The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
NEWS BRIEFS
LANSING, Mich.
* Mich. Chamber of
Commerce gives
GOP $5.4 million
The Michigan Chamber of Com-
merce has given $5.4 million to the
Republican Governors Associa-
tion, which is running negative ads
against Democratic candidate Virg
Bernero.
The nonpartisan Michigan Cam-
paign Finance Network said yester-
day that the governor's association
reported the giving in third-quarter
reports to the Internal Revenue Ser-
vice.
The anti-Bernero ads are intend- In t
ed to help GOP gubernatorial can- tar
didate Rick Snyder, a wealthy Ann
Arbor businessman who has given
his campaign at least $6.1 million.
Snyder boasts he's not accepting
money from political action com-
mittees, but he benefits from the
GOP governors' group's ads that
often feature Snyder.
WASHINGTON D.C.
Obama encourages
achievement among i
Hispanic population ga
President Barack Obama signed t
an executive order Tuesday intend-
ed to boost Hispanic education
achievement, a priority for a key ita
voting bloc two weeks ahead of crit- re
ical midterm elections. na
The measure is intended to widen in
the scope of a long-standing White me
. House initiative on Latino educa- do
tion by increasing partnerships
with the private sector and solicit- dir
ing more input from the commu- th
nity. The objective is to focus on the
the educational challenges faced by ye
the Hispanic communityin order to
* increase enrollment and outcomes. ni
In a ceremony in the East Room, po
Obama noted that Latinos make up go
the largest minority group in the ter
country's public schools, accounting th
for more than i in 5 students, but are thi
likelier to attend low-performing ern
schools and drop out. thr
"This is not just a Latino problem. ed
This is an American problem. We've
got to solve it," the president said. an
"Because if we allow these trends to bu
continue, it won't just be one com- rer
munity that falls behind. We will all to
fallbehind together."
tu
VIENNA, Austria ga
Austrian students its
* Ce
protest for increase ne
i higher ed. funds de
Tens of thousands of students in
marched through Austrian cities sin
yesterday to demand more money Be
for higher-education in an unex-
pectedly large protest backed by
university staff.
Police estimates for the largest
turnout - in Vienna - were around
15,000 people, mostly students but
also academic staff and other sup-
porters. Roughly 5,000 others took
to the streets in Salzburg and Graz.
Amid the protests, university
presidents warned of large-scale
layoffs and even the closure of some
institutions barring more money
from the governmentby2013.
Most Austrian universities are
state-run and chronic underfund-
ing has resulted in lack of staff and
facilities.
Lecture halls are crammed with -
hundreds of students in some of int
the most popular courses and there de
often are long lists for exams, which cel
have to be staggered due to over- wo
ctowding and too few faculty. me
LOOON his
pro
F ormer British P.M. Su
hatcher in hospital m
- ~ awc
Former British Prime Minister cus
Margaret Thatcher has been admit-
ted to the hospital following a recent na
bout offlu, officials said yesterday. NA
Prime Minister David Cameron's Sm
office said he wished the former ou
leader a "speedy recovery." mu
"We understand from Lady
Thatcher's office that she has been sta
admitted to hospital for precaution- thi
ary tests following her recent bout Tu
of flu," a Downing Street statement tio
said.
Thatcher, who was prime minis- ali
ter from 1979 to 1990, had to skip a be:
reception in honor of her 85th birth- the
day last week because of the flu. She in
wrote a letter of apology to the 150 by
friends and colleagues who attend-
ed the reception, which was hosted sta
by Cameron at 10 Downing Street. as
Her son Mark Thatcher stressed to
to reporters after visiting her at str
London's private Cromwell Hospital yea
that she was admitted for "routine int
tests." He did not provide details. yea
NA
- Compiled from be
Daily wire reports. an
Wednesday, October 20, 2010 - 3A
U.S. Justice Dept.
sues Mich. Blue
Cross Blue Shield
GARY KAZANJIAN/AP
his May 30, 2009 file photo, former Lt. Dan Choi, an Iraq combat veteran who was discharged under the U.S. mili-
y's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, appears at an equality rally in Fresno, Calif.
EPentagon: Military t
iccept gay applicants
Despite federal
ndecision, openly
ay people welcome
o enlist in military
SAN DIEGO (AP) - The mil-
ry is accepting openly gay
cruits for the first time in the
tion's history, even as it tries
the courts to slow the move-
ent to abolish its "don't ask,
n't tell" policy.
At least two service members
scharged for being gay began
e process to re-enlist after
e Pentagon's announcement
sterday.
A federal judge in Califor-
a who overturned the 17-year
licy last week rejected the
vernment's latest effort yes-
'day to halt her order telling
e military to stop enforcing
e law. Before her ruling, gov-
nment lawyers told Phillips
ey would appeal if she reject-
their request.
With the recruiting
nouncement, the barriers
ilt by an institution long
sistant and sometimes hostile
gays had come down.
The movement to over-
rn the 1993 Clinton-era law
ined speed when President
rack Obama campaigned on
repeal. The effort stalled in
ingress this fall, and found
w life last month when U.S.
strict Judge Virginia Phillips
clared it unconstitutional.
"Gay people have been fight-
g for equality in the military
ice the 1960s," said Aaron
Akin, executive director of
the Palm Center, a think tank
on gays and the military at the
University of California Santa
Barbara. "it took a lot to get to
this day."
The Defense Department
has said it would comply with
Phillips' order and had frozen
any discharge cases. Pentagon
spokeswoman Cynthia Smith
said recruiters had been given
top-level guidance to accept
applicants who say they are gay.
AP interviews found some
recruiters following the order
and others saying they had not
heard of the announcement.
Recruiters also have been
told to inform potential
recruits that the moratorium
on enforcement of the policy
could be reversed at any time,
if the ruling is appealed or the
court grants a stay, she said.
Gay rights groups were con-
tinuing to tell service members
to avoid revealing that they are
gay, fearing they could find
themselves in trouble should
the law be reinstated.
"What people aren't really
getting is that the discretion
and caution that gay troops
are showing now is exactly the
same standard of conduct that
they will adhere to when the
ban is lifted permanently," Bel-
kin said. "Yes, a few will try to
become celebrities."
An Air Force officer and
co-founder of a gay service
member support group called
OutServe said financial consid-
erations are playing a big role
in gay service members staying
quiet.
"The military has financially
trapped us," he said, noting
that he could owe the military
about $200,000 if he were to be
dismissed.
The officer, who asked not to
be identified for fear of being
discharged, said he's hearing
increasingly about heterosexu-
al service members approach-
ing gay colleagues and telling
them they can come out now.
He also said more gay ser-
vice members are coming out
to their peers who are friends,
while keeping it secret from
leadership. He said he has come
out to two peers in the last few
days.
An opponent of the judge's
ruling said confusion that has
come up is exactly what Penta-
gon officials feared and shows
the need for her to immediately
freeze her order while the gov-
ernment appeals.
"It's only logical that a stay
should be granted to avoid the
confusion that is already occur-
ring with reports that the Pen-
tagon is telling recruiters to
begin accepting homosexual
applicants," said Tony Perkins,
the president of the Family
Research Council, a conserva-
tive advocacy group based in
Washington that supports the
policy.
The uncertain status of the
law has caused much confu-
sion within an institution that
has historically discriminated
against gays.
Before the 1993 law, the mili-
tary banned gays entirely and
declared them incompatible
with military service. There
have been instances in which
gays have served, with the
knowledge of their colleagues.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Jus-
tice Department alleged Monday in
a lawsuit that Michigan Blue Cross
Blue Shield is discouraging compe-
tition by engaging in practices that
raise hospital prices - conduct an
assistant attorney general vowed to
challenge anywhere it is found in the
United States.
The suit targets "most favored
nation" clauses between Michigan
Blue Cross Blue Shield and health
care providers which, according to
the government, essentially guar-
antee that no competing health care
plan can obtain a better rate.
Michigan Blue Cross Blue Shield
COUNCIL
From Page 1A
Ann Arbor is the perfect city for such a
resolution to gain support as it heads to
the state level.
"People in Ann Arbor before me
have made it a place for a gay person
like me to come out," said Wilson,
pointing out that he wasn't openly gay
before movingto the city.
In a separate address to council,
Leslie Stambaugh, who's also a mem-
ber of the Human Rights Commission,
said the resolution goes beyond merely
criticizing Shirvell.
"Theresolution calls on the attorney
general to make it clear that his office
represents theinterests of every Michi-
gan resident," Stambaugh said.
Like Wilson, Stambaugh cited Ann
Arbor's reputation as a tolerant and
progressive city and said the resolution
would help further that reputation.
has most-favored-nation clauses or
similar language in contracts with
at least 70 of 131 general acute care
hospitals in the state, the government
alleges.
The lawsuit said that Michigan
Blue Cross Blue Shield intended to
raise hospital costs for competing
health care plans and reduce compe-
tition for the sale of health insurance.
"As a result, consumers in Michi-
gan are paying more for their health
care services and health insurance,"
Assistant Attorney General Chris-
tine Varney, who runs the .Justice
Department's antitrust division, told
reporters.
"I think it's time for Ann Arbor to
make a statement that's consistent
with our long history of support for
the LGBT community," Stambaugh
said.
When it came time to vote, Council-
member Sandi Smith (D-Ward 1)spoke
out in favor of the resolution but said
she wished it hadn't arisen because of
an incident of public harassment.
"I wish it were under different cir-
cumstances," Smith said.
She added that the resolution con-
cerns a "particularly difficult topic" for
people to talk about and said citizens
should be "proactive" about the issue.
Following Smith's speech, the City
Council swiftly endorsed the resolu-
tion amid loud applause from members
of the audience.
After the meeting, Armstrong stood
in the hallway shaking hands and tak-
ingpictures with supporters.
Armstrong declined to comment on
the resolution.
U. S. sold ier put in custody
after Afghan detainee dies
U.S. launches
investigation into
prisoner's death
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP)
A U.S. soldier was taken
o custody after an Afghan
tainee was found dead in his
X1, apparently from a gunshot
und, NATO said in a state-
ent last night.
The man was found dead in
s holding cell in Kandahar
ovince's Arghandab districton
nday. He was being held tem-
rarily at an Afghan govern-
ent facility under U.S. guard,'
waiting transfer to coalition
stody.
The U.S. has launched a crimi-
1 investigation into the death,
ATO said. Rear Adm. Greg
iith said the U.S. takes seri-
sly any allegations of mistreat-
ent of prisoners.
Also in southern Afghani-
an, militant attacks killed
ree NATO service members on
aesday, the international coali-
n said.
NATO did not give the nation-
ty of the dead service mem-
rs or provide exact locations of
e attacks. One was killed in an
surgent attack and two others
roadside bombs.
Violence in southern Afghani-
in has risen in recent months
NATO and Afghan forces try
seize control of the Taliban
onghold of Kandahar. This
ar has been the deadliest for
ernational forces in the nine-
ar Afghan conflict. At least 47
ATO service members have
en killed so far this month,
d more than 2,000 have died
since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion.
Four Taliban commanders
were also reported killed in
three separate incidents.
A NATO airstrike killed one
Taliban leader in Nad Ali district
in southern Helmand province
on Monday, the Helmand gover-
nor's office said.
Another airstrike killed 15
insurgents on Sunday, including
a senior Taliban military leader
for Dahana-i-ghuri and Pul-
e-khumri districts in Baghlan
province, NATO said. A second
insurgent leader from the same
province was also killed in the
same attack.
Another midlevel Taliban
commander was killed Sun-
day by NATO forces in
the Pech River Valley in
Kunar province near the
Pakistan border, the alli-
ance said. The commander
was accused of organiz-
ing kidnappings, helping
Arab and Pakistani fight-
ers cross the border and
attacking NATO convoys.
In southern Kandahar
province, the coalition
said 10 insurgents were
reported killed and sev-
eral more detained after
they fired on a joint NATO
and Afghan army patrol
on Monday.
In a separate develop-
ment, 40 Taliban fighters
deserted to the govern-
ment in northern Kunduz
province on Sunday, dep-
uty governor Amdullah
Danishi said on Tuesday.
There are several pro-
grams running to rein-
tegrate Taliban fighters
but men who previous-
ly defected complained they
were not provided with jobs or
alternative livelihoods. A new
government program aims to
address those problems.
The violence follows last
month's parliamentary elec-
tions - tainted by allegations of
fraud - and comes amid a diplo-
matic push to open formal nego-
tiations between the Afghan
government and factions of the
insurgency.
President Barack Obama has
said he wants to begin drawing
down American troops by next
summer, but it is unclear wheth-
er Afghanistan's poorly paid and
badly trained security forces will
be able to take over.
October 20, 2010. 5:00-6:30 p.m.
Colloquium, Ross School of Business Building (Sixth Floor)
701 Tappan Street
Co-sponsored by
Panelists:
Aneel K r. 3n,
Ross School of Business
Ross School of Business wwwipcsmich.u
School of Natural Resources and Environment
Jan Svetnarr
Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy
Ross School of Business www rossnetimpact.org