NEW YORK, June 15, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- This week's Wall Street Journal Weekend Edition centerpiece will focus on the personal journey of Donald Landry, a doctor, interim chairman of Columbia University's department of medicine and a devout Catholic. As a man of faith, he believed harvesting stem cells from a human embryo was an immoral destruction of life. As a doctor, he believed stem-cell advances could save lives. According to tomorrow's story in the Journal, what began as a personal struggle for Dr. Landry to reconcile the tenets of his faith with the exigencies of his profession has now become part of something far bigger -- a political battle that promises to reshape the field of stem cell research in the U.S.
Dr. Landry's solution has led to a new avenue of research involving the extraction of stem cells from dead embryos rather than live ones. It will figure prominently in a conflict that is likely to come to a head in coming weeks: President George W. Bush is expected to veto a bill that would provide government funding for research using stem cells derived from living embryos that are unused by fertility clinics. Instead, the White House has signaled that it prefers legislation that incorporates Dr. Landry's proposal among others.
"Current federal restrictions prevent government money from being used to fund most human-embryo research," writes Gautam Naik, a Journal reporter in this week's Weekend Edition. "Now, big changes could occur at the federal level. Dr. Landry's 'dead embryo' technique is part of a new bill that seeks to extend federal funding for alternative approaches that aren't ethically contentious. The Senate voted for the bill and the White House has expressed its support."
Additional stories appearing in this week's Weekend Edition of the Wall Street Journal include the following:
Money & Investing:
* New Types of Mutual Funds: Popular new types of mutual funds -- including so-called "target date" funds that are increasingly a default option in 401k plans -- must now reveal more information about the fees they charge. The new numbers will come as a big surprise to many investors, who have been paying much more for these funds than perhaps they realized. * Chinese Banks: A host of Chinese banks are trying to open branches in the U.S., a significant step in China's financial opening to the rest of the world.
Pursuits:
* The Difference a Dad Can Make: Journal writer Kevin Helliker tells the inspirational tale of his wife's father, who died of a sudden illness when she was 8 -- and whose memory still plays a large role in her life. With new research showing that the impact of fathers in early childhood has been consistently underestimated, the Journal looks at the way even a few short years of parenting can change a child's life forever. * Bargain Bridal Business: With Target and H&M offering wedding gowns for well under $600 -- and J.C. Penney selling one for just $180 -- the bridal business is going through a shakeup. But can mass-market retailers really get women to dress for their most special day on the cheap? The Journal assesses some of the new inexpensive bridal apparel -- with some surprising results. * School of Rock: This weekend, rock bands such as Ween and Bad Brains will headline a major two-day concert festival in Asbury Park, N.J. -- where at least 80% of the musicians playing will be under the age of 17. They are students at the Paul Green School of Rock, the after-school kids' music program that is now seeing rapid expansion. This spring the school installed a former VP of radio giant Clear Channel as CEO and did a three-festival deal with Lollapalooza. The Journal looks at summer enrollment for programs like Mr. Green's and how these programs are faring on the summer concert scene.
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Editor's Note: WSJ reporters are available to discuss these topics.