Balance Sheet

Jeff Taylor from the August/September 2006 issue

Assets

Pill Power

Fifteen states move to block the federal government from billing them for Medicare’s massive drug benefit, calling it an “unprecedented intrusion into each state’s sovereignty.” The U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether the states have to pony up for a federal boondoggle.

Sky-Fi

Federal regulators inch closer to allowing in-flight telecom service for passengers. Passengers want Internet access and cheaper phone calls; wireless providers and airlines want the new revenue stream.

Housing Huff

Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle bucks a nationwide trend and slams a local “affordable housing” mandate. “I deny that there is a problem,” Naugle says. “You can buy condos all day for $160,000.”

Bakersfield, Sound

The city of Bakersfield, California, rejects the regulatory demands of the smart growthers and embraces actual expansion, allowing its booming population to enjoy cheap and plentiful housing. Mayor Harvey Hall explains, “You just can’t stop growth.”

Mean Green

Researchers at the United Kingdom’s University of Warwick aim to create nutrient-packed “super broccoli” via genetic manipulation. Scientists are trying to double the vegetable’s shelf life.

Franken-Penis

Doctors at the Institute for Regenerative Medicine at Wake Forest University report success in regrowing healthy cells for diseased rabbit penises. Researchers say the process could pave the way for treating impotence in human beings.

Liabilities

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