MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'citizens'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:04:50 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159834&cid=t_164047_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FOa5-_YVQ_fM%2F And so another working week is about to draw to a close. This is, of course, our signal to daydream about weekend plans. Our modest agenda includes shuttling one of our short people off to an institution of higher learning, catching up on some reading and then bracing for a hurricane. Big fun, as they say. And what about you? Will you be boarding windows? Evacuating the homestead? For those of you in other locales, perhaps this slow time of the year is ripe for a pleasant drive or an outdoor event. Whatever you do, enjoy and be safe. See you soon… UK Probes How Medications Were Switched (BBC) Cipla Seeks Partners, Not Divestitures (Pharma Times) Shire Wins Approval Of Anti-Swelling Drug (Bloomberg News) Surgical Mesh Devices Should Be Banned: Watchdog Group (Star-Ledger of NJ) FDA Ap... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159834 Fri, 26 Aug 2011 12:09:55 +0100 5159834 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5125717&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F1PB3a5VQALI%2F By Ilya ShapiroMitt Romney’s explanation of why he’s against raising taxes on corporations — indeed, America already has some of the highest corporate tax rates in the developed world — at the Iowa State Fair was a bit awkward but not wholly incorrect.  Reason‘s Katherine Mangu-Ward has a good post with video and transcript, but here’s the salient bit: ROMNEY: We have to make sure that the promises we make — and Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare — are promises we can keep. And there are various ways of doing that. One is, we could raise taxes on people. AUDIENCE MEMBER: Corporations! ROMNEY: Corporations are people, my friend. We can raise taxes on— AUDIENCE MEMBER: No, they’re not! ROMNEY: Of course they are. Everything corporations earn also g... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5125717 Fri, 12 Aug 2011 16:12:32 +0100 5125717 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107514&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fphysician-discusses-the-confusing-aspects-of-medicare-part-d%2F2011.08.09 I have discussed Medicare Part B and Part F in recent blogs. A reader asked about Medicare Part D: Dr. Feld “Please discuss Medicare Part D, the drug benefit plan available to seniors. It is very complicated and completely confusing to me. My physician gave me a prescription for Levequin 500 mg once a day for 10 days. The pharmacist told me it would cost me $330 dollars. Medicare Part D would pay an additional $110 dollars for a total of $440 dollars. I asked the pharmacist if there was a generic equivalent. The answer was yes. It cost $10 dollars. This is unconscionable. It is highway robbery. Sincerely a.g.” Several issues are presented in this readers note. It is essential to understand these issues. The issues are an indictment against government “controlled” programs. (m... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107514 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 14:00:44 +0100 5107514 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077874&cid=t_164047_125_f&fid=34819&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FFullosseousflapsDentalBlog%2F%7E3%2FnyzqjIWWzyI%2F Well, almost final. The commission just voted out the new state lines on a 12-2 vote (with two Republicans voting no) and placed them on the Agenda for an official August 15th final vote.  Until then feel free to whine, complain, cuss and gripe to commissioners about their failures.  They can hear you, but they’re probably done listening. On August 15th the only option is an up-or-down vote on the maps.  You cannot have your city reunited, get your Assembly Member back.  The plans are final and the only option now would be for the commission to vote the plans down and send them directly to the courts. The game now transitions from the 14 members of the commission to the 67 members of Congress and the Legislature that have been drawn out of their seats, nested with ot... FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077874 Fri, 29 Jul 2011 19:42:23 +0100 5077874 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069478&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fsocial-network-keeps-seniors-connected%2F2011.07.26 Care Innovations, a joint venture between GE and Intel, has released Connect, a service designed to address social isolation in seniors. Connect software runs on a touch screen device and features social networking, as well as health management and reporting tools. The system has been undergoing a successful user trial at a nursing home in Michigan since last year. More about Connect from the announcement: (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Medgadget* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069478 Tue, 26 Jul 2011 16:00:44 +0100 5069478 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5062371&cid=t_164047_125_f&fid=34819&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FFullosseousflapsDentalBlog%2F%7E3%2FlyAfVQLs4w4%2F A morning collection of links and comments about my home, California. However we vote, Amazon loses A Times-USC poll last week showed a close contest. After registered voters were read some arguments on both sides, the so-called Amazon tax was supported by 46% and opposed by 49%. Looking inside the numbers, two factors stood out, neither shocking. A majority of Democrats (52%) favored collecting the tax online; the majority of Republicans (59%) opposed it. Independents were almost evenly split. There was a generational divide: The younger the voters, the more opposed they were to online tax collections. The older, the more supportive. Specifically, 55% of people under 50 were opposed, 52% of the over-50 crowd supported it. The conflicting political dynamic is this: The best bet is there&#8... FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5062371 Mon, 25 Jul 2011 14:32:19 +0100 5062371 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4997615&cid=t_164047_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F04%2Fhappy-independence-day-2011%2F We’re celebrating our Independence Day here in the U.S., so I just wanted to take this opportunity to wish you all a happy and safe day of celebration. The United States is celebrating our 235th birthday today. I’m honored and blessed to be living in a pretty great country (although, like every society, we certainly have our flaws). The United States was born of great dissatisfaction with the way the people were then being governed, especially an ever-increasing and seemingly never-ending tax burden. Today’s United States faces some of the same concerns — taxes keep going up while government takes on more and more. Let’s hope it never gets to another Revolution, but at the same time, I hope our politicians remember that their citizens don’t have endless pockets.... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4997615 Mon, 04 Jul 2011 11:11:55 +0100 4997615 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4984426&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fil0p9jN4s5w%2F This article is still being edited — it won’t appear in the John Marshall Law Review till the fall – so comments are welcome.  Thanks to Eugene Volokh for making suggestions on an earlier version. Update: Larry Solum has “recommended” our article on the Legal Theory Blog.  Thanks! So What If Corporations Aren’t People? is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4984426 Wed, 29 Jun 2011 14:19:41 +0100 4984426 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975827&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Ffsa2Wum2Vxs%2F By Julian SanchezI note that I’m not hearing many critics of Citizens United decrying yesterday’s very welcome Supreme Court ruling, in which the majority held unconstitutional a California statute prohibiting the sale or rental of violent video games to minors. Perhaps that’s just because they’re concerned with corporate influence on elections as a policy matter, and not so much about Grand Theft Auto, but as a matter of First Amendment interpretation, it seems as though the elements that supposedly made Citizens United a travesty are present here. As the conservative Justice Alito notes in dissent, for example, the statute at issue here does not prohibit anyone from creating, possessing, freely loaning, or playing violent video games: It regulates only their renta... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975827 Tue, 28 Jun 2011 16:39:05 +0100 4975827 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4945200&cid=t_164047_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FCbqgDgPCnaw%2F In a highly unusual move, a Wall Street fund manager has filed a citizen’s petition with the FDA in an effort to prevent a small drugmaker from having its imaging agent reviewed. Why take such a step? The investor readily acknowledges that he holds a short position in the stock which, of course, means that he is betting the value of the shares will drop. The petition was filed by Martin Shkreli of MSMB Capital Management, who believes the FDA should decline to review a pair of Phase III clinical trials that were conducted by Neoprobe due to what he calls “severe deficiencies and flaws” (you can read the petition here). The move comes just as Neoprobe plans to submit an approval application for its Lymphoseek imaging agent with the FDA. Filing a citizen’s petition is... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4945200 Thu, 16 Jun 2011 15:25:38 +0100 4945200 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934108&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FLVNfBuzfyRE%2F By Randal O'TooleAccording to Transportation for America — which is largely a shill for the transit industry — the nation is about to face a new crisis: a shortage of mobility “options” for retiring baby boomers. According to a report published by the group on June 14, “By 2015, more than 15.5 million Americans 65 and older will live in communities where public transportation service is poor or non-existent.” The appropriate answer to that, of course, is “So what?” Most seniors don’t ride transit. Census data show that more than 12.5 percent of all Americans are over 65, yet data from the American Public Transportation Association show that only 6.7 percent of transit trips are taken by senior citizens. The average American rides transit less... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934108 Wed, 15 Jun 2011 17:36:42 +0100 4934108 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841431&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FmJzoGRuj-4U%2F By John SamplesSteve Simpson and Paul Sherman of the Institute for Justice have written an excellent short essay about Stephen Colbert’s effort to undermine the Citizens United decision. But the joke is on Colbert: Campaign-finance laws are so complicated that few can navigate them successfully and speak during elections—which is what the First Amendment is supposed to protect. As the Supreme Court noted in Citizens United, federal laws have created “71 distinct entities” that “are subject to different rules for 33 different types of political speech.” The FEC has adopted 568 pages of regulations and thousands of pages of explanations and opinions on what the laws mean. “Legalese” doesn’t begin to describe this mess. So what is someone who... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841431 Thu, 19 May 2011 18:33:00 +0100 4841431 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4709190&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fw_3gECG0FYA%2F By John SamplesOver the next few years, most arguments about campaign finance regulation will be about extending mandated disclosure to some of the independent spending freed up by the Citizens United decision. Writing in the Wall Street Journal, James L. Huffman offers a unique perspective on mandated disclosure: he was a candidate for the U.S. Senate last year. He argues that mandated disclosure means incumbents know who funded the campaigns of their challengers.  Incumbents do not have to actually threaten anyone; disclosure plus circumstances means a cautious businessperson will stay clear of electoral participation. Huffman also claims that some people who might have contributed to his campaign heard from associates of his opponent who said contributing to Huffman might be a bad idea... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4709190 Wed, 13 Apr 2011 15:32:20 +0100 4709190 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4544947&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FRmhvzKbuPbs%2F By Ilya ShapiroRecently, activist and filmmaker Annie Leonard released a video titled "The Story of Citizens United v. FEC," an eight-and-a-half-minute criticism of last year’s Supreme Court case of the same name. Well, sort of. Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Lee Doren made his own video critique in response to Ms. Leonard’s offering, and points out quite clearly that Ms. Leonard doesn’t really deal with any actual constitutional problems in her position—essentially ignoring the decision and its rationale—and instead spends most of her time corporation bashing. Lee was kind enough to cite, inter alia, a blogpost I wrote last year about what “corporate personhood” does and does not mean. If Ms. Leonard was going to ignore the decision, it may have at least served her wel... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4544947 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 17:40:11 +0100 4544947 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4517168&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ffaces-of-medical-error-the-story-of-michael-skolnik%2F2011.02.24 I was very sad and quite angry after watching a powerful video this weekend entitled ”The Faces of Medical Error: From Tears to Transparency.” It’s the story of Michael Skolnik. His mother, Patty, gave me the video when I met her recently. Michael had what may have been unnecessary brain surgery in 2001 and died three years later. The Skolniks worked on this video as part of an educational campaign on medical error, and they created an organization now named Citizens for Patient Safety. Here’s a trailer to the video: You can also watch a Today Show segment that profiled the Skolniks from a few years ago: While much of the message is about medical errors and malpractice, the Skolniks also promote a message of the “critical need for shared decision-making.&#... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4517168 Thu, 24 Feb 2011 20:00:53 +0100 4517168 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4495175&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F998-bwSthvo%2F This article will explain the role stare decisis played in Citizens United and build on the Chief Justice’s concurrence to describe the current state of the doctrine. Thanks to Larry Solum for featuring us on his Legal Theory Blog. When Should Courts Overturn Precedent? is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4495175 Fri, 18 Feb 2011 22:41:19 +0100 4495175 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4399687&cid=t_164047_125_f&fid=34819&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FFullosseousflapsDentalBlog%2F%7E3%2FONYlulEtyNE%2F Day By Day by Chris Muir Chris, President Obama did NOT propose in his SOTU speech last night to stop feeding the beast of Big Government. His proposal to veto bills with Earmarks was met with disdain from the Democrat Left and his willingness to ONLY freeze budget expenditures ridicule from the RIGHT. Now, the LEFT will go on the offensive to defend the Obama Presidency. President Obama today will travel to Wisconsin, a key Presidential battleground state, where multi-term Democrat Senator Russ Feingold was defeated for re-election last November. The GOP covets Wisconsin and sees a path to winning the Presidency there. I guess Obama can read the polls and electoral college vote maps. Also, there is every indication and I will write about this later in the day, that Big Labor and the Organ... FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4399687 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 14:01:28 +0100 4399687 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4382751&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FIlAXKrr0E2g%2F By Caleb O. BrownThe Supreme Court majority in Citizens United asserted plainly that the federal government’s powers are few and defined in the realm of political speech. The decision has since been cast as one that does little more than give “corporations and unions the freedom to spend as much as they like to support or attack candidates.” Of course, the stakes were far higher. As the government’s attorney asserted during the initial oral argument, the Federal Election Commission retained the authority to ban the sale of certain books (e-books included) in the weeks leading up to an election, a fact opponents of Citizens United rarely mention. Shortly after that oral argument, Austin Bragg and I made a short video with Steve Simpson of the Institute for Justice, A... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4382751 Fri, 21 Jan 2011 15:44:46 +0100 4382751 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4372025&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FCczvZ1ciRyU%2F By John SamplesJeff Patch and Zac Morgan of the Center for Competitive Politics report on the storm that is brewing at the Federal Election Commission over regulations to implement Citizens United. The three Democratic appointees propose regulations that would impose significant elements of the DISCLOSE Act, a bill that failed to pass Congress last year. The three Republican appointees, in contrast, propose to clarify existing law and clear away defunct regulations, all with an eye toward the holdings in Citizens United. The FEC seems unlikely to adopt the proposals by the Democratic appointees. After all, the Democratic commissioners do not have and are unlikely to obtain majority support for their agenda. Imagine if the Federal Election Commission were directed by a seven-member board wh... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4372025 Wed, 19 Jan 2011 17:38:04 +0100 4372025 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4197032&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FVTRJXu0VioY%2F By Roger PilonIn a barely coherent editorial this morning, The New York Times continues its decades-long crusade against free speech — except its own, of course — with yet another blast at the Supreme Court over its campaign finance decision last January in the Citizens United case. And again, the Times misstates the decision: it did not overturn “a century of precedent.” Perhaps its editorialists can be forgiven for that, even after nearly a year to get it right: after all, the president himself continues to misstate the decision, and that’s good enough for them. Entitled “Our Constitutional Court,” the editorial’s main point seems to be that the Court is “redefining itself as a constitutional court.” That’s a curious charge. Many countries have “constituti... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4197032 Tue, 23 Nov 2010 18:35:26 +0100 4197032 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4125063&cid=t_164047_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F11%2F01%2Fthomas-bornemann-ed-d-on-the-georgia-mental-health-settlement%2F Two weeks ago, Georgia reached a historic settlement with the Federal Government regarding treatment in mental health care for Georgia’s most vulnerable residents — those who live in state hospitals or under the state’s auspices. Recently, I had the pleasure to sit down with Thomas H. Bornemann, Ed.D., the Director of the Carter Center Mental Health Program to talk to him about the settlement. John M. Grohol, Psy.D.: What are some of the highlights of that settlement? Thomas H. Bornemann, Ed.D. Well, we think this is a groundbreaker, and a lot of our colleagues from around the country that we talked to are also seeing it similarly. What we were able to do is to take a lawsuit that is essentially about inadequate care in institutional settings — in our state hospital... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4125063 Mon, 01 Nov 2010 20:30:18 +0100 4125063 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4098492&cid=t_164047_160_f&fid=36193&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aloha-dermatology.com%2Faloha-dermatology-blog%2Fmaui-county-37th-annual-senior-citizens-health-fair%2F Doctor Micki Ly MD, her staff, and her kids and friends man the Aloha Dermatology and Laser Center "Skin Cancer Awareness Booth" at the 2010 Maui County Senior Fair. (Source: aloha-dermatology.com) aloha-dermatology.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4098492 Sun, 24 Oct 2010 04:04:53 +0100 4098492 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4036627&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FOkwoBE_tsr0%2F By Caleb O. BrownIt’s not at all clear that the political challengers whose fortunes are raised today won’t try to pull up the ladder of free and open political speech when their own incumbency receives a challenge. The Citizens United decision notwithstanding, the drive to be returned to office is a strong one. In today’s Cato Daily Podcast (subscribe!), John Samples offers fans of free speech a few things to consider about this and future election cycles: “In politics, when people talk about special interests, they don’t mean the people who support them.” “[Independent spending on elections] is an unknown factor. Incumbents, even those who win big, live in fear of a big last-minute spending push by outside groups.” “The point of ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4036627 Wed, 06 Oct 2010 14:57:49 +0100 4036627 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4022899&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FtXeNkujL5UU%2F By Michael F. CannonIn all of Washington, is there a greater enemy of free speech than Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius? Her department is forcing millions of Americans to finance speech that they oppose, by using taxpayer dollars to broadcast (misleading) television ads that promote ObamaCare. She is using the powers granted her under ObamaCare to threaten insurers with bankruptcy if they publicly disagree with her about the law’s cost. Now, she is decrying the growth of anonymous political speech in congressional campaigns. Would that coerced speech, or government suppression of speech, troubled her as much as anonymous speech. Sebelius: Anonymous Political Speech ‘Dangerous’ is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog (Source: Cato-at-... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4022899 Fri, 01 Oct 2010 14:46:09 +0100 4022899 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3965506&cid=t_164047_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F09%2F14%2Fsituationist-corruption%2F Molly J. Walker Wilson recently posted her article, “Behavioral Decision Theory and Implications for the Supreme Court’s Campaign Finance Jurisprudence” (Cardozo Law Review, Vol. 31, p. 679, 2010) on SSRN.  Here’s the abstract. * * * America stands at a moment in history when advances in the understanding of human decision-making are increasing the strategic efficacy of political strategy. As campaign spending for the presidential race reaches hundreds of millions of dollars, the potential for harnessing the power of psychological tactics becomes considerable. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has characterized campaign money as “speech” and has required evidence of corruption or the appearance of corruption in order to uphold restrictions on campaign expenditures. Ulti... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3965506 Tue, 14 Sep 2010 04:01:47 +0100 3965506 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3740573&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2F187908%2F Video Games for Good: Healthcare providers, researchers, and video game developers are working together to use the Wii for health-oriented games, including games to help Parkinson’s patients and children with Cerebral Palsy. (via Reuters) Post from: BlissTree (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3740573 Fri, 09 Jul 2010 18:08:33 +0100 3740573 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3730095&cid=t_164047_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FyREbKSL71QY%2F A watchdog group has asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate contract pricing arrangements that Merck and Sanofi-Pasteur offer physician practices. In a letter to the FTC, the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington allege the vaccine makers offer docs significant discounts, but only after signing contracts prohibiting them from purchase vaccines made by rivals. To make its case, CREW cites memos and emails written by four different physician groups in which its doctors are reminded to purchase only vaccines from Sanofi-Pasteur or Merck if they want to obtain the best prices. The vaccines include Merck’s Gardasil for HPV, Rotateq for rotavirus, and Recombivax for hepatitis B, while the Sanofi vaccines include several products, notably Menactra for meningitis. C... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3730095 Tue, 06 Jul 2010 15:25:47 +0100 3730095 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3683908&cid=t_164047_158_f&fid=36018&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcaregiversbeacon.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F06%2Fvideo-interview-love-happiness-wisdom.html (Source: The Caregiver's Beacon - Resources, Links, Ideas, News) The Caregiver's Beacon - Resources, Links, Ideas, News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3683908 Mon, 21 Jun 2010 18:22:00 +0100 3683908 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3671666&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FxMK0wcACeUE%2F By Ilya ShapiroIn case you missed yesterday’s excellent Hill Briefing on the DISCLOSE Act and other recent developments in speech restrictions, next week I’ll be debating Citizens United and the future of campaign finance regulation.  The event, cutely titled “Citizens United, Republic Divided; Campaign Finance Law After Citizens United,” takes place June 24 at noon at American University’s Washington School of Law, Room 401.  That’s 4801 Massachusetts Ave. NW here in Washington.  IJ’s Steve Simpson and I will be up against American U’s Jamie Raskin and Election Law Blog’s Rick Hasen (who has also blogged this notice).  RSVP to Michael Vasquez at mv5786a@student.american.edu so there’s enough lunch to go around. For Cato&#821... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3671666 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 19:28:09 +0100 3671666 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3652395&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FPhAmWAwWzLI%2F By John SamplesCongress has been trying to overturn the Citizens United decision for the past four months. (Citizens United invalidated bans on speech by groups taking a corporate form). Their effort — the DISCLOSE Act — now seems bogged down in the House of Representatives. The National Rifle Association argues that they should not have to disclose their small donors. The labor unions also have complaints: Amaya Tune, a spokeswoman for the AFL-CIO, told Bloomberg this week that “the final bill should treat corporations different than democratic organizations such as unions. We believe the legislation should counter the excessive and disproportionate influence by big business and guarantee effective disclosure of who is paying for what.” Here’s the problem: The Supre... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3652395 Fri, 11 Jun 2010 15:08:42 +0100 3652395 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3629621&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FAxsKHLf1jHc%2F By Tim LynchDana Milbank has an article about an Ashcroft address at Heritage yesterday.  Here’s an excerpt: Ashcroft, in his own conciliatory gesture, implicitly acknowledged that he was on the wrong side in the Hamdi v. Rumsfeld detention case, in which the Supreme Court ruled against the Bush administration. “The Hamdi case was a bit of an anomaly because Hamdi was an American citizen, and it’s been considered settled law for a long time that American citizens always have the right in American courts to petition the court for habeas corpus,” Ashcroft allowed. Well, yes, it was settled law right up until Bush’s lawyers launched their attack on the writ of habeas corpus.  Nowadays those lawyers play down the dangerous legal positions they advanced during th... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3629621 Thu, 03 Jun 2010 16:37:53 +0100 3629621 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3581607&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhats-your-poison-science-and-medicine-vs-chemical-poisoning%2F2010.05.20 This is going to be a quick welcome to Deborah Blum (@deborahblum) who has just moved her blog, Speakeasy Science, to ScienceBlogs. Why quick? Because I am only 22 pages away from finishing her latest book, The Poisoner’s Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York. This engaging tale of the race of science and medicine against chemical poisonings for profit and punishment features the true story of NYC chief medical examiner Charles Norris and toxicologist Alexander Gettler. Of course, the other actors are arsenic, methanol, chloroform, thallium, and radium, among others. In the teens through the mid-1930s, long before benchtop atomic absorption spectrophotometry and LC/MS instruments, Norris and Gettler devised methods to detect poisons in human tissues... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3581607 Thu, 20 May 2010 14:00:49 +0100 3581607 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3552220&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FLVlPYQ_3Wxs%2F By Walter Olson Confirmation hearings are a “vapid and hollow charade”, or at least that’s what Elena Kagan wrote fifteen years ago. National Review Online invited me to contribute to a symposium on how Republican senators can keep the coming hearings from becoming such a charade, with results that can be found here. The First Amendment has been among Kagan’s leading scholarly interests, and yesterday in this space Ilya Shapiro raised interesting questions of whether she will make an strong guardian of free speech values. Eugene Volokh looks at her record and guesses that she might wind up adopting a middling position similar to that of Justice Ginsburg. As Radley Balko and Jacob Sullum have noted, the departing John Paul Stevens ran up at best a mixed record on Fir... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3552220 Tue, 11 May 2010 15:28:11 +0100 3552220 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3549294&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fz3HD0yxpKbM%2F By Ilya ShapiroAs expected, and despite an exhaustive review of shortlist candidates, dead-end leaks about Hillary Clinton, and other distractions, President Obama settled on the long-time prohibitive favorite to be his next Supreme Court nominee.  Elena Kagan became the justice-in-waiting the moment Sonia Sotomayor was confirmed, so you didn’t have to be Tom Goldstein to have predicted this.  The president wanted a highly credentialed non-judge who would serve for a long time and wouldn’t cost too much political capital.  He got a 50-year-old solicitor general and former dean of Harvard Law School – the first female in each post – whose record the Senate (and media, and activists) already examined in a confirmation process that put her into her current post.  That her appointm... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3549294 Mon, 10 May 2010 11:42:53 +0100 3549294 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3542581&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FgbnnrlVo8ro%2F By Tad DeHavenA new organization called Liberty in America is launching a nation-wide “Liberty Bus” tour in Buffalo next week. The goal is to educate Americans across the country on the need to reduce the federal government’s role in our lives. Downsizing the Federal Government materials will be among the educational resources the Liberty Bus will be making available to concerned citizens. The following map shows the Liberty Bus’s schedule (click map for bigger version): Each circle represents an area that is 300 miles in diameter. The idea is for the bus to settle in the center of the area for the designated week and lead or participate in programs in any direction during that week. Folks interested in having the Liberty Bus participate in a program or event should contact Liber... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3542581 Thu, 06 May 2010 19:56:59 +0100 3542581 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3533812&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FAwfJ783c1GI%2F By John SamplesJournalists are looking closely at the DISCLOSE bill, Congress’ response to Citizens United.  CQ says DISCLOSE will loosen independent spending by the parties on their candidates. Why is Congress liberalizing party spending? CQ explains: According to one GOP attorney, opponents of the Supreme Court’s decision are realizing that they will have a difficult time challenging the constitutional right of outside groups to spend money, so this bill is a response to free up the parties to compete. Mark that. Citizens United has altered the incentives regarding speech. In the past, Congress tried to suppress speech to win elections. Now leaders must liberalize in order to compete for votes. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3533812 Wed, 05 May 2010 15:23:55 +0100 3533812 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3494366&cid=t_164047_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F04%2F22%2Fthe-state-of-shareholder-power-in-the-situation-of-citizens-united%2F Who is speaking when a corporation talks? Can a corporation represent all of its shareholders and workers in political speech? How will corporations decide who to represent?  In “Corporate Governance Redux in the Light of Citizens United,” Robert A.G. Monks will detail  the history of corporate personhood and how this case relates to corporate governance. * * * Come hear Mr. Monks, shareholder activist, author, corporate governance advisor, and HLS alum, for a lunch-time discussion of the state of shareholder power after Citizens United (04/22/10).  The talk will be held in Austin West at Harvard Law School (12pm-1pm).  Lunch will be provided. (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3494366 Thu, 22 Apr 2010 04:01:22 +0100 3494366 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3487151&cid=t_164047_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F04%2F20%2Fthe-frontline-of-citizens-united%2F What are the implications of corporate personhood after the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizen’s United? Get the story from behind this term’s most talked-about case from the lawyers who argued in district court and wrote the Supreme Court briefs. How did the FEC develop it’s position? What is at stake? What role do agency lawyers place in a high-profile case? What are the FEC’s next steps in light of the decision? * * * David B. Kolker and Kevin A. Deely, Associate General Counsels for the Federal Election Commission, will speak today (04/19/10) at Harvard Law School (12pm-1pm, Austin East).  Lunch will be provided. (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3487151 Tue, 20 Apr 2010 04:01:52 +0100 3487151 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3471767&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FKq_zq09_lNY%2F By David BoazGeorge Will offers conservatives a useful reminder about “judicial activism” and what the Supreme Court ought to be doing: Conservatives spoiling for a fight should watch their language. The recent decision most dismaying to them was Kelo (2005), wherein the court upheld the constitutionality of a city government using its eminent domain power to seize property for the spurious “public use” of transferring it to wealthier interests who will pay higher taxes to the seizing government. Conservatives wish the court had been less deferential to elected local governments. (Stevens later expressed regret for his part in the Kelo ruling.) The recent decision most pleasing to conservatives was this year’s Citizens United, wherein the court overturned part... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3471767 Thu, 15 Apr 2010 14:53:57 +0100 3471767 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3471772&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FMnaO7gg739U%2F By David BoazTony Blankley, former press secretary to Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, exults in the Washington Times that Americans are waking up “to our heritage of freedom” and to the abuse of the Constitution: All the following acts have suddenly awakened Americans to their Constitution: (1) The nationalization of car companies and banks; (2) the subordination of the car companies’ legal bondholders to union bosses; (3) the creation of trillion-dollar slush funds (the stimulus package) used for, among other purposes, the corrupt purchase of congressional votes; (4) the mandating of individual health insurance purchase against the will of Americans; (5) the attempt to have Obamacare “deemed” to have been enacted, rather than actually publicly voted on by... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3471772 Wed, 14 Apr 2010 18:20:24 +0100 3471772 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3424826&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FAnyLYO3C5J0%2F By Chris Moody John McCain channels Dick Cheney: On March 4, McCain introduced a bill that  “would require that anyone anywhere in the world, including American citizens, suspected of involvement in terrorism — including ‘material support’ (otherwise undefined) — can be imprisoned by the military on the authority of the president as commander in chief.” President Obama declared passage of a major student-aid reform law yesterday. Will it help? Cato education expert Neal McCluskey calls it a mixed bag. Thought experiment: Let’s say for a moment that Congress could actually repeal the health care overhaul. What should they put in its place? Should Congress pursue a constitutional amendment that would limit federal spending to one-fifth of the... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3424826 Wed, 31 Mar 2010 16:09:38 +0100 3424826 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3411093&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FEtMQjrQlTKs%2F By Roger PilonThis post was co-authored with John Samples. Another good day for free speech, and a bad day for campaign finance zealots. Following on the heels of the Supreme Court’s stunning decision two months ago in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, and applying that holding, all nine active judges on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled unanimously today that government restrictions on the right of citizens to pool their money for independent political ads are unconstitutional. Individuals have long been able to spend unlimited funds on independent political ads. But if two or more people joined together and pooled their money for the same thing, they were considered a “political committee” and were subject to numerous burdensome regulations, including limits on ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3411093 Fri, 26 Mar 2010 18:24:02 +0100 3411093 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3382801&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F9982If77svc%2F By John SamplesLawrence Lessig has proposed a constitutional amendment in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United.  It reads: “Nothing in this Constitution shall be construed to restrict the power to limit, though not to ban, campaign expenditures of non-citizens of the United States during the last 60 days before an election.” In Citizens United, the Court said that the First Amendment concerns speech rather than speakers. Congress has no power to discriminate against speakers; hence, a source of speech – people organized as a corporation – could not be prohibited from speaking (or funding speech). Professor Lessig hopes to introduce a discrimination among speakers into the First Amendment. His proposed discrimination will not ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3382801 Thu, 18 Mar 2010 20:31:47 +0100 3382801 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3382803&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FgyutLzFlzco%2F By David BoazIt’s that time of year again, when friends start telling me about this or that candidate I should support because he or she is a dedicated defender of liberty and limited government. I’m a political junkie, so I love getting these recommendations. But I don’t end up supporting or contributing to many candidates. In my view, it’s not enough for a candidate to say that he’s ”committed to slashing wasteful spending, providing tax relief, and eliminating red tape.” What’s your actual tax plan? What spending do you propose to cut or eliminate? Not many of them offer clear answers to that. And liberty involves more than just economics. Often I’m told, “Congressman X is a libertarian.” I always check, and then I say, ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3382803 Thu, 18 Mar 2010 19:16:27 +0100 3382803 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3378447&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fskg02cxyeKo%2F By John SamplesM. Todd Henderson of the University of Chicago Law School has a brief but important essay making the case for Citizens United.  As they say, read the whole thing. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3378447 Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:23:11 +0100 3378447 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3363639&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fejo0EBSIEKk%2F By David BoazWhite House senior advisor David Axelrod continued the administration’s campaign against the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision on ABC’s This Week: But thinking about Teddy Roosevelt, I wonder what he would think about a bill that essentially allows for a corporate takeover of our elections, or a court decision. And that’s what we’re dealing with here. Under the ruling of the Supreme Court, any lobbyist could go into any legislator and say, if you don’t vote our way on this bill, we’re going to run a million-dollar campaign against you in your district. And that is a threat to our democracy. He was of course echoing and defending President Obama’s declaration in the State of the Union address: With all due deference to sepa... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3363639 Sun, 14 Mar 2010 16:21:39 +0100 3363639 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3358960&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FZZRUyIWzdhI%2F By Julian SanchezCan I send Time magazine the bill for the new crack in my desk and the splinters in my forehead? Because their latest excretion on the case of Colleen “Jihad Jane” LaRose and its relation to Patriot Act surveillance powers is absolutely maddening: The Justice Department won’t say whether provisions of the Patriot Act were used to investigate and charge Colleen LaRose. But the FBI and U.S. prosecutors who charged the 46-year-old woman from Pennsburg, Pa., on Tuesday with conspiring with terrorists and pledging to commit murder in the name of jihad could well have used the Patriot Act’s fast access to her cell-phone records, hotel bills and rental-car contracts as they tracked her movements and contacts last year. But even if the law’s provision... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3358960 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:38:57 +0100 3358960 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3346440&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FNJbo8nr8rWY%2F By John SamplesThe Center for Competitive Politics has just published a new poll measuring public views about the recent Citizens United decision. The poll provides a lot of interesting information. About one in five said they were aware of the decision. Fully 60 percent of respondents said they were not aware of the case, and it is fair to say that almost all of the other 20 percent who responded “don’t know” or refused to answer were also poorly informed about it. Congress is now trying to write and enact legislation to overcome the strictures imposed on campaign finance regulation by the Citizens United decision. Members cite surveys supporting such legislation as a justification for the new restrictions. At best, however, public opinion is immature on this issue. Cong... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3346440 Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:47:38 +0100 3346440 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3346444&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FrHO4klO1Dx4%2F By Julian SanchezA new BBC poll is garnering plenty of press attention for its striking finding that 78% of global respondents believe that Internet access “should be a fundamental right of all people.” Fascinating!  Except… what exactly does that mean? The obvious problem here is that, at least as it’s worded in English, the question is ambiguous between two equally plausible readings.  Especially when juxtaposed with another question about whether the Internet should be regulated by government, it could be understood as asking whether there’s a fundamental negative right to be free to use the Internet — to read and communicate free of government censorship or other onerous barriers.  That’s probably how we’d interpret a parallel question... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3346444 Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:46:09 +0100 3346444 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3335287&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FuJ2ZjA44jdk%2F By John SamplesDavid Price, a Democratic member of the House of Representatives from North Carolina, has introduced a bill, the Stand by Every Ad Act,  to mandate disclosure of support for political speech by business and union officials. Rep. Price cites three harms from such speech: “the opportunity for corporations, unions and associations to dominate the playing field, intimidating public officials and drowning out the candidates’ own messages.” Notice that these alleged harms are caused by the speech itself and not by the fact that the speech might be anonymous. Notice also that Rep. Price provides no evidence at all that such harms will take place. Where would such evidence be found? Prior to McCain-Feingold, corporations and unions could fund speech. Several state... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3335287 Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:23:11 +0100 3335287 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3283520&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FyKk76th22OY%2F By John SamplesA new poll from Washington Post/ABC News poll shows that most respondents oppose the recent Citizens United decision by the U.S. Supreme Court. Just over 70 percent of those polled want to reinstate the unconstitutional restrictions. The questions asked may be found here. Sean Parnell asks whether the wording of the questions in this poll drove the results. William McGinley shares Parnell’s concerns and suggests some alternative questions for future polling. I was not surprised by the result. Polls have long found that substantial majorities support something called “campaign finance reform.” Over two years ago, a poll found that 71 percent of Americans wanted to limit corporate and union spending on campaigns. 62 percent also supported limiting the amount of money a p... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3283520 Wed, 17 Feb 2010 18:15:41 +0100 3283520 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3279957&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FHmy8tPqML5U%2F By Chris Moody Is there a place for gay people in conservative politics? We’ll be discussing it today at Cato. Watch here live at 12 PM EST. President Obama announces $8 billion in loan guarantees to build a new nuclear power plant in Georgia. But are government subsidies for pet energy projects a good idea? Are there loopholes in Obama’s ban on torture? What happens when the Olympics don’t go completely according to plan. Podcast: “Lessig, Schumer and Citizens United” featuring John Samples. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3279957 Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:49:29 +0100 3279957 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3269682&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FLD7c7mX6C8Y%2F By John SamplesSnowstorm notwithstanding, Sen. Charles Schumer and Rep. Chris Van Hollen introduced legislation in response to the Citizens United decision. A summary of their effort can be found here. Some parts of the proposal are simply pandering to anti-foreign bias (corporations with shareholding by foreigners are prohibited from funding speech) and anger about bailouts (firms receiving TARP money are banned from funding speech). Government contractors are also prohibited from independent spending to support speech. We shall see whether these prohibitions hold up in court. The censorship of government contractors and TARP recipients will likely prove to be an unconstitutional condition upon receiving government benefits. Despite Citizens United, Congress will try to suppress speech by... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3269682 Fri, 12 Feb 2010 18:43:31 +0100 3269682 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3239556&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FE6jX2NqYGS8%2F By Chris Moody David Boaz debates at The Economist: Is Obama failing? “In many ways, Obama has just doubled down on George W. Bush’s policies of bailouts, takeovers, expanded Fed powers and nationalizations. In a recession he is adding debt, taxes and regulation to the burdens already felt by business.” Readers can vote and join the debate. Ever wonder why weather forecasters can get things so wrong? Looking for a primer on the causes of the financial crisis? The new Cato Policy Report has answers. How to tell when the government health care overhaul is dead. Podcast: “Citizens United and SpeechNow.org” featuring Steve Simpson of the Institute of Justice. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3239556 Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:40:46 +0100 3239556 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3235823&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FO83bixU3X2c%2F By Ilya ShapiroThe blogosphere has been abuzz on the heels of the Supreme Court’s landmark Citizens United opinion.  Hysteric criticisms of the speculative changes to our political landscape aside — including the President’s misstatements in the State of the Union — one of the most common and oft-repeated criticisms is that the Constitution does not protect corporations. Several “reform” groups have even drafted and circulated constitutional amendments to address this concern. This line of attack demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of both the nature of corporations and the freedoms protected by the Constitution, which is exemplified by the facile charge that “corporations aren’t human beings.” Well of course they aren’t — but that’s constitutionall... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3235823 Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:45:23 +0100 3235823 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3231456&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FG3oL3F3fM7s%2F By Roger PilonFollowing on the heels of November’s gubernatorial elections in Virginia and New Jersey, the loss of Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat in Massachusetts two weeks ago was a devastating blow to Democratic Party hopes.  But it must have been especially devastating to President Obama, who promised an adoring University of Missouri crowd, just before he was elected, that “We are five days away from fundamentally transforming the United States of America.”  Yet it would appear, judging from the unrelenting commentary and from the president’s own behavior last week, that those losses pale in comparison to the government’s loss before the Supreme Court two days after the polls closed in Massachusetts.  For 11 days now the wailing over the Court’s C... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3231456 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:42:16 +0100 3231456 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3228007&cid=t_164047_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fs0Oh7ogJcQc%2F Controversial congressman Steve Buyer, an Indiana Republican, announced late last week he won’t seek re-election after serving since 1992. He cited his wife’s recent diagnosis with an “incurable autoimmune disease,” although as the Center for Responsive Politics points out, he was also accused of numerous ethics transgressions. At issue is the Frontier Foundation, which he founded in 2003 to distribute scholarships, although none have been given. Meanwhile, the foundation collected lots of donation money, most of it from drugmakers and lobbyists, including Eli Lilly and PhRMA, according to The Indianapolis Star. Buyer, it so happens, is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which oversees health care policy that, of course, affects the pharmaceutical ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3228007 Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:50:24 +0100 3228007 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3224872&cid=t_164047_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F01%2F30%2Fwhy-crash-rates-dont-automatically-fall-with-cellphone-bans%2F Last week, the Highway Loss Data Institute released a report that examined whether collision claims had gone up, down, or stayed the same in states that have banned cellphone use while driving. Their findings should have surprised no one, but seemed to have surprised everyone — crash rates did not go down after a hand-held cellphone ban took effect. Why should this have been of little surprise? 1. A law doesn’t automatically change human behavior. Laws can be wonderful things, but they are only as effective as when people obey them. This is often done with a stick — enforcement — rather than a carrot (such as incentives for safe driving practices). The laws have, according to the New York Times reporting on this study, reduced the use of hand-held cellphones 41 to 7... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3224872 Sat, 30 Jan 2010 19:06:56 +0100 3224872 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3220511&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FaCkqZa3u09U%2F By Chris Moody Cato experts give Obama’s State of the Union a video fisking. Are we watching the History Channel or something?  Because this new president sure does sound a lot like the old one. Time for the SOTU fact check:  Cato experts put some of President Obama’s core State of the Union claims to the test. Here’s what they found. Flashback to February 2009: Gene Healy on how “the president talks too much.“ During this year’s SOTU, President Obama criticized the Supreme Court decision in the Citizens United case. Today’s podcast examines the Court’s ruling. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3220511 Thu, 28 Jan 2010 20:44:38 +0100 3220511 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3208342&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F0Oxeqqp1HgI%2F By John SamplesYou might have heard that the Citizens United decision will allow foreign corporations to become involved in American campaigns. You might have heard that from the President, in fact, whose speech decrying the decision said foreign corporations “may now get into the act” of pursuing their “special interests” in American politics. Not true. Justice Kennedy explicitly says the Court did not decide whether Congress has the power to prevent “foreign individuals or associations from influencing our Nation’s political process.” Nothing in Citizens United prevents Congress from prohibiting such political spending by foreign corporations. The Supreme Court might uphold such a law or it might strike it down. The upholding or the striking down... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3208342 Mon, 25 Jan 2010 20:20:11 +0100 3208342 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3204836&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FgvXoHyeZqkM%2F By Thomas FireyThe New York Times editorial board must be baffled by this news story about a few dozen present and former corporate executives appealing to Congress to expand public funding of political campaigns. The appeal comes one day after the Supreme Court re-extended (some) First Amendment rights to corporations in a move the editorial board branded a “blow to democracy” that will lead to corporations “overwhelm[ing] elections and intimidat[ing] elected officials.” But now some corporate executives want to be dispossessed of the keys to the kingdom immediately after SCOTUS returned them — say what? The executives’ appeal makes sense if you’ve read this article by law professor Robert Sitkoff (then of Northwestern, now the John L. Gray Profes... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3204836 Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:59:53 +0100 3204836 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3204838&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FIQdrGUApn48%2F By John SamplesThe Citizens United decision and the talk that has followed imply two different and incompatible ideas of the Constitution. The majority in Citizens United believe that the U.S. Constitution establishes a government of limited and defined powers. They asked: “Does the Constitution give government the power to prohibit speech by corporations (and others)?” The First Amendment indicated the government did not have that power. The critics of the Citizens United decision assume the Constitution created a government of  plenary powers with limited exceptions. They recognize that free speech for individuals is one such exception. But that exception is limited to natural people, not legal constructs. If there is no exception to the plenary power of government, the critics conc... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3204838 Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:29:22 +0100 3204838 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3204839&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F6sxt8e4R7Os%2F By Roger PilonToday, Politico Arena asks: What is it about the word “populist”? (these days) My response: “Populist” (or “populism”), in its American usage, invokes the “common man,” yet the idea’s origins — in ”the people” or “the polis” — can be traced to ancient Greek democracy and, in particular, to political demagoguery.  Both Plato and Aristotle had reservations about democracy as a system of government precisely because it was susceptible to corruption by populist appeals to superstition and error.  In America, populism has had a long and varied history, but it is most often associated with the Populist Party that was formed in 1891 and, in particular, with the fiery speeches of the... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3204839 Mon, 25 Jan 2010 14:51:45 +0100 3204839 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3200418&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Frod6J8rjTXw%2F By Julian SanchezWell, no, because as my liberal friends all seem to be indignantly announcing in the aftermath of the Citizens United ruling, corporations aren’t really people! They’re creatures of statute, and “corporate personhood” is just a convenient legal fiction.  Which is fair enough, but also seems to miss the point rather spectacularly. As a practical matter, it is hard to imagine any constitutional liberty that could not be reduced to a hollow joke if we refused to count as an infringement any regulation that nominally targeted only the corporate mechanism for coordinating its exercise. Having dispensed with the repellent doctrine of corporate personhood, we can happily declare that journalists enjoy full freedom of the press … as long as they don&... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3200418 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 22:25:54 +0100 3200418 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3200419&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FNcsco-nZIUI%2F By Roger PilonPolitico Arena asked a second question today: Will Citizens United alter American campaigns and if so, how? My response: Will Citizens United alter American campaigns?  Probably — and for the good.  Corporations, unions, and their officers will no longer fear criminal prosecution if they run afoul of inscrutable prohibitions on independent political campaign expenditures that not even FEC commissioners understand.  There will be more political speech as a result, and more perspectives on the issues of the day.  That speech will come from all sides — after all, George Soros and Rupert Murdoch are not likely to be saying the same things, and with restraints prior to elections now lifted, differences like those will doubtless be reflected in great variety i... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3200419 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 21:58:34 +0100 3200419 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3200421&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FJjqXzqg9NM4%2F By Ilya ShapiroYesterday, The Hill asked various pundits and politicos to respond to the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling.  The Big Question (as their periodic feature is called) was, “Will corporate money change campaigns?”  You can read my response here. Today, that same newspaper invited me to blog some further thoughts on the Citizens United decision.  Here’s what I wrote: Critics of yesterday’s decision say the sky of American democracy is falling.  Supporters—including myself—say it’s a great day for the republic and a vindication of the freedom of speech.  How can this be?  Are nonprofit think tanks and advocacy groups like my own Cato Institute, the ACLU, the NRA, and many other odd bedfellows who supported Citizens United all in the pock... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3200421 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 20:56:40 +0100 3200421 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3197606&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F6FHHWixFLcc%2F By Timothy B. LeeAs several of my colleagues noted yesterday, the Supreme Court handed down its landmark decision in Citizens United v. FEC. While I regarded the decision as a victory for free speech, a large number of folks on the left — many of whom support free speech in other contexts — were aghast at the decision, arguing that it would vastly enhance the influence of large corporations in the political process. Part of my disagreement with these guys is that I’m just a free speech zealot. The First Amendment says “Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech,” and I don’t see how that language can be squared with a statute that limits the distribution of a political documentary. The best you can say, I think, is that limiting corporate... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3197606 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 13:31:39 +0100 3197606 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3197607&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FlP3mrPh1dws%2F By Jim HarperSecretary of State Hillary Clinton gave a major speech on Internet freedom today. The text has been posted on the State Department web site, and Adam Thierer has a review of it up on the TechLiberationFront blog. As a signal to other governments, it was a good speech. It placed the United States government on the side of freedom movements around the world and extolled how technology empowers them. From a domestic perspective, it was nothing special. References to the liberating power of the Internet were carefully caveated with cautions about online dangers that could justify government intrusion on the Internet. Secretary Clinton was particularly equivocal about online anonymity. The irony, of course, was provided by the breaking news of the day: the Supreme Court’s... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3197607 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 02:38:40 +0100 3197607 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3197611&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fv_PjdAIck80%2F By Chris Moody The back story behind the Citizens United free speech case. (Or if you don’t have time to read about it, this short video clip explains it all.) RomneyCare: Obama’s OTHER Massachusetts problem. Tim Geithner’s lifelong love of bailouts. How substantial and meaningful change can be brought to Haiti. Podcast: “Supreme Court Affirms First Amendment” featuring John Samples. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3197611 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 21:01:32 +0100 3197611 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3197612&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FIHjWO80UZx8%2F By Roger PilonAt Politico Arena, today’s focus is on the Court and campaign finance. My comment: The ink is barely dry on today’s Citizens United opinion, and the hysteria has already begun.  Set aside the misunderstandings we’re seeing in some of the comments here at the Arena — corporations still cannot, for example, contribute directly to campaigns — even some of those who understand the law and this decision would have us believe that the world as we know it is coming to an end.  Thus, the inimitable Rick Hasen, whose knowledge of these issues is second to none, tells us that “today’s Supreme Court opinion marks a very bad day for American democracy.”  And attorneys at NYU’s Brennan Center, which made its reputation promoting... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3197612 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 20:40:03 +0100 3197612 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3197613&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FoUBxLSn8xTQ%2F By John SamplesThe Citizens United decision is barely out, and incumbent members of Congress are vowing to restore restrictions on political speech. Sen. Russell Feingold (D-WI) said: “In the coming weeks, I will work with my colleagues to pass legislation restoring as many of the critical restraints on corporate control of our elections as possible.” In the House of Representatives, Robert Brady, Chairman of the House Administration Committee – the panel responsible for campaign finance regulations – sent out an email that said: “I will be working directly with my colleagues, the Leadership and the White House to study the Court’s decision and to put together a timeline for legislative action that ensures the Court’s decision will not define the ways election... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3197613 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 18:27:56 +0100 3197613 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3193692&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F_TO11YwTO6I%2F By Ilya ShapiroToday the Supreme Court struck a major blow for free speech by correctly holding that government cannot try to “level the political playing field” by banning corporations from making independent campaign expenditures on films, books, or even campaign signs. As Justice Kennedy said in announcing the opinion, “if the First Amendment has any force, it prohibits jailing citizens for engaging in political speech.” While the Court has long upheld campaign finance regulations as a way to prevent corruption in elections, it has also repeated that equalizing speech is never a valid government interest. After all, to make campaign spending equal, the government would have to prevent some people or groups from spending less than they wished. That is directly con... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3193692 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 15:29:51 +0100 3193692 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3015270&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F6xiawI6-at4%2F In a recent Washington Post op-ed, Professor Joseph Gyourko, chair of the Wharton School’s Real Estate Department, lists what he sees as the five biggest myths about homeownership. Given the central role of federal housing policy, particularly Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, in our recent financial crisis, it is worth following Professor Gyourko’s suggestion and question whether a national policy of ownership, all the time for everyone, really makes sense. Professor Gyourko’s five myths: 1.  Housing is a great long-term investment. 2.  The homebuyer tax credit makes buying a house more affordable. 3.  Homeowners are better citizens. 4.  It’s safe to buy a house with a very low downpayment. 5.  Owning is always cheaper than renting. You’ll have to read the op-... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3015270 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:02:41 +0100 3015270 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2939292&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medicaretoday.org%2Fpdfs%2F2009survey.pdf Mary R. Grealy is president of the Healthcare Leadership Council, a coalition of chief executives of the nation’s leading health care companies and organizations.  She is also the author of Prognosis:  A Healthcare Blog which explores the nexus at which healthcare policy meets healthcare practice. If only it were an urban legend that senior citizens in the United States were cutting their physician-prescribed pills in half or ignoring their medications altogether in order to have enough money for food and utilities, but one doesn’t need academic studies to know that this kind of economically-forced non-adherence has too often been the case in our country. After Congress passed the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA), creating the Part D prescription drug program, the Healthcare Leadersh... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2939292 Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:36:07 +0100 2939292 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2862467&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FRj9LnW-2nBo%2F Today is the first Monday in October, and so is First Monday, the traditional start of the Supreme Court term.  The Court already heard one argument – in the Citizens United campaign finance case — but it had been carried over from last year, so it doesn’t really count. In any event, continuing its trend from last term, the Court has further front-loaded its caseload — with nearly 60 arguments on its docket already.  Fortunately, unlike last year, we’ll see many blockbuster cases, including: the application of the Second Amendment to state gun regulations; First Amendment challenges to national park monuments and a statute criminalizing the depiction of animal cruelty; an Eighth Amendment challenge to life sentences for juveniles; a potential revisiting of ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2862467 Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:59:21 +0100 2862467 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2834247&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FXOz1m0T704I%2F The Citizens United case currently before the Supreme Court may radically reshape campaign finance law for years to come. Former FEC commissioner Bradley A. Smith spoke at a forum on the case a day before the rehearing before the high court. According to Smith, who is also the founder of the Center for Competitive Politics,  under current law, the government does have the power to ban certain books  if those books are published by a corporation, as ruled by the Supreme Court in 1990. Watch: (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2834247 Sat, 26 Sep 2009 02:59:01 +0100 2834247 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2834485&cid=t_164047_158_f&fid=36018&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcaregiversbeacon.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F09%2Ftips-for-handicapped-seniors-traveling.html Handicapped seniors find many creative ways to adapt their RV's for accessiblity and safety. Many "age in place" in their RV's, and use their RV's as a main residence, vs. settling down in a house, condo or apartment. 1. Falls on steps are a major cause of hospitalizations for seniors. RV steps are notoriously shakey or wobbly and often have a shallow place to put the foot. They also lack handrails. Often they are steep as well. First priority: get a sturdy, steady set of steps with handrails, or a set of portable ramps. An internet search for RV steps, portable steps, or portable ramps will show you many websites where these are available. 2. Adapt your RV for handicap accessiblity as much as possible by having a carpenter build safer steps inside as well. For instance, many people have ... The Caregiver's Beacon - Resources, Links, Ideas, News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2834485 Fri, 25 Sep 2009 22:09:00 +0100 2834485 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2828182&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FjJGQste2RS8%2F I assume others have pointed this out already, but there’s something very odd about a Tuesday editorial in The New York Times arguing that campaign finance regulations that stifle the political speech of corporations must be upheld in the Citizens United case currently under consideration before the Supreme Court: The question at the heart of one of the biggest Supreme Court cases this year is simple: What constitutional rights should corporations have? To us, as well as many legal scholars, former justices and, indeed, drafters of the Constitution, the answer is that their rights should be quite limited — far less than those of people. In that case, surely it’s time to revisit some of the 20th century’s seminal free speech rulings. The idea that public figures cannot u... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2828182 Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:42:43 +0100 2828182 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2782073&cid=t_164047_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F09%2F10%2Freflections-on-my-birthday%2F Yesterday, I did my civic duty and served on jury duty. It’s a reluctant responsibility many citizens in the U.S. serve, me among them. As luck would have it, I wasn’t called to actually sit on a jury, so Providence must have been shining on me a bit. An early birthday present, if you will. It also reminded me that living in a country such as the United States is a privilege, one that was earned on the backs and lives of millions of Americans who came before me. I am grateful for the opportunity offered me because of what my great grandparents decided to do — to immigrate to America with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Because of their courage, I’m here today, doing what I do. On events like my birthday, I get reflective and appreciative. I have a lot to be ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2782073 Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:53:14 +0100 2782073 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2782012&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FH6_9KADeCQ4%2F I (and several colleagues) have blogged before about Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, the latest campaign finance case, which was argued this morning at the Supreme Court.  The case is about much more than whether a corporation can release a movie about a political candidate during an election campaign.  Indeed, it goes to the very heart of the First Amendment, which was specifically created to protect political speech—the kind most in danger of being censored by politicians looking to limit the appeal of threatening candidates and ideas. After all, hard-hitting political speech is something the First Amendment’s authors experienced firsthand.  They knew very well what they were doing in choosing free and vigorous debate over government-filtered pablum.  Moreove... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2782012 Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:15:01 +0100 2782012 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2774609&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FnYufE6O6ARI%2F My old friend E. J. Dionne of the Washington Post writes that the Citizens United v. FEC rehearing on Wednesday is “A Test Case for Roberts.” Because, you see, Chief Justice John Roberts said in his confirmation hearings that “it is a jolt to the legal system when you overrule a precedent. Precedent plays an important role in promoting stability and evenhandedness. It is not enough — and the court has emphasized this on several occasions — it is not enough that you may think the prior decision was wrongly decided.” Dionne says that if Roberts and the Court overturn the precedents that seem to point to banning a movie with a political agenda because it was produced by a nonprofit corporation, “he will unleash havoc in our political system and great... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2774609 Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:50:58 +0100 2774609 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2774611&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FdF9F9UkzdbI%2F The U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments this week in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.  The case features the Federal Election Commission ruling that for the group Citizens United to run its documentary on Hillary Clinton would violate McCain-Feingold.  The decision was a constitutional travesty, since this is precisely the sort of political speech that constitutes the core of the First Amendment. Theodore B. Olson has given us a taste in the Wall Street Journal of the argument that he will be making before the Court tomorrow: The idea that corporate and union speech is somehow inherently corrupting is nonsense. Most corporations are small businesses, and they have every right to speak out when a candidate threatens the welfare of their employees or shareholders. Time a... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2774611 Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:55:23 +0100 2774611 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2751885&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FDwgvnW8m64Y%2F The Supreme Court is soon to hear a case that may drastically roll back campaign finance regulation in the United States: The case involves “Hillary: The Movie,” a mix of advocacy journalism and political commentary that is a relentlessly negative look at Mrs. Clinton’s character and career. The documentary was made by a conservative advocacy group called Citizens United, which lost a lawsuit against the Federal Election Commission seeking permission to distribute it on a video-on-demand service. The film is available on the Internet and on DVD. The issue was that the McCain-Feingold law bans corporate money being used for electioneering. The right position for the Court is that McCain-Feingold, and all other campaign finance regulation, constitutes unconstitutional limitation on fre... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2751885 Mon, 31 Aug 2009 22:24:51 +0100 2751885 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2712075&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fth4KyZQpDJs%2F The Washington Post offers a brief item this morning on the upcoming Citizens United reargument. Robert Barnes writes, “The court is considering whether to overturn its previous decisions that restrict unions and corporations from using their general treasuries to influence election campaigns.” Actually, a better description of the case would be: the Supreme Court is considering overturning decisions that restrict corporations from using their general treasuries to try to influence election campaigns. In the most important decision at issue, Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce, the latter organization wished to run an advertisement naming a candidate and supporting his views on economic policy. That ad may have convinced some voters. It may have repelled others. Many voters would no... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2712075 Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:44:56 +0100 2712075 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2561215&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FG6UeB8BUL3c%2F As I mentioned yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court surprised many people by ordering a reargument in the case of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. Specifically, the Court called for the parties to the case to address the question of overruling Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce. The Court decided Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce in 1989.  The state of Michigan had prohibited corporations from spending money on electoral speech. In the case in question, the Chamber of Commerce wished to pay for an advertisement backing a candidate for the House of Representatives. The Chamber took this action on its own and not in tandem with the candidate or his party.  Paying for the ad was a felony under Michigan law. A majority of the Court in 1989 said the Michigan law did not v... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2561215 Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:22:12 +0100 2561215 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2556083&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F4BhFk73aBqA%2F The U.S. Supreme Court has decided not to decide in its current term the campaign finance case, Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. Instead, the Court issued an order that the case should be reargued. The parties in the reargument should address the question of whether the Court should overrule two of its earlier decisions. In the Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce, the Court held that state legislatures may prohibit spending by businesses on electoral speech. In McConnell v. Federal Election Commission, the Court validated limitations on electoral speech in McCain-Feingold. The Court could have decided Citizens United on relatively narrow grounds. Instead, it has explicitly drawn into question two of its precedents upholding limitations on political speech. It seems likely... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2556083 Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:43:00 +0100 2556083 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2473570&cid=t_164047_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F06%2F13%2Fhappy-100th-mental-health-america%2F Mental Health America (the singer formerly known as the National Mental Health Association) turned 100 this year, and we’d like to wish them a Happy Birthday. They trace their roots back to 1909 and Clifford W. Beers: We began our work in 1909 when Clifford W. Beers, a young businessman who struggled with a mental illness and shared his story with the world in his autobiography “A Mind That Found Itself,” created a national citizens’ group to promote mental health and improve conditions for children and adults living with these health problems. It was a revolutionary act and attracted prominent national leaders of the time, including the philosopher William James and the Rockefeller family. The modern NMHA organization wasn’t formed until 1950, and in that time has help... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2473570 Sat, 13 Jun 2009 13:10:30 +0100 2473570 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2453083&cid=t_164047_136_f&fid=36162&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmyelomablog.com%2F2009%2F06%2F04%2Fcommunity-oriented-policing-southern-pines-police%2F I had the unique opportunity of attending the Southern Pines Police Citizens Police Academy these past 8 weeks.  We had our last session this evening. This cake was baked and skillfully decorated by one of the other attendees (Barbee). One of the topics for discussion last week was Community Oriented Policing. This is a philosophy defined by the US Department of Justice as promoting “organizational strategies, which support the systematic use of partnerships and problem-solving techniques, to proactively address the immediate conditions that give rise to public safety issues such as crime, social disorder, and fear of crime.” Here’s more information on Community Oriented Policing. If you own a business or live in Southern Pines, sign up for the next Southern Pines Police... beth's myeloma blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2453083 Fri, 05 Jun 2009 02:37:26 +0100 2453083 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2389673&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FObZ8YmPEcuQ%2F The so-called Citizens United case offers the Supreme Court a chance to severely curtail the free speech abuses of the Federal Election Commission. John Samples, Director of the Cato Institute’s Center for Representative Government, Institute for Justice Senior Attorney Steve Simpson and George Mason University law professor Allison Hayward weigh in. You can subscribe to Cato’s YouTube videos here and our Weekly Video podcast here. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2389673 Mon, 04 May 2009 16:27:00 +0100 2389673 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2256042&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D6342 Thank you Selangor for taking steps the Federal Government should have taken. Maternity leave is now 90 days and the health of senior citizens is being looked after: Female civil servants with the Selangor Government are now entitled to 90 days maternity leave starting this year. Announcing this yesterday, Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said the extra days of leave was part of the state’s economic welfare programme. “Husbands whose wives gave birth will also enjoy a 14-day paternity leave, up from a week previously. Female staff whose husbands pass away, will also get 30 days’ leave, compared to three days emergency leave in the past,” he told reporters after presenting appointment letters to more than 6,000 village committee members here yesterday. The Pakatan Rakyat state g... Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2256042 Mon, 09 Mar 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2256042 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2177596&cid=t_164047_137_f&fid=35357&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAlzheimersNotes%2F%7E3%2Fn3u624MSQwY%2F Watch out for your Alzheimer’s family member (and yourself if you’re “senior”) if Obama’s Stimulus Bill sneaks through in its current form.   Deep within the multiple pages of the bill is a provision for a collecting one’s medical records on a national data base and appointing health care coordinators who will “approve” your care and perscriptions.  As ultimately planned, your doctor will have to get permission for your treatment, possibly by someone not medically trained but only looking at the bottom dollar or cost effectiveness:  Is the cost of treating this person (you or your Alzheimer’s family member) economically worthwhile, considering age, life expectency and contribution or drain upon society? Will this person be a prod... Alzheimer's Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2177596 Wed, 11 Feb 2009 15:19:22 +0100 2177596 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2144591&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D6004 Got this startling info in the email. Here’s why : senior citizens suffer the indignity of Hearing aids Band aids Roll aids Walking aids Medical aids Government aids Most of all, monetary aid to their kids! Not forgetting HIV (Hair is Vanishing) from the Malaysian Medical Resources Senior citizens are the nation’s leading carriers of aids! (Source: Malaysian Medical Resources) Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2144591 Wed, 28 Jan 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2144591 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1709718&cid=t_164047_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F365651139%2F This is a new twist on summer reading. Now that the key parties have filed their briefs with the US Supreme Court, which will review a case involving Wyeth on November 3, a host of interested parties - including 47 state attorneys general, former FDA commissioners, members of Congress, constitutional experts and editors of The New England Journal of Medicine - have just filed their own briefs arguing against preemption. What is all the fuss about? The background: During an emergency room hospital visit, Diana Levine was given a Wyeth nausea med called Phenergan, which was administered improperly and caused the Vermont musician to lose her right arm below the elbow. She successfully argued that, even though labeling complied with FDA requirements, the adequacy of the warning still wasn’t ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1709718 Fri, 15 Aug 2008 23:42:31 +0100 1709718 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1261600&cid=t_164047_87_f&fid=34595&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnhsblogdoc.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F02%2Fbiased-bbc-and-citizens-advice.html A characteristic bit of BBC headline grabbing mendacity today.Call for free NHS prescriptionsFree prescriptions should be introduced in England as thousands of people are not collecting medicines because of cost, Citizens Advice has said. (BBC)Take a look here at what Citizens Advice actually say. Sadly, nothing about missing apostrophes, but I digress. They do not suggest that free prescriptions for all should be introduced. They do say that the current system of exemptions is a mess, and they are right. They do say - and give some poignant examples – that the Gordonian Knot of tax benefits, tax credits and exemptions mean that some people on low incomes are not exempt from charges when they clearly should be.“It is simply unacceptable that people are still failing to collect prescrip... NHS Blog Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1261600 Wed, 27 Feb 2008 10:27:00 +0100 1261600 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1169851&cid=t_164047_137_f&fid=35357&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAlzheimersNotes%2F%7E3%2F221389253%2F Since I wrote about the possibility of mandatory memory tests for seniors over a specific age (65 was mentioned) to determine a possibility of Alzheimer’s in Should All Seniors Be Tested for Alzheimer’s, I’ve seen more articles about the topic, like Memory tests raise concerns.  Pickett [the woman mentioned in the article] is part of a growing national debate about whether older adults should be tested routinely for memory loss.  This makes me wonder if society isn’t being programed for the idea that senior citizens should have memory tests.  If an idea is mentioned enough, the public becomes conditioned to accept it.   Is this what is happening to memory tests for seniors, with the idea thrown in that these tests become mandatory? Yes, some people will f... Alzheimer's Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1169851 Wed, 23 Jan 2008 04:51:44 +0100 1169851 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1147254&cid=t_164047_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F01%2F13%2Fold-in-massachusetts-say-goodbye-to-your-freedom%2F In a horrible abuse of the law, lawyers, doctors, judges and social workers in Massachusetts regularly commit senior citizens who have no family or friends to nursing homes. Judges rubber-stamp the process in 2 minute hearings, often without asking the senior a single question before taking away their freedom. Think I’m exaggerating? I wish. Today’s Boston Globe has the Page 1 story, Courts strip elders of their independence, with an accompanying photo of a woman who has to wear an ankle monitoring bracelet. You know, the same type they put on criminals who are under house arrest or probation. The reasons for the involuntary guardianship of seniors in Massachusetts usually comes down to a question of mental competence. Doctors sign off on the person’s mental state, oft... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1147254 Sun, 13 Jan 2008 15:09:36 +0100 1147254 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1121783&cid=t_164047_137_f&fid=35357&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAlzheimersNotes%2F%7E3%2F208258198%2F Alzheimer’sNotes.com  By most standards, I’d be categorized a “senior.”  As I wrote the previous post, Should All Seniors Be Tested for Alzheimer’s?, I began thinking about how this would affect me personally,   I asked for others to share their thoughts.  So I’ll begin: Do I want to be tested?  More specifically, do I want someone to say, “You MUST be tested for Alzheimer’s or your likeliness of acquiring it?” Because my aunt and mother had Alzheimer’s disease, someone could say, “You’re more likely to get it.  So in that case, you MUST be tested.”  Or they simply might consider it a good idea to be tested. I don’t want someone to say I MUST if I’m not showing any indication that I’m... Alzheimer's Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1121783 Sun, 30 Dec 2007 00:55:33 +0100 1121783 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=567002&cid=t_164047_137_f&fid=35357&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAlzheimersNotes%2F%7E3%2F111642216%2F Discussion in this article presents many pros and cons of these monitoring devices for the elderly and dementia afflicted (Source: Alzheimer's Notes) Alzheimer's Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=567002 Tue, 24 Apr 2007 18:53:51 +0100 567002