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May 16th, 2013
There is a practice in the Senate, primarily of corporate lobbyists, to hire low-income folks, usually minorities, to hold their place in line before Supreme Court or congressional hearings. There are firms that actually hire the standees, and contract with lobbying firms or corporations. Depending on the interest in the issue, standees can wait for hours before a hearing starts. Last time I checked with one of them, a standee told me he earned $10 an hour. Read More
March 8th, 2013
UPDATE Tuesday March 19 (see below)
We at the Center for Science and Democracy believe that our democracy thrives when debate about public policy is driven by independent data. That makes our public discourse more rational, and more civil. When information guides our public policies they also are more likely to be effective and well-thought-out. Read More
February 20th, 2013
It’s not often that some of the best and most creative minds in medicine, medical ethics and healthcare all gather in one place. It’s even more rare when all these individuals are gathered together to focus on one problem—undue corporate influence on the treatment of patients in the U.S. Read More
February 15th, 2013
Back in 2010, when Congress approved the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, commonly known as “Obamacare,” it included a requirement to help all of us become more knowledgeable about our health care, and to reduce unacceptable conflicts of interest between physicians and drug and device makers. Read More
January 17th, 2013
Our new Center for Science and Democracy promotes evidence-based decision-making by our elected officials, guided by an informed public. But democratic discourse depends on journalism, too; to govern themselves, citizens need access to independent information. Read More
December 12th, 2012
If you want to see what a world without regulatory safeguards looks like, you don’t have to look far. The current and evolving outbreak of fungal meningitis tied to one large compounding pharmacy in Massachusetts is a case study in what happens when state and federal regulators fail. It also shows what can happen when conflicts of interest get in the way of regulation based on the best available science. Read More
November 13th, 2012
Today, Congress did something good for the American public and good for science. After a 14-year struggle, the House and Senate approved a bipartisan whistleblower protection bill that will make a difference to all federal workers, but that should be especially welcomed by federal scientists. Read More
November 8th, 2012
Sometimes it’s really difficult to accept that we’re still evolving. In the far distant past, our ancient ancestors could look about them and observe the planets and the stars and the tides. They would experience flood and drought and watch for signs of impending disasters. They might believe that the disasters were caused by angry gods, and their strategies for avoiding calamity may have been limited by their belief systems. Nevertheless, they were guided at least, in part, by what their eyes and senses told them, and relied on their powers of observation to predict what would happen. Read More
November 1st, 2012
As expressed in a recent Wall Street Journal opinion piece, Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) clearly sees little value in regulation, and generally fails to consider the benefits of public safeguards or their necessity when it comes to protecting us from food-borne illnesses, economic meltdowns, and lead-laden toys. He has launched his anti-regulatory campaign despite the fact that economists respected by both liberals and conservatives have concluded that regulations’ impact on job creation may be mildly positive because they tend to spur innovation. Read More
October 23rd, 2012
On September 25, our new Center for Science and Democracy held its inaugural Lewis M. Branscomb Science & Democracy Forum on “Improving Citizen Access to Government Scientific Information.” The event, which benefited from the generosity and vision of UCS member and eminent scientist Lewis M. Branscomb, was co-sponsored by the First Amendment Center in the Newseum’s spectacular seventh floor conference room, with a dazzling view of the Capitol and other Washington landmarks. Read More
© 2013
