Finally Friday Edition

We made it! Friday's finally here. Let's start the day off with the news:

It's kind of pathetic when the best news you can give about the debt limit is that the negotiators have agreed to meet at least 3 times next week. It seems they're getting the fact that the economy is faltering at least in part because there is no agreement on the debt limit and the budget. They did finally talk about revenue yesterday, with Dems making it clear that if you are going to cut the budget deeply, you must also eliminate tax breaks for oil companies and some corporate pork. And House Dems are calling for the expiration of the Bush tax cuts as part of a plan to address the deficit -- something President Obama already has committed to.

41 Senate Dems tell President Obama to stand firm on big cuts to Medicaid. That means Medicaid block grants cannot get enough votes to make it through the Senate.

It's sort of surprising for me to say this, but Sen. Joe Lieberman is working on a plan to reform Medicare that involves raising more revenue and cutting benefits in a thoughtful way -- raising the eligibility age, adding some modest copays, but also imposing an out-of-pocket cap so nobody goes broke. We know we need to change the system. This is far better than privatization. Joe may have something here.

Even in states that oppose health reform, plans to set up Exchanges are under way.

Doctors get bonuses for fee-for-service volume, not for good health outcomes. Maybe changing that would adjust their priorities.

Amazing what people can do. Here's a severely disabled man who is getting prosthetic arms so he can compete as a bike racer. Awesome.

If you live in Florida, you may have a hard time finding a flu shot.

Why do people gain weight when they stop smoking? It turns out there's a scientific explanation in that nicotine stimulates the part of the brain that tells you when you've eaten enough.

And that's today's news. Have a great day! Jennifer