Top of the Morning: Susan Rice Drops Out of Secy State Contention; Big New Global Health Report

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Susan Rice Drops Out of Running for Secretary of State, Explains Why in Op-Ed

The UN Ambassador asked President Obama to no longer consider her for Secretary of State, saying that  a nomination battle could distract from other important priorities. She will remain as UN Ambassador for the time being, but is rumored to be considered for the National Security Advisor post, which does not require confirmation.On Thursday I asked that President Obama no longer consider me for the job of secretary of state. I made this decision because it is the right step for this country I love. I have never shied away from a fight for a cause I believe in. But, as it became clear that my potential nomination would spark an enduring partisan battle, I concluded that it would be wrong to allow this debate to continue distracting from urgent national priorities — creating jobs, growing our economy, addressing our deficit, reforming our immigration system and protecting our national security.” (WaPo http://wapo.st/SUVkrk)

Groundbreaking New Report on the Global Burden of Disease

The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation says that non-communicable diseases have replaced infectious diseases like AIDS, TB, and Malaria as the top global killers. “A massive study of death, disability and disease on Earth, coordinated out of Seattle and to be officially published in The Lancet on Friday, could do for global health something like what Galileo did for the solar system. It’s called the Global Burden of Disease (technically, the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries and Risk Factors Study 2010) and it is, like its earlier incarnations dating back to 1990, almost guaranteed to provoke and disrupt the international community’s approach to improving global health.” (Humanosphere http://bit.ly/SUR2jK)