Tell it to the Cubans—With their free medical care, Cubans may be interested in free-market medical blessings. Like Davita Inc., which operates kidney dialysis centers. In the first quarter of this year Davita’s profits jumped 45 percent—to $52.9 million.

They knew what was coming?—On the eve of the media revelations of U.S. crimes against Iraqi prisoners, the editor and most of the staff resigned from the U.S.-funded Baghdad paper, Al Sabah. In an editorial, the staffers said they were boxed in by U.S. interference, and that the experience was a “nightmare.”

Astonishing—The El Paso Corp., owner of the biggest U.S. natural gas pipeline, advised shareholders that reports on gas reserves for the past five years should not be taken as good coin. Top dogs said “employees” persistently inflated reports on reserves. They said the employees knew or “should have known,” that the numbers were false. Meanwhile the innocent honchos were busy taking home their loot.

Petty larceny—Adelphia Communications is in court with former top executives charged with stealing $100 million and concealing $2.8 billion in debts. One ousted vice prez, James Brown, pleaded guilty and testified that they had two sets of books. One to conceal the financial juggling, the other to secretly record the actual state of affairs.

‘Blessed are the poor’—The poor are 44 percent more likely to suffer from heart failure and 25 percent less likely to see a doctor regularly, says a Glasgow, Scotland, study published in the British Medical Journal.

Lucky you can’t afford one—Thousand of Jaguars have been recalled worldwide. Several have turned up with a faulty gearbox that, unexpectedly, puts the car in reverse.

A pit bull?—“Boeing watchdog to monitor ethics rules”—News headline.

Surplus value—Months afterward, the Houston Chronicle picked up a story on the closing of a Tennessee textile mill owned by the Dan River (Virginia) company. The workers, with seniority up to 23 years, received an apparently meager severance package. To spice it up, the company threw in a $100 Wal-Mart gift card, a Dan River cap, and—dig this—three identical, red-headed Barbie dolls.  
 
 
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