European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 24, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday november 24, 1990 the stars and stripes Page 5 unsafe toys still sold group warns Washington f a l _ a a Washington a toys that could choke or strangle Young children remain on store shelves this Christmas shopping season a consumer group says. Releasing a list of allegedly hazardous toys that its members found in stores throughout the country the . Public interest research group said safety standards Are too lax and inadequately enforced. A was the biggest shopping Day nov. 23 of the year approaches parents should not assume that the toys they find on the shelves Are Safe a Lucinda Sikes attorney for . Pig said at a news conference wednesday. Because of inadequate or misleading Labelling toys containing Small parts that fit easily into a Small child a Mouth Are still available to children under 3, despite regulations designed to protect that age group the consumer group contended. The Federal consumer product safety commission sets Labelling standards. According to their guidelines toys with Small parts should be labelled As a not intended for use by children under 3.�?� but in a report a trouble in toy land a . Pig said the Labelling even when accurate misleads parents by ignoring the safety rationale. The Labelling often is in very Small Type As Well it said. A Many parents May regard age Labelling As a suggestion based on the developmental maturity of a child not realizing that the toys labelled for use by children Over 3 Are often potentially lethal for children who still tend to put things in their Mouths a Sikes said. As examples the consumer group displayed parts that were either Loose As in puzzles or could easily be broken off or pulled off such As wheels or other York based toy manufacturers of America accused the consumer group Lucinda Sikes an attorney for the Public interest research group demonstrates How Small children might strangle themselves using a crib toy. Pieces of toy cars. The report pointed to some crib gyms As particularly hazardous and said balloons can be life threatening As Well. The group Basing its report on 21 toys it said researchers had found on Sale in 14 states said Industry standards for such products Are being skirted or violated. David a. Miller president of the new the group a a speculated that a piece could break off the a Mickey town ice Cream play set despite thorough testing by the company showing the toy does no to break. He said the consumer group should have approached Mattell about the complaint instead of going directly to the Media. Shari Metzler of Gund inc. In Edison n.j., said the group included on the list a toy siamese cat that the company stopped Selling two years ago. Allan Shook of Strisar inc., of Anaheim calif., said the group used an old package of balloons sold by the company. He said the company changed its warning Label in july to reflect that children As old As 5 face choking hazards from balloons and will include even stricter Labelling next year. Sikes acknowledged that the product safety commission was working on special Labelling requirements for balloons balls and marbles. But she said the Rule making could take years. She said she was encouraged however by a new Law that gives the commission authority to Fine manufacturers who continue to sell unsafe products. Cps spokesman Dan Rumelt said the Agency had not had time to review the consumer groups list. The Agency held its own presentation earlier this week urging parents and shoppers to watch for similar hazards. The commission said it received re of trying to a frighten parents about toys ports of 33 deaths related to toys from tent nip Cofo or  Are perfectly Safe. He accused the group of trying to become a National nannies and said it ignored the role of parental supervision and common sense. Glenn Bozarth of Mattell inc., said january 1989 to september 1990. In 20 of these cases the children choked on Small objects. The consumer group said toy related injuries have increased steadily rising to 148,000 in 1989.Tulane researchers discover aids like virus Washington up a scientists reported thursday they have found a virus that appears to be a Cousin of the aids virus in people stricken by an autoimmune disease. Other researchers urged caution however in linking such disorders to viruses. A team from Tulane University school of Medicine in new Orleans Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and Cambridge biotech corp. In Rockville md., said it detected the new virus in patients with Sjogren a syndrome a so called autoimmune disorder that creates severe dryness of the eyes and Mouth. Autoimmune diseases occur when a persons immune system malfunctions and starts attacking the body a own tissues As if they were harmful microbes or viruses. The new virus called human Intra Cisterna a Type Retro viral particle or Hiap and the aids causing human immunodeficiency virus belong to a family of viruses called retroviruses researchers said. Retroviruses like other viruses cannot reproduce without infecting cells. But unlike other viruses they can permanently insert their genetic information into a cell. Or. Robert Gallo the National cancer Institute researcher credited with co discovery of the aids virus called the findings an a a interesting preliminary report. A but there is no evidence that this particle is indeed the cause of this particular disease a Gallo said. Gallo said that although such particles do indicate Retro viral infection they have never been found before in humans and have not been proven to cause disease in mice or other animals where they Are often found. Or. Robert Fox an autoimmune disease expert at Scripps clinic and research foundation in la Jolla calif., also noted previous findings suggesting a viral cause of multiple sclerosis and chronic fatigue syn drome have fallen by the Wayside. The Tulane researchers first suspected an aids like retrovirus May play a role in autoimmune diseases when it found about one third of people with Sjogren a syndrome juvenile rheumatoid arthritis scleroderma and systematic Lupus Erythe Matous tested positive on certain tests for the his virus even though they were not actually infected with his. Fox said his team could not duplicate those results in three attempts. Now in a study published in the journal science the Tulane team reports it has isolated a new retrovirus in Laboratory grown White blood cells exposed to salivary gland tissue from Sjogren a syndrome patients. Robert Garry an immunology professor at Tulane emphasized the discovery does not prove that the virus called Hiap causes Sjogren a syndrome or any other autoimmune  prison guards lose jobs following graduation Sands of time in the stars and stripes 40 years ago today. Albany . Apr As proud family members watched 154 new prison guards graduated from the state correctional Academy a and were promptly told they will be Laid off. A the hard part is six weeks ago these Guys gave up jobs to work for me and now they re on the Street a state corrections commissioner Thomas Coughlin said after the ceremony. Coughlin told the new guards who come from throughout the state that they will lose their $21,000-a-year jobs the Day after Christmas. That a when they will have completed their four weeks of on the Job training at various state prisons. The layoffs Are part of gov. Mario 30 years ago today. N9y.24�?T1960 a the 7th army celebrated a decade in Europe As a nato Force amid official thanks from West Germany and pledges of continued German cooperation in the decade to come. Cuomo a plan to reduce a potential $1 nov. 24,1950 a two officials of the puerto rican nationalist party in new York were billion budget deficit this fiscal year. Arrested As the possible brains behind the plot to assassinate president Truman. In All Coughlin has to Lay off about 300 guards and 400 teachers and other civilian prison employees. About 400 people including family members of the new guards listened silently to the commissioners comments at the Start of the ceremony said Coughlin. A there was so much anxiety in the room a Coughlin said of the fact that last saturday it was announced that 300 guards would be Laid off. There a a Good Chance the fired guards will be rehired As other guards quit or retire and the state opens new prisons Coughlin said. 20 years ago today. Nov. 24,1970 defense Secretary Melvin r. Laird disclosed that a . Search and Rescue team raided a communist prisoner of War Camp Only 20 Miles from Hanoi but found All the american prisoners had been moved. 7 0 years ago today. Legendary film Star Mae West died in her Hollywood apartment at age 87. The actress died just three weeks after leaving a Hospital where she spent three months recuperating from a mild stroke that had left her speech impaired