US Rooting Around for a New Name for Swine Flu

WASHINGTON [AP] — Is the name swine flu hogwash?

U.S. officials said Tuesday they may abandon the term swine flu, for fear it’s confusing people into thinking they could catch it from pork — which is flat-out wrong.

Mumbai Terrorist Claims he is a Juvenile

NEW DELHI [CNN] — An Indian court — trying the lone surviving suspect in last year’s Mumbai terrorist attacks — Friday ordered an inquiry into his age, prompted by his claim that he is a juvenile.

Mohammed Ajmal Kasab will undergo dental and bone tests, defense attorney Abbas Kazmi told CNN.

Rubashkin Seeks Dismissal of 20 Counts

DES MOINES, Iowa [AP] — The attorney for Sholom Rubashkin is asking the court to dismiss 20 counts against the former Postville meatpacking plant manager.

Fat People Blamed for Global Warming

British scientists say they use up more fuel to transport them around and the amount of food they eat requires more energy to produce than that consumed by those on smaller diets.

According to a team at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine this adds to food shortages and higher energy prices.

Defiance – The Bielski Brothers Heroic Tale of Survival

As the film credits rolled, Jessica Bielski sat perfectly still in her chair and wept. Seeing the critically acclaimed film Defiance for the first time moved her to tears, but at the same time, it thrilled her. Finally, her grandfather’s amazing story would be told to the world.

Growing up, people had often told the New Jersey girl that her grandfather Zus had been a hero. But the full extent of his valor didn’t hit the teenager until she saw it for herself onscreen. Jessica first saw the picture in a special screening for all of the Bielski family at the Jewish Heritage Museum in Manhattan last September.

Lubavitchers Hospitalized During Pesach Getaway

FRANCONIA, NH [CHI] — More than 70 people attending a Pesach getaway in Franconia, New Hampshire became sick after eating food prepared by others attending the getaway, initial cause was determined to be by salmonella.

Starting the first night of Pesach at the Seder people began falling ill with gastrointestinal symptoms including vomiting, diarrhea and dehydration. A significant number of those who fell ill sought medical attention at the Littleton General Hospital who in turn alerted the New Hampshire Health and Human Services fearing some sort of outbreak.

The incident broke out at the Home Style Pesach getaway in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, where approximately 150 were attending. The New Hampshire Health and Human Services reported to the hotel and took samples of the prepared foods while instructing the rest be disposed of, but there was no fear for a widespread outbreak and health officials did not shut down the event.

EPA Looks for Ways to Not Let the Bedbugs Bite

ARLINGTON, VA [AP] — Faced with rising numbers of complaints to city information lines and increasingly frustrated landlords, hotel chains and housing authorities, the Environmental Protection Agency hosted its first-ever bedbug summit Tuesday.

Obama Adviser: I Want to Block Sun

WASHINGTON — President Obama’s science adviser said yesterday the United States is considering extreme measures to defeat global warming — such as shooting pollutants miles above the Earth to block the sun’s rays.

John Holdren said the bizarre step — described by fellow scientists as creating an artificial volcano in the sky — would be used only as a last resort.

Two More Days to Drop off your Sheimos! (a)

Finnish up your Pesach cleaning by dropping off your Sheimos on President and Kingston, the only Crown Heights run Sheimos Truck! Support our Shchunah!

Full flyer in the Extended Article.

Highway Deaths in the US Lowest Since 1960s

WASHINGTON, DC [AP] — U.S. highway deaths in 2008 fell to their lowest level in nearly 50 years, the latest government figures show, as the recession and $4 per gallon gas meant people drove less to save more. Safety experts said record-high seat-belt use, tighter enforcement of drunken driving laws and the work of advocacy groups that encourage safer driving habits contributed to the reduction in deaths.

Feds Deny Obama Will Take Guns Away from Pilots

WASHINGTON, DC — Federal officials and the airline pilots union are denying a report that the Obama administration is seeking to end a program that trains pilots to carry guns in jetliner cockpits.

An editorial published in the Washington Times on Tuesday stated that “President Obama is quietly ending the federal firearms program, risking public safety on airlines in the name of an anti-gun ideology.”

U.S. Births Break Baby Boom Record

NEW YORK, NY — More babies were born in the United States in 2007 than in any other year in American history, according to preliminary data reported Wednesday by the National Center for Health Statistics.

Obama Wants to Disarm U.S. Pilots

WASHINGTON, DC — The Obama administration is taking steps quietly to shut down the program that qualifies commercial airline pilots to carry firearms in jetliner cockpits in order to ward off another 9/11-type attack.

Excerpts of Terrorists Conversations at Chabad of Mumbai

The following are excerpts written by journalist Ashish Khetan on how handlers in Pakistan directed the terrorists at the Mumbai Chabad House.

A Little Drink May Be Good for Your Bones

Older men and postmenopausal women who have one or two glasses of beer or wine a day appear to have stronger bones than both nondrinkers and heavy drinkers, a new study suggests.

Moderate drinking has been associated with decreasing the risk for heart disease, but it also has been linked to increasing the risk for some cancers. And though their study found that beer and wine could be beneficial to bone strength, the researchers cautioned that people need to balance the risks and benefits of alcohol with their individual health concerns.