---------------------------------------------------------
Care.com Founder to Step Down as CEO Months After WSJ Report
The company also reported a net quarterly loss
Care.com Inc. founder and Chief Executive Shelia Lirio Marcelo said
the company will start looking for a new CEO and that she will move
into the position of executive chairman.
Ms. Marcelo is moving into the new role “to focus her efforts on advocating for improvements and innovations in the country’s care infrastructure to better enable families to find quality care and caregivers to find meaningful work,” she said, according to Care.com.
Ms. Marcelo is moving into the new role “to focus her efforts on advocating for improvements and innovations in the country’s care infrastructure to better enable families to find quality care and caregivers to find meaningful work,” she said, according to Care.com.
Donald Trump Threatens to Cancel Some Health-Care Benefits for Lawmakers
In tweet, president also targets insurance company payments
WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump made one of his most explicit
threats to cut off payments to insurance companies to force senators and
lobbyists back to the bargaining table for a GOP health-care bill, and
saying, for the first time, that he was also willing to cancel some of
lawmakers’ health-care benefits.
GOP May Keep Some Obama Tax Increases to Save Health Bill
Thursday, 29 Jun 2017 08:19 PM
Senate Republican leaders considered keeping one
of former President Barack Obama's big tax increases on wealthier
Americans and using the money to fatten proposed subsidies for the poor
in a bid Thursday to placate moderate GOP lawmakers and salvage their
struggling health care bill.
With a core priority tottering, top Republicans also assessed an amendment pushed by conservatives to let insurers offer plans with low premiums and scant benefits. To do so, a company would also have to sell a policy that abides by the consumer-friendly coverage requirements in Obama's 2010 statute, which the GOP is struggling to repeal.
Both proposals were encountering internal Republican opposition, and it was uncertain either would survive. But the effort underscored how Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., needed to mollify both wings of his divided party if he's to rescue one of his and President Donald Trump's foremost campaign promises.
McConnell postponed a vote on an initial version Tuesday, forced by conservative and moderate GOP senators prepared to block it.
By Friday, McConnell wants to add changes to the bill that would assure its passage after Congress' week-long July 4 recess. For him to prevail, no more than two of the 52 GOP senators can oppose the measure.
But as senators charged out the Capitol's doors Thursday to begin their break, there were no overt indications that GOP leaders had resolved their problems.
"We're kind of at a stalemate right now, I'd say," said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., who with Ohio GOP Sen. Robert Portman and others want to forestall reductions the measure would make in Medicaid. Discussions about easing those cuts were continuing, but progress so far was "not enough for me," said Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev.
The Medicaid program for low-income and disabled people has grown dramatically in their states and others, but the Republican bill would cut it, with reductions growing over time.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said that while GOP leaders might have a package in hand Friday, "I'm not confident that's going to, kind of, solve everybody's concerns."
Vice President Mike Pence met in the Capitol on Thursday with Capito,
Heller and other GOP dissidents, including Sens. Susan Collins of Maine
and Texas' Ted Cruz.
The Senate bill would repeal most of the tax boosts Obama levied, around $700 billion over the coming decade. They were aimed largely at high earners and the medical industry and helped finance his expansion of coverage to about 20 million people.
Under a proposal by Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., the bill would retain Obama's 3.8 percent tax increase on investments by higher earners. Keeping that increase would save $172 billion over 10 years, and moderates want to use it to make the health care subsidies their bill would provide more generous.
Democrats say the GOP bill is mostly a tax cut for the rich. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has said the Senate measure would raise out-of-pocket health care costs for many low earners while producing 22 million more uninsured people by 2026.
Corker said he was "very confident" that leaders would address the issue in the updated bill. He said cutting upper-income taxes and increasing health care costs for the poor "is not an equation that works."
"Obviously we'd like to get rid of all" of Obama's tax boosts, said No. 3 Senate GOP leader John Thune of South Dakota. "But if it takes something like that to get our members on board to move this process forward, I think we have to consider that."
Conservatives said they opposed the idea, along with the chairmen of Congress' two tax-writing committees: Senate Finance chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and House Ways and Means chairman Kevin Brady, R-Texas.
Obama's health law enacted an additional 3.8 percent tax on investment income for married couples making more than $250,000 a year and individuals making more than $125,000.
Also in play was the proposal by Cruz to let insurers offer skimpier policies, which conservatives say would lower premiums.
Moderates oppose that, especially if it lets insurers raise premiums
on people with pre-existing medical problems. No. 2 GOP leader John
Cornyn of Texas suggested the proposal might not survive because Senate
rules won't allow it on the bill.
The leader of the conservative House Freedom Caucus suggested the Senate bill would be doomed if it excluded something like Cruz's plan or House-approved provisions letting insurers charge higher prices to people with serious diseases. Many expect the House to try for quick passage of any health care bill the Senate approves, foregoing potential problems of negotiating a bicameral compromise.
"Is failure an option? Absolutely not," said Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C. "Is failure on the doorstep knocking? Absolutely. So we've got to make sure we don't answer that door."
Republicans also said party leaders agreed to add $45 billion for battling opioids abuse to their bill. They were also considering a proposal by conservatives to let people use tax-advantaged health savings accounts to pay health care premiums.
With a core priority tottering, top Republicans also assessed an amendment pushed by conservatives to let insurers offer plans with low premiums and scant benefits. To do so, a company would also have to sell a policy that abides by the consumer-friendly coverage requirements in Obama's 2010 statute, which the GOP is struggling to repeal.
Both proposals were encountering internal Republican opposition, and it was uncertain either would survive. But the effort underscored how Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., needed to mollify both wings of his divided party if he's to rescue one of his and President Donald Trump's foremost campaign promises.
By Friday, McConnell wants to add changes to the bill that would assure its passage after Congress' week-long July 4 recess. For him to prevail, no more than two of the 52 GOP senators can oppose the measure.
But as senators charged out the Capitol's doors Thursday to begin their break, there were no overt indications that GOP leaders had resolved their problems.
"We're kind of at a stalemate right now, I'd say," said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., who with Ohio GOP Sen. Robert Portman and others want to forestall reductions the measure would make in Medicaid. Discussions about easing those cuts were continuing, but progress so far was "not enough for me," said Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev.
The Medicaid program for low-income and disabled people has grown dramatically in their states and others, but the Republican bill would cut it, with reductions growing over time.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said that while GOP leaders might have a package in hand Friday, "I'm not confident that's going to, kind of, solve everybody's concerns."
The Senate bill would repeal most of the tax boosts Obama levied, around $700 billion over the coming decade. They were aimed largely at high earners and the medical industry and helped finance his expansion of coverage to about 20 million people.
Under a proposal by Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., the bill would retain Obama's 3.8 percent tax increase on investments by higher earners. Keeping that increase would save $172 billion over 10 years, and moderates want to use it to make the health care subsidies their bill would provide more generous.
Democrats say the GOP bill is mostly a tax cut for the rich. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has said the Senate measure would raise out-of-pocket health care costs for many low earners while producing 22 million more uninsured people by 2026.
Corker said he was "very confident" that leaders would address the issue in the updated bill. He said cutting upper-income taxes and increasing health care costs for the poor "is not an equation that works."
"Obviously we'd like to get rid of all" of Obama's tax boosts, said No. 3 Senate GOP leader John Thune of South Dakota. "But if it takes something like that to get our members on board to move this process forward, I think we have to consider that."
Conservatives said they opposed the idea, along with the chairmen of Congress' two tax-writing committees: Senate Finance chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and House Ways and Means chairman Kevin Brady, R-Texas.
Obama's health law enacted an additional 3.8 percent tax on investment income for married couples making more than $250,000 a year and individuals making more than $125,000.
Also in play was the proposal by Cruz to let insurers offer skimpier policies, which conservatives say would lower premiums.
The leader of the conservative House Freedom Caucus suggested the Senate bill would be doomed if it excluded something like Cruz's plan or House-approved provisions letting insurers charge higher prices to people with serious diseases. Many expect the House to try for quick passage of any health care bill the Senate approves, foregoing potential problems of negotiating a bicameral compromise.
"Is failure an option? Absolutely not," said Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C. "Is failure on the doorstep knocking? Absolutely. So we've got to make sure we don't answer that door."
Republicans also said party leaders agreed to add $45 billion for battling opioids abuse to their bill. They were also considering a proposal by conservatives to let people use tax-advantaged health savings accounts to pay health care premiums.
© Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights
reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
redistributed.
____________________________________flu shots give you liver cancer So Far 1500 People Found Dead So Far due to the Flu Shots 2016 - 2017
Don't Take My Word For it you can Find A Full List Heatlth Reports
On My wall Here
Full List Of Health News Links
CDC FDA American Cancer Society https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/flu/
American Cancer Society www.cancer.org https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/flu/
FDA www.fda.gov
Women's Health Magazine www.womenshealthmag.com
Men's Health Magazine www.menshealth.com
Everyone 6 months of age and older should get a flu vaccine every season.
Living with cancer increases your risk for complications from
influenza (“flu”). If you have cancer now or have had cancer in the
past, you are at higher risk for complications from the seasonal flu or
influenza, including hospitalization and death.CDC FDA American Cancer Society https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/flu/
American Cancer Society www.cancer.org https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/flu/
FDA www.fda.gov
Women's Health Magazine www.womenshealthmag.com
Men's Health Magazine www.menshealth.com
What Cancer Patients, Survivors, and Caregivers Should Know About the Flu
Everyone 6 months of age and older should get a flu vaccine every season.To help prepare you for the flu this season, CDC answers some of your most important questions about special considerations for cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers.
Are cancer patients and survivors more likely to get the flu than others?
While we don’t know this specifically, we do know that cancer may increase your risk for complications from the flu. If you have cancer now or have had certain types of cancer in the past (such as lymphoma or leukemia), you are at high risk for complications from the seasonal flu or influenza, including hospitalization and death.Should cancer patients and survivors get a flu shot?
Yes. People with cancer or a history of cancer should receive the seasonal flu shot. People who live with or care for cancer patients and survivors also should be vaccinated against seasonal flu. Additionally, CDC recommends that everyone aged six months and older get a flu vaccine for the upcoming season.Immune defenses become weaker with age, which places older people at greater risk of severe illness from flu. Also, aging decreases the body’s ability to have a good immune response after getting a flu shot. Two vaccines are designed specifically for people 65 and older—
- The high-dose flu vaccine contains four times the amount of antigen as the regular flu shot.
- The adjuvanted flu vaccine is designed to help create a stronger immune response to vaccination.
What other vaccines should cancer patients and survivors be aware of?
Many people who are at increased risk for flu are also at increased risk for pneumococcal disease. People with cancer or other diseases that compromise your immune system should ask their health care providers if pneumococcal shots are needed.____________________________________
FDA approves OxyContin for kids 11 to 16
Liz Szabo, USA TODAY The Food and Drug Administration has approved the powerful narcotic painkiller OxyContin for children as young as 11. While doctors who treat young cancer patients hailed the approval, others expressed concern that prescribing OxyContin to children could put them at risk for addiction.
OxyContin, an extended-release version of the painkiller oxycodone, has gained notoriety in recent years because of its frequent abuse. People addicted to painkillers crush the pills so that they can be snorted or injected, producing a powerful high.
In 2010, Purdue Pharma reformulated OxyContin to make it more difficult to abuse.
The FDA notes that children generally have many fewer options for pain relief than adults. Because of that problem, the FDA asked Purdue to perform studies to see if the drug could be used safely in children ages 11 to 16 with pain caused by cancer, trauma or major surgery, said Sharon Hertz, a physician with the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, in an interview on the agency's website.
The FDA approved OxyContin for children this age who need "daily, round-the-clock, long-term" pain relief for which there is no alternative, Hertz said. Doctors should only prescribe OxyContin in children who have already been treated with opiate painkillers and who can tolerate at least 20 milligrams a day of oxycodone.
Other than OxyContin, the only other long-acting painkiller approved for children is Duragesic, also known as fentanyl, Hertz said.
"Children are not treated with opioids very often and usually it's only for a limited period of time with close supervision by health care professionals," Hertz said. "Fewer daily doses may free patients for physical therapy appointments, allow them to go home from the hospital sooner and may help them to sleep through the night without waking up."
Doctors who treat pediatric cancer patients hailed the approval as a way to ease children's suffering. Children at the end of life aren't at risk of addiction.
Having additional long-acting painkillers "is going to be tremendously helpful for treating children with cancer pain or pain at the end of life," said Justin Baker, pediatric oncologist and hospice and palliative medicine doctor at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Long-acting medications prevent breakthrough pain, so that youngsters can feel comfortable and "focus their energy on being a kid instead of fighting their pain," Baker said.
But prescribing OxyContin to youngsters with short-term medical needs could be put them at risk for developing an addiction that haunts them long after they leave the hospital, said Andrew Kolodny, director of Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing. Teens are at higher risk of addiction than adults because the brain doesn't mature until about age 25. Studies show that about one in 25 high school seniors has abused OxyContin, said Scott Hadland, a specialist in adolescent medicine and substance abuse treatment at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
"Among adolescents who are prescribed OxyContin, a small but significant number are going to become addicted," Hadland said.
The number of prescription painkillers sold in the USA has quadrupled since 1999, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 44,000 Americans die of drug overdoses each year. Some people who become addicted to prescription painkillers switch to using heroin, which has become cheaper and easier to access than OxyContin.
Kolodny said it's concerning that the FDA approved OxyContin for children without appointing an advisory panel to discuss the risks and benefits, a process traditionally used when the agency faces a controversial decision.
Hadland said doctors need to take special precautions when dispensing painkillers, such as prescribing limited amounts, so that people don't end up with extra pills that they don't need. Doctors should screen patients for drug and alcohol abuse before prescribing OxyContin, Hadland said. And doctors should check their state's prescription drug monitoring program, which allows them to see if patients have already received painkillers from other doctors.
Parents should be in charge of giving children the medication, instead of allowing teens to administer their own painkillers, Hadland said. Parents should keep painkillers locked away at all other time.
Supreme Court Justices Weigh Challenge to Obamacare
Wednesday, 04 Mar 2015 12:10 PM
Italy Investigating 11 Deaths Possibly Linked to Flu Vaccine
The Italian Pharmaceutical Agency has yet to confirm a link
Italy is investigating the deaths of several people who took an influenza vaccine as the total death toll climbed to 11.An additional eight fatalities possibly related to Novartis AG’s Fluad vaccine have been identified, Bloomberg reports. As a precaution, two batches of the drug were suspended after three people died within 48 hours of getting the shot.
“At the moment it’s not possible to confirm that there is a direct link between taking the vaccine and the reported deaths,” the Italian Pharmaceutical Agency said in a statement. “More complete information is necessary and a thorough analysis of the cases must be conducted.”
Novartis said Fluad, which was approved in 1997, has a “robust” history of safe usage and that there was “no causal relationship” found between the deaths and the vaccine.
[Bloomberg]
10 flu myths
If you've ever had the flu, you know how sick you can be. Chances are good that some of the advice friends and family gave you about avoiding or dealing with the flu was wrong. There seems to be no shortage of misinformation and bad advice when it comes to dealing with the flu.Here are 10 common myths about the flu.
-
MYTH: You can catch the flu from the vaccine.
The vaccine is made from an inactivated virus that can't transmit infection. So people who get sick after receiving a flu vaccination were going to get sick anyway. It takes a week or two to get protection from the vaccine. But people assume that because they got sick after getting the vaccine, the shot caused their illness.
-
MYTH: Healthy people don't need to be vaccinated.
It's true that the flu vaccination is routinely recommended for people who have a chronic illness. But anyone — even healthy folks — can benefit from being vaccinated. Current guidelines suggest that children ages 6 months to 19 years old, pregnant women, and anyone over age 49 be vaccinated each year. In addition, the flu shot is recommended for healthy people who might spread the virus to others who are particularly susceptible. For this reason, health care workers are routinely advised to get the flu vaccination to protect their patients.
-
MYTH: Getting the flu vaccination is all you need to do to protect yourself from the flu.
There are a number of steps you can take to protect yourself during flu season besides vaccination. Avoid contact with people who have the flu, wash your hands frequently, and consider taking anti-viral medications if you were exposed to the flu before being vaccinated.
-
MYTH: The flu is just a bad cold.
Influenza may cause bad cold symptoms. But in the United States alone, 36,000 people die and more than 200,000 are hospitalized each year because of the flu.
-
MYTH: You can't spread the flu if you're feeling well.
Actually, 20% to 30% of people carrying the influenza virus have no symptoms.
-
MYTH: You don't need to get a flu shot every year.
The influenza virus changes (mutates) each year. So getting vaccinated each year is important to make sure you have immunity to the strains most likely to cause an outbreak.
-
MYTH: You can catch the flu from going out in cold weather without a coat, with wet hair or by sitting near a drafty window.
The only way to catch the flu is by being exposed to the influenza virus. Flu season coincides with the cold weather. So people often associate the flu with a cold, drafty environment. But, they are not related.
-
MYTH: Feed a cold, starve a fever.
If you have the flu (or a cold) and a fever, you need more fluids. There's little reason to increase or decrease how much you eat. Though you may have no appetite, "starving" yourself will accomplish little. And poor nutrition will not help you get better.
-
MYTH: Chicken soup will speed your recovery from the flu.
Hot liquids can soothe a sore throat and provide much needed fluids. But chicken soup has no other specific qualities that can help fight the flu.
-
MYTH: If you have a high fever with the flu that lasts more than a day or two, antibiotics may be necessary.
Antibiotics work well against bacteria, but they aren't effective for a viral infection like the flu. Then again, some people develop a bacterial infection as a complication of the flu, so it may be a good idea to get checked out if your symptoms drag on or worsen.
Surprise! White House To Delay 'Firm' Obamacare Enrollment Deadline Past March 31
Avik Roy, Forbes Staff
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Though the Obama administration repeatedly insisted that its March 31 enrollment deadline for Obamacare’s first year was “firm,” many observers predicted that the administration would combat lagging sales of health law-sponsored insurance plans by extending that deadline. Sure enough, on Tuesday night the White House indicated that it would be postponing that drop date in order to squeeze as many people as possible into the program.
Amy Goldstein of the Washington Post broke the story. Goldstein reports that the revised deadline “will apply to the federal exchanges operating in three dozen states” and extend for two to three weeks.
On the spectrum of things that the White House has pushed back or changed about Obamacare, this is a relative tweak. The original open enrollment period for the first year of Obamacare was set up to last for six months; instead it will last for 6.5 months. Unlike some of the clearly illegal extensions and delays that the White House has put forth, this one appears to be legal; the text of the Affordable Care Act doesn’t specify how long the open enrollment period should be, leaving that task to the regulators at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
CMS: ‘We don’t actually have the statutory authority’ to extend deadline
But that’s not what the Obama administration was saying until now. On March 11, Julie Bataille, the appropriately-surnamed spokeswoman for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said that “we have no plans to extend the open enrollment period. In fact, we don’t actually have the statutory authority to extend the open enrollment period in 2014.” On March 12, when Rep. Kevin Brady of the House Ways and Means Committee asked HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius: “Are you going to delay the open enrollment beyond March 31st?” Sebelius replied, “No, sir.”
However, in that same testimony, Sec. Sebelius gave herself the loophole that she is now using to push back the deadline. “We have made it clear that if, through no fault of their own, they were unable to enroll, that eligibility extends to a delayed enrollment period, and they will have a special enrollment period we have the authority to grant.”
But the administration isn’t going to bother with those caveats in the end. Reports Goldstein, people who haven’t signed up by March 31 will be able to “rely on an honor system” to attest that “they tried to enroll before the deadline…the government will not try to determine whether the person is telling the truth.”
Insurers continue to be frustrated
It’s yet another improvisation by the administration, designed to get as many people under the Obamacare tent as possible, to ensure that the law is impervious to repeal. But the upshot is that people who haven’t bought insurance, and recently fallen ill, can now buy coverage at the old rate. So while the extension may increase enrollment figures by a few hundred thousand people, it will also ensure that the pool of people signing up is even sicker and older than it would have been otherwise.
WellPoint, the bellwether insurance firm, held its annual investor conference last week. There, Ken Goulet, president of WellPoint’s division for conventional employer-sponsored and individually-purchased insurance plans, declared that, “looking at the rate increases on a year-over-year basis on our exchanges, and it will vary by carrier…all of them will probably be in the double digit plus.” That number can only go higher, not lower, with this latest delay.
That means that 2015 premiums on Obamacare’s exchanges will likely be even higher than they would have been before. That’s not good news for the millions of Americans who are trying to shop for coverage on their own but face steep rate hikes already.
Most importantly, the delay indicates that the Obama administration knows what we’ve all been concerned about: that while millions of people are signing up for Obamacare-sponsored insurance, the vast majority of those have been people who were previously insured. And if that’s true, the law isn’t helping the people it was meant to help. Two or three weeks, here or there, isn’t going to solve that problem.
* * *
UPDATE: Regarding the legality of the deadline extension, Phil Klein finds the statutory language that indicates that the extension is in fact illegal:Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., urged President Obama in a letter to consider extending the open enrollment period for Obamacare beyond March 31, 2014, given the IT problems confronting the program.AVIK’S NEW BOOK, How Medicaid Fails the Poor, is now available in paperback, Kindle, and iBooks versions. Follow @Avik on Twitter, Google+, and YouTube, and The Apothecary on Facebook. Or, sign up to receive a weekly e-mail digest of articles from The Apothecary.
But that decision isn’t up to Obama.
Even if Obama wanted to extend the open enrollment period, he wouldn’t be allowed to without an act of Congress — at least if he wants to follow the law he signed.
Though the health care law granted the Secretary of Health and Human Services discretion to define dates for the open enrollment period to occur each year, it also specified that the initial enrollment period (i.e. the current one) had to be announced by July 1, 2012.
Specifically, Section 1311 of the healthcare law reads, “ENROLLMENT PERIODS: The Secretary shall require an Exchange to provide for– (A) an initial open enrollment, as determined by the Secretary (such determination to be made not later than July 1, 2012).”
Given that HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has already determined that the enrollment period must end on March 31 — and nearly 16 months has passed since she made that determination — extending the period would require an act of Congress to change the law.
INVESTORS’ NOTE: The biggest publicly-traded players in Obamacare’s health insurance exchanges are Aetna (NYSE:AET), Humana (NYSE:HUM), Cigna (NYSE:CI), Molina (NYSE:MOH), WellPoint (NYSE:WLP), and Centene (NYSE:CNC), in order of the number of uninsured exchange-eligible Americans for whom their plans are available.
Siemens chief says supports ties with Russian companies
NOVO-OGARYOVO, Russia/BERLIN
CEO of the Siemens AG Joe Kaeser waits before
meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Novo-Ogaryovo state
residence outside Moscow, March 26, 2014.
Credit: Reuters/Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool
Related Video
"We support a trusting relationship with Russian companies," Kaeser told journalists in Russia in response to a question whether sanctions against Russian Railways boss Vladimir Yakunin could affect its projects with the state rail monopoly firm.
The United States has levied sanctions against several Russian individuals - including Yakunin - over Moscow's annexation of Crimea. Russian Railways has said that decision against Yakunin was unjustified.
Siemens has a partnership with Russian Railways, the state railway monopoly, under which it provides high-speed trains for rail lines between St Petersburg, Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod, according to the Siemens website.
"We have mastered a range of challenges successfully" over time, Kaeser told German public TV channel ZDF later on Wednesday. "Therefore I believe it is good to stay in dialogue and to talk about the things that are in the way and to find solutions together."
Kaeser said the German government knew about his trip in advance and had not pressured him. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, asked during a news conference in Berlin whether she was opposed to Kaeser's meeting with Putin, said business contacts with Russia were still in place and she hoped sanctions would not have to move to the next level.
But she stressed that while business with Russian companies was not yet part of the sanctions - and she hoped they would not become one - she also trusted German businesses would comply if economic sanctions were expanded to include company dealings with Russia.
"(The head of BDI industry lobby) told me today that a value system is highly important for business, too because business investment relies on reliability," Merkel said. "There can only be reliability if contracts and international treaties are adhered to.
"But Russia must know that if certain further international treaties are broken, then we are ready for a tough reaction. That's an important message."
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