Help The Middle ClassNews and Information For The Heart Of America
Pandemic Update: Do Masks Keep You From Spreading Illness?
In Mexico City, the government ran out of surgical masks after handing them out to one of every five residents.
Manufacturers and pharmacies in Europe are also reporting a surge in demand for face masks. And a Texas-based surgical mask producer says it’s ramping up to meet demand and expects a shortage of masks.
But their real [...]
Obama Chides Colleges to Curb Spiraling Tuition
President Obama challenged college and university officials on Monday “to put affordability front and center as they chart a path forward.” The president’s not-so-subtle message was that America’s system of higher education should cut waste and inefficiency, just as he has urged America’s government to do, to counter spiraling tuition costs.
Mr. Obama also promised to [...]
Sebelius Wins Senate Confirmation as Health Secretary Nominee
Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius has won Senate confirmation to serve as the nation’s health and human services secretary.
She already has a public health emergency on her hands with the swine flu sickening dozens of Americans.
The 65-31 vote came after Democrats urged quick action so that Sebelius could get to work leading the federal response to [...]
New York City Health Commissioner: ‘Many Hundreds’ of School Students Sick With Suspected Swine Flu – Infectious Disease
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg says two people are hospitalized with suspected swine flu.
City Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden also said Tuesday that “many hundreds” of schoolchildren are sick with suspected cases of swine flu.
Bloomberg says the hospitalizations are separate from the outbreak at a private school in Queens.
The mayor says the hospitalized are a child [...]
Treasury Secretary Geithner, Member and Overseer of Finance Club – NYTimes.com
Editorial Note: The following New York Times article is an examination of Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner’s past five years as president of the New York Fed during an era of unbridled and ultimately disastrous risk-taking by the financial industry. This account shows that Mr. Geithner forged unusually close relationships with executives [...]
Treasury Is Close to Deal With Chrysler’s Big Creditors
The Treasury Department has worked out a preliminary agreement with Chrysler’s largest secured creditors that, if approved, may keep the company out of bankruptcy court, two people briefed on the matter said on Tuesday.
Chrysler has about $6.9 billion in secured debt owned by big banks like Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase and a group of hedge [...]
Senator Arlen Specter Switching To Democratic Party
Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania said on Tuesday he would switch to the Democratic party, presenting Democrats with a possible 60th vote and the power to break Senate filibusters as they try to advance the Obama administration’s new agenda.
In a statement issued about noon as the Capitol was digesting the stunning turn of events, Mr. [...]
How to Deal with Swine Flu: Heeding the Mistakes of 1976
In February 1976, an outbreak of swine flu struck Fort Dix Army base in New Jersey, killing a 19-year-old private and infecting hundreds of soldiers. Concerned that the U.S. was on the verge of a devastating epidemic, President Gerald Ford ordered a nationwide vaccination program at a cost of $135 million (some $500 million in [...]
Treasury Has New Mortgage Incentives: Official
The U.S. Treasury Department will on Tuesday tap a $50 billion housing rescue fund to pay off mortgage investors and reduce monthly payments for millions of borrowers, said a senior administration official.
Mortgage servicers that own a small stake in costly loans will receive a cash payment to either erase the debt or agree to accept [...]
Opinion-L.A. Times/Jonah Goldberg: Obama’s Arrogance Will Be His Undoing
The most remarkable, or certainly the least remarked on, aspect of Barack Obama’s first 100 days has been the infectious arrogance of his presidency.
There’s no denying that this is liberalism’s greatest opportunity for wish fulfillment since at least 1964. But to listen to Democrats, the only check on their ambition is the limits of their [...]
