In brief: Unclear how many at risk of meningitis
NEW YORK – As many as 13,000 people received steroid shots suspected in a national meningitis outbreak, health officials said Monday. But it’s not clear how many are in danger.
Officials don’t how many of the shots may have been contaminated with meningitis-causing fungus. And the figure includes not only those who got them in the back for pain – who are most at risk – but also those who got the shots in other places, like knees and shoulders.
There was no breakdown on the number of back injections, said Curtis Allen, a spokesman for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those injected in joints are not believed to be at risk for meningitis, he said.
The number of people sickened in the outbreak reached 105 on Monday. Deaths rose to eight, with another fatality in Tennessee, the CDC said. Investigators suspect a steroid medication made by a specialty pharmacy may be to blame.
Detroit police chief quits over affair
DETROIT – Detroit’s police chief stepped down Monday after a week of embarrassing revelations about a sexual relationship with a subordinate, forcing the city to search for a fifth leader in four years for a department dealing with one of the nation’s highest violent-crime rates.
Ralph Godbee was hired two years ago to replace a predecessor fired following an affair with a female officer who allegedly also had a relationship with Godbee. His departure extends the revolving door of leadership in a cash-strapped city. Detroit’s next chief will be its 10th since 1991, and several of those were forced out amid allegations of wrongdoing.
Godbee stepped down after married internal affairs officer Angelica Robinson said she and the married chief had a yearlong sexual relationship. It was the second alleged tryst with a subordinate to surface against Godbee since he became chief in 2010.
Mars rover detects bright object
LOS ANGELES – NASA officials say the Curiosity rover has made its first scoop of the surface of planet Mars and has detected a bright object on the ground.
Officials said in a news release Monday that the object could be a part of the six-wheeled rover, but they won’t sample or scoop anymore until they figure out what it is.
The Curiosity has already beamed back pictures of bedrock that suggest a fast-moving stream once flowed on the planet.
Rutgers student’s parents won’t sue
The parents of Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi – who committed suicide after his roommate used a webcam to spy on him and a male date – have decided not to sue anyone, choosing instead to focus their attention on a foundation named after their son.
Clementi jumped to his death from the George Washington Bridge in 2010. His roommate, Dharun Ravi, was convicted in March of 15 counts of bias intimidation and invasion of privacy in connection with his use of a webcam to spy on Clementi. Ravi, who spent 20 days in jail, is appealing the conviction.
Clementi’s parents, Joseph and Jane Clementi, of Ridgewood, N.J., had indicated they would sue the university for failing to take steps to prevent the suicide.