Barney Clark, a 61-year-old retired dentist from Seattle, became the first person to receive a permanent artificial heart today. The plastic heart, which runs on puffs of air, improved Clark's vital organs as soon as it began beating. “‘I’m very pleased and hopeful,’ DeVries, chief of cardiothoracle surgery for the medical center, said at a news conference Thursday. ‘It appears to be going very nicely,’” reported The Chronicle Telegram on December 3, 1982. Read Full Story
President elect Obama has announced Senator Hillary Clinton as his choice for Secretary of State on Monday. Clinton has been widely discussed over the past week as the most likely pick for the job, though this announcement makes the decision official. The Secretary of State heads the State Department and is responsible for negotiating with foreign representatives and for heading U.S. embassies and consultants. They act as chief advisor for foreign policy and serve... Read Full Story