Bills in Brief

It took over a decade for health care reform to lose its Clinton-era-induced taboo status - but while health care policy is coming back in vogue, America will have to wait until 2009 before any major reforms become ripe for passage.

In the meantime, in 2007 Congress set out to pass a series of mini health care initiatives - which it may follow up on in 2008:

SCHIP. Congress head butted with Bush last year over expanding State Children's Health Insurance Program, which covers low income children who aren't low income enough to qualify for Medicaid. Congress, which wanted to double the scope of the act, lost. It may still give it a second go in '08. Meanwhile, the administration sent states a letter saying they had to tighten eligibility for SCHIP, only to have the GAO weigh in that the administration overstepped its legal boungs (GAO).

Facts

It's hard to imagine a killer could be so cool, but for decades few dirty habits were as sophisticated and sexy as "taking a drag off death." No longer - Surgeon General reports, lawsuits, state laws and a successful anti-smoking movement have made smoking only slightly less despised than halitosis. Still millions of Americans smoke. Advocates would bring down the number of smokers even further, while a scant number of libertarians think the war on smokers has gone far enough.

how many of us are smoking

• 44.5 million adults CDC

over the years - % of high school seniors and adults who smoke

source: CDC (copied and pasted)

death and disease

Smoking kills:

Bills in Brief

It took over a decade for health care reform to lose its Clinton-era-induced taboo status - but while health care policy is coming back in vogue, America will likely have to wait until 2009 before any major reforms become ripe for passage.

In the meantime, in 2007 Congress set out to pass a series of mini health care inititiatives - which citizenJoe kept track of here:

SCHIP. The State Children's Health Insurance Program, which covers low income children who aren't low income enough to qualify for Medicaid, was up for renewal this year - and Dems (with the help of moderate Republicans) locked horns with president to try to double the scope of the act. In late September, the House and Senate passed a bill that would increase spending on SCHIP to $60b over five years (up from $25b), paid for by a 61cent tax on ciggies.

Facts

With the steady plumping of America - not to be deterred by South Beach, power yoga, or lyposuction - obesity is taking over as America's top health bad boy. But is an extra 20 or 200 pounds hanging off America really anything to be worried about? A couple of facts:

Facts

West Nile willies

For a while, West Nile Virus seemed like it had infected the headlines--dire predictions for the seasonal, mosquito-borne virus were everywhere. The media fever seems to have worn off slightly, but West Nile is still out there.

Issue in Brief

After a Canadian cow walked over the US border with mad cow disease in May 2003, the international health scare finally hit American shores. But after a few years of trade tussles with Canada and Japan - as well as efforts to protect against the disease's spread - concern for mad cow has largely petered out.

Cows and Canada: The US immediately cut off beef and cattle from the north after the first Canadian cow tested positive in '03. Since then, seven more Canadian cows have tested positive - with the latest case in August, 2006 (AP).

Issue in Brief

A big flap over bird flu