Flu season 'bad one for the elderly,' CDC says

Flu hospitalizations among the elderly rose sharply last week, prompting federal officials to take unusual steps to make more flu medicines available and to urge wider use of them as soon as symptoms appear.

The U.S. is about halfway through the flu season, which is shaping up to be worse than average and a bad one for the elderly, said Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

New figures from the CDC show the flu epidemic is continuing, with widespread activity in all states but Tennessee and Hawaii.

Nine more children or teens have died of the flu, bringing the nation's total this flu season to 29, health officials reported Friday. That's close to the 34 pediatric deaths reported during all of the last flu season, although that one was unusually light. In a typical season, about 100 children die of the flu and officials said there is no way to know whether deaths this season will be higher or lower than usual.

So far, half of confirmed flu cases are in people 65 and older. Lab-confirmed flu hospitalizations totaled 19 for every 100,000 in the population, but 82 per 100,000 among those 65 and older, "which is really quite a high rate," Frieden said.

"We expect to see both the number and the rates of both hospitalizations and deaths rise further in the next week or so as the flu epidemic progresses," so prompt treatment with antivirals is key to preventing deaths, he said.

Two drugs — Tamiflu and Relenza — can cut the severity and risk of death from the flu but must be started within 48 hours of first symptoms to do much good. To increase supplies of Tamiflu, said Dr. Margaret Hamburg, head of the Food and Drug Administration, said the agency had allowed Genentech to distribute additional doses that have old packaging information.

This year's season is earlier than normal and the dominant flu strain is one that tends to make people sicker.

Health officials say it's not too late to get a flu shot to help protect against the flu. Vaccinations are recommended for anyone 6 months or older.

Last week, the CDC said the flu again surpassed an "epidemic" threshold, based on monitoring of deaths from flu and a frequent complication, pneumonia. The flu epidemic happens every year and officials say this year's vaccine is a good match for strains that are going around.

The government doesn't keep a running tally of adult deaths from the flu, but estimates that it kills about 24,000 people most years.

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Online:

CDC flu: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/index.htm

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Wall Street slips after disappointing Intel results

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks edged lower on Friday from a five-year high for the S&P 500 as a weak outlook from tech heavyweight Intel offset a better-than-expected quarterly profit at Morgan Stanley.

But the S&P 500 was still on track to end higher for a third consecutive week.

Shares of Intel Corp slumped nearly 7 percent to $21.11 a day after it forecast quarterly revenue below analysts' estimates and announced plans for increased capital spending amid slow demand for personal computers.

"Intel earnings weren't that bad, although their revenue was weak. It sparks fears about not only the company but about the whole PC sector, and that's pressuring the market today," said Tim Ghriskey, chief investment officer of Solaris Group in Bedford Hills, New York.

The Intel results were offset somewhat by Morgan Stanley , which reported a fourth-quarter profit after a year-earlier loss, helped by higher revenue at the bank's institutional securities business. Its stock jumped 7.4 percent to $22.29.

Overall, S&P 500 fourth-quarter earnings rose an estimated 2.5 percent, according to Thomson Reuters data. Expectations for the quarter have dropped considerably since October, when a 9.9 percent gain was estimated.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> was down 15.17 points, or 0.11 percent, at 13,580.85. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.spx> was down 3.51 points, or 0.24 percent, at 1,477.43. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.ixic> was down 13.98 points, or 0.45 percent, at 3,122.03.

On Thursday, the S&P 500 rose to its highest since late 2007, and that could prompt investors to lock in recent gains, analysts said.

Despite the day's decline, market sentiment was still positive on speculation that chances were better of avoiding a debt ceiling fight in Washington. House Republicans signaled on Thursday they might support a short-term extension of U.S. borrowing authority next month.

"The debt ceiling issue is sort of out of the news. The market has definitely become complacent. And we all know that the issue will be dealt with, we just need to find out when. If December is any guide, they are going to leave it up to the last minute so the market is definitely more complacent than it should be for now," Ghriskey said.

Reflecting the complacency, the CBOE Volatility index <.vix>, Wall Street's so-called fear gauge, fell 4.1 percent at just above 13. The VIX usually moves inversely to the S&P 500 as it is used as a hedge tool against further market decline.

Economic data from China provided some support to the market, though the focus remained on U.S. corporate earnings. The country's economy grew at a modestly faster-than-expected 7.9 percent in the fourth quarter, the latest sign the world's second-biggest economy was pulling out of a post-global financial crisis slowdown which saw it grow in 2012 at its weakest pace since 1999.

General Electric reported a better-than-expected rise in earnings, spurred by robust demand in China and oil-producing countries. Shares were up 2.9 percent to $21.92.

Despite the gains by Morgan Stanley, financial stocks sagged as Capital One Financial reported disappointing profit. Capital One slumped 7.7 percent to $56.87, while the KBW bank index <.bkx> slipped 0.9 percent.

Research In Motion climbed 6.6 percent to $15.91 after Jefferies Group boosted the BlackBerry maker's rating and price target.

(Editing by Bernadette Baum, Kenneth Barry and Nick Zieminski)

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India Ink: A Conversation With: Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling

Tucked away in the Himalayas, India’s Sikkim state has averaged an annual growth of 12.6 percent over the last eight years. The state of 600,000 people is of strategic importance to India, surrounded by China, Nepal and Bhutan on three sides. The former monarchy of Sikkim joined the Indian federation of states in 1975 and has been the most peaceful among India’s strife-torn northeastern states.

The chief minister, Pawan Kumar Chamling, has been in power since December 1994, making him the second longest-serving state chief in India’s history. In an interview with India Ink, Mr. Chamling explained how his government has managed to build a development consensus that has eluded Sikkim’s neighboring states.

Sikkim is India’s fastest-growing state since 2004, but somehow its growth story has not been in the limelight as much as Gujarat or Bihar, for example.

Yes, we do not get as much recognition because we are a small state, in a remote part of the country. But we are a sensitive border state – landlocked by China, Nepal and Bhutan. Yet we are among the most peaceful and progressive states of India. The general impression of border states in India is that they are not peaceful, there is lack of development, leading to unemployment and strife. Sikkim, through its example, has changed that perception. Within five years Sikkim will become a poverty-free state, and it will become the first state to have 100 percent concrete houses.

But fast economic growth often comes with environmental hazards, especially in a state that is part of the Himalayan biodiversity hotspot. Has Sikkim’s environment taken a beating in the state’s pursuit of fast growth?

Our development mantra is innovative, based on natural resources, hydropower, organic farming, ecotourism, floriculture and clean industries. Only 14 percent of our land is inhabitable – the rest is taken up by Himalayan glaciers and jungles. But we have turned our locational disadvantage into an opportunity by protecting our biodiversity and inviting tourists to come and enjoy Sikkim’s natural beauty. We have banned grazing, killing of wildlife and eliminated deforestation. Every time we cut a tree for a development project, we plant 20 saplings elsewhere. We have banned pesticides, and in two years we will become a fully organic state. We have promoted clean industries – we have removed the polluting silicon industry out of the state. If the world adopts Sikkim’s model, global warming can be tackled.

How have you brought about the development consensus among people, particularly in the rural areas, in what is still a very traditional society? In many parts of India we see the biggest impediment to development is that locals do not want to give up on land or traditional means of livelihood.

I consider the rural people my overlords – I tell them that I am their main servant. Sikkim is ours; we must build it together. I tell them we have to use our natural resources – our land, our water. If the government wants their land for a road or other construction, I am ready to pay them more than the market price. I don’t believe in compulsory taking away. I negotiate. I engage in dialogue. That is why people are with me in this quest for development. And our state is investment friendly – we invite industries as development partners of our state. They get good, secure conditions to invest, while locals are happy because it creates jobs.

Some of your critics say that perhaps development has happened too fast for the local population. They claim that locals are not getting jobs, which are being taken away by immigrants.

Those people are backward in their thinking. We are just about entering India’s development mainstream and we have a lot of catching up to do to enter the global mainstream. We are still in the agricultural age, not even manufacturing. We are still way behind in terms of education, health and other social indicators. We have a long way to go, and it is my obsession that we do it quickly.

As for immigrants, if there is manpower demand there will be supply from outside sometimes. Sikkimese people do not like to do manual labor, so outsiders will come. But old laws still protect the right of Sikkimese people over land and other resources. So I do not see immigration as a problem.

Trade with China’s Tibet Autonomous Region through the Nathu La Pass was one of your dream projects and the route finally opened up in 2005 for restricted trade. Has the project lived up to your expectations?

I strongly believe that trade through Nathu La should become full-fledged, and all items should flow across the border. People should also be allowed to cross the border for tourism – that can only bring benefits to Sikkim. I am actually unhappy with the Border Roads Organization (of the Indian Army) for not maintaining the road properly. Landslides have caused damage and affected trade more than we would want. On the Chinese side, the road looks in great condition, and this disparity has national security implications as well.

You have now been in power for 18 years, which is quite unique in India, where state governments generally change every four years. Do you see yourself more as an Asian-style figurehead, or even a neo-royal in this former monarchy?

In a democracy, people are supreme. I have been elected four times because people have liked my work. Because our model is working, so people are happy with this model. I don’t think I am a royal figure or a father figure. I think Sikkimese people feel that this is their government. They believe that if their parents could not educate them, the government will. If we cannot eat, the government will provide. That is why they have faith in this government. And they think I am the top man in this government.

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Diem Brown Blogs: Getting Through the Ultimate Relationship Test

In her PEOPLE.com blog, Diem Brown, the Real World/Road Rules Challenge contestant recently diagnosed with ovarian cancer for the second time, opens up about her desire for a child and the ups and downs of cancer and fertility procedures.

I think illness is the ultimate relationship test. You can see so many colors and facets of how different sets of relationships deal with a hardship when going through an illness. I'll get to the romantic relationship later, but I think the same test is put on friendships, families and even your relationship with your job.

We all know the vow: "For better or for worse, in sickness and in health, 'til death does us part." I think the first time I heard that vow was watching my favorite TV couple Kelly Kapowski and Zack Morris get married in their Hawaii TV Special ... yep I was obsessed with Saved By the Bell!

My point is that we have heard this marriage vow since we were little kids, on every TV show, movie or at a family members wedding. We heard that vow as kids and instantly felt security knowing that in our future, we will state a vow that bonds two people through whatever hardship may come their way.

However outside of marriage, there are no vows that set guidelines of how relationships are supposed to play out during an illness.

At the friendship level relationship, I have been so lucky to have most of my friends step up and support me in ways that have touched my heart. Through letters, Facebook messages, texts, girls nights in and even visits to N.Y.C. I have felt a deep love and I will always be connected to my friends that have shown me they are there no matter how long this cancer process takes.

You reading this blog right now and those who have left sweet comments and tweets have also given me so much love and strength and I do not know how I can ever repay the support I have been given.

That's not to say I haven't had some friends who helped me through my first bout with ovarian cancer, but they now seem distant and aloof this time around. They are not bad people, but in my sensitive state of mind they have clearly shown and voiced that they've helped me before but this they are choosing to sit this time around out.

I have to be honest – that it hurts, but it also makes the friends that step up no matter how many times you are kicked down shine even brighter.

That Marilyn Monroe quote comes to mind: "If you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best."

Do You Owe Your Loyal Friends?

Quick sidenote: I've been asked, "How do you act when your friend gets cancer? Should/can you still vent to them about your problems?" To that I say ABSOLUTELY! They are the same best friend you had before, so vent away with what's going on in your life as it actually helps a patient to hear things other than hospital talk.

Just remember to also be an ear for your friend when they want to share or are ready to vent about their health fears.

For me, that's the relationship friend test – so when you are battling an illness it will become clear as day who is there for you. You might have friends that "fall off," but try to focus and let yourself be blown away by the love people that you never thought would care so much about you give. Those people are your gem friends and your gratitude towards them will never fade!

Now what about the romantic relationship test? This part is hard and I have some strong opinions about this. I have talked to so many girls about how they feel they "owe" something to the guy that stuck by their side during cancer.

I understand that feeling – you wanna repay every loyal person but you especially want to repay the man that stuck beside you as you entered your surgery room, helped lift you to your feet and picked up your hair as it fell out etc.

The first time I had cancer I felt this "debt" like no other. I actually tried to break up with my boyfriend at the time before I even started chemo for fear of a break-up during treatments would be too hard.

He ended up not listening to my rationale and when my hair fell out, he would say the things that the average guys doesn't realize makes the patient feel in debt. "I'm not leaving. Look I'm with you right now and you are bald," he would say with a sincere smile. Now, in his mind he was trying to show his commitment, but his comment sparked a heated fire within me.

I asked myself: "Wait what does he mean by 'and you are bald?; Does he want a medal? Is it so hard to be with a bald sick girl?" Needless to say, that was the start of my "internal resentment fire" towards him.

Yet, even when I broke up with him a month after I was done with treatment, I still felt this guilt that, yeah, he did stick by me through cancer ... I owed him for so much help he gave to me.

I've had relationships after my first time with cancer and had built a definite defense wall up. I guarded myself, scared to get too close to someone. Scared to feel I owed something to someone.

Assessing Your Baggage

Dating after my first round of cancer, I would also try and figure out ... when do you tell someone you are dating about your cancer past? "Nice meeting you and oh yeah by the way I had cancer and now have one ovary so not sure if I can have kids..." I would then start to rationalize with myself, "Wait, why do I even have to tell him ... What's the point? Is it really any of their business?"

I would then ponder, what if you were single and wanted to start dating while you are undergoing cancer treatments or start dating immediately after your last chemo treatments. You couldn't hide the physical signs that you are/were sick?

For example, let's say you signed-up for Match.com would you put up a bald picture as your profile pic or would you post an old picture of yourself before cancer or do something in the middle and have your profile picture be of you in your wig?

Most women I know want to be known for who they are, not for what "baggage" they may have. Personally, if in that situation, I think I would post a profile picture of myself in my wig BUT maybe have a bald pic in the "additional pictures" section, because having cancer isn't who you are, its just additional information, right?

I think most women with cancer, especially breast and ovarian cancer, feel ripped off regarding some part of what makes you feel feminine. It's hard not to let your head get all weird and over-analyze what other people will think.

But to be honest, from my experience ... guys don't care. They, for the most part, react in the same way as they react when you say, "I'm not a natural blonde." I'm exaggerating of course, but honestly most guys just don't over think the way most girls do. They just see the girl standing before them, guys hardly analyze the past "baggage" that got them there.

High Expectations

Currently during my second round with cancer ... I expected/expect a lot out of my boyfriend. It may not seem fair, but I do. I have learned from my past and although we have no "vows," I told him upfront when I got the news of my second bout with cancer what was going to happen.

I told him if he doesn't think he can handle what's about to come, it's better if we separate now and I would have no hard feelings.

I told him I'm going to become super emotional and moody and will likely take out most of my frustration out on him if he stays.

I told him there is no medal for staying with me through this or for helping me emotionally cope when my hair falls out or when I get overwhelmed with the whole cancer process.

He looked at me smirking and said, "I'm not going anywhere you crazy girl!"

Yes, he sounds great and all, but he is a guy and I swear they have zero clue on the impact of the words that come out of their mouths.They don't realize that most girls analyze everything, especially when we are feeling vulnerable.

I have gotten upset at him for certain things he has said that I felt were insensitive. I have also gotten upset at him for not touching and kissing my head, thinking inside that he must be grossed out by the "bald thing" in some way.

Be Honest, Be Vulnerable

However, now that I'm "older and wiser" instead of bottling that resentment up, I voice it and his reaction are hilarious. "I thought I wasn't allowed to ... I didn't think you would let me touch your head – you're always hiding it."

Given how insecure I was/am, I had envisioned this shining-armor boyfriend knight rising up, grabbing my bald head and kissing it all over, forcing me to get over my insecurities.

I had wanted all of this without saying I wanted him to do any of the above, I wanted him to just figure it out and do it. Brilliant I know ... I expected my boyfriend to be a mind reader.

I think we forget when going through a hard time just how important being vulnerably honest with the people you love is. Even if you don't have a vow with your friends or boyfriend, you can make your own set of vows by not holding anything back.

By stating your fears, you are taking away any thoughts of feeling indebted. By expressing yourself, you are not allowing an "internal resentment fire" to grow inside you. By allowing people who love you to be there for you, you are creating your own specific set of vows that will help you through your cancer/illness journey.

People who love you want to help you, but most just don't know how. So instead of getting frustrated that they aren't being the mind readers you want them to be, let them know what you need and the good seeds will rise to the top and pass the relationship test with flying colors, vow or no vow attached.

Check back for updates every Thursday: Diem will be chronicling her journey through fertility treatments, chemotherapy and her quest to educate others about ovarian health exclusively for PEOPLE.com. You can also follow her on Twitter @DiemBrown.

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Study: NYC better than LA at cutting kids' obesity

NEW YORK (AP) — A new study shows New York City is doing better than Los Angeles in the battle against childhood obesity, at least for low-income children.

From 2003 to 2011, obesity rates for poor children dropped in New York to around 16 percent. But they rose in Los Angeles and ended at about 20 percent.

The researchers focused on children ages 3 and 4 enrolled in a government program that provides food and other services to women and their young children.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the study Thursday.

The authors noted that the Los Angeles program has many more Mexican-American kids. Obesity is more common in Mexican-American boys than in white or black kids.

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Data, eBay earnings lift Wall Street to five-year high

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wall Street rose on Thursday, with the S&P 500 climbing to a five-year intraday high, on improved housing and jobs data along with better-than-expected results from online marketplace eBay .

The data showed the number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell to a five-year low last week, while groundbreaking for homes rose to the fastest pace in four years last month.

Strength in the housing and labor markets is key to sustained growth and higher corporate profits. Job market improvement helps stimulate consumer spending while a recovery in housing means more purchases of appliances, furniture and other household goods as well as a source of employment.

"The real estate numbers all look good, sales looked good, prices looked good, housing starts looked good," said Stephen Massocca, managing director at Wedbush Morgan in San Francisco.

"The only thing that still doesn't look really good in my mind are the employment numbers but even the claims were pretty good and inflation seems to be nonexistent so what's to stop the party from going?"

The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> gained 82.97 points, or 0.61 percent, to 13,594.20. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.spx> advanced 8.31 points, or 0.56 percent, to 1,480.94. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.ixic> rose 17.12 points, or 0.55 percent, to 3,134.66.

PulteGroup Inc shares gained 4.9 percent to $20.29 and Toll Brothers Inc advanced 2.2 percent to $35.68. The PHLX housing sector index <.hgx> climbed 2.1 percent.

EBay's shares rose 3 percent to $54.47 a day after it reported holiday quarter results that just beat Wall Street expectations. It gave a 2013 forecast that was within analysts' estimates.

The S&P is on track for its third consecutive advance, which pushed the index above an intraday peak set in September to its highest since December 2007.

But gains were tempered by weakness in the financial sector, with Bank of America down 4.3 percent to $11.27 and Citigroup off 3 percent to $41.22 after they posted their results.

Bank of America's fourth-quarter profit fell as it took more charges to clean up mortgage-related problems. Citigroup posted $2.32 billion of charges for layoffs and lawsuits, while its new chief executive cautioned the bank needed more time to deal with its problems.

The S&P financial sector index <.spsy> slipped 0.14 percent as the only one of the 10 major S&P sectors to decline.

S&P 500 corporate earnings for the fourth quarter are expected to rise 2.3 percent, Thomson Reuters data showed. Expectations for the quarter have fallen considerably since October when a 9.9 percent gain was estimated.

With investors anticipating the current earnings season to be lackluster, their focus will be on the corporate earnings outlook for the months ahead, analysts said.

Shares of Boeing extended recent declines after the United States and other countries grounded the company's new 787 Dreamliner after a second incident involving battery failure. Boeing shed 0.4 percent to $74.05 and is down 1.5 percent for the week so far.

Market breadth was solid, with advancers outpacing decliners on the New York Stock Exchange 2,234 to 650, while on the Nasdaq the ratio was 1,602 to 762 in favor of advancing stocks.

(Reporting by Chuck Mikolajczak; Editing by Kenneth Barry and Nick Zieminski)

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Islamists Seize Foreign Hostages at Algeria Gas Field

PARIS — Islamist militants seized a foreign-operated gas field in Algeria early Wednesday and took at least 20 foreign hostages, including Americans, according to an Algerian government official and the country’s state-run news agency, in what the attackers called a retaliation for the French-led military intervention in neighboring Mali.

The Algerian agency said at least at least two people had been killed in the gas-field seizure, including one British national, and that the hostages included American, British, French, Norwegian and Japanese citizens.

Victoria Nuland, a State Department spokeswoman, told reporters in Washington, “The best information that we have at this time is that U.S. citizens are among the hostages.”

The exact number of people being held was still far from certain. A top Algerian government official said that security services had now “encircled the base” so that “no one can leave.” But he added that “the situation is confused for the moment. We don’t have precise figures for now. Maybe 30” hostages in all.

As for the attackers, he said, “There were 20 of them, in three vehicles, heavily armed. They came in vehicles that were unmarked, that’s how they slipped through.”

Other news agencies said as many as 41 hostages were seized.

The attack on the gas field appeared to be the first retribution by the Islamists for the French armed intervention in Mali last week, potentially broadening the conflict beyond Mali’s borders and raising the possibility of drawing an increasing number of foreign countries directly into the conflict.

The attack occurred at the In Amenas gas field, the fourth largest gas development in Algeria, and at the In Amenas gas compression plant, which is operated by BP, the Norwegian company Statoil and the Algerian national oil company Sonatrach.

Bard Glad Pedersen, a Statoil spokesman, said that of 17 Statoil employees working in the field, only four were able to safely escape to a nearby Algerian military camp. “There is a hostage situation,” he said. “We do not provide further information how we are dealing with the situation. Our main priority is the safety of our colleagues.”

All told, up to 40 workers could be held hostage, according to oil company officials. A Japanese official confirmed that Japanese nationals were involved, and the Irish Foreign Ministry said one Irish citizen had been kidnapped.

The Sahara Media Agency of Mauritania, quoting what it described as a spokesman for the militants, said they were holding five hostages in a production facility on the site and 36 others in a housing area, and that there were as many as 400 Algerian soldiers surrounding the operation. But that information could not be confirmed, and the agency’s report on the specifics of where the hostages were held raised questions about its credibility.

Fighters with links to Al Qaeda’s African affiliate, Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, claimed responsibility for the attack, according to both Mauritanian and Algerian news agencies. They quoted militants claiming that the kidnappings were a response to the Algerian government’s decision to allow France to use its airspace to conduct strikes against Islamists in Mali.

Islamist groups and bandits have long operated in the deserts of western Africa, and a collection of Islamists have occupied the vast expanse of northern Mali since last year. In retaliation for the French-led effort to drive them out, those groups, including Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, have pledged to strike against France’s interests on the continent and abroad, as well as those of nations backing the French operations. In France, security has been reinforced at airports, train stations and other public spaces.

The militant groups are financed in large part through ransoms paid for the freeing of Western hostages, and regular kidnappings have occurred in the West African desert in recent years. Seven French nationals are presently being held there.

The attack on Wednesday was carried out by a “heavily armed” group of “terrorists” traveling aboard three vehicles, the Algeria Interior Ministry statement said, and targeted a bus transporting foreign workers to a nearby airport at 5 a.m.

Algeria, which shares a desert border of several hundred miles with Mali, has resisted the possibility of organizing an armed intervention into the Malian north, fearing that fighting could spill into Algeria or drive militants into the country. Indeed, Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, one of the militant groups now holding northern Mali, began as an insurgent group fighting the Algerian government in the 1990s. But Algeria has authorized French jets flying missions in Mali to cross Algerian airspace.

Oil and gas are central to the Algerian economy, accounting for more than a third of the country’s gross domestic product, over 95 percent of its export earnings and 60 percent of government financial receipts. Large pipelines connect the In Amenas fields with the Skikda liquefied natural gas export terminal, one of two export port facilities that supply gas to France, Spain, Turkey, Italy and Britain. Pipelines from the field also connect with Italy and Spain. In recent years, Algeria was the third largest natural gas supplier to Europe after Russia and Norway, according to the United States Energy Department.

Algeria is also a major oil exporter to Europe and Asia, where its high quality light sweet crude fits perfectly with local refineries. The United States is traditionally a major importer of Algerian crude, although over the last few years much of those imports have been replaced by new oil production in American shale oil fields in North Dakota and Texas.

Algeria has traditionally been known as a secure place for foreign companies to work and invest. Sonatrach and the security forces put tight security around oil and gas facilities during the struggle with Islamic militants in the 1990s, a period when energy infrastructure was never a major insurgent target.

Scott Sayare reported from Paris, and Adam Nossiter from Bamako, Mali. Clifford Krauss contributed reporting from Houston.

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“GameStick” and NVIDIA “Project SHIELD” Consoles-in-a-Controller on Their Way

Both GameStick and NVIDIA’s Project Shield are upcoming game consoles the size of a game controller, which can hook up to a larger display. Both are powered by Android, Google‘s open-source operating system that’s normally used on smartphones and tablets. And both have working hardware prototypes already. But one is a $ 99 Kickstarter project by an indie group, while the other has the backing of two major companies in the PC gaming world — and will probably be a lot more expensive when it comes out.

Here’s a look at two upcoming TV game consoles that you’ll be able to fit in your pocket or handbag.

GameStick: Exactly what it sounds like

Imagine a tiny, rectangular game controller, sort of like a Wii Remote with more buttons and twin analog sticks. On one side is a plastic bump, that when you pull it off it becomes this gadget the size of a USB memory stick that plugs into a TV’s HDMI port. That’s GameStick, and with 19 days left to go in its Kickstarter fund-raiser it’s managed to raise more than three times the $ 100,000 its creators asked for.

GameStick will have 8 GB of flash memory, and a processor capable of handling modern AAA Android games like Shadowgun, plus 1080p video. If you don’t like the controller it comes with, you’ll be able to connect up to four of your own via Bluetooth, or even use your Android or iOS smartphone or tablet as a controller.

Project SHIELD: A controller that can stop bullets

Maybe it can’t literally serve as a shield. But at about the size of the original Xbox’s controller, the “portable” console NVIDIA showed off at this year’s CES sure looks like it can. It’s powered by a next-generation Tegra 4 processor, and features its own built-in 5-inch multitouch screen for gaming on the go. But it can also connect to a TV, and can even stream PC games via Steam’s Big Picture mode, which was designed for controller games.

A not-so-silver lining?

GameStick’s biggest weakness may be its developer support. Its Kickstarter page mentions the hundreds of thousands of Android games out there, but most of those are only on Google Play, which (unlike most of the rest of Android) is proprietary to Google. Time will tell whether its creators can get enough developers to write games for the platform by the time of its planned April launch, or enough gamers to buy games they might already have on their tablets.

In contrast, between full support for the Google Play store and PC game streaming from Steam, Project SHIELD will have thousands and thousands of games, and there will be no need to repurchase titles you’ve already bought from either store. There’s no word from NVIDIA yet, though, on how much its game console will cost or even when it will launch.

Jared Spurbeck is an open-source software enthusiast, who uses an Android phone and an Ubuntu laptop PC. He has been writing about technology and electronics since 2008.

Linux/Open Source News Headlines – Yahoo! News

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Channing & Jenna Dewan-Tatum Take Pregnant Pause for Dog Walk

People Pets

01/16/2013 at 12:50 PM EST

Channing and Jenna Dewan-Tatum with dogs Lulu and Meeka

All Access Photo/Splash News Online

Pregnancy sure isn't slowing down Jenna Dewan-Tatum!

The American Horror Story actress, who has stayed active while expecting, was joined by husband Channing on Tuesday for a trek through L.A.'s Runyon Canyon with the couple's two dogs, Lulu and Meeka.

"They are my kids," Dewan-Tatum told PEOPLE in October of the pair's furbabies. "I always joke around, 'If I can love my actual kids as much as my dogs, we're golden.'"

Meanwhile, the Magic Mike star has expressed his excitement over expanding the couple's human family.

"The first number that pops into my head is three," Tatum said about the number of children he'd like, "but I just want one to be healthy and then we’ll see where we go after that."

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ER visits tied to energy drinks double since 2007

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A new government survey suggests the number of people seeking emergency treatment after consuming energy drinks has doubled nationwide during the past four years, the same period in which the supercharged drink industry has surged in popularity in convenience stores, bars and on college campuses.

From 2007 to 2011, the government estimates the number of emergency room visits involving the neon-labeled beverages shot up from about 10,000 to more than 20,000. Most of those cases involved teens or young adults, according to a survey of the nation's hospitals released late last week by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The report doesn't specify which symptoms brought people to the emergency room but calls energy drink consumption a "rising public health problem" that can cause insomnia, nervousness, headache, fast heartbeat and seizures that are severe enough to require emergency care.

Several emergency physicians said they had seen a clear uptick in the number of patients suffering from irregular heartbeats, anxiety and heart attacks who said they had recently downed an energy drink.

More than half of the patients considered in the survey who wound up in the emergency room told doctors they had downed only energy drinks. In 2011, about 42 percent of the cases involved energy drinks in combination with alcohol or drugs, such as the stimulants Adderall or Ritalin.

"A lot of people don't realize the strength of these things. I had someone come in recently who had drunk three energy drinks in an hour, which is the equivalent of 15 cups of coffee," said Howard Mell, an emergency physician in the suburbs of Cleveland, who serves as a spokesman for the American College of Emergency Physicians. "Essentially he gave himself a stress test and thankfully he passed. But if he had a weak heart or suffered from coronary disease and didn't know it, this could have precipitated very bad things."

The findings came as concerns over energy drinks have intensified following reports last fall of 18 deaths possibly tied to the drinks — including a 14-year-old Maryland girl who died after drinking two large cans of Monster Energy drinks. Monster does not believe its products were responsible for the death.

Two senators are calling for the Food and Drug Administration to investigate safety concerns about energy drinks and their ingredients.

The energy drink industry says its drinks are safe and there is no proof linking its products to the adverse reactions.

Late last year, the FDA asked the U.S. Health and Human Services to update the figures its substance abuse research arm compiles about emergency room visits tied to energy drinks.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's survey was based on responses it receives from about 230 hospitals each year, a representative sample of about 5 percent of emergency departments nationwide. The agency then uses those responses to estimate the number of energy drink-related emergency department visits nationwide.

The more than 20,000 cases estimated for 2011 represent a small portion of the annual 136 million emergency room visits tracked by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The FDA said it was considering the findings and pressing for more details as it undertakes a broad review of the safety of energy drinks and related ingredients this spring.

"We will examine this additional information ... as a part of our ongoing investigation into potential safety issues surrounding the use of energy-drink products," FDA spokeswoman Shelly Burgess said in a statement.

Beverage manufacturers fired back at the survey, saying the statistics were misleading and taken out of context.

"This report does not share information about the overall health of those who may have consumed energy drinks, or what symptoms brought them to the ER in the first place," the American Beverage Association said in a statement. "There is no basis by which to understand the overall caffeine intake of any of these individuals — from all sources."

Energy drinks remain a small part of the carbonated soft drinks market, representing only 3.3 percent of sales volume, according to the industry tracker Beverage Digest. Even as soda consumption has flagged in recent years, energy drinks sales are growing rapidly.

In 2011, sales volume for energy drinks rose by almost 17 percent, with the top three companies — Monster, Red Bull and Rockstar — each logging double-digit gains, Beverage Digest found. The drinks are often marketed at sporting events that are popular among younger people such as surfing and skateboarding.

From 2007 to 2011, the most recent year for which data was available, people from 18 to 25 were the most common age group seeking emergency treatment for energy drink-related reactions, the report found.

"We were really concerned to find that in four years the number of emergency department visits almost doubled, and these drinks are largely marketed to younger people," said Al Woodward, a senior statistical analyst with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration who worked on the report.

Emergency physician Steve Sun said he had seen an increase in such cases at the Catholic hospital where he works on the edge of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.

"I saw one young man who had mixed energy drinks with alcohol and we had to admit him to the hospital because he was so dehydrated he had renal failure," Sun said. "Because he was young he did well in the hospital, but if another patient had had underlying coronary artery disease, it could have led to a heart attack."

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Follow Garance Burke on Twitter at http://twitter.com/garanceburke

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