RUSSIAN SANCTIONS -- WORKING: Russia is already feeling economic pain from its Ukrainian land grab—even without tougher sanctions from the West. A fresh round of violence in the Ukraine has prompted calls for Western leaders to ratchet up economic sanctions against the Kremlin. But with capital flooding out of the country, the local stock market falling and Russia's currency weakening, the seizure of the Crimea is turning out to be a costly move. Read more
MD GENDER PAY GAP: Crunching the Medicare data that was recently released, a group has uncovered that a gender pay gap exists even with federal reimbursements. Overall, it looks like women doctors are making about half as much as male docs within the Medicare system. On average, male doctors are paid 88% more in annual Medicare reimbursements. Men make $118,782 per year from Medicare; women are paid $63,346. A look at the numerous factors contributing to this gap. Read more
DO THE RICH RULE: Do the rich control U.S. policy? A new study covering 30 years of U.S. policy by Princeton and Northwestern professors finds that when the majority of voters disagree with a policy favored by the wealthy, the majority loses. It’s not surprising that the wealthy have more of a voice in the capital, but the study shows just how much policy is tilted in favor of those with the most money. Read more
S&P 500 SEALS FIRST SIX-DAY WIN STREAK SINCE SEPTEMBER: Read more