TSA delays allowing small knives on planes

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has indefinitely delayed its proposal to allow travelers to carry small knives on airplanes after severe blowback from lawmakers, air marshals and law enforcement officials.

In a statement released Monday, the TSA said the decision to begin allowing knives with blades shorter than 2.36 inches would not move forward on April 25 as planned “in order to accommodate further input from the Aviation Security Advisory Committee.”

“This timing will enable TSA to incorporate the feedback about the changes to the Prohibited Items List and continue workforce training,” the TSA said in the statement.

The move comes one week after two bombs were set off at the Boston Marathon finish line, killing three and wounding dozens and refocusing the nation’s attention on terrorism and national security.

Knives of any length have not been allowed on flights since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, when hijackers used box-cutting blades to take over four U.S. flights. 

The TSA announced earlier this year it would begin allowing short blades back on flights as part of a “risk-based” security initiative that would allow screeners to spend more time looking for higher impact devices, like bombs.

While the risk-based security initiatives have support, the decision to allow small knives back on planes was soundly criticized from many corners, including Congress, where 133 House members signed a letter to TSA Administrator John Pistole, asking him to keep small knives on the agency’s prohibited list. 

Lawmakers had introduced legislation to force the TSA to reverse course on the new policy, with Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) proposing the No Knives Act, and Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) presenting a similar measure in the Senate.

Monday's announcement was cheered by lawmakers.

“By delaying this policy, the TSA is taking a solid, common sense step in the direction of safer skies. This delay acknowledges that permitting knives on planes is a bad idea; now the TSA should go the rest of the way and end this flawed policy all together,” said Schumer in a statement.

The New York senator urged the TSA to drop the plan to allow knives onto airplanes completely. 

“Anything less than a full reversal will be unsatisfactory for passengers and the hard working flight attendants, pilots, and air marshals who keep our planes safe every day,” he said.

A flight attendants’ union, which had strongly opposed the decision, hailed the TSA’s move, but also pushed for the agency to drop the plan completely.

“Knives were the terrorists' weapons of choice in bringing down four jetliners and murdering thousands of Americans. All knives should be banned from planes permanently,” The Association of Professional Flight Attendants said in a statement.

This story was last updated at 8:10 a.m. 

View Comments

View the original article here

U.S. FDA delays approval of GSK bird flu vaccine

LONDON, March 25 (Reuters) - U.S. regulators have delayed approval of an H5N1 bird flu vaccine from GlaxoSmithKline , designed to be used in a pandemic.

The vaccine had been backed by an expert panel in November but GSK said on Monday the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had informed it that additional review time was needed before approval.

Britain's biggest drugmaker said the delay was "due to an administrative matter that has recently been rectified", adding the company and the FDA were working to complete to review in a timely manner.

(Reporting by Ben Hirschler; editing Keith Weir)

((ben.hirschler@thomsonreuters.com; +44 20 7542 5082; Reuters Messaging: ben.hirschler.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))

Keywords: GLAXOSMITHKLINE BIRDFLU/

View the original article here

UPDATE 1-U.S. FDA delays approval of GSK bird flu vaccine

* GSK says U.S. delay not related to narcolepsy controversy

* Similar vaccine linked to sleeping disorder in Europe

(Adds comment from GSK spokesman, background)

LONDON, March 25 (Reuters) - U.S. regulators have delayed approval of an H5N1 bird flu vaccine from GlaxoSmithKline , designed to be used in a pandemic.

A spokesman for Britain's biggest drugmaker said the delay was not related to recent controversy over links between a similar flu vaccine made by the company and narcolepsy.

Rather, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decided it needed more time to assess the product "due to an administrative matter that has recently been rectified", GSK said in a statement on Monday.

"GSK and the FDA are actively working together to complete the review in a timely manner," it added.

There is growing evidence of a link between GSK's earlier H1N1 flu vaccine, Pandemrix, and an increase in narcolepsy cases among children who received it in Europe - a fact which has raised questions as to whether the FDA should approve the similar H5N1 product.

Both vaccines contain AS03, a new adjuvant, or booster, that turbo-charges the body's immune response to a vaccine.

A 14-member panel of advisers to the FDA voted unanimously in November to recommend the H5N1 vaccine to protect against bird flu. The panel considered early studies from Europe showing an increase in the number of narcolepsy cases but concluded that the potential benefit of the vaccine outweighed the risk.

Since then, however, new data, including study results from Britain, suggest the scale and strength of the narcolepsy link to Pandemrix during the 2009-10 H1N1 swine flu pandemic could be greater than first thought.

Officials at the FDA were not immediately available to comment on the case.

(Reporting by Ben Hirschler; editing Keith Weir)

((ben.hirschler@thomsonreuters.com)(+44 20 7542 5082)(Reuters Messaging: ben.hirschler.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))

Keywords: GLAXOSMITHKLINE BIRDFLU/

View the original article here

HHS Delays Basic Health Plan Option Until 2015

The Obama administration has delayed by one year the rollout of a health program aimed at low to moderate-income people who won’t qualify for the expanded Medicaid program under the federal health law.

Under the so-called Basic Health Program, some states had planned to offer government insurance to people who don’t qualify for Medicaid, but who would be hard pressed — even with federal subsidies — to afford the premiums and cost-sharing of plans offered in the new insurance marketplaces. Those earning up to twice the federal poverty level, or about $47,000 for a family of four, would have been eligible.

The Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday said it basically ran out of time to put out guidelines to get the program running by 2014.

“HHS expects to issue proposed rules regarding the Basic Health Program for comment in 2013 and final guidance in 2014, so that the program will be operational beginning in 2015 for states interested in pursuing this option.”

HHS said it will work with states to have the program available in 2015 and help states continue efforts to help people get coverage who don’t qualify for Medicaid.

Proponents of the Basic Health Program idea maintain that having such a plan would make coverage more affordable by offering lower cost-sharing.

Washington, Minnesota, Iowa and New York are scheduled to end their programs later this year because it was assumed beneficiaries would get coverage through the health law. Massachusetts’ program will expire in June.

Another advantage of the basic health program is that people won’t have to worry about paying the government back if their incomes increase during the year in which they are enrolled, while people getting subsidies could face that prospect.

“We see this as good news because we have a clear commitment that BHP funding will be available in 2015, as well as a commitment that the federal government will work with us to continue MinnesotaCare through 2014 until BHP funding becomes available,” said Jeremy Drucker, spokesman for Minnesota Department of Human Services. About 130,000 people are enrolled in MinnesotaCare, which is scheduled to end in December.

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 7th, 2013 at 5:58 am.

View the original article here