The nation in brief

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Of countries that are developing industrial strength cyber capabilities, certainly the U.S. is in the lead.”

Nate Freier, a research professor at the U.S. Army War College in defense and military strategy, on U.S. efforts to use Internet glitches to gain strategic advantages Article, this page

Study: Diabetes on rise among children

For years, doctors have warned of a rising epidemic of diabetes among children, yet there has been little firm data on the extent of this disease among younger Americans.

Now a nationally representative study has confirmed that, from 2001 to 2009, the incidence of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes drastically increased among children and adolescents across racial groups.

The prevalence of Type 1 diabetes increased 21 percent among children up to age 19, the study found. The prevalence of Type 2 diabetes in children ages 10 to 19 rose 30 percent during the period.

The analysis, published Saturday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, includes data from more than 3 million children and teens in five states - California, Colorado, Ohio, South Carolina and Washington - as well as from selected American Indian reservations.

In Type 1 diabetes, a patient’s immune system attacks cells in the pancreas that make insulin, a hormone required to control blood sugar levels. Type 2 diabetes used to be called “adult-onset” diabetes because it was so unusual in children. It is thought to be brought on by a genetic predisposition to poor insulin action and secretion, often exacerbated by obesity and inactivity.

Tornado sirens didn’t sound, some say

TUPELO, Miss. - Some people in Tupelo have reported that warning sirens failed to sound before a tornado struck the city Monday afternoon.

Lee County Emergency Management Director Lee Bowdry said a monitoring system shows sirens did sound. People in Tupelo’s downtown and Crosstown sections said they did hear sirens.

Tupelo Water & Light Director Johnny Timmons said that because of all the complaints, workers will check sirens across the city for possible mechanical problems.

Officials also urged people to have multiple ways to learn of warnings.

“You should never rely on just one thing,” said Mississippi Emergency Management Agency spokesman Greg Flynn. “We encourage people to have a weather radio, text alerts and pick up the phone and call people they know to warn them.”

The tornado, with winds of up to 150 mph, damaged more than 200 homes and 16 businesses in Tupelo and Lee County and killed 14 people statewide.

Buffett shrugs off Berkshire concerns

OMAHA, Neb. - Warren Buffett shrugged off concerns about his Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate, which has trailed the overall market, and told shareholders Saturday to remain optimistic about his company, as well as the American economy.

More than 30,000 people descended on the annual gathering to listen to Buffett and Berkshire Vice Chairman Charlie Munger, who faced tough questions about Berkshire’s prospects for growth and acquisitions, and also how Buffett came to handle a vote on pay packages crafted for Coca-Cola executives, a company in which Berkshire holds a major stake.

Buffett abstained from voting Berkshire’s 400 million shares against the compensation plan last week, though he has long advocated against exorbitant executive pay and had described Coca-Cola’s package as excessive.

Buffett said he told Coke’s CEO privately that he opposed the compensation plan, but didn’t want to criticize the company publicly or join another Coke investor’s very public campaign to curtail that pay.

Buffett also said Saturday that shareholders are harmed by rules that force companies to disclose the pay of top managers. Executives who find that their colleagues are paid more may become jealous and press for higher awards, he said.

British princes draw fans in Memphis

MEMPHIS - Fans gathered near the Memphis Hunt and Polo Club on Saturday, hoping to spot British princes William and Harry as they attended a friend’s wedding in Tennessee.

The princes were in the city for the wedding of Lizzy Wilson and Guy Pelly. She is the granddaughter of the late Holiday Inn founder Kemmons Wilson. Pelly is a London nightclub owner.

The royal brothers on Friday went on a tour of Graceland, the one-time home of Elvis Presley. On Saturday, paparazzi lined a stone wall, trying to get a glimpse of the brothers.

Memphis police spokesman Karen Rudolph said Saturday that no problems had been reported during the visit.

Front Section, Pages 4 on 05/04/2014

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