Swine-flu shot delays

Swine-flu shot delays

WASHINGTON — The U.S. won’t have nearly as much swine-flu vaccine ready by mid-October as long predicted — 45 million doses instead of the anticipated 120 million, a federal official said Monday.

It’s not a shortage but a delay, Health and Human Services spokesman Bill Hall said. More will arrive rapidly after that, with about 20 million more doses being shipped weekly until the government reaches the full 195 million doses ordered, he said.

But the October shortfall, blamed on manufacturing issues, will extend by a month efforts to get people at highest risk vaccinated against the new flu strain. First in line are supposed to be pregnant women, children and health-care workers, followed by younger adults with flu-risky conditions such as asthma.

Reconciliation tours set

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea’s decision to restart tours run jointly with South Korea and allow reunions of families separated for decades by the peninsula’s war is aimed at obtaining much-needed foreign currency and leverage in negotiations with Washington and Seoul, experts said.

Tours to the scenic Diamond Mountain resort, located just north of the world’s most heavily fortified border, has been a key symbol of reconciliation between the divided Koreas. But when a South Korean was shot near the mountain in July last year— with tensions already high after the inauguration of conservative South Korean President Lee Myung-bak — South Korea pulled the plug.

Expert: Ohio man’s find likely is Lincoln signature

SOUTH AMHERST, Ohio — An expert at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library says he thinks an Ohio man’s flea-market find is one of the last Lincoln signatures.

It’s on an envelope that was with papers Bruce Steiner bought in 2006 in South Amherst, 30 miles southwest of Cleveland. The writing says: “Let this man enter with this note. April 14, 1865,” and it’s signed “A. Lincoln.” The date is the day the president was shot.

A handwriting analysis has been done by John Lupton, who’s involved in a project to preserve Lincoln’s paper at the Lincoln library in Springfield, Ill. Lupton says he’s “pretty sure” the signature is genuine.

A Lincoln memorabilia dealer says it could be worth up to $25,000. Steiner says he paid about $20 for the papers. He doesn’t plan to sell.

Indicted in girl’s death

STOCKTON, Calif. — A San Joaquin County grand jury has indicted a Sunday school teacher on charges she kidnapped, raped and killed an 8-year-old girl and drugged two other people.

Melissa Huckaby, 28, broke down in tears as Judge Linda Lofthus read the indictment against her Monday.

Prosecutors convened a grand jury in late July rather than hold a preliminary hearing to determine whether Huckaby would stand trial. Lofthus said the grand jury transcript would not be made public.

Defense attorney Sam Behar asked the judge to postpone setting a trial date because he said he did not have time to read the lengthy transcript. A hearing to set a date was scheduled for Sept. 10.

Huckaby previously pleaded innocent to murdering 8-year-old Sandra Cantu, whose body was found stuffed in a suitcase pulled from an irrigation pond in April.

Voice of Allstate ads dies

Ed Reimers, the veteran television and commercial announcer with the deep, resonant voice who for more than two decades reassured viewers that “You’re in good hands with Allstate,” has died. He was 96.

Reimers, an on-air personality in Los Angeles in the 1950s, died Sunday of age-related causes at his daughter’s home in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

For 22 years, beginning in 1957, Reimers was the TV spokesman for Allstate Insurance Co., memorably cupping his hands and delivering the company’s famous slogan at the end of the commercials.

Suicide bombing kills at least 20 in Caucasus

NAZRAN, Russia — A suicide bomber rammed a truck into a police station in the Russian region of Ingushetia on Monday, killing at least 20 police in the worst attack to ravage the poor North Caucasus republic in years.

The blast, which wounded more than 130 others, undermined Kremlin claims that its efforts to bring calm and prosperity to the impoverished patchwork of ethnic groups, clans and religions were succeeding. It also stoked fears that Ingushetia has replaced Chechnya as the next battleground in the southern Russian region.

Combined dispatches