- Scientists estimate that tens of trillions of viruses live inside of us. (NYT)
- The US would have had 1.6 million fewer deaths if it had managed covid the way Sweden did.
- Between 2019-24, the EU approved 13,000 new laws and regulations while the U.S. imposed 5,500.
- The United States imports roughly one-fifth of its pharmaceutical preparations by dollar value from China and India combined.
- Marco Rubio: After a 6 week review we are officially cancelling 83% of the programs at USAID.
Category: Health Economics & Costs
Why We Can’t Build Anything
In the United States it costs roughly $609 million to build a kilometer of rail. In Canada it costs only $295 million and in Portugal, $96 million. Because of regulations and the lack of cost-effective production, a basic elevator in New York City costs about four times as much as that same elevator in Switzerland.
Source: David Brooks
Monday Links – 10 March 2025
- In going after antisemitism at Columbia, is Bobby Kennedy getting out of his lane?
- 26 GOP members of the House are in districts where 30% or more of the population is on Medicaid.
- Only 17% of voters want to cut Medicaid spending.
- USDA: It gives well over $20 billion a year to mainly well-off farmers.
- Even among mice and other mammals, females live longer than males.
NYT: Republicans Generally Support Medicaid if Enrollees Work for It
Georgia is the first state to adopt work requirements for Medicaid enrollment among adults. Critics say it is off to a rocky start, while proponents say it’s working as designed. Very few people are going to the trouble of providing proof they are working or trying to find work. Policy analysts on the Left dismissed the idea draconian, difficult to enforce and a barrier to care for those who need it. Proponents argue anyone asking for public support should show some evidence they are trying to support themselves.