Chroode

Obama declares swine flu a national emergency - Yahoo! News

Obama declares swine flu a national emergency
Philip Elliott, Associated Press Writer – 2 hrs 12 mins ago

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama declared the swine flu outbreak a national emergency and empowered his health secretary to suspend federal requirements and speed treatment for thousands of infected people.

The declaration that Obama signed late Friday authorized Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to bypass federal rules so health officials can respond more quickly to the outbreak, which has killed more than 1,000 people in the United States.

The goal is to remove bureaucratic roadblocks and make it easier for sick people to seek treatment and medical providers to provide it immediately. That could mean fewer hurdles involving Medicare, Medicaid or health privacy regulations.

"As a nation, we have prepared at all levels of government, and as individuals and communities, taking unprecedented steps to counter the emerging pandemic," Obama wrote in the declaration, which the White House announced Saturday.

He said the pandemic keeps evolving, the rates of illness are rising rapidly in many areas and there's a potential "to overburden health care resources."

Because of vaccine production delays, the government has backed off initial, optimistic estimates that as many as 120 million doses would be available by mid-October. As of Wednesday, only 11 million doses had been shipped to health departments, doctor's offices and other providers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials said.

The government now hopes to have about 50 million doses of swine flu vaccine out by mid-November and 150 million in December.

The flu virus has to be grown in chicken eggs, and the yield hasn't been as high as was initially hoped, officials explained.

Swine flu is more widespread now than it's ever been. Health authorities say almost 100 children have died from the flu, known as H1N1, and 46 states now have widespread flu activity.

Worldwide, more than 5,000 people have reportedly died from swine flu since it emerged this year and developed into a global epidemic, the World Health Organization said Friday. Since most countries have stopped counting individual swine flu cases, the figure is considered an underestimate.

Chroode

Only 5,000 have died Worldwide from the Swine Flu - IS IT ALOT OF HYPE? For what purpose?

CDC - Seasonal Influenza (Flu) - Key Facts About Seasonal Influenza (Flu)

Key Facts About Seasonal Influenza (Flu)
What is Influenza (Also Called Flu)?
The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. The best way to prevent seasonal flu is by getting a seasonal flu vaccination each year.

Every year in the United States, on average:

5% to 20% of the population gets the flu;

more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu-related complications; and

about 36,000 people die from flu-related causes.

Some people, such as older people, young children, pregnant women and people with certain health conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease), are at increased risk for serious complications from seasonal flu illness.
This flu season, scientists believe that a new and very different flu virus (called novel 2009 H1N1) may cause a lot more people to get sick than during a regular flu season. It also may cause more hospital stays and deaths than regular seasonal flu. More information about the new H1N1 flu is available here.

highvoltage

I don't see a connection.

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Chroode

Establishing martial law in the United States - SourceWatch - was written when President bush declared a national emergency due to 911/Katrina - Click the link and review everything it references. Below are the highlights.

Establishing martial law in the United States

The John W. Warner Defense Authorization Act of 2006 (PL 109-364), "named for the longtime Armed Services Committee chairman from Virginia," was signed October 17, 2006, by President George W. Bush.

The Act "has a provocative provision called 'Use of the Armed Forces in Major Public Emergencies',"

"But on closer inspection, its language also alters the two-centuries-old Insurrection Act, which Congress passed in 1807 to limit the president’s power to deploy troops within the United States ... 'to suppress, in a State, any insurrection, domestic violence, unlawful combination, or conspiracy',"

"But the amended law takes the cuffs off" and "critics say it’s a formula for executive branch mischief," Stein wrote, as "the new language adds 'natural disaster, epidemic, or other serious public health emergency, terrorist attack or incident' to the list of conditions permitting the President to take over local authority — particularly 'if domestic violence has occurred to such an extent that the constituted authorities of the State or possession are incapable of maintaining public order.'

It 'subverts solid, longstanding posse comitatus statutes that limit the military’s involvement in law enforcement, thereby making it easier for the President to declare martial law.

"The President need not wait for some emergency to occur, however. He can declare a National Emergency at any time, and freeze everything. Congress, and the States, are powerless to prevent such an Executive Dictatorship, as long as the President advises Congress in a timely matter."

This allows the government to increase domestic intelligence and surveillance of U.S. citizens and would restrict the freedom of movement within the United States and grant the government the right to isolate large groups of civilians. The National Guard could be federalized to seal all borders and take control of U.S. air space and all ports of entry." [4]

allows the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) [stated as the Federal Emergency Preparedness Agency] to "develop plans to establish control over the mechanisms of production and distribution, of energy sources, wages, salaries, credit and the flow of money in U.S. financial institution in any undefined national emergency. It also provides that when a state of emergency is declared by the President, Congress cannot review the action for six months."

The Act of August 29, 1916, which authorizes the Secretary of the Army, in time of war, to take possession of any transportation system for transporting troops, material, or any other purpose related to the emergency; and The International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which enables the President to seize the property of a foreign country or national. These powers were transferred to FEMA in a sweeping consolidation in 1979

Chroode

This national emergency, that is obiously not warranted, could give him the power to do anything, including confiscate our weapons regardless of the 2nd Amendment under the pretense of maintianing order.

automatic slim

How strange, heart disease kills 631,000/year, cancer 559,000/year,
stroke 137,000/year and it's no national emergency. Obviously just another power grab by the Obamanites. Change you can believe in.

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Patti

There's no connection to any type of gun confiscation.

For anyone looking to get a flu vaccine, here's a good website:

Find a Flu Shot Near You

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Kicker96fs

It's for the children.

torgo1968

You just listed three conditions that are almost all caused by some combination of genetics, diet, and activity or lack thereof (with a dollop of environmental factors). A highly communicable disease is something completely different.

H1N1 is probably over-hyped. It almost certainly won't kill as many people as standard flu does every year, but flu bugs are tricky and evolve very fast. Any time you are dealing with a very contagious disease that can kill young and healthy people, it's worthy of extra notice.

This isn't going to be a pretense for taking anyone's guns, sheesh.

tangoseal

They cant take our weapons as protected by our constitution. In reality you would be legal to shoot someone trying otherwise as we are directed by our constitution.

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