The News Tracker

Johnson & Johnson is expanding a previously announced recall of all lots of Tylenol Arthritis Pain Caplet (acetaminophen) 100-count bottles with EZ-Open Cap due to reports of a moldy odor that apparently is causing some consumers nausea and pains in the stomach, according to the federal Food and Drug Administration. Temporary side effects, said to be only temporary and not serious, include diarrhea and vomiting. The recall does not affect any other Tylenol Arthritis products. For more information, go to www.tylenol.com or call 800) 962-5357. The smell that prompted the recall is apparently associated with a chemical used to treat wooden pallets. Continue reading “Tylenol announces expanded recall of Tylenol Arthritis drug” »

Is Urban Meyer going or is Urban Meyer staying? Urban Meyer on Dec. 26 announced that he is quitting as the University of Florida football coach, citing unspecified health reasons for leaving one of the top five college football coaching jobs in America. But sometime Dec. 27, Urban Meyer apparently had a change of heart about the decision because sources are reporting that Urban Meyer has reconsidered his decision and will instead take a leave of absence from his position as head coach of the Florida Gators, leaving offensive coordinator Steve Addazio in charge of the program until Urban Meyer decides to return. How long that will be is anyone’s guess at this point, but it probably won’t be a long leave of absence. One wonders how much pressure there was on Urban Meyer to rescind his decision of a day earlier to quit the high-pressured position as football coach at the University of Florida and spend more time with his family and concentrating on improving his health. Various reports have indicated Urban Meyer has had heart problems throughout the year and that he may have even had a minor heart attack during the season. After the Gators lost the SEC championship game to Alabama on Dec. 5, Urban Meyer checked himself into a hospital in Gainesville complaining of dehydration, dizziness and chest pains. Doctors spent nine hours treating Urban Meyer for unspecified ailments. Now it appears that those ailments pointed to heart problems for Urban Meyer. Urban Meyer becomes the second Florida Gator athletic coach to reconsider a decision to quit the school. Basketball coach Billy Donovan quit the Gator program several years ago to become the head coach of the Orlando Magic but then change his mind on that decision a couple of days later and remained at the Gator basketball helm. Continue reading “Urban Meyer has change of heart; will take leave of absence from Florida Gator football program” »

The ill-fated attempt at blowing up Northwest airline Flight 253 on Christmas Day apparently was a one-shot deal and not part of a larger conspiracy by terrorists to disrupt airline flights, according to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. Napolitano also warned that it would not be correct to assume that Al-Qaeda had trained the suspected bomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, to blow up Flight 253. CNN quoted the Homeland Security chief as saying, “I think it would be inappropriate to speculate as to whether or not he has such ties.” However, the suspect is reported to have told authorities that he had received training from Al-Qaeda in Yemen and had confessed to attempting to blow up Flight 253. Meanwhile, as a result of the attempted bombing plot against Flight 253, U.S. lawmakers are said to be calling for an independent investigation into what appear to be security lapses that allowed a person on a list of security threats to obtain a U.S. visa and board a plane. Sources said Napolitano indicated the suspect was on a “low-level” watch list but probably should have been on a higher priority list, given his background and family concerns that he was a security risk. Continue reading “Lawmakers seek probe into possible security lapses in attempt to blow up Flight 253” »

The University of Florida football coach Urban Meyer shocked the college football world with the announcement that he is quitting down as the team’s coach after next Friday’s Sugar Bowl game against the Cincinnati Bearcats, partly due to health reasons. According to news sources, Florida spokesperson Steve McClain, reported that Urban Meyer, 45, does not have a life-threatening disease but it is more related to lifestyle and his family. Urban Meyer became hospitalized after the SEC title game Dec. 5 for dehydration. “I have ignored my health for years, but recent developments have forced me to re-evaluate my priorities of faith and family,” Urban Meyer said in a prepared statement. Under Urban Meyer, the Gators have won two of the last three national championships. Overall, Urban Meyer compiled a 95-18 record and was 56-10 during his tenure at Florida, including 32-2 at Florida Field and 32-8 in the SEC. The stress of a trying to repeat as national champions undoubtedly played a role in causing Urban Meyer to step down as Gator coach, along with off-the-field issues, including the drunken-driving arrest of senior defensive end Carlos Dunlap. Continue reading “Urban Meyer stuns college football world by resigning as Florida Gators coach” »

So much for the image of wimpy Europeans who do anything to avoid fighting, especially when it comes to terrorists. Jasper Schuringa, a passenger aboard Northwest Flight 253, fittingly leaped into action when he saw smoke and flames coming from the body of alleged terrorist Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab, 23, who is suspected of trying to detonate an explosive device while aboard Flight 253 as it neared a landing in Detroit. “It sounded like a firecracker went off,” said Schuringer, who is an action film director, according to nypost.com. Schuringa said he saw some rising from a seat near and without hesitation, leaped toward the suspect in a bold move to do whatever he could to prevent tragedy aboard Flight 253. The heroic passenger aboard Flight 253 yelled for water as put the fire out with only his hand. The suspected Flight 253 terrorist was taken out of his seat and secured in another area of the plane until the plane landed. Lucky for passengers on Flight 253 that Schuringa was aboard the plane. Continue reading “Passenger subdues suspected terrorist aboard Flight 253” »

Because he tried to deceive the world into thinking his son was aboard a runaway, home-made hot-air balloon, Richard Heene, the publicity-seeking father of the so-called “balloon boy,” will spend 90 days in jail for the crime starting after the holidays. His wife, Mayumi, was given a 20-day sentence for her part in the balloon boy scheme. She will serve her sentence after her husband serves his, ensuring that one of the two parents will be able to spend time with the balloon boy, 6-year-old Falcon. The balloon boy stunt unraveled when Falcon admitted to investigators that his father had concocted the event to attract attention of producers of a reality show Richard Heene was trying out for. The family of the balloon boy hoax took the national spotlight in October by saying to authorities that their son had somehow been aboard a homemade balloon that was launched accidentally from their home in Fort Collins, Colo. While TV viewers hoped and prayed that Falcon the balloon boy would be found safe aboard the balloon, the child was later found hiding in the attic in a box. Heeene and his wife will also have to pay restitution for much of the cost of the aborted rescue effort of more than $40,000. Continue reading “Balloon boy’s parents sentenced to jail time for part of the hoax” »

While President Barack Obama maintains healthy margins in both the House and Senate, his edge in the House was growing slimmer Tuesday as a freshman Democratic representative from Alabama, Parker Griffith, said he is switching parties, according to several published reports. With the expected resignations in January of two Democratic representatives, the Republican Party will narrow their deficit in the House to 255-180 after Parker Griffith’s expected switch. Parker Griffith’s decision won’t dramatically affect any legislation in Congress, but it will set the stage for further erosion of President Obama’s substantial congressional support in next year’s mid-term elections. Alabama Republican Rep. Mike Rogers said Parker Griffith “could not stomach” any longer Democratic policy making. Continue reading “Alabama Democratic representative switch parties” »

While no date has been set yet, Canadian hockey player Mike Fisher has confirmed to several news sources that he has asked American Idol winner and country singing sensation Carrier Underwood to marry him. Fisher told the Ottaway Citizen newspaper that he proposed on Dec. 20. The pair met nearly two years ago backstage at one of Carrie Underwood’s concerts in Ottawa but were not seen as an item until last year. Fisher, 29, plays hockey for the NHL team, Ottawa Senators. This is the second professional athlete that Carrier Underwood has dated. The first one was Dallas Cowboy quarterback Tony Romo, about whom many people speculated that Carrie Underwood wrote the song “Cowboy Casanova.” Carrie Underwood, however, denies it. Continue reading “Carrie Underwood says yes to pro hockey player Mike Fisher” »

The man of the hours in terms of marital infidelity now has another notch on his belt, so to speak, as Tiger Woods has been named as the Athlete of the Decade by the Associated Press. The prestigious honor comes at a time for Tiger Woods when the rest of his life in crumbling around him in the wake of allegations of liaisons with multiple numbers of beatiful women, now said to be numbering at least 14. While Tiger Woods’ wife is threatening to divorce him and sponsors are lining up to jettison his services, Tiger Woods as cemented his reputation as the world’s foremost athlete with this award, defeating the likes of tennis’ Roger Federer, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, cyclist Lance Armstrong, NFL quarterback Tom Brady and springer Usain Bolt. Tiger Woods practically destroyed the rest of the competition on the world’s golf stage, winning 56 tournaments during the first decade after Y2K, claiming 12 major titles and winning the so-called Three Slam of the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open three times each during the decade. Tiger Woods also went 142 tournaments without missing a cut and won all four major tournaments in a row over the span of two years, something no other golfer has done. Now, let’s see if Tiger Woods can get his house in order and win the award in another 10 years. Continue reading “Some positive news for Tiger Woods: AP names him Athlete of the Decade” »

As many as 20,000 animals ranging from tarantulas to turtles, snakes, wallabys and hedgdehogs were seized from a distributor of exotic pets in Arlington, Texas., Dec. 15, according to several news source, including dallasnews.com. The exotic pet distributor known as U.S. Global Exotics, is reported to have had dead animals found among the live ones in conditions that “are not within guidelines,” dallasnews.com quoted Arlington Animal Services’ Jay Sabatucci. The pets were being sold for higher prices than normal, according to sources. “There are animals in there literally starving to death,” Sabatucci is quoted as saying about the exotic animal pet business, reported to have been in business for 11 years. Continue reading “Exotic pet store in Texas raided; 20,000 animals seized” »