| NBCWSJ poll: Support for Afghan surge rises

NBC/WSJ-poll:-Support-for-Afghan-surge-rises WASHINGTON - As the Obama administration decides whether or not to send more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, the latest NBC/Wall Street Journal poll finds that a plurality of Americans now backs a troop increase, and a strong majority supports waiting on a decision until after the country conducts its presidential runoff election next month.

Also, as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid moves forward crafting a Senate health-care bill that contains a public option — with a state opt out — the survey shows support for a government-run insurance plan is at its highest level since the debate began and opposition is at its lowest level.

Perhaps most revealing, the poll highlights the public’s disgust at Washington, with the number trusting government at its lowest level in 12 years and with nearly half of Americans favoring the creation of a new political party.

“I was hoping that business as usual was going to stop with the Obama administration,” said respondent Brian Gross of Poolesville, Md., “and so far I just haven’t seen that.”

As Democratic pollster Peter D. Hart, who conducted this survey with Republican Bill McInturff, puts it: “The mood in America may be blue, but the attitudes toward Washington are jet black.”

A reversal on Afghanistan
By a narrow 47 percent to 43 percent, respondents say they support increasing the troop level in Afghanistan, which is a reversal from last month, when 51 percent opposed the increase and 44 percent supported it.

In addition, as Republicans criticize President Barack Obama for waiting to announce his troop decision — former Vice President Dick Cheney recently accused him of “dithering” — 58 percent of poll respondents say they support delaying a decision until after Afghanistan’s Nov. 7 runoff election and after the country’s political situation becomes clearer.

“I am optimistic that he and his generals are taking some time to actually think through this,” said Andrew Maxwell of Los Angeles.

Yet the public is divided on what Obama and his generals should ultimately decide. Fifty-five percent say they would accept sending an additional 10,000 troops and training Afghanistan’s army and police; 46 percent favor not sending any more troops and focusing instead on attacking specific al-Qaida camps on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border; and 45 percent support withdrawing all U.S. troops from the country.

Just 43 percent support sending 40,000 more troops to Afghanistan — which is the recommendation of the top U.S. commander there, Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal.

Opting for the public option
Turning to domestic politics, the NBC/Journal poll — which was conducted of 1,009 adults Oct. 22-25, and which has an overall margin of error of plus-minus 3.1 percentage points — shows that opinions on the health care debate haven’t changed much over the past month.

Only 38 percent believe that Obama’s health plan is a good idea, compared with 42 percent who say it’s a bad idea, which is virtually identical to the numbers from September.

But what has changed is that support for a government-run insurance plan is now at its highest level since the debate began. Forty-eight percent say they favor a public health plan administered by the federal government that would compete with private insurers, compared with 42 percent who oppose it.

Thats a shift from last month, though within the margin of error, when 48 percent opposed the public option and 46 percent supported it. And its a large swing from August, when 47 percent were in opposition and 43 percent were in favor.

Also on health care, a plurality of Americans believes it would be better to pass Obama’s health care plan than keep the current system. But a majority also are worried that reform might go too far.

McInturff, the GOP pollster, describes the public as “hesitant reformers” on health care. “They would like to see something done, but they’re not convinced about the current direction.”

Disgusted with Washington
Perhaps the most striking finding in the poll is the public dissatisfaction with Washington. Only 23 percent say they trust government “just about always” or “most of the time,” which is the lowest number on this question since 1997.

What’s more, nearly half of respondents support building an independent political party to compete with the Republicans and Democrats.

And nearly six in 10 blame both Republicans and Democrats for the partisanship in Washington. Twenty-four percent blame the Republicans only, while 17 percent point their finger at the Democrats.

Obama hasn’t been immune to this anger at Washington, although he remains the most popular politician in the poll.

His job-approval rating remains at 51 percent for a third straight survey, and 56 percent have a favorable view of him.

Yet the public prefers his personal qualities to his professional accomplishments so far as president. In the poll, Obama gets his highest marks for being easygoing and likeable , for being inspirational and exciting , for having strong leadership qualities , for improving America’s image around the world and being honest and straightforward .

“My opinions have not changed about Obama, because hes a man of integrity, hes an honest and trustworthy person,” said Carolyn Johnson-Josey of Atlanta, Ga.

On the other hand, Obama gets his lowest marks for being decisive , for being knowledgeable and experienced enough to handle the presidency , for being a good commander-in-chief , for having the ability to handle a crisis , for uniting the country , for changing business as usual in Washington and for achieving his goals .

“The president’s personal popularity is exceptionally solid,” said Hart, the Democratic pollster. “But the evaluation of his performance is much more tenuous.”

GOP positive rating equals all-time low
While impressions of Obama’s professional performance are mixed, the same can’t be said for the Republican Party at large.

According to the poll, just 25 percent have a positive opinion of the GOP, which ties the party’s low-water mark in the survey. By comparison, 42 percent have a favorable view of the Democratic Party.

In addition, only 23 percent approve of the way in which congressional Republicans have handled health care, compared with 43 percent who approve of Obama’s handling of the issue.

And looking ahead to 2010 congressional midterm elections, 46 percent say they prefer a Democratic-controlled Congress, versus 38 percent who want a Republican-controlled Congress. Last month, Democrats held a three-point advantage on this question .

Other findings in the poll:

Former Alaska Republican Gov. Sarah Palin’s favorability/unfavorability score is nearly similar to Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s . The public’s opposition to gay marriage has decreased: In 2004, Americans opposed it by 62 percent to 30 percent; now it’s 49-41. The public’s support for gun-control measures also has decreased. In 1991, three-quarters of Americans supported banning the sale of assault weapons and semiautomatic rifles. This past April, 53 percent favored it. And in this poll, 49 percent say they support the ban.

Mark Murray covers politics for NBC News. NBC’s Ali Weinberg contributed to this article.

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Legal © 2009 MSNBC.com - | NBCWSJ poll: Support for Afghan surge rises |

| SEC proposes changes for dark pools

SEC-proposes-changes-for-'dark-pools'

WASHINGTON – Federal regulators are proposing tighter oversight for so-called dark pools, trading systems that dont publicly provide price quotes and compete with major stock exchanges.

The Securities and Exchange Commission voted Wednesday to propose new rules that would require more stock quotes in the dark pool systems to be publicly displayed. The changes could be adopted sometime after a 90-day public comment period.

The alternative trading systems, private networks matching buyers and sellers of large blocks of stocks, have grown explosively in recent years and now account for an estimated 7.2 percent of all share volume. SEC officials have identified them as a potential emerging risk to markets and investors.

The SEC initiative is the latest action by the agency seeking to bring tighter oversight to the markets amid questions about transparency and fairness on Wall Street. The SEC has floated a proposal restricting short-selling — or betting against a stock — in down markets.

Last month, the agency proposed banning flash orders, which give traders a split-second edge in buying or selling stocks. A flash order refers to certain members of exchanges — often large institutions — buying and selling information about ongoing stock trades milliseconds before that information is made public.

Institutional investors like pension funds may use dark pools to sell big blocks of stock away from the public scrutiny of an exchange like the New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq Stock Market that could drive the share price lower.

Given the growth of dark pools, this lack of transparency could create a two-tiered market that deprives the public of information about stock prices, SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro said before the vote at the agencys public meeting.

Republican Commissioners Kathleen Casey and Troy Paredes, while voting to put out the proposed new rules for public comment, cautioned against rushing to overly broad regulation that could have a negative impact on market innovation and competition.

Dark pools might decide to maintain stock trading at levels below those that trigger required public display under the proposed rules, Paredes said. Darker dark pools could be worse than the current situation, he suggested.

When investors place an order to buy or sell a stock on an exchange, the order is normally displayed for the public to view. With some dark pools, investors can signal their interest in buying or selling a stock but that indication of interest is communicated only to a group of market participants.

That means investors who operate within the dark pool have access to information about potential trades which other investors using public quotes do not, the SEC says.

The SEC proposal would require indications of interest to be treated like other stock quotes and subject to the same disclosure rules.

A 1999 SEC rule established a separate set of regulations for alternative trading systems, which have grown to 29 from 10 in 2002. The largest dark pools are Credit Suisse Groups CrossFinder, Knight Link, Goldman Sachs Group Inc.s Sigma X, Getco and LeveL, according to the TABB Group, an analytical firm based in Westborough, Mass.

Others are London-based Turquoise Trading Ltd., a European system established by Citigroup Inc., Goldman Sachs, Frances Societe Generale SA and other major banks; Toronto-based Alpha was set up by several major Canadian banks; and Liquidnet Inc. in New York.

NYSE chief executive Duncan Niederauer has asked the SEC to subject the alternative systems to a stricter set of regulations that is closer to the regime for the major exchanges. His proposed changes would go further than those being considered by the SEC.

We are not against dark pools, Niederauer said Tuesday in a conference call with reporters. Were in favor of competition; wed just like it to be a level playing field.

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., sent a letter to Schapiro asking the SEC commissioners to consider stricter regulations for the trading systems as well as establishment of a consolidated surveillance system for all markets, for which the alternative systems would contribute some of the cost.

- | SEC proposes changes for dark pools |

| UnitedHealth 3Q profit rises 13 pct tops views

UnitedHealth-3Q-profit-rises-13-pct,-tops-views NEW YORK -Health insurer UnitedHealth Group Inc. said Tuesday results at its government and services businesses were strong in the third quarter, and its profit rose 13 percent to top Wall Street estimates.
The Minnetonka, Minn., company, said it earned $1.04 billion, or 89 cents per share, compared with $920 million, or 75 cents per share, a year ago. Analysts expected 76 cents per share, according to Thomson Reuters.
Revenue rose 8 percent to $21.7 billion, ahead of Wall Streets estimate of $21.56 billion. The company said it lost about 1.7 million commercial members from last year due to high unemployment, but health and wellness programs like Ovations and OptumHealth posted strong growth, as did the AmeriChoice business.
UnitedHealth is seen by many analysts as a bellwether for the managed care sector. It is the largest U.S. health insurer by revenue, and the first to report earnings each quarter.
Revenue for Ovations, which provides health and wellness services to people over 50, rose 19 percent to $7.9 billion, and AmeriChoice revenue rose 29 percent to $2.1 billion. Total public and senior enrollment rose to 7.2 million from 6.3 million.
However, commercial enrollment fell more than 6 percent, to 24.8 million, due to high unemployment. The company reported a similar decline in the second quarter. Revenue at the UnitedHealthcare business fell 3 percent to $10.13 billion.
The company says it spent 82 percent of its premium dollars on medical care during the quarter.
For the full year, UnitedHealth said it expects to earn $3.15 per share, at the high end of its previous guidance. Analysts expect $3.09 per share, on average. - | UnitedHealth 3Q profit rises 13 pct tops views |

| Healthy habits to help prevent breast cancer

Healthy-habits-to-help-prevent-breast-cancer To kick off Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Love/Avon Army of Women — which partners with breast cancer researchers — shares the latest in nutrition and scientific discoveries to help women of all ages reduce their risk.

There is nothing that you can do to ensure that you absolutely do not get breast cancer, although studies have reported there are some lifestyle choices that may help reduce breast cancer risk. Right now, some of the most important appear to be: eating a healthy diet that is low-in-fat and high in whole grains, fruits and vegetables ; losing weight ; not gaining weight after menopause; getting regular exercise; and using hormone therapy to treat menopausal symptoms for the shortest time period necessary.

Exercise
The American Cancer Society suggests you exercise for 45 to 60 minutes, 5 or more days a week.

Stress
The evidence on this being related to breast cancer is all over the map, quite conflicting, and far from consistent. There is no evidence, however, that one of these external factors that increase breast cancer risk is how women express — or dont express — their emotions or how they handle stress.

Diet
Some of the first studies to explore the relationship between breast cancer and foods found that women who ate lots of fruits and vegetables had a decreased risk of breast cancer. But now it appears that its probably the vegetables that matter, not the fruit, and if they do matter, its nowhere near the extent we thought they might. And while there have been some studies that found that eating a lot of vegetables might reduce the risk of a breast cancer recurrence, how much you should eat and what the risk reduction would be is far from clear.

Alcohol
Studies have found that having one or two drinks per day increased a womans risk of developing a breast cancer tumor that is hormone-sensitive . Overall, about 70 percent of all women who are diagnosed with breast cancer have this type of tumor.

Compared to non-drinkers, women who consumed less than one drink daily had a 7 percent higher risk of developing breast cancer. Those who had one to two drinks a day had a 32 percent increased risk, while those who had three or more daily drinks had a 51 percent increased risk. The increased risk was found no matter what type of alcohol a woman drank.

To put this into some perspective: A woman between the ages of 60 and 69 has a 3.65 percent chance — 1 in 27 — of developing breast cancer. If she had less than one drink a day, and her risk increased by 7 percent, she would now have a 3.9 percent chance — still 1 in 27—of developing breast cancer. If she had one to two drinks a day and risk increased by 32 percent, she would now have a 4.8 percent chance — 1 in 20 — of developing breast cancer. And if she had three or more drinks a day, she would not have a 5.5 percent chance — 1 in 18 — of developing the disease.

For more facts and tips on prevention, visit the Army of Women website.

- | Healthy habits to help prevent breast cancer |

| Woman finds cabbie is a kidney match

Woman-finds-cabbie-is-a-kidney-match PHOENIX - Rita Van Loenen had no idea that a trip in Thomas Chappells taxi cab could end up being the ride that saves her life.

There are better odds of getting struck by lightning, Van Loenen said. A random taxi driver offering to give me his kidney and all these pieces match. There has to be something behind this. How can this be?

Chappell, who has been driving Van Loenen to dialysis appointments, shocked the Gilbert, Ariz., woman a month ago by offering to donate his kidney. But even more shocking to her was that doctors found they had the same blood type, that they were compatible.

He calls me all excited. If we were a closer match, we wouldve been siblings. I was ready to fall off the floor, Van Loenen said.

The Phoenix taxi driver said he was a man of faith and that a higher power wanted him to step in.

By then, me and the good Lord already had a talk. He said Tom, you go give her one. It will work, Chappell said.

Diagnosed with kidney disease
Last year, Van Loenen, an instructor in special-education methods, began feeling ill and experiencing water retention in her legs. She went to see a doctor and was diagnosed with kidney disease. With kidney failure setting in, friends and family were tested but there was no match.

In February, she received her cousins kidney but that transplant failed. One day, Van Loenen, 63, found herself telling Chappell, 56, about how her son was now going to get tested. Chappell decided to add his name to the list.

I said Rita, your sons a whole lot younger than me. Hes got a lot more years. Im gonna go down and go through the process and see if it will work. I dont think she really believed I was going to.

The gesture evoked tears of gratitude from Loenen but she was still skeptical.

A little bit in my heart I didnt believe it. He said give me the number and I have transplant number at Mayo memorized.

The two first met more than three months ago. It wasnt an auspicious beginning.

Chappell was half an hour late picking Van Loenen up for a dialysis appointment.

When I got there she was not happy, Chappell said. And I can understand it now. Shes sick and all these things she goes through ... The next day, it just so happens I got her again.

‘A whole new kind of lift’
Since then he has — and he insists it is by happenstance — been her taxi driver three to four times a month. For the last month, Chappell has started undergoing the arduous process of donor screening, undergoing numerous tests and exams. But none of it has brought second thoughts.

This has put a whole new kind of lift in my boots. I never knew what it felt like to give somebody life and thats what Im doing, Chappell said.

Van Loenen said Chappell never asked for any compensation. She still cant quite believe his level of commitment.

Ive never known anybody so enthusiastic to get a body part removed, Van Loenen said.

After the transplant, which hasnt been scheduled yet, Chappell will need to tread carefully. He will have to rest between four and six weeks but his work has promised to cover his lost wages.

Ive had drivers do some pretty incredibly amazing things for no charge. But this is just over the top, said Jim Hickey, national sales and marketing director for the company that owns VIP Taxi. Were just so proud of him.

Van Loenen said that, thanks to Chappell, she can actually make plans for the future.

Whenever I tell my friends or my family, they just find it so incredible, Van Loenen said. They do call him an angel. My friend says theres angels everywhere. Thats the right way to capture it.

- | Woman finds cabbie is a kidney match |

| Michael Chiarello’s refreshing salad is a snap

Michael-Chiarello’s-refreshing-salad-is-a-snap Whole Citrus VinaigretteChef Michael Chiarello - | Michael Chiarello’s refreshing salad is a snap |

| Recession takes toll on religion

Recession-takes-toll-on-religion NEW YORK - Organized religion was already in trouble before the fall of 2008. Denominations were stagnating or shrinking, and congregations across faith groups were fretting about their finances.

The Great Recession made things worse.

Its further drained the financial resources of many congregations, seminaries and religious day schools. Some congregations have disappeared and schools have been closed. In areas hit hardest by the recession, worshippers have moved away to find jobs, leaving those who remain to minister to communities struggling with rising home foreclosures, unemployment and uncertainty.

Religion has a long history of drawing hope out of suffering, but theres little good news emerging from the recession. Long after the economy improves, the changes made today will have a profound effect on how people practice their faith, where they turn for help in times of stress and how they pass their beliefs to their children.

In 2010, I think were going to see 10 or 15 percent of congregations saying theyre in serious financial trouble, says David Roozen, a lead researcher for the Faith Communities Today multi-faith survey, which measures congregational health annually. With around 320,000 or 350,000 congregations, thats a hell of a lot of them.

Still mourning
The sense of community that holds together religious groups is broken when large numbers of people move to find work or if a ministry is forced to close.

Im really still in the mourning process, says Eve Fein, former head of the now-shuttered Morasha Jewish Day School in Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.

The school, a center of religious life for students and their parents, had been relying on a sale of some of its property to stay afloat but land values dropped, forcing Morasha to shut down in June.

I dont think any of us who were in it have really recovered, Fein says. The school was 23 years old. I raised my kids there.

The news isnt uniformly bad. Communities in some areas are still moving ahead with plans for new congregations, schools and ministries, religious leaders say.

And many congregations say they found a renewed sense of purpose helping their suffering neighbors. Houses of worship became centers of support for the unemployed. Some congregants increased donations. At RockHarbor church in Costa Mesa, Calif., members responded so generously to word of a budget deficit that the church ended the fiscal year with a surplus.

Were all a little dumbfounded, says Bryan Wilkins, the church business director. We were hearing lots of stories about people being laid off, struggling financially and losing homes. Its truly amazing.

Cant afford religious school
In the Great Depression, one of the bigger impacts was the loss of Jewish religious schools, which are key to continuing the faith from one generation to the next. Jonathan Sarna, a Brandeis University historian and author of American Judaism, says enrollment in Jewish schools plummeted in some cities and many young Jews of that period didnt have a chance to study their religion.

Today, some parents, regardless of faith, can no longer afford the thousands of dollars in tuition it costs to send a child to a religious day school. Church officials fear these parents wont re-enroll their kids if family finances improve because it might be disruptive once theyve settled into a new school.

Enrollment in one group of 120 Jewish community day schools is down by about 7 percent this academic year, according to Marc Kramer, executive director of RAVSAK, a network of the schools. A few schools lost as many as 30 percent of their students. Many of the hundreds of other Jewish day schools, which are affiliated with Reform, Conservative and Orthodox movements, are also in a financial crunch.

Kramer says 2009-10 will be a make or break year for Jewish education, partly because of the additional damage to endowments and donors from Bernard Madoffs colossal fraud.

Overall, U.S. Jewish groups are estimated to have lost about one-quarter of their wealth.

Its going to be painful, Kramer says. There will be some losses.

On the brink
The Association for Christian Schools International, which represents about 3,800 private schools, says enrollment is down nationally by nearly 5 percent. About 200 Christian schools closed or merged in the last academic year, 50 more than the year before.

At least 80 members of the Association of Theological Schools, which represents graduate schools in North America, have seen their endowments drop by 20 percent or more.

The National Catholic Education Association is still measuring the toll on its schools, but expects grim news from the hardest hit states, after years of declining enrollment.

Some schools that were on the brink — this whole recession has just intensified that, says Karen Ristau, president of the association.

Clergy in different communities say worship attendance has increased with people seeking comfort through difficult times, although no one is predicting a nationwide religious revival.

Americans for years have been moving away from belonging to a denomination and toward a general spirituality that may or may not involve regular churchgoing.

The 2008 American Religious Identification Survey found more people who call themselves nondenominational Christians and rising numbers who say they have no religion at all.

Jobs, budgets cut
Before the stock market tanked last fall, only 19 percent of U.S. congregations described their finances as excellent, down from 31 percent in 2000, according to the 2008 Faith Communities Today poll.

Because of these trends, mainline Protestants were among the most vulnerable to the downturn. Their denominations had been losing members for decades and had been dividing over how they should interpret what the Bible says on gay relationships and other issues. National churches had been relying on endowments to help with operating costs, along with the generosity of an aging membership that had been giving in amounts large enough to mostly make up for departed brethren.

The meltdown destroyed that financial buffer.

The Episcopal Church, the United Methodist Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church and other mainline denominations were forced to cut jobs and their national budgets.

The damage was felt across Methodist life. As of the summer, more than half of the churchs 62 U.S. regional districts, or annual conferences, reported they had budget deficits. Some sold property and buildings to continue their ministries. Two national Methodist boards cut more than 90 jobs. Fifty bishops took a voluntary pay cut. Annual conferences in hard-hit regions, such as Florida and Ohio, lost thousands of members as people moved to find work elsewhere.

Many of these groups have such large endowments that theyre not going away, Roozen says. But I think theres no question that theyre going to be smaller both as organizations and in membership.

Surviving the downturn
Roman Catholic dioceses for years had been struggling with maintaining their aging churches, paying salaries and health insurance and funding settlements over clergy sex abuse. With the hit to investment income and a drop in donations, they are now freezing salaries, cutting ministries and staff. The Archdiocese of Detroit, at the heart of the meltdown, had a $14 million shortfall in a $42 million budget in the fiscal year that ended in June 2008.

Conservative Protestant groups, known for their entrepreneurial spirit and evangelizing, were not immune. The 16.2 million-member Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant group in the country, has had budget cuts in its North American Mission Board, at least three of its six seminaries and in its publishing and research arm.

Religious leaders say the next year or so will be key in determining which organizations survive the downturn intact. Even if the recession ends soon, religious fundraisers say the angst donors feel will not lift immediately, prolonging the difficulties for congregations, schools and ministries.

- | Recession takes toll on religion |