Some good news from Obama

The debt-ceiling fight has been the dominant story out of
Washington for weeks, and for the most part the White House hasn't looked too
good. But in the last few days, the administration has taken some serious steps
forward on other fronts. In case you missed them amid the craziness:

• Last
  week, the president announced an agreement between the
  Environmental Protection Agency and the auto industry to boost Corporate
  Automobile Fuel Economy standards to an average 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025.
  The proposed CAFE standards reflect a compromise with the industry; still, it's
  a massive improvement.

• Monday,
  the Department of Health and Human Services issued a set of new guidelines for
  health insurance: starting a year from now, all private plans will be required
  to cover preventive services for women's health without a co-pay or deductible.
  Bill O'Reilly's sexist objections aside, this will do a lot to
  increase access to contraception--and thus reduce unwanted pregnancies.