For Those Who Think the Swine Flu is a Hoax

Swine flu victim had no other health issues

• Latest person to die was otherwise healthy – NHS

• Experts say virus has not necessarily mutated

* Sarah Boseley, health editor

* The London Guardian, Saturday 11 July 2009

The first death from swine flu of an otherwise healthy individual was announced last night by NHS authorities in Essex.

At the wishes of the family, no details were given of the patient who died at Basildon and Thurrock University hospital. But the case will cause widespread concern. Until now, every adult and child who has died has had serious underlying health problems that made them particularly vulnerable to infections.

But the chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, has warned that a few apparently healthy people have succumbed to swine flu and become seriously ill abroad. In one case last month, a healthy 15-year-old teenager called Matthew Davis from Buffalo in New York state, fell ill with swine flu and died, apparently because of co-infection with the superbug MRSA, which he may have contracted in the community rather than in hospital. link to complete article

Houston Greets Congressman Gutierrez with move on 287G

HPD will train jailers on detaining immigrants

But the plan troubles immigrants' advocates

By SUSAN CARROLL

Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle

July 11, 2009, 12:58AM

The Houston Police Department has been approved to participate in a controversial federal program that would train a cadre of city jailers to help detain suspected illegal immigrants, immigration officials announced Friday.

The announcement by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials comes nearly four months after Mayor Bill White requested that federal officials expedite training for city jailers.

White made the request within days of the March 5 shooting of Houston police officer Rick Salter, who was critically injured by an illegal immigrant with a criminal record. Salter is recovering.

HPD and White have faced pressure for years to change the city’s policy for dealing with suspected illegal immigrants. Critics have called Houston a “Sanctuary City” — a label White has fought vehemently — because of a long-standing policy that prohibits HPD officers from questioning suspects on the streets about their citizenship.

Through the program, city jails would get special training that will allow them to question inmates about their immigration status and hold them for federal agents.

City spokesman Frank Michel said Friday that Houston police and the mayor’s office had yet to receive or sign the documents formalizing HPD’s participation in the program, known as 287(g) and could not comment.

Michel said the city intends to participate but wants to see more specifics on changes announced for the program nationally on Friday. link to complete article

Study: Recipe for longer life may be to eat less

Restricting calories to reduce disease and death shows promise in primates

from todays Houston Chronicle

By KAREN KAPLAN

Los Angeles Times

July 10, 2009, 7:09AM

For a country in which roughly 200 million people are overweight or obese, scientists have discouraging news: Even those who maintain a healthy weight probably should be eating less.

Evidence has been mounting that the practice of caloric restriction — essentially, going on a permanent diet — greatly reduces the risk of age-related diseases and even postpones death. It has been shown to extend the lives of yeast, worms, flies, spiders, fish, mice and rats.

Now, in a study funded by the National Institutes of Health and released Friday, many of the same benefits have been demonstrated in primates, the best evidence yet that caloric restriction would help people.

The findings, published in the journal Science, tracked rhesus monkeys that were on a reduced-calorie regimen for as long as 20 years. The animals’ risk of dying from cancer, heart disease and diabetes fell by more than two-thirds...