A Maverick, But He’s No Moderate | Newsweek Scope

Return of the Abortion Question
Eleanor Clift 8/29/2009 12:00:00 AM
Much has been made in the coverage of Sen. Ted Kennedy's death about his religious faith and how he would often slip away in the middle of the afternoon to sit alone in the pews of a Catholic church on Capitol Hill. In his final months, a priest from his parish on Cape Cod came to the Kennedy house each Sunday to hold a private mass in the living room. And just two weeks before he succumbed to brain cancer, the Massachusetts senator was well enough to lead the family in prayer after the death of his sister Eunice.
On Their Own Terms
Anna Quindlen 2/7/2009 12:00:00 AM
This is how it works: first, one pill in the doctor's office or at the clinic, and, a day or two later, a second set of pills at home. Then the waiting, with a husband or a girlfriend, watching television or reading a book, feeling sad or relieved or numb or frightened. Cramping, bleeding, pain and finally the end of a pregnancy.
WOMEN'S HEALTH
The Changing Face of Abortion
Sarah Kliff 9/23/2008 12:00:00 AM
Abortion rates have dropped steadily since the 1980s, from a peak of 29.3 abortions per 1,000 women in 1981 to 19.4 in 2005. But behind this general decrease are striking changes in the demographics of abortion. Compared to 30 years ago, women having abortions today are older and more likely to be mothers and minorities, according to a study released Tuesday by the nonprofit, nonpartisan Guttmacher Institute.
CAMPAIGN 2008
Family Matters
Katie Paul 9/6/2008 12:00:00 AM
It didn't take long for Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin to make a name for herself on the family-values front. Tapped only a week ago to join presidential contender Sen. John McCain on the GOP ticket, the little-known first-term governor of Alaska walked on stage with a reputation as a staunchly pro-life crusader. The details emerging about Palin's personal life—her special-needs baby and her pregnant teenage daughter—had supporters hailing her as a politician who "walked the walk." Within days of her entrance into the race, the entire campaign narrative had shifted, from a post-partisan battle for independents to a revival of the culture wars. "McCain wants to take away our right to choose," intoned an ad released by the Obama camp, shortly after Palin's selection as veep. "That's what women need to understand. That's how high the stakes are."
McCain Set for Acceptance Speech Tonight
9/4/2008 12:00:00 AM
John McCain embarks on his final drive for the White House Thursday night, accepting the Republican presidential nomination and addressing the party's national convention from a stage that workers were hastily rebuilding to fit his "town hall" approach.
FACTCHECK.ORG
McCain's Viagra Moment
Jess Henig 7/24/2008 12:00:00 AM
The worry that Viagra, but not birth control, is being included in health care plans is out-of-date, according to Adam Sonfield, who coauthored the report. He says that when Viagra initially became available and insurers began to cover it, "there was concern that this was the case and that insurance companies really were covering erectile dysfunction drugs but were not covering contraception." This concern, he says, helped spur efforts to get contraception coverage mandated in 27 states, and contraceptive coverage rates shot up as a result. Sonfield's study, which asked insurance companies about employer-sponsored plans, found that coverage of contraceptive methods had tripled from 1993 to 2002. Sonfield says that the number of plans covering birth control likely has continued to increase over the last six years, though he stresses that U.S. health care is still short of complete coverage.