Monthly Archives: June 2012

Couple bond through love of medicine

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CORPUS CHRISTI They started on different sides of the world and in different job fields.

Michael Dunn worked on F-35s and F-16s for Lockheed. Avegiyel Dunn, dual U.S. and Israeli citizen, coordinated evacuations for wounded troops during her mandatory military service.

Friday, the couple graduated from Christus Spohn Family Medicine Residency Program and look forward to joining Joseph Larakers practice in Beeville.

The Dunns stood out to Jose Hinojosa, family medicine residency program director, because through the three-year residency, they never lost focus, Hinojosa said.

They had the same message, they wanted to practice together, they wanted to practice the full spectrum of medicine and in a rural setting, he said.

Going through school and residency as a couple can be a benefit, Hinojosa said.

They can go home and talk to someone who really knows what they are talking about, he said.

Avegiyel Dunn, 32, grew up in the small farm town of Zippori, Israel, and made several trips to visit family in Corpus Christi when she was a child. Of all her childhood fantasies, becoming a doctor was the dream that stuck, she said.

In Ohio, Michael Dunn, 44, also considered being a doctor, but wasnt sure.

It was a conflict between that and space, he said.

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Couple bond through love of medicine

Mariell Jessup, MD, Penn Medicine Cardiologist, Named President-Elect of the American Heart Association

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PHILADELPHIA Mariell Jessup, MD, associate chief-Clinical Affairs, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine and medical director of the Penn Medicine Heart and Vascular Center, has been named president-elect of the American Heart Association (AHA). Dr. Jessup will begin her term on July 1, 2012. Then on July 1, 2013, she will officially become the president of the AHA.

"My involvement with the American Heart Association has spanned more than 20 years and I am honored to be so engaged with the nation's leading health organization dedicated to the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease and stroke," said Dr. Jessup, who is also a member of the Penn Medicine Cardiovascular Institute.

Dr. Jessup's focus throughout her career has been on the optimal management of patients with heart failure, including the appropriate selection of patients for heart transplant or ventricular assist devices (VADs). As medical director of the Penn Medicine Heart and Vascular Center, she works with a multi-disciplinary team of cardiologists, cardiac and vascular surgeons, nurse practitioners, and nurses to deliver collaborative, cutting-edge care to heart patients.

As a world renowned expert, she has been an integral member of numerous guidelines committees aimed at directing optimal decisions and criteria regarding diagnosis, management, and treatment of patients with heart failure. Most recently, she was the Chair of the American College of Cardiology/AHA Guidelines committees focused update for heart failure. She has also been integral in the establishment of the new Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology subspecialty, a secondary subspecialty in Cardiology. The new specialty was created because of the rapid progress in treatment options for patients with heart failure and the ever growing need to monitor, assess, and advance these new technologies for patients.

She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania and her medical degree from Hahnemann Medical College. She completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Hahnemann University Hospital and a cardiovascular fellowship at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

Jessup has served on the AHA's Council of Clinical Cardiology Program Committee, and was a member-at-large on the AHA annual meeting's program committee. She was most recently the Chair of the Committee for Scientific Sessions Program of the AHA. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the national AHA as well.

As president-elect, Jessup will work closely with the new incoming president, as well as the immediate past president, to handle strategy issues. She will represent the president when she can't travel and will also represent the AHA at various national meetings.

The Perelman School of Medicine is currently ranked #2 in U.S. News & World Report's survey of research-oriented medical schools. The School is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $479.3 million awarded in the 2011 fiscal year.

The University of Pennsylvania Health System's patient care facilities include: The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania -- recognized as one of the nation's top 10 hospitals by U.S. News & World Report; Penn Presbyterian Medical Center; and Pennsylvania Hospital the nation's first hospital, founded in 1751. Penn Medicine also includes additional patient care facilities and services throughout the Philadelphia region.

Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2011, Penn Medicine provided $854 million to benefit our community.

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Mariell Jessup, MD, Penn Medicine Cardiologist, Named President-Elect of the American Heart Association

Highland Family Medicine Expands

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Highland Family Medicine currently has 17,000 patients in its practice. With the new expansion, doctors say they will be able to treat an additional 3,000 patients which is critical to the area.

"This will really allow us to provide more access for primary care, particularly for our residents of the city," said Dr. Thomas Campbell, Chair of the Department of Family Medicine.

The new clinical suite has six exam rooms. Four Family Medicine residents will train with the clinical team.

The project is part of a larger plan to address a primary care physician shortage.

"There's a real need for primary care physicians. We have a shortage now, particularly in the city, and that's going to increase as health care reform takes place and more people will have access to health insurance and are looking for primary care physicians," said Campbell.

The practice also expanded its teaching space into a building next door earlier this year. Doctor Campbell says the goal is to place more primary care doctors in Rochester.

"We have expanded our residency program so we will be training more family physicians who will be graduating. Over half of them stay in the Rochester area, so we are actually the largest producer of primary care physicians in the area for this community," said Campbell.

With this new expansion, there are now seven clinical suites at Highland Family Medicine.

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Highland Family Medicine Expands

Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey and Auxogyn Launch Fertility Study To Advance Goals of 'One Embryo, One …

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MORRISTOWN, N.J., June 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Fertility experts at Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey (RMANJ) announced that they will partner with Auxogyn, Inc., to conduct a groundbreaking IVF study that aims to advance the goals of single embryo transfer (SET), and reduce the financial and health implications of multiple pregnancies.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120402/NY80340LOGO)

"Our objectives at RMANJ are two-fold: To increase the healthy live birth rate for those undergoing assisted reproductive procedures, and to decrease the multiple embryo transfer rate, thereby reducing multiple pregnancies," commented Richard T. Scott, Jr., M.D., F.A.C.O.G., H.C.L.D., founding partner of RMANJ. "Through this collaborative research study with Auxogyn, we will explore new, previously unidentified factors that cause one chromosomally normal embryo to implant where another seemingly healthy embryo does not. These discoveries could directly impact clinical practice in the future, moving us closer to the ultimate goal of the IVF field one embryo, one healthy baby."

For patients enrolled in the study, researchers will evaluate the use of both RMANJ's proprietary Comprehensive Chromosome Screening (CCS) and Auxogyn's Eeva (Early Embryo Viability Assessment) Test to detect healthy embryos prior to implantation. CCS is a rapid-method 24-chromosome screening technique that accurately identifies whether embryos are euploid (have a normal number of chromosomes) or aneuploid (have an abnormal number of chromosomes). Eeva is a non-invasive test, developed by Auxogyn, to record and quantitatively analyze embryo development against scientifically and clinically validated cell-division time periods.

More accurate identification of healthy embryos enables fertility doctors to implant a single embryo that will lead to a successful pregnancy and ultimately, a healthy baby. It also may reduce the practice of implanting multiple embryos, which commonly leads to pregnancies with twins, triplets or higher multiples. Many studies have shown that multiple births increase health complications for mothers and babies, and lead to greater healthcare costs. For example, the average cost per delivery for one baby is $14,842, while the cost per delivery for twins is $59,370 and per-delivery expenses for triplets jumps to $163,266.(1,2,3)

RMANJ's past research has shown that CCS supports the practice of SET, and reduces healthcare costs associated with pregnancy, delivery and neonatal care. New data from RMANJ's recently completed BEST (Blastocyst Euploid Selective Transfer) study will be presented at the upcoming American Society for Reproductive Medicine Annual Meeting in October 2012. Partnering with Auxogyn, a company at the forefront of reproductive health innovation, enables RMANJ to further extend research in this area.

"Auxogyn is committed to funding and conducting rigorous scientific research to continually improve outcomes for IVF patients," said Lissa Goldenstein, president and chief executive officer of Auxogyn. "We are pleased to partner with RMANJ and believe this study may expand our understanding of embryo development dramatically, potentially leading to further improvement in our ability to detect healthy embryos during assisted reproduction procedures."

A pioneer in using cutting-edge technology to more accurately detect healthy embryos, RMANJ is uniquely equipped to serve as the clinical study site for this research initiative. Patients who receive care at RMANJ's six clinics may be eligible for the study.

About Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey

Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey have pioneered and successfully implemented a cutting-edge technology, known as Comprehensive Chromosome Screening (CCS) to more accurately detect healthy embryos that will lead to successful pregnancies and ultimately healthy babies. Other centers have attempted similar testing methods, but RMANJ is the only fertility center in the world to have developed a system of unprecedented accuracy, fully validated through years of rigorous clinical research. RMANJ's Comprehensive Chromosome Screening offers advanced embryo selection with extreme accuracy by detecting and avoiding use of embryos with chromosomal abnormalities prior to transfer and pregnancy.

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Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey and Auxogyn Launch Fertility Study To Advance Goals of 'One Embryo, One ...

WIN Consortium to Conduct a Clinical Trial Using FoundationOne™, Foundation Medicine’s Comprehensive Genomic Profile …

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CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Foundation Medicine, Inc., a molecular information company that brings comprehensive cancer genomic analysis to routine clinical care, today announced that Michael J. Pellini, M.D., president and chief executive officer, will present an overview of the company at the Worldwide Innovative Networking (WIN) 2012 Symposium being held June 28-29 in Paris, France. The WIN Consortium in personalized cancer medicine is initiating a clinical trial that uses FoundationOne, a genomic profile for cancer developed by Foundation Medicine. Details of the trial will be highlighted at the Symposium.

FoundationOne will allow physicians participating in this trial to test for alterations in clinically-relevant genes known to be associated with human cancer and match these alterations with appropriate targeted therapies or clinical trials, said Dr. John Mendelsohn, chairman of WIN Consortium. WIN and Foundation Medicine are both dedicated to enabling the best treatment possible with the therapies most likely to be effective against an individual patients cancer. We believe this trial is an important step in that direction.

About WIN Consortium and WIN 2012 Symposium

WIN Consortium is a network of 22 academic institutions and industries across the globe, initiated by the Cancer Institute Gustave Roussy (IGR), France and University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA (MDACC) and focused on international biomarker-driven therapeutic clinical trials. Foundation Medicine joined the consortium in March 2012.

The WIN 2012 Symposium is dedicated to the efficacy of personalized cancer therapeutics through an open exchange format with investigators from academic institutions and the biopharma industry.

Foundation Medicine and the clinical trial will be discussed on June 28th during Session 2 of the WIN 2012 Symposium at the Palais des Congrs in Porte Maillot, Paris, France:

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WIN Consortium to Conduct a Clinical Trial Using FoundationOne™, Foundation Medicine’s Comprehensive Genomic Profile ...

VT-C medical school takes "gigantic step" toward full accreditation

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The Virginia Tech-Carilion School of Medicine took a "gigantic" step toward full accreditation by meeting standards set up by the Liaision Committee on Medical Education (LCME), the school's dean, Dr. Cynda Johnson said.

The "provisional" accreditation will move into the fully accredited category once the school's charter class graduates in 2014, Dr. Johnson explained.

The LCME spent three days on campus last January.

The "provisional" status means the school met or exceeded standards for learning, teaching, and other categories such as staff support.

Dr. Johnson said the school received 3,250 applicants for the 42 positions in its current class, which is the second class for the school.

Dr. Johnson also said the school is meeting national and regional accreditation standards faster than what is mandated.

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VT-C medical school takes "gigantic step" toward full accreditation

Partnership Provides Enhanced Opportunity For MSU Medical School

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Grand Rapids Medical Mile, which includes the new Michigan State University College of Human Medicine complex. Matt Roush photo

GRAND RAPIDS The Michigan State University College of Human Medicine and Grand Valley State University have agreed to establish a cooperative program of premedical and medical education by which Grand Rapids Community College students who transfer as undergraduate premedical students to GVSU will have the opportunity to be granted an early assurance of admission to MSUs med school.

The Early Assurance Program became official at an agreement signing ceremony held Monday at GRCC.

Gilda Gely, GRCC provost; Gayle R. Davis, GVSU provost and vice president for Academic Affairs; Kim Wilcox, MSU provost; and Marsha D. Rappley, dean of the MSU College of Human Medicine, were joined by other school administrators at the signing.

The EAP will provide an enhanced opportunity for admission to medical school for GRCC students transferring to GVSU as pre-medical students who are interested in serving traditionally underserved populations. These students will receive academic advising directed at admission to MSU College of Human Medicine, and will be enrolled in a program of enriching clinical and service experiences in preparation for admission.

Under the agreement, MSU College of Human Medicine is increasing the number of EAP seats it reserves at the medical school for GVSU from five seats to six seats, in order to include an opportunity for students that have transferred from GRCC to GVSU as pre-med students. According to MSU administrators, in the fall of 2011 they received more than 6,250 applicants for the 200 seats available for first-year students. In addition to GRCC and GVSU, 11 other colleges and universities, including Michigan State University, participate with the EAP. GRCC is the first community college to be part of an Early Assurance Program agreement.

Preference for EAP admission will be given to those former GRCC students who now apply as a GVSU student and may not otherwise be familiar with what goes into preparing for premedical and medical school application processes.

These students must also meet one or more of the following criteria: are a first generation college student graduate from an underserved high school as defined by the U.S. Dept. of Education are eligible for or a recipient of an undergraduate Pell or institutional need-based grant graduate from an underserved (health professional shortage) urban or rural area demonstrate interest in a high need medical specialty area

Nick Monsma, a senior at GVSU, attended the signing. He will be the first student to enroll in the program. Monsma, a Grand Rapids native, attended GRCC then transferred to Grand Valley. He was admitted to the MSU CHM in the spring and will begin classes in the fall of 2013.

I think this is an amazing opportunity; Im looking forward to going to school at Michigan State, Monsma, a biomedical sciences major, said.

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Medical school students oppose university merger

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TRENTON, N.J. (AP) A proposal to change higher education in New Jersey has cleared another legislative hurdle, paving the way for final passage on Thursday.

The far-reaching plan combines Rowan University and Rutgers' Camden campus in a quasi-merger and breaks up the University of Medicine and Dentistry, allocating its medical/dental school to Rutgers and its South Jersey osteopathic school to Rowan. The bill makes Rowan a research university, a designation that allows for more funding and greater autonomy in awarding contracts and soliciting bids. UMDNJ's money-losing teaching hospital, University Hospital, would continue to operate as a nonprofit. University Hospital in Newark is the state's largest charity care provider.

The proposal has rocketed through the Legislature this month despite objections from the academic community, ongoing concerns about University Hospital's viability and unanswered questions about its costs. It was advanced unanimously Monday, though several of the legislators who approved it expressed reservations about the bill as it's currently drafted.

Gov. Chris Christie proposed a version of the higher ed restructuring in January, and it has the backing of powerful South Jersey Democrat George Norcross III. Christie imposed a June 30 deadline for the framework for the overhaul to be in place, but it's unclear whether the governor supports all the changes the bill has undergone.

The 100-page proposal morphed again Monday, as 50 pages of amendments were distributed. One allows the deal to be killed if it jeopardizes the osteopathic school's accreditation. Another requires the state to adequately fund University Hospital so it continues to provide safety-net health care. An amendment added Thursday requires Rutgers to accept all of the deal, or none of it. A change added Monday shields the university from medical malpractice claims initiated before the merger.

However, no one knows how much it will cost.

Assemblyman John Wisniewski described the costs as "one of the imponderables of this legislation." He said the figures would come within the year as groundwork for the merger is being laid.

The Assembly Budget Committee heard more than two hours of testimony mostly from opponents before recessing for six hours while the latest changes were drafted. The panel returned to session about 9:30 p.m. and voted a half hour later to forward the bill to the full Assembly. Both houses are set to take final tallies on the legislation Thursday.

Dudley Rivers, vice chairman of the Rutgers Board of Trustees, said the bill poses enormous opportunity and equally onerous risks, many of which could be mitigated if the bill were tweaked further.

For example, he said a provision transferring Rutgers-Camden's property to a new joint governing board would force Rutgers to refinance $950 million in debt at a cost of $155 million. That one-time cost could be eliminated, he said, if the clause transferring Rutgers-Camden's assets is removed from the bill.

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Medical school students oppose university merger

Liberty 'Interferences' Not Beneficial To Sirius At All

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By Bobby Fisher - June 25, 2012 | Tickers: CCO, LMCA, P, FENG, SIRI | 0 Comments

Bobby is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network -- entries represent the personal opinions of our bloggers and are not formally edited.

Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI)is fighting hard to keepLiberty Media (NASDAQ: LMCA)from taking it over. This drama has beenunfoldingover the last few months. Liberty Media is the biggest shareholder for Sirius, and it has been expressing the desire to take complete control of Sirius. Liberty Media made its intentions officially known when it declared that it would buy more stocks in the company. It even hopes to replace the board of directors with candidates that are sympathetic to Liberty Media and its aims. This is clearly an attempt by Liberty Media tostep upits efforts to gain majority control.

This is not the first move that Liberty Media has made to try andgaincontrol. Earlier this year, the company attempted to become the de facto controlling shareholder of the company, even though it only had a 40% stake at the time. The Federal Communications Commission denied this attempt though, as a company must have a 50% stake or more to take control. Liberty Media has risen to the challenge, increasing its stake as much as possible. With time, Liberty Media may end up seizing even more shares and eventually gaining control of the company.

A few years ago, Liberty Media came to the aid of Sirius by giving the struggling company an enormous loan. This was in exchange for shares in the company. The companies signed an agreement, and Liberty Media promised not to make any attempts to take control of the company for a period of three years. You will not be surprised to hear that those three years came to an end recently, allowing Liberty Media to pursue its own agenda.

In response, Sirius has alsofileda request with the Federal Communications Commission, asking it todenythe attempts of Liberty Media to gain control of the company for a second time. Sirius stated that Liberty Media has yet to put forward a coherent plan for how and when it will take it over. It claims that this shows the company is not firmly dedicated to the plan and that it needs to make its intentions clearer. At this point, we are still waiting to hear the Federal Communications Commission's final decision.

Sirius stock declined following Liberty Media's clear declaration of its intentions, and I would expect the decision from the Federal Communications Commission to have a similarly significant effect. Shareholders should pay close attention to this situation.

Despite the situation with Liberty Media, Sirius is still actively trying toexpandits reach. Sirius recently teamed up withPenske Automotive Group (PAG). The auto company will offer three free months of Sirius service to buyers of used cars with factory-installed receivers. This should work to the benefit of both companies and have positive effects on the stocks.

Phoenix New Media (NYSE: FENG)is a competitor that is on the rise. Compared to others, Phoenix is a fairly new player in the industry, and it is based in China. The most recent news for this companyinvolvesthe collaboration with the National Film Board of Canada and should bring good results to the company and the stock. As a result of this agreement, Chinese users will have access to films distributed by the National Film Board of Canada. The films will be accessible through the NFB ZONE on the Phoenix website. This is the first time that Canadian films will be digitally distributed in China, and it should have a positive impact on Phoenix stock.

CompetitorPandora (NYSE: P)is currently in the spotlight because shares in the stock havefallensignificantly. An analyst pointed out that Songza is a more frequently downloaded free app forApple (AAPL)users than Pandora, and this led to the drops in Pandora stock price. Songza is a new introduction to the market, and it seems that its competitors should watch out. Its success is concerning, so it is understandable that some investors lost confidence in Pandora. That being said, Pandora still maintains its status as a leading provider of free online music services. This should not lead to further significant drops in the stock price, therefore, but one does need to keep a close eye on Songza to see how this situation plays out.

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Liberty 'Interferences' Not Beneficial To Sirius At All

Liberty Announces Agreement to Extend Term of Loan with Controlling Shareholder to be Approved at Upcoming Shareholder …

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TSX: LBE

TORONTO , June 26, 2012 /CNW/ - Liberty Mines Inc. ("Liberty" or the "Company") wishes to advise that at the Company's annual meeting of shareholders, to be held at the Ontario Bar Association, 20 Toronto Street, Suite 200, Toronto , Ontario on Wednesday, June 27, 2012 at 4:00 p.m. , the Company will be seeking shareholder approval to the extension of the term of its existing debt facilities with Jien International Investment Limited ("JIIL").

JIIL has agreed to extend the due date on two credit facilities. The first facility has an outstanding principal amount of $48,914,849 plus accrued and unpaid interest estimated to June 30, 2012 of $4,431,552 , which currently comes due on December 31, 2012 and the second facility has an outstanding principal amount of US$19,348,828 with accrued and unpaid interest estimated to June 30, 2012 of US$2,048,901, which currently comes due on June 30 , 2014. Both facilities bear interest at 10% per annum and are secured against the assets of the Company. JIIL has agreed to extend the maturity date of both facilities to June 30, 2017 to provide the Company with the flexibility necessary to achieve positive cash flow. Interest will continue to accrue at the rate of 10% per annum but no interest will be payable until June 30 , 2014. The Company will have the ability to repay any outstanding amount at any time without penalty. In addition, the management information circular mailed to shareholders in respect of the annual meeting (the "Circular") discloses that the JIIL has agreed to provide up to an additional $7,000,000 in funds to address the costs associated with bringing the tailings facilities at the Redstone Mill into compliance and to expand the facility in the future. Subsequent to mailing the Circular JIIL agreed to increase this amount to $10,000,000 . These funds have been advanced on an interest free basis. For additional information, please see the Circular which is available at http://www.sedar.com and the Company's website.

As JIIL owns 60% of the outstanding common shares of the Company, this is a related party transaction under the rules of the Toronto Stock Exchange and must be approved by a majority of the disinterested shareholders voting at the meeting excluding the votes of JIIL and its associates and affiliates.

At the meeting shareholders will be asked to approve the proposed slate of seven directors consisting of Wu Shu, John Pinsent, Tao Li, Zhang Shu, Kim Oishi , Chris Stewart and James Xiang. The Company is also seeking ratification of BDO Dunwoody as the Corporation's auditors.

This press release does not constitute an offer of the securities described herein in any jurisdiction. The securities described herein have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the securities laws of any state and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent an exemption from registration..

About Liberty Mines Inc.

Liberty Mines Inc. is a mid-tier producer of nickel and is focused on the exploration, development and production of nickel, copper, cobalt and platinum group metals from its properties in Ontario, Canada . It owns and operates the only nickel concentrator in the Shaw Dome, a prospective nickel belt region near Timmins, Ontario. With a new management team in place, Liberty is focused on growth initiatives not only through a more aggressive exploration program on its current properties but also through potential acquisition or partnership opportunities beyond its core Timmins area projects.

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Liberty Announces Agreement to Extend Term of Loan with Controlling Shareholder to be Approved at Upcoming Shareholder ...

Liberty Mutual joint venture gets OK to sell insurance in India

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By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff

Boston-based Liberty Mutual Insurance Group said Tuesday said that a company joint venture has gotten a license to sell insurance products in India.

The company said that Liberty Videocon General Insurance Co. Ltd., a joint venture between Liberty Mutual and Videocon Industries Ltd., has received the necessary license from Indias insurance regulatory authority to commence operations. The parties entered into the joint venture agreement in December 2010.

Liberty Mutual does much of its business outside the United States. The companys international business operations sells insurance products to individuals and businesses in such countries as Turkey, Ireland, Russia, Brazil, Argentina, Thailand, and China.

In a statement, Liberty Mutual president and chief executive David Long said, Indias rapidly growing economy and personal income levels mean more and more Indians will be buying insurance to protect their property and possessions.

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Liberty Mutual joint venture gets OK to sell insurance in India

Liberty Media Corporation Wins Jury Verdict in US District Court

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ENGLEWOOD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Liberty Media Corporation (Liberty) (Nasdaq: LMCA, LMCB) announced today that it received a favorable jury verdict in its case against Vivendi Universal S.A., et. al. which was tried in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. The jury awarded Liberty damages in the amount of 765 million in connection with a finding of breach of contract and fraud by the defendant. Liberty intends to seek pre-judgment interest on the jury award. Judgment, however, will not be entered until the Court rules on any post-trial briefing. Although Liberty expects the defendants to ask the Court to set aside the verdict during this process, Liberty is confident that the Court will deny that request and that the jurys decision will stand.

The dispute arose out of a commercial transaction between the parties to the action and the former USA Holdings, Inc. that occurred during 2002.

Liberty was represented by Baker Botts L.L.P. in the action. The defendants were represented by Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP and Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP.

About Liberty Media Corporation

Liberty Media (Nasdaq: LMCA, LMCB) owns interests in a broad range of media, communications and entertainment businesses, including its subsidiaries Atlanta National League Baseball Club, Inc. and TruePosition, Inc., its interests in Starz, LLC, SiriusXM, Live Nation Entertainment and Barnes & Noble, and minority equity investments in Time Warner Inc. and Viacom.

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Liberty Media Corporation Wins Jury Verdict in US District Court

Koch Brothers Reach Deal With Cato

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The Koch brothers have been fighting to take control of the Cato Institute, against the wishes of its current leaders and staff, who they deem insufficiently devoted to the cause of plutocracy and the Republican Party. After a lengthy, public fight, the two sides reached a compromise, in which CEO Ed Crane will be pushed out and John Allison will take charge of the libertarian think tank. Allison is the former chairman of BB&T bank and best known for donating vast sums to universities and using his leverage to force them to assign their students to read Ayn Rand screeds. The running of a libertarian think tank seems like a more appropriate venue for Allison to act upon his devotion to Rand's nuttery than forcing it upon students who are trying to learn actual stuff.

Allison's ascension is in keeping with the general trend of the Washington libertarian movement to define itself mainly in economic terms. (The trend has been opposed by a handful of libertarian dissidents, the most prominent of whom have been purged.)

It's not just economic libertarianism in general that moves the likes of Allison, but a specific belief that economic freedom is defined primarily as opposition to egalitarianism. (As opposed to focusing on something like the regulatory power of state and local business cartels.) Allison has called egalitarianism "the most destructive principle in our society." The general thrust of Rand-influenced libertarianism, which you see in the philosophy of Rand-influenced Republicans like Grover Norquist and Paul Ryan, is that the central evil in public life is the poor using the political system to gang up on the rich and redistribute their resources. (For those unfamiliar with my thoughts on Rand and her influence on the contemporary right, you can read them here.)

Allison will no doubt continue to support Cato's libertarian work on foreign policy and social issues, but expect Cato's central thrust as an anti-egalitarian organization to continue or intensify. And since this places Cato in support of the Republican Party, it will probably satisfy the Kochs.

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Koch Brothers Reach Deal With Cato

America made up of minority groups, diverse views

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To the editor:

Dr. Leonard Duckworths letter to The Courier Sunday was full of frustration. He wondered how the non-thinkers could vote for President Obama. His frustration is systematic of all minorities. All surveys show Americans in general are empathetic and pragmatic. It is these feelings that make our political majority an amalgamation of libertarianism, inclusiveness, the ecologically bent, competitive and nationally centric. Throughout our history, Americas political philosophy has been center-right on economic issues and center-left on social issues.

If you are a liberal, progressive, socialist, etc., you are a minority. If you are a conservative, libertarian, a Tea Party supporter, a follower of the Christian right, etc., you are a minority. This makes for diverse views in letters to The Courier. It is this diversity of thought that makes America great. It is also this diversity of thought that leads to frustration for many. It is not the non-thinkers but the thoughtful center that elects the president.

Duckworth and other minorities need to keep their pens handy. No matter whether Obama or Romney gets elected, the president will pander to the majority and implement policies that frustrate the minority. As ugly and frustrating as it is, this is the American way and in todays world there is no better way.

If you need proof, just think of this; Texas is one of the most conservative states in the country, and its largest city has an openly gay mayor. How strange is that?

Tim Doherty

Conroe

To the editor:

The Tea Party position is that they want to keep their hard-earned money and that they basically should not pay any taxes all the while driving on streets and highways that are paid for through taxes.

They dont want government to touch their Medicare or Social Security, but they do not want to pay any taxes. They fly safely on airlines, are protected by our military abroad and by first responders locally, but they do not want to pay any taxes. They buy foods that are safe to eat due to our Department of Agriculture and they do not wish to pay any taxes.

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America made up of minority groups, diverse views

Libertarian position

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Re: Jim Sullivans June 24 commentary, How libertarians think about economic justice:

Sullivan provided an excellent description of the libertarian free market position. However, what he presents as market failures were actually caused by government actions.

Many economists have pointed out the 2007 housing bubble was started with the 1977 Community Reinvestment Act that required mortgages be given to subprime borrowers. This was combined with inadequate regulation of mortgage granting and derivatives selling because everyone knew the government (taxpayers) would bail them out in the end. The quasi-government entities Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac now own 90 perce nt of all mortgages. The solution is to stop these bailouts and convert Fannie and Freddie to private entities, not impose more regulations.

Libertarians believe economic justice is achieved by the free market, not the government, picking winners and losers. We believe our present system of crony capitalism or corporatism enables big corporations, with the help of big government, to drive out small businesses. On a local level, this uneven playing field means cities give tax favors to Costco or Walmart that help them drive out mom-and-pop stores.

Nationally, corporations get tax write-offs for paying for employee health care, while small businesses and individuals do not have this write-off (if they did, 25 percent of corporate employees would leave their jobs). Corporations also are able to hire a legion of attorneys, accountants and others to deal with regulations, while small businesses cannot.

Libertarians ulterior motive is to be left alone, to produce and trade goods and services, until and unless someone shows we have committed force or fraud. Economic justice means leveling the playing field. To find out more this election year, follow the Gary Johnson for President campaign.

- Bruce K. Bell,

Moorpark

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Libertarian position

Clarification sought for Libertarian ND gov candidate

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BISMARCK, N.D. North Dakota Secretary of State Al Jaeger is seeking an attorney general's opinion on whether the Libertarian Party's candidate for governor can go on the November general election ballot.

Jaeger says Roland Riemers received enough votes in the June 12 primary to qualify for the November ballot, but Riemers did not have a running mate listed on the June ballot. Jaeger says the state's constitution requires the governor and lieutenant governor to be elected on a joint ballot that a vote cast for governor also is a vote cast for the second-in command.

Jaeger on Monday asked Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem to clarify the matter.

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Clarification sought for Libertarian ND gov candidate