Healthcare Matters

Here are your six biggest and most buzz-worthy stories of this fine Friday morning. Whether to the pool or a cocktail party, take these stories with you for the weekend.

• Oil Prices Down –Oil prices are at $78 a barrel – their lowest point in nearly nine months. And gas prices are below $3 a gallon in South Carolina and Virginia and several other southern states could see a dip below $3 for gas, as well. Naturally, my wife is driving our gas guzzling SUV to lacrosse tournaments in the New York/Connecticut area. Gas prices in that region are more than 30% higher than most places in the south.

• Jerry Sandusky Trial –Jurors sent a note to the judge in the Jerry Sandusky trial on Thursday night saying they want to review the testimony of Mike McQueary and Dr. Dranov. The judge said they will figure out the request overnight and address it first thing when court resumes at 9 a.m. this morning. The note request comes on the heels of learning that Sandusky’s own adopted son stepped up this week (after the defense rested) and revealed that he, too, had been abused as a child –by his father.

• Mount Rainier Ranger Killed in Rescue –A climbing ranger at Mount Rainier in Washington died while trying to rescue four injured climbers from Texas. No details have been disclosed. Three of the four injured climbers have now been rescued – one remains on the mountain in a safe location with other Park climbing rangers.

• Heat Wave –Record-breaking heat burned up parts of the Northeast for the second day in a row, breaking several records from Delaware to Vermont. The National Weather Service reported that at least eight temperature records were broken across the country on Thursday. Ironically, the weather in Georgia and Florida (most of the southern-most southeast) has been unseasonably cool.

• Miami Heat Win NBA Finals –The Miami Heat beat the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night to win the NBA Finals in five games. LeBron James had 26 points and said it was the “happiest day of his life.”  I’m so relieved.

• The Supreme Court has still not ruled –Although it could happen today, mums the word from SCOTUS. The betting line suggests that the mandate will be declared unconstitutional, but the rest of the law can stand. Insiders on the Hill claim that the justices are actually paying close attention to public opinion/polling data.

—Tom Finn