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Conservative lawyers offer new argument against health law's mandate

The lawyers who helped bring the first challenge against the health law's individual mandate think they've figured out another way to kill it using the Supreme Court's own argument that it's a tax. Meanwhile, President Barack Obama's Justice Department files to dismiss an Oklahoma lawsuit challenging the law's implementation.

7 Dec 2012

VA to offer new rules for veterans with brain injuries

The new regulations will make it easier for veterans with traumatic brain injuries to get health care. And, an agreement between the VA and the Indian Health Service will allow some vets to get care closer to home.

7 Dec 2012

Raising Medicare's eligibility age would bring trade-offs

The Los Angeles Times and The Associated Press examine the implications of one option being considered in the federal deficit talks and discover some surprising consequences, including higher premiums for those already covered by Medicare.

7 Dec 2012

Marijuana legalization in 2 states comes under microscope

The New York Times reports the Justice Department and senior White House officials are debating legal action against Colorado and Washington, which could undermine voter-approved initiatives. Meanwhile, a USA Today/Gallup Poll shows Americans are divided on decriminalization efforts but believe the federal government should not intervene after states vote to take that step.

7 Dec 2012

Christie rejects state-run health insurance exchange

The New Jersey governor said he didn't have enough information about the alternatives.

7 Dec 2012

Boehner, Obama move to direct talks on budget

As the negotiations shift to the president and House speaker, some Republicans appear to be encouraging their colleagues to abandon staunch opposition to any tax rate hike, The Washington Post reports. But several outlets note that little movement is apparent from either side.

7 Dec 2012

Restaurant chain owner backs down, won't cut employee hours over health law

The owner of Olive Garden and Red Lobster restaurants backed off threats to cut employee hours to part time, which would have allowed the company to avoid offering health insurance to workers.

7 Dec 2012

IRS releases final rules for health law's medical device tax

The 2.3 percent tax is expected to raise $29 billion over 10 years.

7 Dec 2012

Bill would give FDA clearer authority over drug compounders

The bill, introduced in Congress, would also direct the Food and Drug Administration to train state regulators -- whose oversights may have contributed to the meningitis outbreak that sickened more than 500 and killed at least 36.

7 Dec 2012

GlobalPost reports on HIV/AIDS in Latin America

In its continuing series titled "The State of AIDS," GlobalPost examines the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Latin America and the Caribbean, where "[m]ajor gains have been made in the fight against the spread of HIV" over the past decade, particularly in stopping mother-to-child transmission (MTCT).

7 Dec 2012

IRIN examines exclusive breastfeeding practices in Kenya

IRIN examines exclusive breastfeeding practices in Kenya, writing, "The country's push for exclusive breastfeeding appears to be working; according to the 2009 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey, 32 percent of babies are exclusively breastfed up to the age of six months, up from just 13 percent in 2003." Kenya hopes "a new law banning the promotion of infant formula ... will contribute to the government's push to encourage all mothers to breastfeed exclusively for at least six months," the news service writes.

7 Dec 2012

Stopping TB requires dedication of international community

Noting that the WHO's Global Tuberculosis Report shows "that access to care and treatment for tuberculosis [TB] has expanded substantially in the past two decades," Deborah Derrick, president of Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, writes in an AlertNet opinion piece, "Not only is this good news for those countries that are most vulnerable to tuberculosis; it is also good news for the global community," as TB can be passed through the air.

7 Dec 2012

First Edition: December 7, 2012

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations includes articles on the talks between President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner on the "fiscal cliff."

7 Dec 2012

Medicare changes central as 'fiscal cliff' countdown continues

The Washington Post reports that some Republicans are urging House leaders to back higher tax rates for the wealthy in exchange for a deal to rein in spending on safety-net programs. Other news outlets report that AARP and other groups are warning lawmakers about the hazards of cutting benefits as part of a deficit reduction package.

7 Dec 2012

Blog series examines challenges, solutions in global AIDS response

The Skoll World Forum and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's "Impatient Optimists" blog have co-produced a blog series highlighting key challenges in the global response moving forward and examining how the international community can overcome these challenges.

7 Dec 2012

Al Jazeera examines HIV/AIDS in Persian Gulf

Al Jazeera examines HIV/AIDS in the Persian Gulf, writing, "For much of the past two decades, there has been an information vacuum in the Gulf for epidemiological data on HIV and AIDS.

7 Dec 2012

U.S. must maintain leadership in AIDS fight, bipartisan support of PEPFAR

Through travel to Africa and "as chairman and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs, we've seen firsthand the enormous toll of HIV/AIDS on families, communities and economies," Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) write in the Huffington Post's "Politics" blog.

7 Dec 2012

Polls show public reluctance for trimming Medicare to curb the deficit

A new AP-GfK poll found most American favor letting tax cuts expire for top wage earners and a Quinnipiac poll found that voters oppose cutting Medicaid spending and increasing the Medicare eligibility age.

7 Dec 2012

Global Fund names interim inspector general

"Norbert Hauser has been named interim inspector general of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria," Devex's "Development Newswire" reports, adding, "The recently retired lawyer and international auditor will serve in this temporary appointment for up to nine months while the Global Fund searches for a permanent inspector general to replace John Parsons," whose employment was terminated last month.

7 Dec 2012