| H1N1 shots to be sent to 100 developing nations

H1N1-shots-to-be-sent-to-100-developing-nations HAVANA - The World Health Organization plans to distribute 200 million doses of swine flu vaccine to 100 developing countries.

WHO secretary-general Margaret Chan says shipments could begin next month.

Cuba is on the list of recipients. State media reports that Cuba will accept vaccines, putting aside previous skepticism about their effectiveness.

The communist government previously said it would rely on the army sealing off areas where the virus is spreading and mass quarantines to fight swine flu.

Cuba has reported seven deaths and 793 confirmed cases.

The WHO says nearly 5,000 swine flu deaths have been reported worldwide.

Chan spoke Wednesday at the end of a four-day visit to the island.

- | H1N1 shots to be sent to 100 developing nations |

| Dems eye insurance antitrust protections

Dems-eye-insurance-antitrust-protections WASHINGTON - Democrats launched a drive at both ends of the Capitol on Wednesday to strip the insurance industry of its decades-old exemption from federal antitrust laws, part of an increasingly bare-knuckled struggle over landmark health care legislation sought by President Barack Obama.

If enacted, the change would put an end to price-fixing, bid-rigging and market allocation in the health and medical malpractice insurance areas, said Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Leahy said he would seek a vote on the plan when the Senate debates health care legislation in the next few weeks.

Leahy made his comments at the same time the House Judiciary Committee voted 20-9 to end an industry exemption that dates to 1945. Three Republicans supported the move.

Senior Democratic officials said the leadership was inclined to incorporate the measure into the broader health care bill expected to be brought to the floor for a vote within a few weeks. No final decision has been made, they added.

Taken together, the actions reflect the fury Democrats have shown in response to recent insurance industry attempts to influence the shape of legislation. The events occurred less than a week after the insurers trade association issued a report saying a measure that cleared the Senate Finance Committee would produce sharp increases in premiums for millions who currently have insurance.

Democrats and the White House reacted angrily, attacking the study as flawed and politically motivated.

Responding to the days developments, the industry said the legislation was based on a misperception of existing law. We believe that health insurers have not been engaging in anticompetitive conduct and that McCarran-Ferguson does not provide a shield for such conduct, Karen Ignagni, president and CEO of Americans Health Insurance Plans wrote to Rep. John Conyers, the Michigan Democrat who chairs the Houses Judiciary Committee.

Thus, the bills attempt to remedy a problem that does not exist.

The flurry over antitrust law occurred as the Senate neared a vote on legislation to give doctors who treat Medicare patients an additional $247 billion in fees over the next decade. The measure would add to the deficit, and as a result, it appeared unlikely to gain the 60 votes needed to advance.

The bills demise would mark a defeat for the American Medical Association, which has lobbied furiously for its passage. The Senate Majority Leader, Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, told reporters that without 60 votes in its favor, he was prepared to set the issue aside and return to it after passage of the broader health care bill.

The developments came as Democrats struggled in both houses of Congress to enact Obamas call for legislation to expand health care to millions who lack insurance, provide greater consumer protections to millions more, and rein in the cost of medical care in general.

In the Senate, Reid, key committee chairmen and White House aides are at work crafting legislation the Senate can vote on later this fall.

The House is also on track for a vote this fall, although weeks of private negotiations among Democrats have yet to produce agreement on a bill.

Among the most controversial unresolved issues concerns proposals for the government to sell insurance in competition with private companies.

The House bill is certain to include such a provision, although the rank and file have yet to come to an agreement on key details, slowing action on the overall measure.

It is unclear what type of so-called public option will be incorporated into the Senate measure, where Democratic moderates are wary of the idea, even though public polling consistently shows its popularity.

Until recently, the insurance industry has played a noncommittal role as legislative proposals developed in both houses of Congress. AHIP announced months ago it supported comprehensive health care reform and Obama called on Ignagni to speak at a televised White House event designed to showcase widespread agreement that the time had come to change the current system.

Essentially, industry offered a trade. It agreed to abandon practices such as denying coverage on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions if the legislation required nearly universal coverage, a step that would give it access to millions of new customers. At the same time, it vigorously opposes any legislation that would allow the government to sell insurance.

The tone began to change when the Finance Committee voted to excuse an estimated two million lower income Americans from a requirement to purchase insurance, at the same time it greatly reduced the penalties for those who were still covered, but refused to buy coverage.

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| Egyptian tombs flooded by faulty ancient ‘trick’

Egyptian-tombs-flooded-by-faulty-ancient-‘trick’ A trick used by ancient Egyptians to exploit cracks in Earth to make tomb-digging easier has come back to haunt the Valley of the Kings, new evidence suggests.

While the natural fractures were followed to carve out burial sites, several instances show, rare heavy rainfall events can flood the tombs. Archaeologists are racing to map and photograph the tombs to better preserve their contents and figure out ways to divert the rain.

We have seen evidence of seven separate flood events in four tombs so far, said Penn State researcher Katarin A. Parizek.

Parizek had noticed that some tombs in the Valley of Kings, in Luxor, Egypt, were aligned with surface fractures that can be between 5 and 40 feet wide and up to a mile long. The fractured rock would have made for easier tomb digging, she figures. Of the 63 tombs in the area, 30 have so far been found to lie on fractures, while two lie diagonal to a trace and one is not on a fracture.

From my observations, it seems that tomb builders may have intentionally exploited these avenues of less resistant limestone when creating tombs, Parizek said.

When tombs are created under the cracks, water can flow in and destroy paintings on the walls and ceilings and cause the interior surfaces to flake off. But if scientists divert water away from entrances to known tombs, they might send it to another tomb that has yet to be discovered.

The geological information Parizek and her team gather is helping archaeologists to plan better ways to stop the flooding of both known and unknown tombs by diverting the water away from traces and exposed entrances.

Parizek is slated to present her results today at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America in Portland, Oregon.

- | Egyptian tombs flooded by faulty ancient ‘trick’ |

| Kid swap: Parents join sitter co-ops to save

Kid-swap:-Parents-join-sitter-co-ops-to-save When Jenny Iverson and her husband left Utah last year, they didnt just lose a tight-knit community of relatives. They lost their network of free baby sitters.

To make occasional date nights with her husband affordable, Iverson made a pitch to her new friends in Massachusetts: If you watch my kids, Ill watch yours.

Six months later, a baby-sitting co-op with four other families is flourishing, with each set of parents taking a slot in the rotation for a Saturday night, saving them the cost of a baby sitter. Iverson estimates shes saving $100 per month and gaining time for hikes and inexpensive dinners. As a stay-at-home mom, my job is to make the money stretch as far as I can.

As parents face reduced work hours, lower wages, layoffs and uncertainties stemming from the recession, a growing number of families are turning to baby-sitting swaps to reduce what they pay local teenagers and college students to look after their children.

To be sure, parents have partnered to share the load of child care for years, but the economy has broadened the appeal. Traditional baby sitters say business is down and some offer to work for lower rates to encourage parents seeking savings during the recession to use their services. But co-op costs can be hard to beat. Baby sitters often charge $10 per hour or more.

Gary Myers of Smart Moms Babysitting Co-op says the lingering economic downturn triggered a spike in requests for a free guide that his Tacoma, Wash.-based groups offers to parents seeking to set up new groups. Traffic on his Web site has also doubled.

Most moms have one or two people that are good friends, that are sitters, and a co-op is just like having 10 or 12, Myers said. The important things for a mom is that her kids are watched, and are safe and its a good care environment.

Co-ops sometimes are formed casually, among friends. But an increasing number are cropping up in online parent forums, local moms groups and through online postings on such sites as BabysitterExchange.Com or Craigslist.com.

Point system
And while money is not exchanged, there is often a system of earning or spending points to ensure parents involved with various co-ops are treated fairly.

A sitting parent, for example, might earn one point per each child, with a sliding scale for more kids. Some co-ops offer extra points for baby-sitting late into the night, picking up a child or traveling to another home. Others restrict the number of points awarded after children fall asleep.

Mary Pugh, a stay-at-home mom of two and a member of Iversons co-op, said the creative arrangement has helped her avoid the hassle of finding reliable baby sitters and given her family financial breathing room.

Just that sense of relief that theres just one thing we dont have to budget for, we dont have to worry about, Pugh, 27, said. This is nice because we still have so many student loans and lots of things to pay off.

During a recent baby-sitting gig, Pugh had a small group, just her 3-year-old son, Jack, 1-year-old daughter, Marian, and 3-year-old Eva, whose parents dropped her off with a hot dog, apples and other snacks to tide her over for the 3 1/2 hours they would be away.

Pugh admitted she was initially intimidated by the idea of feeding, pacifying and playing with up to eight children in the co-op until 8:30 p.m., but she gave it a try.

Follow the rules
The rules and restrictions on co-ops vary. Those among close friends can be informal, while others can be detailed, particularly regarding child safety.

Some require sitters to disclose whether there are guns or swimming pools in the home. Others require parents to indicate if a child has allergies, offer details for each kids bedtime routine, what it takes to calm them down if they cry and to disclose whether there are pets or smokers in their home.

Other co-ops require references and house visits, said Naomi Hattaway, a mother of three and member of a Cleveland-based group.

The group has rejected multiple applications because none of the existing members could vouch for the applicants, said Hattaway, 33.

During the summer of last year, we probably had two or three new members each week that requested to join, said Hattaway, who says she saves at least $200 a month. People have used it more as the economy has gotten worse.

- | Kid swap: Parents join sitter co-ops to save |

| Consumers cut borrowing by $12 billion

Consumers-cut-borrowing-by-$12-billion WASHINGTON - U.S. consumers reduced their borrowing for the seventh straight month in August, as households worked to pay off debt and banks reduced credit card limits.

Americans are saving more and borrowing less as widespread job losses, stagnant wages and dwindling home values have spurred a move to greater frugality. While thats a positive trend in the long run, economists say, it can weaken the fledgling recovery as consumer spending powers about 70 percent of the economy.

The Federal Reserve said Wednesday that total consumer debt outstanding fell in August by $12 billion, a 5.8 percent annual rate. Wall Street economists expected a $10 billion decline.

That follows a downwardly revised drop of $19 billion, or 9.1 percent, in July, the largest decline in dollar terms on records dating from 1943. Julys decrease was the steepest percentage drop since a 16.3 percent decline in June 1975.

Consumers are clearly becoming much more conservative about their spending habits paying down debts, said Zach Pandl, an economist at Nomura Securities. This is likely to continue.

The declines reflect both a drop in demand for credit by consumers, as well as tighter standards among banks and other lenders.

Total consumer credit outstanding is now $2.46 trillion, down about 4.6 percent from its peak in July. The Feds report covers credit cards, store cards, auto and other personal loans. It doesnt include mortgages or other real-estate related debt.

The retrenchment in August occurred even as consumer spending increased 1.3 percent, according to a report last week from the Commerce Department. That suggests consumers are increasingly buying with cash rather than credit, Pandl said.

The Cash for Clunkers auto rebate program helped boost personal spending in August. Economists noted that auto loans and other non-revolving debt dropped only 1.6 percent that month, according to the Fed, compared with a 12.6 percent fall in July.

Credit card debt, meanwhile, fell 13.1 percent, its steepest drop since February.

That may also reflect cuts in card limits. A report earlier this year by FICO, which produces the most widely known credit scores, found that companies slashed limits for an estimated 58 million card holders in the 12 months ended in April.

Consumers also are likely to restrain spending as long as jobs remain scarce. The Labor Department reported last week that the unemployment rate rose to 9.8 percent in September, the highest in 26 years. Many economists believe the rate will peak above 10 percent sometime next year.

Retailers already are bracing for another meager holiday season. The National Retail Federation said Tuesday that it expects sales during November and December to fall 1 percent from last year. While thats not as steep a drop as in 2008, last years holiday sales saw the worst annual drop on records dating to 1967.

The NRF also expects retail sales for all of 2009 to fall 3 percent.

- | Consumers cut borrowing by $12 billion |

| 12 surprising signs you’ll live to 100

12-surprising-signs-you’ll-live-to-100 Youre the life of the party
Outgoing people are 50 percent less likely to develop dementia, according to a recent study of more than 500 men and women age 78 and older from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. Participants also described themselves as not easily stressed.

Researchers speculate that their more resilient brains may be due to lower levels of cortisol — studies show that oversecretion of this stress hormone can inhibit brain cells communication. Science-backed ways to cut cortisol levels: Meditate, sip black tea, or take a nap.

You run for 40 minutes a day
Scientists in California found that middle-aged people who did just that — for a total of about 5 hours per week — lived longer and functioned better physically and cognitively as they got older; the researchers tracked runners and nonrunners for 21 years.

What surprised us is that the runners didnt just get less heart disease — they also developed fewer cases of cancer, neurologic diseases, and infections, says study author Eliza Chakravarty, MD, an assistant professor of medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine. Aerobic exercise keeps the immune system young. If you dont like to run, even 20 minutes a day of any activity that leaves you breathless can boost your health, she says.

You like raspberries in your oatmeal
Most Americans eat 14 to 17 g of fiber per day; add just 10 g and reduce your risk of dying from heart disease by 17 percent, according to a Netherlands study. Dietary fiber helps reduce total and LDL cholesterol, improve insulin sensitivity, and boost weight loss. One easy fix: Top your oatmeal with 1 cup of raspberries and you get 12 g of fiber in just one meal.

Try some of these other potent fiber-rich foods: ½ cup of 100 percent bran cereal , ½ cup of cooked lentils , ½ cup of cooked black beans , one medium sweet potato , one small pear .

You feel 13 years younger than you are
Thats what older people in good health said in a recent survey of more than 500 men and women age 70 and older. Feeling youthful is linked to better health and a longer life, says researcher Jacqui Smith, PhD, professor of psychology at the University of Michigan. It can improve optimism and motivation to overcome challenges, which helps reduce stress and boost your immune system and ultimately lowers your risk of disease.

You embrace techie trends
Learn to Twitter or Skype to help keep brain cells young and healthy, says Sherri Snelling, senior director for Evercare , a group that sponsors an annual poll of U.S. centenarians. Many of the oldest Americans send e-mails, Google lost friends, and even date online. Researchers say using the latest technology helps keep us not only mentally spry but socially engaged: Stay connected to friends, family, and current events, and you feel vital and relevant, says Snelling.

You started menopause after age 52
Studies show that naturally experiencing it later can mean an increased life span. One reason: Women who go through menopause late have a much lower risk of heart disease, says Mary Jane Minkin, MD, clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Yale University School of Medicine.

You make every calorie count
Researchers in St. Louis reported that men and women who limited their daily calories to 1,400 to 2,000 were literally young at heart — their hearts functioned like those of people 15 years younger. Its about not just eating less but getting the most nutrition per calorie, says study author Luigi Fontana, MD, PhD, associate professor of medicine at Washington University School of Medicine. Study subjects stuck to vegetables, whole grains, fat-free milk, and lean meat and nixed white bread, soda, and candy. If you cut empty calories and eat more nutrient-rich foods, your health will improve, says Fontana. To find out how many calories you need to maintain a healthy weight, go to prevention.com/caloriecalculator.

You had a baby later in life
If you got pregnant naturally after age 44, youre about 15 percent less likely to die during any year after age 50 than your friends who had their babies before age 40, reports a recent University of Utah study.

If your ovaries are healthy and you are capable of having children at that age, thats a marker that you have genes operating that will help you live longer, says lead researcher Ken R. Smith, PhD, professor of human development at the university.

Your pulse beats 15 times in 15 seconds
That equates to 60 beats per minute — or how many times a healthy heart beats at rest. Most people have resting rates between 60 and 100 bpm, though the closer to the lower end of the spectrum, the healthier. A slower pulse means your heart doesnt have to work as hard and could last longer, says Leslie Cho, MD, director of the Womens Cardiovascular Center at the Cleveland Clinic.

You dont snore
Snoring is a major sign of obstructive sleep apnea, a disorder that causes you to stop breathing briefly because throat tissue collapses and blocks your airway. In severe cases, this can happen 60 to 70 times per hour.

Sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure, memory problems, weight gain, and depression. An 18-year study found that people without OSA were 3 times more likely to live longer than those with severe apnea. If you snore and have excessive daytime drowsiness or mood changes, talk with your doctor about a referral to a sleep center.

You have a flat belly after menopause
Women who are too round in the middle are 20 percent more likely to die sooner , according to a National Institute on Aging study. At midlife, it takes more effort to keep waists trim because shifting hormones cause most extra weight to settle in the middle. If your waist measures 35 inches or more , take these steps:

1. Work two or three 20-minute strength-training sessions into your weekly exercise regimen to preserve lean muscle mass and rev metabolism.

2. Eat a daily serving of omega-3s to help combat inflammation and seven daily servings of fruits and vegetables, loaded with disease-fighting antioxidants.

3. Get 25 percent of your daily calories from healthy fats — such as monounsaturated fatty acids — which protect your heart and may help you store less fat in your belly .

You get your blood tested for vitamin D levels
For optimal disease protection, we need at least 30 nanograms of vitamin D per milliliter of blood, reports a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Nearly 80 percent of Americans have less than that. Vitamin D not only helps bones ward off osteoporosis but may also reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease, and infection, says lead researcher Adit A. Ginde, MD, MPH, an assistant professor of surgery at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine. If needed, you can take a daily supplement to get your numbers up. Doctors can measure your levels with a simple blood test, but periodic monitoring may be necessary — vitamin D turns toxic at 100 to 150 ng/mL.

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| Calif GOP eyes 2010 governor Senate races

Calif.-GOP-eyes-2010-governor,-Senate-races INDIAN WELLS, Calif. - California Republicans spent much of their weekend convention soul-searching over the battered partys future and debating a plan of attack for 2010, when they hope to capitalize on anti-tax protests and growing national conservative anger over President Barack Obamas health care proposals.

Most of the attention during their three-day convention at a resort near Palm Springs was on the three GOP gubernatorial candidates, former eBay chief executive Meg Whitman, state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner and former five-term congressman Tom Campbell.

They sought to contrast their Republican credentials with somber messages that contrasted with the flashier tenure of the man theyre hoping to succeed, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose term ends in 2011.

The moderate GOP governor has never been well-liked among the party stalwarts who dominate such conventions. Schwarzenegger did little to repair that relationship during a brief address Friday night, particularly when he mentioned the landmark global warming law he signed in 2006.

Too costly for businesses
Many Republicans oppose the law to curb greenhouse gas emissions because they say it will be too costly for businesses.

In a jab against Schwarzenegger and other moderates, a punchy Poizner on Saturday night urged delegates not to let outsiders sway the direction of the party.

Dont let people come in here and tell you that we need to rebrand the Republican party. Dont let anyone come in here and tell you we need to reposition the Republican party. When people come in here and tell you we need to move the Republican party to the center, that is wrong, he said to loud cheers.

Campbell and Whitman have both proposed massive spending cuts to bring Californias budget in line, although Whitman has so far declined to say where she would find the $15 billion in cuts she proposed. Poizner is pushing a proposal to lower nearly all the states taxes, but has been unable to say how much that would cost the state or how much he hopes to generate through the increased growth he says that would spur.

Meanwhile, the Republican race to challenge liberal stalwart Barbara Boxer for her U.S. Senate seat next year also gained momentum this weekend after Carly Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard chief executive, announced she is exploring a run.

Her entrance in the contest pits a socially conservative state lawmaker, Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, against a former CEO whose views are barely known to GOP voters in the state. DeVore was scheduled to address delegates Sunday. Fiorina, who is battling breast cancer, declined to attend this weekends gathering because she is in the final stages of treatment, her campaign said.

Trying to redirect attention
Whitman, a billionaire and fellow Silicon Valley executive, gave the party $250,000 for voter registration efforts before the convention. She spent much of her weekend trying to redirect attention from her spotty voting record.

Her speech Saturday did not touch on questions that have surrounded the campaign for days, after The Sacramento Bee reported there was no evidence she had ever registered to vote before 2002 and she had not registered as a Republican until 2007.

Whitman refused to answer repeated questions from reporters about her voting record, including why she didnt vote and when she first registered as a Republican.

I did not vote. I shouldve voted. It is inexcusable, she said. Ive said what Im going to say about it.

- | Calif GOP eyes 2010 governor Senate races |