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Building a Plastic Bottle School

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0700

NewsHour - Apr. 07 (News) - When former Peace Corps volunteer Laura Kutner was asked to help find funding to finish constructing two classrooms in the elementary school where she worked in Guatemala, she decided to use -- or rather reuse -- a common piece of trash.

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New Meningitis Vaccine Could be Model for Future Drugs

Sat, 19 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0700

NewsHour - Mar. 19 (News) - The rollout of a new meningitis vaccine developed specifically with poor countries in mind began Monday in western Africa. Health officials hope to vaccinate more than 12 million people in Burkina Faso by the end of the year and millions more in Mali and Niger over the next few months.The three countries are part of the meningitis belt, a strip of sub-Saharan Africa often hit with outbreaks of the disease, which infects the thin lining surrounding the brain and spinal cord.Meningitis can cause loss of hearing, severe brain damage, or death--more than 5,000 people died of meningococcal meningitis in 14 African countries in 2009. The new vaccine is the first designed specifically for Africa--it costs less than 50 cents for a dose, and provides a decade of prevention. There are currently other meningitis vaccines used in African countries during meningitis outbreaks, but they cost up to $80 a vaccine and only provide two or three years of protection, according to the World Health Organization."We needed a vaccine that is affordable within the context of meningitis belt countries, which are some of the poorest countries in Africa," said Christopher Elias, president of the international nonprofit PATH, which partnered with WHO in 2001 to develop the vaccine.The new vaccine is also the first that can be used on infants. With financial support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation*, the groups worked independently from the large pharmaceutical companies in the United States and Europe, and ultimately manufactured the vaccine through a company in India, keeping costs lower."[Meningitis A], that's the epidemic that strikes Africa and there was no market for the pharma industry to want to introduce a vaccine," said Jean-Marie Okwo-Bele, director of the Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals Department at the World Health Organization.This new development model has "tremendous potential," said Elias, and could applied to other diseases in the future that greatly affect the developing world, but may not be attractive from a business perspective. The World Health Organization is currently looking to apply it to a new generation of the polio vaccine, while PATH is working towards new rotavirus and pneumonia vaccines. The process highlighted that having the buy-in from African countries from the beginning was a major advantage."These people here know better than anybody how dreadful this disease is," said Okwo-Bele. "It's a vaccine specifically designed for Africans, requested by Africans."*For the record, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation underwrites the NewsHour's global health coverage.

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Health Reform Misinformation Persists; Medicare Solvency Now Stronger

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700

NewsHour - By Judy Woodruff, Kathleen Sebelius - Aug. 02 (Interview) - With more measures from the health care reform law set to take effect, more states are filing legal challenges as well. Judy Woodruff talks to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius for more on the latest health care reform developments and what consumers may see next. JUDY WOODRUFF: We take a closer look now at these developments and the battle over the law with the secretary of health and human services, Kathleen Sebelius. Madam Secretary, thank you for being with us. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary KATHLEEN SEBELIUS,: Good to be with you, Judy. JUDY WOODRUFF: So, four months in after the law passed, and still such vehement opposition out there. Half the states are trying to repeal this in one form or another. How do you explain this? KATHLEEN SEBELIUS: Well, I think, first of all, this has been a long and very partisan debate, full of lots of misinformation. So, there are a lot of people who still don't know what's in the law, don't know what exactly it means to them and their families. And what we're trying to do is actually get information, get some tools, as the president said, whether it's the new Web site, healthcare.gov, which is really pretty dazzling -- it gives people information that they have never had before in one place -- or, you know, mailing information to seniors. Once people know what the law means to them and their families, that their adult child stays on their plan, or that no longer will a child with a preexisting condition be able to be kicked out of an insurance plan by insurers, they become much more enthusiastic about what actually the Affordable Care Act does. JUDY WOODRUFF: Well, I want to ask you about that, because the president did say that in the run-up to the passage of this legislation. He said, once people knows what's in here, they are going to like it. But the polls still show, yes, there is some more support, but over 50 percent of seniors still say they are disappointed in this law. KATHLEEN SEBELIUS: Well, when you think about what happened to seniors during the course of this debate, it borders on outrageous. Senior, I would say, were really targeted with a whole series of misinformed statements that were designed to scare them about the law, to get them to actually call on their members of Congress and Senate to stop it, starting with everything from death panels, which still most seniors think are part of the Affordable Care Act. JUDY WOODRUFF: Is that right? Most seniors still think that? KATHLEEN SEBELIUS: Absolutely. The recent polling says that seniors think this actually was passed into law. Seniors think that there is a change in their guaranteed benefits under Medicare. Nothing could be further from the truth. The guaranteed benefits are not only stronger than ever. We're going after fraud and abuse in a way that has never been focused on. And the Medicare solvency is much stronger than it was before the law was passed. JUDY WOODRUFF: Well, I want to ask you about that in a minute. But today's ruling by a Virginia judge, saying that this -- this challenge to the constitutionality of the law can go forward, what about the argument that is being made that it's not constitutional to tell people they must buy health insurance? KATHLEEN SEBELIUS: Well, I think, when you think about it, Judy, first of all, it's not a surprise that the ruling came today. I mean, what it basically does is, now there can be a debate on the merits of the case. So, it's really a threshold argument: Did the attorney general have standing to go ahead? JUDY WOODRUFF: What do you mean it's not a surprise it came today? KATHLEEN SEBELIUS: Well, I think that, being portrayed as somehow a major ruling, all the judge said is, come to court and then talk about the merits of the case. We're convinced that there are -- strong constitutional basis for this. And the interstate commerce, which is the purview of the federal government, governing business that travels back and forth across states, when you think about health care, there is a lot of interstate commerce. A lot of the health markets are regional. And people pay -- taxpayers pay for every dollar of uncompensated care. For everyone who comes through an emergency room door, that goes on to the backs of taxpayers and lots of people who pay insurance policies and pay more for those who are uncompensated. JUDY WOODRUFF: Well, meanwhile, you have Republicans who are saying, whatever happens in the courts, they're going to continue to try to chip away at this legislatively. They're going to try to deny funding for big chunks of this. Do you ever worry that you are out there trying to defend something that's going to be hollowed out? KATHLEEN SEBELIUS: Well, I hope we are able to engage in a straightforward manner this fall in that debate. I think it's fine for Republicans to go to their constituents and tell parents who have a child under the age of 26, your son or daughter, we want to take back their right to enroll in your insurance policies. We want to make sure that insurance companies, Mr. Republican Congressman or Congresswoman, are going to be able to kick your sick child out of a plan. We want to make sure that seniors will not see their prescription drug doughnut hole closed over time. That's a debate I welcome and I hope that we are able to talk about. Repealing this bill means taking benefits away from lots of Americans who are really relying on this change, once and for all, to get some tools into their own hands. JUDY WOODRUFF: On the savings that you have been talking about today that will be realized for Medicare, Republicans like Charles Grassley -- you have got -- and the insurance industry now saying the cuts that will come to private Medicare plans will result in huge increases in premiums for seniors, which will then force them to give up their Medicare. KATHLEEN SEBELIUS: Well, I don't think that's accurate, first of all. The data shows that about a fourth of Medicare beneficiaries choose Medicare Advantage plans. We have more companies offering Medicare Advantage right now than we have ever had before. We anticipate... JUDY WOODRUFF: These are the private... KATHLEEN SEBELIUS: These are the private choices. So, you can either choose traditional Medicare or a Medicare Advantage plan. But we have overpaid by about 14 percent. And everybody else in Medicare pays for that overpay -- pays more for their Medicare policies, no additional health benefits to the people who choose. And all we're saying is, gradually, over time, that overpayment should stop. We think there's going to be plenty of choices. JUDY WOODRUFF: And what is going to happen to those seniors who are in these plans? KATHLEEN SEBELIUS: They will absolutely have the choice of those plans. Those plans will stay in effect. They will stay in the market. In fact, the Centers for Medicare Services has issued a notice to companies, saying there will not be a cut next year. There will be a flat line for Medicare Advantage plans, so come in with your package of proposals. Come in with your bid. But we think there are going to be plenty of options for seniors who want to continue in a Medicare Advantage plan. JUDY WOODRUFF: Let me ask you about another headache out there, and that is Medicaid funding for individuals, the poor. A number of states, governors are coming to you, to the Obama administration, saying, wait a minute, this law means that we don't have the flexibility to deal with these rising Medicaid costs. Our budgets are being stretched and strapped. What are you saying to the states that are struggling with this right now? KATHLEEN SEBELIUS: Well, first of all, as you know, I was one of them, until very recently, governor of a state, watching the Medicaid budget. And this is a federal-state partnership, no question about it. I mean, the first thing we need to do is get Congress to act on the extension of the assistance for Medicaid programs across the country. That's been pending now for months and months and months, and tonight again came a near vote in the Senate. It's now been pushed off to Wednesday. But that's a huge step forward for states, to pass the FMAP, the federal matching plan. Secondly, in 2014, when the Affordable Care Act has an expanded Medicaid opportunity for lots of adults who don't qualify, it's paid for 100 percent by federal funds for the first four years and then gradually recedes to a 90 percent federal funding. So, this is a huge number of people who currently are coming through the doors of emergency rooms in states. States are picking up costs for all kinds of health-related costs. And the federal government is saying, we think we should cover everyone, and we think we are going to pay for it, states, and help you in this partnership. JUDY WOODRUFF: So many, many questions out there. And we thank you for dealing with some of them with us. Secretary Sebelius, thanks so much. KATHLEEN SEBELIUS: Sure.

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Amid Oil Leak, Business Leaders Urge Energy Sector Investment, Research

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700

NewsHour - By Judy Woodruff, John Doerr, Chad Holliday - Jun. 11 (Interview) - President Obama met Thursday with families of workers killed in the Gulf rig explosion, but he also met with business leaders to discuss energy issues facing the U.S. Judy Woodruff speaks with two of those executives, venture capitalist John Doerr and Chad Holliday, chairman of the board of directors of Bank of America.

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Obama Looks to 'Reestablish' Economic Security

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800

NewsHour - By Judy Woodruff - Jan. 26 (Interview) - President Obama offered a small peek today at what he will say Wednesday night in his State of the Union address. It was a new attempt to offer help to the country's long-struggling middle class. Today's announcement was the president's latest effort to shift focus back to the economy and recapture the political initiative. He addressed the Middle Class Task Force chaired by Vice President Biden.

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In Netherlands, Insurers Compete Over Quality of Care

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

NewsHour - By Ray Suarez - Oct. 07 (Special Report) - By world standards, the Dutch are wealthy and healthy, but the country's changing. With each year, it's home to more Dutch elderly and more young immigrants from the developing world. The queen opened a parliament once again wrestling over health care, still trying to contain costs after a massive overhaul designed four years ago.

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New Orleans Charter Schools Produce Mixed Results

Thu, 07 May 2009 00:00:00 -0700

NewsHour - May. 07 (Special Report) - Is a change in management enough to transform some of the worst schools in the country? New Orleans superintendent Paul Vallas seems to think so. But while charters are outperforming other schools in New Orleans, there's evidence they may be abusing their freedom.

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Cities, Towns Work to Combat Climate Change

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0700

NewsHour - By Lea Winerman - Mar. 23 (News Report) - The international climate-change agreement would have required the U.S. to reduce its carbon emissions by 7 percent below 1990 levels by 2012. Now, more than 900 mayors have signed a "Mayor's Climate Protection Agreement" to reach the Kyoto goal in their individual cities and towns.

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Calif. Scientists Advance Toward Producing Fusion Energy

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0700

NewsHour - By Spencer Michels - Mar. 17 (News Report) - Spencer Michels reports on the ongoing efforts of scientists in California, who say they are getting closer to producing fusion energy to help fuel American energy independence. Imagine producing energy the same way the sun does: cheaply, cleanly and infinitely. That's what scientists like Ed Moses at the Lawrence Livermore National Lab in California say they think they can achieve.

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Multiple Economic Factors Driving Fears of Global Recession

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

NewsHour - By Jeffrey Brown, Simon Johnson, Jim Ellis, Binyamin Appelbaum - Oct. 25 (News Analysis) - U.S. and global markets endured another tough day Friday as fears intensified of a global recession. Financial experts examine the factors driving the recession speculation and possible solutions to the crisis. Jeffrey Brown: Another huge hit on global markets, another volatile day on Wall Street, more nations looking for help, and new steps taken by the U.S. Treasury. We catch up on all this at week's end now with Simon Johnson, former chief economist at the International Monetary Fund, he's now a professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management and a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. Jim Ellis, assistant managing editor of BusinessWeek magazine. And Binyamin Appelbaum, a financial reporter at the Washington Post who covers the Treasury Department. Well, Simon Johnson, the story overseas just gets worse. What jumps out at you today?

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U.S., Worldwide Markets Plunge Anew on Recession Fears

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

NewsHour - Oct. 24 (Breaking News) - The drop followed a day in which markets plummeted around the world before U.S. markets opened. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 index closed down 9.6 percent . By early afternoon trading, Germany's DAX index was down 10.8 percent, Britain's FTSE 100 fell 8.7 percent and France's CAC40 dropped 10 percent.

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Fed Chairman Signals Support for New Stimulus Package

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

NewsHour - By Jeffrey Brown, Martin Baily, William Beach - Oct. 21 (News Analysis) - Wall Street saw a boost Monday as Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress that a second stimulus bill might help the economy. Experts examine the prospects for a new stimulus plan. JEFFREY BROWN: Just three months ago, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said he thought it was premature to serve up a new round of measures to stimulate the economy. But times have clearly changed, and today he weighed in positively on a notion that is now very much in play in Congress and being discussed as well at the White House. Is another stimulus plan needed? And if so, what should be in it? We ask that of two who testified at a congressional hearing today after Bernanke spoke. Martin Baily served as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers during the Clinton administration. He's now a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. William Beach is the director of the Center for Data Analysis at the Heritage Foundation in Washington.

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U.S. Stocks Up, But Unease Ripples Across Global Markets

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

NewsHour - By Jeffrey Brown - Oct. 20 (News Analysis) - Although U.S. stocks surged in the final moments, stocks in Europe and Asia dropped Thursday as fears of a worldwide recession grow. Journalists and an economics analyst discuss. ... Even as Wall Street opened this morning, there were heavy losses in Asia -- Japan's Nikkei index fell 11 percent -- and throughout Europe. In the era of globalization, the sun never sets on the financial markets, and now the turmoil and fears of a steep recession are worldwide. We update the situation with Zanny Minton Beddoes, economics editor for the Economist magazine; Heike Buchter, business correspondent for Die Zeit, a German newspaper; and Susumu Awanohara, a long-time economics journalist and now senior analyst at Medley Global Advisers, an investment consulting firm.

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Stocks Rise on Signs of Credit Thaw, News of Global Summit

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

NewsHour - Oct. 20 (Breaking News) - U.S. stocks rose Monday following word from President Bush, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso over the weekend that they plan to hold a series of summits on the global financial crisis. Stock markets in Asia and Europe also were buoyed by optimism that global efforts to shore up the banking system were taking hold, Reuters reported. Also Monday, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke endorsed another economic stimulus package during his appearance at a House Budget Committee hearing. The Bush administration had been cool to the idea of another round of government stimulus as the federal budget deficit explodes. Bernanke said at the hearing that the country's economic problems could last for a while and it was the right time for Congress to consider another package, reported the Associated Press. White House press secretary Dana Perino told reporters that President Bush would have to see what kind of package Congress proposes.

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U.S. Election Grabs World Interest

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0700

PBS - By Judy Woodruff - Jun. 13 (Interview) - This year's campaign is grabbing the attention of millions of people overseas. A poll released today by the Pew Research Center, surveying more than 24,000 people in 24 countries, found that many believe the next president may well change U.S. foreign policy for the better and that, just about everywhere, greater numbers express confidence in presidential candidate Barack Obama than in John McCain. The survey also found favorable views of the United States have increased modestly since 2007 in 10 of 21 countries. For more now, we get four views from around the world. Hisham Melhem, he's Washington bureau chief for Al Arabiya, a Middle East satellite news channel. Martin Klingst, he's Washington bureau chief Die Zeit, a German newsweekly. Freelance journalist Mvemba Dizolele, he is originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo. And Nayan Chanda, he's editor of YaleGlobal Online Magazine. He is an Indian citizen.

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