HEALTH-CARE PLAN DRAWS FIRE FROM SOME LIBERALS

Health-care plan drawsfire from some liberals
BOSTON -- The most radical portion of Massachusetts' move toward universal health care -- a requirement that all residents carry insurance -- is giving indigestion to some who view it as a breathtaking expansion of government power. "This is the first time in the country's history where simply by virtue of living somewhere you are mandated to purchase a product," said Michael Tanner, of the Cato Institute, a Washington-based think tank. Supporters of the idea, including Republican Gov. Mitt Romney, cite the mandate as a pillar of the health plan because it forces individuals to take responsibility for their health care. Many conservatives are embracing the so-called individual mandate, but some liberals and unions are suspicious. They typically prefer assessments on employers, which the Massachusetts plan also includes. AFL-CIO President John Sweeney called the mandate "unconscionable" and accused Massachusetts of taking "a page out of the Newt Gingrich playbook."
Sides talking compromiseon immigration legislation
WASHINGTON -- Putting aside party differences, Senate Republicans and Democrats coalesced Thursday around compromise legislation that holds out the hope of citizenship to an estimated 11 million immigrants living in the United States unlawfully. "We can no longer afford to delay reform," said Republican Sens. John McCain and Edward M. Kennedy in a statement that capped weeks of struggle to find common ground. President Bush said he was pleased with the developments and urged the Senate to pass legislation by week's end. But the emerging compromise drew fire from both ends of the political spectrum. Conservative Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, likened it to an amnesty bill that cleared Congress in 1986, while AFL-CIO President John Sweeney said it threatened to "drive millions of hardworking immigrants further into the shadows of American society, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation." Still, after days of partisan, election-year rancor, an overnight breakthrough on the future of illegal immigrants propelled the Senate closer to passage of the most sweeping immigration legislation in two decades.
Vieira to replace Couric
NEW YORK -- Already flashing signs of an easy rapport with Matt Lauer four months after their first "blind date," Meredith Vieira was introduced Thursday as his new "Today" show partner. NBC moved swiftly to get Vieira, 52, in place one day after Katie Couric announced she was taking a job as "CBS Evening News" anchor. It's the first on-air personnel change in a decade on television's dominant morning program. Vieira has spent the last nine years on the daytime chat show "The View" but also has an extensive news background, including a stint on "60 Minutes." "If you were building a morning show host from scratch, she would be the prototype," said Jeff Zucker, CEO of the NBC Universal Television Group. "She has the perfect combination of news background and talk background. She's got intelligence, grace, humor and those are the qualities you look for when you're trying to fill this role."
Boat capsizes; 69 dead
NAIROBI, Kenya -- A boat ferrying passengers to a traditional festival overturned off the coast of Djibouti on Thursday, killing at least 69 people, an official said. More people were feared missing or dead, said Ismael Tani, an adviser to Djiboutian President Ismail Umar Guelleh, said by telephone. "There were many dead," he said, adding that 69 was the provisional death toll. He said it overturned in the harbor after leaving port about noon and "was probably overloaded." Tani said officials believed more than 200 people were on board the vessel, which he said was headed for a traditional fair.
Strain found in swan
LONDON -- Britain confirmed its first case of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu in a wild swan Thursday, setting the stage for concerns the disease could spread across the Atlantic. The swan was found in the Scottish town of Cellardyke, more than 450 miles north of London, according to Scotland's chief veterinary officer, Charles Milne. Health officials said the case poses no serious risks to public health but the government began restricting poultry movement and implementing a 965-square-mile "wild bird risk area" around the site where the infected swan was found. The deadly virus has not been found in domestic British poultry, although an imported parrot from Suriname died in quarantine from the strain last year. At least 109 people have died from bird flu since a wave of outbreaks of the H5N1 strain swept through Asian poultry in late 2003, the World Health Organization said Thursday.
Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.