In my opinion: Ditch the two major parties register Libertarian … – Maroon

Posted on by

February 10, 2017 Filed under Op/Ed, Opinions

Back in October, I wrote an editorial urging the Loyola community to check out Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson. The successful entrepreneur turned two-term governor of New Mexico garnered nearly 10 percent of the vote in his home state and 3.3 percent nationally, the most a third party presidential candidate has received since independent Ross Perot 20 years earlier.

OK, Johnson still didnt win and never had a chancewhats your point, Ricardo?

Im so glad you asked.

In 2008, the Libertarian candidate got 523,715 votes or 0.40 percent of the popular vote. In 2012, Gary Johnsons first run for the presidency saw 1,275,971 votes or one percent of the popular vote. And this past election cycle, 4,488,931 American voters thought a Libertarian was a better choice than the Democrat under F.B.I. investigation and the Republican who was a reality TV star Cheeto.

One of the main reasons Johnson didnt have a fair chance was because he, along with Green Party candidate Jill Stein, was excluded from the nationally televised presidential debates. The official reason is that he and Stein didnt have the polling numbers to be admitted.

But the bar gets raised higher and higher. Third party candidates are virtually always excluded.

The debate commission calls itself non-partisan and yet the way it operates benefits the two major parties to the detriment of the American people who deserve to hear another voiceone that might actually reflect what they think and feel.

Many voters are afraid to vote for a third party candidate because of whats called the spoiler effect. They fear that by voting for a less popular candidate who actually represents a majority of their views, they are taking away votes from a more popular candidate who doesnt represent a lot of what they want but is better than another major party candidate who is the polar opposite.

Ralph Nader, who ran as a Green in 2000, is often criticized as stealing the election from Al Gore and enabling George H.W. Bush to win, despite evidence to the contrary.

The takeaway message: research the philosophy of libertarianism, see if you agree and when youre ready to fight the two-party system and promote policies of freedom, register to vote as a Libertarian.

Our national platform states that Libertarians stand for the political freedom of everyone, including our ideological opponents.

For more information, visit the College Libertarians at Loyola University New Orleans Facebook page.

Go here to see the original:

In my opinion: Ditch the two major parties register Libertarian ... - Maroon

Free the Cuban Libertarian Activists! – The Libertarian Republic

Posted on by

By Zach Foster

A libertarian brother from the Mises Cuba Institute notified me shortly after two Cuban libertarian activists were arrested by State Security officersthe political secret police. Mises Cuba, Mises USA, and the PanAm Post all confirmed that Ubaldo Herrera Hernandez and Manuel Velasquez Visea were both arrested in the last week. Other members of Mises Cuba were also threatened with arrest by the political police.

The two men were arrested together. Reportedly, they were approached by several plain-clothes undercover secret policemen. The secret policemen harassed the two men and arrested the activists when they refused to show ID to non-uniformed officers. Herrera and Velasques are still detained.

The American Mises Institute commented: At a time when interest in the works of Ludwig von Mises and the Austrian School is growing in developing nations, this arrest is a solemn reminder of the incredible courage of those spreading ideas in countries where governments routinely crack down on political opposition.

Responding to a request for comment,Libertarian Party of Nevada Chairman Jason Smith and Vice Chairman David Colborne both expressed shock at the arrest and they condemn the Cuban government for this abuse against civil liberties and basic human rights. This morning, LP Nevada released a press release in English and in Spanishofficially protesting the arrest and indefinite detention of Herrera and Velasquez and demanding their immediate safe release.

Since the War on Terror heated up, libertarians have been fighting and campaigning against indefinite detention. The liberty movement in 2012 vehemently opposed the National Defense Authorization Act specifically for the indefinite detention clause. This same fate is exactly what the Cuban libertarian activists are facing now.

Libertarians everywhere should join in denouncing the unjust actions of the Cuban regime and demand that the two political prisoners be released immediately. Cuban goods should be boycotted. People from around the world need to be putting pressure on their own governments to put political pressure on Cuba, while themselves putting economic pressure on Cuba.

This is a time when we libertarians need to stand in solidarity with Ubaldo Herrera Hernandez and Manuel Velasquez Visea. What happened to these men in Cuba can still happen in the United States, especially with a presidential cabinet stacked with authoritarians like Steve Bannon and Jeff Sessions. Rounding out the authoritarian curve is President Trump and his love for executive orders.

We the People need to keep protesting and pressuring our own government to respect our civil liberties, but that doesnt mean we cant scream and shout when it happens in places like Cuba. After all, while Americans fear their government arbitrarily jailing political opponents, it actually happens in Cuba. Driving it closer to home, these men are libertarian activists. They were thrown in jail for exactly the type of nonviolent education and discussion that people reading this have done countless times without even a second thought.

The jailed Cuban libertarian activists are political prisoners and State Security is holding themwithout a trial. This is antithetical to freedom. It would be the same whether the Cuban regime jailed Cuban libertarian activists or whether a right-wing regime jailed socialist labor union organizers. There are some things a human being just doesnt have the right to do to another human being.

There can be no justice in Cuba until the two Cuban libertarian activists are released safe and sound. We can only hope State Security hasnt brutalized them the way theyve brutalized countless of the nameless Cuban peasants unlucky enough to be suspected of crimes against the state. Whats worse is how authoritarian governments like the Cuban regime usually accuse political dissidents not of crimes against the state, but against the people.

CommunismCubaHuman rightsMises Institute

Read the rest here:

Free the Cuban Libertarian Activists! - The Libertarian Republic

2018: Bill Weld For Governor – Being Libertarian – Being Libertarian

Posted on by

Bill Weld should run for Governor of Connecticut in 2018.

This may seem like an odd proposition, but it is not an unreasonable one. Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy is the second most unpopular governor in the country and hes tarred the Democratic Party in the state with his poor record, guaranteeing a Democratic defeat come 2018. The question thus becomes who the Republican candidate will be, and thats where the opportunity lies. There is something of a deficit of talent in the Connecticut GOP and Weld could very easily fill the void to produce a quick victory.

Linda McMahon, President Trumps Small Business Administration head, is one possibility, but she failed in two past Senate bids in the state and Trump is likely to be unpopular in very blue Connecticut. Tom Foley, former ambassador to Ireland, could try for a third bid for Governor but after two failed bids, in 2010 and 2014, its unlikely hell get a third nod. Mark Boughton, the mayor of Danbury, has already opened an exploratory committee for 2018 but has failed to clinch the nomination in two past attempts. Erin Stewart, the self-described fiscally conservative and socially moderate mayor of New Britain, is another possibility, but she has stated skepticism of her own prospects due to a competitive field, and has alluded to the legislature being an area of greater importance to her.

In a time when one of Connecticuts biggest issues is losing jobs to Massachusetts, a massively successful former Republican governor of Massachusetts would certainly stand out amongst the crowd.

Why Connecticut? It isnt just a matter of low hanging fruit for a Libertarian Party victory, but the state being particular receptive to a Weld candidacy. Bill Weld isnt some foreign entity in the state; he was governor of its neighbor to the north and a gubernatorial candidate for its much larger neighbor due west. In New England, Bill Weld is a local brand. Meanwhile Connecticut is particularly receptive to a renegade candidacy third party candidate Lowell Weicker won the governorship in 1990 on his A Connecticut Party ticket and Joe Lieberman won his Senate seat in 2006 as an Independent.

Meanwhile Connecticut is one of the few states in the union to have fusion laws which allow for candidates to run on multiple party lines, meaning Weld could easily run as a Libertarian and a Republican, something he might be inclined to do given that was his strategy in New York during his 2006 gubernatorial bid. Heck, given how Weicker and Lieberman both won in three-person races, its entirely possible that should Bill Weld run solely as a Libertarian, he could pull through against a very unpopular Democratic Party and a GOP that fails to put forward an effective candidate.

Having an incumbent Libertarian Party governor who has been executive of two states wouldnt be a bad thing come 2020 either.

Photo: Bob Mack /Florida Times-Union via AP

Jacob Linker is a Campus Coordinator with Students For Liberty and the State Chair of Young Americans for Liberty in his state.

Like Loading...

See more here:

2018: Bill Weld For Governor - Being Libertarian - Being Libertarian

BTCC Chief: 2-3 Years Before China Regulates Bitcoin – Being Libertarian

Posted on by

The Peoples Bank of China has decided to wait two to three years before regulating bitcoin following their meeting with major bitcoin exchanges within the country.

After a widely-reported meeting of which the contents remained mostly a mystery the Peoples Bank of China met with BTCC (Bitcoin China), OkCoin, and Huobi. The main takeaway from this meeting was that the PBOC urged the three bitcoin exchanges to undergoand maintain self-examination in terms of monitoring bitcoin price changes.

Money laundering was the only topic mentioned publicly before the meeting took place. Bloomberg reports that regulators were concerned about money laundering and how widelybitcoin is being used as a safeguardagainst the depreciating Yuan.

The potential of bitcoin regulation in two to three years by the PBOC could have a devastating impact on the values of bitcoin, as a large portion of bitcoin is mined in China. Bitcoin has miraculously evaded government regulation by any country around the globe thus far.

According to Bloomberg, BTTC has also halted the withdrawal of bitcoin for 72 hours by way of a necessary review period, while OkCoin and Huobi suspended them both completely for 72 hours.

In reaction to the news of regulatory talks and withdrawal suspensions, bitcoin price fell 7%.

Smaller bitcoin trading outlets in China have all imposed trading fees as a result of the meeting, according to CoinDesk.BTC Trade, BTC100,CHBTC, Dahonghuo,Yuanbao and BitBaysall took part in this implementation. Yuanbao and BitBays both cited regulatory concerns when justifying the trading fees, while BTC Trade stated that it did so in order to curb speculation [and] to prevent price speculation.

Not only does government announcement of likely future regulation hurt business in general, but closed-door meetings and public discussion of the possibility of regulations taking place has been particularly devastating for the price of bitcoin.

Photo Credit: ChinaFotoPress/Getty Images

This post was written by Nicholas Amato.

The views expressed here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect our views and opinions.

Nicholas Amato is the News Editor at Being Libertarian. Hes an undergraduate student at San Jose State University, majoring in political science and minoring in journalism.

Like Loading...

Excerpt from:

BTCC Chief: 2-3 Years Before China Regulates Bitcoin - Being Libertarian

Libertarian think tanks, Kansas health secretary testify against expanding Medicaid – Topeka Capital Journal

Posted on by

A third day of Medicaid hearings that drew crowds to the Legislature this week saw opponents of expanding the program warn of potential harm to state finances and citizens health care choices.

A senior fellow from the Washington, D.C.-based Cato Institute, the vice president of the Kansas Policy Institute and the head of Kansas health department were among those who cautioned against seeing Medicaid expansion as a panacea for health care problems or said growing the program in other states had led to negative, often unanticipated effects.

Weve heard testimony that Medicaid expansion would be budget neutral, said health secretary Susan Mosier. Theres no cost-benefit to the state. In fact, theres additional cost.

KDHE health secretary Susan Mosier speaks Thursday.

She and five others who addressed the panel faced questions from lawmakers who sounded skeptical, seeking details about or openly challenging the sources and methodology of the studies and figures they cited.

Kansas is one of 19 states that havent expanded Medicaid coverage. Expansion was one of the tools included in the Affordable Care Act. The bill before the House health committee would offer Medicaid to more low-income Kansans.

Opponents and proponents are unable to agree on fundamental implications of the program, from what it would cost to whether it would benefit the economy, improve health care and shore up financially struggling hospitals.

Gov. Sam Brownback says the plan would be bad for Kansas with a price tag of more than $100 million over the next two years alone, among other disadvantages.

Proponents, meanwhile, tout a variety of savings and question the states calculations. At least one lawmaker, Susan Concannon, R-Beloit, sought further clarification of the states cost estimates and whether it had accurately factored in anticipated savings to the state. Health department officials said they would send lawmakers detailed figures.

The Kansas Hospital Association is raising similar concerns, saying assumptions the state published for the bill appear to lead to a conclusion of about $78.5 million for two years instead of about $111 million. Additionally, the association believes increased revenue from HMOs in conjunction with expansion would lead to an overall state savings.

Proponents testified Wednesday, with a few hundred turning out for a rally and hearing and the Alliance for a Healthy Kansas advocacy group providing lawmakers binders full of supportive statements from physicians, residents, cities and chambers of commerce across the state.

Thursdays opposition testimony included warnings that Kansas could end up with far more people on Medicaid than expected including people who are already eligible for Medicaid but arent enrolled.

It tends to be that as you expand the program, said Michael Tanner, of the free-market think tank Cato, because of the outreach thats going on with the expansion, as well as the associated publicity of it, that these people who are eligible but not enrolled today, enroll.

Michael Tanner, of think tank Cato, speaks Thursday.

Gregg Pfister, of the Florida-based Foundation for Government Accountability, said the expansion would extend coverage to able-bodied adults for whom there is an easy solution jobs.

This is not assistance for someones elderly grandmother whos struggling to live. This money doesnt go toward the developmentally or physically disabled, he said. These adults dont have disabilities. Most of them are without children and dont work a full-time, year-round job.

Greg Pfister, of Foundation for Government Accountability, speaks Thursday.

Opponents of expanding Medicaid also questioned the stability of federal aid for Medicaid expansion and noted the uncertain future of the ACA, which President Donald Trump has indicated he will do away with.

Theres no reason to expect that the federal government will continue to keep its funding promise in perpetuity, said Melissa Fausz, a Virginia-based policy analyst for Americans for Prosperity. Theres plenty of precedent for the federal government failing to live up to the funding promises made to the state.

Melissa Fausz, of Americans for Prosperity, speaks Thursday.

Fausz admonished against seeing money from D.C. as simply tax dollars that rightfully belong to Kansas, calling it instead federal deficit spending.

Opponents have also expressed concern that Medicaid expansion would lead to worse health care access for people with disabilities, who would find themselves vying for services amid an influx of new enrollees.

Brownback warned this week that expansion moves able-bodied adults to the front of the line, ahead of truly vulnerable Kansans.

Mike Oxford, executive director of policy at Topeka Independent Living, rejected that assessment and cautioned against labeling people with disabilities as vulnerable.

I just dont see the issue affecting access to services or the amount of services, he said, arguing that those problems already exist and stem from other factors.

The Disability Rights Center of Kansas also supports Medicaid expansion. It argues that many Kansans with disabilities are uninsured and currently ineligible for Medicaid. It also says personal care attendants could gain coverage, making it easier to recruit employees to a workforce with a shortage.

Read more from the original source:

Libertarian think tanks, Kansas health secretary testify against expanding Medicaid - Topeka Capital Journal

Stephen Henderson and Libertarian Shikha Dalmia Debate Future of Healthcare – WDET

Posted on by

Jake Neher/WDET

Shikha Dalmia (left) with StephenHenderson(right)

Republicans in Washington D.C. see their first real opportunity to accomplish one of the GOPs top goals for the better part of a decade to get rid of the federal health care law.

But people who hoped this would accomplished swiftly after the inauguration of Republican President Donald Trump are likely to be disappointed, to say the least. The question of how to replace the law will be tricky, and maybe impossible to answer in the coming weeks or months. Republicans are already backing away from their public pledges to quickly repeal and replaceObamacare.

Since the beginning of the year, Detroit Today host Stephen Henderson has been speaking with guests on a weekly basis who see specific issues or politics in general differently than hedoes.

This week, he debates the past, present, and future of healthcare with Shikha Dalmia, senior analyst at the Reason Foundation and a writer for Reason Magazine.

Obamacare took an irrational system and made it even more irrational, says Dalmia, who identifies as a political Libertarian. But, she says, Republicans have all kinds of plans, none of which they can actually put in place, if it will mean throwing a whole bunch of people off of theseexchanges.

Click on the audio player above to hear the fullconversation.

Go here to read the rest:

Stephen Henderson and Libertarian Shikha Dalmia Debate Future of Healthcare - WDET

BREAKING: NH State Representative Joins Libertarian Party … – Free Keene

Posted on by

Its a big day for libertarian history in New Hampshire and nationwide. For the first time in two decades, the Libertarian Party of NH (LPNH) has a sitting state representative in the legislature who is just beginning his first term in office. Caleb Dyer, state representative for Hudson and Pelham, announced today at a press conference in Concords Legislative Office Building that he has switched his voter registration from republican to libertarian and has also joined the state party as a dues-paying member. Dyer is a New Hampshire native who knocked on 2,000 doors in his district, Hillsborough 37, to win his election in November of 2016. Heres the press conference video from this morning:

The LPNH was basically dormant for years until late 2016 when superactivists Darryl W Perry and Rodger Paxton won election to chair and vice-chair of the party, respectively. Shortly thereafter the libertarian candidate for governor was able to get enough votes to propel the party into major party status in New Hampshire. Its the first time the LPNH has had that status in approximately twenty years, surely much to the chagrin of the republicans and democrats, who raised the vote requirement in the nineties specifically to disqualify the LP from major party status.

Libertarian State Representative Caleb Q Dyer

Explaining why he left the republicans, Dyer explained, I truly believe the best course of action is to organize outside of the party, and force coalition. He intends to rally hundreds of people across the state to submit themselves to their peers as libertarian candidates. He ended his speech by reading from Article Ten of the New Hampshire Constitution:

whenever the ends of government are perverted, and public liberty manifestly endangered, and all other means of redress are ineffectual, the people may, and of right ought to reform the old, or establish a new government. The doctrine of nonresistance against arbitrary power, and oppression, is absurd, slavish, and destructive of the good and happiness of mankind.

Who will be the next state rep to follow Dyers lead? Stay tuned here to Free Keene for the latest from the state house.

Dyer will be a featured speaker at the LPNHs convention on March 18th in Concord. Tickets are available now.

Read more:

BREAKING: NH State Representative Joins Libertarian Party ... - Free Keene

REVEALED: Egypt consulted Israel in Red Sea islands transfer – Middle East Eye

Posted on by

Middle East Eye
REVEALED: Egypt consulted Israel in Red Sea islands transfer
Middle East Eye
The government says the islands had always belonged to Saudi Arabia and that Egypt had merely administered them while on lease since the 1950s. Critics, however, accuse President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi of "selling" the islands in return for Saudi ...
New leak expose Israel's involvement in Egyptian-Saudi island swap scandalMiddle East Monitor

all 5 news articles »

See the original post here:

REVEALED: Egypt consulted Israel in Red Sea islands transfer - Middle East Eye

Watch Future Islands Debut Fiery New Anthem on ‘Fallon’ – RollingStone.com

Posted on by

Future Islands made their triumphant return to the late-night circuit last night, debuting new single "Ran" on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. The stakes for the rising band were unusually high. Two years ago, the Baltimore trio's Letterman set went viral, garnering themost YouTube views in the show's history.

But Samuel T. Herring never disappoints. Bathed in red light, the effusive vocalist gazes upward like a distracted cherub in a button-down and jeans. Bassist William Cashion (repping Nice Price Book & Records store under his blazer) lays down the song's simple arpeggio that rumbles below Gerrit Welmers' keyboard.

That quixotic bass-keys combination defines the Future Islands sound. And if "Ran" is any indication, they've perfected the balance on their forthcoming album, The Far Field (out April 7th). The buoyant musicianship both informs and heightens Herring's moves, which make sorrow look like it should qualify as an Olympic sport.

On 'Fallon,' Herring throws his right hook through the air, wildly wondering "how it feels when we fall, when we fold." He testifies one moment and slaps his cheek hard in the next. Even Fallon seemed breathless. When the host walked onstage to shake Herring's hand, it felt more like he was handing him a warm towel and life preserver.

Future Islands will perform main stage sets at Coachella, Panorama and Bonnaroo this year in addition to a massive U.S. tour.

Sign up for our newsletter to receive breaking news directly in your inbox.

Read the original post:

Watch Future Islands Debut Fiery New Anthem on 'Fallon' - RollingStone.com

Exploring the Marquesas Islands – Island Conservation News (press release) (blog)

Posted on by

Kaoha nui! The team recently spent three days on Eiao and Hatutaa, Marquesas Islands. They are fascinating places to visit.

Offloading supplies onto Eiao Island. Credit: Richard Griffiths

Eiao, where I spent my time, is 5,600ha and is probably one of the largest uninhabited islands of the Pacific. Yet, the island has been extensively modified by the presence of invasive sheep, pigs, cats and rats. Massive soil erosion (more than 6 feet in places) has reduced much of the islands plateau to a sun-bleached desert.

Invasive species have caused significant erosion on Eiao Island. Credit: Richard Griffiths

In the midst of this devastation, pockets of relatively intact forest remain in gullies too steep for invasive sheep and pigs to access. It is also likely, although we were unable to confirm this, that there are places on the island where even invasive cats and rats cannot reach. These protected regions could still support birds such as the Endangered Polynesian Storm Petrel. Our take-home message for Eiao was that the potential for biodiversity recovery is enormous. To restoring the island we would firstneed agreement from residents.

Hatutaa (640ha) is another story altogether. With only invasive Pacific rats to contend with, the island is a stronghold for the Marquesan Ground Dove. Phoenix Petrels (I got to see my first) and many other seabird species also nest there.

Phoneix Petrel in flight. Credit: Richard Griffiths

My colleagues Jason, Tehani and Fred spent three days on the island, documenting seabird numbers, counting crabs and describing the islands vegetation among other activities. Due to limited options for shelter, the team had to sleep under a patch of Pisonia forest. Needless to say the black tarp that Jason slept under changed from black to white, courtesy of the Black Noddies nesting above.

Camp on Hatutaa Island. Credit: Richard Griffiths

Upon returning from Eiao and Hatutaa we met with the mayor and community leaders of Nuku Hiva to discuss the goals and objectives of the restoration project. Rat eradication on Hatutaa and Hatu iti (a smaller island also with Phoenix petrel) is fully supported by the community. The subject of removing invasive pigs and sheep from Eiao is another story; we may consider setting up some fenced enclosures on the island to demonstrate the impacts that ungulates are having and the potential for recovery.

South Coast of Eiao. Credit: Richard Griffiths

From Nuku Hiva the team (sans moi) has now sailed off to Ua Pou and then to Fatu Uku and Mohotani, two more of the projects priority sites.I stayed in Nuku Hiva with Fred and will fly out tomorrow morning. While here, Fred and I got a spot on Marquesan breakfast radio to discuss the project which was a sore test for my poor French.

The crew aboard the Shark. Credit: Richard Griffiths

Look out for the next installment from Jason.

Featured photo: Approaching Hatutaa. Credit: Richard Griffiths

Read this article:

Exploring the Marquesas Islands - Island Conservation News (press release) (blog)

Cape Fear River islands that host nesting birds need sand – StarNewsOnline.com

Posted on by

Ferry Slip and South Pelican islands in the Cape Fear River are nesting habitats for birds such as royal and sandwich terns.

SOUTHEASTERN N.C. -- Its been 13 years since South Pelican and Ferry Slip islands were replenished with fresh sand.

The two islands in the Cape Fear River between Southport and Fort Fisher are nesting habitats for native birds such as royal, sandwich and gull-billed terns, and the American oystercatcher. The birds prefer an open, sandy habitat in which to lay their eggs.

The islands are owned by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission but maintained by Audubon North Carolina. Last year the islands missed out on a chance to receive sand from a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredging project, which is done periodically to keep the channel clear. A permit was not completed in time to receive dredge material. The islands will likely have to wait a couple to several more years before a new opportunity arises to be replenished with beach-quality sand.

The Cape Fear River is an important site for these birds, said Lindsay Addison, an Audubon coastal biologist. Thirty percent of the states royal and sandwich terns nest on the Cape Fear River. With a third of the states nesting population in need of the right habitat, its concerning to lose that open bare sand they like to the natural progression of grasses and vegetation growing up on the island.

While waiting for another opportunity to replenish the islands with sand, Addison said Audubon will be working on a vegetation management project with a grant administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

The project involves applying herbicide to vegetation that has grown considerably on the islands, as well as pulling the vegetation and exposing bare sand.

While the islands not only provide the right habitat for the birds, Addison said the islands also offer safety from predators such as foxes, raccoons and opossums.

In a good year, Addison said about 3,000 pairs of royal and sandwich terns will nest on the river, which makes caring for the island habitats important. Sandy beach habitats birds nested on years ago have been lost to tourism, development, erosion and sea level rise, leaving a limited number of habitats left, Addison said.

These birds dont have other places to go, she said. Out of the entire state for royal and sandwich terns, there are five or six islands theyll occupy in a year. Ferry Slip and South Pelican are two of those islands.

David Allen, wildlife diversity supervisor with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, said protecting the few habitats these particular birds have to nest in is important for maintaining the finite number of birds left.

Addison said she hopes a dredge project will occur sooner rather than later for the sake of the islands, which could suffer in the long run should sand not be replenished.

These are sand islands, there are waves, currents and storms on the river and over time they do erode, Addison said. So if you were to just not put sand on them over several decades, quite a long time perhaps, in the end they would eventually erode away.

Reporter Makenzie Holland can be reached at 910-343-2371 or Makenzie.Holland@StarNewsOnline.com.

.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }

Link:

Cape Fear River islands that host nesting birds need sand - StarNewsOnline.com

Channel Islands Exchange CISE Rebrands as TISE – Finance Magnates

Posted on by

Guernsey-based Channel Islands Securities Exchange (CISE), a stock exchange that lists bonds issued by some of the worlds biggest companies, has announced that it is rebranding as The International Stock Exchange (TISE), effective next month.

To unlock the Asian market, register now to the iFX EXPO in Hong Kong

As well as new name and a new look the company said it plans to launch its presence in the Isle of Man on 9 March to simplify the way it communicates with customers.

Having launched more than three years ago, after acquiring the Channel Islands Stock Exchange, the CISE currently has over 2,000 listed securities on its official list with a total market capitalization of more than 300 billion. In addition to its headquarter in Guernsey, the exchange maintains an office in nearby Jersey, both of which are located outside of the European Union.

The exchange is an affiliate member of both the International Organisation of Securities Commissions and the World Federation of Exchanges. It operates as arecognised bourseby the UK tax authority and the Australian stock exchange, for the purposes of investment by personal pensions and individual savings accounts.

The Channel Islands are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two Crown dependencies, Jersey and Guernsey, which have become major offshore financial centres on the scale of the Cayman Islands.

Jon Moulton, Chairman of the CISE, commented: We already have business coming to us from many different parts of the world. Also, last year we made changes so that listing sponsors no longer have to be based in the Channel Islands but can be from further afield and we signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Bermuda Stock Exchange (BSX) to explore opportunities for working together. In addition, next month we will be launching a presence in the Isle of Man where there is real enthusiasm for local access to an international exchange.

Fiona Le Poidevin, Chief Executive of the CISE, said: I have made several visits to the Isle of Man in the last year and it is clear that there is significant interest from businesses in the island to have access to an exchange. The Isle of Man has trading companies within a diverse range of industries, including in the technology sector, who will be able to use the Exchange to raise capital to help them grow and the Exchange will also offer other firms the opportunity to participate in its success by being a listing sponsor or providing legal or administrative services to those companies being listed.

View post:

Channel Islands Exchange CISE Rebrands as TISE - Finance Magnates

SciBites: Week of February 10th | PLOS Research News – PLOS Research News

Posted on by

HIV viral load is influenced by both virus and patient genetics

HIV sufferers experience varying rates of disease progression, depending in part on their viral load the amount of virus present in the body. Researchers collected patient and viral genetic data from 541 people with HIV and investigated the relative impacts of human and viral genetics on viral load. They found that HIV strain variation accounts for 29 percent of differences in viral load, and human genetic variation accounts for 8.4 percent. With a combined influence of just 30 percent, the results suggest that the effects of human genetics on viral load are caused mainly by its influence on which new genetic mutations arise in HIV as the virus multiplies inside the patient.

When top predators kill livestock, conflict can arise between pastoral communities and these endangered and rare species, impeding their conservation. A new study analyzed DNA and hair in the droppings of snow leopards and Himalayan wolves in Nepal, finding that a substantial 27 percent of the snow leopard diet and 24 percent of the wolf diet were made up of livestock. This highlights the need for further research into the impact of such predation on pastoral communities.

Six million people are diagnosed with new human papillomavirus (HPV) infections each year in the U.S. alone, but no specific cure for this family of viruses exists. Scientists have now used genetic engineering techniques to create a new high-throughput screening method that can identify potentially effective drugs and drug targets, considering the full viral genome and all its life cycle stages to increase the chance of success. When tested on 1,000 chemical compounds, the method identified several that were capable of blocking the growth of certain HPV strains, and the authors believe that their method could be an effective tool in drug development.

Image Credit: Madhu Chetri

Read this article:

SciBites: Week of February 10th | PLOS Research News - PLOS Research News

Global Bioinformatics Market Boosted by Advancements in Genetics; to Reach US$9.1 Bn by 2018 – Digital Journal

Posted on by

This press release was orginally distributed by SBWire

Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/10/2017 -- The global bioinformatics market is expected to be valued at US$9.1 bn by the end of 2018. It is shown to expand at a positive CAGR in a research report released by Transparency Market Research. The report, titled "Global Bioinformatics Market - Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2014 - 2020," talks about the key factors that have and will influence this market for the given forecast period.

Browse Full Global Bioinformatics Market (By Platforms, Tools and Services and By Applications: Preventive Medicine, Molecular Medicine, Gene Therapy Drug Development and Others) - Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2014 - 2020 Report at @ http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/bioinformatics-market.html

Get Free Sample Research Report:

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=656

Bioinformatics is the management of information generated from R&D efforts combined under biopharmaceuticals, life sciences, and biotechnology. It applies computer technology to compile and store the data, which can later be analyzed and integrated with other biological and genetic data. The key reason for the foundation as well as the proliferation of the global bioinformatics market is the massive amounts of data generated in the Human Genome Project. This data was made public and gave rise to the need for bioinformatics.

The current growth rate of the global bioinformatics market is supported by the latest advancements by research organizations in the study of genetics. It was estimated that the amount of genetic data entries would double every 15 years. With the perceived sum being too large to be supported by current data entry programs, players are beginning to accelerate the development rates on bioinformatics.

In terms of applications, the global bioinformatics market was dominated by the molecular medicine segment in 2013. The report expects the segment of bioinformatics drug development to exhibit the fastest growth rate during the forecast period of 2014 to 2020.

The global bioinformatics market is segmented based on platforms, services, and tools. The global bioinformatics market was led by the segment of bioinformatics platforms in 2013. On the other hand, the segment of bioinformatics services is likely to grow the fastest during the forecast period of the report.

Geographically, the report put North America at the top of the global bioinformatics market as this region held the largest share in the market in 2013. It was followed by Europe in terms of developments and market revenue. Bioinformatics has thrived in both the regions due to the high investment rates in research and development efforts, a faster rate of implementation of newer technologies, an already advanced scientific and regulatory framework, and an economy developed enough to support this field. At the same time, Asia Pacific is also showing the promise of being a lucrative market for bioinformatics in the near future, owing to rapidly evolving infrastructure in scientific fields, the improvements in government and private funding, and the rising literacy and awareness rates.

Within the report's forecast period, Latin America is expected to show a faster rate of development in bioinformatics than the Rest of the World region.

The key players in the global bioinformatics market are Illumina, Inc., ID Business Solutions, Ltd., Life Technologies Corporation, GenoLogics Life Sciences Software, Inc., CLC bio A/S, Agilent Technologies, Inc., Affymetrix, Inc., and Accelrys, Inc.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/global-bioinformatics-market-boosted-by-advancements-in-genetics-to-reach-us91-bn-by-2018-769710.htm

Read more from the original source:

Global Bioinformatics Market Boosted by Advancements in Genetics; to Reach US$9.1 Bn by 2018 - Digital Journal

Studies Point Way to Precision Therapies for Common Class of Genetic Disorders – Drug Discovery & Development

Posted on by

Two Princeton University studies are opening important new windows into understanding an untreatable group of common genetic disorders known as RASopathies that are characterized by distinct facial features, developmental delays, cognitive impairment and heart problems. The findings could help point the way toward personalized precision therapies for these conditions.

Although not widely known, RASopathies are among the most common genetic disorders, affecting approximately one child out of 1,000. RASopathies are caused by mutations within the RAS pathway, a biochemical system cells use to transmit information from their exterior to their interior.

"Human development is very complex and it's amazing that it goes right so often. However, there are certain cases where it does not, as with RASopathies," said Granton Jindal, co-lead author of the two studies. Both Jindal and the other co-lead author, Yogesh Goyal, are graduate students in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and the Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics (LSI). Jindal and Goyal do their thesis research in the lab of Stanislav Shvartsman, professor of chemical and biological engineering and LSI.

"Our new studies are helping to explain the mechanisms underlying these disorders," Jindal said.

These studies were published this year, one in theProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences(PNAS) and the other inNature Geneticsonline. The researchers made the discoveries in zebrafish and fruit flies -- animals commonly used as simplified models of human genetics and Jindal and Goyal's specialties, respectively. Due to the evolutionary similarities in the RAS pathway across diverse species, changes in this pathway would also be similar. Thus, it is likely that significant parts of findings in animals would apply to humans as well, although further research is needed to confirm this.

The first paper published Jan. 3 inPNASpresented a way to rank the severity of different mutations involved in RASopathies. The researchers introduced 16 mutations one at a time in developing zebrafish embryos. As each organism developed, clear differences in the embryos' shapes became evident, revealing the strength of each mutation. The same mutant proteins produced similarly varying degrees of defects in fruit flies. Some of the mutations the researchers tested were already known to be involved in human cancers. The researchers noted that these cancer-related mutations caused more severe deformations in the embryos, aligning with the medical community's ongoing efforts to adapt anti-cancer compounds to treat RASopathies.

"Until now, there was no systematic way of comparing different mutation severities for RASopathies effectively," Goyal said.

Jindal added, "This study is an important step for personalized medicine in determining a diagnosis to a first approximation." The study therefore suggested a path forward to human diagnostic advances, potentially enabling health care professionals to offer better diagnoses and inform caretakers about patients' disease progression.

The study went further and examined the use of an experimental cancer-fighting drug being investigated as a possible way to treat RASopathies. The researchers demonstrated that the amount of medication necessary to correct the developmental defects in the zebrafish embryos corresponded with the mutation's severity -- more severe mutations required higher dosages.

The more recent paper, published online byNature GeneticsFeb. 6,reports an unexpected twist in treatment approach to some RASopathies. Like all cellular pathways, the RAS pathway is a series of molecular interactions that changes a cell's condition. Conventional wisdom has held that RASopathies are triggered by overactive RAS pathways, which a biologist would call excessive signaling.

The Nature Genetics study, however, found that some RASopathies could result from insufficient signaling along the RAS pathway in certain regions of the body. This means that drugs intended to treat RASopathies by tamping down RAS pathway signaling might actually make certain defects worse.

"To our knowledge, our study is the first to find lower signaling levels that correspond to a RASopathy disease," Goyal said. "Drugs under development are primarily RAS-pathway inhibitors aimed at reducing the higher activity, so maybe we need to design drugs that only target specific affected tissues, or investigate alternative, novel treatment options."

The Nature Genetics study also found that RAS pathway mutations cause defects by changing the timing and specific locations of embryonic development. For example, in normal fruit fly cells, the RAS pathway only turns on when certain natural cues are received from outside the cell. In the mutant cells, however, the RAS pathway in certain parts of fly embryo abnormally activated before these cues were received. This early activation disturbed the delicate process of embryonic development. The researchers found similar behavior in zebrafish cells.

"Our integrative approach has allowed us to make enormous progress in understanding RASopathies, some of which have just been identified in the last couple of decades," Shvartsman said. "With continued steps forward in both basic and applied science, as we've shown with our new publications, we hope to develop new ideas for understanding and treatment of a large class of developmental defects."

Princeton co-authors of the two papers include Trudi Schpbach, the Henry Fairfield Osborn Professor of Biology and professor of molecular biology, and Rebecca Burdine, an associate professor of molecular biology, as well as co-advisers to Goyal and Jindal; Alan Futran, a former graduate student in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and LSI; graduate student Eyan Yeung of the Department of Molecular Biology and LSI; Jos Pelliccia, a graduate student in the Department of Molecular Biology; seniors in molecular biology Iason Kountouridis and Kei Yamaya; and Courtney Balgobin Class of 2015.

Bruce Gelb, a pediatric cardiologist specializing in cardiovascular genetics and the director of the Mindich Child Health and Development Institute at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, described the two new studies as "wonderful" in advancing the understanding of altered biology in RASopathies and developing a framework for comparing mutation strengths, bringing effective treatments significantly closer.

"At this time, most of the issues that arise from the RASopathies are either addressed symptomatically or cannot be addressed," Gelb said. "The work [these researchers] are undertaking could lead to true therapies for the underlying problem."

The paper, "In vivo severity ranking of Ras pathway mutations associated with developmental disorders," was published Jan. 3 in theProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The paper, "Divergent effects of intrinsically active MEK variants on developmental Ras signaling," was published on Feb. 6 in Nature Genetics online. The research for both papers was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.

Go here to read the rest:

Studies Point Way to Precision Therapies for Common Class of Genetic Disorders - Drug Discovery & Development

New Health-Care Plans Available Under Trump – The New Yorker

Posted on by

CreditPHOTOGRAPH BY ALFREDO FALVO / CONTRASTO / REDUX

PLATINUM

For a monthly premium of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, this plan gives you prime access to all health-care optionsno referrals or medical ailments required! If youd like an MRI just for the fun of it, youll be slid into the very next available magnetic scanning tube. All prescription medication is free, plus the pharmacist has to say, I love you; you are my moral superior, when you pick it up.

GOLD

The same as the Platinum Plan, but only available to people who own a gold mine.

SILVER

For the incredible price of just $49.99 a month, youll receive a five-hundred-millilitre bottle of an unbelievable liquid miracle cure containing nanoparticle colloidal silver! Just one tablespoon daily will boost immune-system strength, make skin look decades younger, and improve your performance in the boardroom and the bedroom.*

*A study conducted by the Colloidal Silver Foundation of Orlando confirms colloidal silvers effectiveness. Patient Todd S. reported, After I started taking colloidal silver, my necrotizing fasciitis cleared up and my blood has skyrocketed in value because of all the silver in it!

BRONZE

You can see any doctor in your network for only a ten-dollar co-pay. Your deductible is forty million dollars.

CADILLAC

A man in a top hat will throw a crumpled-up hundred-dollar bill at you if he hits you with his Cadillac. (Not to be confused with the ROLLS ROYCE plan, in which your decrepit body will be rolled up into a carpet and sold to a man named Royce.)

TURQUOISE

Only when your lesions turns this color will you be allowed to see a doctor.

REASONABLY AFFORDABLE OPTION

This plan features small co-pays and a low deductible, and allows you to see out-of-network specialists for the in-network price with just a single referral. This shockingly fair option is listed here because decades of social patterning have taught poor people to skip the top half of any list ordered by price.

WOMENS EMERGENCY PLAN

If youre a woman who needs quick and compassionate help with family planning or contraception, this taxpayer-funded plan allows you to see any in-network priest.

BAUXITE

Only covers catastrophic injuries. Only lets you visit a veterinarian.

FELDSPAR

No health care will be provided to you, but nurses will remind any living relatives to mourn you.

AMETHYST

If you often require medical assistance but cant afford to pay a lot, this plan lets you seewhenever, wherever, and however often you needa photograph of a doctor. (You will need prior authorization if you prefer to look at a picture of a dog wearing a stethoscope.)

GRANITE

Free pickup of your carcass from the gutter after your death.

GRANITE+

Includes all the features of the Granite Plan, plus a guarantee that youll be buried in your own grave.

DIAMOND

You pay nothing up front. You pay nothing later. You receive the highest quality medical care available. No matter what happens to you, you will never die. However, as the centuries pass, you will discover that immortality has its own price.

SINGLE-PAYER

A single payer covers the entire cost of your health care. The single payer is you.

See the article here:

New Health-Care Plans Available Under Trump - The New Yorker

Orbimed Guru Sam Isaly: How To Invest In New Era Of Healthcare – Forbes

Posted on by

Forbes
Orbimed Guru Sam Isaly: How To Invest In New Era Of Healthcare
Forbes
Samuel Isaly is one of the foremost health care investors in the U.S. He founded OrbiMed Advisors, a global management firm with $13 billion in assets that invests across biotech, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, digital innovations and other areas of ...
Here's what healthcare looks like in a perfect worldThe Hill (blog)
Trump administration scrubs federal health-care website of positive words about ObamacareCNBC
Doctors Challenge Five Claims of Government-Run Healthcare ProponentsBreitbart News
BillMoyers.com -Washington Post -Rewire
all 189 news articles »

See the original post here:

Orbimed Guru Sam Isaly: How To Invest In New Era Of Healthcare - Forbes

Tom Price Now Leads HHS and Possibly the Future of Health Care – Newsweek

Posted on by

In the early hours of Friday morning2 o'clock, to be specificTom Price, Republican congressman from Georgia, was confirmed as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. The 52 to 47 vote was a split along party lines with all Republicans adamantly in favor of Price stepping into the role that involves managing an annual budget of more than $1 trillion.

Prices confirmation raises crucial questions about the future of health care in the United States. The stated mission of HHS is to enhance and protect the health and well-being of all Americans. To that end, HHS oversees the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the National Institutes of Health.

Tom Price, who was confirmed on February 10 as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, gives a thumbs-up at a pre-inauguration event. For some people, his confirmation raises crucial questions about the future of health care in the U.S. Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

Try Newsweek for only $1.25 per week

The biggest issue overshadowing Prices appointment is the futureor lack thereofof the Affordable Care Act. Before and immediately following this years presidential inauguration, President Trump and leading republican legislators promised an immediate repeal of this health care program signed into legislation by former President Barack Obama. In recent weeks, the vehement opposition to the ACA has been dialed back. Most recently, the president told Bill OReilly, the Fox News conservative commentator, that a new health care plan may not be available until 2018.

Before his confirmation, Price, who spent 20 years as an orthopedic surgeon before his political career, was a vocal opponent to the ACA. He has said that his problem with the plan, also known as Obamacare, is that it is government intrusion into the doctor-patient relationship.

As a member of Congress, Price submitted his own health care bill for consideration. Entitled Empowering Patients First Act, the bill focuses on tax incentives for maintaining health insurance coverage, deterrents to overly generous coverage by employers, health savings accountsin which taxpayers enrolled in high-deductible health plans put pretax money into a savings account specifically dedicated to medical needsand other controversial measures. Individuals with pre-existing conditions would not be denied coverage under Prices plan only if they had insurance during the prior 18 months to enrolling on his plan. The bill also includes the use of high-risk pools, government-run insurance programs for people with medical conditions who cannot obtain private coverage. A Kaiser family Foundation report on high-risk pools from 2010 found that enrollment in existing programs34 states had them at the timewas low because they were very expensive.

Price is the first physician to lead HHS in more than 20 years. But health care is far from the only dish on his new plate. The agencies under his supervision are coping with an unprecedented epidemic of opioid abuse, the Zika virus, the crisis of high drug prices, the push for new treatments for cancer and other life-threatening illnessesand escalating rates of Alzheimers disease, to name but a few situations the HHS oversees.

But at the moment, health care appears to loom largest in the minds of those opposed to Prices confirmation. Democrats cited his investments in several health carerelated companies and a proposed cut in Medicare of $500 million as ample causes for concern. Speaking withThe New York Times, Senator Maria Cantell(D-Wash.)summed up the fear: This is the first vote in the dismantling of the Affordable Care Act.

Continued here:

Tom Price Now Leads HHS and Possibly the Future of Health Care - Newsweek

Health care stripped from collective bargaining as statewide insurance plan takes shape – DesMoinesRegister.com

Posted on by

Republican lawmakers who won a majority in 2016 - say Iowa's current law provides overly generous benefits and leads to government overspending. Wochit

Union workers gather during a labor rally in the Capitol Rotunda on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2017, in Des Moines, Iowa.(Photo: Rodney White/The Register)Buy Photo

Sweeping changes proposed to Iowas collective bargaining laws would block most public-sector unions from negotiating over health insurance, though they stop short of instituting a mandatory statewide health insurance system Gov. Terry Branstad has floated.

Republican leaders say they considered including such a plan in the legislation, but felt it could be too restrictive. Instead, the bill leaves open the possibility for a voluntary statewide health insurance program that employers could opt into.

We want to make sure people are able to look at what best meets their needs, said House Speaker Linda Upmeyer, R-Clear Lake. She said she anticipates a statewide program would be made available as an option foremployers around the first of the year.

Branstads spokesman Ben Hammes declined to answer questions about when such a proposal might be madeor what provisions it would include. He said in a statement that if the proposed collective bargaining changes were to become law, "we would begin working to develop common sense solutions" related to health insurance.

But Branstad has spoken extensively about the possibility in recent months.In his Condition of the State address in January, he proposed removing health insurance from collective bargaining negotiations and instead shifting all of Iowas public workers into a single health benefit program.

Iowa has more than 500 health care plans for an estimated 184,000 public employees working in cities, counties and school districts across the state. Merging all of those employees into one plan would help spread the risk in an attempt tokeep costs low while maintaining benefits, Branstad argues.

He and other Republicans have said the state's collective bargaining laws don't give employers enough flexibility to negotiate reasonable health care policies, resulting in overly generous benefits for which taxpayers foot the bill.

When you have public employees getting these Cadillac benefits and paying virtually nothing $20 a month and the taxpayers are paying in some cases over $23,000 (for health insurance) its not fair, Branstad told reporters Monday. It needs to be addressed, and that is why we are going to continue to work with the Legislature and labor committees in both houses to address it.

Autoplay

Show Thumbnails

Show Captions

MORE COVERAGE:

Legislation proposed last week in the statehouse would make changes to nearly every aspect of the state's collective bargaining laws. Among the most significant are changes to what public-sector union workers are allowed to negotiate over.

Currently, unions negotiate for wages and health insurance, as well as a wide range of other workplace conditions and employment benefits. The legislation House Study Bill 84andSenate File 213 specifically prohibitsnegotiations over health insurance, though it exempts public safety workers from that provision.

Rep. Dave Deyoe, R-Nevada and House Labor Committee chair, said removing health insurance from negotiations removes barriers on employers that currently prevent them from seeking less costly alternatives.

Its not necessarily making people pay more for health care, he said of the changes. It might be a situation where they can find a policy thats less expensive that provides the same benefits.

Union workers and supporters gathered at the Iowa Capitol during a labor rally in the rotunda Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2017.(Photo: Rodney White/The Register)

But union leaders, who would no longer have a voice in choosing which health plans would be available to their members,say they absolutely expect to see higher health insurance costs. For those currently paying $20 a month, that increase could be dramatic.

Danny Homan, president of AFSCME Iowa Council 61, has said many unions have agreed to lower salaries in exchange for better health benefits.And although Branstad and legislative leaders have said a statewide pool could provide a low-cost alternative, Homan said he's not convinced.

When the governor and Republican leadership claim that a statewide health insurance program would provide savings, they are doing so out of pure speculation and without any facts or figures to back them up, Homansaid in a statement. The last time we trusted the governor on his cost savings plan, we ended up with the disaster that is privatized Medicaid. This is a baseless claim and I cannot comment further until I see something on paper.

Deyoe said that the governors staff made it clear to him that any statewide system would be voluntary. Upmeyer said that's because legislators had some concerns, includingabout people who live along the state's borders.

"If it doesnt allow somebody in Council Bluffs to get some health care in Omaha, it might be a problem," she said. "It might not be what they want. So I think the fact that we have a pool available, that may offer great opportunity. Thats an option. Thats something people can take a look at. But if it doesnt meet their needs, then they can go and look at or create perhaps a different pool."

That statewide plan would be just one option for employers shopping for new health insurance options, she said. The bill lets employers pick the plan they like bestfor their employees.

"I think people will be innovative and creative about what kind of pools they put together, who they work with," Upmeyer said. "And I think thatll be positive."

Read or Share this story: http://dmreg.co/2kuWIUn

See original here:

Health care stripped from collective bargaining as statewide insurance plan takes shape - DesMoinesRegister.com

GOP Docs Rise To Power As Congress Retools Health Care Law – NPR

Posted on by

Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price was part of the GOP Doctors Caucus while he served in the House of Representatives. Andrew Harnik/AP hide caption

Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price was part of the GOP Doctors Caucus while he served in the House of Representatives.

The confirmation of Tom Price, the orthopedic surgeon-turned-Georgia congressman, as secretary of Health and Human Services on Friday represents the latest victory in the ascendancy of a little-known but powerful group of conservative physicians in Congress the GOP Doctors Caucus.

During the Obama administration, the caucus regularly sought to overturn the Affordable Care Act, and it's now expected to play a major role determining the Trump administration's plans for replacement.

Robert Doherty, a lobbyist for the American College of Physicians, the professional organization for internal medicine doctors, says the GOP Doctors Caucus has gained importance with Republicans' rise to power. "As political circumstances have changed, they have grown more essential," Doherty says.

"They will have considerable influence over the discussion on repeal and replace legislation," he says.

Price's supporters have touted his medical degree as an important credential for his new position, but Price and the caucus members are hardly representative of America's physicians in 2017.

The "trust us, we're doctors" refrain of the caucus obscures its conservative agenda, critics say.

"Their views are driven more by political affiliation," says Mona Mangat, an allergist-immunologist and chair of Doctors for America, a 16,000-member organization that favors the current health law. "It doesn't make me feel great. Doctors outside of Congress do not support their views."

For example, while the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology has worked to protect access to abortion, the three obstetrician-gynecologists in the 16-member House caucus are anti-abortion and oppose the ACA provision that provides prescription contraception without copays.

While a third of the U.S. medical profession is now female, 15 of the 16 members of the GOP caucus are male, and only eight of them are doctors.

House

Senate

Source: American Medical Association

The other eight members are from other health professions, including a registered nurse, a pharmacist and a dentist. The nurse, Rep. Diane Black of Tennessee, is the only woman.

On the Senate side, there are three physicians, all of them Republican and male: Sen. John Barrasso, an orthopedic surgeon from Wyoming; Sen. Bill Cassidy, a gastroenterologist from Louisiana; and Sen. Rand Paul, an ophthalmologist from Kentucky.

While 52 percent of American physicians today identify as Democrats, just two out of the 14 doctors in Congress are Democrats, Reps. Ami Bera and Raul Ruiz, both of California.

About 55 percent of physicians say they voted for Hillary Clinton and only 26 percent voted for Donald Trump, according to a survey by Medscape in December.

Meanwhile, national surveys show doctors are almost evenly split on support for the health law, mirroring the general public. And a survey published in the New England Journal of Medicine in January found almost half of primary care doctors liked the law, while only 15 percent wanted it repealed.

Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas, a caucus member first elected in 2003, is one of the longest serving doctors in Congress. He says the anti-Obamacare Republican physicians do represent the views of the profession.

"Doctors tend to be fairly conservative and are fairly tight with their dollars, and that the vast proportion of doctors in Congress [are] Republican is not an accident," he says.

Price's ascendency is in some ways also a triumph for the American Medical Association, which has long sought to beef up its influence over national health policy. Less than 25 percent of practicing physicians are in the AMA, the organization says.

Price is an alumnus of a boot camp the AMA runs in Washington each winter for physicians contemplating a run for office. Price is one of four members of the caucus who went through the candidate school. In December, the AMA immediately endorsed the Price nomination, a move that led thousands of doctors who feared Price would overturn the health law to sign protest petitions.

Even without Price, Congress will have several GOP physicians in leadership spots in both the House and Senate.

Those include Rep. Phil Roe of Tennessee, the caucus co-chair, who also chairs the House Veterans Affairs Committee, and Burgess, who chairs the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on health. Sen. Cassidy sits on both the Finance and the Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committees. Sen. Barrasso chairs the Senate Republican Policy Committee.

Roe acknowledges that his caucus will have newfound influence. Among his goals in molding an ACA replacement are to kill the requirement that most people buy health insurance (called the individual mandate) as well as to kill the requirement that 10 essential benefits, such as maternity and mental health care, must be in each health plan.

He says the caucus will probably not introduce its own bill, but rather evaluate and support other bills. The caucus could be a kingmaker in that role. "If we came out publicly and said we cannot support this bill, it fails," Roe says.

The GOP Doctors Caucus has played a prominent role in health matters before.

For example, in 2015, when former House Speaker John Boehner needed help to permanently repeal a Medicare payment formula that threatened physicians with double-digit annual fee cuts, he turned to the GOP Doctors Caucus. It got behind a system to pay doctors based on performance the so-called "doc fix."

"When the speaker had a unified doctors' agreement in his coat pocket, he could go to Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and show that, and that had a lot to do with how we got this passed," Roe says.

But not all doctors are unified behind the caucus. Ruiz, one of the two physicians in the House who are Democrats, says he worries because few doctors in Congress are minorities or primary care doctors.

Ruiz, an emergency room physician who was elected in 2012, says he is wary about Price leading HHS because he is concerned Price's policies would increase the number of Americans without insurance.

Indeed, many doctors feel the caucus' proposals will not reflect their views or medical wisdom.

"My general feeling whenever I see any of their names, is that of contempt," says Don McCanne, a family medicine physician in California who is past president of the Physicians for a National Health Program. "The fact that they all signed on to repeal of ACA while supporting policies that would leave so many worse off demonstrated to me that they did not represent the traditional Hippocratic traditions which place the patient first."

This story was produced through a collaboration between NPR and Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Follow Phil Galewitz on Twitter: @philgalewitz.

View original post here:

GOP Docs Rise To Power As Congress Retools Health Care Law - NPR