by John R. Graham | San Francisco
Last month, the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research released its California Health Insurance Survey, and the media promptly sounded the alarm. According to the March 16 Los Angeles Times, “nearly 1 in 4 Californians under age 65 had no health insurance last year.”
With that kind of horror story, [...]
by Amy Kaleita | San Francisco
A recent study of paleoclimate, the results of which appear in the August issue of Nature Geoscience, finds that today’s climate models do not accurately predict the most similar previous episode of climate warming in the geologic record. While this should not cast doubt on the value of climate models [...]
by John R. Graham | San Francisco
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom recently wrote a column for the Huffington Post promoting his Healthy San Francisco plan as a model for the federal “public option” touted by President Obama. Healthy San Francisco could be a model, but not in the way Mayor Newsom imagines.
by Daniel Ballon | San Francisco
Last week Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed a budget measure that would have cut off the livelihood of thousands of California’s small Internet businesses. As the state faces a $26 billion budget deficit and record high unemployment, Schwarzenegger declared that “we should be doing everything we can to keep jobs and [...]
by Amy Kaleita | San Francisco
Earlier this month the House approved a measure that would give consumers up to $4500 to dump their gas guzzlers and buy a newer and more fuel efficient vehicle. Despite widespread support, this “cash for clunkers” program has its problems, and so do other environmental regulations coming out of [...]
by Daniel Ballon | PRI/San Francisco
Governor Schwarzenegger last month announced a first-in-the-nation plan to offer free digital math and science textbooks for high school students. Facing a $24 billion budget deficit, the governor touts the need for “such innovative ways to save money and improve services.” Shifting the curriculum online might help reduce the [...]
by Amy Kaleita | San Francisco
A lush green lawn has a certain aesthetic appeal, there’s no denying that. If lawn was counted as a crop, however, it would be one of the nation’s biggest, but it is far from a critical need as far as water use. Yet, watering lawns accounts for nearly 40 [...]
by Daniel R. Ballon | San Francisco
State lawmakers last week passed the largest tax increase in California history, and will soon consider taking their expanding quest for revenue online. A proposal by Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) would force many Internet retailers to collect sales tax on all orders placed by California consumers. Based on a [...]
by Amy Kaleita | San Francisco
In his inaugural address, new President Barack Obama said he intended to “restore science to its rightful place” in government. Several days later, Obama again claimed a change in approach, saying, “Rigid ideology has overruled sound science. Special interests have overshadowed common sense. Rhetoric has not led to the hard [...]
by John R. Graham | San Francisco
Nada Suleman and her eight babies are much in the news, with good reason. There are lessons here for everyone, and they extend beyond the fertility debate.
Ms. Suleman is the divorced mother who gave birth to eight babies on January 26. Kaiser Permanente clearly viewed the event as a [...]
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