health care reform

Health care reform made it through Congress and was signed by the President, and promptly disappeared from headlines aside from occasional Republican attempts or vows to repeal it. But the system is far from fixed, and hospital closings, budget cuts and understaffings contribute just as much to our nation's health care crisis. What can we do about it? To discuss the ongoing crunch on the medical profession, the problem with funding and the falling tax base, we asked Arthur Cheliotes of the Communications Workers of America union and Dr. Greg Dodell of the Committee of Interns and Residents and a resident physician at St. Lukes-Roosevelt Hospital in New York.

The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has ruled that the New York City Department of Education discriminated against the founding principal of an Arabic-language school in Brooklyn by forcing her to resign in 2007. Democrat leadership are in a final push on health care reform, and the House is considering passing a healthcare bill without a direct vote. Finally, we go to the US-Mexico border to speak with reporter Charles Bowden about the "The War Next Door." "Democracy Now!" is a daily independent newshour.

Tea partiers and the left? To discuss their differences and talk about finding common ground are Tea Party organizer Michael Johns and Ed Ott, former executive director of the New York City Central Labor Council; Audacia Ray spent time in Sangli, India, and made a short documentary about the sex workers in Sangli and their fight to organize for their own human rights; a video from Not Under the Bus reminds us not to give up on healthcare and to take action to ensure women don't get thrown under the bus for the sake of reform; Jan. 13 is National Day to Take Action for healthcare; and Laura has some thoughts on reconsidering conclusions about Proposition 8, gay marriage and Ted Olson.