1 | Washington
Dems Notch Health Care Win
Health care reform legislation cleared an important hurdle on Nov. 21, when the U.S. Senate voted to open full debate on a proposed 10-year, $848 billion overhaul of the industry. Democrats relied on a coalition of centrists and liberals to advance the measure with a filibuster-proof 60-to-39 vote; all the nays came from Republicans. Maintaining the fragile Democratic alliance could mean weeks of legislative haggling and debate: four key moderate Senators oppose the inclusion of a public-insurance option, which some colleagues on the left consider nonnegotiable. A final vote is probably a month or more away.
Four Senators on the fence
1 BLANCHE LINCOLN, ARKANSAS (D)
Faces a tough re-election fight next year in a state where President Obama performed poorly
2 JOE LIEBERMAN, CONNECTICUT (I)
Says a public option is too expensive. Vowed, "I'm going to be stubborn on this."
3 BEN NELSON, NEBRASKA (D)
His state's lone Democrat in Congress; fears that a public option would undermine private insurers
4 MARY LANDRIEU, LOUISIANA (D)
Welcomed a provision in the bill directing up to $300 million in Medicaid funding to her state
2 | Philippines
Election Violence Kills 46
Members of a convoy on their way to file candidacy papers for a local politician were attacked by up to 100 gunmen in what officials are calling a political massacre "unequaled in recent history." A dozen journalists were slain, along with the wife of gubernatorial hopeful Ismael Mangudadatu. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo declared a local state of emergency and vowed to pursue the perpetrators, who were alleged to be connected to the region's current governor, an Arroyo ally.
3 | Rhode Island
Communion Controversy
A feud has erupted between U.S. Representative Patrick Kennedy and Bishop Thomas Tobin, Rhode Island's top Catholic leader, over whether the pro-choice lawmaker should be allowed to receive Communion. On Nov. 20, the son of the late Ted Kennedy told the Providence Journal that Tobin had ordered him not to partake of the sacrament--an accusation the bishop later denied, saying it had been merely a request. The spat is the latest between Tobin and Kennedy, who sparred in October after Kennedy criticized church leaders for supporting the veto of a health care bill unless it included restrictions on federal funding of abortion.
4 | Geneva
A Smashing Success
The Large Hadron Collider is finally up and running again after a string of unlikely setbacks, the latest caused when a piece of bread dropped by a passing bird interfered with the 17-mile-long particle accelerator's equipment in early November. On Nov. 23, the LHC sent two proton beams bashing into each other for the very first time, bringing scientists one step closer to finding the hypothetical Higgs boson particle and unlocking the secrets of the universe's creation. If preliminary tests continue to go smoothly, the LHC will start running full-speed collisions in early 2010.
5 | Cairo
Soccer Wars