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11 Jun 2009 - Headlines for June 11, 2009
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New York Legislature in Gridlock as Democratic Defections Give Republicans Senate Control
The Republican takeover of the New York State Senate following the surprise defection of two Democratic lawmakers. The political upheaval has held up legislation on issues affecting millions of New Yorkers, including gay marriage, rent controls and mayoral control of New York City's schools.Following Senate Approval, Torture-Linked General Given "Carte Blanche" for Afghan Command
House Panel Holds Hearing on Single Payer
AMA Opposes Public Health Insurance Plan
Tiller Colleague Vows to Continue Performing Late-Term Abortions in Kansas Admin to Unveil New Rules on Mountaintop Coal Mining
The Obama administration is set to announce today new regulations of mountaintop removal, the controversial coal mining practice that has caused extensive environmental damage in the Appalachian region. The changes include ending fast-track approval for new mining permits and imposing a more extensive environmental review. Interviewed by the Washington Post, the chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, Nancy Sutley, said the administration hasn’t ruled out seeking a complete ban on mountaintop removal, with discussions still in the early stages. Peruvian Congress Suspends Land Laws
UN Withdraws Staff from Peshawar Following Deadly Bombing
Blackwater Sued for 2007 Killing of Iraqi Civilian
Oregon National Guard Members Sue KBR for Toxic Exposure
Audit Faults at Least $13 Billion in War Contractor Spending
Witnesses: 2 Afghans Killed, Dozens Wounded in US Grenade Attack
Study: Firms, Governments Funded over 22,000 Pentagon Trips
Utah Man Dies in Police Tasering Senate Votes for FDA to Regulate Tobacco
The bill would give the federal government the power to regulate cigarette ingredients, to ban the marketing of "light cigarettes" and to require graphic warning labels.
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11 Jun 2009 - Push for national healthcare
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Obama Sets Stage For Healthcare Sales Push
President Obama met at the White House with senators working on healthcare reform before leaving Washington for a town hall meeting in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and a speech in Chicago to sell the plan to the public. The Chicago Tribune reports Obama will appear today "at a town hall style event in Green Bay," and will address the American Medical Association on Monday in Chicago.
The Hill reports that prior to his departure, Obama "assembled the Democratic and Republican committee leaders at the White House Wednesday morning, where he stressed a bipartisan approach to the 651-page bill." Roll Call reports Obama "demanded Congress stick to his schedule for passing health care reform this year while reiterating his preference for a bipartisan bill." The Politico reports the four senators "assured Obama that they would keep to his proposed timeline."
The Washington Post reports, "When President Obama touches down today" in Green Bay, "he will be landing in one of the highest-value health communities in the nation, a city that by numerous measures has managed to control medical spending while steadily improving health outcomes." Obama's scheduled town hall meeting is "intended to spotlight one city's strategy for squeezing out waste without hurting quality."The Financial Times also reports, "For months, if not years...Obama has been talking about engagement with Tehran. But with western diplomats pushing for talks to begin once Iran's presidential elections are decided, the moment of truth is fast approaching." A key issue is the "impasse between the world's big powers and Tehran over its nuclear programme or whether instead Israel strikes Iran's nuclear facilities." Iranian Election "Too Close To Call" NBC Nightly News reported, "There is a chance we could be seeing a big change coming in Iran. There is a knock-down drag-out presidential campaign under way, complete with massive rallies, negative attacks and the possibility of a real upset for the controversial incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad."
Shirin Ebadi, who "won the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize for her work defending human rights in Iran," writes in the Washington Post, "The world is watching. For many Iranians, this election will be a litmus test of the current government's claim that Iran is "the freest country in the world." While it is not officially on the ballot, the future of human rights in Iran is at stake." Huckabee: No Run To "Mushy Middle" For GOP
The AP reports that in Iowa yesterday, Mike Huckabee (R) "warned Republicans...against moving to the 'mushy middle,' arguing that only clearly stated conservative policies can bring the party back to power." In an interview with Radio Iowa, Huckabee "stressed his desire for 'clarity' among Republicans about what it means to be a conservative. 'I was just stunned when I saw many people who pretended to be conservative who went out there and supported everything from the TARP bill to the bailouts. There's nothing conservative about that,' Huckabee said." Latest From Late Night Comedians
Conan O'Brien: "President Obama's in the news, of course. He's put healthcare back in the news. Yup. President Obama says he wants to create a national healthcare plan that's both affordable and easy to use. Yup. Yeah, good. Yeah, and the insurance industry says they'll fight the plan with congressmen who are both affordable and easy to use." David Letterman: "There is an agency now that keeps track of this kind of stuff, and I think it's fascinating. Do you like the presidential minutia? I love it. I can't get enough of it. And according to this tracking agency, President Obama invokes the name Jesus Christ more frequently now than did George W. Bush for the same amount of time in his Presidency. ... I never really noticed it but I'll bet it's true, because if you think about it, Obama is always saying, 'Jesus! Why did I run for president?'"
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