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Every year since 1963, theSpace Medicine Association hasgiven out the Hubertus Strug-hold Award to a top scientist orclinician for outstanding work inaviation medicine.

The prestigious 50-year-oldprize is named in honor of theman known as the “Father ofSpace Medicine,” revered for hiscontributions to America’s earlyspace program. The German émi-gré, who made Texas his homeafter World War II, is creditedwith work that helped Americanastronauts walk on the moon.

But it is what he allegedly didduring the war that has fueled abitter controversy.

Nearly 70 years after the endof World War II, the scientificcommunity is still fractured overthe legacy of Nazi science—aconflict underscored by the clashover the Strughold prize.

Dr. Strughold, a former scien-tist for the Third Reich, was listedas one of 13 “persons, firms or or-ganizations implicated” in somenotorious Dachau concentrationcamp experiments, according to a1946 memo by the staff of theNuremberg Trials. The documentreferenced the infamous hypoth-ermia, or “cold experiments,” inwhich inmates were used, andtypically died, as subjects ex-posed to freezing conditions.

For years, former colleaguesand disciples have defended him,saying there was no evidence toconclude he engaged in atroci-ties. Other space scientists haveargued that his involvement inHitler’s war machine should pre-vent any honors, including theeponymous prize, from beingnamed for him.

He was never tried at Nurem-PleaseturntopageA12

A Scientist’s Nazi-Era PastHaunts Prestigious Space Prize

BY LUCETTE LAGNADO

Dr. Hubertus Strughold, dubbed the ‘Father of Space Medicine,’ in an early chamber designed tosimulate the conditions in space. Some scientists want his name removed from a medical prize.

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n Bank of America shelvedplans for new checking feesthat could have hit at least10 million customers by theend of this year, amid asweeping review of its retail-banking business. A1n Toyota is offering retire-ment incentives to 2,000workers in Kentucky, a signit is adopting some cost-sav-ing measures recently usedby its Detroit rivals. B3n The Dow industrials rose3.76 points, or less than 0.1%,to 13025.58. The Dow lost70.88 points in Novemberfor its second consecutivemonthly decline. B5n The Supreme Court saidit would decide whether iso-lated human genes can bepatented, a long-disputed le-gal question with implica-tions for biotech firms. B4n Yum Brands shares fell9.9% after the fast-foodchain said that its sales inChina have softened. B3n EADS is consideringwhether to do a buyback of alarge portion of its stock. B1n France ruled out nation-alizing an ArcelorMittalplant after being assured thesteel giant won’t cut jobs. B3n Italy took oversight of asteel plant in a move aimedat protecting the nation’smain source of steel. B3

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InsideNOONAN A15

The Drawn-OutCrisis: It’s theObama Way

n Critics of Egypt’s Morsiassailed the new constitution.Opponents charged that thedraft document is a jumbledattempt to impose Islamiclaw produced by what theycalled an unrepresentativebody dominated by Isla-mists. President Morsi hasvowed to bring a nationalreferendum soon. A8The battle is expected toplay out in coming days inEgypt’s courts and streets.n Sen. McConnell detailedpotential changes to Medi-care, Medicaid and SocialSecurity, providing clarityon how Republicans wouldcut entitlement costs. A1n The House voted to allowmore foreign students withadvanced U.S.-earned de-grees to stay and work. A6n Latin America is becom-ing a tale of two economiesas nations like Colombia andMexico outpace globalgrowth while Brazil and Ar-gentina face slowdowns. A10n The Senate approved ameasure that would tightenIran sanctions, as the U.S.and Turkey are on a collisioncourse over Turkey’s surgingsales of gold to Iran. A8n Israel said it plans a waveof construction in the WestBank and East Jerusalem, aday after the Palestinian ter-ritories received observerstatus from the U.N. A8n A freight train derailedon a bridge in New Jersey,spilling hazardous cargo. A6

Senate Minority Leader MitchMcConnell outlined potentialchanges to Medicare and SocialSecurity in an interview Friday,providing fresh clarity on theconcessions Republicans wouldlike to see from Democrats oncutting the costs of the federalentitlement programs.

Mr. McConnell (R., Ky.) saidbipartisan agreement on higherMedicare premiums for thewealthy, an increase in the Medi-care eligibility age and slowingcost-of-living increases for So-cial Security could move both

parties closer to a budget dealthat averts the so-called fiscalcliff, the combination of spend-ing cuts and tax increases thatstart in early January unlessWashington acts.

In return for the support ofDemocrats, he said, Republicanswould agree to include more taxrevenue in a budget deal, thoughnot from higher rates.

“Those are the kinds of thingsthat would get Republicans in-terested in new revenue,” Mr.McConnell said.

Democrats played down Mr.McConnell’s comments andframed the debate from theirown point of view: If Republi-

cans instead agreed to raise in-come-tax rates for high earners,a deal to avoid the fiscal cliffcould be quickly reached.

House Minority Leader NancyPelosi (D., Calif.) said there was“nothing new” in Mr. McCon-nell’s comments. A senior ad-ministration official said the

White House would make nonew offers until Republicanschanged their opposition to rais-ing top tax rates.

Democrats said they were stillawaiting a formal GOP proposal.“Republicans are still choosingnot to put forward an actual of-fer, and we can’t respond to an

interview,” said Adam Jentleson,spokesman for Senate MajorityLeader Harry Reid (D., Nev.).

Mr. McConnell’s cost-savingsuggestions, however, mark a

PleaseturntopageA4

BY NAFTALI BENDAVIDAND JANET HOOK

GOPTakesAimatEntitlementsSenate Minority Leader Calls for Bipartisan Support of Changes to Medicare, Social Security to Get Deal

Bank of America Corp. hasshelved plans for new fees thatcould have hit at least 10 millioncustomers by the end of thisyear, skirting a potential replayof a 2011 uproar over consumer-banking charges.

The decision to hold off on newchecking-account fees at least un-til late next year comes amid asweeping review of the bank’s re-tail-banking business, said peoplefamiliar with the bank’s plans.

Many other big banks, includ-ing J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. andWells Fargo & Co., have rolledout plans that aim to raise feerevenue or push customers to domore business with them as lowinterest rates, slow economicgrowth and tough new ruleslimit bank profits.

But the fees are unpopularwith customers, regulators andmany legislators, who see themas aimed at consumers who lackfor low-cost options in handlingtheir finances. Levying newcharges opens banks up to criti-cism that they are punishinglower-income customers withpolicies that encourage users tohold larger balances and usemultiple products. However, inchoosing to delay new fees,banks risk alienating investorswho want to see more revenue.

“Banks cannot continue to beon the front page,” said PaulMiller, an analyst with FBR Capi-tal Markets, who added thatholding off on fees is a smartmove from a public-relationsperspective. At the same time,“low-balance depositors don’thave a lot of money for you tomake money off of.”

For Bank of America, a focusPleaseturntopageA10

BY SHAYNDI RAICEAND ROBIN SIDEL

Bank ofAmericaBacksDownOnNewFees

Insect Chic: In Colorado, Beetles Create Decor Trendi i i

Bugs Give Trees a Blue Streak; Craftsmen Avoid Word ‘Fungus’

DENVER—Chuck Shiffletthates what the insidious moun-tain pine beetle has done to theforests of Colorado, but he loveswhat the insect has done for hiskitchen.

Last year, Mr. Shifflett, aproperty developer and retiredAir Force officer,decided that theold, white, vinylcabinets in his Den-ver condo neededan update. So heripped them out andreplaced them withcupboards made ofwood from treesonce infested withthe beetles, whichcarry a fungus thatstains the wood abluish-gray hue.

Mr. Shifflett’s kitchen island,as well, is marbled bluish-grayand he plans to panel his studyin the blue, beetle-chewed wood.

“The old cabinets were inkind of a country style, whichjust isn’t appropriate for a

downtown loft,” said Mr. Shif-flett, standing in his apartment,decorated in contemporary art,European metal light fixturesand sleek armchairs. “Now, ev-erybody who comes in here asksimmediately about the cabinets.It’s incredibly beautiful wood.”

Mr. Shifflett’s kitchen is onthe cusp of the hottest interior

design trend in Col-orado at the mo-ment: Eco-con-scious, with-ithome- and business-owners are outfit-ting their housesand offices in blue-stained beetle wood.It is the latest sym-bol of downtownchic, up there withcountertops madefrom recycled glassand bamboo-paper

lampshades.“I hadn’t seen it used in a

home before ours, but now it’ssuper trendy,” says Paige Dami-ano, who built a contemporaryhouse in 2010 in Denver with herhusband, who runs sales for New

Mexico and Colorado for BurtonSnowboards.

On their architect’s sugges-tion, the couple outfitted thecabinets, wall paneling and ceil-ings in the living room of thehouse with the blue wood.

“You see it popping up every-where, in restaurants, officebuildings, homes,” says Ms. Da-miano, whose home was fea-tured last year in Dwell, a maga-zine that highlights interiordesign tastemakers. “People whoare into design, Colorado lovers,eco-friendly people all love it,because it looks super awesome,and because it’s heartbreaking,when you drive up into themountains, to see all these deadtrees.”

The U.S. Forest Service esti-mates that in the past decade,the beetle has chewed throughand killed portions of 40 millionto 45 million acres of timber, orabout 12% of the forested landwest of the Mississippi. The in-festation, which first became se-rious in Colorado, has moved toother states, including Montana,

PleaseturntopageA6

BY ROBBIE WHELAN

Mountain Pine Beetle

‘[Timothy Geithner] noticed thatI laughed.… That pretty wellsummed up my view of whathe was saying.’MITCH MCCONNELL (R.) Senate minority leader

‘Everybody knows that we have tohave cuts, we have to havegrowth, and we have to haverevenue. So why are we stalling?’NANCY PELOSI (D.) House minority leader

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