US – Sunday, March 21
National
Final push is on for health care reform
Democrats in the House of Representatives on Thursday predicted weekend passage of a sweeping health care overhaul that budget analysts said would cut the U.S. deficit over 10 years and dramatically expand health coverage.
 
International
Abuse apology not enough, critics say
Pope Benedict’s apology to Ireland went further than any other papal statement on child sex abuse by priests, but still fell far too short for many victims of the scandals shaking the Roman Catholic Church across Europe.
 
The Word
Just when it couldn’t get worse for Bullock, here come the neo-Nazis
Sure, it’s Monday, but it could be worse — you could be Jesse James. On Saturday, James went back to work at West Coast Choppers, days after allegations surfaced that he cheated on his wife, Sandra Bullock, with a tattoo model. Us Weekly notes he was wearing a wedding ring.
 
Music
SXSW ’10: Get your dance on, great songs optional
The trends that emerged from the SXSW Music Conference in Austin last week are still bubbling to the top as I make sense of the hundreds of songs that filled the city for four days, but one thing I definitely noticed is that popular music may soon have a lot more emphasis on flexibility.
 
Business
‘Free’ ad leads to fraud suit
NEW YORK. A Wisconsin college student is suing credit firm Experian — the brains behind the ubiquitous FreeCreditReport.com jingles — for fraudulent advertising after she inadvertently signed up for a monthly $14.95 monitoring service.
 
My Pets
At AKC, it’s score one for the mutts
Founded in 1884 as a registry for pure-bred dogs, the American Kennel Club didn’t traditionally offer many perks for your beloved lab-poodle-schnauzer mix. But as of April 1, the AKC Canine Partners Program will offer mutts not only membership benefits, but opportunities to compete at dog sporting events.
 
Published 01:05, November the 4th, 2009
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Getting a flu shot can be both life-saving and fun.Getting a flu shot can be both life-saving and fun.
Photo: GETTY IMAGES
 

WHO: Pregnant should receive H1N1 flu vaccine

5,712 At least 5,712 people have died from the swine flu virus, according to the United Nations agency. Health workers, pregnant women and people with conditions such as asthma are deemed at greatest risk.

 

Pregnant women and other people at high risk should be vaccinated against the H1N1 swine flu virus as the cold weather begins to bite in the northern hemisphere, the World Health Organization said yesterday.

It voiced concern that some vulnerable people are shying away from the pandemic vaccine, which the WHO stressed had not caused any unusual side effects in hundreds of thousands of people to have received it worldwide so far.

“Certainly the fact that the vaccine isn’t being used by those who would have access to it and who would be in priority risk groups is of concern, yes,” WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl told a news briefing.

A flu epidemic in Ukraine — with more than 250,000 cases and 70 deaths from acute respiratory illness — may be an “early warning signal” as winter sets in, the WHO said.

“The outbreak in Ukraine may be indicative of how the virus can behave in the northern hemisphere during the winter season, particularly in health care settings typically found in Eastern Europe,” the WHO said in a statement.

Unlike seasonal flu, which is most dangerous to the elderly, H1N1 is hitting younger adults and children especially hard.

REUTERS