Mackenzie Felt Sister Bijou was Safe with Dad

Appearing on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” last Friday, Mackenzie Phillips said their father “had changed his ways as much as he was able to” and that she felt Bijou was safe. But Mackenzie says she did go get her sister when she “felt like she wasn’t being watched properly.” Mackenzie claims in a new book that she had a long-term incestuous relationship with John Phillips.

Public Option Defeated in Senate Finance Committee

The quest for a ‘public option’ to private medical insurance suffered a massive setback Tuesday as conservative Senate Finance Committee Democrats teamed with Republicans to reject its inclusion in any in health care reform legislation.

Supreme Court to Hear Chicago Gun Control Case

The Supreme Court agreed today to hear a challenge to Chicago’s ban on handguns. The Court will determine whether state and local gun-control ordinances violate the “right to keep and bear arms” clause in the 2nd Amendment. The case also will decide whether the 2nd Amendment protects a broad constitutional right, similar to the 1st Amendment’s right to free speech or the 4th Amendment’s protection against unreasonable searches and seizures.

Hundreds Feared Dead in Samoas after Tsunami

President Obama promised today a “swift and aggressive” U.S. response to the tsunami that hit American Samoa and neighboring islands claiming at least 113 lives after an 8.3 magnitude deep sea quake struck yesterday. “I am closely monitoring these tragic events, and have declared a major disaster for American Samoa, which will provide the tools necessary for a full, swift and aggressive response,” he said.