today's papers
Governors Wary of Health Care Tab
By Daniel Politi
Posted Monday, July 20, 2009, at 6:42 AM ET
The New York Times leads with governors across the country worrying that health care reform will ultimately cost states too much in Medicaid obligations at a time when many are facing budget crises. The bipartisan worries became the focal point at the summer meeting of the National Governors Association. The Wall Street Journal also leads its world-wide newsbox with health care, noting that President Obama will have to convince the public that the overhaul wouldn't increase the national debt after the Congressional Budget Office said it would. The White House is countering that the CBO shouldn't include the cost of a provision that would get rid of a planned cut in payments to doctors for Medicare because lawmakers have always postponed implementing the cuts. The Washington Post leads with a new poll that shows Obama's approval rating on health care has dropped to 49 percent from 57 percent in April while the disapproval rating increased from 29 percent to 44 percent. This decrease is particularly stark among independents. Even though more than 50 percent of Americans approve of how he's handling the economy, it's the first time that more strongly disapprove than strongly approve. A slim majority of Americans approve of the general outline of the health care legislation being discussed in Congress, but there are sharp divisions based on income and party affiliation. Obama's overall approval rating is at 59 percent, six percentage points lower than it was a month ago.

The Los Angeles Times leads with news that dozens of Drug Enforcement Administration agents are being sent to Afghanistan in order to help break up expansive trafficking networks that are providing lots of cash for militants. The number of DEA agents and analysts in Afghanistan will increase from 13 to 68 by September and 81 in 2010. U.S. officials say that the ties between drug traffickers and insurgents are increasing, and the Afghan government appears to be powerless to stop it, partly due to the hefty bribes that traffickers pay government officials and security forces. During the Bush administration, counter-narcotics efforts in Afghanistan focused on destroying poppy fields, a move that many now believe merely pushed farmers into the Taliban's arms. USA Today leads with federal statistics showing that the number of Hispanic workers who die on the job has risen 76 percent since 1992. In 2007, 937 Hispanic workers died. This increase came at a time when total worker deaths have been on the decline. While a rise in the number of Hispanics in the workforce can account for some of the increase, language barriers, a lack of training, and a tendency not to speak up when working conditions seem dangerous are also to blame.

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