Sally Ride died yesterday. She was 61 years old.

In 1983 she became the first American woman to fly in space. I remember the headlines at the time, "Ride, Sally Ride".

Sally Ride had a PhD in physics. As an astronaut, she switched to engineering and was instrumental in developing the Space Shuttle's robotic arm.

She went up in the Challenger Shuttle twice. Her third flight was canceled after the 1986 Challenger Shuttle disaster. She never returned to space.

After she left NASA, Sally Ride became involved in education. Her company, Sally Ride Science, is dedicated to enhancing science education for boys and girls. The company's goal is to "educate, entertain, engage and inspire." Dr. Ride wanted to show kids that science could be fun. For girls that is often not the case. But Sally Ride was living proof that there is a place for girls and women in science.

Let's go over the continuing saga of Karen Golinski and her quest for health care benefits for her spouse, Amy Cunninhis.

In 2008, Karen Golinski filed an application to place her spouse, Amy, on her federal health care policy. Karen is employed at the Ninth District Court of Appeals in San Francisco.

OPM refused to allow Golinski to add her spouse as a covered dependent because the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) prohibits recognition of same-sex marriage. Following OPM's decision, Golinski appealed to the Ninth Circuit's Employment Dispute Resolution Plan. She charged that OPM is discriminating against her.