Links, 4-11-12

Rick Santorum has dropped out of the race, only a few days after Gingrich declared that Romney was "conservative enough" to win the Republican nomination.

President Obama has gone on the offensive against Paul Ryan's budget plan (calling it "thinly veiled social Dawinism") and is trying to tie Mitt Romney to the plan.  The Economist wonders whether that's a winning strategy.

Nine major physicians' groups released a report identifying 45 tests and procedures as overused and unproven.  Accountable Care Organizations, like this one in NJ, are being formed to try and coordinate care and cut down on unnecessary procedures while increasing quality of care.

Here's an interesting snapshot of which countries spend the most on groceries

The first "World Happiness Report," which examines what makes people happy in different places, was released.  Here are some of the takeaway points.  The heading summarizes these as "be wealthy, married, and have a job," but there are some twists -- including this one about employment:

Unemployment obviously reduces happiness, but not because of what you may think. It’s not the loss of income, but the loss of things like self-esteem and workplace social life that lead to a drop in happiness. High unemployment rates can trigger unhappiness even in the employed, who suddenly become fearful of losing their jobs. According to the study, even low-quality jobs yield more satisfaction than being unemployed.