Paging Sally Satel: Acting New Jersey Gov. Richard J. Codey last week signed into law legislation requiring doctors to receive so-called cultural competency training as a condition of obtaining or renewing their licenses to practice medicine. The measure is apparently the first of its kind, but advocates are pushing similar measures in other states as well. (Shawn Rhea, Camden Courier-Post, Mar. 24). Background: Sally Satel and Jonathan Klick, “Don’t Despair Over Disparities”, Weekly Standard, Mar. 1, 2004, reprinted at Satel’s site.
Author Archive
Traffic-cams
Radley Balko has more (Mar. 22, Mar. 23, Mar. 31, and again Mar. 31) on how the use of these devices tends to turn criminality into a carefully cultivated cash cow. For more, see Mar. 10, 2004 (and links from there) and Jul. 22, 2004.
While at The Agitator, check out the news of legislative proposals to confiscate for a month cars with overly loud radios (Mar. 22; Contra Costa County, Calif.) and (over-)regulate online dating services (Mar. 20; California legislature).
FEC and blogs
If you happen to blog about political/campaign issues from your employer’s computer at work, watch out: you may be caught in the web of campaign-finance regulation under draft rules from the Federal Election Commission. (Eugene Volokh, Mar. 23; Ryan Sager, “Mice and Free-Speech Cookies”, New York Post, Mar. 30; Log and Line; Captain’s Quarters). For more, see Mar. 4 and Mar. 17. More: May 20.
Radio today: Grover Norquist show
I’m scheduled to be a guest today at about 2:10 p.m. Eastern on Grover Norquist’s “Leave Us Alone” radio program streamed on the RighTalk network.
“Stalingrad” divorce tactics
In a rancorous fourteen-month divorce trial, John Ofori-Tenkorang disputed the existence of his marriage to Jacqueline Anom, claiming marriage photos had been falsified; claimed to have routinely thrown away bank records, failing to disclose what the judge concluded were assets exceeding $1.7 million; and “wouldn’t stipulate that he wasn’t a close relative of his wife’s, or under the care of a conservator — two grounds for invalidating a marriage, forcing those issues to be proven in court.” Judge Kevin Tierney compared Ofori-Tenkorang’s tenacious assertion of legal issues to the 1942 battle deep inside Russia: “German troops surrounded the Soviet city of Stalingrad on the Volga River. They used aerial attacks, artillery bombardment and intensive panzer assaults. The city was reduced to rubble. Virtually no building stood.” (Thomas B. Scheffey, “‘Stalingrad’ Defense Tactics Prove Costly in Divorce Case”, Connecticut Law Tribune, Mar. 28).
More: reader (and historian) John Steele Gordon (his site) writes:
It sounds like the judge is a better jurist than a historian. Stalingrad, backed by the Volga River, wasn’t surrounded. That’s how the Russians were able to resupply their troops and hold the city. Then, with Zhukov’s offensive, in November, 1942, it was the Germans who were surrounded and trapped in the Stalingrad pocket.
Schools and sunscreen
Those reports from Bristol, England last summer (“It’s sunny, stay inside”, Jul. 6) turn out not to be an isolated case: in Montgomery County, Maryland, ordinary sunscreen lotion is considered a medication for which a doctor’s note is required, while in adjacent Howard County, a student who wishes to use sun protection cream must bring in a parent’s note and the bottle must be kept with the school nurse. The American Cancer Society, which favors wide sunscreen use as a protective against skin cancer, is upset. (Daniel de Vise, “Bill Would Legislate Maryland Students’ Use of Sunscreen”, Washington Post, Mar. 29)(via Taranto). More on zero tolerance: Kris Axtman, “Why tolerance is fading for zero tolerance in schools”, Christian Science Monitor, Mar. 31.
U.K.: “Safe for 72 years, now Cake Walk must close”
“Health and safety officers have closed Britain’s last ‘moving staircase’ fairground attraction, even though the ride has operated in complete safety for the past 72 years.” The owner of the former Butlin’s camp at Felixstowe says he believes the cakewalk, which has been running since 1933, is the last one left in Britain; “inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive have ruled that it must be closed because it no longer meets modern safety standards.” (David Sapsted, Daily Telegraph, Mar. 26; “Health and safety takes the cake”, Suffolk Evening Star, Mar. 25).
Book review: “A Little Crazy”
I was in the New York Post on Sunday, reviewing John D. Gartner’s book The Hypomanic Edge: The Link Between (a Little) Craziness and (a Lot of) Success in America, a book that straddles the pop-psychology and business genres. No real legal/policy content, but the byline does mention this site.
“We’re having a midwife crisis”
Chambersburg, Pa., is losing its only independent certified nurse-midwife. Karen Brindle “had to close her practice because of liability issues with Keystone Women’s Care. The closing leaves more than 60 women due to deliver in the next few weeks scrambling to find someone to deliver their babies.” A new group calling itself “Mothers and Others for Midwifery-PA”, which will work to change the law, held a rally for Brindle. (Willa Jessee, “Over 100 people support midwife”, Carlisle Sentinel, Mar. 20). For more on midwives, see Mar. 15, 2004 and links from there, Aug. 1, and, on Point of Law, Mar. 6 of this year.
Update: “Apprentice” suit settles
Donald Trump’s reality show The Apprentice has settled a discrimination suit brought by a disabled attorney in February (see Feb. 10). The producers will pay out no money, but “the online application for potential Apprentice contestants has been changed to encourage the disabled to apply”. (Charlie Amter, “‘Apprentice’ Discrimination Suit Settled”, EOnline, Mar. 9)(via George Lenard).