There’s an interesting little story in the NY Times online edition today about a letter the head of the FDA wrote to Congress asking for money [F.D.A. Chief Writes Congress for Money, by Gardiner Harris, NYT, March 14, 2008]:

“After being pummeled for weeks on Capitol Hill over the president’s budget, Food and Drug Commissioner Andrew C. von Eschenbach has written Congress that the agency needs an immediate infusion of $275 million to ensure that imported foods, drugs and medical devices are safe.”

My question is why does the head of the FDA have to beg for money?? And even if he gets it, will it do any good?

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State health regulators in California have uncovered what appears to be a hotbed of snooping at one of the premier medical institutes in the state — UCLA Medical Center. What started as one employee illegally viewing the personal medical records of patients including Farah Fawcett and Britney Spears has turned into a pool of 68 different employees all accused of the same sort of snooping. Snoopers include nurses, physicians, volunteers and administrators at the facility. If this type of thing is going on at one facility, just think of what is going on everywhere else.

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Do you have the right to vote? Maybe, and then again, maybe not. Following the recent Supreme Court decision to uphold the requirement that voters must present IDs to vote, several states are now attempting to go further. Not only must you prove who you are, but you must prove that you are a citizen.

Sounds simple right? A great way to prevent non-citizens to vote, right? Well, it is sometimes harder to prove you are a citizen than you might think. It also seems somehow un-American to be requiring such proof at all.

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