Fwd: Obama's Recess-Appointed Medicare Chief Speaks at HHS Press Conference But Doesn?t Stick Around for Questions

Today's Headlines Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Advertisement – NewsBusters.org, the website you trust to expose the liberal media's bias every day, is turning 5 years old in August!  Several activities are underway to celebrate this milestone, including a T-shirt giveaway. Every weekday between now and August 17, we will give away five NewsBusters t-shirts. Click here to sign up for a chance to win one. The sooner you sign up, the more chances you'll have to win!  Also, be sure to visit www.NewsBusters.org each Friday for more anniversary news and surprises. Obama's Recess-Appointed Medicare Chief Speaks at HHS Press Conference But Doesn't Stick Around for Questions Washington (CNSNews.com) – President Barack Obama's controversial pick to run Medicare and Medicaid made his first public appearance since he was recess-appointed to the post by the White House, but he did not remain at Tuesday's press conference long enough to take any questions from the news media. Dr. Donald Berwick, who has openly advocated for a health care system that "must redistribute wealth," spoke to a crowd of about 200 people about new federal rules pertaining to electronic health records. Senate Republicans Demand Answers from Kagan on Whether She Must Recuse Herself from Constitutional Challenges to Obamacare (CNSNews.com) - All seven Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee sent a letter Tuesday to Solicitor General Elena Kagan demanding to know whether she at any time, as a member of the Obama administration, discussed the lawsuits filed by Florida and other states challenging the constitutionality of the health-care law signed by President Barack Obama. If Kagan did express an opinion on the lawsuits, under federal law she could be required to recuse herself from the case if she is confirmed as a justice and the case comes before the Supreme Court. Plan to Entice Fighters to Leave Taliban Is 'Ready to Go,' Administration Says (CNSNews.com) – As Kabul prepares to host what has been called the biggest gathering of foreign representatives there since the 1970s, the Obama administration's point man for the region – Richard Holbrooke -- has again defended plans to lure Afghan fighters away from the Taliban – a central theme of next week's conference. On Tuesday Holbrooke reiterated the administration's position that the so-called "reintegration" program is "a key ingredient of a successful campaign in Afghanistan." Obama Administration Approves First Direct Taxpayer Funding of Abortion Through New High-Risk Insurance Pools (CNSNews.com) - If you want proof that President Obama's Executive Order on taxpayer-funded abortion was a sham, look no further than Pennsylvania, says House Republican Leader John Boehner. Boehner and other Republicans point to reports that the Health and Human Services Department is giving Pennsylvania $160 million to set up a new high-risk insurance pool that will cover any abortion that is legal in the state. U.S. Taxpayers to Subsidize New U.N. Agency Promoting Abortion (CNSNews.com) – The U.S. will be a top donor nation for a new $500-million United Nations agency that conservatives say will likely promote an abortion agenda. In what the United Nations has called a historic move, the U.N. General Assembly unanimously voted on July 2 to approve "U.N. Women," an agency intended to accelerate progress in achieving gender equality and women's empowerment. The administrative costs of running the agency will come from the U.N.'s core budget, of which the U.S. pays 22 percent. U.S. Spent $181,406 to See How Cocaine Enhances Sex Drive of Japanese Quail (CNSNews.com) – The National Institutes of Health has awarded $181,406 this year to a researcher at the University of Kentucky to study how cocaine enhances the sex drive of Japanese quail. The grant, "Enhancement of Sexual Motivation," was awarded as part of a program conducted by the National Institute of Drug Abuse (a division of the NIH) that is intended to find ways to better treat or cure addiction in humans. EPA Issues Taxpayer Money to 'Enhance Environmental Education and Awareness' (CNSNews.com) – The Environmental Protection Agency is handing out a total of $190,000 in grants to enhance environmental education and awareness in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, and Ohio. Some of the grants will benefit "underserved communities." One will promote "sustainable gardening." And others will promote "carbon sequestration," the process of reducing carbon dioxide levels by transferring CO2 from the atmosphere into the soil through various farming and forestry practices. Court Decision Striking Down Broadcast Indecency Ban is 'Anti-Family,' Says FCC Commissioner (CNSNews.com) - Parental rights advocates, anti-pornography activists and at least one current member of the Federal Communications Commission joined forces Tuesday in condemning a federal appeals court ruling that declared the FCC policy's banning indecency during prime-time TV hours was unconstitutional. FCC Commissioner Michael Copps condemned the decision as "anti-family." Nearly 70 Members of Congress Go to Court to Defend The National Day of Prayer (CNSNews.com) - The American Center for Law and Justice filed a friend of the court brief last week on behalf of 63 House members and four senators -- Republicans and Democrats -- in a legal case defending the constitutionality of the National Day of Prayer. On April 15, a federal judge in Wisconsin ruled in favor of the Freedom From Religion Foundation that the National Day of Prayer violated the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment. The Justice Department has appealed the case to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago. Afghans Paid $1 Billion in Bribes Last Year, Survey Says (CNSNews.com) – Afghans paid $1 billion in bribes last year, most of which were paid for social services such as health and education, according to a National Corruption Survey compiled by the non-profit watchdog group Integrity Watch Afghanistan. The $1 billion in bribes paid in 2009 more than doubled the $466 million paid in 2006. CNSNEWS.COM VIDEO Axelrod: 'No Administration Has Been Tougher' on Immigration Enforcement than Obama Administration (CNSNews.com) - When making the case for the Obama administration's legal challenge to Arizona's new law against illegal immigration, White House senior adviser David Axelrod said "no administration has been tougher" on immigration enforcement than the Obama administration. "We can't have - we can't have a patchwork of 50 states developing their own immigration policy," Axelrod told host Chris Wallace on the July 11 edition of "Fox News Sunday." "I understand the frustration of people in Arizona. They want the federal government to step up and deal with this problem once and for all, and that's what we want to do." Census 'Successfully Completed' Work to Date Despite 'Shaky' Computer Problems, Census Director Says (CNSNews.com) - The director of the U.S. Census Bureau, Dr. Robert Groves, told CNSNews.com there's no evidence that the IT problems had a "quality impact" on the accuracy of the population count, but he encouraged people to wait for a final report from the Commerce Department's inspector general to "see what he has to say." OTHER CNSNEWS.COM HEADLINES New White House Report Claims Millions of Jobs 'Saved or Created' by Stimulus Bill Senate Hearing Finally Set for Intelligence Chief Republican Gubernatorial Candidate in Colorado Apologizes for Plagiarism U.N. Eyes Private Help in Funneling $100 Billion in Climate Aid to Developing Countries Small Banks That Took Bailout Money Doing Poorly, Watchdog Says China to Invest $10B in Argentina's Railways Four Police Officers Could Face Death Penalty for Post-Katrina Shootings Donate Today! 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Help CNSNews.com and Donate Today!  NEWSPAPER ROUNDUP Both parties mull raising retirement age to lower cost of Social Security White House searching for a way to reconnect with voters over economy Coalition eases up on Afghan air strikes despite escalating combat U.S. may label Pakistan militants as terrorists Nancy Pelosi vents about Robert Gibbs Hoyer: Seats are 'in play,' but Dems will hold House majority Under Obama, Gitmo becomes playground for inmates In key contests, Democrats champion gun rights TSA using pizza boxes to recruit new workers Hoyer: Congress has broadband power Nebraska council OKs ban on hiring illegal immigrants TARP watchdog to audit housing program Poll: Toomey, Sestak are even in U.S. Senate race New guidelines seek to expand diagnosis of Alzheimer's Metro riders, hit by large fare hike, face escalator malfunctions Boehner warns Dems about lame-duck spending spree By dying in 2010, Steinbrenner saved family half-billion in taxes ACLU says California DNA law violates privacy Missouri Gov. Nixon faces decision on abortion bill Magnitude of Medicare fraud in South Florida grows COMMENTARY Will Kagan—and Recusal Law—Cost Obamacare a Vote? By Terence P. Jeffrey What are the odds that while serving as President Barack Obama's solicitor general, Elena Kagan never expressed her opinion about lawsuits that were filed challenging the constitutionality of Obamacare? If Kagan did express her opinion, federal law requires the she be disqualified from those cases if she is confirmed as a justice and they come before the Supreme Court. The National Association for the Advancement of Coddled People By Michelle Malkin The NAACP is a laughingstock. The group no longer represents the best interests of oppressed minorities, but the thin-skinned whims of the black elite and the ravenous appetite of the Nanny State. The NAACP uses the plight of poor black people as a fig leaf to hide its true agenda of promoting policies that benefit their dues-paying members, not black people in general or poor black people in particular." Heed the Call By Rich Galen The danger to the nation is not whether Republicans or Democrats control the House or Senate (or both); nor is it whether Obama wins a second term. The danger to the Republic is we have lost confidence in our political institutions to solve anything. Obama the Gipper? L. Brent Bozell III The Political Left is in a meltdown. There's no way to sugarcoat the calamity. It is falling apart. It sees the tide has turned and a possible tsunami is building, ready to crest and explode in November, washing all their dreams away. How could this be happening to them? Here's how…