| the has-been
More women vote, and women tend to like Democrats better. In practice, it takes two to tango. Democrats did well in 2006 by winning back men; Bush won in 2004 by cutting his losses among women. So far, Republican hopefuls are having a tough time with gender balance. McCain is a guy's guy, standing up for a war that most women oppose. Giuliani has women's clothes and a comb-over. Romney has a gap with both genders: Women think he's the next Thomas E. Dewey, the little man on the wedding cake; men think he's proof we were right never to trust The Dry Look. For such a confused party, Fred Thompson seems like a knight in shining loafers. Not only can he play the tough guy in Tom Clancy movies, he's the affable D.A. on "Law & Order" – the show Michael Kinsley famously called "The Secret Vice of Power Women." Conservatives pushing Thompson's candidacy routinely tout his crossover appeal.
USDA bird flu plan needs test
The virus remains hard for people to catch, but experts worry it could mutate into a form that passes easily among people, igniting a flu pandemic. Most human cases have been traced to contact with infected birds. The H5N1 variant of avian flu has killed at least 224 people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. .
Maternity leave for students?
Pregnant students in Denver have asked their high school for at least four weeks of maternity leave "so they can heal, bond with their newborns and not be penalized with unexcused absences," reports the Denver Post. (Here is the full story.) The paper explains that normally Colorado public schools use specialized programs or individual education plans to deal with pregnancy. "Two counselors from East High School approached the school board last month, saying the policy at their school is unfair and inconsiderate because it forces new moms to return to school the day after being discharged from the hospital or face being charged with unexcused absences," reports the Post. "East High School administrators could not be reached for comment over the winter break, but district officials say they are reviewing the policy on absences to make it 'friendlier' to new moms, said DPS spokesman Alex Sanchez," the article says.
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