In a political era characterized by demagoguery and partisanship, one has to wonder how previous generations of politicians accomplished anything. To be sure, necessity is the mother of all invention, but that approach hardly lends itself to good government. Despite being bitterly divided over their respective visions of government, our Founding Fathers still came together … Continue reading
Is It Time to Lift the Cuba Embargo?
Appearing before the Council on Foreign Relations last month, Hilary Clinton took a decisive stance opposite that of the administration as she called for an end to the half-century old U.S embargo against Cuba. “The embargo is Castro’s best friend. It provides Castro an excuse for everything,” Clinton stated, arguing that the embargo now serves … Continue reading
The Quality Conundrum
A recent poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that just 22% of those questioned are confident that they can find information to compare the quality of local physicians. The top characteristics of a high-quality doctor as answered by Americans are, in order, a good listener, the right diagnosis, a caring … Continue reading
The Ebola Crisis: An Epidemic with Global Implications
Spiraling out of Control Although Ebola has periodically caused serious localized damage in Africa since it was identified in 1976, the 2014 Ebola epidemic in Western Africa has been the deadliest in history. As of July, approximately 1,000 cases of Ebola have been recorded since February, resulting in over 650 deaths in West Africa. Unfortunately, … Continue reading
Federal Highway Trust Fund: Running Out of Gas?
On Wednesday last week, the House of Representatives passed the Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2014, H.R. 5021, an appropriation bill that diverts approximately $11 billion from the General Fund of the U.S. Treasury to the Highway Trust Fund. The Highway Trust Fund is a transportation fund created in 1956 in the Highway Revenue Act … Continue reading
Natural Gas: A Fuel to Rule Them All?
Hardly a day goes by where a new story trumpeting the American natural gas “revolution” isn’t prominently displayed in the newspaper: talk of exports is reemerging after decades; the price of natural gas for electricity has dropped by half between its 2008 high and 2013; IHS estimates that unconventional drilling supports 1.7 million jobs. Furthermore, … Continue reading
This Checklist is Saving Thousands of Lives
Did your doctor wash his or her hands before examining you? Infections in hospitals are all too common. The environment in which a patient is trying to heal can, in fact, be a welcoming breeding ground for infection and bacteria. As a result of the complex treatment required for each patient in the intensive care … Continue reading
Comedy, Competition, and Investment: Everything is Amazing and Broadband is Too
“Everything is amazing right now and nobody’s happy.” Few things are truer than that we, as humans, fail to appreciate the present moment. Regardless of how bad the “good ole days” were factually, we hang on to the notion that simpler technology equates to simpler needs, simpler problems, and simpler living. While being lost in … Continue reading
Maintaining Justice
Early last week, the Defense Department and military officials announced that U.S. soldier Bowe Bergdahl will return to active duty merely six weeks after being released from Taliban captivity. After five years as a prisoner of war and six subsequent weeks of therapy and counseling at an Army hospital in San Antonio, Bergdahl will be … Continue reading
The Marijuana Revolution
Recently the legalization of marijuana made traction in two states: New York legalized medical marijuana and Washington issued business licenses to jumpstart the sale of recreational marijuana. On July 9, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the Compassionate Care Act and New York became the 23rd state along with the District of Columbia to legalize medical marijuana. … Continue reading
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