IHT Rendezvous: What to See in 2013

This time of year, museums around the world herald their major exhibitions. Here is a selection of those opening in the first half of 2013 that promise food for thought and feasts for the eyes, listed in the order in which they will open their doors.

Montreal Peru: Kingdoms of the Sun and Moon
An array of 370 paintings, sculptures, gold and silver ornaments, photographs and videos, covering 3,000 years, from the Pre-Columbian era to the Indigenous movements. Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. Feb. 2-June 16.

New York Gutai: Splendid Playground
They hailed the beauty of damaged or destroyed works of art. For two decades (1954-’72), the Japanese collective’s paintings, performances, installations, sound, kinetic and light art, and experimental film defied the social and artistic conventions of the postwar years. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. Feb. 15-May 8.

Brussels Neo Rauch: The Obsession of the Demiurge: Selected Works, 1993-2012 A realistic yet surrealistic visual idiom: Mr. Rauch’s “enigmas without answers” betray the influence of comic strips and Pop Art. On view, about 70 puzzling paintings and drawings created since 1993. Bozar. Feb. 20-May 19.

London Barocci: Brilliance and Grace Discover Federico Barocci (1535-1612), a painter of altarpieces and a few easel works, patronized by the Pope, the emperor and the king of Spain in his day but overlooked in later centuries. Fourteen altarpieces, four portraits, drawings and oil sketches The National Gallery. Feb. 27-May 19.

Tokyo Rubens: Inspired by Italy and Established in Antwerp
After eight years in Italy (1600-08), studying Titian, Caravaggio and Carracci, Rubens (1577-1640) returned to Antwerp to run a large studio. On display: works from his Italian days, works in collaboration with other masters and works created in his studio under his supervision. Bunkamura Museum. March 9-April 21.

Madrid El Labrador Small floral still lifes and bodegónes, or depictions of food and kitchen implements, by Juan Fernández, a Spanish painter of the first half of the 17th century, better known as El Labrador, whose reputation went well beyond Spanish borders. Museo del Prado. March 11-June 16.

Paris Eugène Boudin: Au Fil de ses Voyages A long-overdue homage to Boudin (1824-98), the “king of skies,” according to Corot. Boudin’s outdoor, light-filled scenes painted sur le motif, contributed to the dawn of Impressionism. In the display, 60 oils, watercolors and drawings. Musée Jacquemart-André. March 22-July 22.

Madrid Dal­í After Paris, the paintings, drawings, sculptures and films by the provocative and imaginative master of showmanship travel to Madrid. Museo Reina Sofí­a. April 24-Sept. 2.

Tokyo All You Need Is Love: From Chagall to Kusama and Hatsune Love, modern and diverse, inspires 100 works by about 50 international artists − Constable, Rodin, Dalí­, Chagall, Kusama, Othoniel, Shilpa Gupta and Zhang Xiaogang, among many others. Miku Mori Art Museum. April 26-Sept. 1.

Canberra Turner From the Tate: The Making of a Master
The donation to the British nation by Turner (1775-1851) of the paintings exhibited in his lifetime were supplemented by the contents of his house and studio after his death. About 40 oils and 70 works on paper, from large watercolors to intimate sketches. National Gallery of Australia. June 1-Sept. 8.

Kobe, Japan A History of Impressionism: Great French Paintings From the Clark More than 70 paintings that Sterling and Francine Clark acquired while living in Paris. The 21 early Renoirs are complemented by paintings by Monet, Degas, Manet, Pissarro and Sisley. Next stop: Shanghai.Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art. June 8-Sept. 1.

Moscow Pre-Raphaelites Recently seen in London and Washington, a survey of the creativity of the rebellious 19th-century brotherhood that admired art created before Raphael. On show: paintings, sculptures, photographs as well as textiles, stained glass and furniture. The State Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts. June 10-Sept. 30.

London Ibrahim El-Salahi: A Visionary Modernist
About 100 paintings and drawings by the Sudanese artist (born 1930). Proof of the fruitful integration of traditional African, Arab and Islamic visual sources. Tate Modern. July 3-Sept. 22.

To find out more about exhibitions in cities you’ll be traveling to this season, check the IHT’s interactive Global Arts Guide.

What museum and gallery shows are you looking forward to this year? Tell us in the comments space below.

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Missouri Lawmaker Wants Violent Video Games Taxed

A rural Missouri lawmaker wants her state to tax certain video games to help curb gun violence. The Associated Press reports state Rep. Diane Franklin, R-Camdenton, believes a 1 percent sales tax on video games rated teen, mature and adults only would help finance mental health programs aimed at reducing gun violence such as the recent mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.

What does the legislation propose?

House Bill 157 proposes to create “an excise tax based on the gross receipts or gross proceeds of each sale” of video games rated by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). The tax also involves the “storage, use or other consumption” of violent video games in Missouri including “tangible personal property.” This means the tax could extend to memorabilia derived from the games such as toys, clothing and video game accessories.

How does the legislation hope to enhance public safety?

The law hopes to procure “new and additional funding for treatment of mental health conditions associated with exposure to violent video games… .” The revenue from the tax cannot be used to replace existing revenue already in place. Franklin deems the legislation “necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health, welfare, peace and safety.” Therefore, if the legislation passes it will go into effect immediately. There is no mention in the legislation as to how much revenue should be generated, nor does it say whether the sales tax is just on new merchandise as opposed to used games on the secondary market.

Have similar laws been considered before?

A similar proposal was struck down in mid-February in Oklahoma. Democrat William Fourkiller crafted legislation in 2012 that is very similar to Franklin’s idea in Missouri. A subcommittee struck down the bill by a 6-5 margin. Fourkiller, in defending the law , said it wasn’t a “magic bullet” but that Oklahoma had “to start somewhere” to curb childhood violence. Oklahoma also would have taxed ESRB teen, mature and adults only games at a rate of 1 percent.

Does the Missouri law have a chance to pass?

CNN notes a federal appeals court made a ruling in 2003 that video games are free speech protected by the First Amendment. Ironically, it was a federal case stemming from St. Louis County, Mo., that created the precedent for video games as free speech. Senior U.S. District Judge Stephen Limbaugh’s decision was reversed by an appellate panel. The ruling came shortly after the state of Washington banned the sale of certain video games to children under the age of 17. Gamasutra reveals New Mexico also tried, and failed, to pass a similar law in 2008.

What are Franklin’s credentials as they relate to the proposed bill?

Franklin was first elected in 2010 from Camdenton. She is a mother of two sons and served on Camdenton School Board from 1993 to 1999. She sits on the House Appropriations-Education committee. Franklin is a third-generation small business owner and comes from a farming family. Missouri Republicans currently have a veto-proof supermajority in the General Assembly. Camdenton is a small city of around 3,700 people near Lake of the Ozarks in central Missouri.

William Browning is a research librarian specializing in U.S. politics.

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American Idol Judges Predict a Girl Will Win This Season

Fans, keep your eyes on the ladies during the new season of American idol. That's the advice from several of the show's judges, who think a woman will win the singing competition this year.

"Girls, do not disappoint the Dawg. I think it's the girls' year," Randy Jackson tells PEOPLE of the new crop of contestants on the reality show, which premieres Wednesday (8 p.m. ET) on Fox.

"There are some talented boys, but I must say, I think the girls could really win one," he adds. "We haven't had a girl winner in so long."

Of course, some of the female Idol winners went on to have some of the most successful careers, including country superstar Carrie Underwood and the first-ever Idol winner, Kelly Clarkson.

New judge Nicki Minaj agrees that the women contestants really bring their A-game to the show. "The girls are exceptional. I mean, a girl will definitely win this year, I think," she says.

Minaj finds the ladies are "more seasoned, more poised, more professional" – and some of them combine that maturity with a great voice.

According to Keith Urban, the level of talent was so high overall this season that the judges struggled to figure out who should be cut.

"All four of us had the conversation, 'What are we looking for?' " he said. "Because we can't send two million people to Hollywood."

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ER visits tied to energy drinks double since 2007

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A new government survey suggests the number of people seeking emergency treatment after consuming energy drinks has doubled nationwide during the past four years, the same period in which the supercharged drink industry has surged in popularity in convenience stores, bars and on college campuses.

From 2007 to 2011, the government estimates the number of emergency room visits involving the neon-labeled beverages shot up from about 10,000 to more than 20,000. Most of those cases involved teens or young adults, according to a survey of the nation's hospitals released late last week by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The report doesn't specify which symptoms brought people to the emergency room but calls energy drink consumption a "rising public health problem" that can cause insomnia, nervousness, headache, fast heartbeat and seizures that are severe enough to require emergency care.

Several emergency physicians said they had seen a clear uptick in the number of patients suffering from irregular heartbeats, anxiety and heart attacks who said they had recently downed an energy drink.

More than half of the patients considered in the survey who wound up in the emergency room told doctors they had downed only energy drinks. In 2011, about 42 percent of the cases involved energy drinks in combination with alcohol or drugs, such as the stimulants Adderall or Ritalin.

"A lot of people don't realize the strength of these things. I had someone come in recently who had drunk three energy drinks in an hour, which is the equivalent of 15 cups of coffee," said Howard Mell, an emergency physician in the suburbs of Cleveland, who serves as a spokesman for the American College of Emergency Physicians. "Essentially he gave himself a stress test and thankfully he passed. But if he had a weak heart or suffered from coronary disease and didn't know it, this could have precipitated very bad things."

The findings came as concerns over energy drinks have intensified following reports last fall of 18 deaths possibly tied to the drinks — including a 14-year-old Maryland girl who died after drinking two large cans of Monster Energy drinks. Monster does not believe its products were responsible for the death.

Two senators are calling for the Food and Drug Administration to investigate safety concerns about energy drinks and their ingredients.

The energy drink industry says its drinks are safe and there is no proof linking its products to the adverse reactions.

Late last year, the FDA asked the U.S. Health and Human Services to update the figures its substance abuse research arm compiles about emergency room visits tied to energy drinks.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's survey was based on responses it receives from about 230 hospitals each year, a representative sample of about 5 percent of emergency departments nationwide. The agency then uses those responses to estimate the number of energy drink-related emergency department visits nationwide.

The more than 20,000 cases estimated for 2011 represent a small portion of the annual 136 million emergency room visits tracked by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The FDA said it was considering the findings and pressing for more details as it undertakes a broad review of the safety of energy drinks and related ingredients this spring.

"We will examine this additional information ... as a part of our ongoing investigation into potential safety issues surrounding the use of energy-drink products," FDA spokeswoman Shelly Burgess said in a statement.

Beverage manufacturers fired back at the survey, saying the statistics were misleading and taken out of context.

"This report does not share information about the overall health of those who may have consumed energy drinks, or what symptoms brought them to the ER in the first place," the American Beverage Association said in a statement. "There is no basis by which to understand the overall caffeine intake of any of these individuals — from all sources."

Energy drinks remain a small part of the carbonated soft drinks market, representing only 3.3 percent of sales volume, according to the industry tracker Beverage Digest. Even as soda consumption has flagged in recent years, energy drinks sales are growing rapidly.

In 2011, sales volume for energy drinks rose by almost 17 percent, with the top three companies — Monster, Red Bull and Rockstar — each logging double-digit gains, Beverage Digest found. The drinks are often marketed at sporting events that are popular among younger people such as surfing and skateboarding.

From 2007 to 2011, the most recent year for which data was available, people from 18 to 25 were the most common age group seeking emergency treatment for energy drink-related reactions, the report found.

"We were really concerned to find that in four years the number of emergency department visits almost doubled, and these drinks are largely marketed to younger people," said Al Woodward, a senior statistical analyst with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration who worked on the report.

Emergency physician Steve Sun said he had seen an increase in such cases at the Catholic hospital where he works on the edge of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.

"I saw one young man who had mixed energy drinks with alcohol and we had to admit him to the hospital because he was so dehydrated he had renal failure," Sun said. "Because he was young he did well in the hospital, but if another patient had had underlying coronary artery disease, it could have led to a heart attack."

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Follow Garance Burke on Twitter at http://twitter.com/garanceburke

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Wall Street dips at open, Boeing drags

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks fell off five-year highs on Wednesday as concerns about global economic growth offset strong bank results and shares of Boeing weighed on the Dow after two Japanese airlines grounded their Dreamliner fleets.

Goldman Sachs shares hit an 18-month high as its earnings nearly tripled on increased revenue from dealmaking and lower compensation expenses, while JPMorgan Chase said fourth-quarter net income jumped 53 percent and earnings for 2012 set a record.

JPMorgan shares were last down 0.8 percent at $46 and Goldman added 2 percent to $138.26.

Concern about global economic growth was weighing on the markets, said Peter Jankovskis, co-chief investment officer at OakBrook Investments in Lisle, Illinois.

A slow economic recovery in developed nations is holding back the global economy, the World Bank said on Tuesday, as it sharply scaled back its forecast for world growth in 2013 to 2.4 percent from an earlier forecast of 3.0 percent.

Shares of Dow component Boeing fell 3.5 percent to $74.25 on concerns about the safety of its new Dreamliner passenger jets. Japan's two leading airlines grounded their fleets of 787s after an emergency landing, adding to safety concerns triggered by a ream of recent incidents.

"It's certainly going to pull averages down, given Boeing's large market cap, but I don't see it as having broader market implications," Jankovskis said.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> fell 61.79 points or 0.46 percent, to 13,473.1, the S&P 500 <.spx> lost 4.39 points or 0.3 percent, to 1,467.95 and the Nasdaq Composite <.ixic> dropped 2.72 points or 0.09 percent, to 3,108.06.

Losses on Nasdaq were limited by gains in Apple shares, which were up 2 percent at $495.75.

Talks to take Dell Inc private were at an advanced stage, with at least four major banks lined up to provide financing, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. Shares fell 3.6 percent to $12.69 after jumping more than 21 percent over the past two sessions.

U.S. consumer prices were flat in December, pointing to muted inflation pressures that should give the Federal Reserve room to prop up the economy by staying on its ultra-easy monetary policy path.

(Editing by Bernadette Baum)

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Leung Chun-ying, Hong Kong Leader, Pledges to Ease Housing Shortage

Hong Kong’s embattled chief executive used his first policy address on Wednesday to outline a series of populist proposals to try to alleviate the severe housing shortages and air pollution that have been bedeviling the city.

The chief executive, Leung Chun-ying, who took office in July and has already weathered one legislative vote of no confidence, one vote to start an impeachment process and a series of large street protests, pledged to help produce 100,000 units of housing over the next five years by streamlining approvals, opening up undeveloped lands for housing and even tapping rock caverns and underground spaces for development.

His address came in the wake of a steadily increasing drumbeat of criticism over his administration, centering on his perceived close ties to the Chinese leadership and his actions during his election campaign. During the race, he concealed the fact that he had expanded his $64 million home without receiving government planning permission, while at the same time criticizing his opponent for similar transgressions, prompting charges of hypocrisy.

Mr. Leung has already taken steps to curtail housing speculation by imposing steep taxes on short-term real estate purchases by anyone who is not a permanent Hong Kong resident. Despite a moderation in apartment prices, demand for housing remains intense, he said.

“Many families have to move into smaller or older flats, or even factory buildings,” he said. “Cramped living space in cage homes, cubicle apartments and subdivided flats has become the reluctant choice for tens of thousands of Hong Kong people.”

Mr. Leung also promised to reduce air pollution, notably through the retirement of diesel trucks. He said his government would offer $1.29 billion in payments to the owners of more than 80,000 old, heavily polluting trucks, who will be required to retire them or replace them with new models.

The plan will reduce roadside emissions of particulates 80 percent and emissions of smog-causing nitrogen oxides 30 percent, the government said.

While cars tend to draw more attention than trucks as pollution sources because of their greater numbers, American air pollution researchers working in Asia have found that the diesel engines in trucks and buses are a far bigger threat. They account for over 90 percent of vehicular emissions of particulates and nitrogen oxides in mainland China, studies there have found. Some studies have also found that diesel exhaust is carcinogenic, but this aspect of Chinese air pollution has been studied less.

In his speech on Wednesday, Mr. Leung tried to change the political narrative by addressing the bread-and-butter concerns of the residents of Hong Kong, where an influx of money, much of it from the Chinese mainland, has led to yawning wealth disparities.

“While Hong Kong is a generally affluent society, there are still many people who live a hand-to-mouth existence,” he said. “Public resources should be devoted to those who cannot provide for themselves.”

Large-scale developments in Hong Kong take 10 to 20 years to approve and build because they involve considerable public consultation, elaborate engineering to adapt to the challenges of building on the city’s steep slopes, and sometimes the construction of additional subway stops. Mr. Leung cautioned in his speech that his suggested measures might not bring quick relief from the city’s housing shortage.

Teenagers and people in their 20s have become increasingly active in the past year in street protests that previously had more middle-aged demonstrators, and Mr. Leung tried to seek the support of the city’s young people. They face higher unemployment than previous generations and more worries about housing affordability. But they also tend to be sympathetic to environmental concerns about encroachment on the city’s many hillside parks, which real estate developers regard as a source of delay.

“Our young people should recognize that the planning proposals and development options under discussion today are intended to address their future needs,” Mr. Leung said. “It is all too easy for the government to sidestep the problem, but it is today’s young people who will have to bear the adverse consequences in the future.”

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iPhone demand said to be ‘robust,’ recent cuts don’t reflect weak demand

Following recent reports from Nikkei and The Wall Street Journal that suggested Apple (AAPL) slashed iPhone 5 component orders in half due to weak demand,  the company’s stock fell significantly and opened below $ 500 for the first time in nearly a year. The reports have been called into question, however, with many believing they do not represent true consumer interest. Shaw Wu of Sterne Agee wrote in a note to investors on Tuesday, per Apple Insider, that his supply chain checks have indicated that demand for the iPhone 5 “remains robust.” The analyst believes the recent reports are a result of improved yield rates and possibly Apple’s recent supplier changes.

[More from BGR: PlayStation 4 and Xbox 720 could cost just $ 350, expected to launch this fall]

Despite the recent concerns, Wu expects Apple to post better-than-expected earnings for the December quarter led by sales of 47.5 million iPhones with a gross margin of 38.7%. Both estimates are above Wall Street’s expectations of between 46 to 47 million iPhones and a 38.3% gross margin.

[More from BGR: HTC One SV review]

Sterne Agee reiterated its Buy rating on shares of Apple with a price target of $ 840.

Wu’s expectations remain bullish compared to other Wall Street analysts. Stuart Jeffrey of Nomura is the most recent analyst to cut his outlook on Apple stock. Nomura reduced the company’s price target to $ 530 from $ 660 Tuesday morning, citing weak demand for the iPhone 5 and increased pressure on Apple’s margins.

This article was originally published on BGR.com

Wireless News Headlines – Yahoo! News

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Elizabeth Banks: Why I'm Really a Mom Now

Michael Simon/Startraks

Elizabeth Banks has hit official mom status.

Since welcoming her second son Magnus Mitchell in November, the actress — also mom to son Felix — admits she’s feeling the full effects of motherhood.

“Two is very different from one. When you have one kid, you feel like you can jet set around and you can throw him on the hip and you get your life done,” Banks told PEOPLE at the launch of babyGap’s Peter Rabbit collection at Gap at The Grove in L.A. Saturday.

“You don’t realize how easy one is until you have two. Now I’m really a mom. Oh, I am a mom now! This is for serious — I am responsible for two people now.”

The reality of her new family of four finally hit home when Banks and her husband Max Handelman decided to celebrate the holidays with their sons — sans hired help.

“[We] had no help, no nannies, no babysitters. It was crazy. You forget how difficult it is to wake up in the middle of the night, how exhausting it is,” she admits, adding being a hands-on mom took on a whole new meaning. “I lost all my nails. I did dishes and cleaned bottles for 10 days so I lost all those nails!”

Fortunately, making life easier has been Felix’s smooth transition into his role as the “sweetest” big brother. “He loves to say how cute Magnus is and he loves to give him kisses and he’s very gentle,” Banks, 38, shares.

“He loves to bring him gifts — sometimes that means shoes that are thrown in the bassinet, but that’s okay.”

The 22-month-old’s tough love tactics may be seemingly sweet now, but Banks isn’t holding out hope the brotherly bond will last long.

“I would say [Felix] is mostly unaware of what’s going on because Magnus doesn’t touch his stuff,” she explains. “I’ve heard that around 10 months — when baby can actually influence the realm of Felix — that Felix will not be happy. We’ll see how that goes.”

One thing that’s for sure? Banks and Handelman hit a home run when playing the name game. “Felix means happy in Latin and he is very happy go lucky,” the proud mom says.

“Magnus is definitely more serious. He’s going to be the deep thinker of the family for sure.”

– Anya Leon with reporting by Jennifer Garcia

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Hospitals crack down on workers refusing flu shots

CHICAGO (AP) — Patients can refuse a flu shot. Should doctors and nurses have that right, too? That is the thorny question surfacing as U.S. hospitals increasingly crack down on employees who won't get flu shots, with some workers losing their jobs over their refusal.

"Where does it say that I am no longer a patient if I'm a nurse," wondered Carrie Calhoun, a longtime critical care nurse in suburban Chicago who was fired last month after she refused a flu shot.

Hospitals' get-tougher measures coincide with an earlier-than-usual flu season hitting harder than in recent mild seasons. Flu is widespread in most states, and at least 20 children have died.

Most doctors and nurses do get flu shots. But in the past two months, at least 15 nurses and other hospital staffers in four states have been fired for refusing, and several others have resigned, according to affected workers, hospital authorities and published reports.

In Rhode Island, one of three states with tough penalties behind a mandatory vaccine policy for health care workers, more than 1,000 workers recently signed a petition opposing the policy, according to a labor union that has filed suit to end the regulation.

Why would people whose job is to protect sick patients refuse a flu shot? The reasons vary: allergies to flu vaccine, which are rare; religious objections; and skepticism about whether vaccinating health workers will prevent flu in patients.

Dr. Carolyn Bridges, associate director for adult immunization at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, says the strongest evidence is from studies in nursing homes, linking flu vaccination among health care workers with fewer patient deaths from all causes.

"We would all like to see stronger data," she said. But other evidence shows flu vaccination "significantly decreases" flu cases, she said. "It should work the same in a health care worker versus somebody out in the community."

Cancer nurse Joyce Gingerich is among the skeptics and says her decision to avoid the shot is mostly "a personal thing." She's among seven employees at IU Health Goshen Hospital in northern Indiana who were recently fired for refusing flu shots. Gingerich said she gets other vaccinations but thinks it should be a choice. She opposes "the injustice of being forced to put something in my body."

Medical ethicist Art Caplan says health care workers' ethical obligation to protect patients trumps their individual rights.

"If you don't want to do it, you shouldn't work in that environment," said Caplan, medical ethics chief at New York University's Langone Medical Center. "Patients should demand that their health care provider gets flu shots — and they should ask them."

For some people, flu causes only mild symptoms. But it can also lead to pneumonia, and there are thousands of hospitalizations and deaths each year. The number of deaths has varied in recent decades from about 3,000 to 49,000.

A survey by CDC researchers found that in 2011, more than 400 U.S. hospitals required flu vaccinations for their employees and 29 hospitals fired unvaccinated employees.

At Calhoun's hospital, Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove Village, Ill., unvaccinated workers granted exemptions must wear masks and tell patients, "I'm wearing the mask for your safety," Calhoun says. She says that's discriminatory and may make patients want to avoid "the dirty nurse" with the mask.

The hospital justified its vaccination policy in an email, citing the CDC's warning that this year's flu outbreak was "expected to be among the worst in a decade" and noted that Illinois has already been hit especially hard. The mandatory vaccine policy "is consistent with our health system's mission to provide the safest environment possible."

The government recommends flu shots for nearly everyone, starting at age 6 months. Vaccination rates among the general public are generally lower than among health care workers.

According to the most recent federal data, about 63 percent of U.S. health care workers had flu shots as of November. That's up from previous years, but the government wants 90 percent coverage of health care workers by 2020.

The highest rate, about 88 percent, was among pharmacists, followed by doctors at 84 percent, and nurses, 82 percent. Fewer than half of nursing assistants and aides are vaccinated, Bridges said.

Some hospitals have achieved 90 percent but many fall short. A government health advisory panel has urged those below 90 percent to consider a mandatory program.

Also, the accreditation body over hospitals requires them to offer flu vaccines to workers, and those failing to do that and improve vaccination rates could lose accreditation.

Starting this year, the government's Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is requiring hospitals to report employees' flu vaccination rates as a means to boost the rates, the CDC's Bridges said. Eventually the data will be posted on the agency's "Hospital Compare" website.

Several leading doctor groups support mandatory flu shots for workers. And the American Medical Association in November endorsed mandatory shots for those with direct patient contact in nursing homes; elderly patients are particularly vulnerable to flu-related complications. The American Nurses Association supports mandates if they're adopted at the state level and affect all hospitals, but also says exceptions should be allowed for medical or religious reasons.

Mandates for vaccinating health care workers against other diseases, including measles, mumps and hepatitis, are widely accepted. But some workers have less faith that flu shots work — partly because there are several types of flu virus that often differ each season and manufacturers must reformulate vaccines to try and match the circulating strains.

While not 100 percent effective, this year's vaccine is a good match, the CDC's Bridges said.

Several states have laws or regulations requiring flu vaccination for health care workers but only three — Arkansas, Maine and Rhode Island — spell out penalties for those who refuse, according to Alexandra Stewart, a George Washington University expert in immunization policy and co-author of a study appearing this month in the journal Vaccine.

Rhode Island's regulation, enacted in December, may be the toughest and is being challenged in court by a health workers union. The rule allows exemptions for religious or medical reasons, but requires unvaccinated workers in contact with patients to wear face masks during flu season. Employees who refuse the masks can be fined $100 and may face a complaint or reprimand for unprofessional conduct that could result in losing their professional license.

Some Rhode Island hospitals post signs announcing that workers wearing masks have not received flu shots. Opponents say the masks violate their health privacy.

"We really strongly support the goal of increasing vaccination rates among health care workers and among the population as a whole," but it should be voluntary, said SEIU Healthcare Employees Union spokesman Chas Walker.

Supporters of health care worker mandates note that to protect public health, courts have endorsed forced vaccination laws affecting the general population during disease outbreaks, and have upheld vaccination requirements for schoolchildren.

Cases involving flu vaccine mandates for health workers have had less success. A 2009 New York state regulation mandating health care worker vaccinations for swine flu and seasonal flu was challenged in court but was later rescinded because of a vaccine shortage. And labor unions have challenged individual hospital mandates enacted without collective bargaining; an appeals court upheld that argument in 2007 in a widely cited case involving Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle.

Calhoun, the Illinois nurse, says she is unsure of her options.

"Most of the hospitals in my area are all implementing these policies," she said. "This conflict could end the career I have dedicated myself to."

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Online:

R.I. union lawsuit against mandatory vaccines: http://www.seiu1199ne.org/files/2013/01/FluLawsuitRI.pdf

CDC: http://www.cdc.gov

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AP Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/LindseyTanner

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Wall Street opens lower on debt limit concern

DEAR ABBY: Recently my husband, "Byron," and I had an argument, and he took off in his truck. He didn't return until after work the following day. He had he spent the night at our friend "Arlene's" house. She is divorced and lives alone. Byron assures me "nothing happened" between them. I want to believe him, but ever since this incident, Arlene will not look me in the eye or speak to me.I love Byron and trusted him until now. It hurts to think that our marriage may be ruined over a stupid argument. ...

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