First Edition: August 26, 2009 – Kennedy Dies

Today's headlines focus on the overnight death of Senator Edward Kennedy and his career as one of Washington's most influential lawmakers.

Kennedy Dead At 77
Senator Edward M. Kennedy, who carried aloft the torch of a Massachusetts dynasty and a liberal ideology to the citadel of Senate power, but whose personal and political failings may have prevented him from realizing the ultimate prize of the presidency, died at his home in Hyannis Port last night after a battle with brain cancer. He was 77 (The Boston Globe).

Edward Kennedy, Senate Stalwart, Dies
Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, a son of one of the most storied families in American politics, a man who knew triumph and tragedy in near-equal measure and who will be remembered as one of the most effective lawmakers in the history of the Senate, died late Tuesday night. He was 77 (The New York Times).

Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy Dies At 77 After Cancer Battle
Edward M. Kennedy, one of the most powerful and influential senators in American history and one of three brothers whose political triumphs and personal tragedies captivated the nation for decades, died late Tuesday at his home in Hyannis Port, Mass., at age 77. He had been battling brain cancer (The Washington Post).

Edward Kennedy Dies At 77; 'Liberal Lion Of The Senate'
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, the Massachusetts Democrat and icon of American liberal politics who was the last surviving brother of a legendary political family, died late Tuesday at his home in Hyannis Port, Mass., his family announced. He was 77 (Los Angeles Times).

Sen. Edward Kennedy Dies After Battle With Brain Cancer
Sen. Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy, a liberal icon and frequent Republican target who was one of the longest-serving and most accomplished lawmakers of the modern era, has died at age 77 (The Wall Street Journal).

Ted Kennedy: A Lifetime Of Public Service
Sen. Edward Kennedy, who began his public life as the prodigal son of a political dynasty and ended as its respected patriarch, died late Tuesday at his home in Hyannis Port, Mass. He was 77 and had been battling brain cancer (USA Today).

Edward Kennedy, Senate's Liberal Lion, Dies
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts - the scion of an American political dynasty who became an iconic liberal legislator - died Tuesday night of complications related to a cancerous brain tumor. The 77-year-old Democratic lawmaker was surrounded by family members at his home in the Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port on Cape Cod (NPR).

And In Other News:

Checking In With T.R. Reid
Journalist and author T.R. Reid traveled the world in search of a better health care system -- and help for his sore shoulder. He talks about his journey in a new book -- The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care -- with KHN's Laurie McGinley (Kaiser Health News). See related video.

Decade Of Debt: $9 Trillion
Plunging tax receipts, soaring spending and a sluggish recovery will push the nation's deficits dramatically higher over the next decade, creating new complications for President Barack Obama's domestic agenda (The Wall Street Journal).

OMB Report: Health Care Costs At Heart Of Budget Deficit
The Obama administration updated its economic forecast in its mid-session budget review this morning (read the WSJ story here and a post by budget director Peter Orszag (The Wall Street Journal Health Blog).

Waxman Takes On Drug Makers Over Medicare
As the health care debate focuses on whether cost cuts are looming in Medicare coverage, Representative Henry A. Waxman is on a crusade to save Medicare billions of dollars - in a way that he says would end up helping the elderly (The New York Times).

Enzi Frustrates Liberals With Harder Line
Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), a key negotiator on healthcare reform, has taken an increasingly hard line with Democrats in recent weeks, prompting liberals to question whether he is committed to reaching a deal (The Hill).

Jim Moran, Howard Dean Face Town Hall Skeptics
Shouts, catcalls and at least one eviction were among the highlights of a town hall meeting hosted by Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) and former Democratic National Party Chairman Howard Dean Tuesday night (Politico).

Vocal Minority Greet Howard Dean At Town Hall
Supporters of healthcare reform showed Tuesday night that they can pack a room, too (The Hill).

Waterloo Hospital Pays Feds $4.5 Million
Critics had accused the hospital of wildly overpaying medical specialists to serve as employed physicians so they could bring in patients for procedures. Several years ago, critics noted that at least two of the doctors were making more than $2 million per year, which the critics said was more than double what the doctors could have made elsewhere in Iowa (Des Moines Register). 

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