Slatest bits

Lawmakers Pushing White House To Aid Iraqi Christians

A group of Democratic and Republican lawmakers are pushing President Obama to do more to prevent attacks against Christians in Iraq, reports the Hill. Almost two months after a shocking attack on a Catholic Church left 53 people dead, Iraqi Christians celebrated a low-key and somber Christmas, afraid to expose themselves to new attacks. The church where the attack took place carried out daytime mass with "security fit more for a prison than a house of worship," notes McClatchy. The lawmakers want more attention to be paid to the plight of religious minorities in Iraq, particularly considering that U.S. influence in the country continues to decline as the pullout date draws near. When the U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003, there were 1.4 million Christians in the country; since then, the number has dwindled to 400,000.

A Return of "Death Panels" Controversy?

When there was talk of including end-of-life planning as part of the health-care overhaul, the debate soon devolved into claims that the government wanted to create "death panels" that would decide whether someone deserved to live or die. The patently ridiculous claims that likened the measure to supporting euthanasia got so much traction that the issue was dropped from the final legislation. Yet the White House is moving forward with the idea, including it in Meidcare coverage through regulation. Starting early next year, doctors will get paid to advise patients on "end-of-life care," reports the New York Times. Supporters of the move have mostly stayed silent, hoping to avoid the same controversy that played out last year

You Can Have the Placebo Effect, Even If You Know It's a Placebo

Patients taking placebos don't have to think they're getting real drugs to enjoy the placebo effect. A new study published in the journal PLoS reports on patients who had irritable bowel syndrome and were told they were being given a placebo as part of a novel experiment. They took pills from a big bottle clearly marked "placebo"—and got better, anyway. "In addition to the bogus medication, the volunteers were given a true story—the story of the placebo effect," Steve Silberman explains explains on the PLoS blog. "The combination of the story and a supportive clinical environment were enough to prevail over the knowledge that there was really nothing in the pills. People in the placebo arm of the trial got better—clinically, measurably, significantly better—on standard scales of symptom severity and overall quality of life. In fact, the volunteers in the placebo group experienced improvement comparable to patients taking a drug called alosetron, the standard of care for IBS." Scientists believe the remarkable findings are the result of the body's "powerful self-healing network," which can be activated by "nothing more or less than a belief that one is receiving effective treatment." And while placebos aren't going to replace pharmaceuticals any time soon, Silberman calls the development "good news to anyone but investors in Pfizer, Roche, and GlaxoSmithKline."

Sheriff Joe Has Inmates Carol for Christmas Dinner

Sheriff Joe Arpaio is certainly in the holiday spirit! The notorious Arizona sheriff held a Christmas-caroling contest at the Maripoca County Jail this week. He played Simon Cowell and inmates played eager supplicants, only instead of a record deal, they were trying to win "an edible Christmas dinner." According to a press release put out by Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, in "a move likely to make Ebenezer Scrooge smile," Arpaio rewarded the winner (accused murderer Jodi Arias) and her cellmates with a Christmas meal of "off-the-bone turkey, real mashed potatoes, and Christmas cookies -- a treat not usually served in Joe's 'tough but humane' jails." Everyone else will be eating a donated meal that "vaguely resembles an average Christmas meal." Competition for the Christmas cookies was fierce; 50 inmates tried out for the talent show. They were winnowed down to 10 finalists, who performed earlier this week for three judges: Arpaio, "Santa," and "Elfis, the singing detention officer." The Christmas caroling was recorded and will be broadcast for the entire inmate population on Christmas day.

Political Contributions Rise During Key Votes

Throughout the year, lawmakers have received cash from donors right around the time they're writing or voting on new laws. Such moves are discouraged since ethics watchdogs say that even if there's nothing necessarily illegal about the practice it can raise questions about the motivations to approve or reject certain measures. Indeed, after a probe, a congressional investigative office warned over the summer that these types of moves could violate ethics rules, notes the Washington Post. "Citizens generally feel this kind of thing falls between the bookends of 'icky' and 'bribery,' " said David Levinthal, a spokesman for the Center for Responsive Politics. Yet the desperate desire for more campaign cash often ends up trumping ethical concerns. Over three weeks, the 35 members of a conference committee charged with drafting a compromise bill on Wall Street reform received almost half a million dollars in donations. That was hardly the only case. "The Washington Post found that the pattern of crunch-time fundraising has continued this year."

Governments Asked DEA for Wiretapping Help

The Drug Enforcement Administration has grown into a global intelligence organization that isn't only concerned with fighting against the trafficking of narcotics, leaked diplomatic cables reveal. The DEA now has a presence in 63 countries and works closely with governments around the world as its responsibilities have grown to also cover terrorism. In fact, its intelligence organization is so extensive that officials have had to deal with requests by foreign politicians to expand wiretapping services to hurt political adversaries, reports the New York Times. Panama's president sent a BlackBerry message to the U.S. ambassador that read: "I need help with tapping phones." In Paraguay, an official threatened to shut down DEA operations unless they approved a request to wiretap an insurgent group