Senate passes health care bill

Senate passes health care bill | Senate Democrats passed a health care bill

Senate Democrats passed a landmark health care bill in a climactic Christmas Eve vote that could define President Barack Obama's legacy and usher in near-universal medical coverage for the first time in the country's history. "We are now finally poised to deliver on the promise of real, meaningful health insurance reform that will bring additional security and stability to the American people," Obama said shortly after the Senate acted. "This will be the most important piece of social legislation since Social Security passed in the 1930s," said Obama, standing with Vice President Joe Biden in the State Room of the White House.

The 60-39 vote on a cold winter morning capped months of arduous negotiations and 24 days of floor debate. It also followed a succession of failures by past congresses to get to this point. Biden presided as 58 Democrats and two independents voted "yes." Republicans unanimously voted "no." An exhausted Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., initially cast a "no" vote by mistake, then quickly corrected himself as fellow senators burst out laughing. The tally far exceeded the simple majority required for passage. The Senate's bill must still be merged with legislation passed by the House before Obama could sign a final bill in the new year. There are significant differences between the two measures but Democrats say they've come too far now to fail.

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NORAD Santa Tracker 2009 | NORAD Santa Tracker 2009 to track Santa Claus

NORAD Santa Tracker 2009 | NORAD Santa Tracker 2009 to track Santa Claus

The North American Aerospace Defense Command's (known as NORAD) 2009 will be keeping Santa TrackerNORAD Santa Tracker 2009: Santa Has Begun Delivering Presents
Date: December 31, 1969 track of Santa Claus delivering presents around the globe. NORAD's 2009 Santa tracking began on Christmas NORAD Santa Tracker 2009: Santa Has Begun Delivering Presents Date: December 31, 1969 Eve,at 5 a.m. EST. This is the time NORAD indicates Santa embarks on his gift-giving mission.

Santa Tracker consists of a world map, with a Santa icon that moves as Santa does. Gift boxes indicate where jolly St. Nick is expected to stop. The packages will be lit up with a glow, wherever Santa stops. This allows you to follow a highlighted trail of Santa's global journey. The Santa Tracker is also tricked out with several features that allow you to keep dibs on Santa. The bottom of the map will tell you where Santa currently is and where his next stop will be. NORAD will also add pictures and video captured during Santa's 2009 Christmas Eve trek. If you are curious about the locations Santa visits, there is also a Wikipedia link to explore.

The NORAD Santa Tracker 2009 offers updates of Santa's stops through Twitter and Facebook. There is also a mobile alert option, which will send text messages to your cell phone. If you or your child would prefer to call in to NORAD for Santa's coordinates, call NORAD's Santa Operations Center at 1-877-HI NORAD (1-877-446-6723). You will be able to speak to a live NORAD representative. The NORAD website claims that they are able to keep track of Mr. Claus using Rudolph's glowing red nose and satellite imagery. The tracker indicates he has already been to the Polonos Islands, Micronesia, Russia and Japan.

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Chelsea hit with shock transfer banned from FIFA

Chelsea hit with shock transfer banned from FIFA

Chelsea have been banned from registering any new players for the next two transfer windows in a shock move by FIFA after being found guilty of inducing a French teenager to breach his contract with another club. Gael Kakuta (pictured), 18, joined Chelsea from Lens two years ago after which the French club lodged a complaint with FIFA.

Now FIFA's dispute resolution chamber has ruled that Kakuta breached his contract with Lens and that Chelsea induced him to do so. They now cannot make any signings until January 2011, while the player has been fined £682,000 and banned for four months. Chelsea havea right to appeal the decision directly to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland.

FIFA said in a statement: "The French club had lodged a claim with FIFA seeking compensation for breach of contract from the player and requesting also sporting sanctions to be imposed on the player and the English club for breach of contract and inducement to breach of contract respectively. "The DRC found that the player had indeed breached a contract signed with the French club. Equally, the DRC deemed it to be established that the English club induced the player to such breach.

"As a result the player was condemned to pay compensation in the amount of 780,000 euros (£682,000), for which the club, Chelsea, is jointly and severally liable, and sporting sanctions were imposed on both the player and Chelsea in accordance with art. 17 par. 3 and 4 of the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players.

"A restriction of four months on his eligibility to play in official matches is imposed on the player Gael Kakuta while the club Chelsea is banned from registering any new players, either nationally or internationally, for the two next entire and consecutive registration periods following the notification of the present decision. "Furthermore, Chelsea, has to pay RC Lens training compensation in the amount of 130,000 euros (£114,000)."

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