Recipients of this year's Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor that can be awarded by the government, have been named by the White House.

This year's winners include civil rights leader Benjamin Hooks, former Representative Henry Hyde, C-Span pioneer and CEO Brian Lamb, and Francis Collins whose work on the Human Genome Project is considered one of the more significant scientific efforts in history.

Also honored is Oscar Elias Biscet, a Cuban physician and dissident who is currently serving 25 years in Castro's workers' paradise for "disorderly conduct and counter-revolutionary activities."

Past winners have included tennis great Arthur Ashe, Bill Cosby, James Brady, Cardinal Bernadin of Chicago, and Rosa Parks. The medal is given:

..."for an honoree's "especially meritorious contribution" to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, or for their accomplishments in the areas of culture or "other significant public or private endeavors." ;