Breaking: House Panel Approves Landmark Health-Care Bill 01 Aug 2009 House members headed home on Friday, leaving behind the outlines of a nearly $1 trillion health care overhaul that is sure to draw fire from a variety of interests, but also shows the beginnings of a consensus that would provide insurance for more Americans and give them new rights in dealing with insurers. As a final act before recessing until September, one crucial panel, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, approved landmark health legislation that could lead ultimately to coverage for about 95 percent of Americans and create a new government-run insurance program. The 31-to-28 vote occurred at 9:05 p.m. Friday. Five Democrats joined all 23 Republicans on the panel in voting no.
GOP Congressmen: No One Has a Right to Health Care Except US --The new 'Harry and Louise' ad that is set to start Monday features Harry killing Louise because under Obama's socialized medicine plan, doctors are forced to tell Louise how to commit suicide. By R J Shulman 01 Aug 2009 Saying that they will fight to the death to stop any reform of America's health care system, Republican senators and representatives have stepped up their attacks on every health care reform bill. "There is nothing in the Bill of Rights that says a citizen has a right to be alive, let alone be healthy," said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky. "And since the first ten amendments to the Constitution were written by God, anyone who wants to propose a bill that changes any rights hates Jesus." (Satire)
Pandemic Pusher$ and Profiteer$ --Canadian pandemic flu leaflet to download and distribute! 01 Aug 2009 "And advanced forms of biological warfare that can trigger specific 'genotypes' can transform biological warfare from the realm of terror into a politically useful tool." Project for a New American Century, (PNAC) 'Rebuilding America's Defenses', (Rumsfeld, Cheney, etc. 9/2000) On June 17, 1996, the U.S. Air Force released 'Air Force 2025'. In the unclassified study, The College of Aerospace Doctrine, Research and Education put forth several "fictional representations of future scenarios". In Chapter five, the authors present a timeline representing a plausible history in which in 2009 influenza will kill 30,000,000 people and it is not "determined if the virus was a natural mutation or bioengineered. Many feared the latter."
Pandemic Police State: U.S. to provide $1 billion to hire cops --Grants will be awarded to 1,046 law enforcement agencies 28 Jul 2009 The federal government will give $1 billion in grants to law enforcement agencies in every state to pay for the hiring and rehiring of law enforcement officers, Vice President Joe Biden and Attorney General Eric Holder announced Tuesday. The money comes from the stimulus bill -- the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 -- the officials said. The Department of Justice received more than 7,200 applications for more than 39,000 officer positions, representing a total of $8.3 billion in requested funding.
Vaccine for swine flu may be unsafe warns WHO 27 Jul 2009 Plans to fast-track the swine flu vaccine in Britain came under fire from World Health Organisation chiefs today. More than 132million doses have been ordered with the first batch due to arrive next month. However, Dr Keiji Fukuda, the WHO's flu chief, today warned about the potential dangers of the untested vaccine: "There are certain areas where you simply do not try to make any economies. One of the things which cannot be compromised is the safety of vaccines." The European Medicines Agency, the drug regulatory body for the EU, is accelerating the approval process for the vaccine, allowing firms to bypass large-scale human trials and instead test a vaccine based on bird flu.
Wal-Mart weighs role in U.S. H1N1 vaccination plans 30 Jul 2009 Wal-Mart Stores Inc is discussing with U.S. health officials the possibility of putting vaccination sites at some of its stores for an H1N1 swine flu inoculation campaign this fall, a company official said on Thursday. Federal officials met with Wal-Mart executives on Wednesday in Arkansas to discuss the issue, Dr. John Agwunobi, president of health and wellness for Wal-Mart U.S., told public health leaders at a conference in Orlando. [See: Refuse and Resist Mandatory Flu Vaccines (Petition) and CLG Pandemic Action Alerts.]
Pensioners at back of queue for swine flu vaccine 31 Jul 2009 Pensioners will be at the back of the queue for the new swine flu vaccine as a list of priority groups are drawn up, it has emerged. Health and social care workers will be vaccinated first, followed by pregnant women and all children under the age of five, under initial plans. The first batches of H1N1 vaccine are due to arrive next month with enough for half the population expected to be delivered by December.
Watchdog delays UK debut of Astra swine flu treatment 31 Jul 2009 Britons will have to wait for a pioneering line of defence against swine flu according to AstraZeneca, which today admitted its H1N1 vaccine has been hit by delays. FluMist, the spraying mechanism that is used to administer its flu vaccine, is available in the US but is still awaiting approval by the drug watchdog in Brussels, which will keep it out of the UK until at least next year. FluMist works as a nasal spray rather than by injection. The American watchdog the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved the seasonal flu version of FluMist over a year ago, helping Astra to rake in $151 million (£92 million) from US sales of its swine flu vaccine so far this year.
US swine flu deaths surpass 350, CDC says 31 Jul 2009 Health officials say their count of U.S. swine flu deaths has risen to 353 and swine-flu associated hospitalizations have grown to more than 5,500. The cumulative number of deaths rose from the 302 reported last Friday. Last week, health officials said there have been about 44,000 lab-confirmed illnesses but the government would stop providing such counts. Officials believe more than 1 million Americans have had the infection, but many cases go unreported.
KBR named top key supplier by UK defense ministry 30 Jul 2009 For the second year running, engineering, construction and services company KBR Inc. has been named by the British Ministry of Defense as its top key supplier. The British Defense Ministry carried out its performance reviews of 29 key suppliers and 97 MoD project teams between April 2008 and March 2009.
US stay in Iraq stinks 'like fish', says memo 31 Jul 2009 A top US military adviser says Iraqi forces are now able to protect the government, admitting that US troops are no longer welcome in Iraq. In an unusually blunt memo, Col. Timothy R. Reese details the deficiency roots of the Iraqi army, but admits that any the US military presence beyond August 2010 will do little to improve their performance while deepening resentment of Americans. "As the old saying goes, 'Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days,' " Colonel Reese wrote. "Since the signing of the 2009 Security Agreement, we are guests in Iraq, and after six years in Iraq, we now smell bad to the Iraqi nose."
Iraq in throes of environmental catastrophe, experts say 30 Jul 2009 Decades of [US] war and mismanagement, compounded by two years of drought, are wreaking havoc on Iraq's ecosystem, drying up riverbeds and marshes, turning arable land into desert, killing trees and plants, and generally transforming what was once the region's most fertile area into a wasteland. Falling agricultural production means that Iraq, once a food exporter, will this year have to import nearly 80% of its food, spending money that is urgently needed for reconstruction projects. "We're talking about something that's making the breadbasket of Iraq look like the Dust Bowl of Oklahoma in the early part of the 20th century," said Adam L. Silverman, a social scientist with the U.S. military who served south of Baghdad in 2008.
8 killed in $7-million Baghdad bank robbery --Iraq police say the overnight robbery appeared to be a sophisticated operation. 29 Jul 2009 Thieves killed eight security guards and made off with nearly $7 million in an overnight bank heist Tuesday that police officials say could have been the work of insurgents [Xe]. The deadly robbery came on the day U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates flew into Baghdad on an unannounced visit to get a first-hand look at conditions now that American combat troops have withdrawn from Iraq's cities.
Bombs near Shia mosques kill at least 28 in Baghdad --Iraqis accused security forces of failing to protect them even though they had warned of a suspicious car. 31 Jul 2009 Bombs near five Shia mosques killed at least 28 people across Baghdad yesterday, according to police. The blasts, which wounded at least 130 people, appeared to target Shia Muslims taking part in Friday prayers. In the worst attack, a car bomb killed at least 23 people praying in the street near the crowded alShurufi mosque in northern Baghdad’s Shaab district.
US probes reports of three Americans kidnapped in Iraq 31 Jul 2009 The United States said Friday it was investigating reports that three Americans have been abducted in northern Iraq. "Embassy Baghdad is aware of the reports and is investigating," State Department deputy spokesman Robert Wood said, referring to reports he said were on Al-Jazeera Television, an Arab satellite station based in Qatar.
Report: Israel defends Gaza war: Israeli army 'used munitions containing white phosphorus' in Gaza --163-page document published ahead of a UN war crimes investigation that is due to be published in August 31 Jul 2009 The Israeli government has said that its war on the Gaza Strip earlier this year, that left up to 1,417 Palestinians dead, was "necessary and proportionate". The government also said on Thursday that it was investigating about 100 complaints of misconduct by its forces during the three week war that began on December 27... The report also defended Israel's controversial use of the chemical agent white phosphorus in the conflict, saying its use was in accordance with Israeli law. The Israeli army "used munitions containing white phosphorus" in Gaza, the government report said, but denied firing such weapons inside populated areas.
US calls missile defense test in Hawaii a success 31 Jul 2009 The US military said Friday it had carried out a successful test of its missile defense system off Hawaii's coast, as Washington keeps a close eye on North Korea's missile program. In the test carried out late Thursday, an interceptor missile from a naval destroyer, the USS Hopper, shot down a short-range ballistic missile, the Missile Defense Agency said in a statement.
Four more failed banks brings year's tally to 68 31 Jul 2009 Four more banks failed according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. on Friday, bringing the year's total to 68, and to 93 failed banks since the beginning of the recession. First BankAmericano of Elizabeth, N.J., will have its deposits transferred to Crown Bank, Brick, N.J.; Peoples Community Bank of West Chester, Ohio, will have deposits sent to First Financial Bank of Hamilton, Ohio; Integrity Bank of Jupiter, Fla., will transfer deposits to Stonegate Bank of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; and First State Bank of Altus in Altus, Okla. will transfer deposits to Herring Bank of Amarillo, Texas.
US banks slammed for bonus shock 31 Jul 2009 The New York Attorney-General has revealed taxpayers' money was used to pay bank staff bonuses last year. After receiving $175 billion from taxpayers, the large banks paid numerous staff members bonuses of over $US10 billion. JP Morgan Chase paid the largest amount in bonuses. A report from the office of the Attorney General despite also stated that Citigroup and Merrill Lynch had paid large bonuses before being given $US55 billion in taxpayer money.
House Approves $2B to Extend 'Cash for Clunkers' Plan 31 Jul 2009 The House approved a bill Friday afternoon to provide $2 billion to continue the federal government's week-old "cash for clunkers" program, which has proven so popular with consumers that it was almost out of cash. The vote was 316 to 109. The money will come from funds in the already-passed economic stimulus package that were intended for energy loan guarantees.
US job cuts, foreclosures mount By Tom Eley 31 Jul 2009 This week brought new indications that any economic "recovery" in the US will not be shared by the working class. Telecommunications giant Verizon announced that it would eliminate 8,000 jobs by the end of the year, new data showed that the foreclosure crisis is continuing to mount, and weekly initial jobless benefit claims rose.
AP Sources: Dems want to limit insurance increases 30 Jul 2009 House Democrats are taking steps to limit annual price increases for insurance policies sold under a sweeping bill to extend health care to nearly all the 50 million uninsured Americans, officials told The Associated Press on Friday. The legislation taking shape in the Energy and Commerce Committee also would permit the government to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies for lower prices on drugs under Medicare, the officials said.
Sen. Chris Dodd Has Prostate Cancer Diagnosed 31 Jul 2009 Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.) announced Friday that he has had early-stage prostate cancer diagnosed. He said he has no plans to resign and will seek reelection next year. Dodd, who was first elected to the Senate in 1980, told the Hartford Courant he "feels fine" and will undergo surgery during Congress's recess next month.
White House beer summit: race row professor and policeman make peace 31 Jul 2009 In perhaps the most eagerly-anticipated meeting of his administration, President Barack Obama hosted Professor Henry Gates, a leading black scholar, and Sergeant James Crowley, a white police officer, for beers in the White House Rose Garden. The three men have been at the centre of a racial furore that has gripped the nation. But they all struck a conciliatory tone after what has been widely dubbed the "beer summit", convened by the "bartender-in-chief" under a magnolia tree near the Oval Office.
Gulf of Mexico oil spill tops 58,000 gallons as debate continues on expanding offshore drilling By Glenn Henderson 29 Jul 2009 An underwater pipeline leaked more than 58,000 gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday, the New Orleans Times-Picayune is reporting. The spill, which occurred about 30 miles off the Louisiana coast, has now spread to cover 80 square miles -- up from just 28 square miles on Monday. The cause is still under investigation. The spill "was among the largest in recent years in U.S. waters," Reuters reports.
Gulf of Mexico oil spill sheen grows 28 Jul 2009 The sheen from a 58,800-gallon weekend oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is now covering an area of 80 square miles, up from yesterday's figure of 28 square miles, a Coast Guard spokesman said this morning. A Shell pipeline released the oil Saturday for reasons that are still under investigation, Atkeson said.
Previous lead stories: Banks Paid $32.6 Billion in Bonuses Amid U.S. Bailout 30 Jul 2009 Citigroup Inc., Merrill Lynch & Co. and seven other U.S. banks paid $32.6 billion in bonuses in 2008 while receiving $175 billion in taxpayer funds, according to a report by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. The state analyzed 2008 bonuses at nine banks that received financing under the U.S. government’s Troubled Asset Relief Program. New York-based Citigroup and Merrill, which has since taken over by Bank of America Corp., received tax dollars totaling $55 billion, Cuomo said.
'If a flu pandemic were severe enough to qualify as a catastrophic incident, the DoD response could be anticipatory in nature.' The Role of the Department of Defense During A Flu Pandemic 04 Jun 2009 Examples of Defense Support Which Civil Authorities Might Request During a Flu Pandemic --providing disease surveillance and laboratory diagnostics; transporting response teams, vaccines, medical equipment, supplies, diagnostic devices, pharmaceuticals and blood products; treating patients; evacuating the ill and injured; processing and tracking patients; providing base and installation support to federal, state, local, and tribal agencies; controlling movement into and out of areas, or across borders, with affected populations; supporting law enforcement; supporting quarantine enforcement; restoring damaged public utilities; providing mortuary services... Another important factor to consider when federalizing National Guard forces is the impact of the Posse Comitatus Act. While they remain in a state status (either state active duty or Title 32 status), National Guard personnel are not covered by the Act and therefore are a valuable tool for state governors in maintaining public order. Federalization of the National Guard generally brings them under the restrictions of the Act and thereby limits their utility for law enforcement purposes.
Tamiflu causes sickness and nightmares in children, study finds 31 Jul 2009 More than half of children taking the swine flu drug Tamiflu experience side-effects such as nausea and nightmares, research suggests. An estimated 150,000 people with flu symptoms were prescribed the drug through a new hotline and website last week, according to figures revealed yesterday. Studies of children attending three schools in London and one in the South West showed that 51-53 per cent had one or more side-effects from the medication, which is offered to everyone in England with swine flu symptoms.
