US – Friday, March 12
The Senate’s Weak Health Care Bill
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid “got to 60” at 1:08 yesterday morning, clearing a key Republican hurdle and keeping the Senate’s version of a health care reform bill on track for passage before Christmas.
 
Senate approves anti-bullying bill
Reading from letters of school-age children who said they’ve contemplated suicide because of bullying, senators unanimously backed legislation aimed at cracking down on harassment in school and online.
 
FP3 benefits from Lynch’s kingdom
By 6 p.m. one recent wintry Saturday, the basement bar of a residential block on a quietly populated street a hike from downtown Boston is wall-to-wall with people.
 
Restaurant Week brings stimulus to seasonal menu
Times have changed since Restaurant Week Boston began in the summer of 2001 with only 30 restaurants on board.
 
A ‘Fly’ new play at the Huntington
The magic of live theater has never been more evident than in the Huntington’s production of “Stick Fly.” In lesser hands, playwright Lydia Diamond’s tale of familial dysfunction could easily be pedestrian, but director Kenny Leon finds everything that’s good about it and encourages his talented cast to run with it.
 
Going in for some ‘Light’ comedy
Physics meets chick flicks in “Legacy of Light,” the latest production of the Lyric Stage Co.
 
America East final just another game?
The Boston University men’s basketball team insists Saturday’s America East title game against Vermont is just the next contest on its schedule.
 
Vier eyes sending UVM dancing
With wins in 10 of its last 11 games, the Vermont men’s basketball team is led by senior point guard Nick Vier, who — coincidentally — pulled himself out of a midseason slump last month in a come-from-behind victory at BU.
 
T Time: Week of February 26, 2010
Where to go and what to see
 
Published 20:42, March the 9th, 2009
 
Stem cell researcher Tadashi Sato holds a dish containing stem cell growth at the University of Nebraska Medical Center yesterday.  Stem cell researcher Tadashi Sato holds a dish containing stem cell growth at the University of Nebraska Medical Center yesterday.  
Photo: nati harnik
 

Researchers cheer stem cell decision

Local advocates for stem cell research hailed President Obama’s decision to remove restrictions on using federal money to fund the controversial practice, saying it will “break down barriers” for scientists and provide critical access to millions of dollars more in grants.

“This lifts a black cloud that has hovered over this research for a long time,” said Dr. Robert Lanza, chief scientific officer at Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. in Worcester. “It’s just unbelievable how much important research has been held up due to the restrictions.”

A landmark law in 2005 paved the way to expand such research in Massachusetts, and last year, Gov. Deval Patrick moved forward with a far-reaching $1 billion life sciences bill.

Proponents say private funding options have been extremely limited in the past, while opponents say the practice is unethical because it involves destroying human embryos.

B.D. Colen, spokesman for Harvard University’s Stem Cell Institute, said past restrictions denied certain interaction between stem cell researchers and other scientists. He even said Harvard had to buy two $35,000 machines for the same lab used to view slides of tissue slices because one could not be used for stem cell research.

“Colleagues doing [different kinds of] embryonic research, they couldn’t work out an idea over a cup of coffee. Now they could join in on something that interests them,” Colen said.
 

 
 
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MMMpod
The March MMMpod features conversation and music from Surfer Blood and The Allman Brothers Band (There's a double-bill you're not too likely to see. However, Gregg Allman does mention Hannah Montana!). We also speak with Vampire Weekend and the Dropkick Murphys.