Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Where Cancer Progress Is Rare.........
Politicians and researchers have predicted for nearly four decades that a cure for cancer is near, but cancer death rates have hardly budged and most new cancer drugs cost a fortune while giving patients few, if any, added weeks of life. For this collective failure, the man atop the nation’s regulatory agency for new cancer drugs increasingly — and supporters say unfairly — gets the blame: Dr. Richard Pazdur. Patient advocates have called Dr. Pazdur, director of the Food and Drug Administration’s cancer drug office, a murderer, conservative pundits have vilified him as an obstructionist bureaucrat, and guards are now posted at the agency’s public cancer advisory meetings to protect him and other committee members...Link
Yardsticks for success in Afghanistan...........
WASHINGTON — The White House Wednesday presented Congress with eight general yardsticks to measure success in Afghanistan and Pakistan, but didn't say how they'd help the administration determine how well U.S. policy in the region is working. Indeed, White House officials said they weren't sure if they'd use the metrics to help President Barack Obama decide whether to send more American troops to Afghanistan, according to a senior administration official who briefed reporters Wednesday...Link
Pandemic of vaccine worry..................
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - One million heart attacks, 700,000 strokes and 900,000 miscarriages -- U.S. public health officials want Americans to know these will happen every single year with or without a swine flu vaccine campaign. Yet this year, they know a significant number will be blamed on the H1N1 vaccine, which will roll out within weeks, and they are struggling to be ready. They expect an avalanche of so-called adverse event reports, which are reports of death, illness or other health trauma that occur within two weeks after receiving treatment -- in this case, the swine flu vaccine.Link
Audit the Fed, Then End It..................
For three decades, Rep. Ron Paul has waged a lonely battle in Congress to abolish the Federal Reserve. But he has more foot soldiers across the nation today, particularly after the financial crisis, who are leading the drive for wider congressional audits of the central bank. In his new book — “End the Fed” — released today, Rep. Paul walks through his critique of the central bank and lays out a strategy (briefly) for eliminating it. We sat down with the congressman to hear his views on a money system backed by gold, the Fed’s challenge of withdrawing its stimulus and his legislation to audit the central bank...Link
Troop Increase in Afghanistan Looks Certain.
President Obama will get tacit, albeit largely reluctant, congressional support for an increase in the U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan. That will come despite declining U.S. public support for the war, criticism that the mission goals need greater clarity and demands for a clear exit strategy. There are presently 62,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, about double the level a year ago. Obama already added 17,000 troops earlier this year and will decide soon to send anywhere from 10,000 to 45,000 more. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Michael Mullen essentially put lawmakers on notice about it Tuesday, despite opposition from leading Democrats who call it a wrong move and insist that Afghans need to take care of their own country now...Link
Update - S 604 - 25 Co-sponsors.....
Title: A bill to amend title 31, United States Code, to reform the manner in which the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System is audited by the Comptroller General of the United States and the manner in which such audits are reported, and for other purposes.
HR 1207 now has the 290 for the 2/3 majority!
Title: To amend title 31, United States Code, to reform the manner in which the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System is audited by the Comptroller General of the United States and the manner in which such audits are reported, and for other purposes.
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