Swine flu spreading faster than expected

HEALTH - The H1N1 virus (aka swine flu) is spreading faster than expected and part of the problem, according to health officials, is people aren't taking it seriously enough.

The first case of swine flu was reported today in Toronto, a male in his early twenties who had recently traveled to Mexico, bringing Ontario's total to 8 patients of swine flu. 14 other carriers of the disease have been been confirmed in Canada, bringing Canada's total of confirmed cases to 33, up from 19 yesterday.

So far the 8 Ontario swine flu patients have mild cases, but 5 new cases in B.C. and 4 new cases in Nova Scotia suggests its just a matter of time before Canada sees more serious cases. The 4 new cases in Nova Scotia are unique because none of them recently visited Mexico, but instead got it from visiting friends in Windsor Ontario, making it the first Canadian-to-Canadian transfer of the disease.

Delayed testing results are also becoming an issue, as some people tested for H1N1 are going out and shopping, handling money and going on with their daily lives, not realizing they might be carrying the disease and passing it on to others.

Health experts warn that people need to be more cautious, as they could be passing the disease on to others without realizing it. People who have recently returned from Mexico (or been in contact with someone recently in Mexico) should take more precautions and avoid going out in public until they've received their test results.

There were 252 new cases reported in the United States today, bringing the U.S. total to 594. The world wide numbers have jumped almost 1,500 from yesterday, to a total of 3,972 suspected cases. Total deaths have jumped approx. 10% from yesterday's 153, to 168.

See Also:
Worldwide Influenza Pandemic Warned
Swine flu hits Mexico and western United States

Chrysler files for bankruptcy protection

CARS/POLITICSc - Today automaker Chrysler filed for bankruptcy protection.

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper are joining with United States President Barack Obama in a $14-billion bailout of Chrysler, which filed for U.S. Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this afternoon.

Ontario and Ottawa are jointly putting up $3.8 billion of the loan package and will take a combined 2% ownership stake in the new, restructured U.S. corporation and its Canadian subsidiary. The United States will own 8%. In exchange for financial support, Chrysler has agreed to maintain 20% of its North American production in Ontario.

"This is another step we need to take, together, that gives Chrysler the best possible opportunity for success and gives Ontario taxpayers the best possible protection as we join forces with the federal government and President Obama's administration," said McGuinty. "And it ensures, above all, that Ontario will continue to produce cars and Ontario families will continue to have jobs in that sector."

FACT: Ontario produces more cars and trucks than Michigan and approx. 20% of all vehicles made in North America.

Earlier today, Obama confirmed in a press conference that Chrysler's negotiations between Italian automaker Fiat have been fruitful and the two firms will enter into a partnership.

But the grueling efforts by Chrysler to come up with a restructuring strategy that meets with government approval in Canada and the U.S. ran into a last-minute stumbling block. A group of about 40 hedge funds owed money by the automaker opposed a plan that would cut Chrysler's $6.9 billion (U.S.) of secured debt. After talks with the lenders broke down last night, Chrysler was forced to file for bankruptcy protection today.

"This isn't fair," says one economist. "It was the greedy market speculators who caused this whole credit crisis, and now they're the ones who are refusing to lend money to Chrysler. Its ridiculous. It should be illegal."

"No one should be confused about what a bankruptcy process means," said President Obama. "This is not a sign of weakness, but rather one more step on a clearly charted path to Chrysler's revival."

Harper took the unusual step of issuing a combined written statement with the U.S. president. "Thanks to our joint efforts, there is now a road ahead to a stronger Chrysler and a stronger industry in the future on both sides of the border," it said.

Chrysler has up to 8 years to pay back the various loans and will be charged interest rates of at least 7% annually.

Part of the deal is the appointment of a new, 9-person Chrysler board of directors. There will be 3 Fiat appointees, 4 from the U.S. government, 1 from the United Auto Workers, and 1 appointed by governments in Canada.

The United States, Canada and Ontario will own their shares until at least Jan. 1, 2013 unless someone buys them out. Fiat has right of first refusal to buy the governments' shares.

Hopefully this will be the end of Chrysler's crisis.

American depression worse than expected

POLITICS - The American economy shrank at a worse-than-expected 6.1% pace at the start of this year as sharp cutbacks by businesses and the biggest drop in United States exports in 40 years overwhelmed a rebound in consumer spending.

The United States Commerce Department's report, released today, dashed hopes that the recession's grip on the country loosened in the first quarter. Economists surveyed by Thomson Reuters expected a five per cent annual decline, but that number has already been surpassed.

Last year the US economy shrunk 6.3%, the biggest decline in 25 years. If the American economy continues to shrink rapidly it could reach a 14% to 18% decline by the end of 2009.

Consumer spending was up 2.2% in January to March, but job numbers and overall exports are still dropping dramatically. The problem? Consumers seem to be buying too much stuff made overseas and not made in North America.

Meanwhile Americans cut spending on home building, commercial construction, equipment and software, and inventories of goods. Sales of U.S. goods to foreign buyers plunged. Even the U.S. government trimmed spending, despite the new stimulus package.

The recession, which officially began in December 2007 has become a technical depression (a depression is any recession that lasts longer than a year) and has removed 5.1 million jobs. Some economists believe the depression started in August 2007.

President Barack Obama is counting on his $787 billion stimulus of tax cuts and increased government spending on big public works projects to help bolster economic activity later in 2009. George W. Bush's bailout of the investment banks has seemingly done nothing to prevent the current crisis.

The recent outbreak of the swine flu, which has spread to the United States, poses a new potential danger. The flu is expected to stifle consumerism, trade, tourism and the death toll will wreak financial havoc.

USA to release 30 terror detainees

POLITICS - About 30 detainees currently held at Guantanamo Bay have been cleared for release, United States Attorney General Eric Holder said today as he tried to persuade European allies to take some of them. Holder also signalled the Obama administration might co-operate with a Spanish investigation of former Bush administration officials over the mistreatment of suspects.

The Guantanamo Bay military detention facility at the U.S. naval base in Cuba is set to close in January 2010 and all the detainees have to be either be put on trial, or released due to sheer lack of evidence, between now and then.

"We have about 30 or so where we've made the determination that they can be released. So we will, I think, relatively soon, be reaching out to specific countries with specific detainees and ask whether or not there might be a basis for the moving of those people from Guantanamo to those countries," says Holder.

There are 241 prisoners at Guantanamo and Holder says "Mistakes were made" when the Bush administration created the program in the wake of September 11th.

The problem is what to do with people who have now turned out to be innocent. Yet when it comes to the prospect of having former international terror suspects living free, the Obama administration is trying to overcome the not-in-my-backyard sentiment that exists both in the USA and overseas.

There is also worry if new homes cannot be found for them, they may be given new status as Americans and sue the United States over their mistreatment.

So far only Portugal and Lithuania have said they will consider taking former suspects. France has agreed to take in only one symbolic Guantanamo detainee. Others are divided on the issue.

Pressed on whether that meant the U.S. would co-operate with a foreign court prosecuting Bush administration officials, Holder said he was talking about requests, and would review any such request to see if the United States would comply. Several countries want to see George W. Bush tried for alleged war crimes.