What We Read Today 14 December 2013

Econintersect: Click Read more >> below graphic to see today’s list.

The top of today’s reading list is Yves Smith’s report on the problems with prescription drug coverage under Obamacare …….. and the last article is a proposal to reorganize the United States into 50 new states of equal population.

• Obamacare’s Drug Coverage Minefield (Yves Smith, Naked Capitalism) Yves Smith has contributed to Global Economic Intersection. In this article she suggests that ACA “throws [some] patients under the bus” when it comes to prescription drug expenses. Who benefits? Insurers and drug companies. She says this is all complicated because “it [is] hard to find the information to enable citizens to navigate the drug minefield successfully.”

• New energy conversion principle could double engine efficiency (R&D)

• Amsterdam Has a Deal for Alcoholics: Work Paid in Beer (Andrew Higgins, The New York Times) Hat tip to Russell Huntley.

• Gold’s Downtrend: This Too Shall Pass (Jeff Clark, Wall Street Cheat Sheet)

• British news staff may face terrorism charges over Snowden leaks (William James and Michael Holden, Reuters) Hat tip to Roger Erickson who asked some questions. Whistleblowers are terrorists? Guilty of treason? Insubordinate?

• Obesity experts appalled by EU move to approve health claim for fructose (Sarah Boseley, The Guardian) Hat tips to Roger Erickson and WTFRLY?.

• Bitcoin Can Be The New Western Union (Rob Wile, Business Insider)

• Alaska could walk away from Wall Street with a public bank of its own (Ray Southwell, Alaska Dispatch) Hat tip to the Public Banking Institute. The author claims that print newspapers rejected his attempts to publish letters to the editor on public banking. The Alaska Dispatch is an electronic newspaper.

• Bonobo Stone Tools as Competent as Ancient Human? (Charles Q. Choi, Inside Science) Hat tip to Roger Erickson.

• Electoral College Reform (Neil Freeman, FakeistheNewReal.org) Hat tip to Barry Ritholtz, The Big Picture. The proposed map would have 50 states of equal population, each with 9 or 10 congressional districts.

Click on map for large image at fakeisthenewreal.org.