The 10-Point: Gerard Baker on Healthcare Buck-Passing, #medtrials and More

Nov. 15, 2013 7:17 a.m. ETCLICK HERE to sign up for this briefing by email.
Good day,
The Buck Stops There
U.S. President Barack Obama’s latest attempt at relieving the political pressure caused by the health law: passing the buck. Today the Journal reports that the president said he would allow insurance companies to extend policies that have been terminated because of the law, as mounting cancellation notices have led to a backlash from consumers. We note that the president’s new stance shifts the burden of cancellations to the insurers—potentially diverting consumer anger from the White House to them. The insurance executives we interviewed said they haven’t received any advance notice from the White House about the shift or any formal instructions on how to carry out the change.
Every Transaction You Make, I’ll Be Watching You
The Central Intelligence Agency might be watching our financial transactions. The secret court that OK’d the monitoring of phone records by the National Security Agency also apparently approved the collection of data on international money transfers. Our story reports that the CIA is building a vast database which includes financial and personal data on Americans. We examine the legal justification used to carry out this financial spying and continue to investigate the scope of the government’s snooping. Meanwhile, large U.S. tech firms are reporting a decrease in sales to China, and some executives are citing revelations about surveillance by the NSA as one of the reasons for the drop.
Saving Children, Changing Science
For six years, the Journal followed a group of parents desperate to find a treatment for a rare disease that is killing their children. In a special project, told in a unique presentation of words, pictures, video and graphics, we narrate the moving story of how they accelerated development of a promising drug and, in the process, pushed the limits of medical research. We look forward to following the conversation on Facebook and Twitter (#medtrials) on topics raised by this story—ranging from the ethics of using experimental treatment on children to the role of self-proclaimed citizen-scientists.
Home Is Where the Office Is
Offices in high-end homes are now becoming recreational status symbols. Our story explores some of these imaginative creations, ranging from a boat-themed room recalling a private-equity-firm executive’s childhood to a gun-filled sanctuary with an adjacent wet bar. We also provide some handy tips from a software executive for working at home, one of them being to surround yourself with inspirational items. (A copy of The Wall Street Journal, perhaps?)

Number of the Day
14%
That is how much more likely boys are to be born premature than girls. Our story takes a look at new research suggesting that males face more danger in the womb than females.

Quote of the Day

" It’s a shame that thoughtful films for adults can’t come out year-round. "
—Director Jason Reitman (“Up in the Air”) in response to the Academy Awards determining the timing of films being released, as movies with Oscar aspirations are crowding into this season’s remaining weekends.

Are you less motivated to watch a film if it hasn’t won an award? Send your response and other remarks to 10point@wsj.com and follow @GerardTBaker on Twitter.
—Compiled by Khadeeja Safdar

This daily briefing is named “The 10-Point” after the nickname conferred by the editors of The Wall Street Journal on the lead column of the legendary “What’s News” digest of top stories. Technically, “10-point” referred to the size of the typeface. The type is smaller now but the name lives on.

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Continued here: The 10-Point: Gerard Baker on Healthcare Buck-Passing, #medtrials and More