Sebelius clears HHS confirmation hurdle

The Senate Finance Committee voted to send the nomination of Kathleen Sebelius as health and human services secretary to the full Senate.

The nomination process for Sebelius, the Kansas governor whom President Barack Obama chose in February, has hit some snags over her stance on abortion rights and tax troubles.

According to an Associated Press report:

The committee vote came after several Republicans voiced concerns in recent days about Sebelius' ties to Dr. George Tiller, a late-term abortion doctor who is under investigation by the Kansas medical board.

The GOP also questioned her commitment to ensuring that the government doesn't try to interfere with the doctor-patient relationship.

"I believe in the right of every American to choose the doctor, the hospital, the health plan of his or her choice," Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., said before the vote. But he contended that Sebelius had displayed "insufficient commitment to these principles."

Sebelius had offered assurances that she believed it was the job of doctors, not the government, to prescribe care. That wasn't enough for some GOP lawmakers worried that the Obama administration's plans to overhaul the nation's costly health care system could move the country toward a government-operated health care system.

Sebelius is the White House's second pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Former Sen. Tom Daschle withdrew his name in February after tax issues arose.

Richardson's skiing accident raises questions about helmets

The tragic skiing accident that claimed the life of actress Natasha Richardson has raised questions about safety on the slopes, mostly about helmets.

Skiing, like all sports, has an element of danger. Statistics from the National Ski Areas Association show that the 2007-2008 season had 53 fatalities and 41 serious injuries for skiers and snowboarders.

The NSAA puts the rate of fatalities at .88 per million skier/snowboarder visits.

The same study estimates that 43 percent of skiers and snowboarders wore helmets in 2007-2008, a 40 percent increase from the previous year.

About 70 percent of children under nine wore helmets in 2007-2008, and 60 percent of kids between 10 and 14 wore them.