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US declares public health emergency over spread of swine flu

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced today at a news conference that the U.S. has declared a public health emergency in light of the swine flu outbreak. The total number of confirmed swine flu cases in the United States stands at 20.

Secretary Napolitano said that the United States’ declaration follows suit with the “standard operating procedure” of such an outbreak to make more government resources available to combat the disease. One direct result of the declaration is the government’s mobilization of approximately 12 million doses of Tamiflu to locations where the states can quickly access their share of the medication if needed.

Secretary Napolitano urged residents not to panic saying that the government is issuing a “declaration of emergency preparedness.” Secretary Napolitano added, “Really that’s what we’re doing right now. We’re preparing in an environment where we really don’t know ultimately what the size of seriousness of this outbreak is going to be.”

John Brennan, a Homeland Security assistant, added that “at this point, a top priority is to ensure that communication is robust and that medical surveillance efforts are fully activated.”

This afternoon, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg reported that 8 students from the St. Francis Prepatory School in Queens, New York have contracted the swine flu. All in all, more than 100 students from that high school were absent last week with flu-like symptoms.

Meanwhile, public health officials in Ohio today announced one confirmed case of swine flu in the state. Thus far, California has reported 7 confirmed cases of swine flu, while Kansas and Texas have each reported two confirmed cases.

At the same news conference Dr. Richard Besser, the acting director from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said to expect additional cases of swine flu to be reported in the short term. Dr. Besser added that the U.S. could also start seeing cases of the disease where the effects are more dramatic: “We’re going to see more severe disease in this country”. So far, no one in the U.S. has died from swine flu.

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Uncategorized | Admin May 11, 2022 | Comments (0)

Interview with Vicky Dhillon, City Council candidate for Wards 9 & 10 in Brampton, Canada

Thursday, October 26, 2006

The upcoming 2006 Brampton municipal election, to be held November 13, features an array of candidates looking to represent their wards in city council or the council of the Peel Region.

Wikinews contributor Nick Moreau contacted many of the candidates, including Vicky Dhillon, asking them to answer common questions sent in an email. This ward’s incumbent is Garnett Manning; also challenging Manning is Stella Ambler, Mandeep Dhaliwal, Daljit Gill, and Nalem Malik.

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Uncategorized | Admin May 10, 2022 | Comments (0)

Grand Canyon Skywalk: Here’s Why You Can’t Bring Your Camera

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By Keith Kravitz

You get on the Grand Canyon Skywalk and go 70 feet beyond the edge of the West Rim. The views are picture-perfect. In most cases, you’d pull out your camera and capture the moment. But not here. Cameras, as you’ve been informed, are not allowed.

The reason? The glass. Seems that the Saint-Gobain/DuPont Sentry glass used for the observation deck is prone to chips and scratches – especially if camera equipment strikes it.

Initially, I didn’t think this was a big deal. I figured you could replace the panel much like you would a broken windshield. Not so: Each of the more than 40 glass panels are valued at $250,000 a piece, with the same material used to fashion the 5′ guard rail.

The Hualapai Indian Tribe, which manages the bridge, takes the probability of damage seriously, and insists that you put all personal electronics (digital cameras, cell phones, iPods, camcorders and the like) in a locker. You are also required to wear cloth booties over your shoes.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCYPGnJdO1U[/youtube]

So, what to do? Several things. The Tribe has hired a corps of professional photographers to take your picture. These individuals are insured and specifically trained to take photos under these conditions. There are also self-serve cameras fixed to the guard railing. Images from both can be purchased for around $30 each in the main gift shop.

You don’t have to be on the Skywalk to take a picture of it. There’s a place where you can take excellent pictures just south of the Skywalk – travelers typically pose on the edge with the Skywalk to the right of their shoulder. If you are taking a helicopter or airplane tour to the West Rim, you’ll have plenty of fantastic aerial photo opportunities.

GETTING THERE

Since it’s opening in 2007, more than a million people have visited the glass bridge. Today, more than 200,000 people visit it annually. The bridge is located in Grand Canyon West, a 9,000-acre expanse just 120 miles east of Las Vegas. Lots of folks decide to book a rental car and do it themselves. I personally recommend taking an all-inclusive tour. Skywalk trip costs can quickly mount if you do it yourself; package tours protect your travel budget.

There are plenty of Skywalk trip options. Bus, chopper, and plane trips take 2.5 hours, 45 minutes, and 25 minutes, respectively, to reach Grand Canyon West. The most popular route includes Lake Mead, Hoover Dam, and the pristine Mojave Desert. For the rock-bottom best prices, I suggest you purchase your trip on the Internet, where I’ve seen promotions that offer up to 35% off.

SUMMARY

If you are looking for a great outdoor attraction, definitely consider the Grand Canyon Skywalk, especially when visiting Las Vegas. The Glass Bridge gets a lot of hype, but, unlike it’s imitators, it delivers big time! But realize that you will not be allowed to take your camera. This caveat is because the bridge is made of incredibly expensive glass panels that will chip or scratch if you drop your camera. To fix this, the Tribe has employed experienced photographers to snap you picture. They’ve also installed self-serve cameras. As you embark on this journey, remember this: Anyone can see the canyon. It’s the lucky who “skywalk” it that have stories to tell…and the pictures to prove it.

About the Author: Want to walk on air? Do the Grand Canyon Skywalk! Travel critic Keith Kravitz reviews the best tours to to the bridge at: GrandCanyon123.com

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US lottery jackpot tops $500 million, sets world record

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Mega Millions, a multi-state lottery in the United States, produced no winner on Tuesday night’s drawing which had a jackpot of US$363 million, sending Friday’s drawing to an all time world record high of $500 million.

Players must match all 5 numbers and the Mega Ball in order to win the jackpot. Only 47 tickets with a $250,000 payout were sold, which matched at least five numbers, but not the Mega Ball. Over 2.5 million tickets matched only the Mega Ball for a cash prize of two dollars. The numbers drawn were 9, 19, 34, 44 & 51. The Mega Ball was 24.

The previous U.S. lottery jackpot record was $390 million which was set by Mega Millions in 2007. Two individuals won the jackpot from Georgia and New Jersey. In January 2011, the jackpot rose to $380 million the second largest ever, producing two winners, one in Idaho and the other in Washington. In 2006 Powerball reached $365 million with one winner in Nebraska.

After all taxes are paid on the prize money, Tuesday’s Mega Millions jackpot would have been worth just over $180 million. The lottery’s last jackpot winner was on January 24 when a College Park, Georgia resident won $72 million. Since then there have been eighteen drawings which produced no jackpot winner.

The next drawing occurs on Friday at 11:00pm (EDT).

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Uncategorized | Admin May 9, 2022 | Comments (0)

2006 U.S. Congressional Elections

Wednesday, November 8, 2006

As of 10:00 p.m EST November 8, 2006, the Democratic Party is projected to have gained control of both the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate in the 2006 United States general elections. MSNBC projects that the Democrats now control 234 seats in the House of Representatives, 16 more seats than the 218 needed to control the House of Representatives as all 435 seats were up for election. In the Senate, where the balance of power is closer, one-third of all seats were up for grab. As of 10:00 p.m. EST, AP and Reuters were projecting that the Democrats had picked up all six seats they needed to retake the Senate, including the seats of incumbents Rick Santorum (Penn.), Lincoln Chafee (R.I.), Jim Talent (Missouri), Mike DeWine (Ohio), John Tester (Montana), and Jim Webb (VA). The Tester victory by less than 3,000 votes was projected at approximately 2 p.m. EST after the State of Montana announced the results of overnight recounts. Democrat Jim Webb has prevailed in that race by slightly more than 7,000 votes, though his opponent has not conceded and a recount may still occur.

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Uncategorized | Admin May 6, 2022 | Comments (0)

Should The High School Military Test Be A Mandatory Test?

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By Stuart Nachbar

High school students interested in serving in our armed forces must take an entrance examination called the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). The ASVAB is used to not only assess a recruits aptitude for military service, but also help identify their Military Operational Specialty service-speak for job if they choose to serve. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, over 722,000 high school students took the ASVAB during the past school year

The ASVAB is also used as a

mandatory

test for high school sophomores and juniors at hundreds of schools in 34 states. The schools that make the ASVAB mandatory share the results with the military and assist their students in their career development, regardless of whether they decide to enlist.

There are problems with this practice.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynzqVTKZKBc[/youtube]

First, the mandatory test gives the military the opportunity to circumvent the opt-out provisions under No Child Left Behind; a student may be forced to take the test even though hes asked to opt out of communications with the branches of the armed forces,

Second, school administrators have the say as to whether the ASVAB results can be shared with military recruiters, assuming they require the test for their own purposes. In effect, a school administrator is placed in the role of circumventing the wishes of students who are not interested in military service, as well as their parents. A high school principal or superintendent should not be put in this position; an exceptionally vocal group of parents could get him fired.

Third, the ASVAB is given to students who have not turned 18. The military should not be contacting students who are more than a year from graduating high school. Given the passage of a symbolic act such as No Child Left Behind, the military should not be recruiting high school drop outs, or asking students disinterested in school to consider dropping out. Reporting to the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee on January 31, General Thomas Bostick, Commanding General of the U.S. Army Recruiting Command, stated that the percentage of high school graduates among military recruits had fallen to a low of 79 percent.

I dont believe we need a Congressional hearing to resolve these problems; there is nothing to be gained from such theatre. Instead, we need some solutions that are fair and easy to implement. I personally do not object to the test itself, or the idea of making it mandatory at

wartime

, but there should be an opt-out check box right on the front page of the exam booklet. If a student checks no, then no should be recorded in the collective database of test takers. Its not too difficult to add one checkbox to a three hour standardized exam.

Second, if a school in need of improvement under No Child Left Behind uses the ASVAB as a career assessment tool, it should allowed to use it as a school assessment. Improvement in performance on the ASVAB should carry bonus credits towards a schools efforts to take itself out of Need of Improvement status.

Thirdly, and I stated this in a prior column, the military should not call high school students until they have reached their 18th birthday or three months before their graduation, whichever is earlier. If we are to leave no child left behind in the classroom and make all children proficient, we should not try to leave them behind on a battlefield before they have had a chance to earn their high school diploma.

About the Author: Contact Stuart Nachbar at

Educated Quest

, a blog on education politics, policy and technology or read about his first book, The Sex Ed Chronicle, a novel on education and politics in 1980 New Jersey, at

Sex Ed Chronicles

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Recruitment | Admin May 5, 2022 | Comments (0)

Wikinews interviews Eric Saussine, director of the James Bond fan film Shamelady

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

The James Bond film series is one of the most popular and successful, having grossed over US$4 billion worldwide. The suave, sophisticated secret agent has secured his place in popular culture as the definitive action hero that has appeared in twenty-three films between 1954 and 2006.

Daniel Craig was announced as the seventh actor to portray 007 in late 2005, making his debut in the 2006 smash hit Casino Royale. While fans await Craig’s second outing in Quantum of Solace, due later this year, they have been able to watch Shamelady, a fan film made by the French film production company Constellation Studios.

Shamelady is a tribute to Ian Fleming, the author of the James Bond novels on which many of the films are based, and EON Productions, the makers of the official 007 films. The film was first released in 2007 and runs just under an hour long. It can be downloaded from Constellation’s website or viewed on YouTube.

Legally, the filmmakers cannot profit from Shamelady, but they didn’t make it for the money, rather the thrill of creating an original Bond film. The plot is fairly simple, and reminiscent of Casino Royale. Bond is sent to a casino to nab a vicious crime lord, but gets betrayed by a fellow agent in the process. Viewer reaction to the film was positive for the most part, and Constellation Studios has now planned a sequel to Shamelady, which director Eric Saussine speaks of in the interview below.

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Toronto to have socialized city-wide wi-fi access

Thursday, March 9, 2006

Toronto’s public utility, Toronto Hydro Telecom, will make Canada’s largest city into a huge wireless hotspot.

“This is both an exciting and very important initiative for the city of Toronto”, said Toronto’s mayor, David Miller. “It puts us on the leading edge of the telecommunications industry nationwide and globally.”

Toronto Hydro Telecom will offer customers free access for the first six months. After that, it will begin to charge for services.

“Wi-Fi technology is the new benchmark for urban living”, stated Toronto Hydro president David Dobbin. “It’s standard equipment in many electronic devices, from laptops to portable entertainment units.”

Private telephone companies are questioning why a public utility needs to compete with the private sector.

Mike Lee of Rogers Communications Inc. questioned why the city of Toronto wanted to enter the internet access business.

“It will not be an easy business”, Lee told the National Post. “In this day and age, the focus should be on core operations more than anything. I was surprised to see they are looking to get into this business.”

Brian Sharwood, a telecom analyst in Toronto, said the municipality will likely install the wireless transmitters and receivers on its lamp posts as a way to blanket the city, a process known as “wireless mesh networking”.

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Collecting Charm Bracelets For Girls

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Collecting Charm Bracelets For Girls

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Collecting charm bracelets for girls is a creative and uniquely personal gift giving idea.

Unlike any other gift, charm bracelets tell a visual story about that person\’s life and interests. Each new charm has it\’s own meaning and purpose. It\’s a wonderful way to cheerfully blend the passage of time, memorable events and expressions of love and friendship into a single piece of beautiful jewelry. There are very few gifts that touch the heart of the recipient like a charm bracelet.

It\’s interesting that the history of charms and charm collecting dates back to ancient times. The first charm bracelets were made of wood, metals and precious stones. Egyptian pharaohs collected charm bracelets as a sign of status. They continued to wear them in their tombs to guide the Gods with their rightful position in the afterlife.

Today\’s collectors are no less inspired and continue the long tradition of creating charm bracelets for girls and women in their lives. Adding charms to a friends bracelet is a fun and easy way to grow a relationship.

Whether large or small, there is a charm bracelet that will match every budget.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P51GByV0H2w[/youtube]

People starting a collection for themselves or others might want to consider these helpful tips:

Decide on whether you want your bracelet to be gold, silver or another material like leather or woven string.

Choose a category of charms that interests you and expresses your unique personality. There are many choices such as flowers, sports, life events, pets and animals, etc.

Let others know the what charms you are interested in collecting.

As charms are added, keep a list of the date received, the occasion and the gift giver.

Here are some great gift ideas to begin

charm bracelets for girls

of all ages and stages of their lives.

Preschool Children: Have some fun and show the kids how to make a charm bracelet by cutting out the letters from a cereal box and thread them through yarn or light string. They\’ll love them.

Tweens and Teens: Mom\’s, Dad\’s and grandparents can get begin a new tradition by starting a charm bracelet collection for their daughters or grand daughters first teen birthday. Begin by simply choosing a \”favorites\” theme like sports, pets, church, school, holiday, music or many others to personalize the bracelet. This is a gift that will have special meaning and be cherished throughout the years.

Best Friends: What better way is there to show your friendship than to share your memories together with a charm bracelet? Each friend begins by giving the other a charm bracelet. With time, each can add new charms that are reminders of the time and places they shared together.

Collecting charm bracelets for girls is that special gift that keeps on giving.

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Red Cross reveals it told U.S. officials about Koran disrespect on multiple occasions

Friday, May 20, 2005

An International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) spokesman in Washington revealed Wednesday it had documented and reported to the United States credible information concerning desecration of the Koran by Guantanamo Bay personnel between January 2002 and January 2003.

The ICRC rarely discloses publicly the contents of the confidential reports it gives to governments.

Simon Schorno, Red Cross spokesman, said the ICRC’s concerns were mentioned multiple times to Pentagon officials in their reports.

ICRC delegates have had access to Guantanamo Bay detainees since 2002 and have compiled and corroborated independent reports from detainees about desecration of the Koran numerous times to Guantanamo Bay commanders and Pentagon officials, said Mr. Schorno. The ICRC representatives never observed any such incidents themselves, however.

Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman, acknowledged that allegations were made on “rare occasions” but were uncorroborated.

Mr. Schorno disputed the Pentagon’s denial saying, “All information we received were corroborated allegations.” He added that, “We certainly corroborated mentions of the events by detainees themselves,” and that “the ICRC considers such reports “very seriously, and very carefully, and [we] document everything.”

The reports ceased after January 19, 2003, when the Defense Department issued three pages of guidelines on proper treatment of Korans, according to Mr. Schorno. On Wednesday Mr. Schorno gave credit for addressing the issue, saying, “We brought it up to the attention of the authorities, and it was followed through.”

Some Muslim news agencies are still reacting to last week’s Newsweek article alleging Korans had been thrown into Guantanamo Bay toilets. The Jordanian newspaper Al-Dustur reported that some Middle Eastern TV stations were broadcasting images of Korans shredded by US forces in one Iraqi mosque.

New York-based Human Rights Watch special counsel Reed Brody said Wednesday that the White House’s response to Newsweek’s report of the desecrations should be fully investigated and that “those who ordered or condoned this abuse, [should] not attack those who have tried to report on it.”

However, Scott McClellan explained in a press conference last Tuesday that the White House is not trying to tell Newsweek what to print. McClellan said, “Look, this report caused serious damage to the image of the United States abroad. And Newsweek has said that they got it wrong. I think Newsweek recognizes the responsibility they have. We appreciate the step that they took by retracting the story. Now we would encourage them to move forward and do all that they can to help repair the damage that has been done by this report. And that’s all I’m saying. But, no, you’re absolutely right, it’s not my position to get into telling people what they can and cannot report.”

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