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Van Rompuy, Herman Achille

(Encyclopedia)Van Rompuy, Herman Achille, 1947–, Belgian statesman, b. Etterbeek. A Flemish Christian Democrat, he was president of the party from 1988 to 1993 and was a member of Belgium's parliament, serving in...

de la Madrid Hurtado, Miguel

(Encyclopedia)de la Madrid Hurtado, Miguel dā lä mäᵺrēᵺˈ o͞ortäᵺˈō [key], 1934–2012, Mexican public official, president of Mexico (1982–88). As minister of planning and budget in the cabinet of J...

Lew, Jack

(Encyclopedia)Lew, Jack (Jacob Joseph Lew), 1955–, American government official, b. New York City, grad. Harvard (1978), Georgetown Univ. Law School (1983). A Democrat, he first worked politics at 17 in Eugene Mc...

Medicaid

(Encyclopedia)Medicaid, national health insurance program in the United States for low-income persons and persons with disabilities. It was established in 1965 with passage of the Social Security Amendments and is ...

Lauder, Estée

(Encyclopedia)Lauder, Estée, 1908?–2004, American cosmetics company founder, b. Corona, Queens, N.Y., as Josephine Esther Mentzer. The daughter of immigrants, she married Joseph Lauter (later changed to Lauder) ...

Sócrates Carvalho Pinto de Sousa, José

(Encyclopedia)Sócrates Carvalho Pinto de Sousa, José, 1957–, Portuguese political leader, prime minister of Portugal (2005–11). b. Porto. A member of the center-left Socialist party since 1981, he was elected...

Verhofstadt, Guy Maurice Marie-Louise

(Encyclopedia)Verhofstadt, Guy Maurice Marie-Louise, 1953–, Belgian political leader, prime minister of Belgium (1999–2008). A lawyer and member of the Flemish Party for Freedom and Progress (PVV; from 1991 the...

Reagan, Ronald Wilson

(Encyclopedia)Reagan, Ronald Wilson rāˈgən [key], 1911–2004, 40th president of the United States (1981–89), b. Tampico, Ill. In 1932, after graduation from Eureka College, he became a radio announcer and spo...

community chest

(Encyclopedia)community chest, cooperative organization of citizens and social welfare agencies in a city. Also known as a united fund, it has two purposes: to raise funds through an annual campaign for its member ...

Cowen, Brian

(Encyclopedia)Cowen, Brian, 1960– Irish political leader, prime minister of the Repubic of Ireland (2008–11). A lawyer from a family long involved in Fianna Fáil politics, he was first elected to the Irish par...