Obama: U.S. to use 'every resource' on flu
WASHINGTON, May 2 (UPI) -- President Barack Obama Saturday said the United States will use "every resource necessary" to prevent a wider outbreak of the H1N1 flu virus.
In his weekly address to the nation, the president recapped the steps his administration has taken in response to the outbreak. He noted that the H1N1 strain in the United States has not been as virulent as the strain in Mexico but he said it is impossible to know whether the virus will mutate into a potentially more deadly strain.
"As our scientists and researchers learn more information about this virus every day, the guidance we offer will likely change," he said. "What will not change is the fact that we'll be making every recommendation based on the best science possible.
"We will also continue investing in every resource necessary to treat this virus and prevent a wider outbreak," the president said.
Obama said the current H1N1 strain "can be defeated" with an anti-viral treatment already available. He said the United States began the week with 50 million courses of the treatment, and 25 percent of the stockpile has been sent to states -- and the federal government has purchased 13 more treatments to restore the stockpile.
"Out of an abundance of caution, I have also asked Congress for $1.5 billion if it is needed to purchase additional anti-virals, emergency equipment, and the development of a vaccine that can prevent this virus as we prepare for the next flu season in the fall," he said.
Obama reiterated that people should stay home from work or school if they exhibit symptoms.
"It is my greatest hope and prayer that all of these precautions and preparations prove unnecessary," he said. "But because we have it within our power to limit the potential damage of this virus, we have a solemn and urgent responsibility to take the necessary steps."
Mexico shutdown empties tourist spots
MEXICO CITY, May 2 (UPI) -- Mexico's decision to impose a five-day shutdown of all non-essential businesses as a swine flu precaution is dealing it an economic blow, observers say.
With an economy that's already been battered by the recession, this week's decree by President Felipe Calderon to close businesses, especially those that cater to Mexico's vital tourist trade, has left former hot spots such as Mexico City's Zocalo public square deserted, ABC Radio News reported Saturday.
Tourists were already being scared away by the swine flu outbreak, but some, such as French tourist Gerald Camy, had come to Mexico anyway, telling ABC Radio that while the outbreak made his Mexico trip "a little bit complicated … it's not really a problem," and he didn't think about canceling the trip because "I think it's a little psychotic."
But when asked how much damage the shutdown is doing to the economy, Mexico City resident Alberto Renau told the broadcaster, "A lot, because all the restaurants and all the economy is shut down. We only have now working the supermarkets -- and the basic things to live. Many people don't have a salary to live. Many people live a day (at a time), so it is very hard."
Chinese officials take swine flu measures
BEIJING, May 2 (UPI) -- China's health minister says the country must immediately implement preventative measures to guard against the possible spread of the swine flu.
Chen Zhu, a hematologist turned official, conducted an emergency teleconference Friday in Beijing during which he ordered local health authorities to designate hospitals to specialize in treating the new flu virus variant and asked medical workers to closely monitor outpatients who have pneumonia or flu-like symptoms, the state-run Chinese news agency Xinhua reported.
Chen also reportedly asked local health officials to track people who report to hospitals with the H1N1 type A virus or who travel to either Mexico or the United States, which have confirmed the most cases of the swine flu.
Chen's orders came one day after Chinese President Hu Jintao convened an emergency top-level meeting to discuss how to deal with any possible H1N1 influenza epidemic in China. In the meeting, Hu and other top leaders heard briefings on the country's swine flu preparedness, Xinhua reported.
Obama Court choice could sail to approval
WASHINGTON, May 2 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama will have little trouble getting a liberal choice for a new Supreme Court justice approved by the Senate, analysts say.
With Democrats holding 59 Senate seats, and perhaps 60 when the outcome of the Minnesota election is decided by the courts, Obama's choice to succeed the retiring Associate Justice David Souter has the potential to sail through the confirmation process, McClatchy News Service reported Saturday.
"The average voter looks and says, `Is this person qualified?'" said Thomas Keck, professor of constitutional law and politics at Syracuse University. "If he or she is, and doesn't appear crazy, they think they should be confirmed."
"It's safe to say that the president is in the position to get a mainstream liberal confirmed to the court fairly easily," Bradford Berenson, a former associate White House counsel to Bush who once clerked for Justice Anthony Kennedy, told McClatchy.
The Senate Judiciary Committee will likely include 11 Democrats and eight Republicans, with two of the most veteran conservatives, Sens. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, both carrying reputations of working with Democrats, the news service said.
