One of President-elect Barack Obama’s trademark lines is that he will change the way Washington does business. If he’s able to enforce his latest decree – that members of Congress won’t be allowed to sneak their personal pet projects into the lining of big-money bills – he will indeed transform politics as we know it. Obama says that the only way to reignite the sluggish economy and swelling budget deficit is to get Congress on board with his new way of doing things. “We are going to bring a long-overdue sense of responsibility and accountability to Washington,” Obama said. “We are going to stop talking about government reform, and we’re actually going to start executing.” The president-elect said that the federal government will be investing “an extraordinary amount of money” to jump-start the economy, save or create 3 million new jobs (mostly in the private sector) and ensure future growth. “But we’re not going to be able to expect the American people to support this critical effort unless we take extraordinary steps to ensure that the investments are made wisely and managed well,” he said.
 

Your tax dollars may be paying for unauthorized drugs. Tax dollars paid for $200 million in drugs that were never reviewed by the government for safety and effectiveness, an Associated Press investigation has found. The drugs give people a false sense of security, but they are also responsible for dozens of deaths, health officials say. Even so, millions of private patients who qualify for the low-income health care program are taking such drugs, and the government is picking up the tab, according to AP’s analysis of government data. The medications date back decades, before the Food and Drug Administration tightened its review process for drugs in the early 1960s, AP says. The FDA says it is trying to squeeze them from the market, but conflicting federal laws allow the drugs to the Medicaid health program to pay for them. Medicaid officials acknowledge the problem, but say they need Congress to fix loopholes in the laws that allow the unauthorized drugs to continue to qualify for payment.

Teen HIV rate jumps 45 percent in Central Ohio. The number of Central Ohio teenagers and young adults infected with HIV has mushroomed by 45 percent in three years, according to local figures. Of all the Franklin County women living with HIV, nearly three-quarters are African American. As dozens of countries commemorate World AIDS Day on December 1, Central Ohioans need to be reminded that the epidemic continues right here at home. The Ohio Department of Health reports that HIV infections in Central Ohio match the dramatic increases nationwide, especially in African Americans, youth, and women, local officials say. Between 2003 and 2006, the highest new infection rates in Central Ohio were among youth (ages 13-25), up nearly 45 percent. Infections among individuals ages 25-34 were up about 10 percent, and individuals ages 45-64 were up 13 percent. The number of new HIV infection diagnoses in the African American population jumped 22 percent. African American women are disproportionately affected, making up close to 75 percent of all women diagnosed in Franklin County. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that more than one million Americans are living with HIV. More than a quarter of them don’t even know they are infected. For more on HIV, what causes it, and whether your perceptions about the disease and people who have it are spot on or a little off, see the BET.com/Body & Soul feature “Are You Positive?”

 Young Black women have higher breast cancer rates. The incidence of breast cancer among African-American women under 40 is higher than for White women of the same age, according to the results of an analysis published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute on Friday. The researchers studied more than 300,000 cases of breast cancer based on age at diagnosis, year of diagnosis, racial and ethnic categories, and pathologic features of the cancer. They found that although White women had higher incidence rates than Black women after age 40, the reverse was true for younger women. In women under 40, the incidence rate per 100,000 woman-years was approximately 17 for Black women, compared with approximately 15 for white women. The discrepancy was even higher for women under age 30. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women in the United States, with about 180,000 cases diagnosed each year. Problems with early screening, which lead to later diagnoses, and access to care have negatively affected Black women’s survival rates, experts say. While mammogram breast screenings are generally advised for women age 40 and old, if the incidence of breast cancer in younger women continues to trend upward, health officials may have to identify either preventive or better screening approaches, including the identification of early risk factors, in younger women. Experts are also studying whether genetics play a role in the higher rates of breast cancer for younger Black women. For more info on breast cancer go to BET.com/lifestye/Body & Soul. 

Stampede at Tanzanian disco party leaves 19 dead. A disco party in Tanzania celebrating the end of Ramadan turned for the worse with a stampede that left 19 people dead. Most of the deceased are young people between the ages of 12 and 17. According to early investigations, a stampede and suffocation in the hall were the cause of their deaths. The stampede “was caused by a commotion in the disco,” a local police commander told the Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation. Several people were also taken to the hospital for their injuries. The party was a part of the Eid al-Fitr celebrations marking the end of Ramadan, the holiest month on the Muslim calendar. Police are still investigating.

Jamaican reggae star cleared on tax evasion. A judge in Jamaica threw out reggae star Beenie Man’s tax evasion case. Authorities in the nation accused the Grammy winner and Kingston native of owing almost $1 million in back taxes, reports CNN. But the judge cleared Beenie Man (whose real name is Anthony Moses Davis) of the charges because officials did not let him know his legal rights when they turned in their report last year.

World Lens: A new South African leader is sworn in; Colombian prison has a beauty pageant; and Naomi Campbell showed up at Milan’s Fashion week. See pics.

Ruben Studdard owes government $200,000

“American Idol” winner Ruben Studdard must pay back nearly $200,000 in federal and local taxes. The singer’s properties have been hit with liens, according to court records after Studdard reportedly failed to make payments dating to 2003. It was in ‘03 when Studdard won $1 million on the hit reality talent competition. He later sued a former manager for allegedly mishandling funds. Studdard was awarded a settlement.

Filmmaker finds funds in Dubai

Filmmaker Spike Lee says the Middle Eastern territory of Dubai is good for more than providing Michael Jackson refuge outside the region in November to scout financial resources. “There is a ton of money in Dubai, so I’ve gotta get on a plane. I gotta start making connections,” Lee tells Emirates Business. “I don’t want to be in a position where if I want to do a film and the Hollywood studios don’t want to make it, then it doesn’t get made. I gotta know that ‘no’ can’t be a final ‘no.’ I gotta go to other sources of finance.” Lee says credit for bankrolling movies in America is drying up. The director has been a pioneer among contemporary independent Black filmmakers since the late 1980s.