Politics Controls Medicare Drug Coverage, Shapes Private Insurers
Politics does determine which drugs Medicare &Medicaid pay for, and through those decisions, most private insurers. Wake up dude.
Billions Spent on Research We Could Simply Stop
We spend $50 billion now on biomedical research through NIH, and several billion more through other agencies. We could "save" that money by not spending it, yet we do. Same story.
Government Sets Drug Funding, Market Determines Prices
Guess what, the government NOW decides how much it will pay and for which drugs. It will have to decide which lines of research it will support, as is the case now. The price wll be left to the market,...
All We Want From Musk: $5k DOGE Checks
The only thing anyone wants to hear from Elon Musk is when he is going to send us the $5k DOGE dividend checks he promised.
China’s Rapid Dead-Virus Vaccines Match Severe-Case Protection
small point, but the record time is a bit of exaggeration. China developed two old-fashioned dead virus vaccines in roughly the same time-frame. They were less effective in preventing the original strain, but comparably effective in preventing serious illness and...
Patents Aren't the Magic Key to Drug Development
The $3 billion number is hokey for a number of reasons, but the point is that there is not some magical sauce that allows for drugs to be developed when financed by patent monopolies, but not by upfront funding.
Defamatory AI Output Should Lead to Lawsuits
who cares what it's called, if ChatGPT is spitting out statements that are defamatory, its owners can and should be sued. Taking their money may teach them what normal arguments cannot.
Trump Family's Oil Futures Insider Trading Acts as Tax
The insider trading on oil futures by Trump family and friends is a tax on oil https://t.co/UKdAgqjksN
Restaurant Wages Outpace Inflation with 4.4% Rise
average hourly pay up 3.6% YOY, not much above inflation, but low-paid restaurant workers are doing better, 4.4% YOY increase
Manufacturing Employment Drops 66K, Now 7.9%
Manufacturing again loses jobs, down 2k. Over the last year employment is down 66K. It's now 7.9% of total employment.
Construction Job Growth Stalls, March Revised to 16k
Construction job growth weak at 9k, March number revised down from 26k to 16k. Growth over the last year has averaged just 4k a month.
Job‑leaver Share Drops to 11.3% Amid 4
share of job leavers among unemployed falls to 11.3%, very low for a 4.3% unemployment rate
Trump’s TV Background Doesn’t Qualify Him for Airline Expertise
You can't expect a reality TV star like Donald Trump to understand how airlines operate.
Credit Card Debt Growth Slows, Disproving Hassett's Forecast
FWIW, the growth in credit card debt has slowed sharply https://t.co/wbA0n3Maew That's not necessarily good or bad, but it does mean Hassett is wrong on this.
Trump Pardon Won’t Block Civil Lawsuits, DOJ Can Release Evidence
It's worth reminding FBI and Justice Department officials that a Trump pardon does not protect them from civil suits. A future Justice Department can turn over evidence of their illegal actions to all the people who want to file civil...