Ideas and actions for a better tomorrow -- June 14, 2017

Skin cancer prevention:

Drug that creates a 'real sun-tan' could prevent cancer

The drug is not yet ready for use but holds much promise for getting a safe tan while also protecting against UV radiation.

Healthcare:

The Effects of Medicaid Expansion under the ACA: Updated Findings from a Literature Review

As the Trump Administration and Congress debate ACA repeal and replacement, gains in coverage and access as well as economic benefits to states and providers are at stake if the Medicaid expansion is repealed.

Corporate responsibility:

One Way to Fix Uber: Think Twice Before Using It

Time to quit Uber—for a while anyway. Give Lyft a little love instead, or a taxi.

“There’s a lot at stake. Ride-sharing, as an industry and a civic utility, is too big an idea to be left to a company like the one Uber is now. The company that wins this industry is bound to become one of the world’s most powerful corporations. Its executives and culture will indirectly shape how we build cities, how we use energy, how we employ and pay people. We will entrust it with the safety and the security of our families, our streets, our private data and even, conceivably, the national infrastructure.”

Civic action—read and listen:

Building America’s Next Great Awakening

“While Liu is encouraged by the post-election wave of civic engagement in this country, he is aware that many of us do not know what to do after the initial “primal scream.” Protests and marches are only the beginning of a movement. Truly knowing how to wield citizen power requires a deeper understanding of power itself.”

On voting, he says that not voting is voting. You are voting to give away your power. Think about that.

Tourism:

Move Over, Woodstock: There’s a New Generation of Great American Small Towns

“Part of the appeal of these small towns is how removed they can feel from the anxieties that complicate life elsewhere in the country. But as much as they serve as refuges, they also offer a measure of hope by challenging the currently popular notion that an insurmountable divide has opened between urban and rural America.”

I had an idea, while reading the article, that this could be a way to revitalize small towns across America. Create must-see tourist destinations, capitalizing on the uniqueness of the town's geography, culture, and industry plus promote locally owned businesses. Finance it through federal grants and private-public partnerships. An initiative such as this could create jobs too.