Here’s a selection of articles the Office of Federal Relations is enjoying reading this week. It’s been a busy week and there’s lots of good stuff to read!
America’s Pastime, Politicized – One thing Republicans and Democrats can agree on is how much they want to win the Congressional Baseball Game. Read about THE partisan social event of the summer. Get background on the key players from the New York Times.
UPDATE: Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-LA) overcame shoulder surgery and tossed a seven-inning complete game, leading the Democrats victory over the Republicans in the 54th Annual Congressional Baseball Game. A good time was had by all including President Obama, who made an appearance in the third inning. Dems won 5-2. Dems now lead the series by one. Read more at WTOP.
Ca$h Money – The annual survey of how much public college and university presidents make is out! There are definitely some people on the list who should pick up the tab. Read more at The Chronicle.
Human Understanding – An article on why the social sciences are just as important as the STEM fields. Best code in the world doesn’t make an app people use! Read more at The Washington Post.
Graduation Rates – An in-depth examination of the changes and trends of US high school graduation rates and the three major trends in graduation rates. Even if you don’t care about high school graduation rates, NPR does an excellent job of using the digital format to tell the story, so it’s worth clicking through. Read more at NPR.
Budget Gorge – A number of states are facing significant shortfalls in budgets despite a economic recovery. Moreover, deep tax cuts in Republican-dominated states like Kansas, Louisiana, and Wisconsin have contributed to massive budget shortfalls as economic growth has fallen short of projections. Read more at the New York Times.
Impact – NIH Deputy Director for Extramural Research Sally Rockey, Ph.D., has posted a video of the impact of NIH funded research and the challenges of the current NIH funding situation; the video highlights opportunities, new initiatives, and policy changes. See the video here. Or read Dr. Rockey’s blog.
21st Century – Time has an article on Rep. Frank Upton, Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and his efforts on the 21st Century Cures initiative. Read more at Time Magazine.
So Long, Farewell – Dr. Sally Rockey, Deputy Director of Extramural Research at NIH is leaving. See her statement here.
Fear of Success – With the Supreme Court due to rule on King v. Burwell soon, Republicans are now concerned that the Court will rule the subsidies invalid. Despite the House voting to repeal the ACA over 50 times, the majority of Americans support healthcare subsidies, which puts the Republicans in an odd spot. Read more at The Hill.
END IT – The Hill has a to part series on why it time we should banish the conference call. And we should. Part One: Why It’s Awful. Part Two: Alternatives, and agree to disagree on a video conference being a good alternative.