To the Point

SARS and its Economic Impact

In Asia, there have been hundreds of deaths from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. There-s growing panic in Beijing, where schools are closed, nearby villages have been sealed off and crowds are leaving the city. Outside Asia, the only SARS fatalities have been in Toronto, Canada, where the death toll is 16. That was enough for the World Health Organization to warn travelers to stay away from that city. The health impact of SARS may still be uncertain, but there-s no doubt the global economy is taking a beating. Should Americans be worried? Are health officials over-reacting? We discuss the health and economic implications of SARS with journalists in Canada and China, a WHO spokeswoman, LA County-s director of public health, and economists from Goldman Sachs and the University of Hong Kong. Making News: President Bush Pushes Tax Cut in Ohio With unemployment at its highest point since March of last year, President Bush is in Ohio today, pushing the massive tax cuts he says will stimulate the economy. Bush made two speeches today, but his most important audience was just one man, Republican Senator George Voinovich. Rick Dunham of BusinessWeek magazine says the -George versus George battle- has serious implications for the 2004 presidential election. Reporter's Notebook: US Planners Surprised by Strength of Iraqi Shiites In the past few days, Iraq-s majority Shiites have massed by the hundreds of thousands, demonstrating the organizational power of Islamic fundamentalists. The Washington Post reports that White Hose officials underestimated the strength of the Shiite leaders, calling the Pentagon unprepared for "the rise of an anti-American, Islamic fundamentalist government.- Dale Davis is a former Marine Corps Middle East counterintelligence officer.