Sunday, April 26, 2009

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Science Races To Parse New Virus Top
Avian flu and SARS rudely awoke the world to the possibility of a new pandemic. Could a seemingly more mundane bug now put the world to the test? The swine flu virus that may have killed more than 80 people in Mexico and appears to have sickened hundreds more is still a mystery contagion. But this much is known: The virus is unusually made up of genetic material from avian, pig and human viruses; it can transmit from person to person; and in many people, it only triggers mild symptoms seen in garden-variety influenza.
 
Lita Smith-Mines: Drip Dropping Away Top
Losing my income has made me clingy. I'm trying hard to hang on to my house, my car, and my SPF 30 sunscreen. With so little cash in my wallet, I need to flatten the tube to get a few more squirts of sunscreen out, just like toothpaste. Each night, I turn the shampoo and conditioner bottles upside down, hoping to extract a couple more drops the next morning. I violently snap my wrist with roll-on in hand, hoping to force the remaining liquid to coat the roller ball yet another day. Styling products in rigid plastic containers get severe bottom spankings when seemingly spent as I to try and release stubbornly clinging globs. Waste not, want not is a wonderful proverb for all to follow, no matter our economic situations. But the coiner of that phrase was never in my bathroom and didn't have to deal with the dreaded pump moisturizer that spurts forth way more than I need while I create new compound curse words, and probably didn't waste time wondering if that straw-like pump component can be pinched to get out the last few drops of hand cream. Regrettably, I've had to stop cutting metallic containers looking for secreted remnants of balm as that practice quickly used up my bandage budget, but I'm relentless in using my pinkie to coax a few more applications out of tubs of cream and tubes of lipstick, and in scraping the sides of pans to liberate the colored make-up beads hiding beneath the rim. Though I admit to shallowness, cosmetics and toiletries were trappings of my middle class comfort. Shinier hair and longer lashes were easily achievable, and herbal tea held no sway over my smile's vibrancy in the face of whitening strips. I always used products fully but never before injured my palm badgering a bottle to release its last few drops. I've had to learn that if I roll a tube really, really tightly and grind the heel of my hand onto the flattened layers, I can get at least one more application to spurt out (aim is crucial unless your make-up mirror needs exfoliation). My bathroom countertop is currently cluttered with almost empty tubes and jars I'll continue to flatten, twirl, pound, squeeze, scrape and shake until each resists my efforts to yield more. I know the day is coming when the counter's surface will be clear, bereft of all the goodies I can't afford to replace. On that day, it won't really be the cuticle cream and the firming masque I'll yearn for, but the security that came with my obviously mistaken faith that I'd never run out of anything money could buy. As I left the glow of youth behind, I never once doubted I'd have the economic fire-power to wage war on wrinkles with the newest advances in nano-encapsulated, antioxidant-laden, solar blocking, ultra-tightening creams and lotions. Yet now I am equally certain that when they formulate the potion that actually reverses the signs of aging, I'll be choosing to pay my mortgage and phone bill instead of scooping up this miracle in a pump bottle (or tube). More on The Recession
 
WH: "It's Not A Time To Panic" Top
WASHINGTON — The world's governments raced to avoid both a pandemic and global hysteria Sunday as more possible swine flu cases surfaced from Canada to New Zealand and the United States declared a public health emergency. "It's not a time to panic," the White House said. Mexico, the outbreak's epicenter with up to 86 suspected deaths, canceled some church services and closed markets and restaurants. Few people ventured onto the streets, and some wore face masks. Canada became the third country to confirm cases, in six people, including some students who _ like some New York City spring-breakers _ got mildly ill in Mexico. Countries across Asia promised to quarantine feverish travelers returning from flu-affected areas. The U.S. declared the health emergency so it could ship roughly 12 million doses of flu-fighting medications from a federal stockpile to states in case they eventually need them _ although, with 20 confirmed cases of people recovering easily, they don't appear to for now. Make no mistake: There is not a global pandemic _ at least not yet. It's not clear how many people truly have this particular strain, or why all countries but Mexico are seeing mild disease. Nor is it clear if the new virus spreads easily, one milestone that distinguishes a bad flu from a global crisis. But waiting to take protective steps until after a pandemic is declared would be too late. "We do think this will continue to spread but we are taking aggressive actions to minimize the impact on people's health," said Dr. Richard Besser, acting chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. President Barack Obama's administration sought to look both calm and in command, striking a balance between informing Americans without panicking them. Obama himself was playing golf while U.S. officials used a White House news conference to compare the emergency declaration with preparing for an approaching hurricane. "Really, that's what we're doing right now. We're preparing in an environment where we really don't know ultimately what the size or seriousness of this outbreak is going to be," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told reporters. Earlier, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the outbreak was serious, but that the public should know "it's not a time to panic." He told NBC's "Meet the Press" that Obama was getting updates "every few hours" on the situation. In Mexico, soldiers handed out 6 million surgical-style masks to deal with a deadly flu strain that officials say may have sickened 1,400 people since April 13. Special laboratory tests to confirm how many died from it _ 22 have been confirmed so far out of 86 suspected deaths _ are taking time. The World Bank said it would send Mexico $25 million in loans for immediate aid and $180 million in long-term assistance to address the outbreak, along with advice on how other nations have dealt with similar crises. The World Health Organization and the U.S. were following a playbook of precautions developed over the past five years to prepare for the next super-flu. The WHO on Saturday asked all countries to step up detection of this strain of A/H1N1 swine flu and will reconsider on Tuesday whether to raise the pandemic threat level, in turn triggering additional actions. A potential pandemic virus is defined, among other things, as a novel strain that's not easily treated. This new strain can be treated with Tamiflu and Relenza, but not two older flu drugs. Also, the WHO wants to know if it's easily spread from one person to a second who then spreads it again _ something U.S. officials suspect and are investigating. "Right now we have cases occurring in a couple of different countries and in multiple locations, but we also know that in the modern world that cases can simply move around from single locations and not really become established," cautioned WHO flu chief Dr. Keiji Fukuda. There is no vaccine against swine flu, but the CDC has taken the initial step necessary for producing one _ creating a seed stock of the virus _ should authorities decide that's necessary. Last winter's flu shot offers no cross-protection to the new virus, although it's possible that older people exposed to various Type A flu strains in the past may have some immunity, CDC officials said Sunday. Worldwide, attention focused sharply on travelers. "It was acquired in Mexico, brought home and spread," Nova Scotia's chief public health officer, Dr. Robert Strang, said of Canada's first four confirmed cases, in student travelers. New Zealand said 10 students who took a school trip to Mexico probably had swine flu, and on Monday it said three students in a second group just back from Mexico probably have it as well. Spanish authorities had seven suspected cases under observation. In Brazil, a hospital said a patient who arrived from Mexico was hospitalized with some swine flu symptoms. A New York City school where eight cases are confirmed will be closed Monday and Tuesday. China, Russia and Taiwan began planning to quarantine travelers arriving from flu-affected areas if they have symptoms. Italy, Poland and Venezuela advised citizens to postpone travel to affected parts of Mexico and the U.S. Multiple airlines, including American, United, Continental, US Airways, Mexicana and Air Canada, are waiving their usual penalties for changing reservations for anyone traveling to, from or through Mexico, but have not canceled flights. The U.S. hasn't advised against travel to Mexico but does urge precautions such as frequent hand-washing while there, and has begun questioning arriving travelers about flu symptoms. ___ Associated Press writers Mark Stevenson and Olga R. Rodriguez in Mexico City; Frank Jordans in Geneva; Mike Stobbe in Atlanta; and Maria Cheng in London contributed to this report. ___ On the Net: World Health Organization: http://www.who.int Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov Homeland Security Department: http://www.dhs.gov
 
Jan McGirk: Swine Flu Outbreak in Israel? Top
Swine flu cases breaking out inside Israel? Sure, it's possible. An Israeli man, age 26, who had recently visited Mexico, has been hospitalized in Netanya, in the north of the country, while authorities try to determine whether he has come down with swine flu. Government officials said Saturday evening that there were no flu cases confirmed. Yet. An outbreak of the disease killed 81 people in Mexico City, and a milder form of swine flu, transmitted from human to human, reportedly has been detected inside the United States, too, in NY City, California,Texas and other states. Pandemic fears are being stoked, particularly after some scientists determined that statistically, a killer flu epidemic is overdue, and that flu germs will spread quickly through jet travel. Already, international airports in Asia are measuring the body temperatures of arriving passengers (using technology leftover from the SARS and most recent avian flu scares). Some people are starting to stockpile influenza drugs like Tamiflu , which worked against the bird flu, and prices are going hog wild. Astonishingly, it's just not wandering Israeli backpackers and North Americans doing Aliya who could bring the swine flu back to Israel. There are a few pig farms inside the country, too. Kibbutz Lahav, in the northern Negev, is a big pork producer. All the other Israeli pig breeders operate in a special zone up north, which is mainly run by Christian Arabs. It's the only place in Israel where raising pork is legal, and you don't want to be downwind of it if you can help it. Kibbutz Lahav, a Jewish-run farm, operates outside this zone. This kibbutz raises pigs for science and then eats the excess, which is a considerable amount of white meat, with 10,000 animals on the premises. Biotech research only goes so far. Consider the numbers of Thai farmworkers, Filipino caretakers, and Russian emigres to feed inside Israel, in addition to the demand for non-kosher pork sausage binges for secular Sabra. Some clever kiibutzniks are bringing home the bacon on this loophole. Also consider Bombsniffing pigs , an innovative military use of swine. These porkers are not only efficient and cheap, but this method of munitions detection tends to freak out the Islamist guerrillas when the IDF brings the animals in doors to clear a booby trapped house or mosque. According to an article from 2004 by blogger Jeff Yaskowitz, After a law passed in 1963 banning pig farming in Israel, kibbutzim stopped raising pigs. But the law allowed pigs to be raised for research purposes. Any surplus pigs were allowed to be slaughtered," Ratner says. "Oh we have thousands of surplus pigs every season," he says with a wink, adding that the slaughterhouse is one of the most economically stable kibbutz endeavors. "But we do indeed conduct medical research. None of that cosmetic testing stuff, mind you. But real research," Ratner says. He declined to let me have a look at the pigpens to verify the age-old rumor that pigs are kept on wooden slats in order to get around the law that they cannot be raised on the Holy Land. He says he never really paid attention to pigs' behavior until the energetic Zin showed up nine months ago with his idea to train pigs to find explosives. "The pig was always seen as a pork chop, as food," Zin says. "But the aim is not to eat the pig, but to use their talents to clear mines. "Mines are the garbage of war. We are taking this animal to clean up the garbage of war," Zin says. This is a job that comes naturally to pigs. Besides, there are jobs that even dogs won't do. "Dogs... prefer to sniff out people and cars and be in a social setting. They don't like to dig up the earth," Zin says. After completing his military service training dogs in the elite Oketz unit, Zin traveled to Croatia, where he worked privately to locate mine fields with the help of dogs. When he was there he noticed wild boars roaming the area. While pigs excel at finding truffles, he had something else in mind. "I watched how they behaved and came to the conclusion that they could be more efficient than dogs at sniffing out mines and explosives. I noticed that they constantly sniffed at the ground, their snouts always hovering above the earth. I got the impression that their sense of smell is incredibly well-developed. "The pigs work and understand very quickly, maybe half of the time of the dogs," Zin says. So far he has trained four pigs, all female. Few visitors, Muslims Christians or Jews, would suspect that they could be at risk of swine flu inside the Holy Land! Crossposted on israelitybites
 
Biden 60 Minutes Interview: Obama Has Consulted Me On Every Major Decision Top
(CBS) The first 100 days of an administration is when the first report cards come out. The president is facing a barrage of tough issues and is getting some good marks - and some criticism. What about the vice president?
 
Barbara Dehn: Swine Flu - Don't Panic Top
Many of my friends are calling today, worried about Swine Flu, what it is and what they should do to protect themselves and their families. First, do not panic. This is what we know: There have been 20 cases confirmed in the US - NONE HAVE DIED, and only 2 were severe enough to be hospitalized These states have confirmed cases of Swine Flu • 8 in New York • 7 in California • 2 in Kansas • 2 in Texas • 1 in Ohio Why the CDC is concerned 1. In New York, the 8 cases are all high school students from St. Francis Prep in Queens. Students from this school had traveled to Mexico City in the last 2 weeks. It's not yet known if the students with Swine Flu are the same ones who went to Mexico City or if they were infected by a classmate who traveled there. All of the students in New York are recovering. 2. The virus is the same as the one in Mexico, which is responsible for at least 16 deaths. You may have seen reports of 86 deaths, which was reported today by the Mexican Health Minister. The CDC has yet to confirm that all of those cases were conclusively caused by Swine Flu. 3. The Swine Flu has the potential to cause a pandemic, because it can be transmitted from person to person, which makes it serious, potentially life threatening, and needs to be monitored carefully. What can people do: Watch for flu symptoms and see you health care provider for • Fever • Cough • Sore Throat • Body Aches • Headache • Chills • Fatigue • Some people also have diarrhea and vomiting Most important: • If you are sick, see your health care provider, stay home, don't travel, don't go to work and don't send your kids to school. • People may be contagious as long as 7 days after all symptoms have resolved (gone away). Are there medications to treat? • Tamiflu & Relenza - these are effective, recommended by the CDC and help prevent the virus from worsening and causing more severe symptoms. They can be taken as soon as symptoms start, or as soon as a person suspects exposure. Prevention and Precautions: •Good old fashioned hand washing with soap and water or an alcohol based cleaner • Use a tissue for coughing and sneezing, and then throw them away •Stay away from people who are sick What about eating Pork? Eating pork DOES NOT cause Swine flu. As long as you cook it thoroughly, it's still safe to eat pork. I'll provide regular updates. Be well, and try not to panic. The Swine Flu can be a very serious infection, but there are few cases in the US and all of the people infected have recovered or are recovering. Stay safe by taking precautions.
 
Geithner: Economic Crisis Threatens The Poor Top
WASHINGTON — The World Bank on Sunday urged donor nations to speed up delivery of the money they've already pledged _ and open their wallets wider _ to help poor countries reeling from recessions rooted in rich nations. The economic nosedive is turning into a human and development "calamity," which already has driven more than 50 million people into extreme poverty this year, the World Bank's policy steering committee said in a communique issued at the close of its spring meeting. "There is widespread recognition that the world faces an unprecedented economic crisis, poor people could suffer the most and that we must continue to act in real time to prevent a human catastrophe," World Bank chief Robert Zoellick said. Poor countries have watched as the recession has dried up investment capital, sharply reduced exports and commodity prices and slowed the flow of cash sent home by their citizens working abroad. Finance ministers at the meeting said impoverished nations need a hand up that doesn't burden them with debt or add to the ranks of those earning just a few dollars a day. The World Bank has pledged to provide poor countries with more than $55 billion for public works projects left in limbo when the recession hit. That follows a tripling in lending, to $12 billion, to support health, education and other safety net programs in poor countries. The International Monetary Fund is doubling the borrowing limits for 78 of the poorest countries in an effort to meet the needs of developing nations harmed by the downturn. The economic crisis is "advancing like a silent tsunami, with those who contributed least to the crisis suffering most from its impact," said German development minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul. She said it would take more money to help stabilize poor nations "without plunging them into a spiral of debt." Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said multilateral development banks, led by the World Bank, are at the forefront of international efforts to lift more people out of poverty. "We meet at an unprecedented time when a severe global economic slowdown threatens to reverse major progress in poverty reduction," Geithner said. But he added that it was important that development banks conduct their aid business with transparency. The World Bank meeting capped three days of talks in Washington about the economic crisis, but yielded no new pledges of money from governments. Finance ministers from the Group of Seven wealthy nations met first on Friday, followed by a gathering of the Group of 20 nations, which adds major emerging powerhouses like China, India and Brazil to the mix. The talks ended with the World Bank and IMF flexing a more muscular role in addressing and overseeing the crisis. Both Zoellick and IMF managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn expressed support for the emerging market economies to have a stronger voice at the twin financial institutions. Earlier this month in London, leaders from the G-20 pledged to boost support for the IMF, the World Bank and other international lending organizations by $1.1 trillion to combat the global recession _ the biggest chunk being $500 billion for emergency lending by the IMF. More than $300 billion has been pledged by the U.S., the European Union, Japan, Canada, Switzerland and Norway. To make up the shortage, the IMF agreed Saturday to sell bonds _ something it's never done in its 65 years _ to emerging economies. Those nations want a greater voice at the IMF before they'll pony up additional resources. The bonds would help reach the $500 billion goal, but the notes will provide shorter-term financing than the pledges already made by other nations. Outside the World Bank and IMF headquarters, dozens of demonstrators gathered. Protesters chanted: "IMF, tear it down! World Bank, tear it down!" They also held banners and signs that read, "No Bailout. No Capitalism" and "Free People Not Trade." The demonstration Sunday followed a larger one Saturday in which more than 100 protesters clashed with police. Protesters said that by pledging more money to the IMF, wealthy countries were propping up a failed system. They said the IMF had given bad policy advice during past economic crises and the poorest countries were feeling the pain of a global financial meltdown they didn't create. Anti-poverty advocates said some World Bank initiatives to help poor countries come with too many strings attached. "At least the door has been left open in some key areas and there is a commitment to frontload bank funding to low-income countries," said Oliver Buston, European director of ONE, which fights poverty and disease, especially in Africa. "Urgent action is now needed from the World Bank to protect the billion poorest people on the planet who had no part in creating the economic crisis but who will be hit the hardest." The World Bank meeting took place as governments raced to avert a pandemic of swine flu, which has surfaced in Mexico, Canada, the United States and other nations. The World Bank was providing Mexico, the hardest-hit country, with more than $200 million in loans to help it deal with the outbreak. ___ Associated Press writers Harry Dunphy and Nafeesa Syeed contributed to this report.
 
Dr. Susan Corso: The Imagination of Enough Top
I'm sure you've heard of voluntary simplicity, but have you ever thought about it in relation to your own life? Probably. I know I have. In those evaluation questionnaires about my carbon footprint, and various other ways of thrift, I come out passably. But then I caught myself ordering drug store sorts of things online the other day, adding items to the order so that I'd reach their free shipping minimum, and it gave me pause. Actually, it gave me a question. What's enough? Do I really need five tubes of toothpaste to make sure I don't run out? Or to meet the free shipping promise? It turned out, I didn't. Or to feel secure in some twisted emotional way? Truth is, I really don't. I looked up the word enough in the OED, my favorite etymological tome. It comes from Old Teutonic roots that mean is it right or needful ? Think about it. All over the planet right now, people, in one way or another, are saying, "Enough." Enough corruption. Enough outrageous profits. Enough hanky-panky. Enough genocide. Enough epidemics. Enough war. So, what's enough? What's right or needful at this time, in this place, for each life? I think the concept of enough-ness applied by each person to her or his own life is the key to our economic and spiritual recovery plan. Each of us gets to decide what's enough for ourselves -- and not for anyone else. This determination about personal enough-ness is the gem at the core of voluntary simplicity. There's a clever bumpersticker that reads: Live Simply, So Others May Simply Live. And this is where imagination comes in. It's our very worst imaginations that tell us we must fear not-enough-ness. But imagination is like electricity. It's neutral. Just as you can use electricity to dry your hair, or electrocute yourself, you can use imagination for creating enough-ness or not-enough-ness. You get to pick -- especially on the level of imagination. Slow it down and say it aloud ... Image A Nation. It's up to us, each one, to set an example of how to live and think and choose as though we each have enough. Enough, dear one, is a decision, a mindset, a way of being. So, what's enough? It's what right or needful. The fastest way for us all to get to enough is to live as if we are, do and have enough, and to give whatever excess of right or needful we have to others. As we each begin to do this, we will be imaging a nation of enough. By focusing on what we do have, rather than on what we don't have, we will return to optimism, prosperity, and peace. Visit Susan Corso's website at www.susancorso.com.
 
Steve Rosenbaum: Obama's Next 100 Days: The Top 4 Challenges Ahead Top
On Wednesday Barack Obama will mark his first 100 days. There's no doubt he's done a lot of things right. He's provided leadership during difficult times. He's reached out to both our friends and our enemies and opened new dialog. And he's proven his detractors wrong - being able to remain both upbeat and engaged even as problems mount. So far, so good. However, the NEXT 100 days are likely to be the ones where he will have to make history - or have events overtake him. Here's why: What's coming to a head are issues that have been boiling since long before he took office. But they will come to a boil in the next 100 days. 1. Driven to the edge. At least one of the "Big Three" Automakers will end up in bankruptcy. Call it what you will, pre-packaged or whatever. But bankruptcy is the way to get workers off the health care plan, to walk away from pension responsibilities, and that will have a real bottom line impact on the economy and housing. Certainly there will be some mitigating factors - but continuing to pour billions of dollars into these companies won't help cars roll off the lots. Folks aren't going to 'splurge' in a tough economy and buy a car from a company that may not be in business in 2 years. Obama will have to face the impending end of the US auto industry - and that's hard to swallow. 2. Poverty, fear, guns, and heat. Of all the scary stuff we've seen on the news lately, the reports of gun shops running out of ammo seems to be the most haunting to me. Whether it's forward thinking criminals stocking up, or suburban vigilantes ready to defend their two car garages - the image of empty shelves where bullets used to be is hard to shake. The fact is that we're heading into the summer. And air conditioning costs money. So, with a long hot summer on the horizon, and the economic hard times settling in, there's bound to be a rising tide of unrest that will spill out into the streets. Maybe I've got West Side Story in my head, or two many episodes of the early days of Law and Order - but I don't think so. Fear, guns, and heat are a bad combination. 3. The Banks. The good news is - the banks profits are up. The bad news is - the banks profits are up. Because, the way that banks are making more 'profit' is by increasing charging fees to customers and being able to re-write their balance sheets by writing off bad debt. The stories of consumer complaints are legend. Credit card charges that jump through the roof. More foreclosures. Interest rates that make savings all but impossible. And now, happy days, we're hearing that salaries in the financial service industries are on the rise again. Larry Summers sleeping during the Credit Card Exec Summit didn't send quite the right message. In the next 100 days President Obama is going to have to demand accountability for the hundreds of millions of dollars that have been pumped into these institutions. It won't be pretty. 4. Iraq. There's a significant deadline looming, June 30th. And while the Obama administration seems to be clearly on the road to draw down troops, redeploy to Afghanistan, and replace combat troops with advisers and security details, it doesn't appear to be that simple. The rising tide of violence in Iraq, in advance of the draw down, will put President Obama in the difficult decision of handing over a troubled region back to ill equipped local forces, or to back down on his promise of getting troops out of Iraq. Neither choice will play well in the press. Overall, the first 100 days were remarkable. But the next are going to truly test the metal of the Obama Administration and the country. I hope he trained for a marathon rather than a sprint. More on Barack Obama
 
Kent State Riot: Police Fire Pellets At Students (VIDEO) Top
Scroll down for video COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- An end-of-year college block party spiraled out of control as police fired pellets and used pepper spray to break up hundreds of rioting students who sparked a string of street fires at Kent State University. Video posted on the Internet shows students hurling furniture and street signs into the flames on Saturday night as a SWAT team in riot gear converged on the crowd. Kent police said the party grew violent after one reveler was arrested and students began pelting officers with bottles, bricks and rocks. It was the first violent clash between Kent State students and police in years. In 1970, four Kent State students were killed by Ohio National Guard troops during a campus protest of the invasion of Cambodia. "They were burning pretty much everything," said police dispatcher Rosemarie Mosher. "They were throwing stop signs on the fires, they were throwing chairs, couches, tree branches. Basically anything they could get their hands on." At least 64 students were arrested, and several officers suffered minor injuries, Mosher said. Students gathered on front porches at about 8:30 p.m. and began spilling into the streets on the unusually warm evening. When officers ordered the crowd to disperse, students built piles of couches, suitcases and other debris and lit them on fire. There were at least four fires blazing in the middle of the street, Mosher said. The students led the police down the road starting fires, said Ben Wolford, an editor at the campus newspaper who witnessed the riot. "They were going into their houses and bringing out office chairs," he said. "Someone said they threw a flat-screen TV on the fire." Students who lived in nearby houses threw objects from windows to feed the flames. Video shows students huddled on a roof, escaping into a second-story window as a line of about 25 police, their faces masked by plastic shields, forms near the flames. Choruses of boos were captured on video as firefighters doused the fires, and students cheered as others quickly ran back into the street to spark more. Officers tried to chase students away from the street and shot them with paint balls and pepper spray, Wolford said. Many students ignored orders to leave, hiding behind houses and peeking out to see what was happening, he said. "When police first started making their little charge down College Avenue, they yelled, 'Get in your houses or we'll arrest you,'" Wolford said. "When one student stayed on his lawn, two officers sprinted at him and just kind of grabbed him forcefully and arrested him." On Sunday morning, splotches of paint stained nearby houses, and shards of glass littered the grass and pavement. "The cops were being nice, and two minutes later we were shot by rubber bullets for no reason," junior Jamie Farrell told the university's student newspaper. The riot was mostly over by 10 p.m., when more than two dozen police and fire vehicles surrounded the area. Kent State spokesman Tom Neumann said the students' behavior is inexcusable and the university is awaiting more information from police. "Obviously, things got a little bit out of hand," Neumann said. The university has not received any reports of injured students, he said. Wolford said most students believe the violence probably could have been avoided. "I think if they just blocked off the street, let kids have that road to party on for that night, it would've just been a party and people would've gone home," he said. Watch video of the riot:
 
Spencer Green: "First 100 Days" Coverage May Result in Rectal Bleeding Top
Doctors warn that reading or viewing too many news articles and stories about President Obama's first 100 days in office may lead, among other things, to aneurysms, heart attacks, spontaneous abortions, rectal bleeding, and whooping cough. "Tests indicate that prolonged exposure to this so-called 'news coverage' has grave consequences," says Dr. Tanner Gidlen of the Institute for Presidential-Related Journalistic Damages. "Several cases of swine flu in California are actually reactions to stories about the President's first 100 days." The tradition of a President's first 100 days began with Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the actions he took upon entering office in 1933 to deal with the Great Depression. Since that time, according to historian and hand model Bernard Bernard, the phrase "first 100 days" has now lost all meaning. "This is the political equivalent of a money shot for many writers and pundits," says Bernard, "as they champ at the bit, waiting for that glorious moment to spooge their hackneyed examinations and insights about an administration's progress or even worse, writing essays on how relevant such articles still are or how irrelevant such articles have become to justify writing them in the first place." As the inevitable cycle for these articles has continued, so has the expectation for them, which has lead to dire physical ramifications. "It's pure journalistic olestra," says Dr. Samuel Juitier of the Society for Endocrinology and Orange-Coated Fast Foods. "The consistent barrage of 'first 100 days'-related news goes through people so quickly that their heads and now their bodies are unable to properly absorb or digest it all. 'First 100 days' stories look and may even sound nutritious and have the surface appeal that the best news articles provide but really, they're just plain unhealthy. Garbage, in fact." In a bold experiment, famed documentary filmmaker and lightweight provocateur Morgan Spurlock attempted to subsist on a diet of nothing but "first 100 days" stories for 30 days. He had to stop after only four days because of the alarming and almost immediate results: dangerous mood swings, sexual dysfunction, extreme dehydration, kidney imbalance, chronic back pain, loss of body hair and blood, shortness of breath, hypovolemic shock, multiple organ failure, increased body fat, skin rashes, and flat feet. "Having voted for Obama, I thought this could never happen to me," said Spurlock in a phone interview, recovering in an ICU unit. "Clearly, the toll of the 'first 100 days' cuts across all political lines." So, what is there to do? "No matter how great the temptation may be, just avoid anything having to do with analyses and summations of or ruminations about Obama's 'first 100 days,'" says Dr. Gidlen. "In fact, stop reading this article right now. Really. I'm serious. Right now. This article is part of the problem. What are you waiting for? For Christ's sake, isn't there a funny video or something else on The Huffington Post to waste your time?" More on Barack Obama
 
Dave Hollander: Manny Pacquiao for President Top
He's more than just boxer. He's a movement. TIME magazine nominated him as one of 2009's most influential people in the world. He is the only boxer ever to have his own bobblehead night, which he did on April 21 at a San Francisco Giants home for their Filipino American Heritage Night which, by the way, turned out to be the biggest heritage night in the team's history. When he fights, all of the Philippines stands still. And that will likely be the case on May 2 when Manny Pacquiao -- the former WBC lightweight world champion, WBC super featherweight world champion, IBF super bantamweight world champion, and WBC flyweight world champion -- challenges World Junior Welterweight Champion Ricky Hatton of England at a sold out MGM Grand in Las Vegas -- a fight that is his next step after beating Oscar de La Hoya into retirement. My morning interview with the man who Ring magazine currently ranks as the "Pound for Pound Best Fighter" alive interrupted a very special fight training regimen. Sorry to tear you away. I guess 9:30 in the morning is a good time for karaoke, huh? Ah, yes. I am singing it at my friend's house. What song were you performing? It's my own song. Really, what's it called? In English it is called "This Fight is for You". You are a man of many talents: singing, boxing, politics. Let me ask you, which one is tougher: boxing or politics? Heh heh. It's uh, politics. It's a very difficult and hard life. You know what you're talking about. You ran for congress in the Philippines and lost. Which hurts more, losing a fight or losing an election? I think losing an election is harder because it is something, uh, you know, I want to help. I want to be able to serve the people and it's tough when people don't see that. In boxing, I'm pretty good at boxing, so I know that god will never let me down because I try my best and I work very hard. My landlord is Filipino and he likes you. But he says that 'too many famous people in the Philippines go into politics.' Is he right about that? I think so. Like the famous Filipino actress Vilma Santos, she's the mayor of Lipa City. Who makes a better politician? An actor, or a boxer? You know, I think it all depends on the person's heart and what they really want to do. For me, I don't need to go into politics for money. I don't need to go into politics for any reason except that I want to help. The region that I live in is very, very poor. It's a very hard life. I grew up in it, I just want to be able to have a better life for the people there. You know, not the life I had -- something better for them. That's very admirable and you've got the power to make big changes. Many in the Philippines know who you are. In fact, you're the first Filipino athlete to ever have your own postage stamp. How much does that stamp cost? I don't know. It's been 15 years since I mailed anything out. You know, everybody emails now. Wait a second. You haven't mailed a letter in the Philippines in 15 years? Uhm, maybe 10 years now. It's a different system. Everybody is text messaging in the Philippines now. And email. It's all about email. It's all about technology. And it's all about the movies. I hear that you're gonna be in a movie with Sylvester Stallone. Well, hopefully. We're talking. And we're becoming close friends. He is one of my favorite actors. Do you think being in a movie might help your political career? No, I don't think so. You know, in the area that I am running. Less than half of the people have television. Like I said, it's a very poor, they listen to the radio, they gather together at their neighbors to watch tv, uhm, it's really different than anywhere. a lot of people... in the Phillipines are depressed. You might be the first boxer to become the president of a country. If you were the president of the Philippines today, what would be the first thing you'd like to talk about with the United States president, Barack Obama? Haha, I have a few years to go. I have a few elections, and things to go through first before I start thinking about these kinds of things. But the one thing I would talk to President Obama about is a way to make a the Phillipines better friend, ally of the United States. You're a fighter, but you're a very sensitive man. So I'd like to ask you, what did it feel like the very first time you were punched in the face? Uhm, it hurts, obviously. But I like boxing. It's just what I do. I am a gentleman outside and a warrior inside. That's just how I like to live my life. How did it feel, then, the first time you punched somebody else in the face? It's my job, you know. It's something that I have to do to provide for my family. It's what god made me do here on earth. You know, it's not just hitting somebody in the face, it's winning and lifting the spirits of all boxing fans especially my Phillipino countrymen. You derive a lot strength in fighting for your countrymen. I think that pride gives you a big advantage. Ricky Hatton, who you fight on May 2nd, he talks the same way. He says he fights for his old town his old club in Manchester. Are you guys the same like that? Ricky's a very nice guy. He's a gentleman also. He has class. That is one thing I like about him. A lot of the fighters I've fought in the past have become my friends. It's a job for us. It's how we make our living. After the fight, you know, we can hang out, play darts. Have you ever karaoked with any of your opponents? No, no, no, no, no. Last question: They call you Manny 'Pacman' Pacquio. When was the last time you played Pacman? Oh, with my kids, when they were here, last December for Christmas. We bought Nintendo PSP and we played.
 
Steve Parker: IndyCar's Danica Patrick on cover of June's Shape Magazine Top
"It's my first real girl cover!" Danica Patrick excitedly told a reporter from the Versus cable channel about her cover photo on the June, 2009 Shape magazine, before the start of today's Road Runner Turbo Indy 300 race at Kansas Speedway, a high-speed 1 ½-mile oval track. Patrick started the race in third position and finished fifth. Patrick secured her place in history by being the first woman ever to win a major open-wheel racing series event, the Honda 300, held April, 2008, at Twin Ring Motegi, Japan. She's appeared in what seems like innumerable ads and on TV shows, magazine covers and websites, but like most race car drivers used in advertising, she's almost always wearing her head-to-toe and very baggy Nomex fire-proof driving suit. On the Shape cover, she's traded fire safety for heat-generation, in a tight and taut gold bikini. The advertising theory is that racers are recognized much more quickly by their fans if they're shown in those suits, which many agree aren't exactly the sexiest uniforms ever developed for any profession. The marketing theorists and professors may be right, but we're all in favor of trying something new when it comes drivers like Danica - and even Indy 500 winner and TV's "Dancing With the Stars" champion Helio Castroneves is probably as recognizable now in a tuxedo - or out of it - as in any red and white racing suit with "Penske" or "Honda" stenciled on the front. There were three women in the Kansas race Sunday, including the 27-year old Patrick, who hails from Roscoe, IL and lives in Phoenix, AZ, Milka Duno (also 27, from Caracas, Venezuela and living in Miami, FL) and American Sarah Fisher (29, born in Commercial Point, Ohio and lives in Indianapolis). IndyCar driver Danica Patrick graces the cover of June's Shape magazine It was easily one of the most female driver-intense IndyCar events in years. Patrick is getting all the sport's attention these days, the rock star goddess of IndyCar, seeming to always have something up her sleeve for the fans and the media, whether it's her win in Japan, a surprise fourth-place finish on a street course at last week's Long Beach Grand Prix in Southern California, or her third-place start and fifth-place finish at Kansas earlier today (her fastest lap of the day was 210.600 miles per hour, just .375 mph off the day's fastest overall lap, turned-in by fourth-place finisher Ryan Briscoe; Scott Dixon won the race with Castroneves second and Tony Kanaan third). More on Cars
 
David D. Burstein: A Time to Serve Top
This was a monumental week for our country. On Tuesday, President Obama signed into law the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, creating the largest expansion of national service in our country's history. This bill will provide opportunities for an entire new generation of young Americans to engage in meaningful public service. At a time when so much around us is in crisis, it is more important than ever that we inspire and encourage young people to serve. The history of Service in this country runs deep, Senator Edward Kennedy remarked at the bill signing: "I will never forget the 5th anniversary of the Peace Corps where I sat with the very first group of volunteers. I asked each of them why they decided to get involved. They said it was the first time anyone asked them to do anything for their country. Today, another young president has challenged another generation to give back to their country." Indeed, that challenge has been put forward, and the millennial generation has answered the call. Candidate Obama, filling in for Senator Kennedy at the Wesleyan commencement address in 2007, put it best when he proclaimed, "I believe with all my heart that this generation is ready and eager and up to the challenge." This bill, which, among other things, increases the size of AmeriCorps from 75,000 to 250,000 over the next ten years, was made possible by an extraordinary coalition of organizations of which 18 in '08 is proud to be part, led by Service Nation as well as Voices for National Service and America Forward. Service Nation is made up of nearly 200 organizations across the country ranging from the YMCA to the AARP, and has been working tirelessly on not just passing this legislation but mobilizing the public and our elected officials in support of ushering in a new era -- a return to service as a fundamental institution and principle of our country. This bill is only the beginning... There are few nobler calls than service, whether it is service to your family, your community, or your country. Service needs to once again be at the core of this country. This president's call and this legislation can serve to remind us of that. In these troubled economic times, with a record government deficit, those engaging in service are more needed than ever. Service can fill the holes that government simply cannot. Those who serve can fix a crumbling school or be a mentor to a child...they can truly change lives. Service also can replace costly government initiatives whose goals can be executed much more efficiently and thoroughly by a group of passionate volunteers. Furthermore, most studies show that once people serve, they will continue to do so throughout their lives in different ways and forms. In short, engaging tens of thousands of new people in service is really a long lasting, much needed stimulus to our economy and society. Today a new report came out showing that although the rate of volunteerism among young people is higher than their parents', the numbers of young people engaging in volunteerism between 2002 and 2007 was in decline. It is not in any of our interests -- national, economic, or moral -- to see this decline continue, we must reverse it together. This week marks National Volunteer Week, and in that spirit I hope that everyone can celebrate those who engage in service, encourage others to serve, and think about the ways that each one of us can contribute and give back ourselves. David D. Burstein, 20, is the Founder and Executive Director of 18 in '08. The nation's largest youth run nonpartisan not-for-profit young voter engagement organization. The organization is based on the documentary film of the same name which David directed and produced. He is a sophomore at Haverford College in Pennsylvania. More on Ted Kennedy
 
Craig Crawford: Obama's Swine Flu Challenge Top
Swine flu politics is back. It helped claim the career of a president more than 30 years ago. As if Barack Obama needed any more headaches. Gerald Ford's decision to inoculate every person in the country (including himself) resulted in a political debacle that contributed to a reputation for incompetence that scuttled his 1976 election bid. The vaccination program was plagued by delays and became a public relations nightmare as Ford was accused, perhaps unfairly, of coddling drug companies aiming to profit from the scare. By the time the program was canceled only about 24% of the population was inoculated - and the president ended up looking foolish. The Obama Administration quickly called attention to this latest outbreak , putting pressure on itself to do something. Tread carefully, Mr. President. Craig blogs daily at craigcrawford.com on CQ Politics More on Barack Obama
 

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