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 'funds'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:01:24 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5062226&cid=t_109506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FFGsoGrS2IEA%2F I’ve argued that the Dodd-Frank financial reform bill does not end “too-big-to-fail”, that is the belief that certain companies are implicitly backed by the government because policy-makers are unlikely to let said institutions actually fail. By naming some companies as ”systemically important” — as required by Dodd-Frank — the government is actually sending a signal as to who is likely to be bailed out. As evidenced by regulators’ behavior during the financial crisis, the prime beneficiaries would be the creditors of these companies, as even when shareholders and management suffered, creditors generally did not. This should allow such firms to borrow at a cost lower than firms not deemed systemically important. Given this funding... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5062226 Mon, 25 Jul 2011 12:53:37 +0100 5062226 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5036234&cid=t_109506_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fbudget-cuts-and-their-potential-complications-for-family-medicine%2F2011.07.16 Every day in the news, you hear about the United States federal budget and the potential political complications if something is done or if nothing is done. And every day in the news you hear about possible cuts in Medicare. What you don’t know is that some cuts in Medicare can significantly impact the training of future Family Physicians. What do I mean by this? Well, did you know that residency programs are paid Medicare funds (called Graduate Medical Education funds) going to hospitals? Check out this great article about how residency programs are funded. So, let’s play this out with its potential complications for Family Medicine. If GME funds are cut as they are proposed, then many hospitals with only one residency program (usually a Family Medicine program), may be forced... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5036234 Sat, 16 Jul 2011 16:00:45 +0100 5036234 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028157&cid=t_109506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F0mz-qkeeVw4%2F By Gene HealyMy Washington Examiner column this week is on the final flight of the Space Shuttle, and what looks to be the withering away of the manned space program. In 2004, President Bush announced plans for a moonbase and an eventual Mars mission. But last year President Obama effectively cancelled the moonbase, and has exhibited little desire to liberate Mars. That’s good news, I argue: “We are retiring the shuttle in favor of nothing,” Michael Griffin, Bush’s NASA administrator, wailed to the Washington Post recently. Here, as usual, “nothing” gets a bad rap. I’ll be “in favor of nothing” until the advocates of federally funded spaceflight can come up with an argument for it that doesn’t make me spray coffee out my nose. NAS... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028157 Tue, 12 Jul 2011 20:36:37 +0100 5028157 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975836&cid=t_109506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FSPKxQcM8ajk%2F By Ilya ShapiroWith its last opinion on the last day of the term, the Supreme Court brought things back to constitutional basics by striking down a state law that punished political speech. Whatever the motivations behind Arizona’s so-called Clean Elections Act, giving a publicly funded candidate more taxpayer-provided money every time his privately funded opponent—or his supporters—have “spoken too much” clearly chills speech. In elections, where there is no effective speech without spending money, matching funds provisions triggered by speech fail First Amendment scrutiny. And this result should’ve been obvious to the entire Court, not just a five-justice majority, in the wake of the Davis v. FEC “Millionaires’ Amendment” case from 2008. Davis struck down the part of Mc... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975836 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 16:54:47 +0100 4975836 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4952807&cid=t_109506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FwsPZxFTvNJQ%2F By Steve H. HankeThe rate of broad money growth (M3) in the United States is weak (see the accompanying chart).  The ultra-low federal funds rate (0.25%) has acted to keep a lid on broad money growth and, in turn, economic activity.  Yes, “low” interest rates imposed by the Fed are contributing to a credit crunch and anemic money growth.  But, wait.  This is counter-intuitive.  And if that’s not enough, it’s not what the textbooks tell us, either. While the Fed has pumped huge quantities of so-called high powered money into the economy, the U.S. is paradoxically facing a credit crunch.  Banks have utilized their liquidity to pile up cash and accumulate government bonds and securities.  In contrast, bank loans have actually decreased since May 2008.  And since credit is a s... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4952807 Mon, 20 Jun 2011 00:45:07 +0100 4952807 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4846344&cid=t_109506_46_f&fid=38794&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmsf.ca%2Fblogs%2Fjamesm%2F2011%2F05%2Fmsf%25e2%2580%2599d%2F i am, and that’s the way it is. last saturday night, we stood in a puddle around stacked soda crates, a goat sizzling over coals beside us, when the three, buzzed-out speakers in the canteen started to play this song and the same dozen cast of characters that i share my hospital days and compound nights with drifted to the tent, and danced, grinning, mud between their bare toes. soon, it was only me and one of the departing three for whom the party was held leaning on the red cubes of coca-cola, and we agreed that there was no club in new york city that was better than this one, none where you could dance so sincerely, freed completely from the fear that there might be another, better way to spend your time. this afternoon, i tried to walk from my outpatient clinic to the ward, and was... MSF Blogs blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4846344 Thu, 19 May 2011 08:48:47 +0100 4846344 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841440&cid=t_109506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FtYpomVeivos%2F By Tad DeHavenA year-long investigation by the Washington Post into the Department of Housing & Urban Development’s HOME affordable housing program uncovered systemic waste, fraud, and abuse. The tale is yet another example of why the federal government should extricate itself from housing policy and allow the states to chart their own course. The piece is lengthy and should be read by interested readers in its entirety, so I’ll just excerpt the Post’s findings: Local housing agencies have doled out millions to troubled developers, including novice builders, fledgling nonprofits and groups accused of fraud or delivering shoddy work. Checks were cut even when projects were still on the drawing boards, without land, financing or permits to move forward. In at least 55 cases, dev... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841440 Tue, 17 May 2011 18:07:26 +0100 4841440 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4377789&cid=t_109506_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FaVe4cHW2HSM%2F In a move that some may consider long overdue, more than a dozen of the most prestigious medical journals will consider requiring doctors who submit studies to disclose any payments received from hedge funds and other large investors. The proposal is expected to be discussed at the next annual meeting of The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, which is scheduled for June, according to a spokeswoman for the New England Journal of Medicine. The possibility follows ongoing concerns about conflicts of interest between researchers and the pharmaceutical industry and the extent to which undisclosed financial relationships may unduly influence medical research and, from there, medical practice. But the issue is also encompassing financial ties to large investors, given the growing... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4377789 Thu, 20 Jan 2011 15:21:05 +0100 4377789 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4318547&cid=t_109506_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fgi-3YqGN11Q%2F Those big payouts given pharma whistleblowers have attracted a new sort of attention - hedge funds. To wit, one fund manager believes these cases are attractive investment opportunities, given the huge sums that drugmakers have been paying the US Treasury to settle charges of off-label marketing and, more recently, manufacturing fraud (see this about GlaxoSmithKline). “The investment community is already looking at those kinds of opportunities,” David Desser, managing director of Juris Capital, a hedge fund that specializes in litigation finance, tells the the Royal Society of Chemistry’s ChemWorld. Essentially, this is a new class of assets that can be monetized and by, essentially, underwriting the whistleblower during the process, funds may receive big cuts. Here&#8217... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4318547 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 13:51:35 +0100 4318547 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4214080&cid=t_109506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FxdKCm7gj4bw%2F By Ilya ShapiroToday, the Supreme Court agreed to review McComish v. Bennett (consolidated with Arizona Free Enterprise v. Bennett), which challenges Arizona’s public financing of elections as an unconstitutional abridgment of speech. Because the case concerns a crucial new battleground in the fight between free speech and “fair” (read: government-controlled) elections, Cato filed an amicus brief supporting the cert petitions filed by our friends at Goldwater Institute and the Institute for Justice. McComish centers on Arizona’s “Clean Elections” Act, which provides matching funds to publicly funded candidates if their privately funded opponent spends above certain limits. In other words, by ensuring that his speech will not go “unmatched” by his opponen... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4214080 Mon, 29 Nov 2010 20:40:14 +0100 4214080 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4139479&cid=t_109506_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FtplnNqFKIZU%2F Nearly four years after raising a big stink - and filing a group of $4.6 billion lawsuits - over allegations that research analysts and hedge funds conspired to drive down its stock price, Biovail has finally given up. The white flag was raised, however, only after a recent merger with Valeant Pharmaceuticls that ushered in new management and a new way of viewing a dispute that generated significant publicity and aggravation, but not much else. And so Valeant has agreed to pay $10 million to SAC Capital Advisors to reimburse the hedge fund for the cost of defending two earlier actions filed by Biovail and its shareholders. Both suits against SAC, which is run by billionaire investor Steven Cohen, were dismissed. Moreover, the drugmaker has issued an apology, a rather rare omission, given t... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4139479 Fri, 05 Nov 2010 13:41:00 +0100 4139479 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4118895&cid=t_109506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FE8tqzwdmNwM%2F By Tad DeHavenVice President Joe Biden is an affable fellow, which sometimes makes his tendency to exaggerate the truth somewhat amusing. However, Biden’s latest tall tale is as unamusing as it is wrong. From the New York Daily News: “Every single great idea that has marked the 21st century, the 20th century and the 19th century has required government vision and government incentive,” he said. “In the middle of the Civil War you had a guy named Lincoln paying people $16,000 for every 40 miles of track they laid across the continental United States. … No private enterprise would have done that for another 35 years.” I’ll go straight to the 19th century railroads issue by referencing the work of two Cato scholars who probably know a little bit more about the topic than Joe Bid... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4118895 Wed, 27 Oct 2010 19:53:20 +0100 4118895 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4013146&cid=t_109506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FH6U5zwCeVMo%2F By Mark A. CalabriaA common defense offered for keeping Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, or something like them, is that the market simply cannot absorb the same level of mortgage lending without them.  The central flaw in this argument is that Fannie and Freddie themselves must be funded by the market.  So if the financial markets can absorb X in GSE debt, then the financial markets can absorb X in mortgages. Different market participants currently face different capital requirements for the same assets.  To some extent, Fannie and Freddie were a vehicle for shifting mortgage risk from higher capitalized institutions to less capitalized.  If the Obama administration and bank regulators are serious about closing “regulatory gaps” then all entities backed by the govt, implicit o... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4013146 Tue, 28 Sep 2010 18:21:31 +0100 4013146 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3714158&cid=t_109506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FokgkHJ5mJkA%2F By Juan Carlos HidalgoLa Nación of Argentina reports today [in Spanish] that—shocker!—the Argentine government used funds from the nationalized pension funds to finance its current spending. Let’s remember that over a year and a half ago, the administration of Cristina Fernández announced the nationalization of the private pension funds—$30 billion worth of assets—under the claim that the international financial crisis threatened to wash away the retirement savings of Argentine workers. However, it was clear from the beginning what the government’s real intentions were, especially since a surtax imposed on farmers had just been repealed by the courts and defeated in Congress. Even Argentina’s populist hero, Juan Domingo Perón, warned 35 years earlier about a similar move f... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3714158 Wed, 30 Jun 2010 20:44:58 +0100 3714158 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3416085&cid=t_109506_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F03%2F29%2Fam-i-normal%2F This is a common theme I hear echoed from a lot of people I meet. “Am I normal?” “I can’t wait to feel more normal again.” “Must be nice being so normal…” The problem is, I don’t know what normal is. I suppose for some of the people, they mean “without the symptoms of my disorder.” That makes sense, especially as some symptoms of some disorders can be pretty severe and debilitating toward living their everyday life. But then I realize that even people without a diagnosed condition still don’t often feel “normal.” We live our lives, we have our stresses, we hate our bosses or the 9-to-5 routine, we get into arguments with our significant others. Is this “normal?” Some days you don’t know... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3416085 Mon, 29 Mar 2010 11:52:02 +0100 3416085 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3366180&cid=t_109506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FGsheUxAwmCM%2F By Michael F. CannonThe House leadership plans to hold a vote, more or less, on the Senate health care bill this week.  President Obama says he wants to “ge[t] rid of many of the provisions that had no place in health care reform — provisions that were more about winning individual votes…than improving health care.”  White House spokesman Robert Gibbs says Democrats will “take the pot-sweetening out of the process.”  Yet Democrats have decided to retain the Senate bill’s $300 million subsidy for the state of Louisiana, commonly known as the “Louisiana Purchase,” and other state-specific bribes pot-sweeteners. On ABC News’s This Week yesterday, Obama advisor David Axelrod argued that the “Louisiana Purchase” is not targeted sole... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3366180 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:21:14 +0100 3366180 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3262595&cid=t_109506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FFiR9DbyeQCY%2F By Neal McCluskeyAs I have explained on numerous occasions, supporters of the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA) – which would end federal guaranteed student loans, turn everything into lending direct from Uncle Sam, and spend the resulting savings and way much more — have often shamelessly promoted the bill as a boon to taxpayers when it will almost certainly cost them tens-of-billions.  Where they have generally been right is in rebutting criticisms that SAFRA would be a federal takeover of a private industry. With lender profits all but assured under federal guaranteed lending, the vast majority of student loans haven’t been truly private for decades. Unfortunately, SAFRA advocates are just as clueless — or, more likely, rhetorically unbridle... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3262595 Wed, 10 Feb 2010 18:08:23 +0100 3262595 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3208338&cid=t_109506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FwzAaxvNTATM%2F By Andrew J. CoulsonLast fall, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated a lawsuit against Arizona’s K-12 scholarship donation tax credit program. Under the program, citizens can donate to non-profit organizations that help families pay for private school tuition, and in return, the donors receive a dollar-for-dollar tax cut. The 9th Circuit, ruled that the program violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, because many taxpayers choose to donate to religious scholarship-granting organizations whose scholarships are only usable at religious schools. This, in the Court’s view, meant that the program unconstitutionally favored religious scholarship-seeking parents over secular ones. Supporters of the program will soon be appealing this decision to the U.S. Supre... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3208338 Tue, 26 Jan 2010 13:31:48 +0100 3208338 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2871569&cid=t_109506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FKDHROFXSlhw%2F Further to Ilya Shapiro’s post this morning, let me also point you to a concise chronology of events culminating in the government’s robbery of Chrysler creditors. The story is that of Richard Mourdock, Treasurer of the State of Indiana and the man responsible for stewardship of the state’s pension funds, some of which were victimized by the Obama administration’s pre-packaged and then forced-fed bankruptcy deal for Chrysler. I strongly urge you to read Mr. Mourdock’s testimony, which is at once revealing, sobering, compelling and, regrettably, a frightening sign of the times. Mourdock will be speaking on this very topic at Cato, along with bankruptcy law expert David Skeel, on Thursday, October 15 at noon. Reserve your seat now. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2871569 Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:08:38 +0100 2871569 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2737696&cid=t_109506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FyPNJcGHYRgM%2F A Bloomberg story on one cause of the ongoing British economic disaster under Prime Minister Gordon Brown: Andrew Wesbecher moved to London from New York in 2006 to sell software to banks and hedge funds. This month he joined the exodus of American expatriates fleeing high taxes and the city’s shrinking financial industry . . . Americans are heading home as Britain plans a 50 percent tax rate for those who earn more than 150,000 pounds ($248,000) a year and employers cut benefits for workers living abroad, reducing the allure of London. That comes a year after the U.K. said foreigners who have lived in the country for more than seven years must pay 30,000 pounds annually or give up the special status that shields overseas income from British taxes. Since the 1980s, London has boomed as a... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2737696 Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:30:19 +0100 2737696 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2653669&cid=t_109506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FgXFYSxav4ZQ%2F While banks such as Goldman and J.P. Morgan have managed to find a way to re-pay the capital injections made under the TARP bailout, their reliance on public subsidies is far from over. The federal government, via a debt guarantee program run by the FDIC, is still putting considerable taxpayer funds at risk on behalf of the banking industry.  The Wall Street Journal estimates that banks participating in the FDIC debt guarantee program will save about $24 billion in reduced borrowing costs of the next three years. The Journal estimates that Goldman alone will save over $2 billion on its borrowing costs due to the FDIC’s guarantees. One of the conditions imposed by the Treasury department for allowing banks to leave the TARP was that such banks be able to issue debt not guaranteed�... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2653669 Wed, 29 Jul 2009 18:48:54 +0100 2653669 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2653671&cid=t_109506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FqluhO8I2kB0%2F It’s not often that I can transition from my education beat to other hot topics, but an Inside Higher Ed story on colleges’ health-care benefits includes this little nugget: One trend documented in the survey that may concern many employees is the increase in “consumer driven” health insurance plans by colleges. These typically involve employees setting up tax-free accounts to pay for some care, and then high deductibles for major medical expenses. This year, 17 percent of colleges were offering the plans, up from 11 percent two years ago. So what’s so terrible about “consumer driven” health care, which from the article sounds like health savings accounts ? The story doesn’t say — nor does it give any details on who puts the money into... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2653671 Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:31:12 +0100 2653671 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2648969&cid=t_109506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FBD5--XR6c8s%2F As covered in both today’s Wall Street Journal and Washington Post, the Obama administration has called 25 of the largest mortgage servicing companies to Washington to try to figure out why the Obama efforts to stem foreclosures has been a failure. The reason such efforts, as well as those of the Bush Administration and the FDIC, have been a failure is that such efforts have grossly misdiagnosed the causes of mortgage defaults.  An implicit assumption behind former Treasury Secretary Paulson’s HOPE NOW, FDIC Chair Sheila Bair’s IndyMac model, and the Obama Administration’s current foreclosure efforts is that the current wave of foreclosures is almost exclusively the result of predatory lending practices and “exploding” adjustable rate mortgages, where l... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2648969 Tue, 28 Jul 2009 16:04:22 +0100 2648969 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2634350&cid=t_109506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FwuzaidfTLyY%2F There’s lots of outrage in the blogosphere over revelations that some of the biggest recipients of the federal government’s $700 billion TARP bailout have been spending money on lobbyists. Good point. It’s bad enough to have our tax money taken and given to banks whose mistakes should have caused them to fail. It’s adding insult to injury when they use our money — or some “other” money; money is fungible — to lobby our representatives in Congress, perhaps for even more money. Get taxpayers’ money, hire lobbyists, get more taxpayers’ money. Nice work if you can get it. But the outrage about the banks’ lobbying is a bit late. As far back as 1985, Cato published a book, Destroying Democracy: How Government Funds Partisan Polit... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2634350 Thu, 23 Jul 2009 12:37:08 +0100 2634350 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2601957&cid=t_109506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F75_IBe4sEn8%2F Fox News recently reported about how Oregon’s government-run health system gives people advice on how to kill themselves. The statist system in the United Kingdom has a different approach, relying instead on people dying as they languish on waiting lists. But the bureaucrats across the pond are not a bunch of joyless robots. They managed to divert some of their budget to produce leaflets telling kids about the cardiovascular benefits of orgasms. The Telegraph reports on this innovative use of taxpayer funds: NHS guidance is advising school pupils that they have a “right” to an enjoyable sex life and that regular sex can be good for their cardiovascular health. The advice appears in leaflets circulated to parents, teachers and youth workers and is meant to update sex educa... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2601957 Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:47:35 +0100 2601957 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2598196&cid=t_109506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FmU7eq3nB1Us%2F Jeffrey A. Miron explains in Reason why a government bail-out of most everyone was neither the only option nor the best option: When people try to pin the blame for the financial crisis on the introduction of derivatives, or the increase in securitization, or the failure of ratings agencies, it’s important to remember that the magnitude of both boom and bust was increased exponentially because of the notion in the back of everyone’s mind that if things went badly, the government would bail us out. And in fact, that is what the federal government has done. But before critiquing this series of interventions, perhaps we should ask what the alternative was. Lots of people talk as if there was no option other than bailing out financial institutions. But you always have a choice. You may not... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2598196 Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:42:45 +0100 2598196 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2570377&cid=t_109506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FQSNrgT7mcy8%2F Yesterday, the SEC repealed a long-standing rule which allowed brokers to vote shares on behalf of their investors, unless they obtained written directions from each individual investors.  While investors have long been able to direct the voting of their shares, many do not take the time to.  In these cases, the brokers vote those shares, after all they are the agents of the investors and are hired to act on their behalf. The direct effect of the rule will be to reduce the voting weight of retail investors, as represented by their brokers.  In voting against the rule, SEC Commissioner Kathy Casey raised the point that the rule would skew voting toward large institutional investors and away from little retail investors. What did the large institutions investors have to say?  As reported... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2570377 Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:52:31 +0100 2570377 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2510194&cid=t_109506_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F06%2F22%2Fat-our-bodies-our-blog-medical-education-activism-funds-and-abortion%2F Last week at Our Bodies Our Blog, I posted on the role of medical education in preserving abortion access, including links to organizations working to provide medical students and residents with access to abortion training. Be sure to check out the comments, as an additional organization’s work is detailed there. OBOS communications and marketing manager Wendy Brovold also has a post, describing her experience at this year’s National Network of Abortion Funds Organizing Summit, including the reaction to a bomb threat and other news from the event. Posted in Abortion, Access, Rights, & Choice, Events & Observances (Source: Women's Health News) Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2510194 Mon, 22 Jun 2009 12:49:51 +0100 2510194 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2464092&cid=t_109506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FCVvwJhEwa5c%2F While the majority of Chrysler’s senior creditors sacrificed their fiduciary duties and caved into political pressure in accepting the Obama Administration’s pre-packaged bankruptcy of Chrysler, a small group of state pension funds in Indiana has challenged the Obama plan and is asking the Supreme Court to review said plan. As in the 1930s, the protection of contractual rights, one of the most basic pillars of a free society, along with the rule of law, is now in the hands of the Supreme Court. As discussed in today’s Washington Post, these pension funds believe their rights were infringed by the Administration’s placing of junior creditors in a preferred situation to senior creditors. It doesn’t take Ms. Manners to remind us that cutting in line, whether in traffic, at the g... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2464092 Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:22:23 +0100 2464092 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2356878&cid=t_109506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FtgyCtikjnIU%2F Last month, I warned that the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals would soon be handing the school choice movement a legal setback. Well, it’s here. As expected, the 9th Circuit has reinstated a lower court challenge to Arizona’s scholarship donation tax credit program. The program allows taxpayers to contribute to non-profit Scholarship Tuition Organizations (STOs) that provide financial assistance to families choosing private schools. The taxpayers can then claim a dollar for dollar credit for their donation. While this ruling leaves the program intact for the time being, it would almost surely require the tax credit program to be amended if it is allowed to stand. Fortunately, as I noted in my earlier post, the 9th Circuit is overturned as often as a caber at the Highland Games.... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2356878 Wed, 22 Apr 2009 06:04:28 +0100 2356878 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2347941&cid=t_109506_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F04%2Fhedge-fund-u-version-2.html We have posted frequently on the governance and leadership of academic medical organizations. While one would think that health care organizations, and especially academic health care organizations ought to be held to a particularly high standard of governance, we have noted how their governance is often unrepresentative of key constituencies, opaque, unaccountable, unsupportive of the academic and health care mission, and not subject to codes of ethics. How the governance of organizations with such exemplary missions and sterling repuations got this way has been unclear.In 2007, we reported on one famous institution which had a more representative, transparent, and accountable form of governance. Let me provide a summary of the background from FIRE, the Foundation for Individual Rights in... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2347941 Mon, 13 Apr 2009 18:18:00 +0100 2347941 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2347944&cid=t_109506_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F04%2Fhedge-fund-u.html We previously posted about how the Bernie Madoff scandal shed light on problems in the governance and leadership of one major university (which includes a well-known medical school). Yeshiva University, which includes the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, reportedly lost more than $11o million of its investments with Madoff. Not only was Madoff on the university's board of trustees, but also the chairman of the board's investment committee was hedge fund leader Ezra Merkin. Merkin invested the university's money in his own hedge funds, which, in turn, turned over the money to Madoff.This week, Merkin, who like Madoff has left the Yeshiva board, was charged with civil fraud. As reported by the Wall Street Journal,J. Ezra Merkin, a money manager who funneled $2.4 billion from universities... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2347944 Thu, 09 Apr 2009 18:59:00 +0100 2347944 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2306876&cid=t_109506_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D6634 Perhaps it’s high time that our local watchdogs scrutinise the bills of our politicians when they make claims on their travel expenses. You might have read of the Richard Timney affair in UK where the husband of the Home Secretary made a claim for a TV bill that included two adult films. I guess our politicians are above board, I am sure “adult films” would not be claimed as hotel expenses. They certainly won’t misuse public funds this way. But if anyone is caught, you know, someone is saying What porn is really for After years of watching late-night porn in anonymous hotel rooms - for research purposes - its purpose is clear, says Clive James. To keep one’s mind off sex while one’s partner is absent. Yup. You got it. The purpose is to stay faithful and ... Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2306876 Sun, 05 Apr 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2306876 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2306979&cid=t_109506_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F03%2Fhedging-future-of-fda.html A little while ago, we discussed the Obama administration's nomination for Commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Dr Margaret Hamburg, focused on her current position as a director of Henry Schein Inc, a large distributor of medical products, including drugs and devices. There is another aspect of her nomination worthy of discussion, but which has not been publicly discussed. It has appeared almost as a footnote in a few reports of her nomination. For example, at the end of an article in the Chicago Tribune,Hamburg is married to Peter Fitzhugh Brown, an artificial intelligence expert who is executive vice president and director of Renaissance Technologies, a privately owned hedge fund. In this time of financial meltdown, hedge funds are more frequently mentioned in the ... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2306979 Mon, 30 Mar 2009 19:07:00 +0100 2306979 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2263807&cid=t_109506_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FWetJSy8cfn8%2F The decision by the Arizona court of Appeals today upholding the constitutionality of the business tax credit program should put to bed once and for all these frivolous lawsuits against tax credits. Opponents are wasting their money. Education tax credits are taxpayer funds and therefore cannot run afoul of state constitutional provisions regarding the use of government funds. It really is just that simple. Some school choice supporters have given up on vouchers because of recent disappointments and think that means the end for private school choice. They forget the most successful school choice policy in recent years is education tax credits. Not only have tax credit programs been passed and expanded with regularity (GA just passed a $50 million, universal program last year), education ta... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2263807 Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:28:33 +0100 2263807 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2205278&cid=t_109506_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F4dINQeqvWN8%2F I don’t know about the people working at the NIH, but I was giddy about the NIH funding from Obama’s stimulus plan. Anyone who has worked at the institute knows how each dollar from the taxpayers is stretched to accomplish lofty goals for better health and innovative research. So it’s no surprise that the $10.4 billion funding is met with anticipation and excitement, and questions about how exactly will the funds be disbursed. Acting Director Raynard Kington answered that question in a statement this week - NIH will fund applications that are already on hand and expected to make progress in the next few years. Applications that have been judged for merit but did not receive awards last year due to lack of funds will finally get thei due this year. NIH will focus on preserving and... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2205278 Sun, 22 Feb 2009 08:42:54 +0100 2205278 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2167710&cid=t_109506_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FBMAUEKAU-uQ%2F The new US Congress is quite busy this week with our (hopeful) economic package and new laws that need voting. Amendments are being changed left and right, but there are several laws that scientists might take particular interest in.   Senate passed an amendment increasing National Institutes of Health funds by additional $6.5 billion, on top of the $3.5 billion already included in the bill. What this means for the NIH: more opportunities for research, funding for grants, and new jobs created for scientists and staff. The House re-opened the debate limiting the open-access policy of the NIH. The current NIH policy requires all NIH-funded investigators to submit versions of their manuscript to public databases within a year of publication. The current debate is whether open-access neg... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2167710 Fri, 06 Feb 2009 11:07:22 +0100 2167710 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1907584&cid=t_109506_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F10%2F25%2Fwhat-to-do-in-an-economic-crisis%2F First, don’t panic. The cause of many people’s angst and misery during an economic crisis is surely money-related, but we also multiply it by worrying unnecessarily. Worry won’t change the situation, nor bring back any money you may have lost. In fact, worry can make matters worse, increasing your stress level and causing anxiety (which in turn causes irrational thinking and can lead to poor decision-making). So the last thing you want to do is panic. Second, look at the big, long-term picture. Yes, I know that’s easier said than done, but most people’s losses are in their 401(k) retirement funds. These are long-term funds meant to weather the occasional stock market storm. So even if you’ve lost a quarter or half of your retirement savings in the pa... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1907584 Sun, 26 Oct 2008 00:38:44 +0100 1907584 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1806165&cid=t_109506_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Frelief-for-dentists-affected-by-hurricane-ike%2F September 13, almost a month to the day before the ADA’s annual session in San Antonio (October 16-19), Hurricane Ike wreaked havoc on Galveston Island and Crystal Beach. The storm was officially ranked a category two, though wind of one more mile per hour would have changed the status to a category three. According to the ADA, about 3400 ADA members’ homes and businesses are in the 12-county region where Ike blew through. Of these members, 200 live or work in what is now a disaster area. Assistance Programs The ADA Foundation approved grants up to $2500 per dental professional and organizations that will provide dental services in the area. Henry Schein also set up a hotline for physicians, doctors, healthcare facilities, and veterinarians in need of help. The number is 1-800... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1806165 Thu, 18 Sep 2008 13:45:00 +0100 1806165 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1537899&cid=t_109506_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F06%2F23%2Fthe-politics-of-mental-illness-in-america%2F The liberal-leaning The American Prospect has an in-depth look at the politics of mental illness in a stand-alone supplement in the summer double issue of the magazine. And it’s a doozy. “When you go to the hospital with a physical illness, people send flowers,” writes Elyn Saks. “When you go to a mental hospital with a mental illness, they don’t.” Saks, a legal scholar and professor at the University of Southern California, documented her own lifelong struggle with mental illness in a powerful memoir, The Center Cannot Hold (2007). She is one of eleven authors from a range of academic, journalistic, medical, and advocacy backgrounds who tackle issues extending from the bioethical questions raised by cutting-edge technologies that can ‘read’ abnormalities in our br... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1537899 Mon, 23 Jun 2008 20:40:19 +0100 1537899 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1126230&cid=t_109506_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F209975169%2F I’ve referred more than once to Charlie’s liking for all things polarfleece, and soft, and fast-drying, and machine-washable. (Well, the last two refer to my preferences for his clothes and numerous blankets.) Soft (clothing for all children) is a new line of “inclusive clothing” to be launched in December 2008; it is “designed with the needs of all children in mind, including those with Autism, Sensory Processing Disorder, and a range of sensory sensitivity.” The company uses “flat seaming for extra comfort, 100% of the softest combed cotton, wide collars, printed labels, custom fits, and much much more.” Soft (clothing for all children) is a start-up company founded by a Brooklyn educator, Jessica Elsas: Go here to read About.com’s po... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1126230 Wed, 02 Jan 2008 16:30:02 +0100 1126230 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1045993&cid=t_109506_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F189060673%2Fhow_come_thats_idiots_rich_and.html Today I discovered the exact opposite of the Hebbian Learner in Robert Shemin – who wrote the book … How Come That Idiot’s Rich and I’m Not? Robert first caught my eye, because it's Thanksgiving,  and he gives thanks daily for blessings such as friends … family … heath … and freedom! No wonder he wins! There’s more too. Multi-millionaire … Shemin challenges people to stop living paycheck-to-paycheck and tells readers to turn their Hebbian thinking upside down. In his words … unlearn things that keep you from making money … and start a 3-part wealth plan. 1. Buy real estate. Shemin suggests you buy three properties for little or no money down. Live in one and draw income from the other two. Real... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1045993 Thu, 22 Nov 2007 23:47:13 +0100 1045993 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=908815&cid=t_109506_158_f&fid=36018&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcaregiversbeacon.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F09%2Futah-lawmakers-propose-freeze-of-funds.html I just read yet another article from one of this week's newspapers about long term care. Author James Thalman writes about elder care in the Deseret Morning News , Sept. 20, 2007, in an article titled "At Home Elder Care Touted" and a subtitle "Lawmakers propose freeze on state funds for long-term care facilities". This week articles in the The New York Times and the San Luis Obispo Tribune also focused on long term care.The article says that Utah senior advocates, government agency representatives, and care providers want a freeze put on government funds spent on public funds that are used for long term care facilities.Alan Ormsby, director of the state division of Aging and Adult Services is quoted in the article. He said, "This is simply recognizing that the traditional skilled nursing ... The Caregiver's Beacon - Resources, Links, Ideas, News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=908815 Thu, 27 Sep 2007 23:19:00 +0100 908815 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=823584&cid=t_109506_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2007%2F08%2F27%2Ftime-to-make-strides-against-breast-cancer%2F Filed under: Cancer eventsLike my blogger friend Kristina Collins, I too just attended a Making Strides Against Breast Cancer kick-off. Kristina's New Jersey event was a breakfast. My Florida event was a dinner. It wasn't the meal that mattered, though. What matters is the enthusiasm, the spirit, the inspiration that flows through the rooms where these gatherings take place. My kick-off celebration featured a delicious and healthy meal, a slide show of the pink-shirted crowds that assembled for last year's 5K event, a mini lesson on the topic of breast cancer, a presentation from a 27-year old wife and mother of three who has survived breast cancer for one year, and a reminder that now is the time to start raising funds for the big day -- October 20, here in Gainesville. I went to this din... The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=823584 Mon, 27 Aug 2007 04:00:00 +0100 823584 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=637976&cid=t_109506_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2007%2F05%2F24%2Fcancer-research-competition-could-fuel-better-research%2F Filed under: Research, EventsIf all else fails, why not hold a competition with a million dollar prize for the best cancer cure idea? This is exactly what a group of Harvard researchers and hedge fund managers are doing. Due to a recent lack of adequate federal funding, the Gotham Prize for Cancer Research has been formed to bring out the most creative ideas to help further cancer research. While more traditional folks might balk at an idea that focuses on creativity rather than concrete proof, the founders of the organization are expecting good things to come of the contest. The competitors will be invited to write an essay outlining their idea. Over the course of a year the entries will be evaluated and judged on their feasibility. This sounds like a most interesting approach.Read |... The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=637976 Thu, 24 May 2007 04:00:00 +0100 637976 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=518719&cid=t_109506_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2007%2F04%2F03%2Fsheryl-crow-speaks-out-on-breast-cancer-bill%2F Filed under: Breast Cancer, Prevention, Politics, Environment, Daily news, Celebrity news, Cancer SurvivorsBreast cancer survivor and Grammy- winning rock star Sheryl Crow was on Capital Hill last week where she urged Congress to pass a bill that would provide funds for research into the possible connection between breast cancer and the environment.The Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act -- predicted to pass, by the way -- would allocate $40 million for study into an area not receiving much attention."We're looking into all these different scientific methods, with gene therapy with stem cells, it's all very encouraging but we have not tapped into the area of the environment," Crow says. "We have to look at the environment, we cannot ignore it anymore."This same bill was defeated l... The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=518719 Tue, 03 Apr 2007 04:00:00 +0100 518719