Sebelius: Plan B decision not political
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.
/ AP Photo/Carolyn KasterSebelius, who last week overruled the Food and Drug Administration's recommendation to make the contraceptive pill available over-the-counter to girls 16 and under, told reporters in Queens Monday that the company could re-apply to remove the age restrictions.
"There are always opportunities for the company to come back with additional data," Sebelius said, according to Bloomberg News.
"Subsequent discussions can take place," she added.
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House Republicans target EPA over methane
Rep. Darrell Issa.
/ CBS/Chris UsherIn a Tuesday letter to EPA administrator Lisa Jackson, committee chair Darrell Issa, R-Calif., cites an August 2011 study contending that the EPA's methane emissions estimates were too high, and that the agency's methodology in collecting those figures "lacks rigor" and "should not be used as a basis for analysis and decision making."
According to the letter, the EPA's estimates of methane emissions during natural gas development, which had been revised, "indicate emissions levels between 46.5 and 119.7 percent higher than earlier estimates."
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Study shows partisan divide in TV-watching habits
Stephen Colbert, left, and Jon Stewart, right.
/ BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty ImagesNow, a new study shows that there may be something to that.
According to a survey prepared for Entertainment Weekly by the consumer research company Experian, Americans' partisan preferences don't end with their thoughts on how to best fix the economy: Democrats and Republicans also watch very different television.
The report, which measures the favorite and least favorite television programs of self-described "liberal Democrats" and "conservative Republicans," finds that Democrats trend toward more "sarcastic" fare, while Republicans go for "serious work-centered shows" and reality competitions, according to EW.
Not infrequently, a show beloved by one party is reviled by the other.
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Herman Cain tries to make lemonade from lemons
Herman Cain and his wife Gloria Cain arrive at a local campaign headquarters on December 3, 2011 to announce that he is suspending his campaign for the White House
/ Scott Olson/Getty ImagesCommentary by CBSNews.com editor-in-chief Dan Farber
After weeks of dealing with allegations of sexual harassment and, more recently, some kind of long-term relationship with an Atlanta-based woman, as well as lackluster debate performances and concerns about his foreign policy credentials, it was clear that businessman and motivational speaker Herman Cain's quest for the presidency was heading for a cliff.
Poll numbers from a Des Moines Register survey of likely Iowa caucus-goers showed a drop from 23 percent to 8 percent in the last 30 days.
In suspending his campaign Saturday afternoon, Cain ended the suspense surrounding his troubled candidacy and heaped blame on the media for the "continued distraction" that led to his decision to abandon his presidential aspirations.
"I am suspending my presidential campaign because of the continued distraction, the continued hurt caused on me and my family, not because we are not fighters. Not because I'm not a fighter," Cain said, reiterating his position that all the allegations are untrue.
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Obama steps up fight against AIDS
President Obama on Thursday announced plans to step up the fight against AIDS, by making a modest commitment of an extra $50 million for domestic treatment and promising to provide more drugs to to people living with AIDS internationally.
"We can beat this disease. We can win this fight," Mr. Obama said from a World AIDS Day event in Washington. "We just have to keep at it, today, tomorrow, and every day until we get to zero."
The event, at George Washington University, was also attended by U2 lead singer Bono, singer Alicia Keys and Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida. Former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton also participated; before Mr. Obama spoke, Mr. Bush delivered remarks from Tanzania, where he was joined by Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete.
Mr. Obama said his administration is committing an additional $15 million for the Ryan White program, which supports HIV medical clinics in the U.S., as well as an additional $35 million for state AIDS Drug Assistance Programs.
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Two governors lobby for reclassification of pot
Carlos Osorio
In their joint letter, governors Lincoln Chafee, the independent governor of Rhode Island (and a former Republican senator), and Christine Gregoire, the Democratic governor of Washington, urge the DEA to change marijuana's classification from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule II drug, which would enable pharmacies to dispense it to patients with a prescription.
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Brownback apologizes after Twitter dust-up
Emma Sullivan
/ Emma Sullivan via TwitterKansas Gov. Sam Brownback apologized on Monday for having "over-reacted" to 18-year-old Emma Sullivan, a high school student who had earlier been asked to apologize for making a disparaging remark about the conservative politician over Twitter.
"My staff over-reacted to this tweet and for that I apologize," Brownback said in a written statement, "freedom of speech is among our most treasured freedoms."
Sullivan, who was present at a Brownback speech for a Youth in Government event, wrote on Twitter last week that she "just made mean comments at gov brownback and told him he sucked, in person." (In her Tweet, Sullivan used the hashtag #heblowsalot.)
After she posted the comment, Brownback's office, which monitors Tweets that mention the governor, contacted Youth in Government about the comment. School administrators sided with the governor and asked her to write the governor a letter of apology, Sullivan said, according to the Associated Press.
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Gingrich, Romney battle over immigration
Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich may or may not have "stepped in it" (as Rick Perry might say) when he spoke out in favor of a relatively moderate position on immigration policy in Tuesday night's GOP presidential debate. Either way, he isn't backing down from his position -- and he seems intent on making immigration a headache for his main rival as well.
During Tuesday's CNN foreign policy debate, Gingrich said the U.S. should not break up families of immigrants who entered the United States illegally if they meet certain criteria. He acknowledged it was a risky position for a Republican and said he'd be willing to "take the heat" for it.
In response to Gingrich's remarks, Romney said America should not "have an amnesty system that says that people who come here illegally get to stay for the rest of their life in this country legally."
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New bill targets airline bag-check fees
Airline passengers go through the Transportation Security Administration security checkpoint at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta on August 3, 2011.
/ Erik S. LesserUpdated: 1:27 p.m. ET
As the height of the holiday travel season nears, one lawmaker is trying to ease the burden on travelers with a new bill that would limit airlines' abilities to charge customers for checking bags.
Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., this week introduced the Airline Passenger BASICS Act (the "BASIC" stands for Basic Airline Standards to Improve Customer Satisfaction) - which would mandate that airlines allow fliers one free checked bag within certain weight limits per flight, and would guarantee passengers "certain minimum standards," according to a statement by Landieu's office. It would also require airlines to disclose any luggage fees they may have to pay in advance.
"When an airline advertises a flight, that is how much it should cost, plain and simple," Landreiu said in the statement. "Passengers should not be charged additional fees for checked or carry-on baggage, drinkable water or other reasonable requests. Air travel can be a stressful experience for many reasons, but unfair fees for basic amenities should not be one of them."
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Focus on defense cuts after deficit panel fails
Photo by Astrid Riecken/Getty Images
The cuts, which will be split evenly between domestic and defense spending programs, are now set to go into effect as of 2013.
Already, some in Congress are suggesting that those cuts might be undone - particularly the military reductions, which Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has suggested could cause men and women in the military undue harm.
In a joint statement on Monday, Republican Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham, who both serve on the Senate Armed Services Committee, targeted the defense cuts as "draconian," and said they "cannot be allowed to occur."
CBSNews.com special report: America's debt battle Continue »
Poll: Support for medical pot, not legalization
iStockphoto
According a recent CBS News poll conducted at the end of October, a slim majority of 51 percent continues to think that marijuana use should be illegal. But support for specifically allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana for serious medical conditions - or legalized "medical" marijuana - is far stronger: 77 percent Americans think it should be allowed.
Still, even though most Americans support this, just three in 10 believe that the marijuana currently being bought in this country under state-authorized medical marijuana programs is being used in the way it has been authorized: for alleviating suffering from serious medical conditions.
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Chu: No political consideration in Solyndra loan
Updated: 1:09 p.m. ET
Energy Secretary Steven Chu denied Thursday that political considerations were a factor in the Department of Energy's decision to move forward with a $535 million loan to Solyndra Inc., a now-bankrupt solar energy company, and argued that both he and Congress had been aware of the risks the company faced when the loan was approved.
Chu, testifying in a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing, took responsibility for the approval of the loan to Solyndra, and the subsequent refinancing of that loan, but reiterated that the decision was made in the name of innovation -- not politics.
"As the Secretary of Energy, the final decisions on Solyndra were mine, and I made them with the best interest of the taxpayer in mind," Chu said in his opening remarks to the subcommittee. "I want to be clear: over the course of Solyndra's loan guarantee, I did not make any decision based on political considerations."
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Obama to explore new route for oil pipeline
Updated at 4 p.m. ET
The State Department today announced plans to explore a new route for the Keystone XL pipeline, putting off the decision on whether to approve the controversial project until after the 2012 election.
The decision marks a partial victory for environmentalists and other opponents of the TransCanada Corp. project, which would link the tar sands fields of northern Alberta to oil refineries on the Texas Gulf Coast. The 1,700-mile underground oil pipeline has been in the works for three years. Its supporters say it would create jobs and help the U.S. lessen its dependence on oil imported from the Middle East, while its opponents -- both Democratic and Republican -- point to its environmental risks.
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"Christmas tree tax" sidelined after uproar
CARSTEN REHDER/AFP/Getty Images
Amid an uproar from conservative critics, the Obama administration has decided to delay implementation of a fee that would have allowed the Christmas tree industry to create a promotional campaign to encourage people to buy fresh-cut pine trees, the White House said Wednesday.
The United States Department of Agriculture "is going to delay implementation and revisit this action," White House Assistant Press Secretary Matt Lehrich told CBS News over email.
The fee, nicknamed the "Christmas tree tax" by its opponents, would have implemented a 15-cent-per-tree charge on Christmas tree suppliers who sold or imported over 500 trees a year, according to USA Today.
The White House was adamant that the White House was not seeking to impose a tax on Christmas trees.
"I can tell you unequivocally that the Obama Administration is not taxing Christmas trees," said Lehrich. "What's being talked about here is an industry group deciding to impose fees on itself to fund a promotional campaign, similar to how the dairy producers have created the 'Got Milk?' campaign."
The USDA said most growers are in favor of the fee because it would ultimately help their bottom line. Agriculture Department spokesman Michael T. Jarvis told FOXNews.com that there are over 20 similar promotional campaigns supported by the department, which have helped their respective industry grow.
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Latinos back Obama but don't know his GOP rivals
Then-Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama holds a town hall meeting before a racially diverse crowd at Garfield High School on October 20, 2007 on the east side of Los Angeles, California.
/ Photo by David McNew/Getty ImagesIf the presidential election were today, Latino voters would support President Obama over his GOP opponent -- whomever that may be -- by a wide two-to-one margin, according to a new Univision/Latino Decisions poll.
Still, the poll suggests there's an opening for Republicans to make inroads with Latinos, a voting bloc that's increasing in importance. Latinos are still largely unfamiliar with the Republican candidates -- for instance, more than half said they don't know enough about Herman Cain to offer an opinion about him. Meanwhile, Latinos, like other Democratic constituencies, are less excited this year about supporting the president. Still, hardline anti-immigration rhetoric appears to be holding back Latino support for Republicans.
Mr. Obama tops Mitt Romney, Rick Perry and Herman Cain by two-to-one margins, according to the poll, conducted nationally from October 21 to November 1. Two polls were conducted, one of all registered voters and another of Latino registered voters, and the margin of error for both is 3.1 percent. The head-to-head match ups mirror the 2008 election, when Mr. Obama won two-thirds of the Latino vote.
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