Americans are falling deeper into debt – but is it actually great news for the U.S. economy?
Then, right-to-work laws! Are they the right idea to create more jobs?
Tune in to the Cost of Freedom, today at 10a ET.
8:06 am ET February 11, 2012
The Official Live Blog of Fox News Channel
8:05 am ET February 11, 2012
Will Critics Be Satisfied With the Shift in Obama’s Contraception Policy?
Health Care Holy War! Why critics still aren’t satisfied with Obama’s contraception compromise.
Plus, does the GOP stand ANY chance against Obama? The Gov asks RNC Chair Reince Priebus, tonight at 8p ET.
8:04 am ET February 11, 2012
Could Santorum Take Frontrunner Status?
(AP)
Closing the campaign gap! Could Santorum’s surge soon lead to frontrunner status? Mike Huckabee weighs in.
And, Judge Jeanine breaks down the shocking details in the Susan Powell case, tonight at 9p ET on Justice With Judge Jeanine.
7:07 pm ET February 10, 2012
PHOTO: President Obama Signs Final Piece of Legislation Authored By Gabrielle Giffords
As Bret Baier reported, President Obama has signed the final piece of legislation authored by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. This bill increases penalties for using ultra light air crafts to smuggle drugs into the country.
6:15 pm ET February 10, 2012
SNEAK PEEK — Father Jonathan Morris: Dispute Is Not About Contraception or the Catholic Church
Tonight on a special Hannity, Sean sits down with many faith-based leaders from various religions to discuss the controversy over the health care contraception mandate. This afternoon, President Obama changed course on the issue and said that religious institutions do not have to pay for contraceptive services for their employees.
In the sneak peek clip below, Father Jonathan Morris, amongst the religious leaders in the audience, explained why this situation isn’t about contraception.
“Right now this seems like this is about contraception, but it’s not. It seems like it’s about (More…)
5:58 pm ET February 10, 2012
Actress Raquel Welch Opens Up About the GOP Race
Lincoln Center will be hosting a tribute honoring actress Raquel Welch and her films. Neil Cavuto sat down with the actress who claims she’s, “not very scandalous,” despite being a major sex symbol.
Welch admitted that it wasn’t always easy to be taken seriously when it came to voicing her political views. Instead she says she would rather take action, recalling going to Vietnam with Bob Hope to visit the troops.
On the number of GOP debates (More…)
5:27 pm ET February 10, 2012
Lauren Green on President Obama’s Changes to the Contraceptive Mandate
The new accommodation President Obama announced Friday afternoon would seem a good compromise, but as of Friday afternoon, there was a growing list of religious organizations weighing in, saying in short, “We’re not buying it.”
The Becket Fund says it still leaves out scores of organizations, and for-profit businesses that have religious objections.
The Catholic Broadcaster EWTN — Eternal Word Television Network — which was part of a lawsuit filed yesterday against the mandate, said in a statement through the Becket Fund that “This is a false ‘compromise’ designed to protect the President’s re-election chances, not to protect the right of conscience,” and that “Hundreds, if not thousands, of religious institutions are still left out in the cold and will be forced to violate their religious convictions.” (More…)
5:06 pm ET February 10, 2012
Calling Out For Help: Smartphones Become Therapists, Helping Those Suffering From Depression
Researchers at Northwestern University say they have built a mood app that can help with depression. It tracks the owner’s location, activity and even who is in the room with them. If it senses that they’re feeling depressed, then it can send suggestions on how to fix it.
Lance Ulanoff, editor-in-chief of Mashable.com, called the app an “in-pocket therapist.” He tried to convince a skeptical Shepard Smith that “it’s more than just a bunch of messages; it’s really using (More…)
4:39 pm ET February 10, 2012
Catholic League’s Bill Donohue on Contraceptive Compromise: Obama Is Taking the Culture War to the Boiling Point and He Will Pay
Earlier on America Live, Catholic League President Bill Donohue shared his reaction to President Obama’s revamping of the contraception policy. He told Alisyn Camerota that he isn’t pleased with this change and feels like Obama is making things worse, asking, “Is this man out of his mind?”
“What [Obama] is trying to do is a political calculation. It will work to some extent, but not as much as they want.” He said, “He is now taking the culture war to the boiling point and he will pay.”
Donohue thinks Obama should have spoken to religious leaders before making this decision (More…)
4:29 pm ET February 10, 2012
James Rosen With a CPAC Update: Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum Take Jabs at Each Other
The Conservative Political Action Conference is underway in Washington today and the GOP candidates came out swinging. Fox News Correspondent James Rosen gave us the scoop on Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney’s speeches, and an update on what to expect at CPAC later today. (More…)
2:56 pm ET February 10, 2012
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on the New Changes to the Contraceptive Mandate
Earlier today the president announced a change to the health care mandate that required employers, regardless of religious convictions, to provide birth control to employees. The Obama administration’s compromise is that it won’t be the employers, but the insurers themselves who will provide free contraception.
Kathleen Sebelius, Health and Human Services Secretary, appeared on Happening Now following the announcement to explain further. Jenna Lee asked, if this is such an important issue, why isn’t the government footing bill? Sebelius said it’s a part of the Affordable Care Act which makes it more cost-effective to prevent illness than to treat it.
“Ninety-nine percent of American women use (More…)
1:30 pm ET February 10, 2012
TRANSCRIPT: President Obama’s Remarks on Shift in Contraception Policy
Moments ago, President Obama delivered remarks announcing a change in the controversial mandate that would have required religious institutions provide coverage for contraceptives. Read the full transcript of his remarks below:
As part of the healthcare reform law that I signed last year, all insurance plans are required to cover preventative healthcare at no cost. That means free check-ups, free mammograms, immunizations and other basic services.
We fought for this because it saves lives and because it saves money for families, for businesses, for government, for everybody. And that’s because it’s a lot cheaper to prevent an illness than to treat one.
We also accepted a recommendation from the experts at the Institute of Medicine that when it comes to women, preventative care should include coverage of contraceptive services such as birth control. (More…)
1:18 pm ET February 10, 2012
POLL: Will President Obama’s Contraception Compromise Solve the Religious Dispute?
After this week’s controversy over the new health care mandate that required religious institutions to provide contraceptives to employees, President Obama announced a revamped policy that will protect religious liberties and protect women’s access to contraception.
Under Obama’s changes to the policy, religious employers will not have to cover birth control for their employees, but instead, insurance companies would be responsible for providing free contraception.
Where do you stand on this issue? Will President Obama’s contraception compromise solve the religious dispute?
Click “more” to take our poll! (More…)
12:43 pm ET February 10, 2012
VIDEO: President Obama Announces Compromise Over Contraception Dispute
Moments ago, President Obama announced a new plan to require full contraception insurance coverage for female employees at religiously affiliated institutions.
Obama made clear that all religious affiliated institutions will not be forced to offer contraception coverage to employees. Now, insurers will be required to give complete coverage free of charge to all women who work under religious employers. (More…)
12:35 pm ET February 10, 2012
Judge Schedules Sandusky Child Sex Abuse Trial for May 14
By NewsCore
BELLEFONTE, Pa. — The judge in the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse case has set a tentative trial date of May 14.
The announcement from Judge John M. Cleland came during a hearing on whether to allow Sandusky, 68, more leniency on his bail conditions while he is under house arrest.
Attorneys for Sandusky, 68, had asked Cleland to allow his grandchildren to visit. The former Penn State football coach also requested he be allowed to host close friends (More…)
12:33 pm ET February 10, 2012
Celebrating Black History Month: Harris Faulkner’s Powerful Interview With Opera Singer Barbara Smith Conrad
In honor of Black History Month, the Ailes Apprentice Program and Fox News teamed up to profile ordinary Americans whose trailblazing spirits have changed the world. Harris Faulkner had the honor of interviewing famed opera singer Barbara Smith Conrad, an African American woman born in the deep woods of east Texas.
The year was 1956 when the Supreme Court opened the doors for African Americans to attend major universities. Conrad pursued her passion for music at the University of Texas at Austin. She recalls the experience as “Strange, they were all Caucasian. I didn’t pay much attention, I had a focus.”
Her focus was music, and the director of the Fine Arts program happened to be opera star Josephine Antoine. When she overheard Conrad practicing, she cast her as the lead in the romantic tragedy Dido and Aeneas.
Word spread quickly that an African American woman was cast as the romantic interest opposite a young white male. The Texas representative at the time threatened (More…)
11:19 am ET February 10, 2012
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius Speaks Out Following the President’s Announcement on Contraception Mandate
(AP)
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will appear on Happening Now following President Obama’s announcement regarding the contraception controversy.
The president’s remarks are expected at 12:15p ET. Tune in to Fox News Channel for complete coverage.
11:09 am ET February 10, 2012
Shocking Video: Elementary School Bus Goes Up in Flames
Check out this startling sight as a school bus goes up in flames in Charlotte, North Carolina. Officials say electrical problems triggered the fire. It’s the same make and model as several other buses that caught fire over the past few years. Luckily all the elementary school students on the bus are safe and sound. (More…)
10:24 am ET February 10, 2012
AP: Obama to Announce That Religious Employers Won’t Have to Cover Birth Control
Bill Hemmer just told us that according to AP reports, following intense backlash, President Obama will announce at 12:15p ET that religious employers will not have to cover contraceptives. Below is the latest from the Associated Press.
Retreating in the face of a political uproar, President Barack Obama on Friday will announce that religious employers will not have to cover birth control for their employees after all, The Associated Press has learned. The administration instead will demand that insurance companies will be the ones directly responsible for providing free contraception.
Obama’s abrupt shift is an attempt to satisfy both sides of a deeply sensitive debate, and most urgently, to end a mounting election-year nightmare for the White House.
Women will still get guaranteed access to birth control without co-pays or premiums no matter where they work, a provision of Obama’s health care law that he insisted must remain. But religious universities and hospitals that see contraception as an unconscionable violation of their faith can refuse to cover it, and insurance companies will then have to step in to do so. (More…)
10:15 am ET February 10, 2012
President Obama Expected to Deliver Statement on Contraception Mandate at 12:15p ET
Bill Hemmer just reported that we’ve just gotten word that President Obama is expected to deliver a statement regarding the contraception mandate at 12:15p ET.
Tune in to Fox News Channel for complete coverage.
