Laura Bush says lesion 'no big deal'

Laura Bush said yesterday she did not disclose that she had a skin cancer tumor removed five weeks ago because, "It's no big deal and we knew it was no big deal at the time." The comments, relayed by presidential spokesman Tony Snow, came a day after the White House belatedly acknowledged that she had a squamous cell carcinoma, the second most common form of skin cancer, excised from her right shin a few days after the Nov. 7 election. The patch was about the size of a nickel, her spokeswoman said. "She's got the same right to medical privacy that you do," Snow told reporters. (AP)

New York

NEW YORK -- Higher levels of vitamin D in the bloodstream may reduce the risk of multiple sclerosis by more than 60 percent among young, white adults, who have a higher incidence of the disease, according to a new study. Researchers at Harvard's School of Public Health in Boston found a correlation between higher vitamin D levels and reduced risk for the chronic nervous disorder, which can cause fatigue and loss of balance and muscle coordination. The study appears in today's issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Multiple sclerosis affects 350,000 people in the United States. (Bloomberg)

Oregon

PORTLAND -- The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Portland will pay about $75 million to settle at least 170 claims of sexual abuse by its priests as part of a revised bankruptcy reorganization plan, according to legal documents. The new plan was filed Monday with the US Bankruptcy Court in Portland. It calls for 143 people who claimed they were abused to receive about $40.7 million. About $13.75 million will be set aside for 26 people who may either settle or sue the archdiocese, and $20 million will cover future sex abuse claims. (Reuters)