Healthcare Reform in the News

Obama Pitches Health Reform
By Daniel Politi
Posted Thursday, July 23, 2009, at 6:42 AM ET
The Washington Post, New York Times, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal's world-wide newsbox lead with President Obama's prime-time news conference, which was almost entirely devoted to health care reform. Confronting an increasingly skeptical public, the president tried to reassure Americans that the overhaul would improve their quality of care while decreasing costs. "This has to get done," he said. Obama said this effort wouldn't help just the uninsured but rather "every American who has ever feared that they may lose their coverage." For the first time, Obama said he would be open to a proposal in the House that would help pay for the legislation by increasing taxes on families earning more than $1 million a year. "To me, that meets my principle" that the cost is "not being shouldered by families who are already having a tough time." The president's public relations push continues today with a town hall-style meeting in Cleveland.

The Los Angeles Times off-leads the news conference and leads with news that a 26-year-old American who pleaded guilty earlier this year to providing material support to al-Qaida is now cooperating with authorities. He spent time with al-Qaida militants in Pakistan and is now able to provide valuable information. Bryant Neal Vinas from Long Island converted to Islam and traveled to Pakistan and Afghanistan, where he attempted to fire rockets at a U.S. military base. Vinas, who was known as Bashir el Ameriki (Bashir the American), said he gave al-Qaida chiefs information about New York commuter trains for a possible attack. A statement he provided will be used in a case against accused militants in Belgium, and he has been questioned by French investigators. The paper notes that an indictment was unsealed yesterday in Brooklyn after the LAT had made "repeated queries about Vinas." Until yesterday, "the case had been a closely guarded secret at the heart of investigations in at least seven countries."

To continue reading, click here.

Daniel Politi writes "Today's Papers" for Slate. He can be reached at todayspapers@slate.com.