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Supreme Court Should Be 'Reined In' To Return Power To Legislative Branch, NYT Columnist Writes
Although Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor"s confirmation hearings are more than a month away, "it"s easy to predict how they will go," New York Times columnist Ross Douthat writes. Douthat predicts that Senate Judiciary Committee members "will attempt to divine Sotomayor"s position on a variety of controversial topics," such as abortion rights, and in "a series of polite, evasive answers, the nominee will feign a studious neutrality on almost every issue that could come before her during what"s likely to be decades as one of the most powerful women in the world." According to Douthat, the "deeper stakes" that likely will be ignored are that "Sotomayor will be joining a high court that"s gradually become a kind of extra legislative body." He cites research from Harvard Law School professor Jed Shugerman showing that the court over roughly the past 50 years has invalidated both state and federal statutes at an unprecedented rate. Douthat also points to data from Evan Caminker of the University of Michigan showing that in one eight-year period, the court invalidated 16 federal laws in 5-4 votes, something that occurred only 25 times in the previous two centuries. Douthat writes that "settling so many vexing controversies with 5-to-4 votes -- effectively making Anthony Kennedy the nation"s philosopher king -- is an awfully poor way to run a republic."Douthat continues that the "modern court"s most enduringly controversial power grabs -- with Roe v. Wade leading the way -- were usually the work of liberal justices" but that "in practice, the main divide between liberal and conservative judges tends to be over the responsibilities of the federal government, not judicial activism per se." He writes, "There are bipartisan ways that the Court could be reined in, and the legislative branch reinvigorated," including the idea of a supermajority rule that would require a 6-3 vote to overturn federal legislation. This idea "might spur the court toward greater consensus, and perhaps greater modesty as well," according to Douthat. Another possibility would be to implement 12-year term limits, he says. Douthat concludes that these suggestions would not "reduce the Supreme Court"s power directly, but it would help us see the court for what it has become -- a deeply political institution, as fallible as any other, and answerable, when all is said and done, to us" (Douthat, New York Times, 6/2).
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New Website Launches 1.2 Million Euro Project To Improve European Cancer Communications
An initiative to boost cancer prevention, treatment and care throughout Europe by improving communications within the cancer community kicks off today (Monday 20 July) with the launch of a new website: http://www.eurocancercoms.eu. The project will involve all those with an interest in cancer, from researchers and doctors to patients.
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Placenta Harmed By Cocaine And Heroin
Cocaine and heroin increase permeability of the placenta. Researchers writing in BioMed Central"s open access journal Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology have shown that exposure to the drugs causes an increase in the passage of some chemicals into the fetus.
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British Dental Association Launches Good Practice Scheme For Scotland

The BDA is pleased to announce the expansion of its highly successful Good Practice Scheme (GPS) with the launch of the Good Practice Scheme Scotland (GPS Scotland) at this year"s British Dental Conference and Exhibition in Glasgow. This dedicated Scottish version incorporates standards criteria specific to Scottish practices. As with the original GPS, GPS Scotland provides both dentists and patients alike with a clear standard of practice, complementing the NHS Quality Improvement Standards which apply to all practices. The Scheme also integrates new requirements in oral health assessment, decontamination, and sedation and emergency dental care, as well as links to further guidance. The new Scheme gives patients in Scotland reassurance that the entire practice team is compliant with a high standard of care and sound clinical governance. Successful completion of the Scheme enables members to enjoy improved communication, teamwork and practice, and patients can rely upon up-to-date knowledge of the legal and ethical requirements necessary to achieve the Scheme"s assurance of quality. On launching GPS Scotland, BDA Executive Board chair Susie Sanderson, said: "The expansion of the Good Practice Scheme with this new Scottish version builds upon the success and reputation of the Scheme since it began in 2001. GPS Scotland demonstrates the profession"s commitment to high standards of care and provides a Scotland-specific benchmark for quality assurance in dental practice." Becoming a GPS Scotland practice begins with completion and validation by assessors of achievement of the standard, leading to recognition as a BDA Good Practice. Membership renewal involves re-assessment every three years. A regional administrator supports and guides those going through the application process, helping them to comply with the requirements. Further details are available here. The British Dental Association


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