Midday Open Thread

• What does it mean for our medical system that drug studies are paid for by pharmaceutical companies? Positive studies get published, negative ones don't, and the system loses credibility.
• Guest blogging at No More Mr. Nice Blog, Phil Nugent takes off from "Barack the Magic Negro" into a deeper look at politics, humor, and "political correctness".
• After 9 Muslim passengers, including 3 small children, were taken off an AirTran flight and not allowed by the airline to rebook even after being cleared by the FBI, all apparently because one of them wondered aloud what was the safest place to sit on a plane, you have to ask: Is there anything a Muslim-looking person can say on an airplane without being considered suspicious?

  But you know if a group of 9 Muslims sat silently on a plane and never said a word, someone would consider that suspicious, too.

• Air New Zealand is testing jet fuel made from jatropha plant.
• A man who found what seem to be Joe Biden's personalized cufflinks in a shirt bought at a thrift store would like to give them back.
• Economic news:

  Manufacturing activity fell more than expected in December, hitting the lowest reading in 28 years as new orders and employment continue to decline.

  The Institute for Supply Management, a trade group of purchasing executives, said Friday its manufacturing index fell to 32.4 in December from 36.2 in November. Wall Street economists surveyed by Thomson Reuters had expected the reading to fall to 35.5.

• At 538, Nate has his own take on whether the Senate can exclude Burris, and rounds up 3 pro and 3 con posts from other "smart folks."
• Yesterday DHinMI marked the passing of Senator Claiborne Pell. At TAPPED, Tim Fernholz looks at the state of Pell grants today.
• Important reminder from Josh Marshall at TPM:

  [T]he journalistic establishment in Washington, whether it's the Post or the Politico or much of the rest of the journalistic apparatus in the city, is essentially Republican in character...

• The US Office of Refugee Resettlement contracts with private agencies to take care of unaccompanied minors with immigration issues. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is a major contractor on this. Guess what happens when teenagers in their care need information on contraception, or request help obtaining abortions?