Michael Hiltzik says the medically uninsured iin America have become a political football. Opponents and supporters of healthcare reform toss assertions about them back and forth.
The report, which says 46.3 million people lacked coverage as of the end of 2008, makes the case for reform stronger than ever by punching holes in arguments that minimize the plight of the uninsured.
Includes comments by WUSTL social work and public health professor Timothy McBride.

References:

1. Sept. 17, 2009 — U.S. Census Bureau data on the medically uninsured simply can't be denied in the Los Angeles Times

The lawyer who railed against a judge online found himself hauled up before the Florida bar, which issued a reprimand and a fine for his intemperate blog post.
Schwartz quotes WUSTL legal ethics professor Michael Downey: "When you become an officer of the court, you lose the full ability to criticize the court."
Legal ethics experts say that collisions between the freewheeling ways of the Internet and the tight boundaries of legal discourse are inevitable -- whether they result in damaged careers or simply raise eyebrows.

References:

1. Sept. 13, 2009 — A Legal Battle: Online Attitude vs. Rules of the Bar in the The New York Times

and 9 others.

Ashby Jones writes about a NYT report on what happened to a lawyer who publicly railed against a judge.
The lawyer found himself hauled up before the Florida bar, which in April issued a reprimand and a fine for his intemperate blog post.
An abrogation of one's First Amendment rights? Schwartz quotes WUSTL legal ethics professor Michael Downey: "When you become an officer of the court, you lose the full ability to criticize the court."

References:

1. Sept. 14, 2009 — When Talking Smack About a Judge, Proceed With Caution in the The Wall Street Journal blog

and 1 others.

Article on the impact of long-term unemployment.
One of those featured is Rick Rose, who lost his job at a non-profit.
After 15 months of unemployment, he was hired as marketing and communications manager for a new partnership between the Brookings Institution and the Olin Business School at WUSTL.
Includes comments by Jackson Nickerson, director of the Brookings-Olin partnership.

References:

1. Sept. 13, 2009 — Jobless, and Fighting Hopelessness in the The Washington Post

and 7 others.

How much is it going to cost to provide health care for all Americans? Until the details are complete, the only honest answer is: no one knows, reports John Schoen. "We know that the underinsured tend to be healthier," said Timothy McBride, associate dean for WUSTL's public health. "So if they were to get insured they would not be as expensive as the rest of us."

References:

1. Sept. 9, 2009 — Elusive price tag for universal health coverage in the MSNBC.com

In France, a parliamentary commission will soon meet to investigate whether to ban any cloak that covers most of the face. WUSTL anthropology professor John Bowen, who wrote "Why the French Don't Like Headscarves: Islam, the State and Public Space," has been asked to testify by the parliamentary commission.

References:

1. Sept. 1, 2009 — Burqa Furor Scrambles French Politics in the The New York Times

and 2 others.

One of the courses offered in The New York Times Knowledge Network Fall 2009 catalog is Introduction to Encore Careers. This course will introduce you to the phenomena of encore careers in the health and human services sector and help you explore some of the distinguishing features and challenges of the nonprofit sector. WUSTL social work professor Nancy Morrow-Howell is among participating faculty.

References:

1. Aug. 23, 2009 — Knowledge Network -- Fall 2009 Course Listings in the The New York Times

Timothy Kuklo, a former U.S. Army surgeon, "voluntarily" resigned from WUSTL, effective Sept. 30, and "will have no clinical, research or educational duties for the university between now and that date," a spokeswoman for the university's medical school said in a statement.

References:

1. Aug. 20, 2009 — Surgeon accused of faking study resigns in the United Press International

and 1 others.

WUSTL orthopaedic surgeon and researcher Timothy Kuklo, who was accused by the Army of falsifying a medical study, delayed disclosing his consulting ties to the school, according to its response to a U.S. Senate investigation. The doctor was put on leave by the university pending an internal review. According to Chancellor Mark Wrighton, WUSTL also suspended open human research projects by Kuklo.

References:

1. July 16, 2009 — Wash. U: Doctor hid Medtronic ties in the St. Louis Business Journal online

and 2 others.

Timothy Kuklo, a former military doctor and Medtronic consultant at the center of a research scandal, did not tell WUSTL, his medical school employer for a year, about his Medtronic ties even as he was conducting company-sponsored research. The new disclosures, which WUSTL medical school dean Larry Shapiro made in response to a Senate investigation, may intensify the controversy surrounding the physician.

References:

1. July 15, 2009 — Medical School Says Former Army Surgeon Hid Ties to Medtronic in the The New York Times

and 9 others.

The allegation that Timothy Kuklo failed to properly disclose his financial relationship with Medtronic was made in a June 23 letter from WUSTL medical school dean Larry Shapiro to Sen. Charles Grassley, who is investigating the Kuklo matter. Kuklo is on paid personal leave at the request of WUSTL, where he is a member of the medical faculty. The university said it is continuing to investigate.

References:

1. July 15, 2009 — Disclosure by Surgeon Is Faulted in the The Wall Street Journal

Not taking some R&R could leave you carrying some heavy baggage down the line, bringing you and your company down. WUSTL entrepreneurship specialist Clifford Holekamp advises that shorter vacations are less stressful for small startups that are "very dependent on the founder to run the day-to-day operations."

References:

1. June 25, 2009 — Vacation: What the Heck Is That? in the MSN Money

Americans say they're still in a tunnel, but more are beginning to see a light at its end. Fewer people say they've prospered over the past year than in decades, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds. WUSTL social work professor Mark Rank comments on the 'American Dream.'

References:

1. June 23, 2009 — Despite everything . . . Americans are seeing better times ahead in the USA Today

and 2 others.

Orthopaedic surgeon Timothy Kuklo, a former Army physician accused of falsifying research involving injured soldiers, has taken a leave of absence from WUSTL medical school and its affiliated hospitals.

References:

1. May 23, 2009 — Former Army Doctor Accused of Research Fraud Takes Leave From University in the The New York Times

and 6 others.

Public service has been a common theme at college commencement ceremonies around the country this past month. Sunday's CBS Evening News gives a sampling, including WUSTL's commencement speaker Wendy Kopp.

References:

1. May 24, 2009 — 2009 Commencement Address Highlights in the CBS Evening News

There has been much hand-wringing over the dangers of medical residents' grueling schedules. One recent study advised that a solution would be to reduce the length of their shifts. But many in the medical community, including residents themselves, worry that shorter shifts could come at the expense of educational opportunities and possibly even patient safety. Includes comments by WUSTL Department of Medicine chairman Kenneth Polonsky.

References:

1. May 21, 2009 — Are Medical Residents Worked Too Hard? in the Time.com

A new study shows that allowing doctors-in-training to work fewer hours and take longer naps during their shifts will cost the nation's teaching hospitals an estimated $1.6 billion a year. And there are no guarantees that shortening the shifts will improve patient safety. WUSTL medical professor Kenneth Polonsky comments in an accompanying co-written journal editorial.

References:

1. May 20, 2009 — Limiting Work Hours for Medical Residents Could Be Costly in the U.S. News & World Report online

and 9 others.

Another study has indicated that shorter shifts for medical residents might actually increase patient harm because a departing resident hands over the patient to a fresh resident unfamiliar with the case. WUSTL medical professor Melvin Blanchard co-wrote an accompanying journal editorial that strongly disagrees with the Institute of Medicine's recommendations for shorter shifts.

References:

1. May 21, 2009 — Moves to Allow Medical Residents More Shut-Eye Rouse Opposition in the The Wall Street Journal

A top Republican lawmaker has opened an inquiry into a former Walter Reed Army Medical Center doctor whom the Army has accused of falsifying a medical study involving a product made by Medtronic, a company for whom he works as a paid consultant. The doctor currently works as an associate professor at WUSTL Medical School.

References:

1. May 19, 2009 — Senator Seeks Data on Doctor Accused by Army of Falsifying a Product Study in the The New York Times

and 1 others.

The new science of measuring happiness has transformed self-help. Now scholars suggest it could transform society — from tort law to urban planning to medical care. WUSTL law professors Samuel Bagenstos and Margo Schlanger co-wrote a law review article in 2007 suggesting that the emphasis on lost enjoyment of life in jury awards actually makes it harder for the plaintiff to recover.

References:

1. May 10, 2009 — Perfectly Happy in the The Boston Globe