Global Jump in Swine Flu Deaths

As the Global Flu Pandemic kicks into high gear the United States has declared a state of emergency this has been downplayed or totally ignored by the mainstream news organizations . For news we have to go to sources outside the US.

Global jump in swine flu deaths

BBC News Friday, 30 October 2009

The number of swine flu deaths reported worldwide has jumped by more than 700 in a week, latest World Health Organization figures reveal.

More than 5,700 swine flu deaths were reported by 25 October, compared to nearly 5,000 the week before.

The biggest rise was in the Americas where 4,175 deaths have been reported, up 636 from the week before.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has shut all schools and banned public meetings for three weeks after its first swine flu death.

Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said the measures were to prevent the spread of the H1N1 virus.

Mrs Tymoshenko said there would also be restrictions on what she called non-urgent travel between different parts of Ukraine.

Cases 'unreported'

The latest WHO figures showed there had been 440,000 confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus worldwide.

But the organisation said that as many countries have stopped counting individual cases, the actual number is likely to be significantly higher.

The BBC's Imogen Foulkes says the WHO has warned for months that as winter sets in, the northern hemisphere can expect swine flu cases to rise. Now that appears to be happening.

The virus emerged in Mexico in April and was declared a global flu pandemic on 11 June.

"In the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere, influenza transmission continues to intensify, marking an unusually early start to winter influenza season in some countries," said the WHO's latest update.

Statistics showed fatal cases in Europe climbed to at least 281, while those in Asia-Pacific rose to 1,070.

In a separate statement, the WHO said that experts meeting this week had concluded that a single dose of swine flu vaccine was sufficient to immunise adults and children over 10.

The Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (Sage) said that countries that had made vaccinating children a priority could administer them a single dose to ensure that as many as possible are immunised quickly.

It said that while more data on children between six months and 10 years was needed "the priority should be to give them at least one dose of vaccine now, and to cover as many of them as possible".

First Daughters Not Vaccinated Against H1N1

President Obama's s chool age daughters have not been vaccinated against the

N1 flu virus. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs says the vaccine is not available to them based on their risk.

Avoid Flu Shots, take Vitamin D Instead
What You Were Never Told About Vaccines

New cases of swine flu jump 50%, with children under four the hardest hit

On some days last week 20 per cent of pediatric critical care beds were occupied by children with swine flu.Experts say children will be hardest hit by the second surge of the pandemic, with nearly one in three likely to catch it this winter.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1223874/New-cases-swine-flu-jump-50-amid-increase-intensive-care-treatment.html#ixzz0VRqYeKSB

AstraZeneca Profits Jump on Swine Flu Vaccine

AstraZeneca's sales and profits have increased sharply thanks to setbacks for generic rivals and the launch of a swine flu vaccine in the US.

$152m of sales from the company’s nasal-spray swine flu vaccine. In the key US market, this helped to drive a 14pc growth in sales. “Business performance in the context of tough global economic conditions has been better than we anticipated .

“As expected, this trend has continued in the third quarter, including an uplift from initial sales of H1N1 influenza vaccine.”

Overall, the company is expecting $453m of sales from the swine flu vaccine, which has only been approved in the US.

Could the ‘Swine Flu Emergency’ be a Prelude to Martial Law?

Last Saturday October 24th 2009 we reported that Obama Declared a H1Ni National Emergency

A fact that has been hush, hushed by the media is that under the powers designated by the Emergency Powers Statutes and by his declaration, Hussein Obama gave himself the authority to institute martial law, seize property, control all communication (INTERNET TOO!) and restrict travel in any area he may choose.

As noted the article , Seizing Power On The Weekend, it is interesting to note that whenever the government decides on a potentially unpopular move, it is done late on Friday so that normal news cycles can be avoided. That Obama did this on a Friday night and did not announce it until the following day, a Saturday a fact that was mostly ignored by the news media shows the masterful art of media manipulation is alive and well.

On April 26, 2009 Obama released some 50 million courses of Tamiflu, The Pentagon has allotted 7 million of the courses for military personnel. Tamiflu, which is developed by Gilead Sciences of California and is manufactured & marketed by La Roche Pharmaceuticals of Switzerland, has deep US government ties and to the Pentagon in particular.

Gilead stand much to gain through Project Bioshield Act of 2004, which authorized US Homeland Security to make anti-virus vaccines available. In 2004, that the patent for Tamiflu was procured by Gilead and then licensed to Roche in 2005. Now Obama is in talks with Roche to increase production.

On October 16, 2009, Goldman Sachs announced that it had quadrupled its profits in the third quarter compared with last year, driven by strong returns on its own corporate investments.

Then on October 20, 2009, Gilead Sciences reported that quarterly profits rose 36 percent on increased royalties of Tamiflu as agreed with Roche at 10% of sales. What then could there be a connection between the two announcements?

CONNECTING THE DOTS

For the first time in the history of the peacetime military establishment and by an Executive Directive, the US Northern Command based 80,000 active troops recalled from the Iraq war to “help with crowd control due to a biological emergency.”

Then in June 2009, the Northern Command distributed their Legislative Proposal for Activation of Federal Reserve Forces for Disasters which would authorize the Defense Secretary to order Military Reserves into service for a major emergency.

On July 29, 2009, the Pentagon announced that it was preparing to “make troops available to help the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) tackle a potential outbreak of the H1N1 virus this fall.” This “fall?” What did the Pentagon know that we didn’t know? Ask their puppet, Barack Hussein Obama.

On August 12, 2009, Secretary Robert Gates asked Congress to grant him authority to post 400,000 military personnel throughout the US in times of “emergency.”

On August 13, 2009, the National Guard began practice drills of mock takeovers of public schools in the event of an “H1N1 riot.” What kind of riot could arise out of a flu that has only killed 1,000 worldwide?

The CDC, in response to Obama’s request in mid August 2009, finalized quarantine regulations that provides for quarantining those “suspected” of having swine flu or other illnesses listed in an executive order. This means that Hussein Obama can quarantine *anyone* he determines to be a political enemy infected.

These new regulations even permit “provisional” quarantine of persons not actually carrying any virus. In one section, the regulations empower the president to quarantine anyone who does not agree to be vaccinated.

In other words, the SWINE FLU, that is, the MILITARY COMPLEX, brought to you by Barack Hussein Obama, could be coming to a military theatre near you…

Please Help Make America Safe for Our elders : Act Now!

Dear (Your Representative's name here),

I and other concerned citizens are writing to our representatives and leaders to ask for your support to help confront a national epidemic of elder abuse and financial exploitation against some of our most vulnerable citizens and to address problems in adult guardianships that provides an opportunity for abuse and exploitation.

"It was once said that the moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of their life, the children; those who are in the twilight of their life, the elderly; and those who are in the shadows of life, the sick, the needy and the handicapped." (Hubert Humphrey) How will we be measured if we cannot do more to protect our elderly and vulnerable citizens?

Too often our Judicial System and Protective Agencies established to protect victims of abuse fail to do so and cases have been known to be passed off to the guardianship and/or conservatorship systems in Probate or similar Courts instead of being dealt with.

We expect to hear from some of our leaders that this is only a State Issue and that it is not a National Issue. We do not agree. While this may be a system that is originating in part in our State Courts and agencies it is affecting citizens in every single State in our nation and is using up Federal Taxpayer Dollars. So we are of the opinion that this problem must be dealt with swiftly and forcefully with an arm of justice and with legislation and reform that had a nationwide reach and that has jurisdiction over Civil, Constitutional and Human Rights Issues. Thus, we call for NATIONAL REFORM and the Change our administration promised the American People when it said "we will work to END the abuse of the elderly". Abuse in Guardianships and Conservatorships is abuse and exploitation of the elderly and in many cases it is abuse and exploitation of their family members and loved ones as well.

In guardianships professional guardians (many of whom are predatory in their case acquisition and retention) take control of a person's life leaving victims and their families, who desire alternative family-based solutions, at either the mercy of a fee-for-service professional or faced with the exorbitant financial and emotional cost of a legal battle. Willing and capable family members are often removed from consideration due to unproven accusations, innuendos and insinuations. These calculated strategies are designed and used to denigrate and deny family guardianships in lieu of the "professionals" seeking to profiteer from an elderly person's loss of liberty and rights.

Instead of objective due diligence, subjective attorney input is a routine criteria used by judges in guardianships to appoint a stranger to take control of an elderly person's life - of course, at the expense of that elderly person. Family members quickly learn not to speak out for fear of losing the right to even visit their loved one when they are most vulnerable.

Citizens declared "incapacitated" in this living probate system can lose all of their civil rights and liberties and end up with less rights than death row prisoners. Health Care Agents or fiduciaries designated by an elderly person in documents they have prepared are often cast aside or simply ignored and cases exist where Living trusts and similar instruments, once thought impenetrable, are broken making room for the fee-for-service professionals / attorneys in a system with little if any checks and balances.

There appears to be too little concern about the high cost of guardianship to a ward. Cases exist in which an elderly individual with significant assets appears to have been targeted for guardianship based primarily on their ability to pay. After all, when the money runs out, the American Taxpayers will pick up the tab for Medicaid, Social Security dollars and other applicable tax-payer funded programs.

Most family and friends find fighting for their loved one cost prohibitive and those who do try end up in a legal battle becomes a prolonged life-altering ordeal expensive on both financial and emotional fronts usually ending only when one side's money runs out.

There seem to be separate rules for private citizen guardians and Professional fee-for-service guardians. Private guardians usually cannot withdraw from a guardianship appointment, many Courts require a family member to hire an attorney even when a ward has no money and getting insurance and getting bonded can be costly if possible at all. In recent cases attorneys have been know to come after the personal assets of a family guardian for payment of their fees after the ward's money runs out contrary to Guardianship Protection Statutes. This adds further emotional and financial cost of lending a helping hand to a loved one in need.

Guardianship cases can be hostile and torturous for family and friends, they can result in abuse of an elderly victim and all too often becomes home to unscrupulous attorneys, unethical individuals or professional guardians and uncaring judges.

There is absolutely no excuse (regardless of how or why a guardianship petition is filed for it to take a battery of lawyers and guardians (all paid from the estate of the ward) and months if not years for a guardianship matter to be resolved. Sometimes it seems the number of fee-for-service professionals involved is directly proportional to the value of an incapacitated person' estate. One only need to look at prominent cases like the Astor case in New York, the Glasser case, the Anna Nicholes case, the Judge Philipps case and many other cases to draw this conclusion.

This country was based in part on the concepts of individual liberty and property rights. Guardianships can destroy not only these freedoms, but also the spirit in which they were established. For all of these reasons and more we need :

A Family Members' Bill of Rights ensuring family members a "seat at the table" and a voice for their loved ones as they age and become vulnerable.

- A functional, federally-based guardianship system that includes national oversight, legislation and accountability with proper checks and balances.

- National reform that ensures justice and reduces the cost of giving a "helping hand" to family, friend or neighbor.

Legislation is presently before the House or the Senate that will address ;many of the problems with Elder Abuse and Victimization. These Bills include:

The Elder Abuse Victims Act - H.R. 448
The Elder Justice Act - S.795 and H.R. 2006 and
The Community Choice Act - S.683 or H.R. 1670

We ask you to not only Support this legislation but also to recognize that amendment's or additional legislation is needed to :

1) INSIST ON - Accountability and reform of failing Adult Protective Agencies before they get more funding and send more people into guardianship courts where they can be exploited and abused.

2) INSIST ON - A National investigation of the state conservatorship and guardianship laws analyzing their effectiveness and failures in a comprehensive study that includes input from victims and family members. Insist that this study result in legislative reform driven by the people, for the people and not driven only by the stakeholders.

3) INSIST ON - GUARDIANSHIPS THAT PUT FAMILY FIRST IN LINE AS GUARDIANS- and that EVERY STATE have a mandate in their guardianship statutes clearly stating that when family and friends are willing and able to help a loved one and when there is no legal basis (documented and proven on the record which the family member can defend against) for denying them the opportunity to do so that a person in need shall NEVER be declared incapacitated and forced into guardianship. If safeguards are needed, institute the safeguards but don't take away these dear people's rights and further perpetrate their destruction by taking them from their families.

4) INSIST ON - A support system that encourages and helps the elderly stay in their homes with loved ones, that keeps families connected and that supports the family petitioner and guardian with proper legal and educational support.

If we do not do something today to stop this travesty in America then tomorrow when we are old and weak, we will reap the benefits of our inaction when any one of us could become a victim of this national shame.

PLEASE HELP US MAKE AMERICA SAFE FOR OUR ELDERS !

You can reach the sponsor of this petition by email at stopelderguardianshipabuse@gmail.com.

Elder abuse and elder financial abuse is the scourge of the 21st century and it MUST be gotten under control! Abuse by elders by the same people that are supposed to be taking care of them is despicable crime and it must be treated as such.

Your name
Your address

To find out who your representatives are Please click here=>>

Protect Yourself From Greedy Children

Letters To Editor : Can You Help ?

----- Original Message -----

From: ML. Gentry@gmail.com

To: ray@elderabusehelp.org

Sent: Wednesday, October 28, 2009 10:18 AM

Subject: Question , Ray

My sister was a victim of abuse from a family member, as the lady in this account was.
http://elder-abuse-cyberray.blogspot.com/2009/10/man-steals-blind-grandmother-blind.html

The difference is that my sister passed, under questionable circumstances.
The family tried to stop cremation so that we could determine cause of death. This was not done, even though the Medical Examiners office was notified.

My sister's valuable accounts and property was pillaged by her daughter, and nothing has been done. We determine between 150 thousand to 250 thousand dollars in money, collectibles, jewelry, and property wellness equipment.

The Miami police was called on approximately, Oct. 30 ,2008 to check on the well being of my sister.

Now , no police report is on the record of being called to xxx Street, Miami, Florida Florida Public Vital Record 35274130

If you can or will help, please do so.
Thank you,
M.L. Gentry
ML. Gentry@gmail.com
xxx-xxx-xxxx
------------------------------

Dear M.L. Genry

We are quite aware of the corruption that is rampant in Florida and that is why we have asked Florida Gov. Charlie Crist to ask his state’s Supreme Court to empanel a grand jury to investigate public corruption throughout the state, we hear of many cases like yours involving Florida residents whose liberty and property is under attack through probate actions demonstrate why people in the “Sunshine State” as well as across this country are increasingly losing faith in government systems and those drawn to public service.

"These cases help explain why Floridians believe their government lacks integrity. If truly intent on reform, Crist’s public corruption grand jury will have a real opportunity. If this instead is a effort for show rather than substance, the erosion of individual and property rights will continue."LouAnnAnderson

What concerns us the most is the ease with which family members in Florida are granted 'family immunity' and are free to so as the please and are not held to the standards of exploitation and abuse in order to protect our elders

All that I can do is to call attention to the problem that you and many like you continue to experience, problems which are akin to being victimized by organized crime and people like your sister do not deserve to experience in the twilight of their years.

Please forward this to:

Information@elderaffairs.org
Charlie.Crist@eog.myflorida.com

Other Elder Related News

• EoD with the latest in estate news
• Inheritance cited as motive in OH murder-for-hire case
• Former judge starts prison sentence

Guilty Plea for Real Estate Agent Charged with Fraud

PHOENIX - A 46-year-old former real estate agent who prosecutors say took advantage of a vulnerable elderly Tucson resident entered a guilty plea Tuesday.

Ammar Dean Halloum, of Phoenix, pleaded guilty to one count of theft/financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult, and one count of fraudulent schemes and artifices.

Halloum also agreed to pay over $200,000 in restitution to the victim and $30,000 for prosecution costs.

Halloum admitted that while he was working as a licensed real estate agent, he misrepresented himself to gain a title to a Gilbert home. The homeowner, an elderly victim suffering from dementia, was living in a nursing home when the papers were signed.

Halloum then flipped the property and kept the profit.

An investigation from the Elder Abuse Task Force led to Halloum's indictment. His license has since been revoked.

Halloum will face sentencing on Dec. 1 in Pima County Superior Court.

Source=>>

Man Steals Blind Grandmother Blind

By Sandra Yi filed October 27th, 2009 @ 3:50pm on 5KSL TV

SANDY -- Prosecutors have charged a man accused of stealing $70,000 from his blind grandmother. When he was confronted by a relative, the man allegedly admitted to taking the money to support a drug habit.

Last week, prosecutors charged 42-year-old David Simonich with multiple felonies, including exploitation of a disabled or elder adult and forgery.

According to charging documents, Simonich began helping his grandmother, whose address lived in an assisted living center in Sandy. He was allegedly helping her pay bills and gained access to her account information.

Simonich's mother, who has power of attorney over the grandmother's banking accounts, noticed numerous fraudulent withdrawals from online banking services. The investigation showed that between June of last year and July of this year, $70,000 had been stolen.

"It's a very sad case. This is an 86-year-old woman who obviously needs assistance with day-to-day living, and she was relying on her family. She was relying on the people she should have been most able to trust out of anyone else in the world," said Alicia Cook, spokeswoman for the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office.

Cook said prosecutors are seeing more cases of elder abuse, partly because there's more awareness about the issue and more people are reporting the crime.

The crime is a serious offense. In Simonich's case, if convicted, he could spend up to 40 years in prison.

KSL News went to Simonich's home in Sandy, but no one answered the door. His next court appearance is set for Nov. 16.

----------------------------------------------

Stealing from an incapacitated elder is the lowest excuse for a human being, the story line that they are old and don't need the money is no longer a valid excuse, or as in my family's case
that if they don't do it somebody else will is a sign of sick individuals that should be put behind bars to make sure that other elders are safe from these sick predators.

Newborn Taken From Mother's Arms Without a Hearing Crime - Mother too Fat

Seven children, including a newborn baby, have been taken from their overweight parents and put into care because of concerns over their welfare.

The family from Dundee, Scotland was split up by social workers following a meeting of the city's Children's Panel.

The youngsters include a girl born earlier this week at the city's Ninewells Hospital and taken from the arms of her 322-pound mother shortly afterwards.

The 40-year-old woman and her 53-year-old husband, who weighs around 252-pound, have not been named to protect the identity of their children.

Two of their kids, ages 3 and 4, were taken into care earlier this year.

Now the other five, including the newborn and a 13-year-old boy who is said to weigh 224-pounds, have been taken from their parents.

The local authority insisted it was not its policy to remove children from their family home solely on the basis of weight problems.

But the family's attorney Kathleen Price has previously claimed obesity was the main reason for the children being taken from their parents.

She said the couple had not been given a fair hearing and had been "victimized."

Click here to read more on this story from Sky News.

Related: US Nanny State Knows Best

Obama Video:Pres. Obama Declares H1N1 A National Emergency

by PHILIP ELLIOTT, Associated Press Writer Philip Elliott, Associated Press Writer – Sat Oct 24, 7:52 pm ET

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama declared the swine flu outbreak a national emergency, giving his health chief the power to let hospitals move emergency rooms offsite to speed treatment and protect noninfected patients.

The declaration, signed Friday night and announced Saturday, comes with the disease more prevalent than ever in the country and production delays undercutting the government's initial, optimistic estimates that as many as 120 million doses of the vaccine could be available by mid-October.

The national emergency declaration was the second of two steps needed to give Sebelius extraordinary powers during a crisis.

"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 Saturday's declaration.

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."

Related:Avoid Flu Shots, take Vitamin D Instead

What You Were Never Told About Vaccines
First Daughters Not Vaccinated Against H1N1
Swine-flu emergency! What does that mean?
Is president's proclamation formality, or institution of Obama martial law?

The Kidds are home!

24 Oct 2009 04:00 PM PDT

The Kidds are home! This afternoon even brought a brief telephone visit with Michael Kidd to wish he and Eugenia well as they acclimate back to life outside a nursing home. We’ll have an Examiner.com piece on the Kidds’ release posted tomorrow afternoon. Meanwhile, more on the Kidds’ case can be accessed at Save the Kidds (link also available on the EoD Links and Sources page).

Congratulations to all who helped make this happen!

http://www.myfoxdfw.com/dpp/news/investigative/Kidds_Leave_Facility_Return_H
DALLAS - It’s an emotional and long awaited homecoming for an elderly Richardson couple whose battle with the state for their freedom triggered a FOX 4 Investigation. Michael and Eugenia Kidd say the State of Texas has held them captive in a nursing home for months. But after a court ruling today the Kidds are finally saying “home sweet home.”

They were all smiles as they walked up to the door of their house. It has been almost a year since the Kidds have been home. “It’s a relief, I can tell you that,” said Michael Kidd. Within minutes Michael was at his piano, one of his greatest sources of joy. But Michael admits, he’s a bit rusty.

FOX 4 reported how the Kidds were sent to the Countryside Nursing Home against their will. The Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services argued the Richardson couple was incapacitated and unable to care for themselves after Michael broke his hip and required surgery. Eugenia suffers from memory loss.

This morning, the Kidds appeared in Collin County probate court before Judge Weldon Copelend. Only this time, they had two attorneys on their side arguing that they should be allowed to go home. A new psychiatric evaluation shows Michael has the ability to make decisions for himself and his wife Eugenia doesn’t need guardianship.

“Our position is that the guardianship of the person should be lifted in regards to both Mr. and Mrs. Kidd,” attorney Ad Litem, Melinda Hartnett explained to the judge. The state’s attorney didn’t oppose and Judge Copeland was quick to rule in their favor this time. “We expected them to be able to go home and the doctor’s report was pretty clear that is what should happen and I think everyone realized that,” said the Kidds’ pro bono attorney, Tim Taylor.

Community activist Russell Fish jumped on board when he heard about the Kidds’ story. He started a Web site for the Kidds and has organized volunteers to help. He says there is still a lot of work to do because the state has destroyed the Kidds’ finances. “We need to clean that up. Their credit is destroyed. Their house went in to foreclosure. They had their car repossessed. These are people who had done all the right things,” said Fish. “They just made the mistake of getting old.”

For the Kidds, after the initial excitement of coming home, the reality started setting in. Michael noticed strange smells, likely from the mold and food that had been rotting in their refrigerator. The heat wasn’t working so a technician had to be called-out. No one had been taking care of their house. The phone and cable television are not connected yet. While they’re happy to be home, they’re also angry.

“I’m really infuriated by the way it all came about,” Michael Kidd told FOX 4. “At our age, when we were retired and enjoying our retirement, and suddenly snatch a year out of our lives…for what reason? There are criminals out there that get less time in jail,” Kidd continued.

The Kidds know there is a long road ahead. They still don’t have a detailed accounting of what happened to their money. They wonder how they’ll manage. But for now all Eugenia can think about is taking a long, hot bath in the privacy of her own home. And Michael wants to get back to the life he was living before it got turned upside down.

FOX 4 still has plenty of questions about this case and what happened to the Kidds’ money. We’ll have more on this story in coming days.

Related:

Media Coverage Stirs Action in Kidd's Case

Elders Are being Stripped of their Civil Rights in Record Numbers Across the Land