What are the cutting edge issues that confront bioethics and what are some of the themes that emerge when progressives approach these issues? The Center for American Progress has assembled a panel of experts to discuss these topics. Please join us for the discussion to mark the release of a new book by Jonathan Moreno, Is There an Ethicist in the House?, from Indiana University Press

On the eve of the fourth anniversary of the U.S. invasion, Afghanistan experts agree that the situation is tenuous. The Karzai government's control over territory remains limited, drug production has skyrocketed, and economic reconstruction is moving slowly. Two panels of experts will assess the internal situation in Afghanistan – security, governance, economic development and reconstruction – and Afghanistan's links to international terrorist networks and the implications for U.S. security.

Katrina vividly exposed the persistence of concentrated poverty in America, and social science evidence suggests that such concentration is both socially and economically debilitating. Katrina has also provided an opportunity to address that poverty,s not only in the Gulf, but nationwide. It has led to renewed interest in breaking up poverty concentrations and providing low-income families with much-needed opportunities for housing mobility, home ownership, and ultimately, access to the American Dream. The models range from housing mobility programs like Moving to Opportunity and Gautreaux, to the creation of mixed-income communities through public-private partnerships, to inclusionary zoning.

In what is quickly becoming a pervasive trend in the airline industry, Northwest Airlines and Delta Airlines have followed US Airways and United Airlines into bankruptcy protection, raising again the issue of the pension promises that companies have made to their employees. The growing concern comes with good reason - US Airways and United Airlines have already terminated some or all of their obligations. Beneficiaries who had counted on and worked for these promised benefits can now expect substantially less retirement income than originally anticipated. At the same time, the government's insurance company for defined benefit pensions, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, has had to absorb billions of dollars in unfunded pension promises, contributing to a total loss of $23 billion in 2004. These new bankruptcies raise crucial questions about the security of airline pensions.

For over two years, Plan B, also known as "the morning after pill," has been awaiting approval from the FDA to be sold over the counter (OTC) without a prescription. Plan B is an emergency contraceptive that has been proven to be safe and effective in preventing pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex. If made available for sale without a prescription, it is estimated that Plan B could significantly reduce the number of unplanned pregnancies and the rate of abortion in this country. Although the prospect of preventing abortions might seem a compelling reason to approve OTC status, the FDA has let the application languish - against the recommendation of its own professional staff and amidst allegations that the agency has allowed politics and ideology to trump evidence and science. Following the FDA's latest deferral of a ruling, Susan Wood resigned from her post as Director of the FDA's Office of Women's Health. Those who want to expand access to Plan B are now wondering whether a decision by the agency will ever be forthcoming and debating what can be done to ensure approval.

America's economy and social safety net once promised secure employment and benefits to millions of Americans. Yet economic insecurity now appears to be rising. Many Americans are expressing uncertainty and anxiety about their financial future, and business and government policies designed to provide economic security are under strain. Although experts have debated the causes and trends, the subject has received little focused attention. To what extent and in what ways is economic insecurity rising? Why? And what are the right policy responses?

Public opinion polls show that Americans’ confidence in the capability of our election system to count their votes accurately is at a historic low, yet media coverage of the issue often comes only in the days preceding major elections--months after state and county election administrators have made critical decisions affecting the quality of election system. One year before the 2006 midterm elections, many states still have inadequate and unreliable election systems, despite the passage of the Help America Vote Act in 2002. Elections are the keystone of our democracy, and the time for progressive action is now.

Modernizing our education system is critical to maintaining the strength of the American economy for the next generation. Senator Barack Obama will speak about the challenges facing schools and educators as they prepare our kids to face the future. Please join us for this special presentation.

In cities and towns across America, the Center for American Progress is engaging the public in conversations on religion and policy, giving voice to those whose concerns and hopes have been lost in highly polarized debates. Our series of national conversations began in Denver last spring and continued in Kansas City this summer. In San Francisco, our conversation will address what happens when states must carry out their responsibilities with shrinking budgets while charities and religious organizations strive to fill the gaps in service created by budget cuts. What are the state's most important obligations, in times of emergency and under normal circumstances? What are the consequences -- especially for children and families -- if the state does not fulfill its duties? How will tax cuts and initiatives like the Live Within Our Means Act impact the institutions that serve our communities and the communities themselves?

Can a comprehensive overhaul be achieved, or will we see more of the same policies of the past five years? How has tax policy changed and where is it headed? What are the merits of the tax reform panel's proposals? Does the American public have an appetite for major tax reform? Will tax reform move to the forefront of Congress's legislative agenda, or again be relegated to the back burner?