Republicans Are Happier Than Democrats, Despite Polls · A Pew survey confirms findings from previous decades that Republicans report being happier than Democrats, despite their electoral downturn. (Washington Post) Only 9% of Republicans report being not too happy, compared to 20% of Democrats. Explanations range from Republicans being more self-centered to their having more money, better health, more stable marriages and jobs, a belief in self-help, and deeper religious convictions.

VIDEO: SEIU Mails 13-Minute DVD On Healthcare To Seniors In Swing States · The Service Employees International Union sent a 13-minute DVD supporting Sen. Barack Obama to 250,000 senior citizen households in 18 swing states. (TPM) The DVD has considerable detail contrasting the McCain and Obama health plans.

Healthcare: ‘Right’ Or ‘Moral Obligation’? · Debating whether healthcare is a "right” or a "moral obligation" isn't going to help the United States reform its delivery of healthcare. Social solidarity is the key to improving public health. (Health Beat)

Healthcare: Election Issue, But Not In Media · Healthcare reform is rising as an election issue, but an analysis of media coverage finds that that concern is not being met with media coverage. (The Health Care Blog)

Beyond Wall Street, Pockets Of Prosperity · Beyond Wall Street and Capitol Hill is another economy entirely. These producers have their challenges, but many are finding opportunities amidst the chaos. (Forbes.com)

Scripps Gets $30M To Build HIV Vaccine Center · Scripps Research Institute won a $30 million grant from the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative to build a  research center to work on developing an HIV vaccine. (FierceVaccines)

Health Group Launches $4.2M Ad Campaign Attacking McCain · A union-backed liberal health advocacy group, Healthcare for American Now, announced that it is spending $4.3 million on ads attacking Sen. John McCain's health care plan. (WSJ)

Lilly Pays $62M To Settle Zyprexa Probes · Eli Lilly will pay 32 states $62 million over its marketing of Zyprexa. But the settlement may not affect earnings at Lilly, which sells $62 million worth of the antipsychotic drug every five days. (WSJ)

Stanford Team Finds Safer Down Syndrome Test · Stanford University researchers have developed a non-invasive way to use a pregnant woman's DNA to find genetic abnormalities like Down syndrome. Conventional testing methods pose a risk to both mother and fetus. (MIT Technology Review)

Bayer Warned Over Birth Control Pill Ads · The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has sent a letter to Bayer warning that two TV commercials for its Yaz birth control pill overstate the drug's effectiveness, minimize its risks and imply it is approved to treat premenstrual syndrome. ( Pharmalot)

Free Drug Samples May Harm Children’s Health · Doctors may be risking the health of children by giving them free drug samples. Four of the 15 drugs most given to children in 2004 later got black-box warnings or big changes to their cautionary language. (FiercePharma)

U.S. Business Skeptical of McCain’s Health Plan · Eight business trade groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, suggest that Senator John McCain's free-market healthcare proposal, which eliminates the exclusion of health benefits from income taxes, could accelerate the erosion of employer-sponsored health insurance. (NYT)

Dendreon Prostate Cancer Study Appears Promising · Dendreon prostate cancer vaccine Provenge cut the risk of death in a test by 20% compared with a placebo. The study is not yet complete; the biotech's goal is a 22% reduction in the risk of death. (WSJ)

McCain’s Health Plan Reduces Medicare, Medicaid Spending · A top McCain aide said that the candidate's plan to offer tax credits to help people buy health insurance would be paid for with cuts in Medicare and Medicaid spending, a proposal that could result in $1.3 trillion reduction over 10 years. (WSJ)

VIDEO: India Bans Smoking In Public · India has imposed the world's largest ban on smoking cigarettes in public. More than 120 million Indians smoke, leading to 900,000 deaths every year. (ITN)