Friday, September 28, 2012

What kills more Americans than car crashes


Suicide Now Kills More Americans Than Car Crashes

By Megan Gannon, News Editor | LiveScience.com – Tue, Sep 25, 2012 11:36 AM EDT
Suicide has surpassed car accidents as the No. 1 cause of injury-related death in the United States, according to new research.
From 2000 to 2009, the death rate for suicide ticked up 15 percent while it decreased 25 percent for car wrecks, the study found. Improved traffic safety measures might be responsible for the decline in car-crash deaths. As such, the researchers said similar attention and resources are needed to prevent suicide and other injury-related mortality.
Death by unintentional poisoning, which includes drug overdoses, came in third behind car wrecks and suicide after increasing 128 percent from 2000 to 2009. The data from 2010 would push that rise in death rate even higher, to 136 percent, study researcher Ian Rockett told LiveScience in an email. Prescription painkiller overdoses might be to blame for this drastic rise. Recent research has shown that in some states painkiller overdoses may be responsible for mor deaths than suicide or car crashes.
"While I am going well beyond our data, my speculation is that the immediate driving force is prescription opioid overdoses," said Rockett, who is a professor at West Virginia University's School of Public Health. "There is much to be done in terms of both research and prevention."
The new study, published in the November 2012 issue of the American Journal of Public Health, also found that unintentional falls and homicide were the fourth and fifth causes of injury death, respectively. And overall, injury-related deaths were less common in females than males.
The research was based on data from the National Center for Health Statistics.
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Romney Camp Lowers Bar for Debates


Romney Camp Lowers Bar for Debates

By Sunlen Miller | ABC OTUS News – 17 hrs ago

In a memo sent to surrogates today, Romney senior adviser Beth Myers sets the expectations for Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney low - very low - compared to the "ample rhetorical gifts" of his opponent. The memo says President Obama has a "significant advantage" heading into the first debate.
"President Obama is a uniquely gifted speaker, and is widely regarded as one of the most talented political communicators in modern history," Myers writes, calling Obama a "universally acclaimed public speaker."
Myers' memo is the latest in pre-debate jockeying by both campaigns to set their candidate's expectations low, while raising expectations for their opponent.
Get more pure politics at ABCNews.com/Politics and a lighter take on the news at OTUSNews.com
Beyond his "natural gifts" for oratory, Meyers argues that Obama has "substantial debate experience under his belt."
"This will be the eighth one-on-one presidential debate of his political career. For Mitt Romney, it will be his first," she says. Obama, in her words, has had "extensive seasoning under the bright lights of the debate stage."
Myers predicts that President Obama will use these advantages to go negative and attack Romney on the debate stage.
"Since he won't - and can't - talk about his record, he'll talk about Mitt Romney. We fully expect a 90-minute attack ad aimed at tearing down his opponent."
Myers concludes that the election will not be decided by the debates.
The first of three presidential debates is Oct. 3, next Thursday, at the University of Denver.
The full memo from Beth Myers to surrogates is below:
From: Beth Myers, Senior Adviser To: Interested Parties Date: September 27, 2012 Re: 2012 Presidential Debates
In a matter of days, Governor Romney and President Obama will meet on the presidential debate stage. President Obama is a universally-acclaimed public speaker and has substantial debate experience under his belt. However, the record he's compiled over the last four years - higher unemployment, lower incomes, rising energy costs, and a national debt spiraling out of control - means this will be a close election right up to November 6th.
Between now and then, President Obama and Governor Romney will debate three times. While Governor Romney has the issues and the facts on his side, President Obama enters these contests with a significant advantage on a number of fronts.
Voters already believe - by a 25-point margin - that President Obama is likely to do a better job in these debates. Given President Obama's natural gifts and extensive seasoning under the bright lights of the debate stage, this is unsurprising. President Obama is a uniquely gifted speaker, and is widely regarded as one of the most talented political communicators in modern history. This will be the eighth one-on-one presidential debate of his political career. For Mitt Romney, it will be his first.
Four years ago, Barack Obama faced John McCain on the debate stage. According to Gallup, voters judged him the winner of each debate by double-digit margins, and their polling showed he won one debate by an astounding 33-point margin. In the 2008 primary, he faced Hillary Clinton, another formidable opponent - debating her one-on-one numerous times and coming out ahead. The takeaway? Not only has President Obama gained valuable experience in these debates, he also won them comfortably.
But what must President Obama overcome? His record. Based on the campaign he's run so far, it's clear that President Obama will use his ample rhetorical gifts and debating experience to one end: attacking Mitt Romney. Since he won't - and can't - talk about his record, he'll talk about Mitt Romney. We fully expect a 90-minute attack ad aimed at tearing down his opponent. If President Obama is as negative as we expect, he will have missed an opportunity to let the American people know his vision for the next four years and the policies he'd pursue. That's not an opportunity Mitt Romney will pass up. He will talk about the big choice in this election - the choice between President Obama's government-centric vision and Mitt Romney's vision for an opportunity society with more jobs, higher take-home pay, a better-educated workforce, and millions of Americans lifted out of poverty into the middle class.
This election will not be decided by the debates, however. It will be decided by the American people. Regardless of who comes out on top in these debates, they know we can't afford another four years like the last four years. And they will ultimately choose a better future by electing Mitt Romney to be our next president.
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Conn. man kills masked teen, learns it's his son


Conn. man kills masked teen, learns it's his son

By JOHN CHRISTOFFERSEN | Associated Press – 2 hrs 22 mins ago
NEW FAIRFIELD, Conn. (AP) — A popular fifth-grade teacher fatally shot a masked teenager in self-defense outside his neighbor's house during what appeared to be an attempted late-night burglary, then discovered the teen was his son, state police said.
Spokesman Lt. J. Paul Vance said Friday that police are trying to determine if the gun used by Jeffrey Giuliano, the father, was registered. It will be at least a week before the probe is done.
Tyler Giuliano, described as an easygoing 15-year-old who enjoyed flying small planes, was shot at about 1 a.m. Thursday in New Fairfield, a lake community of about 14,000 along the New York line just north of Danbury.
"It's something out of a Hollywood script," said First Selectman John Hodge, who doesn't recall another killing in his eight years on the job. "You certainly don't expect it to happen in your own small hometown where there's very little crime."
Jeffrey Giuliano's sister, who was alone in the home, believed someone was breaking in and calledGiuliano, who lives next door, state police said. Giuliano grabbed a gun and went outside to investigate, troopers said.
He confronted someone wearing a black ski mask and black clothing and then fired his gun when the person went at him with a shiny weapon in his hand, police said. They would not provide details about what kind of weapon it was.
When police officers arrived almost immediately after they were called, the teen was lying in the driveway of his aunt's home with gunshot wounds and the father was sitting on the grass. The teen was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
A state trooper pulled back the ski mask to reveal that the victim was Tyler Giuliano, though it was unclear if Jeffrey Giuliano already knew that. It was also unclear if he was actually trying to burglarize the house or if it was some type of prank gone wrong.
"All in all it's a tragedy," Vance said.
Jeffrey Giuliano hasn't returned a message seeking comment on what happened. Alicia Roy, superintendent of schools in New Fairfield, said Giuliano is a native of the town who offers summer music and zoology camps for his students and plays in a band that raises a lot of money for charity.
"''He wanted to teach in the community he grew up," she said. "He connects with the students. He's a caring person. Very interactive class."
Tyler Giuliano was a student at New Fairfield High School, a short walk from the neighborhood where he was killed. Roy said he was a member of the Civil Air Patrol and was described as an easy-going young man who enjoyed spending time with his family. During a storm last year, he volunteered at a shelter set up the local high school, helping to serve meals and set up cots.
Roy said Tyler especially enjoyed flying gliders and single-engine planes out of Danbury airport.
"He would fly as many hours as possible," she said.
No charges have been filed. An autopsy is planned.
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