News on the Go: Dec. 3, 2013
An investigator said Monday that the commuter train that derailed Sunday in New York was going too fast as it entered a curve. Though the train was traveling at 82 miles per hour while rounding a 30 mph curve, it was not clear whether that was because of human error or a problem with the brakes. Officials also did not know why the brakes were only fully engaged five seconds before the train stopped, and it takes a train a mile to stop while going 70 mph. Read full story here.
The rebooted HealthCare.gov website served 375,000 customers by noon Monday, government officials said, but the site faces another test in a few weeks. Dec. 23 is the deadline to sign up for coverage that would take effect Jan. 1, and if the website goes down again, that could mean the four million customers whose policies were canceled would be without coverage. Enrollment counselors reported Monday that the front end, which consumers use, was better but not glitch-free. Read full story here.
New guidelines released Monday by fertility doctors stress that couples should attempt pregnancy with one embryo to reduce prematurity and other health problems from multiple-child pregnancies. The number of multiple births has dropped in the last five years since the famed case of Octomom, the California woman who had octuplets thanks to in-vitro fertilization. The new guidelines could prove tricky for some couples because some want to use multiple embryos to boost the odds of getting pregnant. Read full story here.
Egyptian officials Monday revealed a draft of the country’s new constitution, which was originally adopted under its ousted-president, Mohammed Morsi. The draft, which is a first step in the country’s political transition, gives the military increased power and takes away some parts that liberals feared could have led to an Islamic state. The military has said the draft is a step toward democracy and would prove its credibility in a post-Morsi system.
Contact Carrie Blazina at [email protected].