Human Interest

Congress is considering a bill to address problems with the patent protections afforded to American drug firms. Though well-intentioned, this bill would hamstring firms' ability to create new medicines and improve existing drugs.

If you've seen CNBC's "Shark Tank," you understand the importance of intellectual property protections. When deciding whether to invest in a young company, the business mogul "sharks" often ask whether the entrepreneur has filed for a patent. And they're impressed when the answer is "yes."

The reason? Patents are critical for innovation.

The Trump administration recently appealed a court decision that prohibits offshore development in the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans. 

American workers and energy consumers should hope this appeal is successful. 

Suspending offshore development would entrench the energy policies of the Obama administration, which banned oil and gas exploration throughout the Atlantic.

Most now understand that “red flag” laws violate the Second Amendment of the Bill of Rights and many Republicans, including the President, now seem willing to join Democrats, after the recent shootings in El Paso and Denton by crazed left-and right wing extremists, to put dents in the Second Amendment hoping these laws “might” somehow help.  But few realize that they also virtually emasculate the Bill of Rights.  What follows are the amendments “red flag” laws damage and how.  

    There is discrimination of all sorts, and that includes racial discrimination. Thus, it's somewhat foolhardy to debate the existence of racial discrimination yesteryear or today. From a policy point of view, a far more useful question to ask is: How much of the plight of many blacks can be explained by current racial discrimination? Let's examine some of today's most devastating problems of many black people with an eye toward addressing discrimination of the past and present.

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Division of Wildlife Resources officials have located a black bear that bit a boy on the head on Friday, Aug. 9, in the Moab area.

The incident occurred at the Dewey Bridge Campground along the Colorado River about 5:45 a.m. The 13-year-old victim was camping with a group and was sleeping on the ground near a riverside pavilion when the bear bit him. The teen received injuries to his left cheek and left ear. He was taken to the hospital and was treated and released. He is expected to make a full recovery. 

Red Cross urgently needs blood donations before summer ends