Heard Gupta's Swine Flu Spiel? Well, He Got It, Too

(NEWSER) - Kabul Zoo officials have locked up the only known pig in Afghanistan to allay visitors' fears that it might spread swine flu, Reuters reports. Pork is illegal in Afghanistan for religious reasons; the country’s lone porcine resident is a zoo animal. “For now, the pig is under quarantine,” said the zoo director. “We built it a room.” More»

(NEWSER) - Sanjay Gupta is sticking with CNN and brain surgery. Gupta has withdrawn his name from contention to be the next surgeon general, the network reports. Gupta apparently had reservations over a big pay cut and the idea of reporting to more than one boss, notes Fox News. Gupta will discuss it on Larry King Live tonight. Obama caused a stir when he approached the celebrity doctor about the post. No obvious contenders are in the wings, at least publicly. More»

CNN's medicine man will help push preventive health care message, Park notes

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama's choice of CNN's health correspondent as his surgeon general is raising eyebrows, but the pick underlines Obama's plans to focus on preventive care, Alice Park writes in Time. The telegenic Sanjay Gupta, while lacking the government experience most surgeon generals have brought to the job, has anchored specials urging Americans to live healthier lives and seems like a natural choice to bring that message to the nation, Park notes. More»

(NEWSER) - CNN correspondent and neurosurgeon Sanjay Gupta is Barack Obama’s choice for surgeon general, and the doctor is expected to accept, the Washington Post reports. The two had a meeting in Chicago in November, where the president-elect noted that Gupta would be a very high-profile appointment and would have significant say on health policy. The final vetting process is in progress. More»

Taking same White House correspondents gig, but with new boss

(AP) - CNN White House correspondent Ed Henry is jumping to Fox News to take the same job over there, the network announced yesterday. Henry joined CNN in 2004 from Roll Call, and he covered the president, Congress, and politics for the network. A Fox News exec says the network has been "impressed with Henry's reporting for a long time." More»