Obama Shatters Spending Record in his First Year as President
November 25, 2009 by JP
Filed under Government
November 25, 2009
Fox News
President Obama has shattered the budget record for first-year presidents — spending nearly double what his predecessor did when he came into office and far exceeding the first-year tabs for any other U.S. president in history.
In fiscal 2009 the federal government spent $3.52 trillion — $2.8 trillion in 2000 dollars, which sets a benchmark for comparison. That fiscal year covered the last three-and-a-half months of George W. Bush’s term and the first eight-and-a-half months of Obama’s.
That price tag came with a $1.4 trillion deficit, nearly $1 trillion more than last year. The overall budget was about a half-trillion more than Bush’s for 2008, his final full fiscal year in office.
That’s a big increase. But compared with other presidents’ first years in office, Obama is running circles around them.
Bush spent $1.8 trillion in 2001, according to government budget figures that have been adjusted for inflation based on 2000 dollars. Using the same formula, former President Bill Clinton spent $1.6 trillion in 1993.
The last president to clock in under $1 trillion was Gerald Ford, who logged a $982 billion budget in 1975. Post-war Dwight Eisenhower even brought Uncle Sam’s tab down to $556 billion in his first year, 1953.
Obama’s first-year budget, adjusted for inflation, is about five times that. His 2009 budget is also close to 21 percent of that for Clinton’s eight years in office — Clinton’s spending added up to $13.5 trillion over his two full terms. Bush spent $16.8 trillion from 2001-2008.
No More Mandatory Flu Shots For Day Care Children
November 25, 2009
Press of Atlantic City
By Ben Leach
A shortage of seasonal flu vaccine has forced the state’s health department to ease up on mandatory flu shot requirements for young children who want to remain in day care and preschool.
On Tuesday, New Jersey’s Department of Health and Senior Services announced that children between the ages of 6 and 59 months who are in day care or preschool do not need a seasonal flu shot. Normally, they would have to get vaccinated by Dec. 31, 2009.
However, state health officials still want children to get vaccinated if they can get a hold of the vaccine.
“We still strongly encourage parents to get their kids vaccinated,” said DHSS Commissioner Heather Howard. “Our message is still the same.”
The seasonal flu vaccine is one of 11 vaccines that children are required to get as a prerequisite for entering day care or preschool in New Jersey. Children in that age range still need the other vaccinations.
According to Howard, manufacturers have said that more seasonal flu vaccine should be available in December. However, since the state does not know how many doses of the vaccine will be available, the requirements for young children will be waived for this year.
No seasonal flu clinics currently are scheduled for the area. Howard said she does not know how many people have already been vaccinated, but she added that many people did take advantage of earlier flu clinics this year.
“When we knew we were going to be delayed in getting the H1N1 vaccine, we encouraged people at the end of the summer to get their seasonal flu vaccine first,” Howard said.
The health department also reported Tuesday that influenza like activity throughout the state has decreased for the second week in a row. However, flu activity is still considered widespread, and the H1N1 influenza virus has claimed another life.
Howard announced that a 35-year-old Morris County man died from the H1N1 influenza virus on November 16. The state does not know if the man had any underlying medical conditions.
So far, 29 people throughout the state have died from complications related to the H1N1, or “swine flu,” virus.
Hacked E-Mails Call For “Earth Government” and New World Order
November 25, 2009 by JP
Filed under Government
November 25, 2009
Info Wars
One of the leaked climate emails was apparently a press release from “Earth Government” Newsletter dated 27 Mar 2003. The document calls for a ‘democratic’ world government that would amalgamate and reform the prevailing global institutions including the United Nations, IMF, World Bank WTO, NAFTA, FTAA and others “for the good of all.”
It further refers to an “Earth Court of Justice to deal with all aspects of the Governance and Management of the Earth.” The document also makes mention of the “Foundation for the new world order, Earth Government” and “The splitting of America into separate independent states living at peace for the good of all.” Is this a revelation of the true intentions of certain environmental advocates, or just one of many emails in the background of calls to “hide the decline” of global temperatures (despite intense claims of global warming).
It is eerily similar to newly named EU President Herman Von Rompuy’s calls for Copenhagen to establish “global management” of the planet and Queen Elizabeth’s recent declaration during her throne speech at the opening of Parliament that “My government will seek effective global and European collaboration through the G20 and the European Union to sustain economic recovery and to combat climate change, including at the Copenhagen summit next month.”
Earth has long been waiting for a truly global governing body based on universal values, human rights, global concepts and democracy. Earth Government might as well be created now, there is no longer any reason to wait. We are the Earth Community, and we will form the Earth Government. Earth management is a priority and is a duty by every responsible person. A democratically elected Earth Government will now be formed, and we want you to reflect on future effects of such an event on the history of humanity. Certainly one will expect extraordinary changes: a reorganizing of human activities all over the planet; participation by all societies on the planet in solving local and global problems; new alliances forming; north meeting with south (eradication of poverty will be the price to pay to get votes from the south) in order to gather more votes within the newly created Earth Government to satisfy power struggles between European, Asian and Western countries;
adoption of democratic principles, human and Earth rights, global concepts, and universal values by every human being; expansion of consciousness; gathering and coordinating of forces to resolve social and political problems in a peaceful way (no more conflicts or wars); gathering and coordinating of forces (technologies, scientific research, exploration work, human resources, etc.) to resolve global problems such as global climate, environment, availability of resources, poverty, employment, etc. Thousands more changes! Let your heart and mind reflect on ‘the good’ of a democratically elected Earth Government. Everyone is part of Earth Community by birth and therefore everyone has a right to vote. Everyone should be given a chance to vote. Decisions will be made democratically.
Canadian Health Officials See Bad Reactions to Flu Shots
November 25, 2009
ON Deadline
By Michael Winter
Canadian health officials are investigating what caused six severe allergic reactions to the H1N1 vaccine earlier this month, which the World Health Organization calls “an unusual number.”
The report comes amid signs that the worst of the pandemic might be over in Canada.
The vaccine triggered anaphylaxis, which causes breathing problems, low blood pressure and swelling of the throat, tongue, lips and eyes. It can be fatal.
The inoculations came from a batch of 172,000 doses of the Arepanrix vaccine, made by GlaxoSmithKline, that was distributed across Canada. The unused batch was recalled and all six Canadians recovered.
Normally, one adverse reaction per 100,000 doses is expected. In several lots of vaccines, no adverse reactions have been reported.
“An unusual number of severe allergies to the vaccine have been detected in Canada,” World Health Organization spokesman Thomas Abraham told AFP. “The Canadian authorities are conducting the appropriate investigations on the vaccines. … We need to understand what happened.”
Vitamin D – Still the Best Antibiotic For You
November 25, 2009
The Times of India
About 70 percent of the population of the United States has insufficient levels of vitamin D. This is a critical issue as we learn more about the many roles it may play in fighting infection, balancing your immune response, helping to address autoimmune problems, and even preventing heart diseaseHYPERLINK \l “”,” said Adrian Gombart, a principal investigator with the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University.
Among other findings about benefits of Vitamin D is the ones made by OSU scientists that it induces the “expression” of cathelicidin, an antimicrobial peptide gene.
This explains in part how it helps serve as the first line of defense in your immune response against minor wounds, cuts, and both bacterial and viral infections.
Experts believe advances in the use of cathelicidin may form the basis for new therapies.
“Vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency is a world-wide, public health problem in both developed and developing nations. Nearly one billion people world-wide are deficient,” the new report concluded.
The new report found that low levels of circulating vitamin D are associated with increased risk and mortality from cancer.
Vitamin D plays an important role in activating the immune system, fostering the “innate” immune response and controlling over-reaction of adaptive immunity, and as such may help control autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis.
The regulation of cathelicidin by vitamin D, a unique biological pathway for the function of vitamin D that could help explain its multiple roles in proper immune function, is so important that it’s only known to exist in two groups of animals – humans and non-human primates – and has been conserved in them through millions of years of evolution.
Epidemiological studies show a link between vitamin D deficiency and increased rates of respiratory infection and influenza, and it has been hypothesized that flu epidemics may be the result of vitamin D deficiency.
Higher levels of a protein linked to vitamin D have been associated with reduced infections and longer survival of dialysis patients.
Vitamin D has important roles in reducing inflammation, blood pressure and helping to protect against heart disease.
FDIC is $8.2 Billion in Debt
November 25, 2009 by JP
Filed under Government
November 25, 2009
The Raw Story
By Stephen C. Webster
As the number of problem U.S. banks swells to the hundreds, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation is increasingly hard-pressed to fill in the gaps where institutions have put depositor’s funds at risk.
Unfortunately, a dire prediction made by government officials in early 2009 has come true: the FDIC’s deposit insurance fund is now broke, according to published reports.
“The deposit insurance fund dropped by $18.6 billion during the third quarter of 2009 to negative $8.2 billion, as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. set aside $21.7 billion in provisions for additional bank failures,” The Wall Street Journal reported. “This is the second time in the agency’s history that the balance has fallen into negative territory.”
In March the FDIC took steps to stave off the possibility that its insurance fund would run dry, instituting new fees on banks, forcing them to pay to protect consumers.
The head of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Sheila Bair, wrote to bank leaders declaring that “without these assessments, the deposit insurance fund could become insolvent this year.”
According to the FDIC’s most recent quarterly report, there were 552 “problem” banking institutions in the U.S., the most since the end of 1993.
“In its state of the industry report, the F.D.I.C. reported that banks posted a $2.8 billion gain in the third quarter, after a $4.3 billion loss in the previous period,” The New York Times reported. “The number of bad loans of nearly every stripe — credit cards, mortgages, small business and commercial real estate — continue to grow, albeit at a slower pace.”
BizJournals added: “Fifty institutions failed during the third quarter, bringing the total number of failures in the first nine months of 2009 to 95. As of Nov. 21, 124 banks have failed nationwide.”
“The FDIC has not yet accessed a temporary $500 billion fund of capital it has available to it from Treasury for the insurance fund,” Marketwatch notd. “The FDIC estimates that bank failures will cost the agency as much as $100 billion over the next five years, with the majority of the losses taking place in 2009 and 2010. The agency may require banks to pay additional assessments to cover losses to the fund if bank failures expand in greater numbers than anticipated by the agency.”
When banks insured by the FDIC are seized or declare bankruptcy, the agency returns depositors’ funds up to $250,000.
AIG CEO Takes $10.5 Million Dollar Compensation Package
November 25, 2009 by JP
Filed under Government
November 25, 2009
CNN Money
By Ben Rooney
After balking at government imposed pay restrictions, American International Group’s chief executive Robert Benmosche has officially agreed to a non-compete contract that could total $10.5 million, the company announced Tuesday.
Benmosche, who was named CEO in August, had expressed frustration with the constraints placed on AIG by the government after the global insurance company was bailed out last year.
He reportedly threatened to quit his post in board meetings earlier this month, before issuing a statement saying he is “totally committed” to staying on as CEO.
AIG spokesman Mark Herr said Benmosche agreed to a “non-compete” contract and that he is “committed to staying” at AIG.
Benmosche is one of several high-level executives at seven private companies under the purview of the Obama administration’s “pay czar” Kenneth Feinberg.
In October, Feinberg unveiled a series of drastic pay cuts for 136 top executives at seven of the nation’s biggest bailed-out companies, including AIG (AIG, Fortune 500), Citigroup (C, Fortune 500), and Bank of America (BAC, Fortune 500).
AIG received a $182 billion lifeline from the government last year as the credit crisis forced the company to the brink of collapse. In exchange, the government took an 80% ownership stake in the company.
Despite ongoing criticism of the company’s compensation practices, Benmosche successfully negotiated the largest award of any CEO under the government’s new curbs on executive pay.
In a press release, AIG said it will implement Benmosche’s previously announced compensation agreement, which includes a $3 million base salary and $4 million in AIG common stock.
Swine Flu Vaccination Side Effects Investigation
November 25, 2009
BBC News
Although already tested as part of the licensing process, the new study will focus on any effects not picked up by routine clinical trials of the vaccine.
The study will also include people who have declined to be vaccinated.
The swine flu treatment has already been offered to at-risk groups in Scotland, including children aged from six months to five years.
Those overseeing the research said people taking part would be assessed for up to a year after receiving the vaccination to monitor its effects.
The study team plan to use internet and mobile phone technology to streamline the data collection and processing.
‘Extremely rare’
Those who were offered the job but decided not to take it are also being invited to take part in the research to allow comparisons to be drawn between the different groups.
The nation-wide study is being run by the Medicines Monitoring Unit (MEMO), University of Dundee, in collaboration with the Drug Safety Research Unit (DSRU) in Southampton.
Initially, researchers plan to look at people aged 16 and over, but said they hoped to expand the study in the near future to include children.
FDA Investigating Weight Loss Drug for Heart Attacks and Stroke
Novemver 25, 2009
Atlanta Weight Loss Examiner
By Dave Chism
The Food and Drug Administration is investigating the possibility that the weight loss drug, Meridia, may increase the risks of cardiovascular events. The cardiovascular events include heart attack and stroke.
The official name of the study is a mouthful – Sibutramine Cardiovascular Morbidity/Mortality Outcomes in Overweight or Obese Subjects at Risk of a Cardiovascular Event – or SCOUT for short. It was started in 2002 with 10,000 participants that were over 55 years-old, obese, and had a history of cardiovascular events or diabetes. Some of the participants were given Sibutramine (Meridia) and the rest were given a sugar pill placebo.
The preliminary findings revealed that those taking Meridia encountered cardiovascular events at a rate of 11.4 percent compared to 10 percent of the participants taking the placebo. The FDA did note that warnings with the drug do state that it should not be taken by people with a history of heard disease, stroke, heart rhythm problems, or congestive heart failure.
A spokesman for Abbott, the maker of Meridia, told Dow Jones that the drug wouldn’t be prescribed for almost 90% of the participants in the study. “Abbott’s assessment is that the data do not indicate a change in the safety profile of [Meridia] when used in the approved patient population,” he said.
Sibutramine first gained FDA approval in 1997 as a prescription drug to aid in weight management. Clinical trials have shown that it significantly effects total weight loss and weight loss maintenance.
GlaxoSmithKline Tells Canadian Doctors to Stop Using Swine Flu Vaccine
November 25, 2009
Caymanmama
Health officials regularly monitor vaccines for any signs of potential problems, including the occasional allergic reactions that do rarely occur each year.
GlaxoSmithKline spokeswoman Gwenan White said that the pharmaceuticals company advised Canadian medical personnel last week to immediately stop using one specific batch of the vaccine while they proceed with investigations into the cause of the odd number of allergic reactions.
According to the AP, ix people in Canada had suffered an allergic reaction, said Tim Vail, the spokesman for Canada’s health minister. The batch contained about 170,000 doses. It was not immediately clear how many had been administered, although Vail said the majority had been.”
“We’re not seeing any thing wild or spooky or crazy about our vaccine at all,” Vail said.
White said no other doses of the vaccine around the world are part of the vaccines that are to be discontinued..
