decision on avandia's safety. doctor harlan krumholz is a cardiologist and professor of medicine at yale university and doctor hal roseman is a cardiologist with a private practice in nashville. for the record, he is also a paid consultant for glaxosmithkline-- the maker of avandia. dr. roseman, describe for us what it is that avandia does. >> avandia makes insulin more effective. in diabetes there's a condition that precedes diabetes called ins lins resistance in which fat basically causes changes in the way that insulin operates in the body. what avandia does is correction the defects that this fat has and the way i works in the body. >> ifill: did the f.d.a. panel make the right recommendations? >> you know, time will tell about this. but actually i agree with the recommendation of the panel because they said this drug should either be taken off the market or if left on the majority said it should have such severe restrictions that only certain doctors should be able to prescribe it or if patients take it they

avandia sales plummeted following a 2007 study suggesting a higher risk of heart attack. ultimate fate of the drug lies with the f.d.a. which usually follows the recommendations of advisory committees like this. >> i will evaluate the regulatory options available to us and will come to a decision as soon as possible and we will announce that publicly. >> reporter: despite being reluctant to prescribe the drug, diabetes expert dr. robin goland understands today's decision. >> having the drug remain on the market continues to allow an individual practitioner to weigh the possible risks-- which are now kind of long-- against the benefits in an individual patient. >> reporter: another question is whether the avandia controversy will change the way the f.d.a. approves and monitors drugs. dr. steven nissen, the cardiologist who published the first warning about avandia, wants the drug to be pulled. >> the problem is the people that approved drugs in the first place are not able to dispassionately decide that they made a mistake and take the drugs off the market. >> reporter: dr

. >> and new fallout as questions continue to grow for the safety of the popular diabetes drug avandia. oprah: we are heading to the biggest state fair in the united states of america. the fun. states of america. the fun. the food. >>> thieves the left arm mannequin of lefty o'doul, the arm ripped off was returned to the restaurant yesterday delivered in in a big box addressed from iowa and snapshots of the arms that ventured across the u.s. >> it was their gnome, they traveled from place to place and put it to different places. took it to washington, d.c. all these different things. >> it contained a letter from the arm's perspective declaring des moines, iowa was the sister city, many adventures the arm had. >> at muggy i would think but interesting thing, we need to hear the rest of the story, we have to read it. >> it's still overcast, south beach and high definition and you can see the overcast. drizzle this morning and it's really been chilly in the city, look at san jose, a little bit of sunshine, finally almost all of the bay area was shrouded in cloud cover and extended into t

a surprise decision on the controversial diabetes drug avandia. advisers to the food and drug administration recommended keeping avandia on the market. this, despite studies indicating it increases the risk of heart attack. most advisers did recommend avandia carry stricter warning labels and the fda will now decide which course to take. >>> it was all business at the white house today, business, jobs and the economy. the president held a series of meetings, including one with billionaire investor warren buffett. and today, the white house touted new numbers, claiming the 862 billion stimulus package has created or saved as many as 3.6 million jobs. but jon karl found that some of that money is ending up by the side of the road. >> reporter: there are nearly 11,000 construction projects like this now underway funded by the president's $862 billion economic stimulus program. creating jobs and also creating a lot of these -- signs, popping up all over the country, touting projects that are putting america to work. spending on these signs varies from

. >> and new fallout as questions continue to grow for the safety of the popular diabetes drug avandia. >>> thieves the left arm mannequin of lefty o'doul, the arm ripped off was returned to the restaurt yesterday delivered in in a big box addressed from iowa and snapots of the arms that ventur across the u.s. >> it was their gnome, they traveled from place t place and put it to different places. took it to washington, c. all thesdifferent things. >> it contained a letter fr the arm's perspective declaring des moines, iowa was the sister city, many adventures the arm had. >> at muggy i would think but interesting thing, we need to hear the rest of the story, we have to read it. >> it's still overcast, south beach and high defition and you can see the overcast. drizzle this morning and it's really been chilly in the city, look at san jose, a little bit of sshine, finall almost all of the y area was shrouded in cloud cover and extended into the north bay, sonoma county and into the central valley, through fairfield. not quite to vacaville but pretty impressive. look how temperatures are

way that avandia does. we have seen things on the market with serious safety risks for people with it very specific diseases, for product to work and work well, sometimes safety risks are acceptable. host: the fda out lines on its website testing and approving -- the company's test the drug on its own, and then the center for drug evaluation and research the violence the new drugs and proposes the labeling -- evaluates the new drugs and opposes the labeling. guest: i mean, as far as drugs from canada, that has certainly been an issue, a very hot issue in washington. the fda does not trust any evaluation of safety and effectiveness that is not their own. that is why you have differences of opinion of drugs that are approved in the u.s. and canada and drugs that remain on the market after safety risks to merge. i am not sure i can say whether i'd buy billy tauzin's liner not, but it is certainly something the people in washington are aware of. guest: i think that would raise a lot of questions about whether c

advisers began meeting to consider whether to pull avandia from the market or restrict its sale. a recommendation is expected tomorrow. the longtime owner of major league baseball's new york yankees, george steinbrenner, died today in florida. newshour correspondent kwame holman has more. >> holman: he was known simply as "the boss." >> start of spring training! >> holman: george steinbrenner owned baseball's iconic team, the new york yankees, and was himself an icon who dominated the sport. >> when you put the pinstripes on, you're not just putting a baseball uniform on; you're wearing tradition and you're wearing pride. and you're going to wear it the right way. >> holman: in 1973, with the storied franchise at a low ebb, he bought the team for $10 million. he recruited top stars, made the yankees champions again, and ushered in a free-spending era that drove player salaries sky high. steinbrenner's brashness was controversial, and carried over to his players earning the yankees the title "the bronx zoo." >> winning is important to me. it's second, second to breathing. breathin

. >>> two recent studies find that avandia does not have -- >>> a federal report says hospital admissions for abuse of prescription painkillers more than quadrupled. it reports by comparison that admission rates for meth abuse doubled and those for marijuana increased by about half. the figures follow the period from 1998 to 2008. >> well, an alert is going out tonight to pet owners who travel with their dogs, plus -- >> it's not government money, it's taxpayer money. you pay it, i pay it. it's just crazy. >>> next on a ktvu special report, a look at the millions of the government issued cards that are being used to rip off taxpayers. >>> and a beautiful day here in the bay area. our chief meteorologist bill martin will tells us what's in store for the weekend ahead. he'll tell us when we come back. >>> new at 6:00, two people discover they have a dangerous disease after trying to do a good deed. we're learning about the first confirmed cases of west nile virus in california this season. >>> also -- a tough new tactics to combat crime working in san francisco -- are tough new tactics to c

the debate on the future of the diabetes drug avandia begins today. food and drug at the station scientists criticized the study by the drug maker glaxosmithkline that defends the safety of the drug. it has fallen out of favor because of potential ties to heart attacks. those are some of the latest headlines on c-span radio. >> c-span is now available and over 100 million homes, bringing you washington your way, a public service created by america's cable companies. >> what world leaders, from the white house, to parliaments around the group, from this week in the past 25 years with the c- span video libraries online, all free. it is washington and the world your way. >> "washington journal" continues. host: future of the postal service. on the screen is ruth goldway, chairman of the postal regulatory commission. we are reading the postal service wants a 2 cent increase in the price of stamps to 46 cents. how come? guest: the postal service has been losing money for the last few years. in large part as a result of the recession. and they feel that the

find out -- drug avandia. find out what happened next. >>> it was warmer today. temperatures on the increase. i'm have the details. >>> former vice president dick cheney revealed he underwent surgery last week to help him deal with congestive heart failure. doctors installed a small pump to help cheney's heart. the 69 yearltd career politician has had five heart tacks since he was 30 years -- heart attacks since he was 30 years old. the pump will help him resume an active life. >>> the family of slain vallejo city councilman filed a lawsuit today. the institute target as third person nicole stewart who admitted being the getaway driver that night. the family is asking for $16 million. >>> a federal panel of health experts voted today to keep a controversial diabetes pill on the market. now, this despite studies showing that the drug raises the risk of a heart attack. now the decision today comes after two days of heated and oftentimes heartfelt testimony. >> in making this plea to keep avandia on the market, i believe that i am pleading for my life. >> reporter:

. >> lehrer: then, we assess the risks and benefits of the diabetes drug, avandia. >> ifill: we have another report from haiti-- six months after the earthquake. tonight, ray suarez looks at the road ahead for the many amputees. >> thousands of haitians lost limbs in january's earthquake. international charities are bringing pros thesees, mobility and hope. >> lehrer: and margaret warner updates the charges against six new orleans police officers in the killing and cover-up of unarmed citizens after hurricane katrina. >> what appears to me is that the officers based upon the admitted statements immediately decided to not tell the truth. that's just disgusting. >> lehrer: that's all ahead on tonight's "newshour." major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: this is the engine that connects zero emission technologies to breathing a little easier, while taking 4.6 million truckloads off the road every year. bnsf, the engine that connects us. and the william and flora hewlett foundation, working to solve social and environmental problems at home and around the world. and with