Fed Cuts Funds Rate

The Federal Reserve on Tuesday slashed a key interest rate by three-fourths of a percentage point, moving aggressively to contain a credit crisis threatening to push the country into a severe recession.

The latest action brought the federal funds rate _ the interest that banks charge each other _ down to 2.25 percent, the lowest point since late 2004. It marked the second back-to-back cuts of three-fourths of a percentage point.

Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and his colleages have now cut the funds rate six times since last September, with the reductions becoming more aggressive since January as the central bank has faced growing turmoil in global financial …

Health chiefs hit out over cancer claims

Health bosses have hit out at claims North-east patients aremissing out on breast cancer drugs.

Their comments came after healthcare group Roche said that almosthalf of patients in the north of Scotland diagnosed as HER2-positive -an aggressive strain of breast cancer - were missing out on the drugHerceptin, which is known to combat the disease.

The drug is used in addition to conventional surgery, chemotherapyand radiotherapy, and research has shown that it can help reduce therisk of cancer returning by half and increase survival from thedisease by a third.

More than a year ago Herceptin was endorsed for use with HER2-positive cancer patients by both the …

Kerry James Marshall

MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART

African Americans are only slightly more visible in art than on TV; still rarer are depictions of dignified ordinary people. Kerry James Marshall has mastered and monumentalized the genre of everyday life, marrying it to histories of art and politics, most recently in his comic book Rythm Mastr. Curator Elizabeth Smith brings together a new body of forty-one works that builds out of that graphic …

Chargers grab 10-7 lead over Jets after 1 quarter

Philip Rivers recovered from an early blunder to throw a 1-yard touchdown pass to rookie fullback Mike Tolbert and the San Diego Chargers led the New York Jets 10-7 after the first quarter Monday night.

Jets cornerback David Barrett stunned the Chargers and quieted the crowd at Qualcomm Stadium when he jumped in front of tight end Antonio Gates for an interception he returned 25 yards for a touchdown less than four minutes in.

Barrett almost intercepted Rivers again two plays into the next …

Babadzhanian, Arno

Babadzhanian, Arno, Armenian pianist and composer; b. Yerevan, Jan. 22, 1921; d. Moscow, Nov. 15, 1983. He studied at the Yerevan Cons., and after graduation in 1947 went to Moscow, where he took courses in piano with Igumnov at the Cons. and in composition with Litinsky at the Armenian Culture Center; he graduated from both in 1948. In 1950 he joined the piano faculty at the Yerevan Cons. His music is derived from the folk-song patterns of Armenia, continuing the line …

Hispanic groups allege cops demanded bribes

Cook County officials say they are waiting for more details asthey look into allegations that the forest preserve police demandedbribes from Hispanic groups holding picnics over the past 15 years.

The officials would like such specifics as the date of thebribes, the names or descriptions of the officers who took the money,and the locations of the picnics.

"We will encourage them to come forth with any allegations theyhave," said Steve Mayberry, a forest preserve spokesman. "Until theycome up with specifics . . . we're not in a position to move muchfurther."

Some Hispanic leaders said they were too afraid to filecomplaints and give details of the claims …

FDA cracks down on J&J sites linked to recalls

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal officials said Thursday that the consumer health unit of Johnson & Johnson will be barred from resuming operations at a Pennsylvania manufacturing plant linked to millions of bottles of defective medicines until it meets quality standards.

The Food and Drug Administration signed a formal consent decree with the company designed to improve operations at three manufacturing sites linked to multiple recalls of medications last year, including Children's Tylenol, Benadryl and Motrin. The FDA said J&J's McNeil Consumer Healthcare unit violated the law in its production of medications and will be subject to fines of up to $10 million annually if it does …