Duke Univ. Received $119M From EPA Based on Falsified Data

2017/07/02 – Responding to whistleblower’s claims, Duke admits research data falsification – Durham Herald Sun

In-house investigators at Duke University believe a former lab tech falsified or fabricated data that went into 29 medical research reports, lawyers for the university say in their answer to a federal whistleblower lawsuit against it.

Duke’s admissions concern the work of Erin Potts-Kant, and a probe it began in 2013 when she was implicated in an otherwise-unrelated embezzlement. The lawsuit, from former lab analyst Joseph Thomas, contends Duke and some of its professors used the phony data to fraudulently obtain federal research grants.

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The committee reviewed at least 36 research reports, and in many cases found that she’d tinkered with data before sending it along other investigators. In a few, she simply made things up, Duke said.

Duke, UNC, and NC State received EPA grants over $100 million to each school based on this bogus information.

These are the experts that people quote for information and policy purposes. I know they are all not dishonest, but some of them are.

Death Panel in Europe – Parents of 10 Month Old Denied Ability To Seek Medical Help in U.S.

2017/07/03 – Who is Charlie Gard, what is the mitochondrial disease he suffers from and why was there a legal battle? – UK Telegraph

Charlie is a 10-month old patient in intensive care at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) in London.

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Doctors discovered he had a rare inherited disease – infantile onset encephalomyopathy mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome (MDDS).

The condition causes progressive muscle weakness and brain damage.

His parents wanted to take him to the U.S. for some experimental therapy.

But doctors at GOSH concluded that the experimental treatment, which is not designed to be curative, would not improve Charlie’s quality of life.

Therefore, the matter goes to court. The UK court denied their request. The European court upheld the UK court decision.

They have raised over $2 million via GoFundMe.  This has to be terrible for the family. No reports of this anywhere in the U.S.

President Trump has tweeted in as well…

If we can help little #CharlieGard, as per our friends in the U.K. and the Pope, we would be delighted to do so.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 3, 2017

This is what results from government controlled single payer health care. They make the decisions because they control the flow of money.

2017/06/28 – 150,000 names erroneously on R.I. voting list – Providence Journal

Secretary of State Nellie M. Gorbea has identified roughly 150,000 people erroneously on the state’s voters rolls and has begun to clean them up, she told The Providence Journal on Tuesday.

Nearly 65,000 names have been removed since Gorbea took office in 2015, and another 30,000 have been marked as “inactive,” a first step toward removing them.

“It’s not really fraud,” Gorbea said. “It’s really just inaccuracies.”

New Fiduciary Rules Effective June 9

2017/06/09 – The fiduciary rule is now in effect: What you need to know – Yahoo

The rule requires financial professions of all types, including brokers, financial advisors or wealth managers, to act as a fiduciary, meaning they must act in the best interest of their clients. Before this rule went into effect, an advisor may have recommended financial products that are pretty good for you, but might have come with higher fees or commissions that benefit them. In a 2015 White House report under the Obama administration, the Council of Economic Advisors estimated that this conflict of interest costs investors $17 billion every year.

Now with the fiduciary standard in place, brokers have to be more upfront, transparent regarding fees and commissions, and recommend retirement products in their client’s best interests.

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In fact, the fiduciary rule was supposed to go into effect in April, but President Trump backed the directive to delay the rule and review it again. The administration said it will reduce Americans’ access to certain retirement offerings, information and advice.

But after careful consideration, Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta confirmed that the rule would be phased in beginning June 9.

Independence Day in the Numbers

2017/07/03 – ‘How many hot dogs do Americans eat on the 4th of July?’ and other Independence Day numbers – Washington Examiner

Hot dogs – 150 million
Fireworks consumed – 268 million pounds
Countries the celebrate July 4th – 3

Check the link for more numbers…

The Largest Terrorism-Related Civil Forfeiture in U.S. History

2017/06/29 – Manhattan Skyscraper Linked to Iran Can Be Seized by U.S., Jury Finds – NY Times

The jury, which deliberated for one day after a month of testimony, found that the Alavi Foundation, which owns 60 percent of the 36-floor skyscraper at 650 Fifth Avenue, violated United States sanctions against Iran and engaged in money laundering through its partnership with Assa Corporation, a shell company for an Iranian state-controlled bank that had owned the remaining 40 percent.

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The government has agreed to distribute proceeds from the building’s sale, which could bring as much as $1 billion, to the families of victims of terrorism, including the Sept. 11 attacks, where Iran has been found to have had some culpability.

Good.

White Payroll Expected to Decrease By $22 Million Over Term

2017/07/03 – Trump’s Leaner White House Payroll Projected To Save Taxpayers $22 Million – Forbes

Projected four-year savings on the White House payroll could top $22 million. Savings come from President Trump’s refusal to take a salary as well as big reductions in other areas including the absence of czars, expensive “fellowships,” and spending on FLOTUS staff.

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• There are 110 fewer employees on White House staff under Trump than under Obama at this point in their respective presidencies.
• $5.1 million in payroll savings vs. the Obama FY2015 payroll. In 2017, the Trump payroll amounts to $35.8 million for 377 employees, while the Obama payroll amounted to $40.9 million for 476 employees (FY2015).
• Nineteen fewer staffers are dedicated to The First Lady of the United States (FLOTUS). Currently, there are five staffers dedicated to Melania Trump vs. 24 staffers who served Michelle Obama (FY2009).

Trump is also mandated to take a salary, even though when he was campaigning from president he said he wouldn’t. He has donated the first quarter of his pay to the Dept. of Interior for construction and repair needs at military cemeteries.

 

This info comes from openthebooks.com.