Health Care Reform; College Admissions; The Week's Agenda

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Monday, March 22, 2010

We discuss the passage of the Senate's health care reform bill in the House last night, the real world effects of the bill, and the next legislative steps; talk about families' need to balance financial constraints and college dreams; look ahead to the week's agenda in domestic and international affairs; and hear from college admissions' offices about their own difficulties in a down economy.

House Passes Senate's Health Reform Bill, Reconciliation 'Fixes'

Last night the House voted, 219-212, to approve the Senate's version of health care reform, clearing the way for legislation to proceed to the president's desk. The House also approved a set of "fixes" to the Senate bill; Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has assured the House leadership that more than 51 Senators will pass the same fixes using the Senate's reconciliation rules.

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Takeouts: Can a $940 Billion Health Care Bill Really Reduce the Deficit?, Upsets in the NCAA Tournament

  • Financial Takeout:  How can a health insurance reform bill, which costs $940 billion, reduce the country’s deficit by over $1 trillion? Louise Story, Wall Street and finance reporter for The New York Times tells us that if you read the fine print closely … it doesn't! 
  • Sports Takeout: Sports contributor Ibrahim Abdul-Matin has the latest results from the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.

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This Week's Agenda: Health Care, Former Presidents in Haiti, Clinton in Mexico

Every Monday, we look ahead at the week's news, with our partners at The New York Times and the BBC. This week, Marcus Mabry of The Times, and Vladimir Hernandez of the BBC look at where health care reform is headed next; the effects of a visit to Haiti by Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush; and the future of America's war on drugs as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton heads to Mexico.

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British Amputee Veterans Prepare to Walk to the North Pole

A team of British ex-servicemen who have all lost limbs in the line of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, have announced a plan to become the first amputees to walk to the North Pole.

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Going to College: Dreams vs. Cost

For this week’s family segment, we discuss a topic that’s on lots of teenagers’ and parents’ minds right now, as April 1st ticks closer: college acceptance. And how to balance hopes for a dream school versus the reality of what a family can afford.

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Health Care Reform: How the New Bill Affects Doctors and Small Business Owners

Last night the House of Representatives voted on an historic national health insurance reform bill. A hundred years in the making, this is going to have deep and lasting effects on every man, woman and child in America.

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Traveling with a Medical Mission in Haiti

Takeaway producer Anna Sale is accompanying a medical mission in Haiti. At a hospital in Milot, 75 miles north of Port-au-Prince, many of the injured have been transferred from the capital. For some of the patients there, the biggest fear comes at the prospect of leaving.

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      A Hospital Administrator on Health Care Changes

      When the House of Representatives narrowly voted to approve a Senate-passed health care bill, 32 million Americans came closer to receiving medical coverage; but, what does this mean for the thousands of American hospitals tasked with treating them?

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      The NCAA Tournament: The Curse of the #1's

      Northern Iowa upset number one-seeded Kansas on Saturday in the men's NCAA basketball tournament. This year's season has proven to be poisonous for the number ones. Takeaway sports contributor Ibrahim Abdul-Matin tries to make sense of the madness of this year's tournament.

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      Making the Cut in the College Admissions Game

      This is the week that many high school seniors have waited for all year: College admissions offices are hustling to make their final decisions on who is in and who is out.  It is surely not an easy process. But, for many students, the admissions game isn't over when they find out if they're admitted or not — they still need to find out if they have financial aid. And this year, as colleges feel the brunt of the recession, those financial aid decisions are getting harder and harder.

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      Health Care Reform: A Critic's Take

      President Obama's bill to reform health care passed in the House with the support of 219 Democrats and not a single Republican vote. The president and Democratic leaders are touting the bill's passage as a victory for the American people, but Republican critics are fighting back, saying that the bill will be on voters' minds during the midterm elections, and that it will lead to a power shift in Congress.

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