From how calls, texts and emails are billed, to the cell phone carrier/manufacturer relationship, the FCC begins hearings today that will look into almost every facet of the wireless industry. As a result, we could be seeing some big changes in how we pay for and receive our cell phone service. Will your iPhone soon be ringing to a different tune?
A Long Beach City Councilman is proposing a new law that would establish special zones within the city where homeless people could legally sleep overnight in their cars. The proposal would include a number of restrictions (such as proof of prior residency in the city), but it’s sure to be controversial. The city of Ventura has a similar law already in place; is this the start of a trend in these days of financial distress? The proposal is on the City Council agenda for next Tuesday, September 1st
"Investigative reporter and physician Sheri Fink spent years investigating what really happened to the patients at New Orleans’s Memorial Medical Center four years ago, as Katrina raged and ravaged the city. Why did so many patients die, and why did doctors and nurses administer potentially lethal doses of a pain killer and sedative to them?"-New York Times. Fink joins Patt with a preview of her article - a journalistic co-venture between The Times and ProPublica.
Therapeutic substitution - replacing an expensive medication with a cheaper, generic brand - is fairly commonplace and legal in most states, including California. But some insurers are taking it a step further, substituting non-chemically equivalent drugs, sometimes without informing the doctor or patient. How are they getting away with it?
Patt Morrison is known for its innovative discussions of local politics and culture, as well as its presentation of the effects of national and world news on Southern California.
