Health care bill for 9/11 rescuers may come up for a vote today

 In Washington D.C., a health care bill intended to provide free medical treatment to Ground Zero volunteers may come up for a vote on Wednesday.

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York, said the bill may come up at about the same time as a nuclear arms policy matter being proposed by the Obama administration.

The James Zadroga 9/11 Health Bill, named for a deceased NYPD detective, passed in the House, 268-160, with a vote that was mostly along partisan lines.

The New York Theological Seminary is an institution dedicated to multiculturalism, diversity, social justice and religious tolerance. The mission of the seminary is to prepare men and women, from every background, for careers in ministry.

Senate votes to end gay ban in United States armed forces

In a historic vote on behalf of gay rights in America, the U.S. Senate today did away with the U.S. military's ban on openly gay service members. The measure will now be sent to President Barack Obama for signature. This proposed law overturns the Clinton-era "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy established during the 1990s.

The significance of the ban being lifted is profound, and would result in openly gay service members no longer fearing separation from the military should their status be discovered by the chain of command. The Senate voted 65-31 to lift the controversial ban.

The New York Theological Seminary is an institution dedicated to multiculturalism, diversity, social justice and religious tolerance. The mission of the seminary is to prepare men and women, from every background, for careers in ministry.

Pope: 2010 ends after being marked by religious intolerance for Christians

Pope Benedict XVI said Thursday that Christians suffer more religious persecution and intolerance than any other religious group. The pontiff denounced the lack of religious freedom to worship and characterized it as both intolerable and even a threat to world security.

Reportedly, the pope's observation reflected his concerns about Christian groups in the Eastern world. He stated that this year ends after having been "marked by persecution, discrimination, terrible acts of violence and religious intolerance."

The New York Theological Seminary is an institution dedicated to multiculturalism, diversity, social justice and religious tolerance. The mission of the seminary is to prepare men and women, from every background, for careers in ministry.

French court challenges Ireland's constitutional abortion ban

Ireland's nationwide ban upon abortion rights is being challenged by pro-choice advocates, who assert that the ban violates the rights of women to receive proper medical attention. Recently, the ban was targeted by the European Court of Human Rights, which issued an opinion that harshly criticized the Irish government's stance on the issue.

The judgment from the court, which is based in Strasbourg, France, attempts to pressure Irish lawmakers to amend their position on abortion rights for women whose pregnancies are potentially fatal to their own health. Most especially, the Strasbourg judges noted that Irish law makes abortion rights unclear for women whose pregnancies were categorized as high-risk by physicians.

The New York Theological Seminary is an institution dedicated to multiculturalism, diversity, social justice and religious tolerance. The mission of the seminary is to prepare men and women, from every background, for careers in ministry.