| HealthMarket critiqued
A multi-state market conduct review of health insurance company HealthMarkets Inc. by state insurance departments was critical of the company's consumer disclosures, oversight and training of agents, claims handling and complaint handling practices. .
A few of Peterson's soups that sing
Chop or shred it into bite-size pieces and put it back in the soup. If you used ham hocks, pull the rind away from the hocks and discard the rind. Pull the meat away and add it to the soup. If you like, puree the soup for a few seconds with an immersion blender to give it a little richer consistency. But be sure to keep it identifiably lumpy. Ladle the soup into serving bowls. Pass the hot pepper sauce and sour cream at the table. Makes about 2 quarts. Freezes well. -- "Cooking" by James Peterson (Ten Speed, 2007) .
Health officials keeping eye on drug-resistant flu strain
In other news, the CDC reported Friday that this season, the flu has killed 10 U.S. children. Bresee said the deaths are "not totally unexpected," given the rate of 44 to 73 child flu deaths the last few years; the agency continues to monitor the fatality rate.
Four of the young flu victims also had been infected with staph bacteria. Experts said patients who are weakened by flu often are more vulnerable to staph and other secondary infections.
Illinois officials said they have seen more flu cases occur in recent weeks, which is normal for this time of year. Although it's too soon to judge whether this flu season is worse than normal, several factors could increase the toll.
For one thing, this season's flu vaccine is not a perfect match with the viruses that are infecting people.
Israel Remembers 9/11 Terror Attacks
From the shades of Pollard with which it began, it is boiling down to the possible leak of one quasi-secret (more like an op-ed, according to one official), unconsummated (there still is no approved directive on Iran) policy musing by a mid-level Pentagon employee." Singer adds: "This compared to the near-certainty that some bureaucrats illegally leaked their own investigation, all but ruining the lives of a number of patriotic Americans and impugning the political legitimacy of millions of pro-Israel Americans and the organization that proudly represents them. Other organizations, such as the ACLU, should join the Anti-Defamation League in calling for the appointment of a special counsel to find and prosecute the leakers for abuse of office and other crimes." Those behind the 9/11 terror attacks must be smiling as their propaganda and their "divide and conquer" tactics used to draw fire between Israel and US makes global headlines.
New horizons
Tuscany's picturesque medieval towns and rolling hills have long lured frazzled city dwellers but Europe has plenty of other beautiful rural retreats. One of the most spectacular is northern Spain's Asturias region. Sandwiched between the Picos de Europa mountain range and the magnificent coast, Asturias is a verdant, wild place. In addition to its 193 beaches, a third of the region consists of national parks or biospheres, filled with steep valleys and gorges and glacial mountain rivers. The area's beech and oak forests are home to animals such as brown bear, deer, boars and otters. Burn some energy horse riding, canoeing, mountain-biking and caving, or simply following some of the spectacular walking trails. If you're travelling with the kids, head for the Jurassic museum in Colunga (which includes 20 dinosaur models) or the Children's Palace in the Parque de Invierno.
Great Aloha Run Expo 2008
The Great Aloha Run Family Fitness Expo, opens at 4pm tonight for everyone, continues at the Blaisdell Exhibition Hall and features more than 200 booths that focus on health, financial services, travel, beauty, diet and more. Manolo has a preview with Carol Kai on the event this morning.NBC Exhibition Hall, 528-7388 ... .
Behind the Edwards Surge: Right Message at the Right Time
Much was made of Illinois Senator Barack Obama's superb speech to a huge crowd of Iowa Democrats at the mid-November Jefferson-Jackson Day dinner in Des Moines. Without a doubt, it helped to propel Obama ahead of New York Senator Hillary Clinton in polls conducted in the weeks after the event. But Obama's speech in November may not turn out to be the definitional statement of the fight for Iowa. What could turn out to be the most critical comment of the campaign came from John Edwards in the last debate between the Democratic contenders — and the former senator from North Carolina may well claim the caucus-night victory that is the reward for delivering the right message at the right time. It wasn't a great rhetorical flourish. It wasn't even a new statement.
A super Tuesday for Republicans
The rush of primaries this week all but handed the Republican nomination to John McCain, but the fight between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama is going to drag on, at least for weeks and perhaps for months. The risk for the Democrats is clear. Mr McCain can start to rally support among the party's conservatives and evangelicals – at best cool towards him – and begin campaigning against the Democrats. Mrs Clinton and Mr Obama will be concentrating on each other. This is not how it was supposed to be. It was the Republicans who lacked a candidate with broad appeal across the party. It was the Republicans who, demoralised by the unpopularity of the Bush administration and longing in vain for an heir to Ronald Reagan, would expend their depleted energies on internecine squabbles.
NY takes on smoking in kids' movies
The Health Department's new campaign calls for certifying in closing credits that people involved with a film weren't paid to promote tobacco products. Daines also wants anti-smoking ads to run before every film that shows tobacco use. And the campaign encourages the film industry to stop naming and prominently showing tobacco brands. In movies about historical figures who smoked, the 'R' rating could be suspended, Daines said. A 2003 study published in the journal Lancet followed the movie-watching habits of thousands of children and teenagers who never smoked. Between 13 and 26 months after the initial contact, the study found that 17 percent of those who had the highest exposure to movies depicting tobacco use had started smoking. That's compared with 3 percent who saw the least.
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