Pentagon can’t account for $1 billion in Afghan reconstruction aid – JAMES ROSEN

The Defense Department can’t account for $1.3 billion that was shipped to force commanders in Afghanistan from 2004 to 2014 for critical reconstruction projects, 60 percent of all such spending under an emergency program, an internal report released Thursday concludes. The missing money was part of the relatively small amount of Afghanistan spending that was routed directly to military officers …

Counterclockwise: When Biology Is Not Destiny

Over the years, many of us periodically bump into experiments in healthcare that cause us to think, “This changes everything!” Such studies are convincing not only because of the empirical evidence they offer, but also because they feel important to us personally. These findings strike a nerve. They often rattle our worldview, our fundamental concepts of how things work. They …

U.S. Congress Clears Deck for Pension Decimation

The Columbus Dispatch reported: Many retirees are unaware “of the risk to their pension as a result of the legislation passed in December as part of a spending bill meant to run the federal government through the rest of its fiscal year.  The legislation affecting the retirees was added at the last minute.  It is targeted at companies that enter into pension plans with other companies.  There are …