NEW ORLEANS

Judge blocks early vote on gay marriage ban

A judge Friday temporarily blocked a vote next month on a constitutional ban on same-sex marriages in Louisiana.

Judge Christopher Bruno ruled that Sept. 18 is not a statewide election date as the constitution requires. But he suspended his order to let the state appeal, and set an Aug. 20 trial on making his order permanent.

Louisiana already has a law stating marriage can only be between a man and a woman. The Legislature passed a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages to protect that state law in the constitution. The amendment requires a vote.

Amendment opponents sued to block the vote, arguing the amendment would violate the state constitution, which guarantees the rights to enter into contracts and own property.

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Cancer drug Avastin increases risk of stroke

The government and Genentech are warning doctors that Avastin, used to treat colorectal cancer, increases patients’ risk of heart ailments including chest pain, strokes, ministrokes and heart attacks.

Avastin also raises the risk that patients might die from those heart ailments.

Colleen Sweeney, Genentech spokeswoman, said Friday that the heart ailments had killed some patients who took the drug, but she could not say how many. “I don’t have the data,” Sweeney said. Genentech developed the drug.

During clinical trials before the drug’s approval, one patient died, but a “clear relationship” could not be determined between Avastin use and the heart-related fatality, she said. Additional analyses led to the drug warning by the company and the Food and Drug Administration.