What We Read Today 31 October 2014

Econintersect: Every day our editors collect the most interesting things they find from around the internet and present a summary “reading list” which will include very brief summaries (and sometimes longer ones) of why each item has gotten our attention. Suggestions from readers for “reading list” items are gratefully reviewed, although sometimes space limits the number included.

• Health Care prices Jump as Use of Services Fall (Mary Shaub and Allison Bell, LifeHealthPro) A three-page infographic from health insurance organization, Health Care Cost Institute, provides data details on how health care usage and costs have changed for the first year of Obamacare start-up, 2013.

• Shadow banking nears pre-crisis peak (Sam Fleming, Financial Times) Last year shadow banking comprised 24.5% of financial assets. This was the highest percentage since 2007 for 20 countries plus the 18-country Eurozone as tracked by the Financial Stability Board (FSB) in Basel. Read the full press release from the FSB. The total assets in the shadow banking system reached to more than $75 trillion in 2013, 120% of the 38-nation GDP. This was less than 2.8% below the 2007 peak. As regulation of banks increases financial activity moves into unregulated areas.

• Articles about conflicts and disease around the world

Ebola

Ebola: Mapping the outbreak (BBC News)

Defiant Nurse Breaks Ebola Quarantine, Takes Bike Ride (Sandra Rose)

Ebola update: Maine can’t reach deal with nurse Kaci Hickox (CNN Health)

New York City doctor with Ebola reportedly lied about his movements in city (Fox News)

After a Family Trip to Africa, a Connecticut Girl, 7, Is Unwelcome at School (The New York Times)

Israel

Israel Reopens Contested Holy Site in Jerusalem (The New York Times)

Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso declares state of emergency (Al Jazeera)

Tunisia

Setback for Tunisia’s Islamists portends a partisan political turn (Al Jazeera)

Syria

Airstrikes against Islamic State do not seen to have affected flow of fighters to Syria (The Washington Post) See graphic below (after Mexico).

Iraq

Iraq IS: Scores found dead in mass graves in Anbar (BBC News)

Defense Asks for New Judge in Iraq War Crime Case (abc News)

Yemen

Yemen’s Houthis capture strategic city (Al Jazeera)

Ukraine

The Slow-Motion Dismemberment of Ukraine Continues (Slate)

Russia

Ukraine, Russia, EU agree to natural gas supply deal (Alastair MacDonald and Philip Blenkinsop, Reuters)

Pakistan

American Drone Strike Kills 6 in Pakistani Tribal Areas (The New York Times)

Bangladesh

Enslaved Abroad, Oppressed at Home (The New York Times)

India

India’s Imperatives in Sri Lanka (Worldpress.org)

Mexico

Mexico president meets with relatives of missing students, one month later: Family members of 43 missing students say they left Mexico City ’empty-handed’ (Al Jazeera)

Click for full graphic page at The Washington Post.

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