Killing of lawman sets off manhunt
FOX LAKE, Ill. — Police with helicopters, dogs and armed with rifles conducted a manhunt Tuesday in northern Illinois after an officer was shot and killed in the morning while pursuing a group of suspicious men.
Lt. Charles Joseph Gliniewicz, 52, radioed in to tell dispatchers he was chasing three men on foot in the city of Fox Lake, 55 miles north of Chicago. Communication with him was lost soon after, said Lake County sheriff’s office spokesman Sgt. Christopher Covelli, who said Gliniewicz died from a gunshot wound.
Undersheriff Raymond Rose told the Chicago Tribune that the officer’s gun was found near him.
Authorities continued to scour Lake County after night fell on the search. Covelli said helicopters would fly overnight and that about 100 officers were searching in and around Fox Lake.
FDA warns sellers of caffeine powder
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Food and Drug Administration has issued warning letters to five distributors of pure powdered caffeine, saying the products put consumers at risk.
The letters, which are dated Aug. 27, follow the overdose deaths last year of two young men from Ohio and Georgia.
The FDA sent the warning letters last week to Bridge City Bulk-Bridge City LLC; Hard Eight Nutrition LLC; PureBulk Inc.; SPN LLC, which does business as Smartpowders; and Kreativ Health Inc., which does business as Natural Food Supplements. Their products are offered for sale online, according to the letters. The companies have 15 days to respond to the agency.
Caffeine powder is usually marketed as a dietary supplement and is unregulated, unlike caffeine added to soda. Since the FDA doesn’t have the legal authority to pull such a substance off the shelves, the agency has been building a case against those who are marketing it in bulk to persuade them to stop.
A teaspoon of pure powdered caffeine is roughly equivalent to 28 cups of coffee, according to the FDA. The difference between a safe and toxic amount is very small.
U.S. argues Jindal can’t sever clinics
BATON ROUGE — The U.S. Justice Department told a federal judge that Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal’s decision to oust Planned Parenthood from Louisiana’s Medicaid program appears to violate federal law by denying Medicaid patients the right to choose their health care providers.
In a court filing, the agency said the Jindal administration hasn’t offered “sufficient reasons” to keep Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast’s clinics in New Orleans and Baton Rouge from receiving Medicaid payments.
The legal brief, called a “statement of interest,” was filed Monday night ahead of a hearing today to determine whether Planned Parenthood will get a temporary restraining order blocking Jindal’s efforts.
Jindal, a Republican presidential candidate, announced last month that he was cutting off funding to the Planned Parenthood clinics, citing hidden-camera videos that accuse the organization of profiting from fetal tissue sales after abortions.