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Liberty Ross Wants To Reconcile With Rupert Sanders ‘For The Kids’
Neglected dogs, horses found at Liberty County home recovering
The malnourished animals found packed inside a Liberty County home, where 15 dogs, two horses and a 1-year-old baby were discovered living in filth this week, are getting medical attention as they await future court proceedings to decide their fate.
On Tuesday evening , a 1-year-old baby was found in a dirty, hot house after Liberty County Sheriff's Office officials responded to an animal cruelty report at 105 County Road 2802 in Cleveland. A horse was found dead and other sickly animals were found on the property.
The Houston SPCA rescued the dogs, four of which were puppies, and two horses from the property on Wednesday. Tara Yurkshat, Houston SPCA vice president of animal welfare, said Thursday that each animal is now on an individual medical plan. Many were under-weight, some were heart-worm positive and many had general eye and skin infections. One of the recovered horses has an injury to a hoof.
The animals were visibly underfed when the crews took them from the house, which reeked of a foul stench, with their ribs showing.
Read more: Couple from filthy home on probation over kids
The SPCA is taking care of the animals, now considered wards of the state, while the courts decide the fate of the animals. They are not available for adoption at this time.
"Basically, we are their caretakers until we know the next step for them," Yurkshat said. "They are resting, comfortable, getting food and water and TLC. That's what they really need."
The little girl was also found in the rural house, among trash, roaches, drinking from a dirty bottle with spoiled milk. Her parents were already on probation for a previous injury to a child charge, and had five children taken from their care.
Captain Rex Evans with the Liberty County Sheriff's Office said deputies still consider the child's father Aaron Parker a person of interest and would like to talk to him about the house and his baby. Parker is not considered a suspect at this time. The child's mother Mabel Larsen is in custody facing an animal cruelty charge, with additional charges pending.
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Neglected dogs, horses found at Liberty County home recovering
Group seeks to get Libertarian Party's presidential candidate on Oklahoma's ballot
Copyright 2010. The Associated Press. Produced by NewsOK.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Libertarian Party presidential candidate Gary Johnson could be on Oklahoma's presidential ballot this year. But he won't be listed as being with the Libertarian Party.
Oklahoma members of the newly formed American Elect party met recently and they agreed to have Johnson and his vice presidential running mate, James Gray, listed as their party's nominees.
But officials with the national Americans Elect party aren't happy about the development. They have notified Oklahoma election officials that the party will not have a presidential or vice presidential candidate or any other candidates on the Nov. 6 ballot.
Kahil Byrd, a director of the Americans Elect party, said the party wrote election officials Monday that the party is withdrawing its ballot line on the Nov. 6 ballot and is terminating its status as a qualified party in Oklahoma.
Tuesday, Rex Lawhorn, Oklahoma chairman of the Americans Elect Party, submitted his party's seven electors for the presidential election, putting state Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax in a quandary.
This is a very unusual situation, so we are seeking legal advice from our counsel at the attorney general's office about how to proceed, Ziriax said.
Ziriax won't comment further. Regardless of how the attorney general's office advises, it's expected either the national or state group will file a legal challenge.
Ziriaz said he expects to get a legal recommendation in the next couple weeks. State election officials have to send ballots by early September to printers in order to get them mailed to military members and others living in other countries by Sept. 21, or 45 days before the Nov. 6 election, to comply with federal law.
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Group seeks to get Libertarian Party's presidential candidate on Oklahoma's ballot
Islands spat flares up between South Korea and Japan
The Dokdo, or Takeshima islands are rich in fish and maybe gas, but lie in disputed waters almost slap-dash in the middle between South Korea and Japan.
It is a long-simmering dispute. South Korea insists the Dokdo are theirs, and now the head of state has made an unprecedented visit, and ambassadors have been recalled.
If its true, that would run counter to Japans stance on Takeshima and it would be extremely regrettable. We strongly urge South Korea to call off this visit. We are now already strongly asking South Korea to call off the visit, said Japanese cabinet secretary Osamu Fujimura on hearing the news.
In Seoul, just hours before their national football side plays Japan in the Olympic final, some people feel like they are one-nil up already.
Its our territory. So its quite natural that our president visits there. If other countries say anything against it, it should be an infringement of sovereignty, said one man.
Its natural that President Lee Myung-bak visits the islands and hes doing the right thing, agreed another man. However, from the diplomatic point of view, Japan might take actions against us economically or there might be diplomatic problems, he added.
South Korea controls the islands with a coastguard station. The visit also comes shortly before the anniversary of the end of Japanese colonial rule.
Copyright 2012 euronews
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S. Korean leader due to visit disputed islands
SEOUL (AFP) - South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak is expected later Friday to visit islands at the heart of a territorial dispute with Japan, his spokeswoman said, a trip set to ignite a sharp diplomatic row with Tokyo.
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S. Korea leader visits disputed islands: report
SEOUL (AFP) - South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak landed Friday on remote islands at the heart of a territorial dispute with Japan, according to news reports, on an unprecedented visit which stirred anger in Tokyo.
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Japan and South Korea Lock Horns Over Islands, China Steers Clear
Just because most Americans can't tell them apart doesn't mean the South Koreans and the Japanese don't have their differences. This Friday, Japan recalled its ambassador to South Korea after South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak paid an official visit to a small group of islands located smack-dab in the middle of the Sea of Japan. Or the East Sea of Korea, as the South Koreans call it.
Absent from this territorial dispute is China, who has been known, of late, to engage in naval disputes wuth neighbors over territory it claims as its own.
The islands, called the Dokdo Islands in Korean, the Takeshima Islands in Japanese, and Liancourt Rocks in English, have been part of a territorial dispute between South Korea and Japan since Korea gained its independence from Japan after World War Two.
South Koreans are reportedly passionate about the issue, and claim the islands have always been part of their motherland.The only current residents of the island are an old woman, her husband, and the South Korean Coast Guard. But the islands are also home to an abundance of fish, in which Japan is extremely interested, and to recently discovered reserves of natural gas, which would be worth billions of dollars.
Territorial disputes are common in this region, given the vast number of tiny islands, according to Harvard Professor of Japanese History David Howell. "These disputes are more visible now that China is exerting a naval influence," he said. "For most Japanese people, the status of some islands in the southern Okinawa is a much more powerful issue [than the Takeshima islands]."
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Howell said he'd be surprised if China got involved with these islands. China, after all, is busy disputing Ieodo Island with South Korea, and a whole host of other islands between China and Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Japan."
Howell also said China might be staying out of this spat strategically: "Getting involved one way or the other would highlight the ambiguity of these territorial claims in general," he said, "and that might undermine some of China's other claims to other islands."
But howell also does not think things are likely to get too hot between Japan and South Korea. "Recalling the ambassador is not a big deal," he said. "In South Korea this issue is a big deal, but from the Japanese side, they wouldn't want relations with South Korea to get sour over this."
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Japan and South Korea Lock Horns Over Islands, China Steers Clear
Kermadecs Islands: A Serendipitous `Event'
Kermadecs Islands: A Serendipitous `Event'
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William and Kate to visit Pacific Islands: palace
Britain's Prince William and his wife Catherine will visit the Pacific Islands of Solomon and Tuvalu in September as part of a tour marking the queen's Diamond Jubilee, the palace said.
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Japan recalls envoy after South Korea's Lee visits disputed islands
SEOUL (Reuters) - Japan recalled its ambassador to South Korea on Friday after South Korean President Lee Myung-bak visited disputed islands believed to contain frozen natural gas deposits potentially worth billions of dollars. Lee is the first South Korean leader to make the trip to the islands that have been a persistent irritant in relations between the two countries even after they moved on ...
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Japan recalls envoy after South Korea's Lee visits disputed islands
S. Korea's Lee visits disputed islands, Japan recalls envoy
South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak paid a surprise visit Friday to islands at the centre of a decades-long territorial dispute with Japan, which recalled its ambassador from Seoul in protest.
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Fmr. Rep. Grayson on GOP health care policy: ‘Only thing Romney cares about is money’ – Video
09-08-2012 21:12 Cenk talks to former Rep. Alan Grayson (and current candidate in Florida) about the real cost of businesses cutting back -- or cutting loose -- employees' health care plans Tune in Weeknights at 7e/4p on Current TV
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Fmr. Rep. Grayson on GOP health care policy: 'Only thing Romney cares about is money' - Video
Formal opening ceremony for Generations Family Health Care – Video
09-08-2012 13:07 Generations Family Health Center ceremony
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Formal opening ceremony for Generations Family Health Care - Video
Report: Major cities not prepared for growing retiree health costs
Story by Corey G. Johnson
Most major California cities are failing to address the growing health care costs of government retirees, which have ballooned to more than $1 billion in some areas and soon could threaten municipalities' ability to pay other expenses, according to a recent financial analysis by a nonprofit research group.
Eleven of 20 California cities with the biggest budgets do not set aside funds for future health care costs, thestudyby California Common Sense found.
Those cities San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento, Redding, Santa Ana, Long Beach, Glendale, Fresno, Riverside, Pasadena and Santa Monica work under pay-as-you-go systems, meaning they pay benefits from their current operating budgets and do not accumulate funds for future payments.
Combined, all 20 cities have promised $16 billion in future non-pension benefits, and $12 billion of that remains unfunded. The 11 pay-as-you-go cities are losing $2.2 billion in savings by not setting aside money, the analysis found.The $2.2 billion figure is derived from an estimate of each city's potential investment earnings at the 7.61 percent return rate set by the California Public Employees' Retirement System.
San Francisco, which is obligated to pay $4.4 billion for its current and future retired public workers' health care costs, is the state's biggest city that doesn't set aside money to help finance benefit payments.
Los Angeles, on the other hand, puts close to 59 percent of its future costs in a trust to begin drawing interest. Other cities that pay toward future costs include San Jose, San Diego, Anaheim, Roseville, Palo Alto, Bakersfield, Burbank and Santa Clara.
The analysis also concluded that retiree health care costs are consuming more of municipalities' operating budgets and aren't likely to decrease because retirees are living longer and fees for medical services are rising. Since 2008, retireebenefit costs have increased by 36 percent.
Such costs are beginning to have an impact. San Jose, for example, spent close to 8 percent of its operating budget on retiree benefits last year a dramatic 43 percent jump from what it spent three years ago.
The city of Stockton didn't put funds aside, so it didn't earn additional funds to help pay its retiree health benefit debts. Two years ago, Stockton faced a $410 million tab for current and future health care costs for its retired public workers. This came as the city was struggling to pay down a long-term pension debt of $1.3 billion.
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Report: Major cities not prepared for growing retiree health costs
Report: Sacramento not prepared for growing retiree health costs
Written by California Watch
By Corey Johnson, California Watch
SACRAMENTO -- Most major California cities are failing to address the growing health care costs of government retirees, which have ballooned to more than $1 billion in some areas and soon could threaten municipalities' ability to pay other expenses, according to a recent financial analysis by a nonprofit research group.
Eleven of 20 California cities with the biggest budgets do not set aside funds for future health care costs, the study by California Common Sense found.
Those cities - San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento, Redding, Santa Ana, Long Beach, Glendale, Fresno, Riverside, Pasadena and Santa Monica - work under pay-as-you-go systems, meaning they pay benefits from their current operating budgets and do not accumulate funds for future payments.
Combined, all 20 cities have promised $16 billion in future non-pension benefits, and $12 billion of that remains unfunded. The 11 pay-as-you-go cities are losing $2.2 billion in savings by not setting aside money, the analysis found. The $2.2 billion figure is derived from an estimate of each city's potential investment earnings at the 7.61 percent return rate set by the California Public Employees' Retirement System.
San Francisco, which is obligated to pay $4.4 billion for its current and future retired public workers' health care costs, is the state's biggest city that doesn't set aside money to help finance benefit payments.
Los Angeles, on the other hand, puts close to 59 percent of its future costs in a trust to begin drawing interest. Other cities that pay toward future costs include San Jose, San Diego, Anaheim, Roseville, Palo Alto, Bakersfield, Burbank and Santa Clara.
The analysis also concluded that retiree health care costs are consuming more of municipalities' operating budgets and aren't likely to decrease because retirees are living longer and fees for medical services are rising. Since 2008, retiree benefit costs have increased by 36 percent.
Such costs are beginning to have an impact. San Jose, for example, spent close to 8 percent of its operating budget on retiree benefits last year - a dramatic 43 percent jump from what it spent three years ago.
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Report: Sacramento not prepared for growing retiree health costs
Health care law's tax hikes are coming: Will you have to pay?
WASHINGTON Who gets thumped by higher taxes in President Barack Obama's health care law? The wealthiest 2 percent of Americans will take the biggest hit, starting next year. And the pain will be shared by some who aren't so well off people swept up in a hodgepodge of smaller tax changes that will help finance health coverage for millions in need.
For the vast majority of people, however, the health care law won't mean sending more money to the IRS. And roughly 20 million people eventually will benefit from tax credits that start in 2014 to help them pay insurance premiums.
Lots of the noise is about the financial consequences for people who decline to get coverage and businesses that don't offer their workers an adequate health plan. Some 4 million individuals without insurance are expected to pay about $55 billion over eight years, according to the Congressional Budget Office's estimates. Employers could be dinged an estimated $106 billion for failing to meet the mandate, which starts in 2014.
But that mandate money, whether it's called taxes or penalties, is overwhelmed by other taxes, fees and shrunken tax breaks in the law. These other levies could top $675 billion over the next 10 years, under the CBO's projections of how much revenue the government would lose if the law were repealed.
The biggest chunk is in new taxes on the nation's top 2 percent of earners some $318 billion over a decade.
Other major taxes are aimed at the health care industry, and some of that cost is sure to be passed along to consumers as higher prices.
A rundown of the most significant tax changes and who pays:
THE 2 PERCENT
ARTIFICIAL-SUN WORSHIPERS
THE "CADILLACS" OF COVERAGE
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Health care law's tax hikes are coming: Will you have to pay?
Health care workers protest contract
NORWICH, Conn. (WTNH) -- Health care workers in Norwich hit the picket line today Friday after contract talks broke down with their company Whole Life, a residential facility for people with special needs.
They provide care and help all day long, but these health care workers don't feel like they're getting much care and help from their employer. They've been negotiating a new contract with Whole Life Inc. for months, then things took a bad turn.
"Recently their employer took the unprecedented and illegal step of simply implementing the contract provisions that she wasn't able to implement otherwise," said Deborah Chernoff of the New England Health Care Employees Union.
In other words, without a new contract, Whole Life cut pay, cut holidays, and told employees they would have to pay more for their own health care,
"It's absolutely ridiculous and it's going to affect my family and all of these people's families," said Whole Life employee Lori Forbes.
"Basically, we're struggling as it is," Sheila Eldridge said. "They take this stuff away from us, we're not gonna make it."
The company these folks work for, Whole Life Inc., provides care and services for people with special needs and developmental disabilities. The state usually provides those, but the state contracts out to Whole Life thinking a private company can do it cheaper.
"They have an obligation since they are taking a lot of public money to make sure we support quality jobs," Chernoff said.
Today's event was not a strike. Workers here came on their own time to try to draw attention to the contract dispute, here at the Norwich facility and at Whole Life branches all over the state.
News 8 has calls into Whole Life for their side of the dispute. We have not heard back.
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Health Reform Brings Standard Consumer Disclosures
Beginning next month, consumers will receive two new documents designed to make health insurance a lot clearer than ever before. By standardizing what health plans say about their policies and the language they use to say it, health care reform planners hope to usher in substantial improvements in public understanding of health coverage.
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UnitedHealthcare Recognizes Tennessee Primary Care Association for Its Commitment to Providing People in Tennessee …
BRENTWOOD, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
During National Health Center Week UnitedHealthcare is recognizing Tennessee Primary Care Association (TPCA) for its commitment to providing access to quality health care for economically and medically disadvantaged people living in Tennessee.
This acknowledgement illustrates UnitedHealthcares support of our mission to improve access to primary health care for people facing medical and economic challenges. It also highlights our joint commitment to help people live healthier lives - no matter their current health situation, said Kathy Wood-Dobbins, CEO for the TPCA, which provides leadership, advocacy and support as the voice for Tennessees community health centers.
The recognition is given to Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) that combine superior clinical care and excellent patient support. Health care professionals at these facilities provide Medicaid beneficiaries with access to care that is uniquely designed to address the sometimes complex needs of people living with chronic conditions, and people with high-risk medical, behavioral or social challenges.
United Health Foundation, a private, not-for-profit foundation, provides financial and clinical support to community health centers across the nation as part of its mission to improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of medical outcomes, expand access to health care services for people in challenging circumstances and for the well-being of communities. In total, the Foundation has committed more than $34 million to community health centers since 2003.
Tennessee Primary Care Association is being recognized for its commitment to patients during some of the most critical points of care, whether they are living with a chronic condition, a disability or their newborn is in need of intensive care, said Scott Bowers, president of UnitedHealthcare Community Plan in Tennessee. We commend Tennessee Primary Care Association for its continuing excellence in providing the kind of quality care Medicaid beneficiaries deserve.
About UnitedHealthcare UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 650,000 physicians and care professionals and 5,000 hospitals nationwide. UnitedHealthcare serves more than 38 million people and is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company.
About United Health Foundation Guided by a passion to help people live healthier lives, United Health Foundation provides helpful information to support decisions that lead to better health outcomes and healthier communities. The Foundation also supports activities that expand access to quality health care services for those in challenging circumstances and partners with others to improve the well-being of communities. After its establishment by UnitedHealth Group [NYSE: UNH] in 1999 as a not-for-profit, private foundation, the Foundation has committed more than $200 million to improve health and health care. For additional information, please visit http://www.unitedhealthfoundation.org.
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Millions of Fish-Killing Plastic Pellets Wash Up on Hong Kong Beaches
Have you ever heard of a nurdle? Me neither—until I read a Discovery story that, “Chinese oil major Sinopec on Thursday offered to help pay to clean up tonnes of plastic pellets that have fouled Hong Kong beaches since a spill at sea during a typhoon two weeks ago.”
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Millions of Fish-Killing Plastic Pellets Wash Up on Hong Kong Beaches