Today in History (1862) - The U.S. government forbids all Union army officers from returning fugitive slaves, thus effectively annulling the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 and setting the stage for the Emancipation Proclamation. On the same day in 1865, the Confederate Congress voted to enlist 300,000 black troops, granting them freedom with the consent of their owners. Lee surrendered a few weeks later.
When I ask about the quality of care at VA hospitals compared to the care received by Medicare recipients in non-VA hospitals, he first gives his off-the-cuff answer, then does the research for me. My health care information hero!