Kerry treads middle ground on Afghanistan
Elise Labott
CNN State Department Producer
Fresh from a trip to Afghanistan, Senator John Kerry warned against a narrowing of the US mission there, but suggested a plan by the commanding US general in the country is overly ambitious.
In a speech to the Council on Foreign Relations the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee warned a major US troop pullout could trigger a civil war could between the Taliban and the Afghan goverment and destabilize neighboring Pakistan.
He rejected the idea of a small-scale counter-terror campaign advocated by Vice President Joseph Biden, saying it was no substitute for the wider ongoing military campaign
But he also would not endorse a major troop increase as proposed by General Stanley McChrystal, saying the general's request for 40,000 troops "reaches too far too fast."
Kerry just returned from Afghanistan and Pakistan, where he played a key role in persuading Afghan President Hamid Karzai to accept a runoff election after his election victory was found to be the result of widespread voter fraud.
Live Blog from the Anchor Desk 10/26/09
Pres. Obama declares H1N1 a national emergency. Plus, tracking the banks bailout money. Are they using it to lobby Congress for new banking rules to their liking?
Want to know what else we're covering? Read EVENING BUZZ
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Let the good times roll on K Street
Program Note: Tune in tonight to hear Joe Johns' report on lobbying and the financial industry. AC360° at 10 p.m. ET.
Joe Johns and Justine Redman
AC360°
It may be a recession on your street, but good times are rolling along K Street in Washington DC – otherwise known as the home address for lobbyists.
Health care has become one of the most crucial political issues of 2009, and more than $293 million has been spent on health care lobbying so far this year. At this rate, 2009 looks like it will set a new record for lobbying.
The heat is still on, as the future of health care reform rides to a large extent on the power of individual members of congress. Today Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced he will introduce a bill including a "public option," when only a few weeks ago, a "public option" was considered as good as dead. These last few days, TV airwaves have been a seeming barrage of politicians and pundits frantically pushing their agendas. Whether it's Reid or other pivotal Senators such as Olympia Snowe, with every move they make, a frantic dance of lobbyists has preceded it.
According to figures published by the Center for Responsive Politics, there are currently 3,185 lobbyists working all sides of the health care issue. Congress has 535 members. That means there are nearly half a dozen lobbyists for every elected official on Capitol Hill on this topic alone.
Photo Gallery: On the road with the Tea Party Express
Editor's Note: Tune in tonight for Gary Tuchman's report from the Tea Party Express. Tonight AC360° at 10 p.m. ET.
Chuck Hadad
AC360° Producer
The Tea Party Express hit the road on Sunday, kicking off a nationwide tour with plans to hold rallies in 38 cities in 19 days.
The Tea Party Express departed from San Diego yesterday and will traverse the nation, coast-to-cast, before ending up in Orlando, Florida on Veteran’s day.
The Tea Party Express calls for less government spending, and opposes increased government involvement in health care, corporate bailouts and deficit spending.
Gary Tuchman reports tonight on 360° on the people who are taking part in the protests and looks into why they're frustrated, worried and angry. He'll be live from a protest in Fresno, Calif. tonight.
These images were taken at a protest in Los Angeles on Sunday.
Gary interviews Tea Party protesters.
Evening Buzz: Banks Lobbying Congress
Maureen Miller
AC360° Writer
We, the taxpayers, paid tens of billions of dollars to save the banks during the economic meltdown. Now some of those banks are spending millions of dollars lobbying Congress to make sure any reform laws are to their liking. So, you may be wondering, are the banks using the bailout money to lobby the government? Don't miss our “Keeping them Honest” investigation tonight on 360°.
ESPN fired baseball analyst Steve Phillips has checked into rehab after an affair with a staffer. In a statement, a representative for Phillips says his client is going to "address his personal issues." The representative added whatever Phillips did wrong, it wasn't under his control. Do you agree? Sound off below. Tonight we'll look at the growing celebrity trend of hitting rehab after an ugly incident.
We're also following the strange story here in New York of a young woman who showed up in the city with no memory. She didn't know her name or where she came from. With help from authorities and a CNN viewer she now has her identity back. We'll have her story.
Join us for these stories and much more starting at 10pm ET. See you then!
What is sex addiction?
Dr. Reef Karim
Assistant Clinical Professor, UCLA
Director, Control Center (for Addictions)
Sex Addiction, also known as compulsive sexual behavior or hypersexual disorder, is characterized by inappropriate or excessive sexual behaviors or thoughts that lead to subjective distress or impaired functioning. Sex Addicts have an inability to regulate their own feelings and act out sexually in order to deal with their negative feeling states.
Behavioral Addictions like sex addiction, pathologic gambling, compulsive shopping, internet/videogame addiction and disordered eating appear to be growing due to our higher paced society and the internet. Our treatment must keep up with our technology.
Beat 360° 10/26/09
Ready for today's Beat 360°? Everyday we post a picture – and you provide the caption and our staff will join in too. Tune in tonight at 10pm to see if you are our favorite! Here is the 'Beat 360°' pic:
A selection of memorabilia is displayed at 'Michael Jackson: The Official Exhibition' held at the 02 Arena. (Getty Images)
Have fun with it. We're looking forward to your captions! Make sure to include your name, city, state (or country) so we can post your comment.
UPDATE BEAT 360º WINNERS
Staff:
Candy Crowley
"Somewhere, Little Lord Fauntleroy is naked."
Viewer:
Hugo, IInglewood, Ca
"Is that the man in mirror?"
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The mismeasure of woman
Joanne Lipman
New York Times
FINALLY! I hear we’re all living in a women’s world now.
For the first time, women make up half the work force. The Shriver Report, out just last week, found that mothers are the major breadwinners in 40 percent of families. We have a female speaker of the House and a female secretary of state. Thirty-two women have served as governors. Thirty-eight have served as senators. Four out of eight Ivy League presidents are women.
Great news, right? Well, not exactly. In fact, it couldn’t be more spectacularly misleading.
The truth is, women haven’t come nearly as far as we would have predicted 25 years ago. Somewhere along the line, especially in recent years, progress for women has stalled. And attitudes have taken a giant leap backward.
Report: Comprehensive reproductive health care
Columbia University
Mailman School of Public Health
Current debate over health care priorities and how best to pay for them presents a critical opportunity to improve women’s health throughout the life span—before pregnancy, during the child-raising years, and as productive seniors. We have a window of opportunity to establish a comprehensive standard of health for American women—a standard that enables women to attain good health in their childhood and adolescence, maintain good health during their reproductive years, and age well.
A new analysis published by the Columbia University Mailman
School of Public Health makes a case for a comprehensive “wellwoman standard of care” and underscores why such a standard must include reproductive health. The analysis makes a scientific, data-driven case that reproductive health is a key determinant of women’s overall health, and therefore, that the treatments and services that promote reproductive health should therefore be part of any national health plan.
Society benefits from healthy women who can participate fully in family, workforce, and community life and therefore, must make health care investments that permit girls to grow into healthy women. Moreover, because a woman’s health in childhood ultimately affects her pregnancies, children also benefit directly from such health care investments.
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