Today's Globe: phys ed classes, street Seroquel, suspected swine flu death, healthcare bill, VA backlog, Harold Snider, Samuel Genensk

Boston’s public schools have failed to provide any formal instruction in physical education to about 25 percent of the city’s students, despite a state law that requires physical education be taught to all students in all grades.

Seroquel debuted 12 years ago as a novel drug for adult patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, a powerful pill that would help stabilize their emotional lives. But these days, the use of Seroquel is growing in popularity in a different group: men and women living on the margins who simply want a good night’s rest.

Worcester officials expect to find out today whether the swine flu virus was the cause of death of a 13-year-old male.

President Obama’s overhaul of the nation’s health systems is unlikely to be completed by the White House’s August deadline, lawmakers said yesterday as Congress turns its attention to other priorities.

The backlog of unprocessed claims from a flood of veterans, young and old, seeking disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs for psychological and physical injuries connected to their military service is now above 400,000, up from 253,000 six years ago, the agency said.

Harold W. Snider, 61, a prominent advocate for the blind who helped craft legislation that expanded the civil rights of Americans with disabilities and aided in the launching of an audible newspaper service, died June 26 at his home in Rockville, Md., after a heart attack.

Samuel M. Genensky, a former Rand Corporation mathematician and inventor whose near-blindness led him to help others cope with limited eyesight and become more self-sufficient, died June 26 at his Santa Monica home. He was 81.