Today is Friday, May 1, 2009. What a week we had:

A devastating new flu strain began attacking people throughout the world leaving death and illness in its wake.
The name defining the strain – swine flu – prompted a ban of imports of pork from Mexico and the United States, the initial outbreak locations. Egypt ordered pigs culled.
President Obama addressed the nation after 100 days as the nation’s chief executive officer.
Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter announced his retirement.
Chrysler files for bankruptcy protection.
Longtime Republican U.S. Senator Arlen Specter joined the Democratic Party.

Now, about Obama’s 100-day-job-performance report. What I remember most from all that he said and his answers to reporters’ questions is that he never once referred to the human-health crises currently confronting the world as swine flu but rather the “H1N1 flu virus.
The media’s coverage immediately put the pork industry on the defensive, when the outbreak hit because the strain seems to have mutated from swine influenza.
Another piece of good news is that Obama pledged to push for immigration reform this year.
A final note. The pork industry and its trade association representatives are to be commended for acting quickly in correcting the media’s inaccurate connection between swine flu and consuming pork.
Stay tuned for next week’s high-voltage issues. Meanwhile, check out my editorial in The National Provisioner’s May 2009 edition for more on swine flu.

Barbara Young Editor-in-Chief The National Provisioner