In his continuous effort to control the media cycle and distract from the Epstein files, Trump has been threatening China on and off with huge tariffs. But as usual, it looks like it’s bluster. Why? “America has made an unusually directional economic bet that is at this moment totally dependent on Chinese rare earth exports. […]
I’ve written previously about the shortage of primary care physicians in the US. In principle, one way to address this shortage is to admit more international medical graduates as physicians. But an historic barrier to this solution is the requirement for US residency training. Some states are passing laws allowing international medical graduates if they […]
Back in the mid-80s I started a personal project of reading history. I was motivated by the desire to understand the differences between my world view and that of my father’s generation. I started with the Vietnam war. I got a draft card at 18 and my number was pulled when I was 19, but […]
Earlier this year, my wife traded her 2003 Pontiac Vibe (manual transmission, window cranks) for a 2024 Hyundai Elantra. The Elantra not only has electric windows, it also has a key fob that allows the bearer to open the door and turn on the car without inserting the key anywhere. It has a computer monitor […]
The way to make money in medicine is to do procedures (colonoscopies, surgery). Primary care physicians, as a rule, don’t to procedures. They diagnose and, when necessary, refer to a specialist for procedures. So primary care physicians don’t make the big bucks. Med school graduates carrying loans from college and medical school are attracted to […]
Thomas “Mustache of Understanding” Friedman assured us that globalization has leveled the economic playing field, facilitating competition and collaboration, making the world “flat.” So how’s that going? “Thousands of U.S.-bound packages shipped by UPS are trapped at hubs across the country, unable to clear the maze of new customs requirements imposed by the Trump administration. […]
The Trump White House has proffered a “contract” to US universities that, in exchange for the universities giving up 1st Amendment rights, curricular control and staffing criteria, offers . . . nothing. The offer is all sticks and no carrots. It does define the financial penalties schools will face if the administration deems they are […]
In his quest to find an environmental “cause” for autism, RFK Jr has honed in on acetaminophen. Initially, it was gestational exposure. Now it’s acetaminophen exposure in newborn boys who were circumcised: “While Kennedy did not cite specific research, he appeared to be referencing two older studies. “One was likely a 2015 Danish national cohort […]
RFK Jr has dishonestly portrayed the increase in autism diagnoses over the past 20 years as an increase in incidence of autism to justify his claim of an environmental cause for autism. Multiple published and refereed reports using twin pair studies show 60-90% heritability for autism, and those are probably underestimates. What changed in the […]
If nothing is done, the Social Security Trust Fund will be depleted by ca. 2035 and projected retirement benefits will drop by ca. 20%. What are the alternatives? The favorite alternative on the right is to increase the normal retirement age to 70. “Increase the normal retirement age (NRA) 3 months per year for those […]