Washington Post: The Obama administration rescinded most of a federal regulation Friday designed to protect health workers who refuse to provide care they find objectionable on personal or religious grounds.
The Health and Human Services Department eliminated nearly the entire rule put into effect by the administration of President George W. Bush during his final days in office that was widely interpreted as allowing such workers to opt out of a broad range of medical services, such as providing the emergency contraceptive Plan B, treating gay men and lesbians and prescribing birth control to single women.
Calling the Bush-era rule “unclear and potentially overbroad in scope,” the new, much narrower version essentially leaves in place only long-standing federal protections for workers who object to performing abortions or sterilizations. It also retains the Bush rule’s formal process for workers to file complaints.
…The new regulation, which goes into effect in 30 days, also ensures that no federal money can be used to “support coercive or discriminatory policies or practices in violation of federal law.”
The Bush regulation, if enforced, would have cut off federal funding for thousands of entities, including state and local governments, hospitals, health plans and clinics, if they did not accommodate doctors, nurses, pharmacists or other employees who refused to participate in care they felt violated their personal, moral or religious beliefs.
The rule was sought by conservative groups, which argued that workers were increasingly being fired, disciplined or penalized in other ways for trying to exercise their “right of conscience.”…
Full article here
The Obama Diary 
Good job Mr. President……does anyone else love his handwriting besides me??
Lefties rules!
Glad this was taken care of. The rule was offensive to women and gays. We won’t hear much about this though from the left.
I know right?
I cannot dispute although i am right handed lol! Of course not they are too busy opposing anything Mrs. Obama stand for even if they too stood for it but hey who expected better?
P ….you are not alone, I think it is beautiful. I’ve always noticed people’s handwriting believing there is a reflective quality to it. My own writing has always held a certain significance to me, and both doodling and handwriting analysis pique my curiousity. I am a creative person so my attention and appreciation of his handwriting comes as no surprise.
President Obama’s hands have always fascinated me. They are used so expressively, although masculine they possess a very graceful quality. I especially love the hand that wears his wedding ring, and pictures that reflect his open palm. I’ve mentioned here previously that I am curious how his hands would read to a palmist. I suspect there is “greatness” etched into the palms of his very capable hands.
You couldn’t have said it better! U seem very creative Sue 🙂
So true – there’s something very gentle and graceful about his hands. I’m always fascinated how he holds his hands on the podium when he’s speaking. And even when he puts his hand on people seems very gentle. Yes, I’m obsessed. 😉
I agree, he has that magic touch that comforts and fills the need of the person he is touching. I can’t remember a president who reached out to people as he does.
Left handed presidents: Harry Truman, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, the elder Bush, Clinton and Obama.
and McCain who didn’t make it. That’s a disproportionate number, considering that only one in 10 people in the general population is left-handed. ………ohh and I’m Left-handed also.