In brief: Bill Clinton to preside over de Blasio swearing-in

New York – Bill de Blasio will be sworn in as mayor of New York City by former President Bill Clinton, his transition announced Saturday. The Democrat will be inaugurated as the 109th mayor of the nation’s largest city Wednesday.

De Blasio worked in Clinton’s administration in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

De Blasio is succeeding Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is leaving office after three terms.

Pregnant woman fired for refusing to get flu shot

Lancaster, Pa. – A pregnant woman who refused to get a flu shot due to her fear of miscarrying has been fired from her job with a health care company.

Dreonna Breton worked as a registered nurse for Horizons Healthcare Services in central Pennsylvania. The company requires all personnel to get the influenza vaccine.

Breton contended that the immunizations may not be safe enough for pregnant women. She suffered two miscarriages earlier this year, and doesn’t want to risk a third.

Company spokesman Alan Peterson said it’s unconscionable for a health care worker not to be immunized and that pregnant women are more susceptible to the flu.

Breton, 29, offered to wear a mask during flu season but was fired Dec. 17.

Federal officials say the flu causes about 200,000 hospitalizations annually.

Nevada trying new angle to name cove for Twain

Reno, Nev. – Nevada officials have launched a new bid to give Mark Twain recognition in the state where he assumed his pen name 150 years ago, but it doesn’t come without opposition.

The Nevada State Board on Geographic Names is again pushing a proposal to name a scenic Lake Tahoe cove for Samuel Clemens, Twain’s real name.

But it no longer maintains the inlet should be named for Twain because he actually camped there in 1861.

The board’s national counterpart rejected the request two years ago in a 5-4 vote, citing as a factor doubt about whether Twain camped at the spot.

Nevada board members now say they want to name the cove for Twain merely because of his association with Tahoe and the lack of a geographic feature in the state named for him.

His book “Roughing It” put Nevada on the map and included an oft-quoted poetic phrase about the Sierra Nevada lake that straddles the California-Nevada border.