Month: September 2014

Danger lurks underground from aging gas lines

USA TODAY: About every other day over the past decade, a gas leak in the United States has destroyed property, hurt someone or killed someone, a USA TODAY Network nvestigation finds. The most destructive blasts have killed at least 135 people, injured 600 and caused $2 billion in damages since 2004. The explosion that leveled […]

Curbs on tax inversions fail to convince

FINANCIAL TIMES: Dissections of a White House plan to curb tax-driven mergers gave way on Tuesday to a realisation that the most significant features of the move were what it left out. The Obama administration’s move, announced late on Monday, would not put a stop to most mergers known as “inversions”, because it left several […]

Universities to revamp economics courses

FINANCIAL TIMES: Universities across four continents are rolling out a revamped economics curriculum, after students protested that conventional academic courses failed to grapple with the problems befalling the global economy. Since the financial crisis, student groups have attacked economics departments for failing to deal with the world’s most pressing social issues, including inequality and global […]

U.N. summit: Europe touts 40% carbon cut goal

USA TODAY: …Leaders of more than 120 countries, including President Obama, will announce their efforts to fight global warming — as will many major companies — at what’s expected to be the largest climate meeting ever. Their pledges aim to build momentum for a new global climate accord to be announced next year during U.N. […]

Morning Call Poll shows Wolf with 21-point lead

LEHIGH VALLEY MORNING CALL: On the eve of the state’s first gubernatorial debate, a new poll shows Democrat Tom Wolf still coasting with a double-digit lead over Republican Gov. Tom Corbett. The Morning Call/Muhlenberg College Poll released Sunday shows 52 percent of likely voters backing Wolf and 31 percent voting for Corbett… The bit of […]

After Rancor, Afghans Agree to Share Power

NEW YORK TIMES: Their campaign workers traded blows over ballot boxes during an election widely seen as fraudulent. Some of the warlords backing them have muttered about starting a parallel government, a potential recipe for civil war in Afghanistan. And they’ve just come out of a vote so discredited that some officials don’t want the […]

US infrastructure crisis drives toll road bankruptcy

FINANCIAL TIMES: One of the highest-profile US private toll road concessions is to seek bankruptcy protection, the latest sign of how a decline in traffic is threatening private investment in the crumbling US road network. The Indiana toll road company, backed by Spain’s Cintra and two funds managed by Australia’s Macquarie, has struggled under a […]

After Surgery, Surprise $117,000 Medical Bill From Doctor He Didn’t Know

In operating rooms and on hospital wards across the country, physicians and other health providers typically help one another in patient care. But in an increasingly common practice that some medical experts call drive-by doctoring, assistants, consultants and other hospital employees are charging patients or their insurers hefty fees. They may be called in when the need for them is questionable. And patients usually do not realize they have been involved or are charging until the bill arrives…