On Wednesday, the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on “Swine Flu: Coordinating the federal response.” The panel is chaired by Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I) of Connecticut; Collins is the ranking Republican.
The Omnibus appropriations bill signed into law in March contains $156 million for pandemic influenza research
Swine flu as pork: Congress cut flu money from stimulus bill | csmonitor.com
less a matter of "if" than a question of "when," says John Cicero, executive director of the Will County Health Department.
Provena Saint Joseph Hospital in Elgin, said the hospital already has taken inventory to make sure it has adequate medications and supplies in case of an outbreak.
the good thing about the swine flu is that doctors can treat it with two antivirals, Tamiflu and Relenza, whereas the regular flu this year was resistant to these antivirals.
Dallas-based El Conejo Bus Line, which also delivers passengers from Mexico to Elgin daily, said that firm has begun to sanitize buses with disinfectant three to four times a day instead of the usual once. The bus line provides masks to passengers in Mexico, and passengers in the United States are able to choose to wear masks. He said that the company probably will refrain from making any route adjustments unless something further happens locally.
the Las Vegas-based publisher of the Quinceañeras chain, estimated that the industry nationwide has shrunk by about 15 percent since last year
The bank’s loan weakness has since spread as the general economy, especially in its core Rockford market, went into drastic decline. The jobless rate in Boone and Winnebago counties was at 13.5 percent at the end of March.
The new GM that would emerge from the restructuring would be 89 percent-owned by the U.S. government and the United Auto Workers unions
“The bond exchange needs to be successful for us to avoid bankruptcy," Henderson[CEO of GMC] said. "It's not impossible, but bankruptcy is now more probable."
Hong Kong, New Zealand and Spain reported potential new cases in which people had been infected with swine flu and Canada confirmed several new cases
only one American has been infected so far who had not recently traveled to Mexico - a woman in Kansas got sick after her husband returned from a business trip in that country,
GM said in a news release that it will ask the government to take 50 percent of its common stock in exchange for canceling half the government loans to the company as of June 1.
But many still expect Chrysler to go into Chapter 11 but “My sense is that it’s not liquidation, that it would be a reorganization,”
A new company would be set up with the best assets of Chrysler, these people said. Fiat of Italy would own 20 percent to 35 percent of the new Chrysler, they said, with the government also holding a stake. Some of the equity in the new company would also be given to Chrysler’s creditors as repayment.
Click on the following for the rest of the story: Chrysler and Union Agree to Deal Before Federal Deadline - NYTimes.com
To cope with the growing shortage, federal officials are considering several proposals. One would increase enrollment in medical schools and residency training programs. Another would encourage greater use of nurse practitioners and physician assistants. A third would expand the National Health Service Corps, which deploys doctors and nurses in rural areas and poor neighborhoods
Shortage of Doctors Proves Obstacle to Obama Goals - NYTimes.com
