Monthly Archives: July 2012

UC Riverside trying again for medical school

Posted on by

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) - The University of California, Riverside, is making a second bid for a 4-year medical school, saying it has obtained alternative financial backing worth about $10 million a year for a decade.

The university has operated a joint medical school program with UCLA for three decades. Its 25 students spend their first two years in Riverside and finish at UCLA.

The state refused to pay for a full medical school last year and it was denied national accreditation by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education.

The Los Angeles Times (http://lat.ms/NCpolL ) says school officials have now secured the $10 million-a-year alternative financing from private donors, local government and the UC system in hopes its first 50 students can enroll in fall 2013.

Information from: Los Angeles Times, http://www.latimes.com

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Read the rest here:

UC Riverside trying again for medical school

CSU medical school support snowballing

Posted on by

AN online campaign supporting Charles Sturt Universitys push for a medical school is closing in on its target of 25,000 supporters on its Facebook page.

Almost 17,000 people have now liked CSUs Doctors For The Bush page, supporting a campaign to bring more general practitioners to country areas and establishing a new medical school.

Thousands have also signed an online petition that states: I call on the Federal and NSW Governments to back CSUs plan to establish a Health and Medical Education Precinct in rural NSW and commit to providing $98 million in funding and 80 medical student places to make this a reality.

The online campaign is the latest plank in CSUs bid to pressure state and federal MPs to back CSUs ongoing push for an integrated medical school across the Bathurst and Orange campuses.

It would be a huge boost to both the reputation of the university and to regional health services, with figures showing that doctors who train in the bush are more likely to remain working in the bush after they graduate.

CSU has already submitted a detailed funding proposal to the Federal Government but though Coalition MPs at a state and federal level have been happy to pledge their support, the university has so far been unable to convince Regional Australia Minister Simon Crean of the plans benefits.

CSU last week confirmed NSW Health Minister Jillian Skinner had formally invited the university to start negotiations with the government on the student numbers, medical training requirements and infrastructure for a new medical school at CSU.

This is fantastic news, a post on the Facebook page said.

However, this is just a first step as final approval for a new school must be granted by the Federal Health Minister Tanya Plibersek.

Help us to show the government what rural people want. Today we start a campaign to get 25,000 signatures on our petition and 25,000 supporters on Facebook.

Go here to see the original:

CSU medical school support snowballing

Liberty University Campus, Students Star in New Film

Posted on by

Lynchburg, Va., has become the epicenter for the upcoming faith-based film, Finding Faith, and Liberty University is right at the heart of the project.Lynchburg, Va. (PRWEB) July 16, 2012 Lynchburg, Va., has become the epicenter for the upcoming faith-based film, Finding Faith, and Liberty University is right at the heart of the project.Finding Faith aims to educate families on the importance of ...

View post:

Liberty University Campus, Students Star in New Film

Liberty Energy Announces New Acreage in Bastrop County, Texas

Posted on by

HOUSTON, July 16, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Liberty Energy Corp. (LBYE) ("Liberty" or "the Company") announces further details on its new Bastrop County Acreage, Texas.

The Company is pleased to provide further details on its newly acquired acreage in Bastrop County, Texas. The Company can confirm having acquired two highly prospective leases in Bastrop County Texas. The combined leases measure approximately 300 acres and are situated in county that currently produces primarily from the Dale Lime, Austin Chalk, Buda and Edwards.

The Austin Chalk formation stretches 500km in length and 50km in width. The first wells were drilled in 1929 and the formation is still producing oil and gas in economically viable quantities today. New wells have IP'd (initial production) at over 1,200 barrels of oil per day (bopd)1 and with significant cumulative production make it one of the most prolific shale plays in the US. Given the cell size, mean numbers of cells, the mean EUR, and the success ratio, the Austin Chalk in the Outlying Areas Play is estimated to contain a mean of about 200 million barrels of oil (MMBO).2

The Eagle Ford has long been considered the "source rock" for hydrocarbons that are now found in the Austin Chalk formation across much of South Texas.3 Wells within the oil window across the play have experienced peak rates as high as 2,000 bopd, some with sustainable rates and others with steep declines. The oil reserves are estimated at 3 billion barrels of oil (BBO) with potential output of 420,000 bopd.4 Wells located in higher geo-pressured areas appear to be the most prolific producers. Most wells in the play are still producing in the transient flow regime and have not yet reached boundary dominated flow.3 There is also considerable variability among operators as to completion techniques and numerous examples of offset wells completed in one manner resulting in poor productivity with direct offsets completed in another with great success.3

The Company confirmed that based on typical costs, new Dale Lime/Austin Chalk wells can be drilled and completed with fracs for around $200,000, which includes the cost of surface equipment. Reserves are modeled with an estimated ultimate recovery of 10 thousand barrels of oil (MBO) per well and have historically been 13 MBO per well, based on 5 acre spacing.5

"We're planning to gather both geological and geophysical evaluations in addition to seismic data, which allows us to estimate the potential recoverable reserves. A thorough understanding of all information available to us will allow us to determine the best plan to further develop the lease with a high degree of accuracy," commented Ian Spowart, CEO of Liberty Energy Corp.

ABOUT LIBERTY: Liberty Energy Corp (LBYE) is an Independent Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Company dedicated to the sourcing and production of fuel supplies in the United States and Europe. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, the company has leases and royalties in both Texas and Bulgaria, covering several wells with extensive potential for future development. In Texas, Liberty owns twelve leases based around numerous geological pay zones. In North-West Bulgaria, Liberty has royalty rights to a 1,000,000+ acre natural gas property (the A-Lovech exploration block), an area of high quality, low-sulphur natural gas condensate. Through this combined international reach and domestic focus, Liberty Energy is committed to the development of US fuel reserves while seeking out further opportunities for the global energy markets.

Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Liberty Energy Corp. bases these forward-looking statements on current expectations and projections about future events, based on information currently available. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release may also include statements relating to Liberty Energy Corp.'s anticipated financial performance, business prospects, new developments, strategies and similar matters. Liberty Energy Corp. disclaims any obligation to update any of its forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS,

Liberty Energy Corp

See the original post here:

Liberty Energy Announces New Acreage in Bastrop County, Texas

Storage Town USA in Liberty Hill, Texas Adds U-Haul Rentals

Posted on by

LIBERTY HILL, Texas, July 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Michael Cece, owner of Storage Town USA, located at 10640 State Hwy. 29 W., recently added UHaul truck and trailer rentals to the storage business he has been operating since 2000.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090622/LA34860LOGO-b)

Click here to download the photo accompanying this press release.

Families needing the finest in moving services now will have increased convenience and a shorter distance to travel when moving, which not only will make their move easier but also will have the positive effect of reducing the amount of carbon emissions released into the atmosphere. U-Haul partnering with business owners across North America to increase convenience for customers while helping our environment is just one of the programs that support U-Haul Company's Corporate Sustainability initiatives.

Storage Town USA can now offer its customers a variety of moving equipment and supplies designed specifically for moving household furnishings, including moving vans, open trailers, closed trailers, furniture pads, appliance dollies, furniture dollies, tow dollies and auto transports. Storage Town USA also will offer sales items to protect their customers' belongings and make moving easier, such as heavy-duty boxes, which are made of up to 90 percent recycled content and are available in a variety of sizes.

"As this area continues to expand rapidly, I felt the need to expand our business and services to accommodate the fast-growing population here in Liberty Hill Texas," Cece said. "U-Haul being the leader in moving equipment and supplies was the obvious choice of companies to partner with."

"U-Haul is proud to be partnering with a quality independent business such as Storage Town USA," exclaimed Gary Bouillion, president, U-Haul Company of Austin. "Michael is a great example of the type of successful business relationship UHaul has established in order to build and maintain a strong network of more than 15,000 independent dealers across North America."

Learn more about Texas: http://www.uhaul.com/SuperGraphics/23/Venture-Across-America-and-Canada-Modern/Texas!

For more information, or to rent your moving equipment today, call 512-515-1543 and ask for Bobby Jamerson, manager. He will be happy to assist you with all your moving and storage needs. Visit http://www.storagetownusa.com. Business hours of operation are: Mon. Fri. 9 a.m. 5 p.m. and Sat. 9 a.m. 3 p.m.

About U-HaulU-Haul was founded by a Navy veteran who grew up during the Great Depression. Tires and gas were still rationed or in short supply during the late 1940s when U-Haul began serving U.S. customers. Today, that background is central to the U-Haul Sustainability Program: "Serving the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Our commitment to reduce, reuse and recycle includes fuel-efficient moving vans, neighborhood proximity, moving box reuse, moving pads made from discarded material and packing peanuts that are 100% biodegradable.Learn more about these facts and others at uhaul.com/sustainability.

More here:

Storage Town USA in Liberty Hill, Texas Adds U-Haul Rentals

Liberty Silver Announces Offer for Sennen Resources

Posted on by

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire -07/16/12)- Liberty Silver Corp. (LSL.TO)(LBSV) today announced an offer to acquire all the outstanding common shares of Sennen Resources Ltd. (SN.V), a junior mineral exploration company.

Under the offer, Sennen shareholders will receive 0.28 of a Liberty Silver common share for each Sennen common share, being an implied offer price per Sennen common share of $0.20. The offer represents a premium of 47.3% to the 20-day volume weighted average trading price ended July 13, 2012, being $0.135. This is also larger in comparison to the average take-over bid premium paid for mining companies listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and TSX Venture Exchange over the past 12 months of 34.8%. The offer is valued at $13.36 million.

According to Liberty Silver's estimates, the acquisition of Sennen and its financial resources at the offer price is comparable to Liberty Silver completing a private placement of its common shares at approximately $0.71.

Benefits of the offer to Sennen shareholders:

For full details of these benefits, go to the "Question-and-Answer" section of Liberty Silver's take-over-bid circular, filed today on SEDAR at http://www.sedar.com.

"Sennen represents a great opportunity for Liberty Silver at a time of growing consolidation in the global mining industry", Geoff Browne, Liberty Silver's chief executive officer, said. "Depressed valuations for junior mining companies alongside healthy precious metal prices have created an environment ideal for mergers and acquisitions activity."

Mr. Browne added: "Liberty Silver is well-placed to take advantage of these opportunities using our mitigated-risk approach to project evaluation and development. We are confident that the combination of Sennen's cash resources and Liberty Silver's skilled management team and proven risk-mitigation strategy will enable us to advance our promising Trinity Silver project in Nevada and to identify other low-risk projects."

The offer will be made by way of formal take-over-bid circular to be mailed to Sennen shareholders and will be subject to various conditions, including receipt of all required regulatory approvals and not less than 66 2/3% of the Sennen common shares being deposited under the offer and not withdrawn. Further details concerning the offer will be included in the formal offer and take-over-bid circular.

If the transaction is completed, Liberty Silver intends to replace the board and management of Sennen and Sennen's common shares will be delisted from the TSX Venture Exchange.

Liberty Silver has an experienced board of directors comprised of sophisticated and highly-accomplished individuals. Their collective experience and expertise sets Liberty Silver apart from its peers. The eight- member board includes Paul Haggis, one of Canada's most prominent and respected business leaders. Mr. Haggis was recently named chairman of Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. Mr. Browne, Liberty Silver's chairman and CEO, has over 35 years of experience in the financial services industry in Canada, the U.S. and the U.K.

Follow this link:

Liberty Silver Announces Offer for Sennen Resources

Libertarian candidate mulling write-in campaign

Posted on by

Libertarian Doug Marks might be pulling out of the race for the 33rd Senate District after informing supporters that his petition might not survive a challenge.

Marks told supporters Monday on his campaign's Facebook page that the "'parties in power'... have used their exclusionary tactics to have sufficient objections against my petitions to exclude me from having ballot access."

Marks, a Carpentersville village trustee, filed his petition June 25 to run against Republican nominee and Kane County Board Chairwoman Karen McConnaughay, who like many General Assembly candidates in the McHenry County area was running unopposed. Two challengers Kenneth Cabay of Lake in the Hills and James Abbott of Geneva filed the objection a week later on July 2.

He wrote that he will decide by month's end whether to mount a write-in campaign.

"I don't blame Karen or any of the GOP for using the system they put into place to exclude candidates that can beat the insider, pay 2 play [sic], big government types, but if Illinois expects to be a prosperous place to live, these antics have to be ended," Marks wrote.

His candidacy is still active on the Illinois State Board of Elections website with a note that an objection is pending. The board is in the process of hearing objections to candidacies to determine their validity.

Marks wrote that he has spent the past week considering running as a write-in candidate. He said he is still undecided, but would need at least $50,000, but that he has received commitments for less than one-third of that.

Under post-census redistricting, the 33rd Senate District covers Huntley, much of Lakewood, Crystal Lake and Lake in the Hills and western Algonquin, as well as parts of northern Kane County stretching south to Geneva.

The race is one of two with a objection pending. David McSweeney, Republican candidate for the 52nd House District, filed an objection to the petition of Dee Beaubien, who is seeking to run as an independent. She is the widow of Mark Beaubien, who represented the district from 1996 until his death in June 2011.

Under the new maps, the 52nd House District will cover southeastern McHenry County, including Cary and Fox River Grove, eastern Algonquin, Lake in the Hills and Crystal Lake, and parts of Lake, Cook and Kane counties.

See the rest here:

Libertarian candidate mulling write-in campaign

Borders & Southern Petroleum shares plunge 70pc after Falkland Islands well disappoints

Posted on by

Shares in UK oil explorer Borders & Southern Petroleum (Other OTC: BDRSF.PK - news) have plunged more than 70pc after the company reported disappointing results from its latest Falkland Islands well.

The company revealed in a statement on Monday morning that it had found found evidence of gas in the Stebbing well but not in quantities that were likely to be commercial.

Technical difficulties meant the well did not reach lower targets, a result it called "disappointing".

Borders & Southern's disappointment follows the company's initial success when its first well, also drilled south of the islands, found gas condensate, a liquid which often trades at a premium to crude oil.

Oil exploration by British companies off the Falklands is irritating old wounds with Argentina and tensions between it and Britain have been risen this year, the 30th anniversary of the war the two fought over the islands.

The British government tabled a White Paper last month officially pledging to defend the Falkland Islands and declared there would be "no weakening" in the country's resolve.

The Falklands look set to be transformed into a new oil producing region following an oil discovery made by another British firm, Rockhopper Exploration , two years ago off the north coast of the islands. Rockhopper signed a $1bn deal with Premier Oil (LSE: PMO.L - news) last Thursday to help fund the development of the oil field.

Borders & Southern, which is listed on the AIM index, is leading the charge to find oil off the south coast of the islands. The Stebbing well will now be plugged and abandoned, with the rig being assigned to Falkand Oil & Gas (Euronext: IXSOG.NX - news) .

The shares fell 44.25 - 71.1pc - to 18p in early trading.

Meanwhile, Tullow Oil (Stuttgart: 591219 - news) shares fell 1.3pc after the company revealed drilling operations in the Georgetown Block, Guyana, have ended "and the well will be plugged and abandoned at a depth of 4,876 metres, without reaching the primary objective".

Go here to read the rest:

Borders & Southern Petroleum shares plunge 70pc after Falkland Islands well disappoints

Eastday-Tokyo's islands stance harmful to ties

Posted on by

Tokyo's sensationalizing of the Diaoyu Islands issue will stir up nationalism within the country and help more right-wing politicians win seats in parliament, which will inevitably cast a long-term shadow over China-Japan ties, analysts warned.

The analysts made the remarks as the local government and cabinet are weighing plans to "buy" or "nationalize" the Diaoyu Islands, which have stood under Chinese sovereignty since ancient times.

Japanese politicians represented by Shintaro Ishihara, governor of Tokyo, have attempted to use the Diaoyu Islands issue as a tool to win support in future elections, said Liu Jiangyong, an expert on Japanese studies from Tsinghua University.

Hawkish right-wing politicians such as Ishihara use the Diaoyu Islands issue to raise nationalism among the Japanese public, Liu said. This will negatively affect Sino-Japanese relations, he added.

Liu's comments came on the heels of Japanese Ambassador Uichiro Niwa's return to Beijing on Monday after being summoned to Japan on Sunday by the country's foreign ministry.

The Japanese embassy in China confirmed Niwa's arrival with China Daily, but refused to say whether or when he will communicate with China.

Diplomatic sources said Niwa will convey the messages with China in an informal way.

Niwa on Sunday discussed "new trends" and countermeasures concerning the Diaoyu Islands with Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba, according to Japan's Kyodo News Agency.

Gemba instructed Niwa to "properly explain Japan's stance to China" toward the disputed islands when he returned to Beijing.

"The Foreign Ministry claimed Niwa's return to Japan is not a 'recall' aimed at protesting against China. However, a temporary visit home, as a diplomatic convention, is often used as a countermeasure," Kyodo said.

Continue reading here:

Eastday-Tokyo's islands stance harmful to ties

Research Validates BioNano Genomics’ Mapping Platform for Complex Human Genome Analysis

Posted on by

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

In a paper published today in Nature Biotechnology, researchers at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Institute for Human Genetics and Cardiovascular Research Institute demonstrated the utility of the Irys platform from BioNano Genomics for structural variation analysis and de novo assembly of next generation sequencing (NGS) data. Using Irys, the authors were able to accurately map and comprehensively analyze structural variation in the human major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region, which is associated with autoimmune and infectious diseases.

While the idea of using physical genome maps has been around for some time, the methods available have not been able to accurately address complex regions in humans, said Pui-Yan Kwok, MD, PhD, senior author and Henry Bachrach Distinguished Professor at the UCSF School of Medicine. BioNanos approach brings us one step closer to fully understanding the relevance of genetic variation in studies of new pathogens, complex metagenomics, and cancer genomes, where copy number variation and structural variation are abundant.

Complex genomes contain highly repetitive sequences and prove challenging for whole genome assembly. The MHC region is notoriously difficult to study owing to its large number of genes, repetitive sequences, extreme variation and pseudogenes. While advances have been made to short read sequencing methods attempting to address complex genomes, such methods have not performed well in repetitive regions and do not readily resolve haplotypes or localize structural variants precisely.

Irys is a multiplex-capable, scalable platform that uses a proprietary chip to uncoil and confine long DNA molecules in nanochannels, causing them to spontaneously and uniformly linearize for high-resolution, single-molecule imaging. Irys eliminates the DNA fragmentation and amplification steps typical with NGS, resulting in read lengths of hundreds of kilobases to megabases. These extremely long read lengths preserve the valuable structural information inherent in the sample, making it possible to directly observe structural variants including translocations and inversions. The system automates sample processing and imaging to provide a simple technique for genome mapping by labs of any size or level of expertise.

The BioNano approach to genome mapping achieves uniform DNA stretching in a high throughput format, allowing researchers to directly view genome variation in the full biological context, said Dr. Erik Holmlin, CEO of BioNano Genomics. This paper demonstrates how the Irys system provides a completely new data type that opens the door to more accurate and comprehensive structural variation discovery studies and improves our ability to achieve higher quality sequence assemblies.

Study Findings

Results showed that sequence motif maps generated by the Irys system provide useful scaffolds for de novo assembly of sequencing data generated from structurally complex regions for identifying misassemblies, characterization of structural variants and retention of haplotype phasing.

To demonstrate the utility of this approach, the authors constructed sequence motif maps of 95 bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones covering the 4.7 Mb MHC region from two individuals (PDF and COX libraries used by the MHC Haplotype Consortium). Subsequently, they performed de novo sequence assembly using NGS reads. The maps and NGS contigs were then compared to the reference sequences reported by the MHC Haplotype Consortium as confirmation and to uncover potential differences.

Employing this method, the study found and confirmed a number of interesting genomic features, including a 4kb error in one reference sequence, anchoring and gap sizing of four NGS contigs, identification of misassembled NGS contigs, differentiation of the two HLA-DRB1 variants, and definition of numerous structural variants, such as a 5kb insertion and 30kb tandem duplication. The authors further concluded that the Irys is scalable to a variety of genome analyses including large-scale, whole genomes based on throughputs achieved in the study of >300 Mb per scan.

Continued here:

Research Validates BioNano Genomics’ Mapping Platform for Complex Human Genome Analysis

Repealing Health Law Would Mean More Benefits for Members of Congress – Video

Posted on by

16-07-2012 07:54 Watch our new video featuring Republican Members of Congress denying that they voted to protect taxpayer funded health care benefits for themselves, while repealing critical patient protections for the middle class and doing nothing to create jobs. Before last week's repeal vote, The Hill newspaper found that repealing the Affordable Care Act would "let members of Congress keep their government-subsidized insurance coverage after they retire -- a benefit they lost under the health law." The Hill found that "a Republican amendment to the Affordable Care Act -- kicked members of Congress and their aides out of the healthcare program for federal employees. Instead, lawmakers and staff have to get coverage through the insurance exchanges created by the healthcare law. Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), who championed that provision, said it ensures that lawmakers live under the same rules as their constituents."

Originally posted here:

Repealing Health Law Would Mean More Benefits for Members of Congress - Video

Health Care Reform Rebates For Health Insurance Costs Rolling In

Posted on by

When Laird Le found a check for $70.02 in the mail, he wasn't quite sure why. Turns out, he's one of the estimated 13 million Americans that will receive a rebate on their health insurance premiums as a result of the health care reform law recently upheld by the Supreme Court.

Look inside your mailbox: By the end of the month, you could be getting one of these refunds, which are are expected to total $1.1 billion this year. Health insurance companies have begun sending letters to customers informing them of a new rule requiring them to spend at least 80 percent of the premiums they receive on actual medical care, not on overhead, advertising, profits or other costs. Health insurers must cite the health care reform law, known as the Affordable Care Act, in the letter.

Le, a 35-year-old self-employed information technology consultant in Chicago, didn't know about the new rules until he got the check from UnitedHealth Group subsidiary Golden Rule Insurance Company. "I was pretty surprised," Le said. At first, he was afraid the company was canceling his plan, which costs about $160 a month. Once he realized what it was, getting a check like that was "powerful," he said. "I wouldn't have gotten a penny if it wasn't for the law."

The authors of President Barack Obama's health care reform law aim to pressure health insurance companies to cut down on administrative costs and other expenses and to prevent them from raising premiums to maximize profits. The idea is to eliminate waste by health plans so they charge lower premiums in the future, said Blake Hutson, a health care advocate with Consumers Union in Austin, Texas.

"It's a way to increase value in health insurance," Hutson said. "What the rule does is encourage insurance companies to operate more efficiently."

"Insurance companies that are paying rebates now, they either charged you too much or they didn't spend enough of your money on things that benefit customers," he said, noting that health insurance companies are already reducing expenses or lowering premiums to comply with the rule. In the future, he predicted, more plans will do these things to avoid paying rebates. "We're starting to see some of the tangible benefits of the law," he said.

Health insurance companies selling plans to small-business workers and individuals who buy coverage on their own have to spend at least 80 percent of the premiums they collect on medical care. For health insurance from a larger employer, the standard is 85 percent. Since last year, health insurance companies have been required to publicly disclose what share of premiums actually goes to medical treatments for customers and from now on must refund the difference to individual customers or their employers.

More than 30 percent of people who buy health insurance on their own will be owed rebates this year, according to an analysis conducted by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation of Menlo Park, Calif., in April. The foundation isn't affiliated with the health insurance company Kaiser Permanente.

The health insurance industry protests that capping their profits does nothing to address rising prices for medical services and products. Health insurance companies refer to the difference between premiums collected and claims paid as the "medical loss ratio" and the Obama administration describes its new standard as the "80/20 rule."

Employers and workers who get health benefits from their jobs will see most of money from the rebates, the Kaiser Family Foundation reported. So-called "self-insured" employers that directly pay for workers' medical expenses and contract with a health plan solely for administrative work won't get rebates.

Read more here:

Health Care Reform Rebates For Health Insurance Costs Rolling In

Repealing Obama's health care law won't be easy

Posted on by

By ANDREW TAYLOR Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) - Yes, if Mitt Romney wins the White House and his Republican allies retake the Senate, he could shred most of President Barack Obama's health care law without having to overpower a Democratic filibuster.

But it won't be as easy as some Republicans portend, and it certainly won't be quick.

Why?

Because any realistic effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act - as opposed to last week's quixotic vote in the GOP-controlled House - is sure to get jumbled together with lots of other issues, including Medicare, taxes, food stamps and defense spending.

And that's because Republicans have to first pass a budget. It's the only way than can invoke special Senate rules that allow legislation to pass with just a simple majority vote - instead of the 60 votes needed in the 100-member Senate to beat a filibuster.

Passing a budget requires answering a raft of questions unrelated to the relatively simple idea of repealing "Obamacare." How much to cut the deficit? Should Medicare be overhauled and Medicaid bear sharp cuts? Is it realistic to sharply boost defense programs, as Romney would like, in such an atmosphere?

The first step is to pass a budget resolution - a nonbinding, broad-brush outline of budget goals like cutting or increasing taxes, or slowing increases in Medicare. A budget resolution sets the terms for follow-up legislation that's called a reconciliation bill in Washington argot.

Two years ago, Democrats used a reconciliation bill to finalize the health care law with a 56-43, party-line vote in the Senate.

Republicans have a problem in that there's a lot more on their agenda than just repealing the health care law, and it's all going to have to be crammed into a budget resolution and follow-up reconciliation bill, too.

See the original post:

Repealing Obama's health care law won't be easy

GE Free Lake County hosts film screening

Posted on by

FINLEY -- GE Free Lake County presents a screening of the film "Fed Up! Genetic Engineering, Industrial Agriculture and Sustainable Alternatives" by Angelo Sacerdote, 7 to 9 p.m. July 29 at the Big Valley Grange, located at 1510 Big Valley Road in Finley.

The film addresses the biotechnology industry's opposition to labeling and its claim that only genetically engineered crops and the chemicals they require in order to grow can offer hope to poor Third World farmers and the hungry people in those countries.

Popcorn and light refreshments will be served. For more information contact Thurston Williams at 275-9315 or Haji Warf at 275-9527.

More:

GE Free Lake County hosts film screening