We should also not ignore the fact that USAID was responsible for many hundreds of millions (if not more) in fraudulently directed contracts and spending [1].
The problem is that the cancerous cells are themselves descended from healthy cells; other than the small differences that make them cancerous, they are in fact the same thing.
Many of the cutting edge immunotherapies for cancer essentially teach the immune system to target the cancerous cells.
However, in combination with an autoimmune disease like Chrons where the immune system has already learned to react to healthy cells, there is a much higher chance that an immunotherapy intended to target only cancerous cells also causes the immune system to target more healthy cells.
First is Hanlon’s Razor; “Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity”. It appears to be especially applicable here.
Second is that this kind of information (with far richer data) is already accessible to and used by corporations at scale; think credit bureaus, background checkers, etc.
Speaking as one of those people, it's not just the financial obligations. In fact I think the financial obligations are a relatively small part of it; it just means a higher burn rate, which isn't a tremendous problem in the scope of these things.
The much bigger problems are the conflict of time spent on family vs the startup, and/or in many cases the desire to have a stable environment for the family.
The time can be managed for people who have a lot of energy and are equally passionate about their startup and families. I've seen it work out... but I've also seen it tear others to pieces when they didn't get the balance just right.
I'm not suggesting that burn rates and starting on small amounts of capital aren't important, just that it's a small problem relative to the time commitments.
I don't speak for YC, but I'd guess it has to do with demonstrating that you're not just a coder in a basement, and that you'll be able to get things done in the "real" world.