Free Republic

By JENNIFER LOVEN, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON(AP) - The Bush administration renewed its push Wednesday to rein in medical malpractice litigation and address soaring insurance costs that are causing many doctors to flee certain communities and high-risk practices. The fresh effort to restrict awards in malpractice cases was seen in a report Wednesday by Health and Human Services Department. President Bush also was making the issue a centerpiece of his visit Thursday to a hospital and university in High Point, N.C. The price of malpractice insurance for certain high-risk specialists increased about 10 percent last year and may rise...

Dole calls for stiffer anti-drug penalties The Associated Press July 24, 2002   11:04 am NEWTON, N.C. -- Republican Senate candidate Elizabeth Dole visited a neighborhood plagued by drugs, then said she would support stiffer penalties for using cocaine and drug-testing for teenagers who apply for drivers' licenses.Dole said Tuesday that anti-drug efforts, from providing helicopters to the Colombian government to fostering faith-based drug treatment homes, would be a priority if she were elected to succeed Republican Sen. Jesse Helms."I would like to leave you today with an image -- Elizabeth Dole's vision," she said at a news conference...