meat "probably" can cause cancer, the World Health Organization's cancer agency reported Monday.

Kurt Straif of the International Agency for Cancer Research said the risk of developing colorectal cancer from eating processed meat remains small but rises with the amount consumed. Consuming red meat was linked to colorectal, pancreatic and prostate cancer, but the link was not as strong, the IARC report said.

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With twin boys ready for school, Jason and Jessica Pollard braced for paperwork, parent-teacher meetings and shopping trips for supplies. But they were not prepared for the reception their son, Owen, then 5, received from school administrators.

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Whole Foods is recalling over 230 pounds of curry chicken salad products due to concern over possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, a bacteria which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections. The grocery store chain is also recalling packages of its classic deli pasta salad, according to a statement from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

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As attention to auto safety intensified after General Motors’ admission last year that it had failed for a decade to disclose a deadly defect in millions of cars, many automakers have scrambled to address lingering safety problems.
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This week, Mazda became the latest automaker to do so, revealing for the second time in three months that it had known about safety problems for years before alerting customers. In the latest case, Mazda announced that it was recalling 4.9 million vehicles worldwide, including 1.4 million in the United States, because too much grease in the ignition switch could cause a short circuit and possibly a fire.

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Seven patients on AbbVie Inc.’s drugs for hepatitis C died after liver failure, prompting U.S. regulators to change their advice on how the medicine should be administered.

Doctors should monitor patients using Viekira Pak or Technivie for signs of worsening liver disease, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in a statement Thursday. The medication is AbbVie’s second-best selling drug.

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(Reuters) - Staff reviewers of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have raised questions about the safety of AstraZeneca Plc's gout treatment.

Reviewers pointed to higher death rates, cardiovascular issues and kidney-related side effects in patients who took the drug, lesinurad, a preliminary review published on Wednesday showed.

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A federal judge gave final approval on Wednesday to a far-reaching settlement agreement intended to remake Rikers Island by addressing pervasive brutality at the New York City jail complex.

The decision brought an end to four years of contentious litigation over alleged abuses at Rikers and made way for various changes, including the addition of thousands of surveillance cameras and more restrictive policies governing when officers can use force. It also provides for the appointment of a federal monitor to oversee conditions at the country’s second-largest jail system.

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