Det är minst sagt..

..spännande att vara i USA - och speciellt i Washington - just nu. Valkampanjen som var i full swing när jag landade i början av månaden har mattats betydligt i o m Lehmanskrashen. Ett och annat inslag med rookien Sara Palin släpps fram men för övrigt är det bara finanskrisen i media just nu.
New York Times idag:
"Fear and greed are the stuff that Wall Street is made of. But inside the great banking houses, those high temples of capitalism, fear came to the fore this weekend."
Nationen höll andan över helgen och middagsbjudningar avbokades i New York och Washington och folk stannade hemma medan Wall street stod på tåspetsarna..
På radiokanalerna spekuleras idag ändlöst över om vem av presidentkandidaterna som har att vinna eller förlora på finanskrisen. Inte många ord om hur den kan komma att lösas.
I söndagskväll kom beskedet att storbanken Merril Lynch efter påtryckningar gått med på att sälja ut sig till Bank of America för 50 miljarder dollar. Och huvudrubriken på NYT i pappersupplagan är idag att USA idag känner av den största finansiella krisen sedan 9/11. Men säger president Bush: " USA:s ekonomi är i grunden sund!"
"Jojo" kommenterar ekonomiska experter i Washington på radiokanalerna.
"NU är den sund."
Och menar att man nu kommit in i en realistisk fas efter år av överhettad ekonomisk verklighet.
Börserna runt om i världen rasar och värst gick det väl för Japan i natt.
Vidare NYT idag:
"A year into the financial crisis, few dreamed that the situation would spiral down so far, so fast. Only a week ago, the Bush administration took control of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the nation’s two largest mortgage finance companies. Then, before anyone could sigh a breath of relief after that crisis, Lehman was on the brink."
Vi följer med spänning utvecklingen i ett turbulent politiskt och finansiellt skede i USA med återverkningar i hela världen..

He died far too young but today he might help..

A Yorkshire aristocrat who died nearly 90 years ago could help the global fight against bird flu, experts say.

A court has authorised the exhumation of the body of Sir Mark Sykes, the owner of the historic Sledmere House near Driffield. Scientists hope the Spanish flu virus from which he died in 1919 may still be present in his body because it has been preserved in a lead-lined coffin.If so, DNA samples could help experts develop drugs to fight the virus.

'Wonderful opportunity'

The Spanish flu virus killed more than 50 million people when it took hold at the end of the First World War.Scientists have been trying to find a sample of the virus, which was similar to some strains of the modern bird flu virus and could have a similar genetic structure.

It is thought that after he died, Sir Mark's body was brought back to the Sledmere Estate in a lead-lined coffin.

Scientists may take samples from the aristocrat's body

The metal has a preservative quality and it is hoped samples containing the virus can still be taken from the aristocrat's body. Experts have been trying to locate a burial of this kind in the belief it may have preserved the secrets of the virus.

Professor John Oxford, a leading virologist, told the BBC's Inside Out programme: "At this point it looks quite encouraging."I think the next thing to do now is to decide to open up the grave and see what samples we can take."If we can get samples, that would be a wonderful opportunity for my team and for science in general.

"We can get answers to very important questions. This is not just history - at the moment we are on the potential verge of the first great outbreak of influenza of the 21st Century.

"We need answers to questions to help us prepare for this first outbreak and I think Sir Mark can help there."

The former MP's grandchildren have granted permission for his body to be exhumed.Grandson Christopher Simon Sykes said: "We are all agreed that it is a very good thing, that it should go ahead.
"It is rather fascinating, (to think) that maybe even in his state as a corpse, he might be helping the world in some way."
Watch the video!

(Article/photos from BBC News Service)