“If you mess with America’s feelings, America will hurt you.” A line delivered by Richard Heene’s Defense attorney, David Lane, when asked by someone in the crowd of reporters what he’s learned from the case unofficially known as Balloon Boy.

The Heenes did not make a statement today and were clearly not interested in the flurry of media attention this time around. Instead, Mayumi, the mother of the Heene clan, quietly listened as Judge Stephen Schapanski explained the charge against her of false reporting to authorities. It’s a misdemeanor offense and a lesser charge than she may have faced had her husband not plead out to a class 4 felony.

According to the attorneys in this case and affidavits filed in the Larimer County Courthouse, Mayumi admitted in a videotaped interview with a police officer that the events of October 15th, when people around the globe watched in terror (and curiosity) as a giant saucer shaped balloon drifted in the Colorado sky supposedly carrying her son, was a hoax. The family had been planning it for two weeks, Mayumi said. This admission, attorneys say, could have cleared the way for authorities to charge the 45 year old mother of three with a felony.

This was a risk the family says it could not afford. You see, if Mayumi Heene were convicted of a felony, as a Japanense citizen, she would be deported to her native country. In a statement released by David Lane, Mayumi’s husband Richard chose to “fall on his sword,” and plead guilty to a more serious charge, so that his wife would not have to. It was a package deal, said Lane. After both Heenes voluntarily admitted to the charges against them, Judge Shapanski let both know that restitution would be sought and that jail time was a possibility. The cost of the four hour chase last month, that involved the cops, sheriff’s deputies, the national guard and the Federal Aviation Administration, is till unknown, but estimates start around 60-thousand dollars. Judge Shapanski will make the final decision during the Heenes sentencing hearing in December.

The availability of H1N1 vaccine is still less than what manufacturers had predicted and what federal health officials had wanted. Still, the 38 million doses currently ready for states to order is 11 million more than what was available a week ago, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“The pace of our progress is picking up,” said Rear Adm. Anne Schuchat, MD, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.

Schuchat stopped short of predicting when the supply of vaccine would be enough to become readily available to the general public.

States, and in some cases municipalities, are responsible for determining how best to distribute limited supplies. In most areas, vaccinations are directed toward those at highest risk of spreading the disease or suffering the worst consequences.

Children remain among the groups most vulnerable. The virus is now blamed for 129 pediatric deaths in the U.S. Approximately two-thirds of these children had underlying neurological or respiratory conditions, Schuchat said.

According to the CDC, influenza activity is “widespread” in 48 states, with 7.7 percent of doctor’s office visits from patients reporting flu-like symptoms. That’s down slightly from last week’s figure of 8 percent. However, federal health officials say it’s too early to say whether H1N1 activity has peaked.

“Flu season can last until May,” Schuchat sait. “So, we really don’t know what trajectory we’ll see with this virus or with the flu season in general.”

Follow Jonathan on:     Twitter Facebook Other Blogs

by FNC Reporter Alicia Acuna

The state of Arkansas is run by a popular Democratic governor and predominantly Democratic legislature.  The congressional delegation is made up of one Republican U.S. Representative, three Democratic ones and two Democratic U.S. Senators.  But if you ask folks around here, most will describe their state as conservative.  After all, they chose Senator John McCain over Barack Obama by 20 percent in 2008.  President Obama did not make Arkansas a campaign stop last year, and everyone we interviewed on this story mentioned it.  He clearly didn’t need it to win, but he may need Arkansas in 2010.  That’s because Democratic Senator Blanche Lincoln is running to keep her seat in Washington and her opponents are talking like they can already taste the sweet victory.

Doyle Webb, Chairman of the Arkansas Republican Party predicts, “This seat will change hands next year. Arkansans are ready for a change, Senator Lincoln has not been the United States Senator that they thought she was when she was elected. She’s drank too much of that Potomac River water and she’s forgot what it is to be an Arkansan, and become more of a Washitonian”.  Senator Lincoln rejects that notion.  While she acknowledged in an interview with us that, “2010 is a gonna be a tough election year,” Lincoln said, “it always is when you run midterm of a new administration.  I did it in 1994 when our own Bill Clinton…had just won the presidency, it was midterm of his first term. And it’s always difficult.”

Adding to the Senator’s challenge, is the debate on healthcare reform.  Dr. Art English a professor with The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Political Science department says, “I actually think she’ll win re-election but it may be a bit of a struggle. But right now I think with the health care debate, of course she’s been right in the vortex of that because of her re-election.”

Senator Lincoln says she does not support a government run, government funded option, but says the country needs to reform its health care system. In its current version, the health care reform bill introduced by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, is not popular with Arkansans.  This state has the second largest senior citizen population in the country (Florida is first). Concerns about potential Medicare cuts and increased taxes prompted a group called, 60plus.org to run TV ads appealing to Senator Lincoln.

She’s  in a tough spot: does she go with national party loyalty? Or cast a vote that reflects the constituents back home?  Either way, she loses something.  What Senator Lincoln does seem to get is the impatience growing around the goals of this administration. She told us, “People’s expectations have been high and most of them know that we don’t move at breakneck speeds in Washington.  But unfortunately when expectations go up, people want to see the results, and I want to bring them results, but I want to make sure that it’s positive and it’s what’s right for Arkansas, it’s what’s right for the country”.

Election day 2010 is not only a year away, it’s an eternity away in political time. A lot can happen, and probably will.

by FNC Reporter Molly Line

Voters in upstate New York hit the polls today in the wake of whirlwind developments shaking up the race for the 23rd Congressional district’s open seat.
Two very different candidates are left standing in this battle- Democrat Bill Owens and the Conservative Party Candidate Doug Hoffman.

Republican Dede Scozzafava pulled out and the repercussions are still echoing.
Democrat Bill Owens picked up her endorsement and garnered last minute backing from organized labor- a vote was split before Scozzafava, who’s husband is a union leader, pulled from the contest.

Doug Hoffman, the Conservative Party candidate, has grassroots support that helped him climb up in the polls.

Hoffman is a pro-life fiscal conservative who promises to cut taxes and reduce government spending. His campaign has the backing of Tea Party activists and prominent conservatives, like Fred Thompson and Sarah Palin.

The Republican National Committee first endorsed Scozzafava but, were quick to throw their backing to Hoffman when she left the race- the RNC and the National Republican Congressional Committee have made 140,000 calls on Hoffman’s behalf since Sunday.

Hitting the polls early this morning, Owens says voters have a clear choice.

“We can go backward to the Bush agenda which includes tax cuts for the very wealthy, privatization of social security and tax credits for companies that send jobs overseas, the recession, a 4.9 trillion dollar addition to the deficit, or they can move forward with us,” Owens said.

Doug Hoffman says he’s fighting for the heart and soul of the Republican Party, backed by grassroots support.

Republican Scozzafava freed her supporters but, it’s unclear where her votes will go now.
As a pro-choice, pro-gay marriage candidate with moderate views on tax issues she appealed to some Democrats and Independent voters who could peal away towards the Owens camp, however, the majority of her voters identified with the GOP and their support could benefit Hoffman who now has the backing of national party leaders.

The unusual battle has sparked much debate over whether the results are evidence of a rift in the GOP or just a anomaly resulting from unique circumstances that allowed local republican leaders to hand-pick a nominee, rather than voters.

House Minority Leader John Boehner weighed in today saying political rebellion among conservatives is bigger than most people imagine.

“They don’t have a primary in New York. If they had a primary this would have been resolved weeks ago but, what has happened over the last two or three weeks, basically has been the republican primary,” Boehner said.

It’s election day in New Jersey, and though the sun is shining – not much is clear.  The polls put the match up between incumbent Democrat Governor Jon Corzine and his Republican challenger Chris Christie at a dead heat.  That’s a significant shift from this time last year when President Obama carried the Garden State by a 15 point margin.  Obama has invested time in this race, trying to buoy Corzine going into the homestretch, but any boost has yet to surface in the polls.  After voting today, Corzine sounded optimistic.  “I feel like we’ve got a lot of momentum coming from behind,” Corzine continued, “the only poll that counts is the one that’s going on right now between 6 and 8.”

The Christie camp remains upbeat as well, encouraged by what it sees as a swing away from Corzine and toward Christie in recent polling data.  The candidate is confidently predicting victory.  “I believe the Republican party will be much stronger tomorrow because we will have a Republican governor of New Jersey.”  To make that a reality Christie will have to do what no Republican has been able to accomplish since 1993 – unseating an incumbent Democratic governor.  Christie says he welcomes the challenge, and sees a win tonight as just a beginning.   Christie commented today, “It’s also going to place a great deal of responsibility on our party then to govern.”

Still in the mix, though not as a top contender, is Independent Chris Daggett.  What happens with his supporters today could swing the race in one direction or another.  “Unaffiliateds” make up the state’s largest pool of registered voters at 2.4 million.  It’s all the unknowns that will make the New Jersey gubernatorial race such an interesting race to watch when the polls close at 8:00pm EST.