The threatened peregrine falcon and some gray wolf populations are likely to start making their way off the endangered list in July. The wildlife agency also is expected to unveil plans for reintroducing the formidable grizzly bear to the remote Bitterroot Mountains of Idaho and Montana. Fibreboard Corp. saw the high court nullify its payout to prevent future claims of 186,000 workers exposed to its insulating material decades ago. Fibreboard and other asbestos companies want to avert problems like those suffered by Johns Manville Corp., which was in bankruptcy for six years in the 1980s after suits by shipyard, construction, and metal workers who contracted deadly lung diseases from its asbestos. The court said a solvent company like Fibreboard, which would use insurance proceeds to cover most claims, could not restrict payouts by saying its funds were limited.
Seasons change for allergy drugs, too.
Janssen Pharmaceutica removed the once popular antihistamine Hismanal from the market after it was linked to irregular heart rhythms. At the same time, promising news in a medical journal suggests that a drug called Astelin may allow 20 million allergic Americans to take one remedy instead of two. Along with antihistamines to stop the sneezing, these people have been spraying steroids up their noses to keep swelling down and air passages open. It and similar drugs like Cetirizine appear to combat both the sneezing and swelling problems at once. With the year 2000 only six months away, this is a crucial week for Congress and the Clinton administration to strike a deal aimed at limiting the liability of businesses over potential Y2K glitches.