Expansion of healthcare access under Obamacare and the release of expensive drugs have state officials breaking into a sweat over how to pay for high-priced treatments for those who need them. The arrival of Sovaldi, Gilead Sciences’ new treatment for hepatitis C, is one perfect example. The drug costs $84,000 per patient for a 12-week regimen. In Oregon, the $360 million cost could mean that state Medicaid officials may have to deny the drug to some who qualify for coverage.   read more

The U.S. has again demonstrated its steadfast loyalty to Israel, this time casting the lone “no” vote on a U.N. resolution authorizing an investigation into alleged human rights abuses in Gaza. The recent military invasion of the Palestinian territory has seen hundreds of civilians killed, including many children. The measure condemned the “violations of ...human rights” caused by the Israeli military and "all violence against civilians...including the killing of two Israeli civilians.”   read more

Before the Internet came along, the NTIS served a real purpose--providing government reports that at one time were available nowhere else. But now it may be time for NTIS to go the way of the World Book encyclopedia, say U.S. senators Claire McCaskill and Tom Coburn. They have sponsored the Let Me Google That For You Act, which would eliminate NTIS. “Why would anyone buy publications from NTIS when they’re free on the Internet?” McCaskill said.   read more

Foreigners can jump straight to the front of the immigration line in the U.S. if they have half a million dollars to pay to the government. The money must be invested in new U.S. ventures that establish 10 full-time jobs for Americans in rural areas or those with high unemployment. However, projects are often gerrymandered into high unemployment areas miles away. Critics say the program “has become a magnet for amateurs, pipe-dreamers, and charlatans."   read more

The government does not necessarily collect evidence before designating a U.S. citizen or foreign national a terrorist. As long as officials are just pretty sure a person is suspicious, an unsuspecting person can wind up on the watch list. Being on the watch list can mean more than having trouble boarding a plane. It can make it more difficult to land a job and can mean someone is subjected to extra scrutiny during an encounter with police, such as a traffic stop.   read more