| Senate health bill to include public option

Senate-health-bill-to-include-public-option WASHINGTON - Health care legislation heading for the Senate floor will give millions of Americans the option of purchasing government-run insurance coverage, Majority Leader Harry Reid announced Monday, although he stopped short of claiming the 60 votes needed to pass a plan steeped in controversy.

Reid, D-Nev., said individual states would have the choice of opting out of the program.

His announcement was cheered by liberal lawmakers, greeted less effusively by the White House and noted with a noncommittal response by Democratic moderates whose votes will be pivotal.

Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine, the only Republican to vote with Democrats on health care so far this year, issued a statement saying she was deeply disappointed in the approach the Democratic leader had chosen.

Reid said, While the public option is not a silver bullet, I believe its an important way to ensure competition and to level the playing field for patients with the insurance industry. He said a long-delayed Senate debate on President Barack Obamas call for an overhaul of the health care system would begin as soon as the Congressional Budget Office completes a mandatory assessment of the bills cost and impact on coverage.

Changes on the public option — and numerous other provisions in the measure — are possible during a debate expected to last for weeks.

$900 billion price tag
And officials said Reid had prepared several variations of key provisions so he could make adjustments in his bill at the last minute and still make sure he was within Obamas target of a $900 billion price tag over a decade.

Both the House and Senate are struggling to complete work by years end on legislation extending coverage to millions who lack it, to ban insurance industry practices such as denying coverage because of pre-existing medical conditions and to slow the rise in medical costs nationally.

As in the Senate, attempts to complete drafting a measure in the House have been delayed by internal Democratic divisions on the details of a government-run option. Differences in bills passed by the House and Senate would have to be reconciled before any legislation reached Obamas desk.

In an appearance at a Florida senior center during the day, Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested a new name for the same approach to ease the opposition. She suggested the consumer option. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., appearing at Pelosis side, used the term competitive option.

Critics say that by any name, the approach amounts to a government takeover of the insurance industry.

Senate Democratic officials say the bill Reid envisions would require most individuals to purchase insurance, with exemptions for those unable to find affordable coverage. Large businesses would not be required to provide insurance to their workers, but would face penalties of as much as $750 per employee if any qualified for federal subsidies to afford coverage on their own.

Tax on high-cost plans
The bill will also include a tax on high-cost insurance policies, despite opposition from organized labor, officials said. In a gesture to critics of the plan, Reid decided to apply the new tax to family plans with total premiums of $23,000 a year. The Senate Finance Committee approved a tax beginning at $21,000 in total premiums.

Nominally, the majority leader has spent the past two weeks melding bills passed earlier by the Senates Finance Committee and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. But in reality, he has had a virtual free hand to craft a new measure in consultations with senior members of the two panels and top White House aides.

I feel good about the consensus that was reached within our caucus and with the White House, he said at his news conference. And were all optimistic about reform because of the unprecedented momentum that now exists.

Within minutes, the White House released a statement saying Obama was pleased that the Senate has decided to include a public option for health coverage, in this case with an allowance for states to opt out.

Obama has long voiced support for such a plan but has also signaled it is not a requirement for a health care bill he would sign. He has also said he would like bipartisan support for the legislation — and Snowe appears to be his last, best hope for that.

She favors a standby provision for government coverage if there is not enough competition in the private marketplace. Reid said that was not in his bill. We hope that Olympia will come back. ... Shes a very good legislator. Im disappointed that the one issue, the public option, has been something thats frightened her.

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who has long backed a government-run insurance option, said the approach has a new life because as Americans have learned more about it, they have come to see it is the best way to reduce costs and increase competition in the health insurance industry.

Ben Nelson of Nebraska, the most conservative Democrat in the Senate, is not committing how we will vote regarding any proposal Senator Reid is advancing, said spokesman Jake Thompson.

Lincoln to study details
Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., a moderate seeking a new term in 2010, said through a spokesman she intends to study the details and decide how to vote based on the impact on her home state.

With the support of two independents, Democrats command 60 seats in the Senate, precisely the number needed to overcome any Republican filibuster.

Asked about the prospects for success, Reid answered, We have 60 people in the caucus. ... We all hug together and see where we come out.

While the controversy over government-run insurance is the most intense, there are numerous other issues to be settled before legislation can win passage.

Obama has set a $900 billion, 10-year price tag for the legislation, and the program would be funded through cuts in future payments to Medicare providers and through higher taxes — an income surcharge on million-dollar earners in the House version and a new levy on high-cost insurance policies in the Senate.

Pelosi has said the House bill will strip the insurance industry of its exemption from antitrust laws, a provision that the Congressional Budget Office said during the day would have only a small impact on the cost of insurance to consumers.

The insurance industry was sharply critical of Reids announcement.

A new government-run plan would underpay doctors and hospitals rather than driving real reforms that bring down costs and improve quality. The American people want health care reform that will reduce costs, and this plan doesnt do that, said Karen Ignagni, head of Americas Health Insurance Plans.

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| Review: Motorolas Cliq is a snappy smart phone

Review:-Motorola's-Cliq-is-a-snappy-smart-phone Review: Motorolas Cliq is a snappy smart phone - | Review: Motorolas Cliq is a snappy smart phone |

| Former No 1 Hingis rules out comeback to tennis

Former-No.-1-Hingis-rules-out-comeback-to-tennis PARIS -Former No. 1 Martina Hingis wont make a comeback to competitive tennis.




The 29-year old Hingis, who retired after getting a two-year ban in 2007 for testing positive for cocaine, said Tuesday in an interview with LEquipe that she is happy with her new life.




Ive got a nice house, my four horses, Hingis said. On the tour, I had no life.




Hingis added that even without being tested positive, she likely would have retired.




If I had won the four Grand Slam tournaments, maybe I would have continued, she said. But I was on downslope. And I was suspended for two years, and that was it.




Hingis, who spent 209 weeks at No. 1 in the womens rankings and won five Grand Slam singles titles, said she went through hard times during her suspension.




I didnt have the right to play any competition, even in another Olympic sport, she said. I didnt have the right to feature in equestrian competition, even at an amateur level. ... Im not sure I have completely recovered.




Hingis added that she learned that her suspension was over on Sept. 30 — her birthday — a few days after undergoing a doping test at her home.




They thought maybe, like you, that I was planning a second comeback, she said.




Hingis quit tennis for the first time in 2002 because of foot and leg injuries. When she returned to the circuit in 2006, Hingis reached two Grand Slam quarterfinals, won two smaller tournaments and finished the year ranked No. 7. - | Former No 1 Hingis rules out comeback to tennis |

| She still believes she conceived while pregnant

She-still-believes-she-conceived-while-pregnant Don’t worry, ladies: Once you’re pregnant, having sex won’t get you pregnant again — even though an Arkansas woman carrying two babies of two gestational ages claims it happened to her.

“You can have sex usually with wild abandon and not worry about getting pregnant a second time. Normal sex throughout a pregnancy is not an issue,” NBC chief medical correspondent Dr. Nancy Snyderman told TODAY’s Matt Lauer Monday in New York. “The chances of getting pregnant , even early on, are infinitesimally small.”

Snyderman’s medical opinion is shared by other doctors and obstetricians, who are skeptical that Julia Grovenburg of Fort Smith, Ark., is carrying two babies conceived 2½ weeks apart — which would be an example of an extremely rare phenomenon called superfetation. Far more probable, they say, is that she is carrying twins who are growing at different rates.

“The most likely explanation is that this is a normal twin pregnancy with a significant discrepancy in the sizes of the two fetuses because they’re developing at different rates,” Dr. Ralph Kazer, chief of reproductive endocrinology at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, told NBC News.

Shocking development
The doctors can say what they want, Julia and Todd Grovenburg, the expectant parents, told Lauer from their Fort Smith home. The two fetuses — Jillian and Hudson — have consistently been shown by ultrasound tests to be two weeks and four days apart in their development.

“Beyond a shadow of a doubt, we believe it’s superfetation and that there is no slower development for the smaller child,” Julia said.

The Grovenburgs had been trying to start a family for three years when a home pregnancy test six months ago revealed that Julia was finally pregnant. But when the couple went in for their first ultrasound look at the fetus on June 4, even the technician doing the test was astonished.

The Grovenburgs were certain that Julia was 8½ weeks along, but the test showed that the fetus was 11 weeks old. Then the big shock: The ultrasound showed a second, much smaller fetus, also growing in Julia’s womb.

“I gagged,” Julia told Lauer with a laugh when asked to describe her initial reaction. “It was very shocking for there to be two, but for there to be two that appeared to be of two different ages — it was surreal.”

Todd’s reaction was different. “He laughed a lot,” Julia said, as her husband nodded in agreement.

Some have suggested that the Grovenburgs are pushing the superfetation story because of the international publicity the story has generated. Julia dismissed that charge, saying if that were true, they would have gone public months ago.

“For us, it’s ridiculous,” she said of the charges. “We waited over five months to let this story air, even with our local media, until we got confirmation that the suspicion was real, and that it was a possibility and not just something in our head. Now that they said it is a possibility, that’s when we decided to tell our story.”

Fooling Mother Nature?
The reason for the skepticism lies in biology. Snyderman said that when a woman becomes pregnant, powerful hormonal changes prevent the fertilization and implantation of a second embryo, even in the rare instances when a woman ovulates twice during one monthly cycle.

The medical literature on superfetation is more anecdotal than scientific. Some researchers say there are approximately 10 confirmed cases of the phenomenon. And the Grovenburgs’ obstetrician, Dr. Michel Muylaert, believes that Julia Grovenburg may join them.

“Mrs. Julia Grovenburg is pregnant with twins and there appears to be a discordant growth pattern, possibly due to superfetation. This is an unusual and rare condition, but the possibility is real,” Muylaert said in a statement released to the media. “It can only be confirmed after delivery by chromosomal and metabolic studies on the babies. She was evaluated at UAMS in Little Rock for this condition and they confirmed the suspicion of superfetation.”

An amniocentesis could confirm superfetation, but the Grovenburgs have decided against that test because of possible danger to the fetuses. Instead, they said they will allow the babies to be tested after birth to determine if they are fraternal twins growing at different rates or the result of two fertilizations more than two weeks apart.

“If the test is available to be done after they arrive, that is something that we definitely will do,” Julia told Lauer.

Julia is both 25 and 28 weeks along in her unusual pregnancy, which means that Jillian’s due date is in late December and Hudson’s in early January. The Grovenburgs’ doctors have planned a Caesarean delivery of both babies in December, which is just fine with the couple.

“I think it’s going to be good on the taxes,” Todd observed.

- | She still believes she conceived while pregnant |

| Lottery ticket matches $260 million jackpot

Lottery-ticket-matches-$260-million-jackpot COLUMBIA, South Carolina - The economic crunch has drastically improved for one lucky Powerball lottery player who bought a ticket in South Carolina.

Lottery officials said Thursday a Powerball ticket sold in South Carolina matched all six numbers drawn to win the midweek jackpot worth nearly $260 million. A news conference was planned Thursday at a Columbia store where the ticket was sold.

Amber Baldwin, assistant manager at the Murphy USA store, said the store was buzzing with excitement and ticket sales had increased since the winning ticket was announced.

The winner hasnt come forward yet, said Stephanie Summer Hemminghaus, a lottery official.

Powerball is played in 30 states.

- | Lottery ticket matches $260 million jackpot |

| Ryan Scott’s foolproof brick chicken

Ryan-Scott’s-foolproof-brick-chicken If you’re cooking for a dinner party and want to impress without spending endless hours at the stove, chef Ryan Scott has a few recipes for you to try. The “Top Chef: Chicago” contestant, who is known for his simple yet tasty New American dishes, offers up a complete meal with his easy brick chicken, panzanella salad and sparkling sangria.

Brick chickenRyan Scott - | Ryan Scott’s foolproof brick chicken |

| White House eyeing narrower war effort

White-House-eyeing-narrower-war-effort Senior White House officials have begun to make the case for a policy shift in Afghanistan that would send few, if any, new combat troops to the country and instead focus on faster military training of Afghan forces, continued assassinations of al-Qaeda leaders and support for the government of neighboring Pakistan in its fight against the Taliban.

In a three-hour meeting Wednesday at the White House, senior advisers challenged some of the key assumptions in Gen. Stanley A. McChrystals blunt assessment of the nearly eight-year-old war, which President Obama has said is being fought to destroy al-Qaeda and its allies in Afghanistan and the ungoverned border areas of Pakistan.

McChrystal, commander of the 100,000 NATO and U.S. forces in Afghanistan, has asked Obama to quickly endorse his call for a change in military strategy and approve the additional resources he needs to retake the initiative from the resurgent Taliban.

But White House officials are resisting McChrystals call for urgency, which he underscored Thursday during a speech in London, and questioning important elements of his assessment, which calls for a vast expansion of an increasingly unpopular war. One senior administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the meeting, said, A lot of assumptions -- and I dont want to say myths, but a lot of assumptions -- were exposed to the light of day.

Among them, according to three senior administration officials who attended the meeting, is McChrystals contention that the Taliban and al-Qaeda share the same strategic interests and that the return to power of the Taliban would automatically mean a new sanctuary for al-Qaeda.

Leading up to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the Taliban government provided much of al-Qaedas leadership with a safe haven before being toppled by U.S. forces later that year. Since then, some White House officials say, al-Qaeda has not regained its foothold even as the Taliban insurgency has strengthened.

The deliberations over McChrystals assessment are expected to last several weeks, and officials who participated in Wednesdays meeting say it is too early to discern what direction Obama intends to take.

Although participants described the discussions as fluid, divisions are becoming clearer between those in the administration who want to broaden the U.S. effort, including sending in additional combat forces, and those who want to adopt a narrower anti-terrorism effort focused primarily on al-Qaeda.

Senior White House officials asked some of the sharpest questions, according to participants and others who have been briefed on the meeting, while the uniformed military, including Gen. David H. Petraeus, head of U.S. Central Command, did not take issue with McChrystals assessment.

According to White House officials involved in the meeting, Vice President Biden offered some of the more pointed challenges to McChrystal, who attended the session by video link from Kabul. One official said Biden played the role of skeptic in chief, while other top officials, including Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, were muted in their comments.

Clinton has given no public signals about whether she is inclined to side with Biden or with McChrystal. But Clinton often sees eye to eye with Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, who also has kept his views private. She met with Gates on Tuesday and has cleared her afternoon schedule for Friday to meet with her Afghanistan team.

Biden has argued against increasing the number of U.S. combat troops in Afghanistan, currently scheduled to total 68,000 by the end of the year. He favors preserving the current force levels, stepping up Predator drone strikes on al-Qaeda leaders and increasing training for Afghan forces. Like many congressional Democrats, Biden is concerned that deploying more U.S. troops could be counterproductive, giving the Taliban more fodder to foment public opposition to the foreign occupation.

McChrystal, whom Obama sent to Afghanistan in May after firing his predecessor, is making his case for additional resources publicly. In a speech Thursday at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, McChrystal said that we must show resolve and warned that uncertainty disheartens our allies and emboldens our foes.

Asked whether a more limited counterterrorism effort would succeed in Afghanistan, he said, The short answer is: no. You have to navigate from where you are, not where you wish to be. A strategy that does not leave Afghanistan in a stable position is probably a short-sighted strategy.

In the days leading up to the deliberations this week, senior White House officials emphasized what they say have been the administrations achievements against al-Qaeda, underscoring that defeating the terrorist organization, rather than rebuilding Afghanistan, has always been Obamas stated goal.

After pledging in last years presidential campaign to wind down the war in Iraq and commit more resources to Afghanistan, Obama concluded a policy review in March that, for the first time, considered the instability in Pakistan and Afghanistan as a single problem that demanded a comprehensive solution, including a large increase in civilian aid to both countries.

Several senior Obama advisers argued this week that two significant events since then have changed the calculus on the ground.

The Pakistani governments decision to reinstate Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry as the Supreme Court chief justice -- his removal had been a major source of domestic tension -- and challenge the Taliban insurgency in the Swat Valley has brought more stability to the U.S.-backed administration of President Asif Ali Zardari, White House officials say.

At the same time, the tainted Aug. 20 presidential election in Afghanistan has cast doubt on the legitimacy of President Hamid Karzais administration.

Eight months ago, if you had asked people which was worse, everybody would have said Pakistan is worse and Afghanistan is in good shape, one senior Obama adviser said. Today we find out they had an election that wasnt clean, the Taliban is doing qualitatively better than we presumed and Pakistan is doing so much better.

McChrystals high-profile campaign on behalf of his assessment is forcing the White House to make its decision amid a widening debate on Capitol Hill and across the country. In his 66-page report, McChrystal warned that failure to gain the initiative and reverse insurgent momentum within a year risks an outcome where defeating the insurgency is no longer possible.

Republican leaders in Congress have called on Obama to approve McChrystals request quickly, but one presidential adviser noted: In eight months, it is impossible to reverse eight years of neglect.

A lot of decisions were made out of a sense of urgency in the previous administration, and they turned out to be wrong-headed, said another senior administration official involved in Afghanistan policy. Examining the options, testing assumptions, reviewing everything -- were not talking months, just days and weeks, and it is well worth the time spent.

Correspondent Anthony Faiola in London contributed to this report.

More on: McChrystal | Afghanistan

- | White House eyeing narrower war effort |