Wyoming caucuses--the results are coming in!

Mar 08, 2008 - CNN.com reports that with 78% of precincts reporting, Obama leads Clinton 59% to 40%. Woo-hoo! Go'bama! - 6 Comments

Do You Live in a Healthy or an Unhealthy State?

Nov 17, 2009 -   If you want to be healthy, live in Vermont—or at least act like you do. It is the healthiest state in the country, according to a new report from the nonprofit United Health Foundation. The annual ranking looks at 22 indicators of health, including everything from how many children receive recommended vaccinations, to obesity and smoking rates, to cancer deaths. - 5 Comments

High Court Weighs Life Terms For Minors

Nov 09, 2009 - Is it unconstitutionally cruel and unusual punishment to send a juvenile away to prison for life, without the possibility of parole for a crime that does not involve a death? That's the question the Supreme Court ponders Monday. In 2005, the high court struck down the death penalty for juveniles by a 5 to-4 vote. - 5 Comments

Hate crimes bill goes to Obama for signature

Oct 23, 2009 - Fri October 23, 2009 WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Senate passed groundbreaking legislation Thursday that would make it a federal crime to assault an individual because of his or her sexual orientation or gender identity. The expanded federal hate crimes law now goes to President Obama's desk. Obama has pledged to sign the measure, which was added to a $680 billion defense authorization bill. - 0 Comments

Hate crimes bill goes to Obama for signature

Oct 23, 2009 - Fri October 23, 2009 WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Senate passed groundbreaking legislation Thursday that would make it a federal crime to assault an individual because of his or her sexual orientation or gender identity. The expanded federal hate crimes law now goes to President Obama's desk. Obama has pledged to sign the measure, which was added to a $680 billion defense authorization bill. - 122 Comments

Key senators may rebuff Obama on health care

Oct 22, 2009 - WASHINGTON – The Democrats' control of a hefty majority in the Senate — plus the House — would suggest that President Barack Obama is within reach of overhauling the nation's health care system this fall. But the numbers mask a more complicated reality: Obama and Democratic leaders have modest leverage over several pivotal Senate Democrats who are more concerned about their next election or feel they have little to lose by opposing their party's hierarchy. One is still smarting from being forced to abandon next year's election. - 71 Comments

Domestic violence as pre-existing condition? 8 states still allow it

Oct 04, 2009 - By Les Blumenthal | McClatchy Newspapers WASHINGTON — Eight states and the District of Columbia don't have laws that specifically bar insurance companies from using domestic violence as a pre-existing condition to deny health coverage, according to a study from the National Women's Law Center. The states are Idaho, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota and Wyoming. The study by the nonpartisan, nonprofit center focused on individual coverage, not group coverage. - 40 Comments

Insurance Industry on Claiming Domestic Violence as a "Pre-Existing Condition"

Sep 15, 2009 - In eight states as well as the District of Columbia, it is legal for insurance companies to reject individual health coverage for people because they are survivors of domestic violence.   The problem was examined in a report released last fall by the National Women's Law Center in Washington, D.C. Titled "Nowhere to Turn: How the Individual Health Insurance Market Fails Women," the report examined the so-called "gender gap" -- the difference in premiums charged to male and female applicants of the same age and health status -- as well as other insurer policies related to gender.It found that women often face higher premiums than men, that it is difficult and costly for women to find insurance that covers maternity care, and that insurers can reject applicants for a variety of reasons particularly relevant to women -- including domestic violence.The Service Employees International Union, which is pressing for reform of the health insurance system, wrote about the domestic violence insurance issue at its blog on Friday:   Words cannot describe the sheer inhumanity of this claim. - 11 Comments