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San Francisco's health care a model
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
11/20/2009
San Francisco did not wait for Washington's health care overhaul. Most uninsured adults here are already reaping the benefits of a government-run health care program -- seeing doctors, filling prescriptions, and getting surgeries they could not otherwise afford.
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'Under-insured' growing as fast as uninsured
KPLU
11/19/2009
The trend of people no longer being able to afford health insurance has been getting worse, Washington officials say. A new state study predicts the number of people here without insurance will hit 1 million by the end of 2011.
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Views: US health-reform foes on wrong side of history
Seattle Times
11/19/2009
Why is it broadly accepted that elderly Americans should have universal health care, while it's immensely controversial to seek universal coverage for children? What's the difference, asks Nicholas Kristof, except that health care for children is far cheaper?
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Health bill hopes to sway reluctant Democrats
NPR
11/19/2009
The Senate needs 60 votes to bring its health care bill to the floor. To round up those votes, the bill unveiled Wednesday costs less than the House version, and delays the effective date for many provisions to 2014.
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Give in on same-sex benefits, judge orders feds
San Francisco Chronicle
11/19/2009
The chief federal appeals court judge in San Francisco bluntly ordered the Obama administration Thursday to stop resisting his finding that the wife of a lesbian court employee was entitled to government insurance coverage.
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Pelosi: Abortion issue won't sink health care bill
NPR
11/19/2009
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday predicted that she can corral enough moderate Democrats to guarantee passage of health care overhaul legislation -- even if it doesn't contain a controversial House proposal that would expand abortion limits.
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Free clinics tied to health-care debate
Seattle Times
11/20/2009
A nonprofit group's campaign to hold free medical clinics for the uninsured in three states is turning into a not-so-subtle jab at moderate Democrats to support their party's efforts to reform health care.
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Reid pushes for votes on US health-care bill
Washington Post
11/20/2009
Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid worked Thursday to nail down the votes needed to move to a final debate on health-care legislation, but a tepid assessment of the public insurance plan he crafted emerged as the latest potential obstacle to the passage of the far-reaching changes.
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Infuriated mom: Why can't I protect my body?
Seattle Post Globe
11/18/2009
Kim Radtke of Seattle was pregnant with her now nearly three-week-old son when tests detected in her blood 11 chemicals, including mercury.
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Physicians detail health hazards from coal
Oregonian
11/18/2009
A new report from the advocacy group Physicians for Social Responsibility concludes that pollutants from coal-fired power plants contribute to four of the five leading causes of mortality in the US: heart disease, cancer, stroke, and chronic lower respiratory diseases. Coal plants still provide about 40 percent of the electricity used in OR and nearly 20 percent in WA.
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Study shows toxins present at birth
KUOW
11/17/2009
Pregnant women are often extra careful to avoid toxic products, like certain plastics and chemicals in household cleaners. But a new study of West Coast mothers shows those efforts only go so far. Babies are born already exposed to toxins linked to serious health problems.
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Health group finds high lead levels in toys
Seattle Times
11/17/2009
Children's toys carrying the Barbie and Disney logos have turned up with high levels of lead in them, according to a California-based advocacy group - a finding that may give consumers pause as they shop for the holiday season.
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Premature-birth rate low in Washington
Seattle Times
11/17/2009
Premature-birth rates in the Pacific Northwest are among the lowest in the nation, but the March of Dimes says that earns Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska only C's on the organization's premature-birth report card.
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Seniors skeptical of health care overhaul
Seattle Times
11/17/2009
The health-overhaul bill passed by the House this month includes many benefits for seniors, including elimination of the Medicare prescription-drug "doughnut hole" and copays on preventive services. But still, many seniors remain unconvinced that health reform would be good for them.
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Where does that school lunch come from?
USA Today
11/17/2009
The story of how food with a history of making kids sick continued to get into schools illustrates broad failures in government programs meant to provide safe, quality meals for America's children, a USA Today investigation found. Parents and schools often have no idea where the food comes from.
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Hunger in US at a 14-year high
New York Times
11/17/2009
The number of Americans who lived in households that lacked consistent access to adequate food soared last year, to 49 million, the highest since the government began tracking what it calls "food insecurity" 14 years ago, the Department of Agriculture reported Monday.
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Cleaner chlorine plants may be creating a mercury glut
Washington Post
11/17/2009
Cleaner chlorine plants may indirectly be creating an excess of toxic metal.
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Poll finds deep divisions on health-care reform
Washington Post
11/17/2009
As the Senate prepares to take up legislation aimed at overhauling the nation's health-care system, President Obama and the Democrats are still struggling to win the battle for public opinion. A new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows Americans deeply divided over the proposals under consideration and majorities predicting higher costs ahead.
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Low-emission locomotives a boost to public health
Washington Post
11/17/2009
A new crop of "ultra-low emission" short-haul locomotives could have significant public health benefits, according to rail industry officials and federal health experts, who suggest that they could help decrease the risk of cancer and heart and respiratory disease for people living near rail yards.
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Reading the tree leaves
Toronto Globe and Mail
11/15/2009
Riding his bike to work at Western Washington University, geophysicist Bernie Housen used to wonder how unhealthy it was to be breathing in all those exhaust fumes. Thanks to the tree leaves along his route, he now has proof that his concerns were well founded, in a remarkable piece of research that could one day lead urban planners to consult the trees on where bike or walking paths should be located.
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Views: Time for honesty after pedestrian accident
Portland Oregonian
11/15/2009
A small crowd gathered at the Portland midblock crosswalk where a car struck two women on Nov. 1, killing one and hospitalizing the other. But in many ways, it turned into a protest against cars. No one - not one voice - was talking about a pedestrian’s responsibilities. And that’s too bad.
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Traffic safety work honored
Ashland Daily Tidings
11/15/2009
Bicyclists, pedestrians and drivers can get around more safely in Ashland because of the work being done behind the scenes.
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WA's safety net fraying, say those on front lines
KPLU
11/15/2009
There have been recent signs the economy may be turning around. But the people who hold our social safety net together - and who help those hurt by the recession - say the painful times are here for awhile, and demand for their services is only increasing.
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Women face tough choices on abortion coverage
Seattle Times
11/12/2009
Millions of American women will face tough choices about abortion coverage if restrictions in the House health care bill become law, both sides in the abortion debate agree.
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OR cities good for pedestrians
Oregon Public Broadcasting
11/10/2009
Portland was rated as the 9th safest metropolitan area for pedestrians in a nationwide study done by a transportation safety coalition. The study, which also gave Corvalis, Bend and Eugene high marks, ranks communities based on the rate of pedestrian deaths relative to the number of people who walk.
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