Surgeons to operate on Dominican baby born with second head SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (February 5, 6:29 p.m. AST) - A team of surgeons made final preparations to operate on a Dominican infant born with a second head, a risky surgery that doctors say they believe to be the first of its kind.

FDA to finalize ephedra ban
WASHINGTON (February 5, 1:59 p.m. AST) - The Bush administration is expected to finalize its ban on the sale of ephedra on Friday, moving to get the herbal stimulant off store shelves by April.

Feds cite carbs as biggest source of increased calories
ATLANTA (February 5, 11:27 a.m. AST) - Americans, especially women, are getting fatter because they eat much more of everything than they did 30 years ago, and carbs are the biggest culprit, the government said Thursday.

NASA gets in gear for rover drive
PASADENA, Calif. (February 5, 3:09 p.m. AST) - NASA took the rover Opportunity on its first real drive on Mars, a trip across pebbly soil that appears to be unlike anything else seen on the surface of the Red Planet, scientists said Thursday.

Agriculture secretary downplays mad cow risk
WASHINGTON (February 5, 3:11 p.m. AST) - After reviewing an expert panel's report that the United States likely has undiscovered cases of mad cow disease, Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman said there still is no cause for alarm.

Animal welfare groups sue to block killing of cormorants
WASHINGTON (February 5, 3:07 p.m. AST) - Animal welfare groups sued the government Thursday to try to block new rules that permit the killing of double-crested cormorants, a hook-billed predatory waterfowl that is a voracious fish-eater.

Feds receive 106 applications to sponsor Medicare drug card
WASHINGTON (February 5, 3:07 p.m. AST) - Federal officials said Thursday they have received 106 applications to sponsor Medicare-approved discount drug cards beginning in June.

U.N. OKs limited bird flu vaccinations
ROME (February 5, 11:24 a.m. AST) - U.N. agencies backed targeted poultry vaccination Thursday as part of a broader strategy to combat the bird flu ravaging Asia's farms, saying it could avoid some of the economically devastating consequences of mass slaughter while still protecting human health.

NASA technology enhances images in Florida abduction
(February 5, 1:59 p.m. AST) - NASA-enhanced images of a girl being abducted by a tattooed man at a Florida car wash were made public Thursday in an effort to jar the memories of anyone who may have seen the 11-year-old and her abductor.

Study to look at toxic air pollutants in Southern California
LOS ANGELES (February 5, 1:03 p.m. AST) - The region's clean air agency is conducting a yearlong study to measure levels of toxic air pollutants and determine the risks posed to residents, officials said Thursday.

Report calls for more diversity in health care professions
WASHINGTON (February 5, 10:09 a.m. AST) - America's fast-growing minority population isn't fully represented in the health care professions, according to a new study that urges government and educators to encourage more blacks, Latinos and others to enter medical fields.

New York state blocks release of Asian carp
ALBANY, N.Y. (February 5, 10:52 a.m. AST) - New York has imposed an emergency ban on most imports of live Asian carp, becoming the last of the Great Lakes states to bar the voracious fish that scientists and sportsmen fear will wreck the lakes' food chain.

Scientists find deadly 1918 flu more birdlike than once thought
WASHINGTON (February 5, 10:10 a.m. AST) - The 1918 flu that killed 20 million people appears to be more birdlike than previously thought, according to findings by U.S. and British researchers that could help explain why it was the deadliest influenza strain ever recorded.

Teen forces vote on Denver circus ban
DENVER (February 5, 8:35 a.m. AST) - When Heather Herman put an issue on the ballot asking Denver voters whether they wanted to ban wild animal performances, the 15-year-old took on everyone from Ringling Bros. to Blinky the Clown.

FDA OKs drug for asbestos-related cancer
WASHINGTON (February 5, 8:09 a.m. AST) - The Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday it has approved the first drug for treatment of a rare asbestos-related cancer.

Georgia education chief drops 'evolution' plan
ATLANTA (February 5, 12:22 p.m. AST) - The thinking of Georgia's top school official has apparently evolved.

FDA seizes PerkinElmer testing kits
WASHINGTON (February 5, 6:25 a.m. AST) - The Food and Drug Administration seized various PerkinElmer Inc. testing kits used to screen for diseases in newborns and adults, alleging the devices weren't manufactured properly.

Change in criteria boosts kidney transplants in minorities
(February 4, 1:31 p.m. AST) - Blacks, Hispanics and other minorities in desperate need of new kidneys are getting substantially more transplants since the U.S. criteria for matching up scarce donor organs and recipients were eased last year.

FDA warns fake birth control patch shipped from overseas Web site
WASHINGTON (February 4, 2:19 p.m. AST) - An overseas Internet site is shipping counterfeit versions of a popular Johnson & Johnson birth control patch, versions that won't provide any protection against pregnancy, federal health officials warned Wednesday.

Columbia investigator fears shuttle launch may be rushed
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (February 4, 2:20 p.m. AST) - An investigator of the Columbia disaster fears more astronauts will die if NASA rushes ahead with a space shuttle launch this fall without making all the needed repairs.

Study finds overnight hospital noise a pain for patients
MINNEAPOLIS (February 4, 2:20 p.m. AST) - Hospital noises during the night can approach the levels of chain saws or jackhammers, making it nearly impossible for patients to sleep, according to a new study at the Mayo Clinic.

Soda sales banned in Philadelphia schools
PHILADELPHIA (February 4, 1:33 p.m. AST) - Philadelphia school officials banned the sale of carbonated soft drinks in city schools on Wednesday in an effort to battle youth obesity.

Two more children die of bird flu
BANGKOK, Thailand (February 4, 12:41 p.m. AST) - Two more children died of bird flu in Asia, raising the death toll to 15 on Wednesday, and experts at an emergency meeting in Rome said they would recommend vaccinating healthy poultry as part of a broader strategy to control the disease.

Court says scientists can study Kennewick Man
PORTLAND, Ore. (February 4, 12:30 p.m. AST) - Scientists can study the Kennewick Man - 9,300-year-old remains found in Washington state - despite the objections of some American Indian tribes, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday.

Healthy twins born from 12-year-old frozen embryos
JERUSALEM (February 4, 10:35 a.m. AST) - An Israeli woman gave birth to healthy twins from 12-year-old frozen embryos, and her doctor said no other successful pregnancies had resulted from embryos frozen for so long.

Vietnam's Agent Orange victims file suit
HANOI, Vietnam (February 4, 4:48 a.m. AST) - For the first time, Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange have filed a suit against the U.S. companies that produced the toxic defoliant used by American forces during the Vietnam War.

Georgia legislators consider law for smoking in cars
ATLANTA (February 4, 12:26 p.m. AST) - Georgia lawmakers are considering a first-in-the-nation law that would require drivers who smoke to roll down the windows before lighting up with children in the car.

Anthrax prepared Senate for ricin scare
WASHINGTON (February 4, 11:48 a.m. AST) - No one has died from poisonous ricin found this week because the Capitol prepared for possible chemical and biological attacks after the 2001 anthrax scare, government officials said.

Antidepressants may trigger suicides, panel says
WASHINGTON (February 4, 6:06 a.m. AST) - Parents and doctors need more explicit warnings that some widely used antidepressants are suspected of sometimes causing suicidal behavior in children and teenagers, scientific advisers told the government.

FDA wants easier-to-read warnings on drug ads
WASHINGTON (February 4, 11:29 a.m. AST) - The government wants ads for prescription drugs to begin bearing lists of side effects that are easier to read and understand.

Genetic engineering could lead to heart-healthy foods
(February 4, 10:34 a.m. AST) - Scientists have pulled off a feat of gene engineering that could lead, in theory at least, to juicy steaks and fluffy omelets that are good for your heart.

Dominican baby born with second head scheduled for rare surgery
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (February 4, 10:31 a.m. AST) - A Dominican infant born with a second head will undergo a risky operation Friday to remove the appendage, which has a partially formed brain, ears, eyes and lips.

Mysterious 'Fallen Angel' letters focus of ricin probe
WASHINGTON (February 4, 2:44 p.m. AST) - Investigators are trying to determine if a mysterious "Fallen Angel" who sent two threatening letters containing ricin last fall is responsible for the deadly poison that turned up in the Senate this week.

Teen pilot's kin blame suicide on acne drug
TAMPA, Fla. (February 4, 3:39 a.m. AST) - Charles Bishop loved "Star Trek" and Tom Clancy novels. He worried about learning how to drive, and had only been on one date. He rarely mentioned the father he never knew, but learned a love of flying from his mother's best friend, a man he considered a father figure.