BY HARRY RING
Stamp ran dry? - A secret federal court established by the
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act has approved 11,950
wiretaps and searches of homes, cars computers, and other
property of suspected "spies."
One request was turned down.
But they're easy to spot -Jaime Gorelick, former deputy attorney general, says the increased surveillance is due to increased espionage and "terrorist activities." He says, "There's a greater quantity of the folks who are potentially problematic out there."
Managing the managers -Bristol-Meyers Squibb is negotiating a deal with Foundation Health Systems in which it would pay the HMO chain $1 million a month to instruct its doctors to prescribe Squibb medications in five categories, including high cholesterol and bacterial infection. A Foundation official said, "It's probably just a step beyond what everybody else has done, to date."
Poor? Elderly? Give 'em the shaft - At least 15 million U.S. people pay for medications out-of-pocket because they can't afford insurance coverage. Research confirmed they pay at least double the amount paid for prescriptions by federal and private med plans.
Hey Dilbert - "Executives say 14 percent of each 40-hour work week is wasted because of poor communication between staff and managers.... Poor communication from upper management is a frequent problem linked to emotionally charged situations." - News item
Shop early for Xmas - "Consumer Outlook Declines Sharply," "RJR Nabisco, Goodyear, Issue Profit Warnings," "Gillette to Trim Jobs After Profit Shave," "Cendant Restates Earnings - $55M gain turns into $217M loss." - September 30 headlines.
At least better understood - A survey of major British industries found an increase in strikes last year and predicted a greater increase in the coming year. "Ironically," a dispatch said, "the report found that relations between employers and workers had improved."
Thought for the week - Hundreds of people living near or working at nuclear weapons plants and research installations in 11 states are suffering from an array of unexplained illnesses, the Tennessean reported. The newspaper interviewed people whose ailments include tremors, memory loss, and muscular and reproductive problems. No direct link has been established between the illnesses and the Energy Dept. sites. - News item