Bloomberg (January 11)
“Donald Trump’s first press conference since the election basically confirmed he’s easily the least suited person to be president who ever got anywhere near to the office. “ As a candidate, “Trump displayed vast ignorance of policy and of basic rules of how the government works.” At his press conference, “President-elect Trump utterly failed to demonstrate that he’s learned anything. On health care, on Russia, on anything.”
Tags: Election, Government, Health care, Ignorance, President, Press conference, Russia, Trump
Wall Street Journal (September 14)
“For Monsanto owners, selling to Bayer provides a premium of 44%.” With relatively little overlap between the companies, antitrust issues should be less likely to threaten the merger. Moreover, “the deal seems to make strategic sense, as Bayer combines its pesticides franchise with a leader in seeds and biotechnology. Bayer is also known for health care, which will generate about half of the combined company’s sales. Crop sciences will contribute roughly the other half.”
Tags: Antitrust, Bayer, Biotechnology, Crop sciences, Health care, Merger, Monsanto, Overlap, Pesticides, Premium, Seeds
Institutional Investor (January 10)
“Even among those who are years from retirement, concerns about being able to retire are more widespread than worries about job loss, health care, or inequality.” Yet, during the past decade, “officials in Washington have done little except wring their hands and make speeches” on retirement insecurity. There are now indications that, however, they may finally more to address “this most widespread form of economic insecurity.”
Tags: Health care, Inequality, Job loss, Officials, Retirement, Retirement insecurity, U.S., Worries
New York Times (November 24)
If successful, the planned $160 billion merger between Pfizer and Allergan will “be the biggest deal in what has been a banner year for mergers, driven in part by consolidation in the health care and pharmaceutical sectors.” It also promises to focus more attention, mostly negative, on tax inversions, the practice it will be using to lower its tax bill by relocating its post-merger tax home to Ireland.
Tags: Allergan, Consolidation, Health care, Ireland, Merger, Pfizer, Pharmaceutical sectors, Tax inversions
Washington Post (February 8)
“The central budget issue of our time” is quite simple, but overlooked. “Spending on the elderly and health care is slowly overwhelming the rest of the federal government. Spending on other vital activities (from defense to financial regulation) is being sacrificed to cover the growing costs of a graying nation.”
Institutional Investor (July 30)
“As the planet becomes more crowded and as many of its inhabitants enjoy ever higher standards of living, the stresses on our economy and environment will deepen. The global consumer class is forecast to grow by 3 billion in the next 30 years. To stave off unwanted outcomes affecting global stability, we will have to make fundamental changes in the ways we approach energy, infrastructure, development, agriculture, health care and social safety nets.”
Tags: Agriculture, Consumers, Crowded, Development, Economy, Energy, Environment, Health care, Infrastructure, Planet, Safety nets, Stability, Standard of living, Stresses
Bloomberg (December 27, 2013)
Medical implants have cleared another hurdle with a successful surgery to implant “an artificial heart that is expected to last five years.” The new heart was developed by the French startup Carmat. “Europe often leads the U.S. in bringing replacement body parts to the market — not because its researchers have much of an edge but because its health-care regulations are less cumbersome.”
Tags: Artificial heart, Carmat, Europe, France, Health care, Implant, Market, Regulations, Replacement body parts, Researchers, Surgery, U.S.
The Economist (October 5)
“The prime minister is right to raise the consumption tax, but must do more to boost Japan’s growth.” It is time for the third arrow. These major reforms should “include radical proposals to consolidate farmland, increase competition in the provision of health care and ease the rules on hiring and firing.”
Tags: Competition, Consumption tax, Farmland, Firing, Health care, Hiring, Japan, Prime minister, Reforms, Rules, Third arrow
New York Times (November 6)
“President Obama’s dramatic re-election victory was not a sign that a fractured nation had finally come together on Election Day. But it was a strong endorsement of economic policies that stress job growth, health care reform, tax increases and balanced deficit reduction — and of moderate policies on immigration, abortion and same-sex marriage.”
Tags: Economic policies, Health care, Jobs, Obama, Re-election, Taxes
Time (March 26)
“The Supreme Court should uphold the Health Care Law 9-0.” In contrast to many developed countries, the U.S. does not yet offer universal health care. But under President Obama…it has plans. The Supreme Court is currently examining the constitutionality of the planned healthcare law, which would require every citizen to have a provider.
Tags: Health care, Obama, Supreme Court, U.S.
