Swine Flu, Chinese Muslims from Gitmo to Settle in US, Witch Hunt for 'Torturers', Cap-and-Trade Tax

1) Outbreak in Mexico, U.S. tied to new swine flu Source of unique virus a mystery; CDC announces additional case in Calif. The unique strain of swine flu found in California and Texas has been connected to the deadly flu that has broken out in Mexico, killing as many as 61 people, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control has confirmed.  The strain has never been seen before and is raising fears of a possible pandemic across North America. …It first looked mostly like a swine virus but closer analysis showed it is a never-before-seen mixture of swine, human and avian viruses. …Mexico canceled classes for millions of children in its sprawling capital city and surrounding area on Friday. …The U.S. cases are a growing medical mystery because it's unclear how they caught the virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said none of the eight people were in contact with pigs, which is how people usually catch swine flu. And only a few were in contact with each other. …Still, health officials said it's not a cause for public alarm. Worldwide, seasonal flu kills between 250,000 and 500,000 people in an average year. Plus, testing indicates some mainstream antiviral medications seem to work against the new swine virus. See: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30386163/ 1a) Related: Travel advisory warns of severe respiratory illness in Mexico See: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/04/23/respiratory-illness-flu-mexico.html 2) U.S. plans to accept several Chinese Muslims from Guantanamo Reporting from Washington -- The Obama administration is preparing to admit into the United States as many as seven Chinese Muslims who have been imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay in the first release of any of the detainees into this country, according to current and former U.S. officials. See: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-gitmo-release24-2009apr24,0,7979465.story 3) Conservative reps. want Napolitano out House Republicans are calling on Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to step down or be fired in the wake of a controversial department memo that has sparked indignant battle cries from conservatives and some veterans.  “Singling out political opponents for working against the ruling party is precisely the tactic of every tyrannical government from Red China to Venezuela," said Texas Rep. John Carter, a member of the party's elected leadership who has organized an hour of floor speeches Wednesday night to call for Napolitano's ouster. “The first step in the process is creating unfounded public suspicion of political opponents, followed by arresting and jailing any who continue speaking against the regime.” See: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0409/21606.html 3a) Homeland Security replacing intel official The head of the Homeland Security agency responsible for a controversial report that suggested veterans were being recruited to commit terrorist acts in the U.S. is being replaced by a former FBI and CIA official.  Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced in a statement late Thursday afternoon that the White House intends to nominate Philip Mudd as undersecretary for intelligence and analysis. Mr. Mudd is a 24-year career FBI official, who currently serves as the associate executive assistant director of the bureau's national security branch. …which is just symbolism over substance. Ultimately Napolitano should resign, but the report really came with Obama’s blessing. Don’t tell me he didn’t know what his DHS secretary was doing.   See: http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/apr/24/homeland-security-replaces-veterans-report-agency-/ 4) McCain: Torture Probe Will Be A "Witch Hunt" Sen. John McCain warned that a pursuit for charges against Bush administration officials who helped design harsh interrogation tactics used on terrorist suspects would turn into a "witch hunt." …On Wednesday, McCain and Sens. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., sent President Obama a letter expressing strong concern over his decision to leave the door open to the possible prosecution of officials who crafted controversial Bush administration policy on detainee interrogations.  "Pursuing such prosecutions would, we believe, have serious negative effects on the candor with which officials in any administration provide their best advice, and would take our country in a backward-looking direction at a time when our detainee-related challenges demand that we look forward," the letter said. See: http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/04/23/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry4963412.shtml 5) To get votes, Waxman offers cap-and-trade breaks Green says Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., who heads the panel, is trying to entice him into voting for the bill by giving some refineries favorable treatment in the administration’s “cap and trade” system, which is expected to generate hundreds of billions of dollars over the coming years. Under the plan, companies would pay for the right to emit carbon dioxide, but Green and other lawmakers are angling to get a free pass for refineries in their districts. …While Shimkus acknowledged that closed-door negotiating was “just a way of doing business” in Congress, he said offering emission allowances for votes may take the process beyond ethical boundaries. See: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/To-get-votes-Waxman-offers-cap-and-trade-breaks_04_24-43592342.html 5a) Dingell grills Gore Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) didn't give his friend Al Gore a free pass when he questioned the former VP during his House testimony today. "Cap and trade is a tax, and it's a great big one," Dingell said.  He pushed Gore to explain why adopting cap-and-trade wouldn't lead to the same failures Europe encountered with such policies. And he pushed the former VP to explain why America should make such a sacrifice when other big polluters are not. See: http://briefingroom.thehill.com/2009/04/24/dingell-grills-gore/ 6) The slow takeover…Treasury lends $2 billion more to General Motors WASHINGTON – Taxpayers invested another $2 billion in General Motors Corp. this week as the struggling auto giant continued efforts to restructure and avoid bankruptcy cour See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090424/ap_on_bi_ge/us_auto_bailout 7) Bank industry to hear results of 'stress tests' …When senior White House adviser David Axelrod was asked in an interview last week with The Associated Press about a separate plan to buy up banks' assets, he replied, "Let's see what happens once the stress tests are done and the capital needs of banks are determined."  A draft report from top regulators said the government may end up acquiring a significant ownership stake in banks, according to an article Friday in The Wall Street Journal. However, the draft report from the Financial Stability Oversight Board says U.S. ownership of individual firms "is not an objective," and that any such occurrence would be temporary, the Journal said. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090424/ap_on_bi_ge/us_banks_stress_tests 8) Obama touts plan to change college loan system The administration has pushed for federal financial aid to go directly to students, not to banks that lend money to students. Obama said he wants to eliminate the "middle men" lenders that he says add inefficiency to the system — a move he said could open classrooms to 8.5 million more students. Let’s see. We’ve got the banks already. Yeah, let’s just take this sector over directly too. None of this middle man stuff.   See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090424/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_college_costs 9) China parades naval might BEIJING: China paraded its warships and nuclear submarines on Thursday in an unprecedented display of maritime might attended by 14 other nations to mark the 60th anniversary of its navy.  Fifty-six Chinese subs, destroyers, frigates, missile boats and planes were displayed off the eastern port city of Qingdao just weeks after tensions flared following a naval stand-off with the United States in the South China Sea.  The review -- only the fourth to take place since 1949 and the first on such a large and international scale -- was opened by two of China's nuclear-powered submarines, the first time in history they have been unveiled to the public. See: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4440663.cms 10) Defiant Taliban Forces Advance To Within 60 Miles of Islamabad ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, April 23 -- Taliban forces consolidated control of two northwestern Pakistan districts and sent patrols into a third Thursday, stepping up their defiance of a government peace deal and raising fears of further advances by violent Islamists who are now within 60 miles of this capital city. See: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/22/AR2009042200863.html 11) State threatens locals: Marry 'gays' – or else Attorney general: 'We must live by and follow what the courts decide' …However, a letter sent to county recorders by the Alliance Defense Fund says Miller is forgetting completely about "one of the most foundational rights and liberties we enjoy as Iowans" … "the right of conscience."  "This right is based upon the simple truth that it is wrong to force anyone to violate his or her conscience," said the letter, also from the Iowa Family Policy Council.  …"This policy allows an employee who does not wish to violate his or her own conscience by issuing a marriage license to a same-sex couple to abstain and allow the transaction to be performed by someone who is willing to do it," he said. "Forcing them to participate in offensive acts contrary to their deeply held beliefs in order to remain employed is unconstitutional. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=95919 11a) Connecticut Gov. Rell Signs Gay Marriage Bill Both the House and the Senate spent hours yesterday debating Senate Bill 899, which passed only after an amendment was added that provides an exemption to groups who object to same-sex marriage on religious grounds. See: http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hcu-gaymarriage-0423,0,664738.story