Sean Lowe: Tierra Made Me Feel Like 'Such a Fool'

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The Bachelor

02/20/2013 at 12:15 PM EST

Sean Lowe and Tierra on The Bachelor

No regrets? Not so fast.

In his PEOPLE.com blog, The Bachelor's Sean Lowe has written about how he never saw Tierra LiCausi behaving badly – despite what the other women told him about the controversial contestant, who is now engaged.

But after watching, Sean realized the women were right.

"Man, I was such a fool," Sean, told host Chris Harrison on Sean Tells All special Tuesday night. "I really do feel like I was duped."

In fact, Sean, 28, who had an immediate connection with Tierra, says he never should have met her that first night.

"Tierra never should have come on this show. She's not suited for this show," he said. "She doesn't know how to handle herself in this environment. She's a woman who ... simply can't get along with her peers."

Not only did Tierra waste his time, Sean says, he witnessed her "getting into arguments and fights with the sweetest, best people in the house."

But no one may be more upset about Tierra than the women who was sent home instead of Tierra, Jackie Parr, on a two-on-one date in Montana.

I wouldn't have kept [Tierra]," Sean said on Tuesday's special. "I wish I would have kept Jackie on the two-on-one."

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Drug overdose deaths up for 11th consecutive year

CHICAGO (AP) — Drug overdose deaths rose for the 11th straight year, federal data show, and most of them were accidents involving addictive painkillers despite growing attention to risks from these medicines.

"The big picture is that this is a big problem that has gotten much worse quickly," said Dr. Thomas Frieden, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which gathered and analyzed the data.

In 2010, the CDC reported, there were 38,329 drug overdose deaths nationwide. Medicines, mostly prescription drugs, were involved in nearly 60 percent of overdose deaths that year, overshadowing deaths from illicit narcotics.

The report appears in Tuesday's Journal of the American Medical Association.

It details which drugs were at play in most of the fatalities. As in previous recent years, opioid drugs — which include OxyContin and Vicodin — were the biggest problem, contributing to 3 out of 4 medication overdose deaths.

Frieden said many doctors and patients don't realize how addictive these drugs can be, and that they're too often prescribed for pain that can be managed with less risky drugs.

They're useful for cancer, "but if you've got terrible back pain or terrible migraines," using these addictive drugs can be dangerous, he said.

Medication-related deaths accounted for 22,134 of the drug overdose deaths in 2010.

Anti-anxiety drugs including Valium were among common causes of medication-related deaths, involved in almost 30 percent of them. Among the medication-related deaths, 17 percent were suicides.

The report's data came from death certificates, which aren't always clear on whether a death was a suicide or a tragic attempt at getting high. But it does seem like most serious painkiller overdoses were accidental, said Dr. Rich Zane, chair of emergency medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

The study's findings are no surprise, he added. "The results are consistent with what we experience" in ERs, he said, adding that the statistics no doubt have gotten worse since 2010.

Some experts believe these deaths will level off. "Right now, there's a general belief that because these are pharmaceutical drugs, they're safer than street drugs like heroin," said Don Des Jarlais, director of the chemical dependency institute at New York City's Beth Israel Medical Center.

"But at some point, people using these drugs are going to become more aware of the dangers," he said.

Frieden said the data show a need for more prescription drug monitoring programs at the state level, and more laws shutting down "pill mills" — doctor offices and pharmacies that over-prescribe addictive medicines.

Last month, a federal panel of drug safety specialists recommended that Vicodin and dozens of other medicines be subjected to the same restrictions as other narcotic drugs like oxycodone and morphine. Meanwhile, more and more hospitals have been establishing tougher restrictions on painkiller prescriptions and refills.

One example: The University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora is considering a rule that would ban emergency doctors from prescribing more medicine for patients who say they lost their pain meds, Zane said.

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Stobbe reported from Atlanta.

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Online:

JAMA: http://www.jama.ama-assn.org

CDC: http://www.cdc.gov

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AP Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner can be reached at http://www.twitter.com

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Tourist's body found stuffed in hotel water tank; guest horrified

There were few details Wednesday on how the body of a missing Canadian tourist ended up at the bottom of a water tank on the roof of a downtown hotel.

For days, residents of the Cecil Hotel thought something was amiss. At least one said there was flooding in one of the fourth-floor rooms, while others complained about weak water pressure.
One of those complaints led a hotel maintenance worker to check Tuesday on one of the large metal water cisterns on the roof, where he discovered the body of an unidentified woman in her 20s at the bottom of the tank.

Authorities said late Tuesday the body was that of Elisa Lam, 21, a Vancouver, Canada, woman last seen at the hotel Jan. 31.

"We're not ruling out foul play," said LAPD Sgt. Rudy Lopez, noting that the location of the remains "makes it suspicious."

Los Angeles police investigators searched the roof of the Cecil with the aid of dogs when Lam was reported missing about three weeks ago. Lopez said he didn't know if the tanks were examined.

"We did a very thorough search of the hotel," he said. "But we didn't search every room; we could only do that if we had probable cause" that a crime had been committed.

Once a destination for the rich and famous in the 1930s and '40s, the Cecil has gradually deteriorated, mirroring the decay of downtown Los Angeles, particularly in the skid row area. With rock-bottom rents and flexible stays, the historic 1927 building attracted those who were a step away from homelessness.

The Cecil also became a magnet for criminal activity. Most notably it was the occasional home to infamous serial killers Jack Unterweger and Richard "Night Stalker" Ramirez. Even after a multimillion-dollar makeover in 2008, police said they frequently respond to the Cecil for calls relating to domestic abuse and narcotics.

In 2010, the hotel was the scene of a bizarre incident in which a Los Angeles city firefighter who had been honored as paramedic of the year said he was stabbed while responding to a distress call. But police found inconsistencies in the story and no assailant was ever located.

On Tuesday, the Cecil grappled with a deeper mystery.
According to detectives with the LAPD's Robbery-Homicide Division, Lam came to Los Angeles from Vancouver on Jan. 26. While they did not discuss her exact movements or whether she visited anyone here, they believe her ultimate destination was Santa Cruz. Lam's reasons for visiting California were unclear, detectives said.

She was last seen Jan. 31 inside the elevator of the hotel. In surveillance footage, Lam is seen pushing buttons for multiple floors and at one point stepping out of the elevator, waving her arms.
A cause of death is still to be determined by county coroner’s officials, Lopez said.

A locked door that only employees have access to and a fire escape are the only ways to get to the roof. The door is equipped with an alarm system that notifies  hotel personnel if someone is up there, Lopez said.

ALSO:

O.C. shootings: Killings occurred during morning routines

Body found in hotel water tank identified as Canadian tourist

Woman who ran surrogate parenting firm pleads guilty in fraud case

— Andrew Blankstein and Adolfo Flores

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Serve Up Dinner Straight from the South Beach Wine & Food Festival

02/19/2013 at 12:05 PM EST

Carrot Lemon Thyme Sorbet and Executive Chef Hector Morales's Gazpacho

Come Thursday, there will be plenty of familiar faces heating up Miami Beach. And we mean in the kitchen.

As celeb chefs such as Bobby Flay, Paula Deen and Rachael Ray flock to the South Beach Wine & Food Festival presented by FOOD & WINE, you, too, can get a taste of the festivities, which run through the weekend. And you don't even have to leave your kitchen – just follow these recipes.

Carrot Lemon Thyme Sorbet

From Restaurant: Impossible chef Robert Irvine, who will be serving up his sorbet at the Whole Foods Market Grand Tasting Village

• 1 tbsp. lemon zest
• 1 cup carrot juice
• 1 cup water
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. thyme (minced)
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice
• ¾ cup sparkling water
Over medium high heat, bring water, juice, lemon zest, mint and sugar to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium, and simmer for additional 10 minutes. Then remove from heat and pour through chamois; let cool. Next, in a bowl, add prepared syrup and sparkling water. Finish in an ice cream machine.

Executive Chef Hector Morales's Gazpacho

Grab a cup from Badia Spices

• 4 large beefsteak tomatoes
• 1 pint orange juice
• 1 pint tomato juice
• 3 red peppers (cleaned, seeded and chopped)
• 1 green pepper (cleaned, seeded and chopped)
• 1 large cucumber (peeled and seeded, cut in cubes)
• 1 medium onion (peeled and diced)
• 2 cloves garlic (roasted and chopped; rub with olive oil before roasting)
• 2 pieces of celery (chopped)
• 2 tsp. sea salt (recipe recommends Badia's)
• ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil (recipe recommends Badia's)
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• cayenne pepper to taste
Rub tomatoes with extra-virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with sea salt. Roast in a 400ºF oven until skin starts to come off. Let cool and peel the skins; chop the tomatoes.

Mix all ingredients together in a blender and purée until smooth.

Chef Curtis Stone's Cocktail

Chef Curtis Stone's Cocktail

The Aussie chef will host Moët Hennessy's The Q After Dark at the fest

• 2 oz. vodka (recipe recommends Belvedere)
• ¾ oz. fresh lemon juice
• ¾ oz. simple syrup
Shake and strain over cubed ice into a rocks glass. Garnish with a wedge of lemon.

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UK patient dies from SARS-like coronavirus

LONDON (AP) — A patient being treated for a mysterious SARS-like virus has died, a British hospital said Tuesday.

Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, central England, said the coronavirus victim was also being treated for "a long-term, complex unrelated health problem" and already had a compromised immune system.

A total of 12 people worldwide have been diagnosed with the disease, six of whom have died.

The virus was first identified last year in the Middle East. Most of those infected had traveled to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan or Pakistan, but the person who just died is believed to have caught it from a relative in Britain, where there have been four confirmed cases.

The new coronavirus is part of a family of viruses that cause ailments including the common cold and SARS. In 2003, a global outbreak of SARS killed about 800 people worldwide.

Health experts still aren't sure exactly how humans are being infected. The new coronavirus is most closely related to a bat virus and scientists are considering whether bats or other animals like goats or camels are a possible source of infection.

Britain's Health Protection Agency has said while it appears the virus can spread from person to person, "the risk of infection in contacts in most circumstances is still considered to be low."

Officials at the World Health Organization said the new virus has probably already spread between humans in some instances. In Saudi Arabia last year, four members of the same family fell ill and two died. And in a cluster of about a dozen people in Jordan, the virus may have spread at a hospital's intensive care unit.

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Four dead in O.C.: No motive yet in slaying, deadly carjackings

Orange County sheriff's officials said they don't know what prompted a series of shootings across multiple cities early Tuesday morning that left at least four people dead and others wounded.

Authorities believe the violence began in Ladera Ranch, south of Mission Viejo.

The first call came at 4:45 a.m. reporting a shooting on Red Leaf Lane, where deputies discovered a woman shot dead at the scene.

The suspect, described as a man in his 20s, fled the area in an SUV.

MAP: Orange County shootings

Sheriff's Department spokesman Jim Amormino said “multiple incidents” then occurred in Tustin and another at the Santa Ana border before the suspect apparently shot and killed himself in Orange.

“There’s a lot to sort out,” he said.

Tustin Police Lt. Paul Garaven said the suspect attempted to carjack multiple vehicles in Tustin, with  each shooting occurring a few minutes apart.

Police received a report about 5:30 a.m. of a carjacking near Red Hill Avenue and Nisson Road near the 5 Freeway in Tustin, Garaven said.

The carjacking suspect opened fire and wounded a bystander, he said.

Soon after that, another carjacking was reported near the 55 Freeway, Garaven said. The victim of that carjacking was killed, Garaven said. A body lay covered by a yellow tarp on Village Way near the McFadden Avenue freeway entrance.

Another shooting was reported on Edinger Avenue near the Micro Center in Tustin, Garaven said. Officers confirmed that another carjacking had taken place, he said.

One person was killed and another was taken to a hospital. Officers spotted the suspect in a stolen vehicle, followed him into the city of Orange and initiated a traffic stop near the intersection of East Katella Avenue and North Wanda Road, Garaven said.

The suspect then shot and killed himself, Garaven said. Garaven said there is “no threat to the community” because the suspect is deceased.

Bill Myers, who works at Allied Refrigeration at Edinger Avenue in Tustin, said he passed numerous police vehicles on his way to work early Tuesday.

The Micro Center, across the street from Allied Refrigeration, was roped off, and police were at the scene, Myers said.

Myers arrived at work at about 6:20 a.m. and said there was "a bunch of activity going on. It was pretty crazy."  

kate.mather@latimes.com

hailey.branson@latimes.com

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Chaz Bono: How I Lost 43 Lbs. - and Hope to Lose More

By Dahvi Shira

02/18/2013 at 01:00 PM EST

Chaz Bono, before and after losing weight

Courtesy CBS Television Distribution

Chaz Bono's 2013 has gotten off to a healthy start!

The former Dancing with the Stars contestant, 43, has already dropped 43 lbs. since announcing his public mission to lose 50 lbs. beginning in mid-November.

He's now upped his goal to dropping a total of 80 lbs.

"I've been sticking to a really strict diet," he tells PEOPLE. "It's not any type of starvation thing. I'm just cutting out a lot of stuff and eating primarily protein and vegetables and fruit."

Bono, who weighed 250 lbs. pre-diet, first addressed his goal publicly with Dr. Travis Stork on an episode of The Doctors, after being approached by the show to get help.

"That episode was the most uncomfortable I've ever been on television in my life," Bono admits. "I had been wanting to lose weight. It was something I had been trying to do and failing at. This opportunity just kind of came in, and my initial reaction was 'absolutely not.' And after that, the more I thought about it, I realized I've been wanting to deal with this issue and somebody's willing to help me do it, so I decided to throw my pride away and get help."

The initial weight-loss process actually wasn't too challenging. He shed the pounds with the help of exercise and the Freshology delivered-meal plan.

"It hasn't been that long, but when you're a guy and you've got a lot of weight to lose, the initial stuff comes off pretty easily," says Bono, who'll return to The Doctors Wednesday to show off his weight loss. (check local listings). "You start to see results and you want to keep going. It's not to say you don't have cravings sometimes, but I'm very happy with how I'm looking and feeling. Especially when I'm traveling or I have to go out to eat or whatever, it's actually kind of easier than I thought to [eat healthy], so that's been good."

But now, the pounds aren't coming off as easily.

A Challenging Plan

"It's getting harder," he explains. "I'm just kind of at a little plateau right now, which I think is pretty normal, according to my doctor. The weight was falling off at first, and now it's just coming off slower. The smaller you are, the harder it is to lose weight. The last 10 or 20 lbs. are really hard to get off. I would like to lose more than that. I'm still dropping, but I'm just not dropping like I was in the beginning, which was about 4 lbs. a week."

Despite the lull in his weight loss, Bono is continuing along strong with his journey.

"There haven't really been any bad parts to this so far, except certain stuff that I miss eating," he says. "But ultimately, I would much rather look and feel better than eat those things. Everything else has been really great. I feel better and when I look in the mirror, I like what I see better."

But when it comes to offering guidance to others going through the same thing, Bono will steer clear.

"I don't want to ever be that guy [to give advice]," he says. "I've struggled with weight my whole life. I don't ever want to be the guy to say, 'Just do this.' For me, it was finally getting to a place where I was willing to do whatever it took to deal with this. When you get to that point, then whatever way you choose to do it, it's going to work."

And Bono is adamant about keeping it off.

"I'm willing to kind of never eat the things I like again," he said with a laugh. "Never say never, and I know it happens a lot, but I really want to do everything I can to avoid gaining it back. I'm not going into it thinking I'm going to do that. I'm going into it thinking I'm too old to [expletive] around with that. I need to keep my weight down, moving forward, in order to be healthy."

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Study: Better TV might improve kids' behavior

SEATTLE (AP) — Teaching parents to switch channels from violent shows to educational TV can improve preschoolers' behavior, even without getting them to watch less, a study found.

The results were modest and faded over time, but may hold promise for finding ways to help young children avoid aggressive, violent behavior, the study authors and other doctors said.

"It's not just about turning off the television. It's about changing the channel. What children watch is as important as how much they watch," said lead author Dr. Dimitri Christakis, a pediatrician and researcher at Seattle Children's Research Institute.

The research was to be published online Monday by the journal Pediatrics.

The study involved 565 Seattle parents, who periodically filled out TV-watching diaries and questionnaires measuring their child's behavior.

Half were coached for six months on getting their 3-to-5-year-old kids to watch shows like "Sesame Street" and "Dora the Explorer" rather than more violent programs like "Power Rangers." The results were compared with kids whose parents who got advice on healthy eating instead.

At six months, children in both groups showed improved behavior, but there was a little bit more improvement in the group that was coached on their TV watching.

By one year, there was no meaningful difference between the two groups overall. Low-income boys appeared to get the most short-term benefit.

"That's important because they are at the greatest risk, both for being perpetrators of aggression in real life, but also being victims of aggression," Christakis said.

The study has some flaws. The parents weren't told the purpose of the study, but the authors concede they probably figured it out and that might have affected the results.

Before the study, the children averaged about 1½ hours of TV, video and computer game watching a day, with violent content making up about a quarter of that time. By the end of the study, that increased by up to 10 minutes. Those in the TV coaching group increased their time with positive shows; the healthy eating group watched more violent TV.

Nancy Jensen, who took part with her now 6-year-old daughter, said the study was a wake-up call.

"I didn't realize how much Elizabeth was watching and how much she was watching on her own," she said.

Jensen said her daughter's behavior improved after making changes, and she continues to control what Elizabeth and her 2-year-old brother, Joe, watch. She also decided to replace most of Elizabeth's TV time with games, art and outdoor fun.

During a recent visit to their Seattle home, the children seemed more interested in playing with blocks and running around outside than watching TV.

Another researcher who was not involved in this study but also focuses his work on kids and television commended Christakis for taking a look at the influence of positive TV programs, instead of focusing on the impact of violent TV.

"I think it's fabulous that people are looking on the positive side. Because no one's going to stop watching TV, we have to have viable alternatives for kids," said Dr. Michael Rich, director of the Center on Media and Child Health at Children's Hospital Boston.

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Online:

Pediatrics: http://www.pediatrics.org

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Contact AP Writer Donna Blankinship through Twitter (at)dgblankinship

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