Breaking through the Bubble

Compiled by Ellis Harman

Edwards quits race; Kerry to face Bush at polls

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kerry had the Democratic nomination practically in the bag after a victorious Super Tuesday and his main rival John Kerry’s decision to quit the race.

Edwards went into Tuesday’s contests with only one primary victory, despite running an energetic campaign. Kerry came into Super Tuesday with 19 primary wins behind him. Edwards had faced pressure to drop out of the race as Kerry continued to rack up victories in what has been described as “the least diverse primaries” ever seen, according to CNN.

According to early exit polls, the economy remains the top issue for Democrats who voted early, with other issues such as same-sex unions coming in a close second. The exit polls showed Kerry received strong support from African-American and elderly voters.

Kerry’s position as Democratic forerunner was emphasized when President Bush called him Tuesday to congratulate him on his victories. Kerry used his victory speech to attack Bush, saying he has alienated foreign allies and protected the wealthy.

Haiti facing political unrest, rebel violence

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – Haiti's first elected president says the United States forced him out of power, according to CNN reports.

Ousted leader Jean-Bertrand Aristide claims he was kidnapped by U.S. Marines on Sunday and removed from the island nation, a charge the Bush administration denies.  Aristide says he was told by the U.S. "to avoid bloodshed I'd better leave," reports CNN. His term as president of Haiti was to last until 2006. The Bush administration says the U.S. took steps to protect Aristide and his family as they left Haiti, but denied that U.S. forces physically escorted the group to the airport.

Aristide's exit from Haiti comes after a month of bloody conflict with Haitian rebels from the north. On Monday, the heavily armed rebels arrived in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, taking control of the headquarters of the national police and looting the city.

The rebels had opposed Aristide’s presidency. The rebels have claimed they will not deface the palace of Haiti, and have pledged to support interim President Boniface Alexandre and democracy in Haiti.

Say goodbye to super sized french fries, sodas

CHICAGO – McDonald’s, the world’s largest restaurant company, is doing its part to fight the war against obesity by slimming down its menu.

The fast-food giant is phasing out its “Supersized” items such as fries and drinks to provide customers with menu choices that “support a balanced lifestyle,” according to CNN. By the end of 2004, supersized items will no longer be available in the chain’s more than 13,000 restaurants in United States.

The fast-food industry in general is under fire for encouraging Americans to overeat and make unhealthy food choices. McDonald’s in particular has received negative publicity after a documentary titled “Super Size Me” won a directing prize at the Sundance Film Festival. The film, which is to be released nationally this spring, details filmmaker Morgan Spurlock’s deteriorating health during a monthlong experiment eating nothing but McDonald’s food. McDonald’s says the film misrepresents the quality and variety of the company's menu.

In response to America’s growing concerns about its waistline, McDonald’s added entree salads to its menu last year and is working on providing more fruit, vegetable and yogurt options to the Happy Meals.

Church must offer employees birth control

SAN FRANCISCO – A Roman Catholic charity must offer birth-control coverage to its employees, even though the church considers contraception a sin, thanks to a ruling on Monday by the California Supreme Court.

The 6-1 landmark decision could affect thousands of workers at Catholic hospitals and other church-backed institutions in California, and could lead to similar laws in other states, according to CNN. California is one of 20 states to require all company-provided health plans to include contraceptive coverage if the plans include prescription drug benefits.

The court ruled Catholic Charities is not a religious employer, which means it is not exempt from the contraceptive law, since it employs workers of different religions and offers services to people of all faiths.

The California Catholic Conference expressed disappointment in the ruling, saying it disrespects the Catholic faith and could open the door to mandated insurance coverage of abortion. The American Civil Liberties Union supported the ruling, calling it a victory for California women and “reproductive freedom.”

Civil-rights groups and health-care companies also filed papers with the court claiming the church has a right to practice what it preaches and that women have a right to be insured for contraceptives.