“My mother did not die in an intensive care unit. She was not surrounded by machines, alarms, or artificial light. She died at home, in a room imbued with the quiet weight of memory. Decades of life were embedded in those walls, which had witnessed birthdays, conversations, laughter, arguments, and the countless ordinary moments that, in retrospect, constitute the true foundation of a life. A peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) line rested in her arm, serving not as a symbol of escalation but as an instrument of compassion. Medications were given to relieve discomfort rather than to reverse disease. Nurses entered the room with calm, deliberate purpose rather than urgency. Their voices were soft, their movements measured. Their objective was not to save her life, but to honor it.” (03/27/26)
“In a report released Friday, the House Judiciary Committee found that the U.S. system for matching resident physicians to programs is monopolistic and anticompetitive. Every year, resident physicians in the U.S. learn which program they’ve been placed in. This is operated through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), commonly referred to as the ‘Match.’ The House Judiciary Committee determined in its investigation that the way residency programs are matched is the result of an ‘entrenched monopoly shielded from scrutiny by government protectionism.'” (03/27/26)
“Two sailboats carrying humanitarian aid from Mexico to Cuba finally reached Havana on Saturday after disappearing en route leading to days of searching for the missing vessels. In the Cuban capital, the crew of nine which included a four-year-old boy along with American, French and German citizens appeared to be in good health and spirits. … On Saturday, the Mexican Navy said the sailboats were spotted by a maritime surveillance aircraft some 80 nautical miles (roughly 148 kilometers) northwest of Cuba. The Reuters news agency cited them as saying they were slowed by unfavorable weather conditions. A Mexican ship escorted them to Havana to ensure their safe arrival in the Cuban capital, the Mexican Navy said.” (03/29/26)
“Smith shows himself a great reader, not just of his great favorite Jonathan Swift, but of the other great English authors like Addison and Johnson. He recommended reading the novelist Samuel Richardson as well as Racine and Voltaire. Smith was a truly rounded humanist, a man who knew enough of life and books to write not just a great treatise but a work of significant pleasure.” (03/27/26)
