Social Issues

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getty images President Obama downplays the angry health care debate, telling conservative radio talk-show host Michael Smerconish on Thursday that "passing a big bill like this is always messy."

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Environmentalists say the delta smelt population has declined because state and federal water pumps suck in and kill smelt, which usually spawn in the delta's upper reaches in spring.

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Khavdal Khurman worked in a Soviet run coal mine outside Naliakh, Mongolia, for 11 years. The mine was closed down in 1990 after the democratic revolution, because of safety concerns. Now he picks through the detritus from surface coal shafts for fuel to heat his ger. He survives on a small pension from the government because of mining related illness, but believes the new democracy will lead to a better life for Mongolians. (J.M. Eddins Jr. / The Washington Times)

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In this file photo, Jon Caldara, president of the Independence Institute, fires up the crowd at Colorado's Capitol in Denver during a 2009 rally condemning then-President Barack Obama's proposed health care plan. Mr. Caldara was recently let go from the Denver Post, where he had a regular opinion column. He says the liberal editor who terminated him did so because of his views on transgender rights issues being "insensitive." (Valerie Richardson/The Washington Times) ** FILE **

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** FILE ** Mississippi state Reps. Jeffrey C. Smith (left) and Greg Snowden debate a bill regarding budget appropriations for public utilities staff during a special session of the state Legislature on July 10, 2009. (Associated Press)

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NOT THIS Nearly 1200 attended the DC VA Medical Center's Welcome Home celebration-- 622 were Marines. The Individual Ready Reserve Marines received their briefing in the Bowie Baysox Stadium. Credit: DC VA Medical Center

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A great white shark cruises underwater in search of prey off Guadalupe, Mexico. A new study shows that great whites stalk specific victims and learn from their experiences. (Associated Press) ** FILE **

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ASSOCIATED PRESS John Daigh, assistant inspector general for the Department of Veterans Affairs, tells lawmakers Tuesday that the findings of a review of VA medical centers “troubled me greatly.”

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Alexandre De Paris (left) holds ten inches of Amara Bunyavong's hair. Bunyavong, 26, of Fairfax, came in to donate her hair to charity. At right is styling assistant Susan Jordan, 44, of Middletown, Va. (Mary F. Calvert/The Washington Times)

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Alexandre De Paris (right) cuts the hair of Amara Bunyavong. Bunyavong, 26, of Fairfax, came in to donate her hair to charity. (Mary F. Calvert/The Washington Times)

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** FILE ** The annual street festival of Capital Pride, organized by the nonprofit Capital Pride Alliance Inc., is held along Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest near the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Sunday, June 14, 2009. The event was part of the Washington area's annual celebration of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) community. (The Washington Times)

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getty images photographs More than 2.5 million people have been driven into refugee camps as a result of the Sudanese government's scorched-earth policy in the troubled Darfur region. The policy has flattened villages and killed about 300,000 people.

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getty images The Women's Health Care Services abortion clinic, which now serves as a memorial to Dr. George Tiller's death in Wichita, Kan., will be "permanently closed," the Tiller family has said.

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A Vatican document, which includes a section on women, urges women to age naturally without products, such as Botox shots. (Photo: The Washington Times)

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Actor Gary Sinise met with The Washington Times on Monday, May 25, 2009 before emceeing the Memorial Day parade downtown. Mr. Sinise discussed his active role in supporting the troops. He said he doesn't consider himself a political activist, but rather a concerned citizen who wants to help. (Barbara L. Salisbury / The Washington Times)