Healthcare spending growth slows thanks to pharma; Congress pushing to give FDA power over tobacco;

> Healthcare spending may have continued to rise in 2007, but the increase was the smallest in 10 years; apparently this was due primarily to less growth in prescription spending. FiercePharma

> Congress is pushing to give the FDA the power to regulate tobacco. The push is likely due in large part to the fact that Bush has opposed such efforts in the past and Obama has supported them. FiercePharma

> New York Governor David Paterson is proposing that health insurers be forced to insure dependents up to age 29. The change would be an increase of up to 10 years of coverage for young adults. Article

> A new treatment involving electrodes implanted in the brain shows promise for helping Parkinson's sufferers. Article

And Finally... You hear about dogs rescuing their owners all the time, but mules as fire alarms are new to me. Article