Nation briefs 11/14/03

Chief Illiniwek vote to wait another day

URBANA, Ill. -- The University of Illinois' newest trustee backed away Thursday from pushing a vote to retire the school's controversial American Indian mascot, Chief Illiniwek, once again postponing board action on the divisive issue.

Trustee Frances G. Carroll said she didn't have the votes to pass the resolution, so she withdrew it and said she would reintroduce it in March after first saying she would bring it back up in July.

"I found out last night that I didn't have the votes that I needed," Carroll said. "In talking to my colleagues, they were all concerned about the amount of time for consideration -- the notice."

Malnourished N.J. boy not result of eating disorder

TRENTON, N.J. -- The state's child advocate said Thursday that an eating disorder in one of four boys allegedly starved by their adoptive parents was not the reason the 19-year-old weighed only 45 pounds.

Speaking shortly after he was sworn in to the new position, child advocate Kevin Ryan disputed the adoptive parents' claims that the boys never were denied food and that eating disorders were to blame for their being severely underweight.

"The treating physicians have assured me that despite the disabilities in the past, their dramatically stunted growth and severe malnourishment were caused by the treatment in that home," Ryan said.

Ryan's statement followed a published report saying that 19-year-old Bruce Jackson had an eating disorder at the age of 2.