A federal backstop may become available. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a bill that would create a federal fund for essential workers, including health care personnel, who get sick or die from the coronavirus. The Pandemic Heroes Compensation Act would be modeled after the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. … [Read more...] about Families of Health Workers Killed by Virus Are Denied Benefits
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US Turns Screws on Maritime Industry to Cut Off Venezuela’s Oil
The sanctions are part of U.S. efforts to weaken Maduro's grip on power after Washington and other Western democracies accused him of rigging a 2018 reelection vote. Despite the country's economic collapse, Maduro has held on and frustrated the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. … [Read more...] about US Turns Screws on Maritime Industry to Cut Off Venezuela’s Oil
Trump’s Health-Care Nightmare Is Only Just Beginning
Republicans may not have even realized until recently how deeply their ability to make political hay on Obamacare depended on not having power. They could posture against every inconvenient aspect of an industry nobody has ever liked, and promise all things to all people, with no responsibility to fulfill their grandiose promises. Now the dynamic has reversed. Loss aversion has inspired massive, energetic protests to speak up for a law Democrats could hardly be roused to defend before, while the energy has drained away from the opposition. Amazingly, polling for Obamacare, which has been unpopular since the outset, has sharply reversed. The last ten polls all show net positive approval for the Affordable Care Act. If Republicans somehow muster the partisan discipline to tear down Obamacare, as opposed to settling for minor changes, they will have to be willing to endure searing political pain. … [Read more...] about Trump’s Health-Care Nightmare Is Only Just Beginning
UCSF studying stem cells as possible coronavirus treatment
Even if the cells prove effective, however, they will run into the same logistical challenge as all other COVID-19 therapeutics: making enough of the drug to be distributed on a massive scale. Matthay said that technological advancements in the stem cell field have improved the ability to produce many of them quickly, though it still takes about 10 to 12 days. Scientists could take a small amount of them from donors and use those to grow the cells in large numbers. … [Read more...] about UCSF studying stem cells as possible coronavirus treatment
California rejected Chinese company’s push to help with coronavirus testing. Was that the right move?
Patil said he was also concerned that allowing BGI into U.S. labs could give it market access that the United States would later regret. The country and China are competing to develop industries around DNA sequencing and genomics, he said, including "precision-medicine" ventures to deliver treatments tailored to a patient's genetic profile. Why should the United States help a Chinese company establish its equipment and services in that field, he asked? … [Read more...] about California rejected Chinese company’s push to help with coronavirus testing. Was that the right move?
