- The U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly endorsed the Arab League plan for Syria. Meanwhile, DNI Clapper says Al-Qaeda is infiltrating the Syrian uprising. Whether it is or it is merely endorsing the uprising and launching its own attacks, the radicalization of the Syrian rebels is a real possibility--and it should be of some concern to us, whatever David Rieff says.
- Boko Haram overran a Nigerian prison, freeing 118 inmates.
- Bad news for Tariq al-Hashemi, likely bad news for Iraq.
Domestic
- The so-called Underwear Bomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, has been sentenced to life imprisonment. The much decried "law enforcement" approach to Abdulmutallab, including his being Mirandized, not only resulted in a conviction and life sentence, but in lots of actionable intelligence, yet again vindicating the law enforcement approach to counter terrorism, as if further vindication were necessary. In other news, the military commissions are struggling with attorney-client privilege.
- The Economist betrays unusual (and gross) ignorance of the workings of the U.S. administrative state in one of this week's leaders, "Over-regulated America." This Editor wonders if the Economist has forgotten OIRA? If it has forgotten Executive Order 12866? If it is unaware that the last three paragraphs contradict the third?
- Sadly, there will be no March 1, 2012 CNN Republican Primary Debate. This Editor is jonesing for another fix of Republican Primary craziness and laments this decision.
2 comments:
My favorite part from The Economist article:
Next year the number of federally mandated categories of illness and injury for which hospitals may claim reimbursement will rise from 18,000 to 140,000. There are nine codes relating to injuries caused by parrots, and three relating to burns from flaming water-skis.
Such is the non-stop comedy that is government.
I'm really struck by how off base the usually excellent Economist is in this leader. The categories of reimbursement aren't growing, the code numbers are changing from ICD-9 to ICD-10 to provide greater precision in recording treatment. Notably, ICD-10 is the international standard, adopted by the WHO in 1990--22 years ago. Even AETNA says that this is a good thing: "The ICD-10 codes allow for more accurate information to accompany a claim, which will allow for more accurate claims payment and coverage decisions."
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