The Takeaway: Debt Ceiling; Colorectal Cancer; Older Athletes

President Obama rallied Congress yesterday to get back to work on a debt ceiling deal. Last week, I posted a hypothetical from the Bipartisan Policy Center on what could happen to Social Security if lawmakers don't make the August 2 deadline. ...  Having your say: Want to ask President Obama a question about Medicare or Social Security? Can you do it in 140 characters? Beginning at 2 p.m. (EST) the president will answer users' tweets during a live town hall hosted by Twitter. ...  Speaking of sounding off: AARP's Illinois office launched a listening tour last month to give members a chance to share their concerns about how the federal budget, Medicare and Social Security. Join the conversation.

... President George W. Bush turns 65 toda y. ... Colorectal cancer screenings make a difference. A decrease in deaths among people between the ages of  50 to 75 can be directly linked to the rise in screenings, according to the Centers for Disease Control. ... Back pain? Don't discount that massage, experts say. In a study of 401 people, researchers found that weekly massage treatments provided greater pain relief than other methods - including exercise and acupuncture. ... Smoking cessation drug linked to heart attacks. Chantix, the drug used to help people stop smoking, has been found to raise the risk of heart problems for people who already have heart disease. ... Older athletes doping? Well, this is interesting: "Concerns about performance-enhancing drug use among older athletes, for whom success on the track is a point of pride and not a moneymaking venture, has led to random urine testing of athletes at all World Masters Athletics international events. Next month in Ohio, the U.S. national championships will introduce drug testing."

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(Photo: Charles Dhrapak/AP)