BELLFLOWER, Calif. — In the space of five minutes, a woman gave birth to eight babies in Southern California on Monday, the world’s second live-born set of octuplets.
The mother, who was not identified, gave birth to six boys and two girls weighing between 1 pound, 8 ounces and 3 pounds, 4 ounces, doctors at Kaiser Permanante Bellflower Medical Center said.
The hospital had scheduled a Caesarean section for seven babies, but doctors were surprised by the eighth.
“It is quite easy to miss a baby when you’re anticipating seven babies,” said Dr. Harold Henry, chief of maternal and fetal medicine at the hospital. “Ultrasound doesn’t show you everything.”
Doctors said the babies were born nine weeks premature but are in stable condition. Two newborns were placed on ventilators and a third needs oxygen.
D.C.: Karl Rove subpoenaed
The House Judiciary Committee chairman subpoenaed former White House adviser Karl Rove on Monday to testify about the Bush administration’s firing of nine U.S. attorneys and its prosecution of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman, a Democrat who was convicted on bribery and other charges. Former President George W. Bush upheld Rove and two other senior aides who asserted they did not have to testify before Congress about their actions in the White House. The subpoena commanded Rove to appear Monday for a deposition. The inquiry followed the recommendation of internal Justice Department investigators who concluded that, despite administration denials, political considerations played a part in the firings of as many as four of the federal prosecutors.
GOP opposes broader SCHIP bill
Republican lawmakers tried to slow momentum for expanding a State Children’s Health Insurance Program Monday by arguing that a bill in the Senate would draw about 2.4 million children away from private insurance into government-sponsored coverage. Overall, the Senate legislation would increase spending by $31.5 billion over the next 4 ½ years. The expansion would be paid for by increasing the federal excise tax on tobacco products. Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., said about a third of those who gain insurance as a result of the bill would otherwise have access to private insurance. Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., replied that those arguing the program was too generous to middle-income families are “really out of touch with what these families face.”
Oklahoma: Ice storm kills 5
A winter storm iced a large section of Oklahoma and parts of northern Texas on Monday, knocking out power to hundreds, making roads treacherous and leading to at least five deaths. As the storm moved across Oklahoma and sections of Texas, highway and emergency crews braced for icy conditions in Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky and the southern slices of Indiana and Illinois.
U.N.: U.S. to engage Iran in ‘direct diplomacy’
President Barack Obama’s administration will engage in “direct diplomacy” with Iran, the newly installed U.S. ambassador to the United Nations said Monday. Not since before the 1979 Iranian revolution are U.S. officials believed to have conducted wide-ranging direct diplomacy with Iranian officials. But U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice warned that Iran must meet U.N. Security Council demands to suspend uranium enrichment before any talks on its nuclear program.
Iceland: Government collapses
Iceland’s coalition government collapsed on Monday, plunging the island nation into political turmoil as it seeks to rebuild an economy shattered by the global financial crisis. Prime Minister Geir Haarde resigned and disbanded the government he’s led since 2006. Haarde was unwilling to meet the demands of his coalition partner, the Social Democratic Alliance Party, which insisted on choosing a new prime minister in exchange for keeping the coalition intact. Iceland has been mired in crisis since October, when the country’s banks collapsed under the weight of debts amassed during years of rapid expansion.
Israel: Netanyahu would expand West Bank settlements
The front-runner in Israel’s election said in an interview published Monday that he would let Jewish settlements expand in the West Bank if he’s elected prime minister. Netanyahu, who is already a critic of U.S.-sponsored peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, was quoted by the Haaretz daily as saying he would allow the Jewish settlements to expand to accommodate “natural growth” — building new housing to accommodate growing families among the settlers. Such growth, however, is ruled out in the internationally backed peace plan that serves as the basis for negotiations.
Indonesia: Ban on yoga that has Hindu rituals
Muslims in Indonesia are banned from practicing yoga that contains Hindu rituals like chanting, the country’s top Islamic body said Monday, echoing concerns by some religious groups elsewhere about its effect on their faith. Cleric Ma’ruf Amir said those performing yoga purely for health or sport reasons will not be affected. Though not legally binding, most devout Muslims will likely adhere to the ruling because ignoring a fatwa, or religious decree, is considered a sin.
From Herald news services
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