Hawaii Approves Same-Sex Civil Unions

Civil unions are set to begin Jan. 1, 2012, making the Hawaii the 7th state in the nation to grant essentially the same rights of marriage to same-sex couples without authorizing marriage itself.

Hawaii lawmakers approved a bill Wednesday to allow civil unions for same-sex couples, marking an end to what the governor called an "emotional process" for a longtime battleground in the gay rights movement.

The House passed the bill last week and the Senate passed it with a 18-5 vote.Gay rights advocates praised the vote as a victory for equal rights in a state known for its diversity and tolerance.

"I have always believed that civil unions respect our diversity, protect people's privacy, and reinforce our core values of equality and aloha," Governor Abercrombie said in a statement released minutes after Wednesday's vote. "For me, this bill represents equal rights for all the people of Hawai'i."

The civil unions vote came immediately after the Senate confirmed the state's first openly gay Supreme Court justice, Sabrina McKenna.

Federal Court Rules: There Is No Link Between Autism and Vaccine

Friday, August 30th, 2010, The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on upheld what the lower courts have ruled that there is no connection between vaccines and autism in children.

The ruling came in Cedillo v. Secretary of Health and Human Services, In this case Michelle Cedillo recieved the the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine in 1995 and began to show mental retardation and autism symptoms afterward. Cedillo was among the roughly 5,000 cases alleging a link to autism filed under the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986.

Joined by Judges Pauline Newman and Richard Linn, Judge Dyk concluded that the report of the lower level courts in the Cedillo case was "rationally supported by the evidence, well-articulated, and reasonable." They saw no need to overturn the results. In May, the Federal Circuit issued a similar ruling in another of the autism test cases, Hazlehurst v. HHS.

Theresa Cedillo, the mother of the plaintiff in the case decided Friday, sent this comment on the ruling: "We are obviously extremely disappointed. Michelle has a very strong case. The facts in her medical records speak for themselves. Our lawyers are currently reviewing the decision to see what legal options are available."

Opinion: I am saddened that there will be no one to blame for this child's illness. As a mother, I know that Theresa Cedillo must feel helpless that her child's health has deteriorated yet there is no explanation for it's orgin. What is a mother to do?