Oct 12 Unusual Battle Lines Are Drawn on Role of Individual Mandate in Reform Bill The Senate Finance Committee is expected to approve its health reform bill Tuesday, but the legislation may include an amendment that weakens penalties designed to support an individual mandate requiring most Americans to carry insurance. Continue reading
Oct 12 Poll: Americans Support Civil Unions, but Oppose Same-sex Marriage Americans broadly support giving gay and lesbian couples the same rights as people in heterosexual marriages, but using the term "marriage" still draws opposition, according to the latest Pew Research Center survey on same-sex marriage. Continue reading
Oct 12 6 Uighurs Sentenced to Death Over Xinjiang Riots A Chinese court sentenced six Uighur men to death and a seventh to life in prison on Monday for murder and other violent crimes committed this summer during ethnic rioting in Xinjiang, China's western region. Continue reading
Oct 12 Weekly Poem: ‘Domestique’ Heather McHugh was among the recipients of the so-called "Genius Award" (i.e. the 2009 MacArthur Fellowship). Continue reading
Oct 09 Obama’s Reform Effort Faces More Hurdles After Finance Committee Vote A key component of President Obama's health reform overhaul faces a vote next week in the Senate Finance Committee after the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office gave it an upbeat assessment. Continue reading
Oct 09 Conversation: Hilary Mantel, Winner of the 2009 Booker Prize By Arts Desk Hilary Mantel took home the coveted Man Booker Prize this week for her novel, "Wolf Hall," a detailed look at the contemptuous court of Henry VIII during the English Reformation. Continue reading
Oct 08 Senate Committee Set for Health Reform Vote The Senate Finance Committee will vote Tuesday on a sweeping revamp of the U.S. health care system as the debate over President Barack Obama's top domestic policy enters a new stage. Continue reading
Oct 08 Herta Muller Wins Nobel Prize in Literature By Arts Desk Romanian-born writer Herta Muller won the 2009 Nobel Prize in literature Thursday, becoming only the 12th woman to win the prize in its 109-year history. Continue reading
Oct 08 Famed Photographer Irving Penn Dies at 92 By Arts Desk Fashion and celebrity photographer Irving Penn died Wednesday in his Manhattan home at the age of 92, according to his photo assistant Roger Krueger. He is remembered for creating striking, minimalistic images and for adopting a craftsman-like approach to his… Continue reading
Oct 08 Watch Michelle Obama’s Ancestry Reveals Intriguing Slave Tale Jeffrey Brown examines first lady Michelle Obama's ancestral path as the descendant of a slave. Continue watching