HEALTH CARE REFORM

Sarah Palin on Saturday delivered a speech to Tea party supporters in Iowa where she criticized U.S. President Barack Obama, lashed out against those in the permanent political class and condemned corporate crony capitalism that she said is destroying America.

Sarah Palin didn't declare she was making a bid for the White House, but on Saturday she delivered a speech in Iowa where she stated her own plans to change America.

Tea Party members and other conservatives would like Americans to believe that the United States’ problems started in 2009, but nothing could be further from the truth -- three major policy errors by President George W. Bush last decade substantially worsened the U.S.’s fiscal condition, and the nation has been trying to recover ever since.

Almost from the start, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has enjoyed a relatively comfortable lead over his competitors in the GOP presidential race, but it was only a matter of time until someone usurped his title as No. 1. The time has finally come -- and it has come in the form of Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

Here are five interesting tidbits about the new king of the GOP:

In terms of electability, Republican primary voters may see Rick Perry -- who is solidly ahead in four recent polls -- as a happy medium between Mitt Romney and Michele Bachmann.

A federal survey showed that nearly three-quarters of jobless Americans say they can't afford needed health care or prescription drugs, as the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, which provides medical coverage for the unemployed, is set to expire on Sept. 1.

The U.S. economy grew at a worse-than-expected 1.0 percent rate in the second quarter, the U.S. Commerce Department announced Friday, in its second estimate for the quarter, as lower export growth and a slowdown in inventory build-up braked the world's largest economy to near-stall speed.

Rick Perry surged ahead of Mitt Romney in a Gallup poll released Wednesday, underscoring how conservative the Republican presidential primary race has become.

Nearly one in every 10 midsized employers is gearing to end health coverage for its workers once federal insurance exchanges kick off in 2014, according to a new survey.

The 2010 U.S. Health Care Act could hinge on the votes of two justices, Chief Justice John Roberts (front center), and Justice Anthony Kennedy (front, second from right). Roberts on occasion refuses to join the court's conservative bloc; Kennedy has been one of the justices most protective of state power vs. the federal government.

The 2010 U.S. Health Care Reform Act will likely be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2012, in a case that pits individual liberties concerns versus the U.S. Government?s authority to limit public health care costs via universal insurance. If the court hears the case by the spring 2012, it could issue a ruling in June 2012.

Although Walgreens will reportedly sell health insurance in its stores, a recent court decision could alter the drugstore chain's plans.

A split U.S. Appeals Court in Atlanta ruled Friday that a key provision of the 2010 U.S. health care reform act is unconstitutional, siding with a group of 26 states that challenged the law.

It wasn't long after Standard & Poor's lowered the United States' credit rating from AAA to AA+, for the blame game to begin.

While S&P?s downgrade of the U.S. Government?s credit rating is controversial, most agree that the U.S. fiscal condition is serious. And while both Democrats and Republicans increased the budget deficit, three major policy errors by President George W. Bush last decade substantially worsened the U.S.?s fiscal condition, and the nation has been trying to recover ever since.

Despite having not yet announced his candidacy, many are seemingly already considering Texas Gov. Rick Perry as the man with the best chance to defeat President Barack Obama in 2012.

One in six fast food customers used the calorie information and ended up buying foods with about 106 fewer calories.

Florida lawmakers did not approve more than $50 million in federal child-abuse prevention funds that were tied to the Obama administration's healthcare reform package.

In a report released this week, Clinical Preventive Services for Women: Closing the Gaps, the Institute of Medicine recommends the full range of Food and Drug Administration-approved contraceptive meth­ods, sterilization procedures, and patient education and counseling for all women with reproductive capacity.

The Institute of Medicine, or IOM, has recommended that the federal government consider having free birth control as part of its preventive services supporting women's health.