“It hangs over us like a dark cloud,” noted National Institutes of Health (NIH) director Francis Collins Tuesday, March 10 at a Senate Committee meeting on “Continuing America’s Leadership in Medical Innovation for Patients,” in reply to a question regarding the impact of sequestration on the NIH. The sequestration was a serious blow to the NIH, … Continue reading
As of this past week, our federal government has managed to clear the hurdle of fully funding the Department of Homeland Security. Unfortunately, this is only one of the many vitally important budget issues on the horizon, including Medicare payments to doctors, funding for the Highway Trust Fund and our crumbling infrastructure, and the prospect … Continue reading
In modern America the airwaves are continuously flooded with waves that we cannot see. Radio waves carry signals for everything from smartphones to televisions using bands of the electromagnetic spectrum. The use of spectrum for communication has a long and thorny history going back to the first radio broadcasters. Like any form of communication, the … Continue reading
Terrorist groups use a variety of different methods for funding. Many of them, including Al Qaeda and Al- Shebab, heavily rely on donations and money laundering in order to support their operations. The Islamic State is no exception. While it takes advantage of other funding opportunities, including black market crude oil sales and looting, both … Continue reading
Do you love coffee but also love red meat and dessert? If so, there’s good news and bad news. On Thursday, February 19, the Dietary Guideline Advisory Committee (DGAC) released a lengthy 571-page report of suggestions to the Department of Heath and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The report explained … Continue reading
John Snow is viewed by many as a pioneer in disease mapping. He was a founding member of the London Epidemiological Society, one of the first professional organizations devoted to the field of epidemiology. For the 1854 cholera outbreak in London’s Broad Street region, he presented a map of disease outbreaks around the Broad Street Pump to … Continue reading
The rising cost of health benefits and prevalence of chronic diseases has increased the significance of employer wellness programs. These programs encourage healthier lifestyles and may help reduce health care costs, with numerous large firms suggesting that the programs save the average employer $3.27 for every dollar spent on them. The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions … Continue reading
With much of the current energy conversation surrounding the Keystone XL Pipeline, many Americans have forgotten, or may not even know, about another energy issue that might just be more important: the crude oil export ban. Since the 1970’s, the U.S. government has prohibited U.S. oil producers to export crude oil internationally in order to … Continue reading
To all the people who believe that a constitutional requirement forcing Congress to pass a balanced budget every year will make the federal debt (and yes, there is a difference between a debt and a deficit: deficit being how much money we have to borrow per year, debt being how much money we have borrowed … Continue reading
“I looked at that menu, and I just couldn’t control myself!” How many times have you walked into a restaurant planning to order a salad but instead got a whopping 2,000 calorie steak meal? We’ve all faced shortages of self-control, trading in short-term gain for long-term strain. Choosing the inferior food option is only one … Continue reading
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