Year: 2012

Health Insurance and Rebate Checks

Respectfully Submitted by Lawrence Rafferty (rafflaw)-Guest Blogger

I have to admit that I was not aware that the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, as its detractors call it, mandates that the insurance companies who don’t spend at least 80% of premium money on actual medical care expenses, must send rebates to policy holders.  “But the rebate provision of the law — the fruits of the so-called “80/20 rule” — is about to kick in big time, as millions of Americans receive rebate checks or premium reductions from insurance companies who have failed to spend enough on patient care. This cash could be a true game changer in public attitudes about whether the law actually is beneficial and good public policy. The rebate provision of the law has been known and discussed in health care policy circles for months, but has largely flown below the radar in the political world and for voters—until now.”  Time   Continue reading “Health Insurance and Rebate Checks”

The Chronicle of Higher Education Gets Taken To School

-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger

Naomi Schaefer Riley, left, wrote a piece for The Chronicle of Higher Education’s (CHE) blog entitled The Most Persuasive Case for Eliminating Black Studies? Just Read the Dissertations. The trouble is: she didn’t read the dissertations, she read the titles and a synopsis of the unfinished documents, and then blogged about her speculations.

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Can You Hear Find Me Now?

Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.)

by Gene Howington, Guest Blogger

In these days of ever eroding civil rights, it is important to recognize those in Congress willing to stand up for your rights.  This is especially true given the ever increasing domestic surveillance of citizens without warrant by government agencies in cooperation with the telecommunications industry; a clear abuse of citizen’s 4th Amendment rights “to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”   Love him or loathe him, this week the Congressman willing to fight the good fight for your rights is Senator Al Franken (D-Minn.).

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Bishops To Hold “Official Inquiry” Of Girl Scouts

-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger

Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades, Chair of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, is concerned with the Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) and the Scouts’ “possible problematic relationships with other organizations.” Rhoades is also concerned about various “problematic” program materials, although specifics details are being withheld.

The GSUSA is “a secular organization that refrains from teaching religious or spiritual beliefs or practices” that tries “to further girls’ leadership.” Therein lies the problem.

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Trayvon Martin Prosecutor Accused of Overcharging and Being Party To “Institutional Racism”

By Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger

Angela Corey has become a minor legal celebrity for her tough-minded prosecution of the Trayvon Martin murder case.  Her toughness has also drawn the ire of U.S. House member Corrine Brown in a racially charged case in Jacksonville. The case involves Marissa Alexander who was charged under Florida’s “10-20-life” law which mandates progressively tough penalties for violent felonies when firearms are involved.

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Grace Under Pressure: Michael Cooney

By Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger

Staff sergeant Jeremy Cooney has seen his share of courage while serving in Afghanistan, but he found the epitome when he returned home. Surprising his six-year-old son, Michael, at his school, the U.S. Marine got a surprise himself. The boy walked twenty five steps towards his father before falling into the warrior’s anxious arms. Michael has cerebral palsy, a cruel disease that affects brain and nervous system functions such as movement, learning, hearing, seeing, and thinking. Told by doctors her son would never walk, Michael’s mom, Melissa, and his siblings have worked tirelessly with him for weeks to master the miracle. And it was all hush-hush from SSgt. Cooney who made the thousands of miles journey to surprise his son. Here’s the life affirming video:

Source: CBS News

Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger

Ahab Finds His Whale: JPMorgan CEO Says “London Whale” Swallowed $2 Billion

CEO Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase (shown left) went public with a whale of tale today about how one of its investors, Bruno Michel Iksil, known as the “London Whale” lost $2 billion in bad bets on volatile synthetic credit securities. What is most striking about the story is that Dimon was the executive who led efforts to limit reforms by the Federal Reserve after the last financial scandal. Now he says “There were many errors, sloppiness and bad judgment . . . grievous mistakes, they were self-inflicted.” Sound familiar?

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NASCAR Driver Jeremy Mayfield Hit With $1 Million Award To Postal Carrier For Dog Attack

If you go to celebrity trials just to watch the cars crash, former NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Jeremy Mayfield will not disappoint you. Mayfield has been hit with a $1 million damage award in favor of postal worker Mary E. Bolton who was attacked by Mayfield’s five dog, pit bull/Labrador mixes. It is an interesting case and one more problem for Mayfield who is facing a major drug prosecution.

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Iran Sentences Cartoonist To Be Flogged For Insulting Politician

Iran has long been flog-happy in its imposition of medieval Sharia laws. Now, it has sentenced cartoonist Mahmoud Shokraye to receive 25 lashes for drawing a caricature of Iranian MP, Ahmad Lotfi Ashtiani, that the MP found insulting. As you can see, it is a pretty mild cartoon but Iranian officials stand by the punishment.

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Discovery of Oldest Mayan Calendar Debunks Predictions of End of The World in 2012

For the ten percent of the world population who believes the world end end according to the Mayan calendar, you may want to make plans for 2013. For months, experts have been saying that this is simply hogwash. Now the oldest-known version of the ancient Maya calendar has been discovered in ruins of a city deep in the Guatemalan rainforest and it shows, as previously said, that the Mayans not only believes life would go on past 2012 but would continue for centuries and centuries.

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Romney Accused Of Attack On Presumed Gay Student As Teen

I am in Omaha, Nebraska today to speak at the Hilton Omaha where Mitt Romney will be raising cash in a private fundraiser for his campaign. It will be interesting if he is pressed on this story picking up steam this week. Romney has been accused of former school chums from his elite all-boy boarding school of attacking a presumed gay student and cutting off his hair. Since in many states the attack on the now-deceased John Lauber would be a hate crime, it is a serious charge even if it was so many years ago. The witness turns out to be a former prosecutor who says that he has been haunted by the act. This week Romney reaffirmed that he opposed same-sex marriage as a personal matter. Update: Romney has apologized for incidents in his youth.

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Our Lady Doesn’t Like Your Ladies: Catholic School Cancels State Championship Appearance Due To Presence of Girl On Opposing Team

Our Lady of Sorrows Academy, a conservative Catholic school, has forfeited its team rather than compete in the state championships because the second baseman for Mesa Preparatory Academy is no man at all. Second baseman Paige Sultzbach is a girl and, according to this report, Our Lady of Sorrows has religious objections to its boys playing with a girl.

Continue reading “Our Lady Doesn’t Like Your Ladies: Catholic School Cancels State Championship Appearance Due To Presence of Girl On Opposing Team”