Dry Spell In Zimbabwe Forces Government To Declare 11 Percent Of Maize Crop A ‘Write-Off’ According to a crop assessment report released Wednesday, “Zimbabwe’s government has declared 11 percent of its 2009/10 planted maize crop a write-off after it was badly damaged by a dry spell, and repeated calls for [...]

Kaiser Health News provides a different take on health policy news with “Bipartisan Summit” by Randy Bish. This information was reprinted from kaiserhealthnews.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at kaiserhealthnews.org. [...]

“The sweeping health-care package unveiled this week by the White House appears to face big hurdles in the House, with abortion and unease among moderates potential stumbling blocks to winning passage of the legislation,” The Wall Street Journal reports…

The Center for Public Integrity’s new “analysis of Senate lobbying disclosure forms shows that more than 1,750 companies and organizations hired about 4,525 lobbyists – eight for each member of Congress – to influence health reform bills in 2009.” The AARP, a retirees’ advocacy group which is among the most active organizations in Congress, mustered [...]

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is trying to extend unemployment benefits, health insurance subsidies for those recently laid-off and help for state Medicaid budgets that would in total cost $100 billion, The Associated Press reports. The measure is separate from the jobs bill. “Facing a Feb. 28 deadline, Reid hopes to pass two measures, one [...]