Bush to Veto Stem-Cell Bill Today

Pushing back against the Democratic-led Congress, President Bush plans to veto a bill today that would have eased restraints on federally funded embryonic-stem-cell research, White House spokesperson Tony Fratto told The Associated Press. At the same time, Bush will issue an executive order directing the Health and Human Services Department to promote research into cells that, like human embryonic stem cells, also hold the potential of regenerating into different types of cells that might be used to battle disease. Democrats made stem-cell legislation a top priority when they took control of the House and Senate in January. They do not, however, have enough votes to override a veto. Read more.

Oprah, Tiger Lead Most Powerful Black Celebrities List

Of course, Oprah Winfrey is No. 1 on this list, followed by Tiger Woods, who in the past has angered many black people because he said he is Cablanasian and not only black. The Forbes list is a mix of domestic and international celebrities. Others on the list include Brazilian soccer star Ronaldinho (31), Alex Rodriguez (29), 50 Cent (32), Michael Jordan (39), Jay-Z (9), and Kobe Bryant (23), who beat his gargantuan nemesis, Shaquille O'Neal (25).  Read more.

White House Report Says Immigration Benefits Nation

President Bush's Council of Economic Advisers released a report Tuesday that says immigrants enhance the productivity of native-born workers and increase native-born earnings a significant amount, estimated at $37 billion a year. The White House hopes the report will embolden supporters of the bipartisan Senate immigration bill. The report also acknowledged, however, that the native-born workers on the lowest end of the economic scale have experienced wage reductions as a result of immigrant labor. The White House said immigrants and their children tended to have "a slightly positive fiscal impact" because, in the long run, they pay more in taxes than they consume in benefits. Read more.

Domestic Partners Losing Benefits

States that banned gay marriage are revoking domestic-partner benefits as well. Michigan has gone the farthest, prohibiting cities, universities and other public employers from offering benefits to same-sex partners. In all, 27 states have passed constitutional amendments defining marriage as the legally sanctioned union of a man and a woman. A Michigan court ruled in February that public employers may not offer benefits to unmarried partners, gay or straight, because of a 2004 amendment defining marriage. Kentucky Attorney General Gregory Stumbo ruled this month that the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville may not offer benefits to domestic partners, gay or straight. A U.S. appeals court last year upheld Nebraska's amendment barring government employers from granting benefits, including health insurance, to gay couples. It didn't address benefits for unmarried straight couples. Read more.

More Benefits Added for Workers Who Adopt

The number of employers offering benefits to workers who adopt is increasing. Nearly 50 percent of employers offer adoption benefits, according to a survey by benefits consultants Watson Wyatt Worldwide. That's up from 37 percent who offered the benefits in 2003. By comparison, 92 percent of The 2007 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity^® offer adoption assistance. With some adoption costs topping $30,000, employers are increasingly providing cash reimbursement for adoption-related legal services, paid time off or other benefits to help. Read more.

Japan Has First Lesbian Candidate

Kanako Otsuji, 32, who is backed by Japan's main opposition Democratic Party, would become the first openly gay national politician of either sex if she wins a seat in parliament's upper house in a poll expected in July. Otsuji, who served as a local legislator in the western city of Osaka for four years until April, said her decision to become a politician was inspired by the pain and isolation of the five years it took her to accept that she was a lesbian. "In Japan, you cannot say you are a lesbian," she told a news conference on Wednesday. Read more.

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