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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 17 January 2023
Jill Biden’s skin cancer could fuel advocacy in cancer fight

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE would survive the disease
Associated Press and later described feeling
WASHINGTON (AP) — Jill “blinded by the darkness”
Biden’ s advocacy for cur- when he died.
ing cancer didn’t start with After their son’s death, the
her son’s death in 2015 from Bidens helped push for a
brain cancer. national commitment to
It began decades earlier, “end cancer as we know
long before she came into it.” Then-President Barack
the national spotlight, and Obama — Biden’s boss —
could now be further en- put the vice president in
ergized by her own brush charge of what the White
with a common form of skin House named the Cancer
cancer. Moonshot.
The first lady often says the The Bidens resurrected the
worst three words anyone initiative after Joe Biden
will ever hear are, “You became president and
have cancer.” She heard added a new goal of cut-
a version of that phrase for ting cancer death rates by
herself this past week. at least 50% over the next
A lesion that doctors had 25 years, and improving
found above her right eye the experience of living
during a routine screen- with and surviving cancer
ing late last year was re- First Lady Jill Biden hosts a conversation on women’s empowerment at the residence of the US for patients and their fami-
moved on Wednesday ambassador in Mexico City, on Jan. 9, 2023. Associated Press lies.
and confirmed to be basal “We’re ensuring that all of
cell carcinoma — a highly get regular screenings. to the disease. She said last 2008 and 1999, respective- our government is ready to
treatable form of skin can- Personal experiences can year in a speech that “Win- ly. A few years ago, one of get to work,” Jill Biden said
cer. While Biden was being add potency to a public nie inspired me to take up her four sisters needed an at the relaunch announce-
prepped to remove the le- figure’s advocacy. the cause of prevention auto-stem cell transplant to ment at the White House
sion, doctors found and re- “Nothing like ‘I’ve been and education.” treat her cancer. last February. “We’re go-
moved another one from there, done that’ and be- That experience led her In May 2015, Beau Biden, ing to break down the walls
the left side of her chest, ing personally involved,” to create the Biden Breast President Joe Biden’s son that hold research back.
also confirmed to be basal said Myra Gutin, a first lady Health Initiative, one of with his late first wife, died of We’re going to bring the
cell carcinoma. A third le- scholar at Rider University. the first breast health pro- a rare and aggressive brain best of our nation together
sion from her left eyelid was Biden’s spokesperson, Van- grams in the United States, cancer, leaving behind a — patients, survivors, care-
being examined. essa Valdivia, said “the first to teach 16-to 18-year-old wife and two young kids. givers, researchers, doc-
While it’s too early to know lady’s fight against cancer girls about caring for their Joe Biden was vice presi- tors, and advocates — all
when and how Biden might has always been personal. breasts. Biden was among dent at the time and the of you — so that we can
address her situation pub- She knows that cancer staffers who went into Dela- blow from Beau’s loss led get this done.”
licly, her experience could touches us all.” ware’s high schools to con- him to decide against run- In the years between Biden
inject new purpose into Biden’s advocacy dates to duct lectures and demon- ning for president in 2016. serving as vice president
what has become part of 1993, when four girlfriends strations. Jill Biden, who had helped and running for president,
her life’s work highlighting were diagnosed with breast Her mother, Bonny Jean Ja- raise Beau from a young the Bidens headed up the
research into curing can- cancer, including her pal cobs, and father, Donald age after she married his Biden Cancer Initiative, a
cer and urging people to Winnie, who succumbed Jacobs, died of cancer, in dad, was convinced he charity.q

Baby, teen mom among 6 killed in

shooting at California home

VISALIA, Calif. (AP) — Six in the area because of the killings. The sheriff’s office
people — including a number of shots that were conducted a narcotics-re-
17-year-old mother and her being fired,” Sheriff Mike lated search warrant at the
6-month-old baby — were Boudreaux told reporters. residence last week, Bou-
killed in a shooting early Deputies found two victims dreaux said.
Monday at a home in cen- dead in the street and a “We also believe this was
tral California, and authori- third person fatally shot in not a random act of vio-
ties are searching for at the doorway of the resi- lence. We believe this was
least two suspects, sheriff’s dence, Boudreaux said. a targeted family,” he said.
officials said. Three more victims were Two of the victims, the teen
Deputies responded found inside the home, in- mother and her young
around 3:30 a.m. to reports cluding a man who was child, were shot in the
of multiple shots fired at the still alive but later died at a head, the sheriff said.
residence in unincorpo- hospital, he said. Goshen is a semi-rural com-
rated Goshen, just east of The sheriff said investigators munity of about 3,000 resi-
Visalia, the Tulare County are searching for at least dents 35 miles (56 kilome- In this image released by Tulare County Sheriff’s Office,
Sheriff’s Office said. two suspects. ters) southeast of Fresno in detectives investigate a shooting in Goshen near Visalia, Calif.,
“Actually the report was They believe there is a the agricultural San Joa- early morning Monday, Jan. 16, 2023.
that an active shooter was gang connection to the quin Valley.q Associated Press