Washington Post
Author: Catherine Rampell
Date: March 30, 2008
This article was very interesting because it displayed an author's opinion of why Barack Obama has gotten so many of the young votes. She states that his appeal is unlike any before him. While many will try to get the youth interested by stating that voting is an individualistic effort, Obama makes it seem more about unity with one's nation. As many before him have made voting out to be some sort of rebellion, Obama states that it is a priviledge and that the youth should feel honored to be allowed to decide it's nation's leaders. Obama is also said to identify with the young on a very personal level. He attacks the issue of college tuition head on, and speaks as if he too were still in college. His message is a very popular one, as he wants equality for all. This quote by the author best illustrates how she feels about Obama's message, "Obama may portray himself as an outsider, but he wants to change things the old-fashioned way -- through idealism and authenticity, not rock-and-roll and cynicism. In other words, he's made voting hip by being square." I enjoyed this article as it displayed someone's opinion. She showed many examples that made her seem knowledgeable, and her writing style was engaging.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Safeguarding Private Medical Data
New York Times
March 26, 2008
This article starts out by citing to incidents where lab tops were stolen containing medical, personal information of patients taking part in federal medical trials. In the first case, the patients were not contacted immediately about their stolen information. In the second case, the data was not encrypted making it easy for an outsider to read and the institute also waited about a month to notify patients about their lost data. This stolen private information is serious because patients might not want their employers or insurance agencies to know of their conditions. Also patient’s trust will decline in these clinical trials making them less likely to participate. Years ago, a computer was stolen containing social security numbers and other personal information of veterans. The department waited around three weeks before contacting the veterans. The author goes on to say that a solution needs to be implemented instead of just apologies for their mess-ups. There should be a federal law executing a strict privacy policy like the Trust Act.
This article was very interesting, as well as informative. The author seemed to be very passionate about this issue and wants a solution enacted now. I think this is a major problem that needs to be fixed. The author seemed very credible citing sources and referring to past problems and acts passed.
March 26, 2008
This article starts out by citing to incidents where lab tops were stolen containing medical, personal information of patients taking part in federal medical trials. In the first case, the patients were not contacted immediately about their stolen information. In the second case, the data was not encrypted making it easy for an outsider to read and the institute also waited about a month to notify patients about their lost data. This stolen private information is serious because patients might not want their employers or insurance agencies to know of their conditions. Also patient’s trust will decline in these clinical trials making them less likely to participate. Years ago, a computer was stolen containing social security numbers and other personal information of veterans. The department waited around three weeks before contacting the veterans. The author goes on to say that a solution needs to be implemented instead of just apologies for their mess-ups. There should be a federal law executing a strict privacy policy like the Trust Act.
This article was very interesting, as well as informative. The author seemed to be very passionate about this issue and wants a solution enacted now. I think this is a major problem that needs to be fixed. The author seemed very credible citing sources and referring to past problems and acts passed.
Moment of Truth on Congestion Pricing
New York Times
March 26, 2008
This article talks about how the State Legislature and New York City Council need to approve congestion pricing in order to have a reliable source of income. The author points out London and Stockholm who use congestion pricing providing them with cleaner air and less crowding. In doing this upgrades like extended evening service and more trains that reduce crowding can be put into action. Currently, the transportation authority uses real estate transaction taxes, which are no longer profitable. This plan would charge drivers eight dollars to drive below 60th street in Manhattan producing $4.5 million in the next five years. Although drivers might be skeptical they must be assured that congestion pricing will improve the transit. This is also important to convince drivers to use the mass transit in order to get more cars off the street.
This article was very informative and seemed credible using many facts and references. The author came across like he wanted this solution to be put into act immediately. I liked how the author presented the problem, a solution, and summed it up with what must be done for improvement.
March 26, 2008
This article talks about how the State Legislature and New York City Council need to approve congestion pricing in order to have a reliable source of income. The author points out London and Stockholm who use congestion pricing providing them with cleaner air and less crowding. In doing this upgrades like extended evening service and more trains that reduce crowding can be put into action. Currently, the transportation authority uses real estate transaction taxes, which are no longer profitable. This plan would charge drivers eight dollars to drive below 60th street in Manhattan producing $4.5 million in the next five years. Although drivers might be skeptical they must be assured that congestion pricing will improve the transit. This is also important to convince drivers to use the mass transit in order to get more cars off the street.
This article was very informative and seemed credible using many facts and references. The author came across like he wanted this solution to be put into act immediately. I liked how the author presented the problem, a solution, and summed it up with what must be done for improvement.
A Foolish Immigration Purge
New York Times
March 27, 2008
This article talks about how the Bush administration decided to fire employees whose names don’t correlate with the Social Security database in order to tackle the immigration system. In doing this, workers are fired assuming they are illegal immigrants even though they may be in fact American citizens. Seventy percent of the 17.8 million records that do not find a match are actually American citizens. Name changes, misspellings, and mistranslations lead to mistakes in this system. Companies are given about 90 days to fire these workers who have no name match or clear up the errors. These companies face the hard decision to keep a good worker with a no name match and face government fines or fire the worker and face discrimination claims. This article was very well researched and informative. It contained many facts, references, and statistics. The author seemed credible and knowledgeable, not using too big of words.
March 27, 2008
This article talks about how the Bush administration decided to fire employees whose names don’t correlate with the Social Security database in order to tackle the immigration system. In doing this, workers are fired assuming they are illegal immigrants even though they may be in fact American citizens. Seventy percent of the 17.8 million records that do not find a match are actually American citizens. Name changes, misspellings, and mistranslations lead to mistakes in this system. Companies are given about 90 days to fire these workers who have no name match or clear up the errors. These companies face the hard decision to keep a good worker with a no name match and face government fines or fire the worker and face discrimination claims. This article was very well researched and informative. It contained many facts, references, and statistics. The author seemed credible and knowledgeable, not using too big of words.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
"Councilman Proposes Saggy Pants Ban"
The Clarion-Ledger
March 26, 2008
Anonymous
This article examines a proposal by a Jackson, Mississippi councilman to ban saggy pants. The first offense would be considered a warning, the second a $25 fine, the third a $50 fine, and every fine after that would be $100. It says the proposal defines saggy pants, as "any pant below the waistline that exposes one's underwear." The author first says that many feel that this is a racist action; however, the author then identifies that the councilman who proposed it is a black younger man. The article is very unbiased, and its main purpose is to inform people of this new action taking place. On the website where this is posted you are able to comment, this article has received multiple comments because it is such a heated issue there. It shows just how prevalant racial issues still are in today's society.
March 26, 2008
Anonymous
This article examines a proposal by a Jackson, Mississippi councilman to ban saggy pants. The first offense would be considered a warning, the second a $25 fine, the third a $50 fine, and every fine after that would be $100. It says the proposal defines saggy pants, as "any pant below the waistline that exposes one's underwear." The author first says that many feel that this is a racist action; however, the author then identifies that the councilman who proposed it is a black younger man. The article is very unbiased, and its main purpose is to inform people of this new action taking place. On the website where this is posted you are able to comment, this article has received multiple comments because it is such a heated issue there. It shows just how prevalant racial issues still are in today's society.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Yes, School system size does matter
The Advocate page 4B
March 25, 2008
Sam J. Pingo
This articl in my opinion is not well written at all. It is biased, rash, inconclusive, and uncredible. The author starts by saying that she is responding to those who do not think that the size of the school system matters. She goes on to say that she feels copmpelled to set the record straight for those who obviously know nothing of ranking school systems. After she blows off some steam she gives us and example of why the size of school systems matter. She talks about a situation involving both the Zachery school system and the East Baton Rouge school system; however the information she give is not nearly enough to let the reader know what she is talking about.
In conclusion I feel that although the author might be right about her argument, I would never know because of her horible writing skills.
March 25, 2008
Sam J. Pingo
This articl in my opinion is not well written at all. It is biased, rash, inconclusive, and uncredible. The author starts by saying that she is responding to those who do not think that the size of the school system matters. She goes on to say that she feels copmpelled to set the record straight for those who obviously know nothing of ranking school systems. After she blows off some steam she gives us and example of why the size of school systems matter. She talks about a situation involving both the Zachery school system and the East Baton Rouge school system; however the information she give is not nearly enough to let the reader know what she is talking about.
In conclusion I feel that although the author might be right about her argument, I would never know because of her horible writing skills.
Gang-related shooting kills passer-by, boy, 13
The Advocate page 3B
Thursday March 25, 2008
Anonymous
Late Sunday in Franklington, a shooting take place at an Easter block party on Williams street shortly before 8 p.m. At a party with several hundred people two people were killed and three were left wounded. All except for one are thought to be innocent bystanders who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. According to police a fistfight broke out between two rival gangs and things then escalated to gunfire. According to the writer of this article there has been a recent outbreak of violence and conflict between gangs. There has been way too many innocent casualties in the surrounding areas due to gangs and the police need to do something about this. The author goes on to say that this is the police's problem and that they need to do something about it.
I do agree with the author that the police can do more about the recent rise in gang activity; however, I feel that this is not solely their responsiblity. First and foremost it will take the effort of parents and legal guardians keeping their kids off the streets and out of trouble. I think that the authors opinion was very ras and that he/she should have looked into the situation more before giving their opinion.
Thursday March 25, 2008
Anonymous
Late Sunday in Franklington, a shooting take place at an Easter block party on Williams street shortly before 8 p.m. At a party with several hundred people two people were killed and three were left wounded. All except for one are thought to be innocent bystanders who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. According to police a fistfight broke out between two rival gangs and things then escalated to gunfire. According to the writer of this article there has been a recent outbreak of violence and conflict between gangs. There has been way too many innocent casualties in the surrounding areas due to gangs and the police need to do something about this. The author goes on to say that this is the police's problem and that they need to do something about it.
I do agree with the author that the police can do more about the recent rise in gang activity; however, I feel that this is not solely their responsiblity. First and foremost it will take the effort of parents and legal guardians keeping their kids off the streets and out of trouble. I think that the authors opinion was very ras and that he/she should have looked into the situation more before giving their opinion.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Science at Risk
The New York Times
Author unknown
March 24, 2008
"Nobody was greatly surprised last week when Stephen Johnson, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, proposed new limits on smog-forming pollutants that were weaker than those his scientists had recommended — and more to the liking of industry." This article is about Mr. Johnsons proposol to rewrite the clean air act to allow regulators to take costs into mind when setting air quality standards. The author explains that the proposal does not have a chance to succeed in Democratic Congress because it devalues the role of science and strengthens the hand of industry. The author puts many points of fact and important names in this article that makes every word believable. He goes beyond research and reminds the reader that the act imposes an obligation of the E.P.A. administrator. This article is all fact and expresses no emotion, but it is interesting and well written. This author does not have a biased opinion to what he is writing about. He just wants to remind the reader of earlier events that lead up to this act that may make a difference in the opinion of the reader. He does a very good job of secretly making the reader view his article in the same way that he does. I really enjoyed reading it, the author has a very unique style of making the reader think.
Author unknown
March 24, 2008
"Nobody was greatly surprised last week when Stephen Johnson, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, proposed new limits on smog-forming pollutants that were weaker than those his scientists had recommended — and more to the liking of industry." This article is about Mr. Johnsons proposol to rewrite the clean air act to allow regulators to take costs into mind when setting air quality standards. The author explains that the proposal does not have a chance to succeed in Democratic Congress because it devalues the role of science and strengthens the hand of industry. The author puts many points of fact and important names in this article that makes every word believable. He goes beyond research and reminds the reader that the act imposes an obligation of the E.P.A. administrator. This article is all fact and expresses no emotion, but it is interesting and well written. This author does not have a biased opinion to what he is writing about. He just wants to remind the reader of earlier events that lead up to this act that may make a difference in the opinion of the reader. He does a very good job of secretly making the reader view his article in the same way that he does. I really enjoyed reading it, the author has a very unique style of making the reader think.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
When a Drug Costs $300,000
New York Times
March 23, 2008
Author: Unknown
As most people know, pharmacutical companies make alot of money. However, I always assumed that this large amount of money was made through very popular drugs that were perscribed to millions of people. Through this article we see that is not always the case. Drug companies are charging up to $300,000 a year for one medication that is used for a potentially life-threatening illness. Genzyme, which is based in Massachusetts manufactures a medication, Cerezyme, that is used to treat a fatal condition. This medication is very expensive and while most insurance companies cover the cost, it comes at a great expense to them. The company is allowed to sell this medication at such a high rate because they are essentially a monopoly. This is just one example of an issue like this. The author states that there are numerous other cases just like this. He wonders in the article what would happen if the patient could not pay for the medication. He feels that something needs to be done to change this system of monopoly, and ensure that the price would be brought down to a more reasonable level.
While this article was very informative and raised many questions in my mind, I would have appreciated if he had presented the drug companies side to this issue. If he had presented the cost to produce the drug and other figures like that, I feel it would have strengthened his case.
March 23, 2008
Author: Unknown
As most people know, pharmacutical companies make alot of money. However, I always assumed that this large amount of money was made through very popular drugs that were perscribed to millions of people. Through this article we see that is not always the case. Drug companies are charging up to $300,000 a year for one medication that is used for a potentially life-threatening illness. Genzyme, which is based in Massachusetts manufactures a medication, Cerezyme, that is used to treat a fatal condition. This medication is very expensive and while most insurance companies cover the cost, it comes at a great expense to them. The company is allowed to sell this medication at such a high rate because they are essentially a monopoly. This is just one example of an issue like this. The author states that there are numerous other cases just like this. He wonders in the article what would happen if the patient could not pay for the medication. He feels that something needs to be done to change this system of monopoly, and ensure that the price would be brought down to a more reasonable level.
While this article was very informative and raised many questions in my mind, I would have appreciated if he had presented the drug companies side to this issue. If he had presented the cost to produce the drug and other figures like that, I feel it would have strengthened his case.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
"The D.C. Gun Case"
The Washington Post
March 17, 2008; Page A16
In a much anticipated upcoming decision, the Supreme Court will decide whether to claim the legitimacy or the unconstitutionality of a D.C. law forbidding certain types of guns, such as machine guns, from the general public. This article examines the different sides of the upcoming decision. Although remaining fairly unbiased throughout the body of the article and giving good citations, the final paragraph is so biased that your last impression is that the total article was biased. Due to this, I did not find it very convincing and questioned the legitimacy of the author's quotes and different facts he had provided. In the last paragraph as well he kept referring to "we", as in the American people. I found this very ineffective too; since obviously not all American's feel that it is so obvious that the Second Amendment applies to all guns. Although the facts are there, the author's ethos is destroyed due to the last paragraph. If he would have left his opinion out, I think the article would have been much for effective.
March 17, 2008; Page A16
In a much anticipated upcoming decision, the Supreme Court will decide whether to claim the legitimacy or the unconstitutionality of a D.C. law forbidding certain types of guns, such as machine guns, from the general public. This article examines the different sides of the upcoming decision. Although remaining fairly unbiased throughout the body of the article and giving good citations, the final paragraph is so biased that your last impression is that the total article was biased. Due to this, I did not find it very convincing and questioned the legitimacy of the author's quotes and different facts he had provided. In the last paragraph as well he kept referring to "we", as in the American people. I found this very ineffective too; since obviously not all American's feel that it is so obvious that the Second Amendment applies to all guns. Although the facts are there, the author's ethos is destroyed due to the last paragraph. If he would have left his opinion out, I think the article would have been much for effective.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Gray Politics
I recently read an editorial by Maureen Dowd of the New York Times covering Sen. Barack Obama's recent speech on race addressing the controversial beliefs of his longtime pastor. The article clearly outlines the issue and political engineering surrounding it but the author manages to stay objective and leaves the reader with a rather ambiguous statement possibly affirming the speech as a welcome change to the racial firefight which has ensued since gaining the public spotlight. While making no argument for Obama or his critics, she lauds him for the eloquence and necessity of his words but also states the speech may not be enough to heal the wounds in his campaign caused by this scandal. Intelligently written with staunch references, this article provides neutral sentiment with accurate information in a concise manner which would naturally lead any reader to further research the topic and/or frequent the publication.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Keep Vaccinating
The Washington Post
March 12, 2008
Author Unknown
The article is convincing parents to continue the normal vaccinations of their children despite the recent cases of autism in children. The author speaks of a recent case of a 1 and half year old child who had fever and other reactions after recieving her vaccinations. A few months later she developed symptoms of autism. The author finishes with saying that it can't be completely sure that vaccines are causing the autism, and that the child would have most likely gotten the disease from other causes. The article finishes by saying how scientist still aren't really sure of the causes of autism and there is no way to test for it, so for now we should keep vaccinating our children.
I feel it was a fairly good article. The author did his research and presented his point in a good way. I liked how he used the example of the young child to appeal to peoples emotions. He spoke from both sides giving points for each. But then he followed up with his reason for keeping up with the vaccinations with good points.
March 12, 2008
Author Unknown
The article is convincing parents to continue the normal vaccinations of their children despite the recent cases of autism in children. The author speaks of a recent case of a 1 and half year old child who had fever and other reactions after recieving her vaccinations. A few months later she developed symptoms of autism. The author finishes with saying that it can't be completely sure that vaccines are causing the autism, and that the child would have most likely gotten the disease from other causes. The article finishes by saying how scientist still aren't really sure of the causes of autism and there is no way to test for it, so for now we should keep vaccinating our children.
I feel it was a fairly good article. The author did his research and presented his point in a good way. I liked how he used the example of the young child to appeal to peoples emotions. He spoke from both sides giving points for each. But then he followed up with his reason for keeping up with the vaccinations with good points.
Ways of the Wayward
Maureen Dowd
New York Times
March 12, 2008
Eliot Spitzer seems to be the most popular man of the hour on which to write an opinion article. This article also deals with his uses of a prostitute. Dowd begins by explaining the operation of hookers among high-powered politicians, mentioning the prices and scams of such actions. However, she also goes on to mention what she recently heard a woman say "This story is all the proof we need to elect a female president." This might not be such a good idea, as history has created many woman leaders who got caught up in the sex/power scandals. "Catherine the Great was hardly known for her restraint. And there were Agrippina and Cleopatra, of course." It may not be such a good idea to generalize men as being stupid and prone to immoral sexual conduct. But because of this attention to Spitzer's sex scandal, the public is becoming reminiscent of Clinton's administration which may have negative effects on Hilary's campaign. Obama is now getting all of the attention and Hilary is possibly envious. Dowd goes on to mention that Lyndon Johnson once observed that the two things that make politicians more stupid than anything else are sex and envy. I believe this article had good opinions from both sides of the issue, whether or not Hilary should be in power just because she is a woman (which may suggest she would not have any such scandals) or Obama should be in power because he is not associated with the Clinton scandal. It really made me think about the social schemes of politics, and sadly this makes me think of how much we are voting for a person and their image rather than the good they will do to our country.
New York Times
March 12, 2008
Eliot Spitzer seems to be the most popular man of the hour on which to write an opinion article. This article also deals with his uses of a prostitute. Dowd begins by explaining the operation of hookers among high-powered politicians, mentioning the prices and scams of such actions. However, she also goes on to mention what she recently heard a woman say "This story is all the proof we need to elect a female president." This might not be such a good idea, as history has created many woman leaders who got caught up in the sex/power scandals. "Catherine the Great was hardly known for her restraint. And there were Agrippina and Cleopatra, of course." It may not be such a good idea to generalize men as being stupid and prone to immoral sexual conduct. But because of this attention to Spitzer's sex scandal, the public is becoming reminiscent of Clinton's administration which may have negative effects on Hilary's campaign. Obama is now getting all of the attention and Hilary is possibly envious. Dowd goes on to mention that Lyndon Johnson once observed that the two things that make politicians more stupid than anything else are sex and envy. I believe this article had good opinions from both sides of the issue, whether or not Hilary should be in power just because she is a woman (which may suggest she would not have any such scandals) or Obama should be in power because he is not associated with the Clinton scandal. It really made me think about the social schemes of politics, and sadly this makes me think of how much we are voting for a person and their image rather than the good they will do to our country.
The Myth of a Victimless Crime
New York Times
By MELISSA FARLEY and VICTOR MALAREK
Published: March 12, 2008
This article is about the prostitution charges with Gov. Eliot Spitzer and his apology. The writers start off with a great introduction, most of the sentences are interesting questions. It leaves you wondering and makes you want to read on to see if they answer them. The article is written on a subject we don't really hear a lot about. Most people probably think prostitution isn't very popular anymore, but according to the article, that isn't the case. Though written very well, reserched fairly well, the article seems to be very biased. The article seems to take the easy way out with its explination, the writers simply state that these women are prostitutes because of their childhood. I've heard that line so many times for so many different issues, that to me, it has become a seemingly lame and overused excuse. Overall, the article was at least interesting. It even interviewed some women who participated in these acts and the "companies" that provided them.
By MELISSA FARLEY and VICTOR MALAREK
Published: March 12, 2008
This article is about the prostitution charges with Gov. Eliot Spitzer and his apology. The writers start off with a great introduction, most of the sentences are interesting questions. It leaves you wondering and makes you want to read on to see if they answer them. The article is written on a subject we don't really hear a lot about. Most people probably think prostitution isn't very popular anymore, but according to the article, that isn't the case. Though written very well, reserched fairly well, the article seems to be very biased. The article seems to take the easy way out with its explination, the writers simply state that these women are prostitutes because of their childhood. I've heard that line so many times for so many different issues, that to me, it has become a seemingly lame and overused excuse. Overall, the article was at least interesting. It even interviewed some women who participated in these acts and the "companies" that provided them.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Everyone must make local roads safer
The Daily Comet
March 6, 2008
This article is about the excessive number of fatalities that have occurred in pedestrian and bicycle accidents on highways. The article explains precautions that can be taken to help prevent the accidents from happening. The author of this article does not seem to have done a lot of research on this issue. The facts that were presented seem to be basically just common sense statements. Things such as bicyclists should use caution when crossing the road. The article included some things about not consuming alcohol while riding a bike. I thought this point was good, but the article was pretty boring. There is nothing about this article that made me want to keep reading it. This article does not seem like something that should have been published by a newspaper rather it seems it is something that a high school wrote for a class assignment.
March 6, 2008
This article is about the excessive number of fatalities that have occurred in pedestrian and bicycle accidents on highways. The article explains precautions that can be taken to help prevent the accidents from happening. The author of this article does not seem to have done a lot of research on this issue. The facts that were presented seem to be basically just common sense statements. Things such as bicyclists should use caution when crossing the road. The article included some things about not consuming alcohol while riding a bike. I thought this point was good, but the article was pretty boring. There is nothing about this article that made me want to keep reading it. This article does not seem like something that should have been published by a newspaper rather it seems it is something that a high school wrote for a class assignment.
Gaming the System
The Times Picayune
March 11, 2008
This article was about a court case that is currently underway. Mr. Burns admitted to killing someone that he did not really kill in order to get his friend Mr. LaCaze, who actually committed the murder, out of trouble. After being convicted of the murder, Mr. Burns came out and said that all the confessions he had made about the case were lies and that he really did not kill anyone. Mr. Burns was eventually let free of all charges and found not guilty. Because neither Mr. Burns nor Mr. LaCave can be tried again, it looks as though no one will be punished. The author of this article is pointing out that Mr. Burns should be in trouble for lying under oath. I think it is absolutely wrong for him to have lied under oath especially on such a serious issue, and therefore he should be severely punished for it. The author did a good job of presenting facts about this case and offering his and others opinions about what should happen to Mr. Burns.
March 11, 2008
This article was about a court case that is currently underway. Mr. Burns admitted to killing someone that he did not really kill in order to get his friend Mr. LaCaze, who actually committed the murder, out of trouble. After being convicted of the murder, Mr. Burns came out and said that all the confessions he had made about the case were lies and that he really did not kill anyone. Mr. Burns was eventually let free of all charges and found not guilty. Because neither Mr. Burns nor Mr. LaCave can be tried again, it looks as though no one will be punished. The author of this article is pointing out that Mr. Burns should be in trouble for lying under oath. I think it is absolutely wrong for him to have lied under oath especially on such a serious issue, and therefore he should be severely punished for it. The author did a good job of presenting facts about this case and offering his and others opinions about what should happen to Mr. Burns.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Bill's Mystery Millions
Ashley Hofsommer
Tuesday March 11, 2008
This blog mainly covered all of the recent hoop-la revolving around Hillary and Bill Clinton's refusal to cough up exactly where they are getting all of their money from. There have apparently been some shading deals on the part of Bill and the couple is refusing to cough up any info. until April 15. Bill supposedly spoke at an opening event for a web browser company. Bill, of course, was expected to be paid and was given 200 shares in Google. When he later sold the stock he managed to sell it for more than it was actually worth and ended up getting about 700,00 dollars. He won't say who he sold it to, but her normally only gets about 150,000 for making these types of speeches. According to the writer, Bill also has some pretty shady looking friends. On his last day of office he pardoned 140 people, one being a financier whose wife was a big supporter and contributor to his campaign. I think the argument was pretty good and well researched. He had a lot of information that I had never even heard about before. He was obviously bias, but I had no idea that the Clintons had not yet released all of their financial statements. The Obama's did this more than a year ago. The argument was pretty good in my opinion, very bias, but good.
Tuesday March 11, 2008
This blog mainly covered all of the recent hoop-la revolving around Hillary and Bill Clinton's refusal to cough up exactly where they are getting all of their money from. There have apparently been some shading deals on the part of Bill and the couple is refusing to cough up any info. until April 15. Bill supposedly spoke at an opening event for a web browser company. Bill, of course, was expected to be paid and was given 200 shares in Google. When he later sold the stock he managed to sell it for more than it was actually worth and ended up getting about 700,00 dollars. He won't say who he sold it to, but her normally only gets about 150,000 for making these types of speeches. According to the writer, Bill also has some pretty shady looking friends. On his last day of office he pardoned 140 people, one being a financier whose wife was a big supporter and contributor to his campaign. I think the argument was pretty good and well researched. He had a lot of information that I had never even heard about before. He was obviously bias, but I had no idea that the Clintons had not yet released all of their financial statements. The Obama's did this more than a year ago. The argument was pretty good in my opinion, very bias, but good.
Oil hits record at $108 a barrel
This is a short article describing the depressing state of our dollar value as well as our ability to get cheap oil. It seems like a fairly harmless article full of facts and figures and lists out a few names of who's involved in our oil "crisis" per say, but a review of the article a second time made me think twice. I would say this is an article with the very slightest of words being used to make us think what the author wants us to. A one word remark about Opec being a cartel as well as seemingly assigning their actions to our issues appears as an article written to make me think poorly of Opec and blame them for our problems. Personally, I am certainly no big fan of Opec, but I know that they do not go and market themselves as a cartel, so there is certainly more than one side to that argument even though the article states it as if it were a common known fact. The story then goes on to outline the financial strain the government and the public will undertake due to the recent developments in the oil industry-developments caused by Opec as stated by the article.
The High Cost of a Cancer Drug
Avastin is a drug taken for breast cancer patients to slow the progress of cancer and hopefully extend the lives of the patients. There is a high cost associated with this drug in more ways than one. It is very expensive to administer and it does not yet fall under the insurance category. This could mean that people can’t get the help they need just because it’s too expensive. This medication also has side effects, some of which can be deadly. Even though it slows down the progression of the cancer, it has shown to have side effects so toxic that it has killed a few patients. The FDA is wondering whether it is even worth putting it on the market because of its lethal side effects. This article was very well written and researched. It was an informative argument with many facts and statistics about the drug that made it interesting and made you want to read more.
Prison Nation
“More than 1 in 100 American adults are behind bars. One in nine black men, ages 20 to 34, are serving time, as are 1 in 36 adult Hispanic men.” This is how a quote about how prison and incarceration taking over our country. Many northern states are spending more on jail facilities than higher education and universities. More and more tax dollars are also being spent on this per year. The author says that the incarceration rates are going up, yet the crime rate has been declining. He proposes that less “low-risk” offenders be put on community service or house arrest instead of taking up jail space for the dangerous criminals. This article was very well written and researched. The author had lots of facts and statistics which kept e interested and he left me wanting to know more about the issue.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
"Fight Fiercely, Harvard"
New York Times
Author: Philip M. Boffey
March 9, 2008
I found this article amusing, as the author has a very nice brand of sarcasm. However, he did not always present his facts in a clear, straightforward manner. This article is about the Harvard Basketball team and how they have recently recruited a very high profile class. This proved interesting to the author, because for the fifty years since his graduation, Harvard basketball has never caused a stir. He goes on to speculate that while part of this might be because of a coaching change, that it has been said that academic standards may have been lowered to let more high profile recruits on the team. He goes on to state that these "standards" would require a PhD. in mathematics to understand. Basically as he put it, people with a higher index are put to even out the people with a lower index. I found this article very interesting, and I enjoyed the way the autor gently poked fun at the system. That being said, I would have liked to see more hard facts.
Author: Philip M. Boffey
March 9, 2008
I found this article amusing, as the author has a very nice brand of sarcasm. However, he did not always present his facts in a clear, straightforward manner. This article is about the Harvard Basketball team and how they have recently recruited a very high profile class. This proved interesting to the author, because for the fifty years since his graduation, Harvard basketball has never caused a stir. He goes on to speculate that while part of this might be because of a coaching change, that it has been said that academic standards may have been lowered to let more high profile recruits on the team. He goes on to state that these "standards" would require a PhD. in mathematics to understand. Basically as he put it, people with a higher index are put to even out the people with a lower index. I found this article very interesting, and I enjoyed the way the autor gently poked fun at the system. That being said, I would have liked to see more hard facts.
Oceans at Risk
New York Times
9 March 2008
This article talks about how the government is not taking action to prevent degradation of our oceans. A team of researchers found that 41% of the oceans have been affected by pollution from society. The University of Oregon just found that an area with a mass production of fisheries spanning from Oregon to California has been upset. This is a problem for not just the US, but also the rest of the world as everyone contributes to destroying the oceans. President Bush made a large protected area for marine life along the coasts of Hawaii last year. The article goes on to talk about how Bush should influence the rest of the world to take action on protecting oceanic life and to push the Law of the Sea so that America will have a voice about rights granted to those who affect the ocean.This article was very well written and easy to follow. It seems credible as the author makes references to several organizations and laws. I like how it brings to America’s attention how much we are each impacting oceanic life. Overall it was a very informative article.
9 March 2008
This article talks about how the government is not taking action to prevent degradation of our oceans. A team of researchers found that 41% of the oceans have been affected by pollution from society. The University of Oregon just found that an area with a mass production of fisheries spanning from Oregon to California has been upset. This is a problem for not just the US, but also the rest of the world as everyone contributes to destroying the oceans. President Bush made a large protected area for marine life along the coasts of Hawaii last year. The article goes on to talk about how Bush should influence the rest of the world to take action on protecting oceanic life and to push the Law of the Sea so that America will have a voice about rights granted to those who affect the ocean.This article was very well written and easy to follow. It seems credible as the author makes references to several organizations and laws. I like how it brings to America’s attention how much we are each impacting oceanic life. Overall it was a very informative article.
Saturday, March 8, 2008
"When Mom or Dad Asks to be a Facebook 'Friend'"
The Washington Post
March 6, 2008
Lori Aratani
Facebook, originally designed to be used by college aged kids, now can be used by anyone, including your parents. This article talked about this new issue. It is an issue right now allowing parents and older people be a part of facebook. In fact, my friends and I were talking about this the other day. This article begins with a personal story of a teenager being friend requested by his father. Then she gives examples of two people with opposing views of the issue. This article was very well researched; it discussed the history of facebook and things such as different groups that have been formed against this new change in facebook. It also discussed the positive aspects of this new facebook change, such as older adults staying in touch with each other and coworkers being able to keep in contact. The research given was presented in an unbiased way; it was a very well written article.
March 6, 2008
Lori Aratani
Facebook, originally designed to be used by college aged kids, now can be used by anyone, including your parents. This article talked about this new issue. It is an issue right now allowing parents and older people be a part of facebook. In fact, my friends and I were talking about this the other day. This article begins with a personal story of a teenager being friend requested by his father. Then she gives examples of two people with opposing views of the issue. This article was very well researched; it discussed the history of facebook and things such as different groups that have been formed against this new change in facebook. It also discussed the positive aspects of this new facebook change, such as older adults staying in touch with each other and coworkers being able to keep in contact. The research given was presented in an unbiased way; it was a very well written article.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Dark Days in Armenia
New York Times
March 7, 2008
Unknown Author
This article is about the election in Moscow and the problems that it has caused. The writer starts out with a great introduction, listing facts and showing his side on this issue. He seemed to know exactly what he was talking about and his sentences flowed very well. He presented the issue in a simple way and seems to have done research about the issue before he wrote the article. I though this was a very interesting article when I read it, and it informed me of some things that are happening in other places around the world that I didn't know about before.
March 7, 2008
Unknown Author
This article is about the election in Moscow and the problems that it has caused. The writer starts out with a great introduction, listing facts and showing his side on this issue. He seemed to know exactly what he was talking about and his sentences flowed very well. He presented the issue in a simple way and seems to have done research about the issue before he wrote the article. I though this was a very interesting article when I read it, and it informed me of some things that are happening in other places around the world that I didn't know about before.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Money Well Spent
Thursday March 6, 2008
The Times Picayune
This article is written about what the new Louisiana governor Booby Jindal has accomplished and what he wants to accomplish. The article describes in detail what the recently proposed 2008- 2009 budget that Jindal came up with consist of. The budget seems to have a lot of good points including helping make more hurricane protection and fixing roads across the state of LA. It is evident that this article was written by a supporter of JIndal because nowhere in the article does it say anything negative about him. I think the author did pretty good research for this article; however, he maybe could have included a few negative things about Jindal.
The Times Picayune
This article is written about what the new Louisiana governor Booby Jindal has accomplished and what he wants to accomplish. The article describes in detail what the recently proposed 2008- 2009 budget that Jindal came up with consist of. The budget seems to have a lot of good points including helping make more hurricane protection and fixing roads across the state of LA. It is evident that this article was written by a supporter of JIndal because nowhere in the article does it say anything negative about him. I think the author did pretty good research for this article; however, he maybe could have included a few negative things about Jindal.
The Global AIDS Fight
The New York Times
March 6, 2008
Author Unknown
This article is about how the White House and Congress are starting to spend a significant amount of money on programs to help combat AIDS and other diseases around the world. The author states, "It will be a welcome strengthening of a foreign aid program that was already one of the shining accomplishments of the Bush administration." They expect over 50 billion dollars to help support the AIDS campaign in five years. Not only is this money going toward AIDS, but also tuberculosis and malaria. This started about five years ago when AIDS was becoming an epidemic speading through America. It has already provided drug treatment to over 1.5 million men, women, and children. The author sounds very enthusiatic about his research on this topic and really willing to spread the news to his readers. "Even that sum would almost certainly not provide universal access to treatment for all people infected with H.I.V., a goal that the major industrialized nations claim to be pursuing." This is a very interesting article because I just did my essay on AIDS. I wish this would have been available earlier...it would have been very helpful!
March 6, 2008
Author Unknown
This article is about how the White House and Congress are starting to spend a significant amount of money on programs to help combat AIDS and other diseases around the world. The author states, "It will be a welcome strengthening of a foreign aid program that was already one of the shining accomplishments of the Bush administration." They expect over 50 billion dollars to help support the AIDS campaign in five years. Not only is this money going toward AIDS, but also tuberculosis and malaria. This started about five years ago when AIDS was becoming an epidemic speading through America. It has already provided drug treatment to over 1.5 million men, women, and children. The author sounds very enthusiatic about his research on this topic and really willing to spread the news to his readers. "Even that sum would almost certainly not provide universal access to treatment for all people infected with H.I.V., a goal that the major industrialized nations claim to be pursuing." This is a very interesting article because I just did my essay on AIDS. I wish this would have been available earlier...it would have been very helpful!
Getting Teenagers Home Safely
The New York Times
March 6, 2008
Unknown author
"What the country needs is a uniform set of rules, based on the soundest research. That is the best way to keep teenage drivers, and everyone who shares the roads with them, safer." The author that wrote this article on driving age and drinking age laws was extremely biased. This can be seen in the quote above. He did not support the facts he wrote, like the fact that automobile accidents are the leading cause of death for fifteen to nineteen year olds, but he did state his opinion on what could be done to prevent this. He says that one way to reduce the risk of this happening is a graduated lisence which is phasing in of privileges for young drivers. Overall, this article is informative and biased, but I do not like the fact that the author never sites where he gets his information. He always starts sentences like "Research shows," or "While researchers know what works," and I would like to know who these researchers are and how they know this information. The article makes the reader doubt his information because of how he puts the point across.
March 6, 2008
Unknown author
"What the country needs is a uniform set of rules, based on the soundest research. That is the best way to keep teenage drivers, and everyone who shares the roads with them, safer." The author that wrote this article on driving age and drinking age laws was extremely biased. This can be seen in the quote above. He did not support the facts he wrote, like the fact that automobile accidents are the leading cause of death for fifteen to nineteen year olds, but he did state his opinion on what could be done to prevent this. He says that one way to reduce the risk of this happening is a graduated lisence which is phasing in of privileges for young drivers. Overall, this article is informative and biased, but I do not like the fact that the author never sites where he gets his information. He always starts sentences like "Research shows," or "While researchers know what works," and I would like to know who these researchers are and how they know this information. The article makes the reader doubt his information because of how he puts the point across.
Karlo Will Live
Ashley Hofsommer
New York Times
March 6, 2008
"To put it another way, the late James P. Grant, a little-known American aid worker who headed Unicef from 1980 to 1995 and launched the child survival revolution with vaccinations and diarrhea treatments, probably saved more lives than were destroyed by Hitler, Mao and Stalin combined." This is one of the facts given by the writer of this article. In the beginning of the article the writer (who remains unknown) assures us that this will be a happy article. Most things written about Africa or the children inhabiting it are very sad, so for me this was a relief. The writer starts out talking about how although child death rates are high, they are steadily dropping. He then begins talking about an 8-month old baby, Karlo. Karlo's brother had died and then he fell sick. The writer gives us a little information and then BOOM! Somehow he says this directly involves the current run for presidency. What a sneaky little man! He begins saying that Bush fought AIDS in Africa well, but he hasn't given enough money for children and maternity. Ok......Anyway, he then says that a new president could easily wipe out about 1million deaths a year. Pretty much what he says is "Vote Democrat or all of the African babies will die" He almost had me, but I felt kind of betrayed when I found out he wasn't just happy about little Karlo living and that he actually had an agenda. Silly me! I thought that the article could be pretty good. He definitely will be able to snag some people with the image of little Karlo bouncing on his mother's lap.
New York Times
March 6, 2008
"To put it another way, the late James P. Grant, a little-known American aid worker who headed Unicef from 1980 to 1995 and launched the child survival revolution with vaccinations and diarrhea treatments, probably saved more lives than were destroyed by Hitler, Mao and Stalin combined." This is one of the facts given by the writer of this article. In the beginning of the article the writer (who remains unknown) assures us that this will be a happy article. Most things written about Africa or the children inhabiting it are very sad, so for me this was a relief. The writer starts out talking about how although child death rates are high, they are steadily dropping. He then begins talking about an 8-month old baby, Karlo. Karlo's brother had died and then he fell sick. The writer gives us a little information and then BOOM! Somehow he says this directly involves the current run for presidency. What a sneaky little man! He begins saying that Bush fought AIDS in Africa well, but he hasn't given enough money for children and maternity. Ok......Anyway, he then says that a new president could easily wipe out about 1million deaths a year. Pretty much what he says is "Vote Democrat or all of the African babies will die" He almost had me, but I felt kind of betrayed when I found out he wasn't just happy about little Karlo living and that he actually had an agenda. Silly me! I thought that the article could be pretty good. He definitely will be able to snag some people with the image of little Karlo bouncing on his mother's lap.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Maybe Community failed Children
The Advocate page 6B
Stephanie Triche
3/4/2008
This article, while an interesting point of view, is a bit strange to me. The author questions the community and talks about its lack of support for young struggling students. The article starts off saying that maybe schools arent the reason for our childrens failures, rather the lack of community efforts are. He talks about how the majority of students in east Baton Rouge are in impoverished families or single-parent households. He continues to tell us that we the community should offer mentoring programs to give children a better chance at acedemic success. While I agree that we should help out those less fortunate in our community, i think that the auhor neglects to point out the lack of interest in the childrens on parental units. I think the author would have needed to do a little more research to make his point convincing.
Stephanie Triche
3/4/2008
This article, while an interesting point of view, is a bit strange to me. The author questions the community and talks about its lack of support for young struggling students. The article starts off saying that maybe schools arent the reason for our childrens failures, rather the lack of community efforts are. He talks about how the majority of students in east Baton Rouge are in impoverished families or single-parent households. He continues to tell us that we the community should offer mentoring programs to give children a better chance at acedemic success. While I agree that we should help out those less fortunate in our community, i think that the auhor neglects to point out the lack of interest in the childrens on parental units. I think the author would have needed to do a little more research to make his point convincing.
A Defining Moment
David Brooks
New York Times
March 4, 2008
This editorial was basically just David Brooks explaining why he loves Barrack Obama so much. Since the democratic campaign began, it has been nothing but back and forth banter between candidates, however according to Brooks, the defining moment was November 10, 2007. That was the Democratic Party Jefferson-Jackson Dinner which invited candidates to speak. Hillary Clinton gave a rousing speech about fighting (she said the word "fight" a lot) the Republicans and really putting on the heat under the Republicans to make sure the next president would be a Democrat. However, Obama was next to speak, where he, instead of waging a partisan campaign as Clinton had just done, he vowed to address “not just Democrats, but Republicans and independents who’ve lost trust in their government but want to believe again.” This was very different than Clinton's battle cry speech. Apparently his goals of equality and standing up, one person at a time made him very appealing to everyone, despite political affiliation. Brooks believes this was the time where Obama defined his point of view on the presidency and anyone should be impressed by such a candidate. Despite the fact that this article was a bit of a tangent on why Brooks loves Obama so much, I believe there was a lot of good evidence presented and it made me want to vote for Obama.
New York Times
March 4, 2008
This editorial was basically just David Brooks explaining why he loves Barrack Obama so much. Since the democratic campaign began, it has been nothing but back and forth banter between candidates, however according to Brooks, the defining moment was November 10, 2007. That was the Democratic Party Jefferson-Jackson Dinner which invited candidates to speak. Hillary Clinton gave a rousing speech about fighting (she said the word "fight" a lot) the Republicans and really putting on the heat under the Republicans to make sure the next president would be a Democrat. However, Obama was next to speak, where he, instead of waging a partisan campaign as Clinton had just done, he vowed to address “not just Democrats, but Republicans and independents who’ve lost trust in their government but want to believe again.” This was very different than Clinton's battle cry speech. Apparently his goals of equality and standing up, one person at a time made him very appealing to everyone, despite political affiliation. Brooks believes this was the time where Obama defined his point of view on the presidency and anyone should be impressed by such a candidate. Despite the fact that this article was a bit of a tangent on why Brooks loves Obama so much, I believe there was a lot of good evidence presented and it made me want to vote for Obama.
A Message About Ethics
Advocate Opinion Page Staff
The Advocate
March 4, 2008
This editorial by an anonymous author seems to almost undercut Bobby Jindal's attempt at ethics reform. Jindal is creating a bill based on stopping and curing the corruption in Louisiana. However the Advocate page staff wants to clarify that job might be impossible. It goes on about how the New York Times is giving Jindal's bill attention and categorizing him as a rising star among Republicans and someone who seems familiar with Louisiana's reputation for corrupt politics. However this positive opinion of the New York Times has the Advocate cautioning people to not expect much, because there will always be corruption, which is slightly pessimistic I think. The article chose which quotes from the New York Times to use and seemed to purposely present the comments in a negative light, almost mocking what the New York Times has said about Jindal's positive future as Louisiana's governor. I think this article was a bit one-sided and to me it was disappointing of a Louisiana newspaper to write about the impossibility of making our government not corrupt. Way to support our leader, Advocate!
The Advocate
March 4, 2008
This editorial by an anonymous author seems to almost undercut Bobby Jindal's attempt at ethics reform. Jindal is creating a bill based on stopping and curing the corruption in Louisiana. However the Advocate page staff wants to clarify that job might be impossible. It goes on about how the New York Times is giving Jindal's bill attention and categorizing him as a rising star among Republicans and someone who seems familiar with Louisiana's reputation for corrupt politics. However this positive opinion of the New York Times has the Advocate cautioning people to not expect much, because there will always be corruption, which is slightly pessimistic I think. The article chose which quotes from the New York Times to use and seemed to purposely present the comments in a negative light, almost mocking what the New York Times has said about Jindal's positive future as Louisiana's governor. I think this article was a bit one-sided and to me it was disappointing of a Louisiana newspaper to write about the impossibility of making our government not corrupt. Way to support our leader, Advocate!
Monday, March 3, 2008
It's Time to end Katrina victims' aid
Don Antie Jr.
The Advocate
March 3, 2008
This seems like a very unnecessary article, but the author makes a good point. He was backing up a letter sent in by another person that was recently posted. He he clearly on the side that those hit by Hurricane Katrina need to start living off their own finances and not that of our tax dollars. I read the article thinking that the author would have some crazy idea why but he makes a good point. He says that 99.8 percent of victims stay victims because they are still getting money thrown at them. How much of that is fact is still a question. He goes on to say that those who were hit in Lake Charles got some money, but are now living on their money. He uses emotion to those who are not currently not recieving money from the government by saying that they are spending all of his tax dollars on the victims. I see where the author is coming from, but his points aren't really backed up by facts. If he would show more facts and less emotion, it would be a more convincing arguement. It does however make you think about how much we should be helping with the victims in New Orleans.
http://www.2theadvocate.com/opinion/16167542.html
The Advocate
March 3, 2008
This seems like a very unnecessary article, but the author makes a good point. He was backing up a letter sent in by another person that was recently posted. He he clearly on the side that those hit by Hurricane Katrina need to start living off their own finances and not that of our tax dollars. I read the article thinking that the author would have some crazy idea why but he makes a good point. He says that 99.8 percent of victims stay victims because they are still getting money thrown at them. How much of that is fact is still a question. He goes on to say that those who were hit in Lake Charles got some money, but are now living on their money. He uses emotion to those who are not currently not recieving money from the government by saying that they are spending all of his tax dollars on the victims. I see where the author is coming from, but his points aren't really backed up by facts. If he would show more facts and less emotion, it would be a more convincing arguement. It does however make you think about how much we should be helping with the victims in New Orleans.
http://www.2theadvocate.com/opinion/16167542.html
Sunday, March 2, 2008
"Teaching Boys and Girls Separately."
New York Times
Author: Elizabeth Weil
March 2, 2008
This was a very interesting article to read. It dealt with the controversial topic of separating boys and girls in school based entirely on sex. It used personal examples of a school where this was happening in Foley, Alabama. The intro was very good and described the differences in the classroom atmosphere. The boys' room was light blue with cooler lights and it was kept at a cooler temperature. The girls' room was painted yellow with warmer lighting and a warmer temperature. Its' main source comes from a book titled, "Boys and Girls Learn Differently," by Michael Gurian. He entailed that children would excel if they were put only with other children of their sex. This article was informative, and showed me a side that I had never thought of before.
Author: Elizabeth Weil
March 2, 2008
This was a very interesting article to read. It dealt with the controversial topic of separating boys and girls in school based entirely on sex. It used personal examples of a school where this was happening in Foley, Alabama. The intro was very good and described the differences in the classroom atmosphere. The boys' room was light blue with cooler lights and it was kept at a cooler temperature. The girls' room was painted yellow with warmer lighting and a warmer temperature. Its' main source comes from a book titled, "Boys and Girls Learn Differently," by Michael Gurian. He entailed that children would excel if they were put only with other children of their sex. This article was informative, and showed me a side that I had never thought of before.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Piecemeal Tort Reform
The Washington Post
Saturday March 1, 2008; Page A18
This article examines recent Supreme Court proceedings dealing with medical devices in patients. The author identifies a recent case that was brought to the Supreme Court about a heart device that burst during heart surgery. The patient survived and sued the company; however, the Supreme Court ruled that the company was in fact not liable because it was preapproved by the FDA. However, the author then goes on to discuss that if cases like this keep being passed by the Supreme Court, people could eventually not be able to take legal action against companies that have wronged them. He also pointed out that the FDA is understaffed and underpaid and that to totally rely on their approval of a product would not be a reasonable thing. He then offered several solutions, such as improving FDA funding and increasing staff, keeping pressure on legislatures to pass tort reform bills to stop frivilous litigation, and to even set up a federal fund, like that for vaccines, for people who are wrongfully hurt by FDA approved products.
This is the best article I've read all year. The author was completely unbiased; you really don't know which way he prefers. He talks about the benefits for the businesses and the concerns for the people with this new kind of action by the Supreme Court. He offered MANY solutions that were well thought out. He also had a lot of references and was very well educuated on the topic.
Saturday March 1, 2008; Page A18
This article examines recent Supreme Court proceedings dealing with medical devices in patients. The author identifies a recent case that was brought to the Supreme Court about a heart device that burst during heart surgery. The patient survived and sued the company; however, the Supreme Court ruled that the company was in fact not liable because it was preapproved by the FDA. However, the author then goes on to discuss that if cases like this keep being passed by the Supreme Court, people could eventually not be able to take legal action against companies that have wronged them. He also pointed out that the FDA is understaffed and underpaid and that to totally rely on their approval of a product would not be a reasonable thing. He then offered several solutions, such as improving FDA funding and increasing staff, keeping pressure on legislatures to pass tort reform bills to stop frivilous litigation, and to even set up a federal fund, like that for vaccines, for people who are wrongfully hurt by FDA approved products.
This is the best article I've read all year. The author was completely unbiased; you really don't know which way he prefers. He talks about the benefits for the businesses and the concerns for the people with this new kind of action by the Supreme Court. He offered MANY solutions that were well thought out. He also had a lot of references and was very well educuated on the topic.
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