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Hospitals exploiting Medicare patients .......again
There is an article in this months AARP magazine about how hospitals are able to classify patients sitting in their beds in different ways i.e. an "under observation" or as an "inpatient". The difference can be crucial to the coverage of aftercare services to Medicare patients. To be eligible for inpatient aftercare services under Medicare for "rehab", recipients must be classified as an inpatient for 3 consecutive days. If not, they are bearing the full cost of their aftercare services running into the thousands of dollars. Apparently, hospitals are not notifying people of their status classification or how this can affect their aftercare costs. Hospitals are also increasing the use of observation status to counteract medicare penalties for readmissions. The Center for Medicare Advocacy has filed a class action suit againt the US Health and Human Services Department. The Centers breakdown of the practice can be found here: http://www.medicareadvocacy.org/medi...vation-status/ |
Charlie Fuqua says Death Penalty an Option for Rebellious Children
Charlie Fuqua, Republican candidate for the Arkansas House of Representatives, supports the death penalty for rebellious children. http://www.patheos.com/blogs/nolongerquivering/2012/10/charlie-fuqua-says-death-penalty-an-option-for-rebellious-children/ :seeingstars: |
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Kind of scares me when I remember the names of candidates that arent even from my neck of the country. On the previous page I posted an article containing Fuqua's thoughts: "Charles Fuqua of Batesville, Arkansas, is currently seeking a House of Representatives seat. His e-book "God's Law: The Only Political Solution" came out in April on Amazon. "I see no solution to the Muslim problem short of expelling all followers of the religion from the United States," he writes in his book, according to The Arkansas Times newspaper. Fuqua, an attorney, served as a state representative from 1995 to 1998 before losing a state senate race." |
"The motive of the algorithm is still unclear" (John Melloy, CNBC correspondent).
I guess shares/stocks are not only traded during drunker benders: Gasoline/Oil trading while in an alcoholic blackout, as reported a few days ago in England; but it appears that shares/stocks (or any commodity) can be traded by computer programming issues gone awry (algorithm's).
(See news article here, LINK) |
Anoka, Minnesota's 'Halloween Capital Of The World,' Turns Away LGBT Youth Group
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/1...ref=gay-voices |
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It's not breaking news, but I couldn't find the Michael Vick thread and I'm not sure how I feel about this...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/1..._hp_ref=sports |
As a child of the 60's, because JFK was President and said we would put a man on the moon in 10 years......I am a space/NASA junkie.....I have hours of video tape (yes vcr tape still have it) of the first Mars landing and the journey of Sojourner on the surface... ...
so the Endeavor journey to it's resting place in LA has had my attention. She flew overy the Bay Area........ there is a bunch of video of her trip through LA...... http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/13/us/shu...html?hpt=hp_t1 just click on the video links.....hell you can probably just go to UTube and search Endeavor and LA and find more.........I really like the pic of the wing and a tree........ |
ACLU sues Morgan Stanley for bias in mortgage business
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The American Civil Liberties Union sued Morgan Stanley on Monday, alleging racial discrimination over packaging subprime mortgage loans into securities.
The suit is the first to directly accuse an investment bank, rather than a lender, over loans that violate federal civil rights laws, the group said at a press conference. Morgan Stanley encouraged a unit of now-bankrupt New Century Financial Corp to target black borrowers disproportionately with loans that had a strong possibility of foreclosure and unjustifiably high costs, the suit alleges. The investment bank received significant fees from packaging and selling these loans as securities to institutional investors, while the borrowers faced high risks of default, the ACLU said. "It is literally the first case of Main Street holding Wall Street accountable" for the financial crisis that led millions of Americans to lose their homes and that devastated the U.S. economy, ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero said at a news conference. Morgan Stanley rejected the accusations. "We believe these allegations are completely without merit and plan to defend ourselves vigorously," spokeswoman Mary Claire Delaney said in an email. The complaint was filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan on behalf of five Detroit residents. It alleges that Morgan Stanley went beyond the traditional role of an investment bank by helping to fund loans made by New Century, setting loan volume goals and establishing terms of the loans. The ACLU asked the court to certify the case as a class action. It said as many as 6,000 black homeowners in the Detroit area may have suffered similar discrimination as a result of being offered loans that many could not afford. The alleged practice is a twist on claims that banks engaged in "red-lining," or refusing to provide loans and other services in low-income areas. "It's reverse red-lining. It violates the Fair Housing Act," said Elizabeth Cabraser, a co-counsel for the plaintiffs. "These loans were mass produced and they were built to order, not to serve homeowners." Discriminatory practices connected to the securitization process were endemic during the last decade throughout the financial services industry and across the nation, the ACLU said. Critics of securitization, in which banks package loans into securities for sale to sophisticated investors, say it encourages recklessness in bank credit policies because banks do not end up holding loans they originate. Advocates say that by removing loans from their balance sheets, banks can stimulate the economy by making additional loans. Trillions of dollars of mortgage, credit card, automobile and other consumer loans have been securitized and sold to investors. Many of the home loans bought by the banks are insured by agencies such as the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp., or Freddie Mac, and the Federal National Mortgage Association, or Fannie Mae. Some lawyers and economists who work with the securities industry described the lawsuit as "novel" in seeking damages for the borrowers since investment banks are several steps removed from loan origination. Morgan Stanley was chosen because it is among the few remaining "deep pockets" in the financial industry now that so many direct subprime lenders have been shut down, they said. Anticipating an argument that the statute of limitations has passed for actions leading up to the financial crisis, the suit says Morgan Stanley's concealment of its role in the loan process and its deviation from "true underwriting standards" for the loans it purchased invalidate any legal deadlines. MANY RECENT LAWSUITS The ACLU lawsuit follows a spate of new litigation against Wall Street by U.S. federal and state authorities over banks' roles in triggering the financial crisis that began more than four years ago. JPMorgan was sued last week by New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman for alleged subprime mortgage abuses at an investment bank that it purchased during the financial crisis. The U.S. attorney in Manhattan filed fraud charges against Wells Fargo Corp two weeks ago for a "reckless pattern" of making questionable home loans that allegedly cost the government hundreds of millions of dollars in insurance settlements. Massachusetts earlier sued Morgan Stanley for securitizing home loans, alleging violations of a state consumer protection law. The ACLU said that case did not address the issue nationwide nor link the alleged abusive practices to discriminatory policy. Thomas Deutsch, executive director of the American Securitization Forum, a trade group for investment banks, declined to comment on the lawsuit. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit include five borrowers and Michigan Legal Services. The case is Beverly Adkins et al v Morgan Stanley, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, No. 12-7667. http://news.yahoo.com/civil-libertie...5--sector.html About time someone did this. |
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re: ACLU (Morgan Stanley case)
I hope the ACLU goes after them like a rabid animal on steroids and sets a Stare Decisis (a legal precedent) that not even the Supreme Court of the United States can ignore or set aside.
I get so upset over the criminal mindset of the banking and financial industry, that will do anything at the expense to people who are marginalized by institutions, who will steal for profit! That alone, in my opinion, is a core issue of the national demise over our current (present) and future financial woes; not to mention corporate law and how these sets of law are loosely designed at holding these kinds of powers accountable and leaving all sectors of the public without a way to seek full remedy under constitutional provisions, designed to meet redress in specific ways, so that red-lining any population is prosecutable to the high heavens and with formidable punishment, should this kind of crime transpire on any watch in America. And, on top of that, a presidential contender (Romney) is probably one of the biggest abusers and users of profit gained under loosely written law pertaining to both market industrial giants (monsters): Corporate institutional thievery masked as law-abiding ways for making a profit. |
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To your thoughts I would add.....remember, after the crash of 1929, Congress put a boatload of rules and regulations in place to stop the banking industry from gambling with peoples money ever again. These have been systematically dismantled since the Reagan era leading to more and more risky behavior and totally incomprehensible products in the name of profit. Unfortunately, many many everyday people, not just the top 1% and corporations, made a lot of money during this period. It seems once people, in general, get a taste of easy wealth using investment instruments that are lacking in logic and common sense, it is hard to reign in their appetite for risk and its potential rewards. We need people with gonads to deal with the systemic problem of greed in this country. In the current hierarchy of power, I'm not sure such people exist anymore. |
McGovern moved to hospice care
Very sad. I was too young to vote for him, but I campaigned like crazy.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1012/82435.html |
Not exactly breaking news but something to be aware of
Kind of scary...
http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/10/...catch-on-fire/ Banana Boat Recalls Sunscreen After Some Users Catch on Fire By The Associated Press Posted 2:45PM 10/19/12 Posted under: Company News, Consumer Ally 1319996680 By MATTHEW PERRONE WASHINGTON (AP) - The maker of Banana Boat sunscreen is recalling some of its spray-on products after reports that a handful of people have caught on fire after applying the lotion and coming in contact with an open flame. Energizer Holdings (ENR) said Fridaythat it is pulling 23 varieties of UltraMist sunscreen off store shelves due to the risk of the lotion igniting when exposed to fire. The recall includes aerosol products like UltraMist Sport, UltraMist Ultra Defense and UltraMist Kids. A company spokesman said there have been five reports of people suffering burns after using the sunscreen in the last year. Four burn cases were reported in the U.S. and one in Canada. More than 20 million units have been sold since UltraMist launched in 2010, the spokesman said. Energizer said in a statement that the problem appears to be caused by UltraMist's spray valve, which is over applying the product. As a result the lotion is taking longer to dry, which raises the flammability risk. "If a consumer comes into contact with a flame or spark prior to complete drying of the product on the skin, there is a potential for the product to ignite," the company said. UltraMist's label warns users: "Do not use in the presence of a flame or spark. Keep away from sources of ignition - no smoking." But dermatologists say most people don't read such labels. "So many people put this on outside, while they're on their way to activities, so I just don't think people are aware of that," said Dr. Michele Green, a dermatologist at New York's Lenox Hill Hospital. Green said aerosol sunscreens have become popular in recent years because they're faster and easier to apply, but not necessarily more effective. "I think the old-fashioned creams apply better and seem to protect you better - the sprays just don't seem to work as well," Green said. The company said it has notified the Food and Drug Administration about the voluntary recall. Consumers who purchased the products are being told not to use them. More information is available from the manufacturer at 1-800-SAFESUN. Burn experts said Friday the problem appears to be extremely rare. "We've found no evidence of this happening before the incidents that came to our attention," said Dan Dillard, executive director of the Burn Prevention Network. Dillard's group was contacted earlier in the year about two burns related to UltraMist. One case involved a man who was standing near a barbecue grill, the other case involved a woman working with welding equipment. Both cases resulted in second and third degree burns. Dillard pointed out that the ingredients used in aerosol sprays are known to be flammable. "The alcohol and petroleum products listed on the containers are flammable, so the only thing you're missing in the heat triangle is an ignition source," Dillard said. __ On the Web: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-relea...174970081.html |
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DOMA Ruled Unconstitutional By Federal Appeals Court In New York
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/1...p_ref=politics |
U.S. sues Bank of America over "Hustle" mortgage fraud
Reuters) - The United States filed a civil mortgage fraud lawsuit against Bank of America Corp, accusing it of selling thousands of toxic home loans to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that went into default and caused more than $1 billion of losses.
Wednesday's case, originally brought by a whistleblower, is the U.S. Department of Justice's first civil fraud lawsuit over mortgage loans sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. It also compounds the problems that the Bank of America, second-largest U.S. bank, has faced since its disastrous 2008 purchase of Countrywide Financial Corp, once the nation's largest mortgage lender. According to a complaint filed in Manhattan federal court, Countrywide in 2007 invented a scheme known as the "Hustle" designed to speed up processing of residential home loans. Operating under the motto "Loans Move Forward, Never Backward," mortgage executives tried to eliminate "toll gates" designed to ensure that loans were sound and not tainted by fraud, the government said. This resulted in "defect rates" that were roughly nine times the industry norm, but Countrywide concealed this from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and even awarded bonuses to staff to "rebut" the problems being discovered, it added. The scheme ran through 2009 and caused "countless" foreclosures, it added. "The fraudulent conduct alleged in today's complaint was spectacularly brazen in scope," U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara in Manhattan said in a statement. "This lawsuit should send another clear message that reckless lending practices will not be tolerated." Bank of America did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Since paying $2.5 billion for Countrywide on July 1, 2008, the Charlotte, North Carolina-based bank has lost nearly $40 billion on mortgage litigation and requests by investors to buy back soured loans, Credit Suisse estimated on October 5. Some of these costs related to Merrill Lynch & Co, which Bank of America bought at the beginning of 2009. WHISTLEBLOWER According to court records, the case had been filed under seal in February by Edward O'Donnell, a Pennsylvania resident and former executive vice president at Countrywide Home Loans who had worked there between 2003 and 2009. The United States later joined the case. It seeks triple damages under the federal False Claims Act, as well as civil penalties. It is unclear whether O'Donnell has hired a lawyer. O'Donnell could not immediately be reached for comment. Federal regulators seized Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac on September 7, 2008 and put them into a conservatorship. Bharara's office has in the last 1-1/2 years brought five civil fraud lawsuits against other lenders under the False Claims Act over alleged reckless residential mortgage lending, involving loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration. In February, Citigroup Inc settled its case for $158.3 million and Flagstar Bancorp Inc settled for $132.8 million, while Deutsche Bank AG settled in May for $202.3 million. Cases are pending against Wells Fargo & Co and Allied Home Mortgage Corp, Bharara said. On Monday, Congressman Barney Frank, who chaired the House Financial Services Committee in 2008, said Bank of America should probably be shielded from government lawsuits over Merrill, which it bought in part at federal officials' urging, but he said he knew of no such urging to buy Countrywide. Bank of America shares were up 2 cents at $9.38 in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange. The case is U.S. ex rel. O'Donnell v. Bank of America Corp et al, U.S, District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 12-01422. http://news.yahoo.com/u-sued-bank-am...7--sector.html ----------------------- About freakin time. |
Climate Change, Sandy and Scientist
Maybe this should be in the Science thread but I could not find it. If the insurance companies are taking notice, there must be some truth to it.
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/...rricane-sandy/ Munich Re, one of the world’s largest reinsurance firms, issued a study titled “Severe Weather in North America.” According to the press release that accompanied the report, “Nowhere in the world is the rising number of natural catastrophes more evident than in North America.” |
Food For Thought
“This is not about accommodating families,” said Ms. Doruk, the owner of Bright Kids NYC. “It is about creating a fair gifted and talented system for all families, giving every family a fair shot at being in a gifted and talented program.”
This article caught my attention today because it has similar parallels to things we talk about here in this community. It looks like many of these parents may be of a group of people that are not familiar with getting turned down, an answer of No. The perspective changes when any of us are wearing the "other shoe" on our own feet. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/30/ny...it_ur_20121030 |
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This is interesting even tho I dont get all the science. And, anytime insurance companies are doing "studies" it seems to be to reevaluate the actual and preceived risks so they can either orchestrate a shift of responsibility to the government for coverage i.e. specific hurricane and flood policies, or figure how to rewrite the coverage while upping the premiums to sufficient levels as to mitigate their potential losses while maintaining the expected profit margin. I swear when it comes to trends that threaten the profit margins of insurance companies, they are 20 steps ahead of the science. Living on the coast, I can tell you there are only a handful of insurers who will issue policies to coastal homeowners. Their reason? A catastrophic event here is inevitable. Thus, IF you can get a private policy, coverage is structured differently and the cost is astronomical. And here is where the FAIR plan comes in. To make property insurance more readily available to people who can't obtain it from private insurers, the federal government established the Fair Access to Insurance Requirements (FAIR) plans in the late 1960s, according to the Insurance Information Institute (III). The plans are operated by the insurance industry and make home insurance available to property owners in the "high risk" category. FAIR plans often cost more than private insurance and offer less coverage, but for some they offer the only home insurance available. All FAIR plans cover losses due to fire, vandalism, riot and windstorms, according to III. The FAIR Plan, which typically serves as an insurer of last resort, became a major insurer of Cape properties after insurance companies opted in recent years to stop writing policies in Barnstable County. More than 60,000 homeowners on the Cape and Islands are insured through the FAIR Plan, which is formally known as the Massachusetts Property Insurance Underwriting Association. That represents 46.6 percent of homeowners in the area. The association is made up of all companies writing basic property insurance. After hurricanes heavily damaged areas of the Gulf Coast and Florida in the past decade, many private insurers raised rates or did not renew policies for coastal homeowners. Insurers defended their decisions based on hurricane models and geographical history used by reinsurance companies, which basically insure insurance companies. |
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Sandy Underscores Debate Over Government's Role by Scott Horsley
http://www.npr.org/2012/10/31/164006...vernments-role
Every American should ask who is on my side? Claire McCaskill and all of the others like her....and Obama... Who brought the Guard home to protect our own people and our own country in times of an emergency...seriously...and who fought the asbestos and Femma etc... can i get a YEAH. Rock On and do it right this time. |
[QUOTE=DMW;688924]http://www.npr.org/2012/10/31/164006...vernments-role
Every American should ask who is on my side? Claire McCaskill and all of the others like her....and Obama... Who brought the Guard home to protect our own people and our own country in times of an emergency...seriously...and who fought the asbestos and Femma etc... can i get a YEAH. Rock On and do it right this time.[/QUOTE God i have been too damn busy...had no idea it was that bad in NJ NYC....just checkin text on friends and family.. My Point... Point is....Obama is on our side and he and Gov..Christie...working together proves that Obama isn't going to put partisanship before the peoples common good and welfare....of course..can't call him out on that. BUSH had the Guard and didn't use it soon enough pre Katrina for DAYS...Didn't fix the levies when he could have and had known about that risk for years!...etc...Post Katrina ...didn't get in there fast enough...People died. People suffered. Women were raped in the football dome etc..it was ugly....people didn't even have water...wonder why the looted for water...well, they NEED water ...and then it got really bad.. The guard numbers where so low...the place was dangerous... But at least there was a FEMA even if Bush didn't use it.... Obama Will Use FEMA and we do have more Troops here to help Now because of him... He should bring in more NOW...I hope they do.... Obama did save our car industry also... Romney...was gonna let Henry Ford the God Father of American manufacturing go....including Jeep Romney...plans to GET RID OF FEMMA ALL TOGETHER... BEST news...Obama can declare marshall law to delay the election....:tea: |
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I do not believe the President will use martial law to postpone the election. He's already told FEMA director to do what ever is necessary so folks in the effected area can vote on Nov 6th. He has given his word, I'll take him at it.
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Electricity and voting. and the heavily populated democratic districts and the electoral college count etc.... Ohio...cuyahoga county Philly....have no power Just for starters...To big ones. Putting my mind at ease if he has to call it ...he should...Too bad he said that he wouldn't..Probably trying to keep people calm. However, again, if there is no power there...he has the option. Thank God |
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I think that the FEMA director will get paper ballots out to precincts that have no power. Show up and see is the only way to know for sure. |
Nj will be voting from military trucks.
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Williams Institute at UCLA
I have posted links and studies from here before. I think it is a great resource. They have just posted another study about Teens, Young Adults who have been parented by Lesbians.
Adolescents with Lesbian Mothers Describe Their Own Lives If interested in law and policy regarding LGBTQ stuff, I highly recommend you subscribe to their news letter. http://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/ |
Ironically, the paper ballots may be more precise and true than the electronic.
Always blows my mind when i think back to iraq and the hegemony of the US spouting democracy and free elections...at the same time... our election was not really democratic...because of the inaccurate vote counts...blah etc..etc...blows me away. and Gore 2000 ...blows me away. Thanks for the info Corkey Quote:
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I don't know what to do or what to say about this, but I thought I would post it anyhow...
Newspaper Uncovers Nightmare Scenario for Gay Teen in Foster Care http://www.advocate.com/youth/2012/1...en-foster-care |
Please, if you can, donate to the Red Cross to help the victims of the devastation of Hurricaine Sandy.
It is so simple: either Tweet #SandyHelp; text Redcross 90999; 800-435-7669 or go to www.RedCross.org. Any amount, no matter how small, helps. Your money provides water, hot meals and shelter for those that have lost everything. My tweet to donate took less than one minute. :rrose: |
HURRICANE SANDY FACTS NEW YORK:
*41 storm-related deaths in the city *176,540 city Con Ed customers without power Saturday *Nearly 1 million Con Ed customers without power statewide *57 city schools — home to 30,000+ students — closed due to storm damage until at least Wednesday *178 city schools with no electricity as of Friday *More than 80% of subway service restored as of Saturday *1,541 serious crimes committed in the city from Monday through Friday, down 31% from the same period last year *1 New York City Marathon canceled *8 million gallons of gas delivered to the city as of Saturday *23 million gallons of gas on the way *More than $18 billion in estimated economic losses statewide *More than 290,000 meals and 500,000 bottles of water distributed to storm victims *More than $10 million raised in donations for storm relief *17,000 tons of trash and debris picked up by city Sanitation crews *728 pieces of equipment used by Sanitation Department to clear debris, including 270 collection trucks, 234 mechanical brooms and 114 front-end loaders *$100 million state funds pledged to help reconstruction *36 state parks closed from storm damage, including 30 on Long Island *$100 million in damage to Jones Beach and Robert Moses State Park *30 joint state/FEMA response teams to fan out in storm impacted regions Monday http://m.nydailynews.com |
Just a reminder on election eve
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The Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization chaired by First Lady Mary Pat Christie to help New Jersey communities rebuild and aide in the relief effort. Thank you for your support. We are strong and resilient. We are proud New Jerseyans.
https://sandynjrelieffund.org/index.html https://www.facebook.com/sandynjrelief |
http://statenisland.ny1.com/content/...-polling-place
Gov. Cuomo signs executive order letting voters vote at ANY polling place. |
information!
--------------------- 4 Things you might not have known about your Cell Phone For all the folks with cell phones. (This should be printed and kept in your car, purse, and wallet. Good information to have with you.) There are a few things that can be done in times of grave emergencies. Your mobile phone can actually be a life saver or an emergency tool for survival. Check out the things that you can do with it: FIRST (Emergency) The Emergency Number worldwide for Mobile is 112. If you find yourself out of the coverage area of your mobile network and there is an Emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing network to establish the emergency number for you, and interestingly, this number 112 can be dialed even if the keypad is locked. Try it out. SECOND (Hidden Battery Power) Imagine your cell battery is very low. To activate, press the keys *3370#. Your cell phone will restart with this reserve and the instrument will show a 50% increase in battery. This reserve will get charged when you charge your cell phone next time. THIRD (How to disable a STOLEN mobile phone? ) To check your Mobile phone's serial number, key in the following Digits on your phone: *#06# . A 15-digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your handset. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe. If your phone is stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code. They will then be able to block your handset so even if the thief changes the SIM card, your phone will be totally useless. You probably won't get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can't use/sell it either. If everybody does this, there would be no point in people stealing mobile phones. And Finally.... FOURTH (Free Directory Service for Cells) Cell phone companies are charging us $1.00 to $1.75 or more for 411 information calls when they don't have to. Most of us do not carry a telephone directory in our vehicle, which makes this situation even more of a problem. When you need to use the 411 information option, simply dial: (800) FREE411 or (800) 373-3411 without incurring any charge at all. Program this into your cell phone now. This is sponsored by McDonald's. This is the kind of information people don't mind receiving, so pass it on to your family and friends. |
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http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/household/cellphones.asp |
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