IN THE WORLD TODAY

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No deal in sight as shutdown approaches third week</h1> By Matt Smith , CNN updated 8:40 AM EDT, Mon October 14, 2013 Washington (CNN) -- The stakes of the stalemate are high -- and climbing.The partial government shutdown entered its 14th day Monday, just three days before the U.S. government bumps up against its projected borrowing limit.Talks both on ending the shutdown and on avoiding the debt ceiling have shifted to the Senate, as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, along with other top senators, began discussions this weekend.The Senate reconvened Sunday afternoon, with Reid saying he would do everything I can throughout the day to reach some sort of bargain with the chamber's Republican minority.<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/14/politics/shutdown-showdown/index.html?hpt=hp_t1" title="In the World Today">Read more</a><a href="http://www.cnn.com/" title="CNN">Source</a> 

 

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Senate reaches deal to end shutdown, avoid default</h1> By Tom Cohen. Ben Brumfield and Greg Botelho, CNN updated 12:20 PM EDT, Wed October 16, 2013   [Breaking news update 12:20 p.m. ET] Senate leaders announced on Wednesday that they have reached a deal to end the government shutdown and avoid a possible U.S. default. [Original story moved at 11:45 a.m. ET] Senate leaders on Wednesday worked out a deal to reopen the government and avoid a potential U.S. default as soon as midnight, sources told CNN's Dana Bash and Ted Barrett.Formal announcement of the agreement will come at 12 noon ET on the Senate floor, a Republican Senate aide told Bash.Republican leaders convened the Senate's full GOP caucus in the morning, and Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire said on her way in that the announcement would be coming. I understand that they've come to an agreement but I'm going to let the leader announce that, Ayotte said.Exact details of the Senate plan were not known. Nor was it clear how the Senate and House would proceed in considering the measure.Both chambers would have to take special steps to get the legislation passed and to President Barack Obama's desk before the government's ability to borrow money expires on Thursday.Legislators dropped hints on their way home on Tuesday that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and his Republican counterpart, Mitch McConnell, would quickly finalize an agreement in the works all week.U.S. stocks opened sharply higher on expectations Washington would end its partisan fiscal impasse. The benchmark Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 200 points.<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/16/politics/shutdown-showdown/index.html?hpt=hp_t1" title="CNN">read more</a><a href="http://www.cnn.com/" title="CNN">source</a>

 

[Mben]

Does raising the debt ceiling increase the debt?</h1>In his news conference Tuesday afternoon, President Obama made this argument about the federal debt limit: Because it's called raising the debt ceiling, I think a lot of Americans think it's raising our debt. It is not raising our debt. This does not add a dime to our debt. Some of the smarter financial reporters out there pointed out that the president wasn't quite right, or at least his statement was not quite complete:What's going on here? Is the president being misleading and disingenuous? Or are the reporters being overly picky with language? Here's one way to make sense of it.Over the years, Congress has passed a series of laws that set tax rules and spending policies. When the amount the government spends under those laws is higher than the amount of taxes the government brings in, it has to borrow money to fund the difference. The accumulated past deficits add up to the total debt. But there's another law that puts a legal cap on the amount of debt the U.S. Treasury can issue. So even though the debt is just a residual of all those past tax and spending decisions, it has to be passed as well.We're generally reluctant to use households as a metaphor here at Wonkblog (<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/09/11/what-if-a-typical-family-spent-like-the-federal-government-itd-be-a-very-weird-family/">read Brad Plumer</a> on why households are really nothing like the U.S. government), so I'll fudge it and use the best metaphor I can think of for the current predicament. The U.S. government is like a family. The family has signed a lease on a rental home that commits it to pay monthly rent over the next year. Family members have also accepted jobs that pay a set salary. It turns out that the monthly rent is higher than the salaries, so the family needs to borrow money to make up the difference -- adding to their debt. But the husband and wife must also agree jointly to increase their credit line at their bank to be able to borrow the amount they need. The wife, however, flat-out refuses to do that unless she gets her way on changing the couple's health plan. The husband thinks that's wildly unfair. If they don't borrow more money, they will not be meeting their obligation to pay their rent, and will be evicted from their house! That's a big threat the wife is holding over the husband's head. It's true that the couple would avoid taking on extra debt, in a narrow sense, by not raising their credit limit. But just because paying the rent they owe doesn't technically count as debt doesn't mean they aren't obligated to pay -- and the consequences of not paying it can be as severe or even more severe than defaulting on debt owed to a bank (this consequence is eviction, as opposed to bankruptcy). Back to the president's comment: Raising the debt ceiling doesn't increase the debt.But raising the debt limit does allow the national debt to be increased, as Paletta notes. At the same time, to suggest that the government should pay its obligations on Treasury bonds while letting other obligations fall by the wayside would still mean that the federal government wasnt paying the bills it had promised to honor (even if bondholders were taken care of).It would the equivalent of the couple making some of its payments, like the electric bill, while no longer paying the rent. It doesnt actually solve anything and would cause a catastrophe (eviction) along the way.<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/10/08/does-raising-the-debt-ceiling-increase-the-debt/" >source</a>

 

[Mben]

Even government workers are getting tired of the people they work for. Or this woman just has a screw loose. Watch as she walks to the podium undetected, goes off on her rant and then is pulled off the floor.    <a href="http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/10/16/20997927-house-stenographer-has-outburst-during-debt-vote?lite" >video</a> In a bizarre end to the House vote to reopen the federal government late Wednesday night, a stenographer was escorted off the House floor after yelling into a microphone about God, Freemasons and a divided government, aides and members said.The woman, Dianne Reidy, was carried off the floor by House staff.Capitol Police said she has been transported to a local area hospital for evaluation. The greatest deception here is this is not one nation under God, it never was, she could be heard yelling when she took control of the microphone.  The Constitution would not have been written by Freemasons, they go against God, Reidy also said.The incident visibly shook House aides, who forcefully pulled the woman away from the dais during her outburst.-- Edited by Mben on Thursday 17th of October 2013 11:04:25 AM

 

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Russian divers find huge suspected meteorite chunk in Chelyabinsk</h1>By Laura Smith-Spark , CNN updated 8:20 AM EDT, Thu October 17, 2013   (CNN) -- Eight months after a meteor blast rained meteorites down on Russia's Chelyabinsk region, what is thought to be the biggest chunk of the space rock yet has been hauled from the depths of a lake, Russian state media said.The suspected meteorite fragment weighed at least 570 kilograms (1,257 pounds), the official Itar-Tass news agency reported.It was recovered from the bottom of Chebarkul Lake in the Chelyabinsk region, in Russia's Urals, in an operation covered live Wednesday on Russian TV.The chunk of dark rock, measuring about five feet in diameter, was dragged ashore by divers who hauled it from the murky water.It tipped and then broke the scales used to weigh it, before splitting into three smaller pieces, state news agency RIA Novosti said.<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/17/world/europe/space-russia-chelyabinsk-meteorite/index.html?hpt=hp_t2" title="CNN">Read more</a><a href="http://www.cnn.com" title="CNN">Source</a>  

 

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Big asteroid buzzes past Earth and will again in 19 years</h1><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">  By Ben Brumfield, CNN updated 9:40 AM EDT, Fri October 18, 2013 |   (CNN) -- One of the most dangerous asteroids on record zipped close by Earth last month.It made headlines on Thursday, when reports said that there's a chance it could strike our planet in less than 20 years. Such a collision could unleash a force as powerful as a couple of thousand atomic bombs.But NASA was quick to calm nerves and point out some very good news. The most dangerous known asteroids don't really pose much of a threat. And there are very few of them.Also, the chances that this one, which the Ukrainian astronomers who discovered it named 2013 TV135, will collide with Earth are extremely slim, NASA said in a statement it called a reality check. The space agency is 99.998% certain that when it whooshes back around the planet in 2032, it will simply sail past us again.<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/18/tech/asteroid-near-pass/index.html?hpt=hp_t1" title="CNN">Read more</a><a href="http://www.cnn.com" title="CNN">Source</a>

 

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5 things that have happened since Obamacare launched</h1>By Elizabeth Landau and Caleb Hellerman , CNN updated 4:37 AM EDT, Sat October 19, 2013   (CNN) -- Obamacare has survived a Supreme Court appeal, a government shutdown and ongoing challenges by opposing politicians. With few exceptions, every American must have health insurance by March 31 or pay a penalty fee.That's right: The marketplaces that are central to the Affordable Care Act -- also known as Obamacare -- launched on October 1, despite the shutdown showdown and the much-anticipated premiere of The Walking Dead. The government has since reopened, and Obamacare is still the law.For most people, Obamacare won't make a direct impact. People who have health insurance through their employer, or through Medicare or Medicaid, can continue to get it that way.Obamacare coverage gap: The poor caught in betweenBut the more than 48 million Americans without health insurance have to enroll in one of the insurance marketplaces by December 15 in order to have their coverage start on January 1.The historic rollout has been overshadowed by technical issues and pessimistic predictions about how many people are really clamoring to sign up. Here are five things that have happened since the launch of Obamacare: 1. Sign up on Healthcare.gov hasn't been easy   Oct. 1 -- March 31 open enrollment for health insurance marketplaces. Dec. 14 -- buy your plan through the exchange by this date if you want it to start by January 1, 2014 Jan. 1, 2014 -- all legal residents and U.S. citizens must have qualifying health coverage Oct. 15- Dec. 7, 2014 --the next Open Enrollment Period for the marketplaces.  The launch of Obamacare was disappointing for many people who actually wanted to use the government website to enroll in health insurance.Technical problems with the federal website, HealthCare.gov, made signing up online difficult for some users. The high volume of traffic to the insurance exchange portal contributed to these problems. I am the first to acknowledge that the website that was supposed to do this all in a seamless way has had way more glitches than I think are acceptable, President Obama told KCCI, a CNN affiliate in Des Moines, Iowa.A senior administration official told CNN that techs are working around the clock to get the site working better. But there also has been some confusion over user passwords. When CNN called the government help line, we were told passwords established in the first week of October were no longer valid and new passwords were needed to access the site; the Department of Health and Human Services told us that information was inaccurate.CNN's Elizabeth Cohen tried to enroll in Obamacare as an experiment. It took more than a week for her to create a login and password. When that finally worked, error messages plagued her efforts when she tried to log in. Almost two weeks went by before she succeeded in logging in and proceeding with an application.An insurance industry source told CNNMoney's Tami Luhby that insurers are receiving faulty information about new customers, including duplicate forms, and missing and garbled information. They are in discussion with regulators and the administration to address these issues.Next week, congressional oversight hearings will begin, where politicians will ask questions about why the rollout had so many problems. 2. State sites seemed to fare better While 36 states are using Healthcare.gov as the gateway to sign up new insurance customers, 14 states and the District of Columbia are running their own sign-up sites.While HealthCare.gov has stumbled, many of these individual states are doing better. The Department of Health and Human Services says it won't release enrollment figures before November, but CNN has gotten a window on enrollment by canvassing the states running their own sign-up sites. As of Friday afternoon, at least 257,000 people had signed up for new insurance plans.Read MoreSource -- Edited by PMM2008 on Saturday 19th of October 2013 08:43:02 AM

 

[Mben]

That's 2 things but it doesn't matter to me what the other 3 are. I still can't get logged into the M""arketplace site. AZ is using that site for all of this crap. "
Me + Obamacare = Not easy!

 

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57 fires scorch eastern Australia; state of emergency declared</h1>By Jessica King and Holly Yan , CNN updated 7:24 AM EDT, Sun October 20, 2013   (CNN) -- At least 57 bush fires are raging in eastern Australia, including 14 that aren't contained, officials said.The unrelenting blazes have now scorched more than 109,000 hectares (269,000 acres) in eastern Australia, said Matt Sun, spokesman for the New South Wales Rural Fire Service.The situation is so bad that New South Wales Premier Barry O'Farrell declared a state of emergency for the state, which includes Sydney. The declaration gives firefighters special authority as conditions worsen. These powers include the right to order the public to leave or to enter an area, the right to shore up or demolish a building, and of course it also prevents people from disobeying an order given under these powers, O'Farrell said Sunday.About 1,300 firefighters were tackling the blazes Sunday evening.<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/20/world/asia/australia-fires/index.html?hpt=hp_t2" title="CNN">Read more</a><a href="http://www.cnn.com" title="CNN">Source</a>

 

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GOP, Boehner take shutdown hit in new CNN poll</h1>By Paul Steinhauser , CNN Political Editor updated 7:27 AM EDT, Mon October 21, 2013   Washington (CNN) -- Just more than half the public says that it's bad for the country that the GOP controls the House of Representatives, according to a new national poll conducted after the end of the partial government shutdown.And the CNN/ORC International survey also indicates that more than six in 10 Americans say that Speaker of the House John Boehner should be replaced.The poll was conducted Friday through Sunday, just after the end of the 16-day partial federal government shutdown that was caused in part by a push by House conservatives to try and dismantle the health care law, which is President Barack Obama's signature domestic achievement.According to the survey, 54% say it's a bad thing that the GOP controls the House, up 11 points from last December, soon after the 2012 elections when the Republicans kept control of the chamber. Only 38% say it's a good thing the GOP controls the House, a 13-point dive from the end of last year.This is the first time since the Republicans won back control of the House in the 2010 elections that a majority say their control of the chamber is bad for the country.<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/21/politics/cnn-poll-gop-boehner-shutdown/index.html?hpt=hp_t1" title="CNN">Read More</a><a href="http://www.cnn.com" title="CNN">Source</a>

 

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Airports, schools remain closed as thick smog blankets Chinese city of Harbin</h1>By Paul Armstrong, CNN updated 8:21 AM EDT, Tue October 22, 2013   (CNN) -- Schools, major roads and an airport remained closed Tuesday, as a thick cloud of filthy smog smothered the northeastern city of Harbin.Meteorologists in the city, which is famous for its annual ice festival, issued a red alert for fog at 5 a.m. Tuesday, with visibility in some central areas of the city down to less than 20 meters (65 feet), the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.Video from China's state-run CCTV showed some people -- obscured by smog even just steps away -- wearing masks over their mouths as they walked in the province. Some drivers who braved the roads flashed hazard lights.Kindergartens, primary and junior middle schools were ordered to suspend classes for a second day, while Harbin Taiping International Airport remained closed -- with 250 flights canceled on Monday alone, according to Chinese state media.Pollution levels remained far above international standards, as the city's monitoring stations on Tuesday showed that concentrations of PM2.5 -- the tiny airborne particles considered most harmful to health -- were more than 30 times the World Health Organization's recommended standard, the state-run China Daily reported.Could smog choke China's sporting ambitions?Government officials blamed the smog on a lack of wind and farmers burning crop stalk after their autumn harvest, though the city's coal-burning heating system, which was recently started, is also a likely factor. Harbin's environmental bureau has also conducted checks on factories known to discharge pollutants, the China Daily report added. Extreme conditions Fang Lijuan, the city's chief meteorologist, said it was very rare for the city to suffer such extreme conditions. There has been no strong wind and the level of humidity is high, she said, in quotes carried by China Daily.Residents of this city of 10 million people were also surprised by the thick smog.Living with an 'air-pocalypse' The pollution is indeed very bad, we can only see things within 100 meters, and yesterday it was 20-30 meters. We can smell the smoke in the air, one man, who identified himself as Mr. Ren, told CNN. The smog started about four days ago ... I heard all face masks in Harbin are sold out. People are very angry about this and there is a lot of discussion over the Internet. The main reason is Harbin started its heating and the main resource is coal. Every year at this time, the air quality is bad -- but this year is especially polluted. Can social media clear air over China? Naming and shaming Last month China announced plans to start listing its top ten most air-polluted cities every month in the hopes that national humiliation will push positive environmental action. We must put air quality control as an ecological red line for economic management and social development, China's Vice Premier Zhang Gao Li said in a statement as he announced the new policy at the 18th Air Pollution Control Conference in Beijing.Chinese officials did not say when the first list would be announced, but the northern megacities of Beijing and Tianjin, as well as the surrounding provinces of Hebei, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia and Shandong have signed onto an official plan to speed up air pollution control measures.China's capital often suffers with hazardous pollution levels and smog. An explosion in the number of cars on the roads, as well as industrial pollution are seen as the main contributors.What Beijing looks like on a gloriously clear day CNN's Feng Ke in Beijing contributed to this report.<a href="http://www.cnn.com" title="CNN">Source</a>

 

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Apple unveils lighter iPad Air</h1><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">  By Heather Kelly and Doug Gross, CNN updated 6:18 PM EDT, Tue October 22, 2013 | San Francisco (CNN) -- Thinner. Lighter. Faster. That's what Apple promises in its newest iPad, which also has a new name: the iPad Air.The company rolled out the fifth generation of its market-leading tablet Tuesday. Among its new features, the iPad will weigh 1 pound, down from 1.4 pounds. It's 20% thinner and 28% lighter than the current fourth-generation iPad.The iPad Air will have the same 9.7-inch screen as previous iPads and pack the same A7 processing chip that's in the iPhone 5S. That will make it 72 times faster than the original iPad, according to Apple Senior Vice President Phil Schiller. This is our biggest leap forward ever with a full-size iPad, Schiller said.<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/22/tech/mobile/new-ipad-apple-event/index.html?hpt=hp_t3" title="CNN">Read More</a><a href="http://www.cnn.com" title="CNN">Source</a>

 

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JonBenet Ramsey case: Court to release indictment that went nowhere</h1>By Steve Almasy , CNN updated 8:18 AM EDT, Thu October 24, 2013   (CNN) -- Some documents in the JonBenet Ramsey case will be unsealed on Friday despite the objections of her father.A judge in Colorado on Wednesday ordered the release of 18 pages that were sealed after a grand jury went home in 1999 without charges being filed.In January, the Boulder Daily Camera, citing unidentified jurors as well as an assistant district attorney, said the grand jury had actually voted to indict JonBenet's parents on charges of child abuse resulting in death, but the district attorney decided not to move forward with the case. We do not have sufficient evidence to warrant the filing of charges, then-Boulder County District Attorney Alex Hunter said in 1999. He did not sign the indictment, according to the Daily Camera.<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/23/justice/jonbenet-ramsey-document-release/index.html?hpt=hp_t2" title="CNN">Read More</a><a href="http://www.cnn.com">Source</a>

 

[Mben]

PMM2008 wrote: JonBenet Ramsey case: Court to release indictment that went nowhere</h1>

 This is going to be interesting! 

 

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FDA aims to tighten control on commonly prescribed painkillers</h1>By Leslie Bentz , CNN updated 6:33 AM EDT, Fri October 25, 2013   Washington (CNN) -- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing new restrictions that would change regulations for some of the most commonly prescribed narcotic painkillers on the market today.The reclassification would affect hydrocodone combination pills, also known as opioids, which combine hydrocodone with acetaminophen in drugs such as Vicodin and OxyContin.Currently labeled as Schedule III drugs, the new classification suggestion of Schedule II would limit the number of refills patients could receive before having to follow up with their doctor.Other drugs, such as Adderall and morphine, are also labeled as Schedule II, which is determined based on their potential for addiction, among other things.<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/25/us/fda-painkiller-controls/index.html?hpt=hp_t2" title="CNN">Read More</a><a href="http://www.cnn.com" title="CNN">Source</a>

 

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Italian coast guards rescue 700 migrants as EU leaders promise action</h1>By Laura Smith-Spark and Hada Messia , CNN updated 10:28 AM EDT, Fri October 25, 2013   Rome (CNN) -- Italian coast guards rescued nearly 700 people in five separate operations overnight around the island of Lampedusa, they said Friday.News of the rescue operations came as European Union leaders were meeting in Brussels, Belgium, for a summit at which the issue of migration was high on the agenda.The deaths of more than 300 African migrants in a shipwreck off Lampedusa on October 3 shocked Italy and the world, and led to calls for EU lawmakers to review their migration policies.The European Council meeting was largely overshadowed by controversy over claims the United States has been spying on its European allies.<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/25/world/europe/europe-migration-lampedusa/index.html?hpt=wo_c2" title="CNN">Read More</a><a href="http://www.cnn.com" title="CNN">Source</a>

 

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Anti-U.S. billboards ordered taken down in Tehran</h1>By Greg Botelho , CNN updated 3:31 AM EDT, Sun October 27, 2013   (CNN) -- Anti-American sentiment is nothing new in Iran. But what about government officials ordering that billboards expressing such views be taken down?That's what is happening in Tehran, where billboards bearing anti-U.S. slogans were collected, according to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency.Hadi Ayazi, a spokesman for Tehran municipality, told reporters that a cultural institute had installed the billboards without the consent of Tehran municipality's cultural council, IRNA reports.The move comes during a seeming thaw in U.S.-Iran relations, amid ongoing talks over the latter's nuclear program. U.S. President Barack Obama and Iranian Hassan Rouhani have even exchanged letters, with both signaling openness to further improvement.<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/26/world/meast/iran-anti-us-billboards/index.html?hpt=hp_t2" title="CNN">Read More</a><a href="http://www.cnn.com" title="CNN">Source</a>

 

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Rock legend Lou Reed dies at 71</h1>By Steve Almasy and Matt Smith, CNN updated 8:49 PM EDT, Sun October 27, 2013   (CNN) -- Lou Reed, who took rock 'n' roll into dark corners as a songwriter, vocalist and guitarist for the Velvet Underground and as a solo artist, died Sunday, his publicist said. He was 71.The publicist, Peter Noble, confirmed Reed's death but released no details. Reed had undergone a liver transplant in May, his wife, the musician/performance artist Laurie Anderson, disclosed over the summer.Reed was a rock pioneer who went from record label songwriter to a member of the short-lived but innovative and influential Velvet Underground. The band and Reed's solo work tackled taboo topics like drug addiction, paranoia and sexual deviancy in songs that were largely spare, muscular and often saturated in feedback. Lou Reed's influence is one that there are really only a tiny handful of other figures who you can compare to him, said Simon Vozick-Levinson, a senior editor at Rolling Stone.<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/27/showbiz/lou-reed-obit/index.html?hpt=hp_c2" title="CNN">Read More</a><a href="http://www.cnn.com" title="CNN">Source</a>

 

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Fewer FBI agents, fighter jets from 2014 cuts</h1>By Jennifer Liberto <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/user?screen_name=CNNMoney">@CNNMoney</a> October 31, 2013: 7:15 AM ET  These are just some of the consequences of budget cuts that government agencies are predicting could happen next year .    In mid-January, another round of bone-deep cuts are scheduled to be rolled out. They are part of the sequester, or spending cuts that went into effect in March and will last through the year 2022.  What we're going to see is really tough decisions, really cutting into the bone of programs, said Scott Klinger, director of revenue and spending policies at the Center for Effective Government, a budget watchdog group. The belt tightening, the deferred maintenance, the tapping of rainy day funds -- it's all been done already. A group of lawmakers met on Wednesday to begin talks about funding the rest of the 2014 fiscal year through September, and the panel could recommend ways to replace the sequester or mitigate its hit. The panel meets again in two weeks. Related: Aiming for more than bupkis on the budget The March cuts of $80 billion resulted in 57,000 fewer kids in early childhood education programs, delays in federal criminal cases and furloughs for more than 650,000 federal defense workers. The January round of cuts will total $109 billion. Senate Democrats want to get rid of sequester. House Republicans want to keep the sequester but spare defense. And federal agencies are trying to figure out what they will have left that won't cut their mission to the core. Related: Spending cuts are hurting the economy  At the Pentagon, another year of sequester would mean that Air Force couldn't afford four or five of the 19 F-35 fighter jets requested for 2014, principal deputy Air Force secretary William LaPlante told a congressional panel last week.  The Air Force, after sequestration, is going to be smaller, less capable, less ready and less flexible -- that's the bottom line, LaPlante said. The National Institutes of Health estimates that 640 fewer research projects got funded in 2013 compared to 2012. That could happen again in 2014, warned NIH Director Francis Collins in a speech.  Which of those would have been the next breakthrough in cancer? he said at a forum on national health. Which of those investigators would have been the Nobel Prize winner we would celebrate in 20 years? We'll never know, he said.FBI Director James Comey said last month that his agency stopped training new agents at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Va. When the new round of sequester rolls out, the FBI would have to cut $800 million from its budget, and instead of hiring, it will have to furlough employees. That cupboard is bare. I can't avoid it this year, Comey said.

 

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What's up with Obamacare and my health care?</h1>By Jen Christensen , CNN updated 6:46 AM EST, Sun November 3, 2013   (CNN) -- As the politicians fuss and fight over the merits of the biggest overhaul of the health insurance system in this country, you may be wondering, What does this all mean to me? Here's what we know so far about what's up with your health care. It's all about me The Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, as it is now commonly known, went into effect in 2010 and was affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2012, despite the 42 times the House Republicans tried to repeal it.It will have the most dramatic impact on the 48 million Americans who don't or haven't been able to get insurance. By 2014, everyone -- with a few exceptions -- has to have insurance or face a penalty. I get insurance through work. Why should I care ? More than half of Americans get health insurance through work. For those keeping score at home, that's 55.1% of the population, or about 149 million non-elderly people, according to U.S. Census data.If that's you, news about Obamacare marketplace computer problems and people getting letters saying they're losing their coverage -- that doesn't affect you.What you do have to worry about is that e-mail reminder your company sends you this time every year telling you about open enrollment season.You may notice that information packet is a lot easier to read and the different plans are a lot easier to compare. You've got Obamacare to thank for that, since it is now mandatory that these companies communicate clearly about what they have to offer.5 things you need to know about picking your insurance planIf your child is under the age of 26, under Obamacare, they can stay on your insurance. It doesn't matter if they live with you or not or whether they're married or single. As long as they don't get insurance anywhere else, you can keep them covered.Also because of Obamacare, many health plans must offer you free preventative care services. You can get your blood pressure or cholesterol checked, get a colonoscopy or a mammogram, ask for a flu shot, seek counseling for alcohol or smoking, find out if you are depressed and seek other preventative screenings. Since studies show 70% of all health care conditions are considered preventable, in theory this should keep a lot of people healthier.If you are a woman, you no longer need a referral to see a gynecologist. Maternity care is provided. So is birth control, which would come at no cost in most plans.Now if you are denied a payment new rules give you a chance to appeal a decision and if that doesn't work Obamacare lets you take your appeal to an outside independent review panel. The law now says the insurance company has to let you know why your claim was denied and they have a time limit in which they have to answer your appeal. Will I pay more for my insurance? Your plan will probably take a little more out of your check next year, but really that's nothing new.Some companies, such as UPS and Delta, did blame Obamacare for rising insurance costs, but experts say employees will pay more for their policies because the economy is improving. When people feel more secure financially, they go to the doctor more and get test and procedures they put off when they felt less secure, according to Tim Nimmer, the chief health care actuary at Aon Hewitt an employee benefits administrator.Aon Hewitt's research on the cost of insurance predicts employees will spend just under $5,000 on premiums and out-of-pocket expenses next year. That's up 9.5% from the year before -- higher than the increases for 2013, which were more in the 5% range. Over the past 10 years, average premiums for a family have kept going up a whopping 80%, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation report.Get ready for higher health insurance costs at workAnother reason you'll pay a little more is because employers are continuing to shift the cost of insurance to employees, studies show. There are also new fees on employers and insurers to help cover insurers with new high-risk enrollees. I think they key point is to recognize that victory in health care is not that the cost of your health care is going up, it is that it is going up more slowly, said Jonathan Gruber, one of the architects of both the Massachusetts and Obama health care plans and the author of a graphic novel that simply explains health care reform. What happens when I use my benefits ? When you do use your benefits and go to the doctor, you may have to wait a little longer for an appointment since you'll be competing with more patients who now have insurance.Doctor shortage could crash health care systemYou may have already been waiting a bit, since there is a primary care physician shortage according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. We're down about 20,000 now, and the number is expected to get worse as physicians age. And it's not just doctors who are in short supply; we also need more nurses, according to the Institute of Medicine. Keep in mind, the Affordable Care Act didn't create this crisis, said Dr. Reid Blackwelder, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians. We've got an aging population that needs more care and a growing population. If you do go to the hospital, in theory you should be leaving it healthier. The ACA penalizes hospitals that see patients return after treatment, and facilities have started a number of innovative programs to try and keep patients well and out of the hospital.If something catastrophic happens to you and it's expensive, that's also where Obamacare will make sure your insurance continues to cover you. In the past, insurance companies could dump you if you spent too much. Those costs are capped under the ACA and there are no lifetime spending limits.The one thing that was supposed to change under the ACA that has been delayed is a mandate that all companies with more than 50 full-time employees get benefits. Companies will eventually face fines if they don't offer insurance. That doesn't go into effect until 2015. What if I own -- or work for -- a small business ? A giant part of the small business community, 96% of small businesses have fewer than 50 workers. If you own that kind of business, you don't have to worry about that employer mandate. If you work for one, you will be able to buy a policy in the new Obamacare marketplaces.If you do employ more than 50 people, chances are you already offer insurance to your workers -- 90% do -- and business owners who are happy with their insurance plan can stick with it. In fact, many insurance companies are offering discounts to clients who renew their policies.If you are in that 3% with more than 50 workers and you do not provide insurance, you will have to start -- or you'll have to pay a penalty starting in 2015.The government has opened a small business marketplace, also known as the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP). It is meant to provide an easier and cheaper venue for business owners to shop for insurance for their employees. SHOP's website lets business owners compare plans.The government offers tax credits to these smaller business to help pay for this insurance. These are worth up to 50% of your premium costs. Small businesses can still deduct the rest of their premium cost not covered by the tax credit. It is only available for plans bought through SHOP. Is anyone directly impacted by all this Obamacare talk ? If you don't have insurance or haven't qualified for insurance in the past, you'll need to have it by March 31 of next year. If you don't, you'll be fined up to 1% of your income or $95, whichever is greater.Obamacare 101: Everything you need to knowYou can buy a plan from a broker at any time. If you want to buy through the new Obamacare marketplaces, open enrollment stretches through March 31. You'll only get a tax break/subsidy if you buy a policy through the marketplaces.If you are like Jeff Jones in Lexington, Kentucky, who wants a policy to start on January 1, you'll have to make up your mind on which plan is right for you by December 15.Jones lost his job with the University of Kentucky and is unable to get on his partner's policy. I've been shopping around online but haven't decided on which policy yet, he said.Jones has been comparison shopping through Kentucky's state marketplace website. There have been some technical hiccups, but he's been able to see what he'd qualify for based on his expected income. A diabetic, he says he is grateful this is an option now. Currently, insurance companies could deny him a policy since he has this pre-existing condition. Obamacare ends that practice next year.CNN Money: Obamacare pricier for some individual buyersIf you can get into the website, you can sign up for a policy through Healthcare.gov. There's also a phone number to call: (800) 318-2596 (TTY: (855) 889-4325). The number is staffed round the clock. Information is available in more than 150 languages.There will also be specially trained advisers in communities. These navigators, as they are known, can help you in person. If you would like to find the closest navigator, go to Localhelp.healthcare.gov. Plug in your ZIP code and it will give you the closest location to get help. So bottom line , what does this cost? Costs of plans vary, depending on where you live in this country and your age; the White House says you should be able to buy a plan for less than a $100 a month. If you want to see what your bill may look like, check out the Kaiser Family Foundation's calculator. The nonpartisan foundation's tool provides an estimate of your costs, depending on where you live and the plan you pick.For many the President's promise of health care choice doesn't ring trueThe bronze level is basic, silver is midrange and gold and platinum are higher-end. There is also a catastrophic option. Catastrophic insurance covers three doctor visits per year at no cost and preventive care such as screenings and vaccines. This plan will carry a higher deductible. What do I get for my money now ? All plans bought through the exchanges must offer the same coverage benefits. Mental health is covered, behavioral health is covered, maternity care, emergency care, hospitalization, newborn care, prescription drugs, rehab, lab services, and pediatric services. All offer free preventive care. Nearly all cap out-of-pocket costs to $6,350 and $12,700 per family. No one can be turned away. No one will be penalized because of their gender (women often paid more in the old insurance system). Only smokers may be penalized in some plans and some older people may pay more.Dental is covered for kids, but it is not for adults. You'll have to buy a separate policy for that or find a policy that offers it.<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/03/health/healthcare-whats-up/index.html?hpt=hp_c2" title="CNN">Read More</a><a href="http://www.cnn.com" title="CNN">Source</a>

 

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Violin played as Titanic sank sells for $1.7 million</h1>By Per Nyberg and Chelsea J. Carter , CNN updated 10:16 AM EDT, Mon October 21, 2013   London (CNN) -- A violin played by the Titanic's bandleader as the ship sank sold at auction Saturday for more than $1.7 million, a UK-based auction house said.The price -- 1.1 million British pounds, when adding the buyer's premium and tax -- is by far the highest ever fetched for memorabilia tied to the sunken passenger ship, according to veteran collector Craig Sopin. This figure is going to be hard to beat, said Sopin, who helped authenticate the fact the violin came from the Titanic. I can't think of anything else that is more iconic to come off that ship. According to survivors, Wallace Hartley's band played to calm passengers even as the ship sank beneath them.<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/19/world/europe/titanic-violin-auction/index.html?hpt=wo_mid" title="CNN">Read More</a><a href="http://www.cnn.com" title="CNN">Source</a>

 

[Mben]

PMM2008 wrote: Violin played as Titanic sank sells for $1.7 million</h1> 

 Wow! 

 

[omeg]

I thought the same thing Mben...Wow...

 

[omeg]

Kenya mall attack: Four accused of having role in bloody siege</h1>From Nima Elbagir, CNN updated 6:18 PM EST, Mon November 4, 2013   Nairobi, Kenya (CNN) -- Four people were charged Monday, accused of involvement in the attack on the Westgate mall in Kenya, but each pleaded not guilty.The Somali terror group Al-Shabaab, an affiliate of al Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the bloody four-day siege at the upscale mall in Nairobi, during which at least 67 people were killed. The attack began on September 21.Questions remain about those who carried out the attack and the response by security forces.Monday's court appearance by the four defendants only created new questions. Authorities said they weren't even sure of two of the defendants' names.All four are believed to be from Somalia, but authorities said two of them had Kenyan identification cards and citizenship papers. The hearing was delayed two hours to find a translator when the defendants claimed to be unable to speak Swahili or English.They were charged with committing a terrorist act. Some face related charges of aiding attackers before, during or after the attack.<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/04/world/africa/kenya-mall-attack/index.html?hpt=wo_c2" title="CNN">Read More</a><a href="http://www.cnn.com" title="CNN">Source</a>

 

[Mben]

Did you hear about the shooter running around in a mall in New Jersey yesterday?

 

[omeg]

'Son of Blackbird': Plan for a new spy plane</h1><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">  By Brad Lendon , CNN updated 6:37 AM EST, Wed November 6, 2013 |   (CNN) -- For a big chunk of the Cold War, the U.S. Air Force turned to the SR-71 Blackbird for many of its most important spy missions. The jet-black jet could fly at more than three times the speed of sound at altitudes of 85,000 feet, faster and higher than anything adversaries had to counter it.The last of the Blackbirds flew in 1999, and the U.S. military hasn't had anything close since.Now, Lockheed-Martin, the maker of the SR-71, says the Son of the Blackbird, the SR-72, is in the works, and it will be twice as fast as and way more lethal than its father. That's because the SR-72 will be designed to launch missiles, something the SR-71 didn't do. Even with the SR-71, at Mach 3, there was still time to notify that the plane was coming, but at Mach 6, there is no reaction time to hide a mobile target, Brad Leland, Lockheed Martin's program manager for hypersonics, told Aviation Week and Space Technology. The publication provided<a href="http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/awx_11_01_2013_p0-632731.xml&p=1" > the first detailed look at the SR-72 plans</a> last week.<a href="http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2013/10/29/bigger-faster-deadlier-navy-launches-new-stealth-destroyer/" >Navy launches new stealth destroyer</a><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/05/tech/innovation/new-spy-plane/index.html?hpt=hp_c3" title="CNN">Read More</a><a href="http://www.cnn.com" title="CNN">Source</a>

 

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ABC's Elizabeth Vargas: 'I am dealing with addiction' to alcohol</h1>By Alan Duke , CNN updated 8:07 PM EST, Wed November 6, 2013   (CNN) -- ABC News anchor Elizabeth Vargas has gone public with her decision to enter rehab for alcohol dependence, hoping it will give others the courage to seek help. Like so many people, I am dealing with addiction, Vargas said in a statement to CNN Wednesday. I realized I was becoming increasingly dependent on alcohol. I am in treatment and am so thankful for the love and support of my family, friends and colleagues at ABC News. She did not disclose when she entered the rehab facility or where it is. The last message on her Twitter account was posted on October 18. Like so many others, I will deal with this challenge a day at a time, Vargas said. If coming forward today gives one other person the courage to seek help, I'm grateful. Vargas, 51, hosts ABC News specials and the network's 20/20 program.An ABC News spokesman said the network is proud of the steps Elizabeth has taken and are pulling for her recovery. We look forward to having her back home at ABC News where she has done so much distinguished work over the years, Jeffrey Schneider said. Elizabeth is a member of our family and we will support her in every way we can. <a href="http://www.cnn.com" title="CNN">Source</a>

 

[omeg]

Super Typhoon Haiyan, one of strongest storms ever, plows across Philippines</h1>By Jethro Mullen , CNN updated 5:45 AM EST, Fri November 8, 2013   CNN) -- Super Typhoon Haiyan -- one of the strongest storms recorded on the planet -- smashed into island after island as it plowed across the central Philippines on Friday, threatening millions of people.It left devastation in its wake, flooding streets and knocking out power and communication networks in many areas. Three people were reported dead, more than 100,000 took refuge in evacuation centers and hundreds of flights were canceled.The storm brought tremendously powerful winds roaring ashore as it made landfall on Samar, a hilly island in the region of Eastern Visayas.With sustained winds of 315 kph (195 mph) and gusts as strong as 380 kph (235 mph), Haiyan was probably the strongest tropical cyclone to hit land anywhere in the world in recorded history. It will take further analysis after the storm passes to establish whether it is a record.<a href="http://www.hko.gov.hk/wxinfo/currwx/tc_gis_e.htm" >Track the typhoon</a>After Samar, the typhoon slammed into four other Philippine islands as it barreled across the archipelago.Maryann Zamora, a field communications specialist for the charity World Vision, said her organization has been working through so many disasters, so many typhoons -- but this is quite different. This is the strongest I ever felt so far, she said by phone from the island of Cebu. Category 5 strength Haiyan, known in the Philippines as Yolanda, appeared to retain much of its terrifying force as it moved west over the country, with sustained winds of 295 kph (185 mph), gusts as strong as 360 kph (225 mph). Haiyan's wind strength makes it equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane.Video footage from on the ground in the Philippines showed streets flooded with debris and howling winds hurling metal sheets through the air.Gov. Roger Mercado of Southern Leyte, a province in Eastern Visayas close to the storm's path, said Friday morning that all roads were impassable because of fallen trees. He said it was too soon to gauge the level of devastation caused by Haiyan. We don't know the extent of the damage, Mercado said. We are trying to estimate this. We are prepared, but this is really a wallop. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said Friday that so far three people had been confirmed dead and seven injured. With sea travel suspended in large parts of the country, more than 3,000 travelers were stranded in ports, the council said.The typhoon was forecast to move away from the Philippines late Friday or early Saturday and head out into the South China Sea in the direction of VietnamForecasters predicted that it would maintain super typhoon intensity throughout its passage over the Philippines. A super typhoon has surface winds that sustain speeds of more than 240 kph (150 mph) for at least a minute, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.Haiyan was so large in diameter that at one point, its clouds were affecting two-thirds of the country, which stretches more than 1,850 kilometers (1,150 miles). Tropical-storm-force winds extended 240 kilometers from the typhoon's center.<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/08/world/asia/philippines-typhoon-haiyan/index.html?hpt=hp_t1" title="CNN">Read More</a><a href="http://www.cnn.com" title="CNN">Source</a>

 

[omeg]

NY launches probe on claims of anti-Semitic bullying</h1>By Elizabeth Landers, CNN updated 11:29 PM EST, Fri November 8, 2013   (CNN) -- New York Governor Andrew Cuomo directed state police and the Division of Human Rights on Friday to investigate allegations of anti-Semitic harassment in a New York state school district. The reports of rampant anti-Semitic harassment and physical assaults at Pine Bush schools, if true, are deeply disturbing, Cuomo said in a statement to the state education commissioner. Here in New York State, we have zero tolerance for bigotry or hate based on anyone's religious or ethnic origin, and to that end, I have directed the State Police and the Division of Human Rights, to undergo a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding these acts, Cuomo added.His statement follows claims and a subsequent lawsuit from five students who attended school in the Pine Bush School District and were bullied and harassed, according to their lawyer Ilann M. Maazel.Maazel describes out of control anti-Semitism in the school district. The school failed at every level. This is one of the worst bullying cases I've seen. The alleged physical attacks against Jewish students included a swastika drawn on a student's face against her will, the severe beating of one with a hockey stick, and repeated slapping of another in the head, according to the lawsuit that Maazel filed in 2012. Maazel adds that the harassment didn't stop, even after the lawsuit was filed.The incidents occurred at Pine Bush Elementary School, Crispell Middle School, and Pine Bush High School, all within the Pine Bush Central School District.Cuomo's statement came after the New York Times did a story about the case.The school district has also made a statement on the issue. The district takes all reports of discrimination or bullying seriously, said district superintendent Joan M. Carbone. As the litigation described in the New York Times article of November 8th, is still pending, the District can make no specific comment about the particulars of the lawsuit. We are hopeful that at the conclusion of this litigation, Pine Bush Central School District's actions will be vindicated. The New York State Education Department filed a response to Cuomo's questions and call to action later on Friday. We share the Governor's revulsion at the reports of heinous anti-Semitic acts at the Pine Bush Central School District, said Elizabeth R. Berlin, the executive deputy commissioner.She stated that this was the first time that the State Education Department had become aware of the allegations of anti-Semitism.Maazel said he did not know why the governor hadn't previously noticed the matter, though he added, I applaud any effort to investigate this huge problem. Attorney General Eric Schneiderman released a statement as well, admonishing the blind eye that was taken to these instances of illegal bullying and discrimination. The attorney general also said that his Civil Right Bureau launched an ongoing investigation into the Pine Bush Central School District claims of anti-semitism after they received complaints from Jewish students.Maazel told CNN that he was not aware of any investigation that the attorney general conducted. He said he was never contacted for questions or evidence by their office.Dennis Tompkins with the NY State Education Department stated: We were not involved or aware of the attorney general's investigation. We have 4,500 schools; we try to maintain contact with all of them but can't. <a href="http://www.cnn.com" title="CNN">Source</a> 

 

[omeg]

Death toll likely to exceed 1,200 after typhoon slams the Philippines</h1>By Andrew Stevens and Paula Han****s , CNN updated 2:19 AM EST, Sun November 10, 2013   Tacloban, Philippines (CNN) -- After laying waste to huge swaths of the Philippines, flattening houses and washing bodies into the water, Typhoon Haiyan is set to bring more devastation to Vietnam.While the massive storm barreled across the South China Sea on Sunday, Filipinos grappled with devastation like they've never seen before.The Philippine Red Cross estimated at least 1,200 people were killed by Haiyan. Sharee Tan, the governor of Samar province, reported 370 dead and 2,000 missing in her province alone.But the full death toll could be significantly higher as officials make their way to remote areas.Tacloban city Mayor Alfred Romualdez told CNN it is entirely possible that 10,000 people may have died in the storm. His statement came after a provincial police chief reportedly said local estimates suggest as many as 10,000 are feared dead in Leyte province, which includes Tacloban. According to AFP, Chief Supt. Elmer Soria said that this figure came out of a Saturday night meeting with the governor of Leyte.National police and the military sent reinforcements Sunday to prevent looting in the hard-hit city of Tacloban. News video showed people breaking into grocery stores and cash machines in the city, where there had been little evidence of authority since midday Friday.The store break-ins were attributable to a severe lack of food. Relief efforts were hampered by heavy damage to the airport and trees and debris blocking roadways.In signs of progress, the road to the airport was cleared Sunday and helicopters were making regular flights. Death toll expected to rise Experts predicted that it will take days to get the full scope of the damage wrought by a typhoon described as one of the strongest to make landfall in recorded history.<a href="http://ireport.cnn.com/open-story.jspa?openStoryID=1058473#DOC-1057539">Interactive map of the storm</a> Probably the casualty figure will increase as we get more information from remote areas, which have been cut off from communications, said Tomoo Hozumi, UNICEF's Philippines representative.The casualties from the storm, which affected 4.3 million people in 36 provinces, occurred despite preparations that included the evacuation of more than 800,000 people, he said.The National Risk Reduction and Management Council said more than 70,000 families were affected, and nearly 350,000 people were displaced -- inside and outside evacuation centers. Thousands of houses were destroyed, it said. Tacloban hardest hit Tacloban suffered the greatest devastation, said Lt. Jim Aris Alago, information officer for navy central command. There are numbers of undetermined casualties found along the roads. <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/10/world/asia/philippines-typhoon-haiyan/index.html?hpt=hp_c2" title="CNN">Read More</a><a href="http://www.cnn.com" title="CNN">Source</a>