How does the sector trade rank for 2011?Chuck Gabriel, Capital Alpha Partners weighs in on the winners and losers. Also, CNBC's Jon Fortt reports Verizon has decided to reverse its decision to charge a $2 fee for customers making payments over the phon...
An ingenious Web browser for iPad, iSwifter ($4.99) takes sites with rich Flash content, including many social media sites like Facebook, and turns them into an animation that can play on the Flash-less iPad. Billed mostly for playing games, the browser works for any Web site. The controls for viewing full-screen and refreshing, the back button, and bookmarks all mimic what you'll find in the Safari browser that comes with the iPad. Alas, the iSwifter browser uses a proxy server to convert content, so it doesn't work with Hulu.
Paul speaks during a town hall in Newton, IA Dec. 28 (Charlie Riedel/AP)
NEWTON, Iowa--Ron Paul narrowly leads the RealClearPolitics average of the most recent polls of Republican voters in Iowa, with Mitt Romney close behind. And he has?attracted a loyal and active following that has helped him win straw polls across the country (and?a close second place in the Aug. 13, 2011, Iowa straw poll) as well as raise formidable amounts of money.
But it remains unclear if his supporters will come out in force for the caucuses on Tuesday.
"I think so--if I get information, yeah, I'll be there," Lorraine DeNardis, a Paul supporter, told Yahoo News when asked after a town-hall meeting with the candidate?if she plans participate in the Jan. 3 caucuses.
Addressing a crowd of around 150 attendees Wednesday at the town hall, Paul spoke exactly as he always has: hammering home his disdain for big government, his commitment to lower spending and his respect for the Constitution.
Though he did note that some things appear to be a little bit different these days.
"This looks like there are more cameras than there used to be," Paul said, noting the dozen TV cameramen on a riser at the back of the meeting room--in addition to the reporters and print photographers positioned around his podium. "I've been talking about freedom for a long time-- that's what motivated me to get into politics-- and for many years the crowds were very small, little interest. And it's steadily grown."
Paul received loud applause from the crowd for the cornerstones of his presidential platform, including eliminating the Department of Education and cutting $1 trillion from the federal budget in his first year in office.
"People say, That means everybody has to suffer,"?Paul said of the reaction to his spending-slashing plans. "Well, not necessarily. The people who got bailed out, they might have to suffer, but they should suffer. They should go bankrupt, not us."
"Before I thought he was just too radical but I rethought it and it makes sense,"? David Rethmeier of Rock Creek, Iowa, told Yahoo News, adding that he first became a Paul supporter this cycle and considers himself an independent.
"I think he has awakened a lot of people like me who were never really interested in politics," Jeff Neelson of Iowa City, Iowa, told Yahoo News.
As part of its effort to get out the vote next week, Paul's campaign announced on Tuesday that it plans to host 52 caucus training sessions around the state leading up to the caucuses
Lorraine DeNardis, who lives in Bondurant, Iowa, said that the Paul campaign's email on Tuesday helped her to identify a local meeting in Clive that she may attend.
Paul did not respond to any inquiries from reporters as he entered and exited Wednesday's town hall meeting. He has been fending off a new spate of news stories about newsletters written under his name in the 1980s and 1990s that contained racist language. ?Paul says he did not write the newsletters and that he rejects the controversial comments.
David Chalian contributed to this story.
Other popular Yahoo! News stories:
Want more of our best political stories? Visit?The Ticket or connect with us?on Facebook and follow us?on Twitter.
Currently looking to recruit all the manner of scum and villainy for a Star Wars Role play, set during the Old Republic Era, "The Shadow only Hides the Light", needs bold and brash Jedi Knights, disciplined and stoic Republic Officers, scruffy and adventurous smugglers, cold and ruthless bounty hunters, but most importantly some eager recruits for the Dark Side of the Force to attend Darth Veran's new Sith Academy, located on scenic Telos IV.
It doesn't matter if you're a fallen Jedi, a budding acolyte of the Dark Side, or a fresh faced former Padawan, sent to Telos for failure of your Jedi training, Master Veran's Academy is a sanctuary from the Light and a place to plan your vengeance against those who have wronged you. Even you practiced and established Sith Warriors and Inquisitors will find all the manner of diversions at the Academy, so long as you keep in mind who is Master there.
Don't be fooled, this isn't some thinly veiled star-wars-high-school role play, but rather a place for all the manner of characters to get in on the action at the start of the Galactic Cold War, between the Republic, and the soon to be discovered Sith Empire.
So, which side will you choose and where do your loyalties lie? Only time and the Force will tell.
Markets were shaken by violent protests in Greece and the death of Libya's Gadhafi.
Apple Still Shines, Buffalo Wild Flies Higher
Apple is a drag but Intel and others with nice surprises give a lift.
Equity Opportunities In Emerging Markets
Riedel Research chief David Riedel's insight on overseas investments.
Apple Crushed But Builders And Banks Bounce
Euro optimism stokes rally but Apple falls short under Cook.
Banks Are Buys, Euro Will Survive
European plan not perfect but it is coming together.
Wall Street Occupied By Earnings
Apple hits new high, Google gains on blowout quarter.
JPMorgan Misses And Wall St Is Occupied!
JPMorgan missed on earnings while Google surged.
Steel, Coal And Google For A Fat Earnings Season
It could also be a time for small and midcap stocks to shine.
Smiles Everyone, Stocks Soar Again
Explosive bullish action could be a turning point or just Fantasy Island.
Warren Stephens Wants Government Out Of The Way
Economic expansion would take hold if regulation and taxes were not so onerous.
Fed Powerless To Prop Up Economy
Reduce regulation and simplify taxes to spark recovery, says former Dallas Fed chief economist.
Europe Gets A Plan, Stocks Come Alive
Chatter about an EU bank plan sparks a late rally.
Banks Whacked, Stocks Lose Support
Big sell-off to start October sends stocks crashing through technical support.
Dividends Still Work After A Crushing Quarter
Look into outperforming sectors like utilities, staples, tech and health care.
Sirius Slammed, Netflix Extends Breakdown
The Dow stays green but look around and you see the color of blood.
Risk Clapper Kills Rally, Bezos Opens Fire On Apple
European angst suffocates stocks as Amazon.com shows off its new Kindle Fire tablet.
Cash And Caution For Muhlenkamp
Blue chip cash machines are selling for cheap. So why is Ron Muhlenkamp holding cash?
European Rollercoaster: Buy The Rumor, Sell The Rumor?
Markets jumped on rumors the EU had solved some problems, then halved its gains on more rumors.
Apple Unbruised, Banks And Boeing Take Flight
Stocks fly higher as a Greek solution appears within reach.
Self-Made Mining Magnate
St. Elias Mines CEO Lori McClenahan shares the secrets of her success.
Bloodbath In Gold And Silver
Stocks stabilize but metals take it in the kisser.
Stocks Smashed As Recession Fears Spike
Weakness in China and Europe and the Fed?s uninspiring twist take markets down.
Behind The Curtain Of College Admissions
Officials from U. Penn and Michigan on applying to (and affording) higher education.
Bernanke Does The Twist
Bernanke announced a $400 billion operation to extend the maturity of the Fed's balance sheet.
Get Ready For Bernanke With Gold Miners
Gold gains ground on the eve of the end of the Fed?s two-day meeting.
Banking On Apple, Stamps And Smokes
Financials pull back on low volume, Apple and Stamps.com hit highs on massive turnover.
RIM And Netflix Tank, Geithner Gives Pierogi Pep Talk In Poland
Two growth stocks flame out as Europe waits to help Greece.
Liquidity Injection To Save Euro Banks Fuels Rally
Global central banks injected US dollar liquidity to save the Euro banks, helping Wall St.
Fire Up The Great Chinese Bailout And Helicopter Ben
Adrenaline for markets as Europe gropes for a solution and the Fed gets ready to meet.
Billionaire Baron Says It's Time To Buy
Billionaire investor Ron Baron says stocks are cheap and opportunities are everywhere.
Ringing Up Fat Yields In Russia's Mobile TeleSystems
The stock yields 6.7% and valuation looks quite modest.
Greek Default Still Looms, Italians Try Chinese Connection
Reports that China may invest in Italy stokes stocks late.
Dumpster Diving As Stocks Get Euro Trashed
European banks fall hard as Greek default talk thickens.
Don't Get Burned By Gold Or Facebook
Ask anybody from 1980 about gold being a safe haven, Facebook has some wild valuation.
The Lost Economic Decade Since 9/11
Stocks have gone nowhere while deficits, oil, gas and gold have soared.
Stocks Take A Dusty, Bernanke Channels Inner Chuck Norris
With no job growth in August, Ben and the president both fight to revive economy.
Jobs, Shocks, and Socks: Obama, AutoZone and the Gap
The jobs report will set the stage for President Obama's Sept. 8 address to Congress.
Obama Pitching Jobs Plan To Congress
This could be hugely bullish for stocks.
Fed Ready To Buy Another Round Of QE
Looks like it's party time after next month's FOMC meeting.
Will Boomers Outlive Their Pensions?
Economist Olivia Mitchell on retirement's new realities and how America can rethink Social Security.
Ben's Speech Pleases, Irene Aims For NYC
Stocks, bonds and gold like Bernanke's message but the dollar falls.
Apple, Bernanke, And Gold? Oh My!
Jobs quits, Buffett buys BofA and gold steadies ahead of Bernanke's speech.
Notes From A Contrarian Investor
Tocqueville Asset Management's CEO on bubbles, emotions in investing and the lessons of 2008.
Holding The Line With Defensive Stocks
Banks and energy are in bear markets but staples and utilities show strength.
Listen To (Jimmy) Buffett, Beat Mr. Market
Stocks go weak. Time to go fishing down at rock bottom again.
There's Lots Of Cheap Stocks With Juicy Dividends
Instead of digging your head in the sand, go out there and buy some sexy dividend stocks.
Burt Reynolds Beats Fabio, Go Long America
U.S. stocks and bonds outperform the rest of the world in 2011. Stick with the home team.
Rebounding With Fat Yields In Cheap REITs
Market turmoil smacked down REITs. The bounce is nice.
Insiders Beat The Bear Market That Never Was
Corporations and their bosses buy stocks hand over fist through the sell-off.
William Rhodes, Banker To The World
Ex-Citi chair spent decades solving sovereign debt crises and details why austerity isn't enough.
Quality Stocks For A Smoother Ride
Jensen fund manager beats the market without getting too fancy or cyclical.
Navellier Biting Into Apple, Chipotle, Deere
Growth guru sees no Armageddon, buys with both hands.
Gurus Pick AT&T And Intel In Bear Market
Top advisors weigh in on what to do now.
Has QE failed?
Has Ben Bernanke lost confidence that monetary policy can bring the economy out of it's slump?
Measuring The Fundamentals
Rob Arnott on sizing up a company's economic footprint and crafting a winning portfolio.
Crashing Into An Eventual Bounce
Stocks get splattered. Here's the good and bad news and a couple of ideas.
Protect Your Portfolio From The 3-D Hurricane
Investing guru Rob Arnott on how debt, deficit and demographics affect investor strategy.
Global Markets Get Butchered, From Equities To Oil
The Dow took a massive, 513 point hit in the chin on Thursday, along with oil and gold.
Another Tech Bubble?
Jeremy Siegel on how people tend to overpay for the next big thing and whether 2011 is the new 2000.
Low-Priced Plays On Gold, Housing Rebound
Marc Gerstein likes Claude Resources and Builders FirstSource
Dig Into Diesel And Dermabrasion
Jim Oberweis has two small-cap growth picks.
Sticking With Sirius But Pandora's Cheaper
Some people prefer to pay for Sirius XM Radio even if other services are free.
Expert Investors On Saving For Retirement
Gurus share their wisdom on investing for an increasingly long retirement period.
No Need For U.S. To Stiff China
What would the U.S. gain by not paying back $1.16 trillion owed to China?
Slam Dunkin' In Restaurant Stocks
Dunkin goes public, Panera goes pop, Buffalo Wild and Chipotle still look good.
No Bubbles In Tech, Take A Seat At OpenTable
Jim Oberweis sees growth still looking good enough to warrant owning OPEN.
Scoring Monsters Like Green Mountain, Baidu
Jim Oberweis looks for accelerating growth in sales and profits and doesn?t sell too early.
Jeremy Siegel Still Invests For The Long Run
Noted author and finance professor advocates tried and true stock strategy for sweet future returns.
Greece & The Domino Effect
Harry Wilson on how public debt-to-GDP can factor in to defaults in the PIIGS crisis...and beyond.
CAT Misses, GE Scores, Mickey D's Cooks
Earnings keep rolling in with McDonald's and Schlumberger coming out big winners.
State Finances Are Worse Than You Think
Harry Wilson explains how bad things are for States and how to get their fiscal houses in order.
Banks Fly Higher, Airlines Still Grounded
Meanwhile Intuitive Surgical surges to new highs and Travelzoo gets eviscerated on soft sales.
Eurozone's Austerity Disaster
Restructuring guru Harry Wilson weighs in on Greece and sovereign debt crises plaguing the EU.
Baidu And Apple Go Boom, Microsoft Steps On Deck
Also on Wednesday, Zillow does nicely on its first day trading.
Playing Earnings Winners And Losers
IBM and Coke blow away forecasts but Goldman and BofA slump again.
Netflix Climaxes, Apple Cooks And Banks Probe Bottom
Selling climax hits Netflix while a rally past Friday?s close this week would be bullish for banks.
Harry Wilson & The Art Of Restructuring
The investor's insights on Greece, the U.S. debt ceiling and fostering economic growth.
Playing Google And Other Earnings Poppers
Google earnings blow past estimates and the stock soars. Who?s next?
A Powerful Force In Investing
Michael Mauboussin on why mean reversion is a crucial concept most people don't fully understand.
JPMorgan Impressed Investors, Will The Other Banks?
Financials have lagged almost every other sector, how will they do this earnings season?
Gold Is Money And So Is China
Bernanke tells Ron Paul gold isn?t money after hitting its high; China is still the king of growth.
Dipping Into Chip Stocks
Semiconductors get hammered on Tuesday, creating bargains in some great names.
How Would Ted Williams Invest?
Michael Mauboussin on how the Hall Of Famer's hot hand on the diamond relates to the markets.
Want To Play Gold? Check Out The Gold Miners
Gold has been on a roll for a while now, but look to miners for safety from commodity volatility.
Paradox Of The Skilled Investor
Legg Mason's Michael Mauboussin on how luck can trump skill when investing in the stock market.
Stick With Strength In Health Care, JPM For Financial Rebound
Expect health care to stay strong this year and JPMorgan looks promising among laggard financials.
Rearview Mirror Investing?
Joel Greenblatt on his stock formula and whether the past is predictive of the future.
Playing The Big Pop In Retail
Urban Outfitters and Quiksilver look solid, but don't get burned in Hot Topic or pinched by Buckle.
Fat Pitch From Portugal: Swing Like Teixeira, Sail Like Da Gama
Look past the downgrade of Portugal's debt and focus on homerun opportunities.
An Investor's Time Horizon
Joel Greenblatt on how individuals can find opportunity while institutions focus on short-term gain.
Macau Casinos Rocked By Hos And Woos
Chinese gambling has made billionaires of Stanley Ho and Lui Che Woo. Here's how you can catch up.
Joel Greenblatt's Market Secrets
The best-selling author shares choice advice for small investors with Steve Forbes.
The U.S.A. Is No Greek Tragedy
America has racked up some huge bills but the world knows we're good for it.
Get Tiffany Twisted, Live Large In Luxury
Fresh breakouts in Coach, Tiffany and LVMH show that the luxury market is still kickin'.
Zeus, Kronos, Coffee And Copper For A Greek Rally
Cyclical stuff like steel and chemicals shoot higher as stocks rally hard for fourth day.
Advice For A Changing World
Highlights from Steve Forbes' interviews with the top investing minds of 2011.
You Can't Say That About Apple!
It's the darling of pundits and analysts. Does that mean Apple's a buy? Marc Gerstein breaks it down
How To Screen Stocks
Low-price stock picker Marc Gerstein on common mistakes of the individual investor.
Weak Dollar, Desperate Fed
Economist David Malpass on Federal Reserve policy, Treasurys and job growth in the U.S.
The Marriage Of Government & Business
Economist David Malpass on how America is becoming a corporatist state.
How The GOP Plays Into Obama's Hands
Economist David Malpass says Congress needs to act to give the president the power to spend less.
Inflation In Asia
Matthews Asia Funds CIO Robert Horrocks discusses inflation concerns for India, China and Japan.
Challenging The China Bears
Matthews Asia Funds CIO Robert Horrocks lays out why investors should be less bearish on China.
Invest For Your Age
Ken Kamen, author of Reclaim Your Nest Egg, has pointers for a well-balanced portfolio.
Spring Clean Your Finances
Reclaim Your Nest Egg author Ken Kamen's tips for getting your financial house in order.
Avoid The Financial News Noise
Why Mercadien's Ken Kamen wants you to tune out talking heads and invest for the long-term.
Political Gridlock: A Good Thing?
Loop Capital CEO Jim Reynolds on divided government and getting America moving forward again.
In Praise Of Chris Christie
Loop Capital CEO Jim Reynolds on New Jersey's governor, Illinois' budget crisis and the end of QE2.
Boutique Firm Vs. Big Banks
Jim Reynolds of Loop Capital Markets on how his firm competes with the nation's banking behemoths.
30-Yr Mortgages Are Root Of All Evil
Why ING Direct chief Arkadi Kuhlmann wants to do away with the 30-yr fixed rate.
Online Banking Hack Attack
ING Direct USA's Arkadi Kuhlmann can attract customers. The hard part is keeping their data safe.
How ING Direct Reengineered Banking
Arkadi Kuhlmann on creating a new banking experience for consumers.
Ken Fisher On Winners In Tech
Nerdsters create the technology, hipsters create the products and the consumer ultimately wins.
Ken Fisher Hates Annuities
Considering annuities? You might as well give the salesperson money to put their kid through school.
Debunking Dollar Cost Averaging
Ken Fisher has little use for the time-tested investing approach. Here's why.
Epoch's Big Party Portfolio
CEO Bill Priest explains how a well-diversified portfolio feeds into the firm's investment strategy.
Investing In Global Champions
Epoch Holding Corp CEO Bill Priest on whether his firm's yield strategy works in emerging markets.
Epoch Chief Sees M&A Rise
CEO Bill Priest says a substantial increase in mergers & acquisitions activity is on the horizon.
Priceline, Netflix Work The Cloud
T. Rowe Price's Dave Eiswert on how well the companies leverage cloud computing functionality.
Investing In The Cloud
T. Rowe Price's Dave Eiswert on outsourcing business to the Web, plus companies to watch in Asia.
Tech Players Create New Paradigm
T. Rowe Price's David Eiswert on companies leading the next wave of growth in computing technology.
Disruption In The Tech Industry
T. Rowe Price's David Eiswert on how innovation is changing technology playing field.
Buying Equities Amid Gov't Debt
Investor John Mauldin reveals which sectors will be strong as governments confront the debt endgame.
Overcoming The Debt Supercycle
Investor and author John Mauldin on government debt and why Paul Krugman is right.
Paul Ryan's Game Changer
John Mauldin and Steve Forbes on how Congress might deal with the congressman's budget template.
TD Ameritrade's Trade Architect
CEO Fred Tomczyk details plans for his company's next big technology push.
The Breakaway Broker
TD Ameritrade's Fred Tomczyk on indexing and the rise of the registered investment advisor channel.
Maintaining TD Ameritrade's Brand
CEO Fred Tomczyk on how a major merger strengthened the firm's brand.
Exercising Caution With REITs
Third Avenue Funds CIO Curtis Jensen surveys the real estate investment landscape.
How To Zig When Markets Zag
Third Avenue CIO Curtis Jensen on the advantages of a small, risk-conscious portfolio.
An Eye For Distressed Debt
Third Avenue Funds CIO Curtis Jensen discusses a time-tested investment sweet spot for the firm.
Sarbox Compliance Woes
Third Avenue Funds CIO Curtis Jensen on small caps and the trouble with Sarbanes-Oxley.
Myth Of The Villainous CEO
Honeywell chief David Cote on the pervasive portrayal of American businesses as evildoers.
Energy Policy Follow Through
Honeywell CEO David Cote on whether cohesive, actionable energy policy will ever become reality.
Is Obama Anti-Business?
Honeywell CEO David Cote, who served on a presidential commission, provides perspective.
Honeywell's Organic Growth
CEO David Cote discusses his company's acquisition agenda and the importance of corporate culture.
Trump Talks Real Estate
Donald Trump says we're long past the date of a predicted commercial real estate meltdown.
Trump, Casinos And Competition
Donald Trump discusses trends and what he believes is a destructive force in the casino industry.
Can The Donald Be The POTUS?
Billionaire real estate mogul Donald Trump shares some foreign policy ideas with Steve Forbes.
China Is Hoarding Gold
Richard Lehmann has concerns about China establishing a large gold reserve.
QE2's Bait & Switch
Richard Lehmann on Ben Bernanke's hidden intentions.
Lehmann Likes Blue Chip Stocks
Bond guru Richard Lehmann has a hankering for high dividend paying blue chips.
Small Business And Health Care
Howard Dean expects a migration from employer-based insurance to health exchanges.
The Case Against Interstate Health Care
Howard Dean on why crossing state lines for health insurance is flawed policy.
Upsides Of Health Care Reform
Howard Dean says States will begin to innovate and offer more health care choices for consumers.
Attack Of The VC Poverty Pimps
George Gilder says venture capitalists are angling for U.S. subsidies to support their green dreams.
Deep Packet Inspection Is Critical
George Gilder says FCC intervention in this space will prohibit necessary innovation.
The Future Of Carbon Nanotubes
George Gilder on water filtration, space exploration and great expectations for nanotechnology.
What's To Like About Healthcare?
Despite government's overhaul, Gary Shilling sees smart investment opportunities in the sector.
China's Export Excess
Gary Shilling on China's attempts to shift toward a domestically-oriented economy.
The Next Big Thing Is Small
Gary Shilling on small luxuries as status symbols, plus stocks, sectors and a commodities bubble.
Bear Markets & Corporate Profits
Gary Shilling lauds the cost-cutting of American businesses but wonders if profits are sustainable.
Large Caps, Indexes And The Fed
Wealth manager Todd Morgan lays out his investment strategy for Steve Forbes.
Celebrity Investing Master Class
Got millions? Todd Morgan will manage your wealth like you're on the A-List.
What Makes Bel Air So Special?
Todd Morgan details how Bel Air Investment Advisors is unique in a crowded field of wealth managers.
A Thriving Stock Market
As the Dow plays peek-a-boo with 12,000, economist Nouriel Roubini discusses the market's rebound.
Another Real Estate Crisis
Nouriel Roubini on commercial real estate, housing sector insolvency and the coming double dip.
End Of The Eurozone?
Nouriel Roubini on whether the EU as we know it can survive its multiple sovereign debt crises.
Dr. Doom Is A Little Less Bearish
Nouriel Roubini on the Eurozone, real estate and the U.S. states on the verge of bankruptcy.
The Bankrupt States Of America
Economist Nouriel Roubini on whether a number of debt-ridden U.S. states are too big to fail.
America Vs. The World
Former World Bank president James Wolfensohn on how the U.S. can regain its competitive edge.
A Balanced, Bubble-Free China
James Wolfensohn, former World Bank president, says China is managing itself well.
Regulatory Flexibility
Former CFTC head Walter Lukken says fluid market innovation requires flexible rules of the road.
Confessions Of An Ex-Regulator
Former CFTC chair Walter Lukken looks back on how his commission dealt with the financial crisis.
Jack Bogle On ETFs
Wall Street legend says the jury's out on whether ETFs are a good investment idea.
Jack Bogle's Bond Funds Buys
Vanguard founder details which bond funds have a place in his personal portfolio.
IPOs & Biotech In Israel
Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange CEO Ester Levanon discusses the fuel behind TASE's record growth for 2010.
TASE Rolls Out New Products
Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange CEO Ester Levanon on the new offerings for investors in 2011.
The Zuckerman Initiative
Billionaire publisher/real estate mogul's ideas for accelerating America's economic recovery.
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About This Show
Steve Forbes hosts a weekly, half-hour uninterrupted interview program with the best minds in business The thoughtful, long-form show with influential and insightful guests includes the best market strategists, forecasters and money managers from Wall Street and beyond.
Meet The Host
Steve Forbes
Steve Forbes is Chairman and Editor-In-Chief of Forbes and the host of Intelligent Investing, a weekly interview series with leaders in business and investing.
Forbes.com Video Network | Intelligent Investing: Promising Pair Trades In Google, Citi And More
30-Yr Mortgages Are Root Of All Evil
Why ING Direct chief Arkadi Kuhlmann wants to do away with the 30-yr fixed rate.
2010's Top 5 Financial Pornographers
Forbes Publisher Rich Karlgaard on why you shouldn't believe all market forecasters.
A Major League Contraction?
The Oakland A?s and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays might feel the effects of a shrinking MLB.
A Comeback For Bonuses
Reform in executive pay unlikely as Washington looks elsewhere.
$100 Million Dollar Pink Panthers
Jewel robberies rise in Europe. Suspects arrested in Harry Winston heist.
$700 Billion Is Just A Start
Economist Barry Ritholz sees the Treasury bailout cost doubling and says the plan is rushed.
FRIDAY, Dec. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Women with breast cancer undergo many more imaging tests between diagnosis and surgery than they did in the early 1990s, a new study finds.
The tests -- breast ultrasounds, MRIs and mammograms -- help doctors determine the best course of treatment, but add to the hassles and expense of care, the study says.
"The burden to the patient is increasing substantially," said study leader Dr. Richard Bleicher, an associate professor of surgical oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. For older patients, especially, coordination of care is needed, he said.
Bleicher, a breast surgeon, evaluated data on more than 67,000 women in the United States diagnosed with breast cancer from 1992 to 2005. His intent was to clock the time and inconvenience involved in multiple imaging appointments.
In 1992, he found that 1 in 20, or under 5 percent of patients, had imaging twice or more during the preoperative period of about 37 days. By 2005, 1 in 5 patients, or nearly 20 percent, had two or more imaging sessions.
"Patients are having a lot more imaging done overall," he said. "I can't tell you whether the imaging was appropriate or not appropriate."
The percentage of patients who had more than one type of imaging on a given day increased more than six-fold, from about 4 percent in 1992 to just over 27 percent in 2005, the study found.
A subgroup of 20 patients had five or more mammogram visits during the pre-op period, he found.
For the study, the researchers used Medicare claims linked to the U.S. National Cancer Institute's Surveillance Epidemiology End Results data for women with breast cancer. They zeroed in on about 67,750 women over age 65 who had invasive cancer that hadn't spread and who were scheduled for surgery.
Bleicher presented the findings earlier this month at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. He urged his colleagues to consider ways of streamlining the testing, with an eye to improving treatment without raising costs.
The increase in imaging tests does not surprise Dr. Carol Lee, head of the communications committee for the American College of Radiology Breast Imaging Commission.
"Practices have changed," she said. "Standards of care have changed." Since 1992, imaging technology has advanced greatly, she said, noting there are more, and better, options.
One limitation of the study, she said, is that the outcomes are not addressed. "This is not telling the whole story," she said. "What gets lost in the numbers is, what are the possible benefits of this additional imaging?"
"Yes, we are doing more tests," she said. "But we are not doing tests for the sake of doing tests."
Some states have laws that address self-referral, said Shawn Farley, spokesperson for the American College of Radiology. The specifics of the laws vary.
Lee agreed with Bleicher that doctors should strive for better coordination of imaging tests.
If your doctor orders imaging, Bleicher recommends asking why it's needed. You might also ask if the doctor expects more imaging will be needed and if so, whether it's possible to schedule tests together, he said.
The study was supported by the U.S. Public Health Service, the American Cancer Society, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and private donors.
Research presented at meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.
More information
For more on breast cancer imaging, see the American College of Radiology patient information page.
Ever wanted to cruise the friendly skies on a 787 Dreamliner? Ever wanted to do precisely that on a Dreamliner of your own? Fantasies aren't always easy to achieve, but at least a new interactive portal is giving frequent fliers the ability to customize a virtual model of Boeing's new hotness. Of course, if you grow tired of tinkering in the source link, there's always our own hands-on experience to dive into.
P.S. - Drop us a line in comments if you find a 'Buy Now' section that takes The Centurion Card.
If we didn't love the EFF already, we'd be proposing marriage now that it's managed to reverse-engineer Carrier IQ's pernicious monitoring software. CIQ exists in phones in three parts, the app itself, a configuration file and a database -- where your keystrokes and coded "metrics" are logged before being sent to the company. Volunteer Jared Wierzbicki cracked the configuration profile and produced IQIQ, an Android app that reveals what parts of your activity are being monitored. Now the Foundation is posting an open call for people to share their data using the app in order to decipher what personal data was collected and hopefully decrypt the rest of the software. Hopefully, our thoughts can soon turn to who's gonna play the part of Trevor Eckhart in the All the Presidents Men-style biopic.
File - Britain's Prince Philip arrives at Government House in Canberra, Australia, in this Friday, Oct. 21, 2011 file photo. Queen Elizabeth II's husband has been taken to the hospital after experiencing chest pains, British royal officials said Friday Dec 23, 2011. A spokeswoman for Buckingham Palace said Prince Philip was taken from Sandringham, the queen's sprawling estate in rural Norfolk, to the cardiac unit at Papworth Hospital in Cambridge for "precautionary tests." (AP Photo / Torsten Blackwood, Pool, file)
File - Britain's Prince Philip arrives at Government House in Canberra, Australia, in this Friday, Oct. 21, 2011 file photo. Queen Elizabeth II's husband has been taken to the hospital after experiencing chest pains, British royal officials said Friday Dec 23, 2011. A spokeswoman for Buckingham Palace said Prince Philip was taken from Sandringham, the queen's sprawling estate in rural Norfolk, to the cardiac unit at Papworth Hospital in Cambridge for "precautionary tests." (AP Photo / Torsten Blackwood, Pool, file)
File - Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip prior to The Queen's Company Grenadier Guards ceremonial review at Windsor Castle, west of London in this Tuesday, April 15, 2003 file photo. Queen Elizabeth II's husband has been taken to hospital after experiencing chest pains, British royal officials said Friday Dec 23, 2011. A spokeswoman for Buckingham Palace said Prince Philip was taken from Sandringham, the queen's sprawling estate in rural Norfolk, to the cardiac unit at Papworth Hospital in Cambridge for "precautionary tests." (AP Photo / Chris Young / Pool, file)
File - Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip leave Buckingham Palace in an open carriage, to attend the ceremony of Trooping the Colour, marking the Queen's official birthday in London, in this Saturday, June 12, 2004 file photo. Queen Elizabeth II's husband has been taken to the hospital after experiencing chest pains, British royal officials said Friday Dec 23, 2011. A spokeswoman for Buckingham Palace said Prince Philip was taken from Sandringham, the queen's sprawling estate in rural Norfolk, to the cardiac unit at Papworth Hospital in Cambridge for "precautionary tests." (AP Photo / John D McHugh, file)
LONDON (AP) ? Queen Elizabeth II and her children visited her husband, Prince Philip, in hospital Saturday, where he is recovering from heart surgery.
Philip, 90, was taken to the hospital from the queen's Sandringham estate in Norfolk late Friday after experiencing chest pains. He had a coronary stent put in after tests found a blocked artery was to blame, though the palace has refused to say if he suffered a heart attack.
Elizabeth was flown in by helicopter and arrived at Papworth Hospital, some 70 miles (113 kilometers) from London, shortly after 11 a.m. with three of her children ? Princess Anne, Prince Edward and Prince Andrew. The palace said Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, arrived at the hospital 45 minutes later by car and that no further family visits are expected.
Philip is "in good spirits but he is eager to leave," Buckingham Palace said. After spending 45 minutes with Philip, the royals traveled back to Sandringham by helicopter, it added.
Doctors said Philip could have suffered a heart attack, but without more information it was impossible to know for sure.
Coronary stenting is standard procedure both to fend off a heart attack or save a patient already in the midst of one, said Dr. Allan Schwartz, chief of cardiology at New York-Presbyterian, Columbia University Medical Center.
Philip has been known to enjoy good health throughout his life and rarely misses royal engagements. Upon his 90th birthday in June, he announced plans to cut back his official duties.
Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron offered his support to Philip.
"The Prime Minister has been kept informed of the situation and wishes the Duke of Edinburgh a very speedy recovery," Cameron's office said.
Doctors say that some patients can leave the hospital a day after a similar medical procedure, but the palace said it does not know when Philip will be released. It said the prince remains "under observation" and that he is having a "short stay" in the hospital.
It is unclear if Philip will be able to join the royal family for the traditional Christmas celebrations at Sandringham, the queen's sprawling rural estate in Norfolk where the royal family gathers for the festivities. Philip had been there since Monday.
The palace said Elizabeth and the royal family will attend church as usual on Sunday.
Another key part of the royal family's Christmas celebrations is the queen's annual message to the nation, which this year will focus on family and community.
The queen has made a prerecorded Christmas broadcast on radio since 1952 and on television since 1957. She writes the speeches herself, and the broadcasts mark the rare occasion on which the queen voices her own opinion without government consultation.
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Cassandra Vinograd can be reached at http://twitter.com/CassVinograd