All Blog Posts from Couric & Co.

The final drive for health care reform is on, and President Obama has shifted into high-gear. But unlike the fired-up speeches he delivered recently in the suburbs of Philadelphia, St. Louis and Cleveland, for the past few days he's been in stealth mode - doing his work behind closed doors.

Yes, it's time for: The Personal Presidential Touch.

White House officials say Mr. Obama has met in the Oval Office, or talked by phone, with more than two dozen Democrats in the past three days. They say about half the lobbying sessions have been in person, half over the phone. The president has kept his public schedule light so he can twist as many arms as possible.

The White House calls it "time well spent" and says the conversations "are making a difference." The president, they claim, has already convinced at least a few Democrats to switch from no to yes on health care, and persuaded others to hold fast to their yes votes. Democratic sources on Capitol Hill tell me the president is doing an effective job of closing the deal.

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400 million people are friending, unfriending, and trading Farmville cows on Facebook.

50 million people are tweeting, retweeting, and getting into tweetbates about March Madness or the virtues of Four Square.

To paraphrase William Wordsworth, the World Wide Web is too much with us.

One nonprofit group called Reboot wants to do something about it. They're declaring a National Day of Unplugging, beginning tomorrow at sunset. The idea started as a remembrance of the Jewish sabbath...but as USA Today pointed out...the principles are pretty universal.

Put down that blackberry, connect with loved ones, take a walk outside.

An AOL study found that 59 percent of PDA users check their inboxes every time a message arrives.

You've got mail? More like you've got an addiction.

A video on YouTube called "Yelp" asks people to cut the umbilical chord of data.

It's a sad irony...to learn more about a campaign to disconnect...you have to be logged on.

That's a page from my notebook.

I'm Katie Couric, CBS News.

When it comes to health care reform, Catholic bishops say the devil is in the details.

They and other anti-abortion advocates oppose the Senate version of the bill - claiming it provides federal funding for abortions.

Today, a Holy War began.

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Swine flu wasn't as bad as expected this winter, but an aliment that really is pork-related has been plaguing Washington for years.

Congress has awarded no-bid contracts, also known as earmarks, for everything from an indoor rainforest in Iowa...to the "Charles Rangel Center" proposed by Rangel himself... to a study of migratory loons.

This year alone, Congress secured nearly 10,000 earmarks worth $15.9 billion dollars, according to the group Taxpayers for Common Sense.

In some cases, those went to companies that had donated to members. Democratic leaders in the House took a major step last week, banning earmarks for private companies. House Republicans, not to be outdone, suggested expanding the ban to all earmarks.

There's obviously some political posturing here, but Washington is finally getting the message. Voters are tired of seeing their hard-earned tax dollars spent on pet projects.

Congressional swine flu isn't fatal - but we do desperately need a cure.

That's a page from my notebook.

I'm Katie Couric, CBS News.

So how did Justin Bieber go from YouTube to international music fame?

Bieber said he was first approached by someone from the Maury Povich show. But his mom said, "no."

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How much would you pay to hear my notebook online? You don't have to answer that, because it's free....as are many things you see on news websites.

That's partially why newspapers and magazines are struggling. But content sites aren't exactly rolling in dough, either.

You know those annoying banner ads for acai berry or low interest mortgages? That's how they make money, but a new study from Pew Research Center found 79 percent of readers have rarely or ever clicked on one.

Now some news sites want to charge for content. The Wall Street Journal already requires a subscription to read most stories, and next year The New York Times will limit free access. But as for a pay wall, if you build it will they come?

Just seven percent say they would pay for news online. Some critics think the ship has sailed for the mainstream media.

I'd say...new or old...we're all in this boat together.

And my two cents...didn't cost you a dime.

That's a page from my notebook. I'm Katie Couric, CBS News.

News of Corey Haim's death from an apparent overdose this week prompted all the usual tributes... remembering his days as a teenage heartthrob, listing his 80s film hits, tracing the all-too-familiar arc from child star to addict.

But no one who followed Haim's career could really be surprised by how it ended. In fact, we had a front row seat to his demise.

In The Two Coreys, a reality show he starred in with best friend Corey Feldman, Haim spent 19 episodes lonely, angry and dazed. Watching celebrities fall apart on television has become a national pastime. Just think of Anna Nicole Smith, who slurred her words and passed out on camera. Or Jeff Conaway, who arrived for Celebrity Rehab hunched over in a wheelchair.

These people needed real help. Instead they got reality shows. Young stars, ill-equipped for the white hot lights of fame, often get burned.

There's nothing comical or entertaining about that plotline.

That's a page from my notebook.

I'm Katie Couric, CBS News.

Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan told Katie Couric Saturday that 2010 is a pivotal year for educating millions of girls in developing countries, emphasizing her cause's importance by saying "education really can mean life or death."

The women were featured guests of The Daily Beast's "Women in the World" summit in New York City. Couric's interview of the queen, a UNICEF advocate, was a highlight of the weekend-long summit's second day. On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton spoke at the summit.

"I really do think this is a do-or-die year, and I don't mean that metaphorically; education really can mean life or death," Queen Rania told Couric, according to The Daily Beast.

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There's an old proverb that says, "Keep your face toward the sun and the shadows will fall behind you."

But when there's no sunshine, those shadows start to loom.

This long, snowy winter has brought a seemingly endless string of gray days - and, for many, that means gray moods as well.

According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, up to six percent of Americans have seasonal affective disorder - or SAD - and another ten to twenty percent report a milder form of winter blues.

Some evolutionary biologists say feeling lethargic is a relic from prehistoric times, when our ancestors had less food in winter and needed to expend less energy.

If so, SAD has outlived its usefulness. These days, severe case require light therapy or medication, while less serious ones can be fought with exercise or Vitamin D -- found in fish, milk and eggs.

And if that still doesn't work, take heart: Daylight Saving Time is right around the corner.

That's a page from my notebook.

I'm Katie Couric, CBS News.

While playing the "name game" on @katiecouricthis week, author and comedian Chelsea Handler gave her thoughts on some of reality TV's biggest stars.

"The Kardashians are making a lot of money on-- their body parts," Handler said. "And if I had body parts like that or a body part like that, I'd be cashing in on it too."

"Jon Gosselin," Couric asked.

"Disgusting," Handler replied.

"Kate Gosselin," Couric asked.

"Also," Handler said.

Play the link above to hear her thoughts on Angelina Jolie.

Click here for the entire interview.