Be INFORMED

Saturday, January 10, 2009

42 State Salmonella Outbreak

    Not sure of you are aware of this, I wasn't, but 400 people in 42 states have been struck by an outbreak of Salmonella. AND, once again, the culprit would appear to be peanut butter. That is what state officials  in Minnesota are saying at this time.

On Friday, the Minnesota Department of Health said preliminary laboratory testing found salmonella bacteria in a 5-pound container of King Nut brand creamy peanut butter. The tests have not linked it to the type of salmonella in the national outbreak, but additional results are expected early next week.

   Those state officials are not yet identifying the company that makes the peanut butter, but it apparently is not sold to the general public. So. who gets the food item?

  ...but is distributed in Minnesota to long-term care facilities, hospitals, schools, universities, restaurants, delis, cafeterias and bakeries.

The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that 399 cases have been confirmed nationally, with about one in five of victims hospitalized. They have not confirmed any deaths associated with the outbreak

   You can get much more information on this outbreak by going to the CDC.

Friday, January 09, 2009

Gov. Rod Blagojevich...

   has been impeached by the Illinois House by an overwhelming vote on Friday.  The impeachment now sets Blagojevich up for a Senate trial to decide on whether he should be tossed out of office for abuse of power.

Impeachment required just 60 votes. The final result was 114-1.

Legislators accused the second-term Democratic governor of letting down the people of Illinois by letting ego and ambition drive his decisions.

"It's our duty to clean up the mess and stop the freak show that's become Illinois government," said Rep. Jack D. Franks, a Democrat.

  I will now say that Blagojevich's days are numbered in politics.