Rethinking Shaken Baby Syndrome

The dispute over shaken baby syndrome is a bitter civil war. On one side, doctors, lawyers and other experts say the diagnosis is key to winning convictions of people accused of the most horrible acts of child abuse. Opponents say the diagnosis is used too freely and that sometimes, innocent people go to prison. Norman [...]

Third ‘Transformers’ Is Processed Moon Pie

In the Marx Brothers classic Duck Soup, there’s a scene in which Groucho’s Rufus T. Firefly, the newly installed leader of Freedonia, receives a report from the Treasury Department. “I hope you’ll find it clear,” says the minister of finance. “Clear?” replies Firefly incredulously. “Why, a 4-year-old child could understand this report.” Then he pauses [...]

Imam Looks For Common Ground Between Islam And West

In late 2010, a debate over a proposed Islamic community center in lower Manhattan left many people angry and confused. Some critics erroneously tagged the community center the “Ground Zero mosque,” and to them, it became an intolerable insult to families of 9/11 victims and the United States. Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, the spiritual leader [...]

In Political Summer, Have Iowans Cooled To Obama?

Republican presidential hopefuls have descended on Iowa this summer. This week, Michele Bachmann, Ron Paul and Rick Santorum were there. And on Tuesday, even though she’s not in the race, Sarah Palin was in Pella for a showing of a new documentary about her time as governor of Alaska. With all of this going on, [...]

‘Aurora’: A Killer’s Progress, In Real Time

The Romanian New Wave will never attract audiences on the scale of those who rally to American 3-D flicks. But Romanian director Cristi Puiu’s Aurora is far more immersive than Hollywood’s notion of three-dimensionality. Simply through adroit camera placement, the filmmaker pulls viewers into his tale of a man’s preparations for homicide. Yes, Aurora is [...]

Militants Attack Kabul Hotel; At Least 10 Dead

A team of gunmen reportedly including suicide bombers has attacked the Inter-Continental hotel in Kabul, leaving at least 10 people dead and an unknown number of others wounded. Samoonyar Mohammad Zaman, a security officer for the Ministry of Interior, said the insurgents were armed with machine guns, anti-aircraft weapons, rocket-propelled grenades and hand grenades. They [...]

Flooding Won’t Overcome Nuclear Plants, Officials Say

Two nuclear power plants in Nebraska, 100 miles apart, are completely surrounded by water. The head of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission visited each Monday for a firsthand inspection. While officials at both plants assure area residents they are safe, critics point to a history of problems and wonder if the facilities are prepared for Missouri [...]

A New Generation of ‘Dreamers’ Goes Public

Citizenship for illegal immigrants has been a cause championed mostly by politicians and other advocates facing no personal threat of deportation. But a prominent journalist’s recent disclosure that he’s an illegal resident has highlighted a growing number of activists “coming out” as illegal, effectively sending a pointed message to authorities: Come and get me. “It [...]

For-Profit Hospices Keep Patients Longer, Push Costs Up

After a decade in which most new hospices were started by corporations, half of Medicare-certified hospices are now for-profits. Meanwhile, Medicare’s hospice costs have increased from $2.9 billion in 2000 to $12 billion in 2009, making it one of the fastest growing segments of the government health care program for the elderly. The increase isn’t [...]

Medicare Proposal Could Stress Strapped Seniors

Can seniors afford to pay more for Medicare? Medicare patients would pay more — in some cases much more — under a bipartisan bill introduced in the Senate today. But can they really afford it? Sens. Tom Coburn (R-OK) Joe Lieberman (I-CT) say the savings to be realized from their bill would both help reduce [...]