Rand Paul stakes out libertarian claim

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Story highlights Rand Paul kicks off his first event in Iowa this year with events that appeal to libertarian-minded voters Effort builds on the foundation that his father established in the state during his 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns

In his first trip to Iowa this year, just under a year before the caucuses, the Kentucky Republican and potential presidential candidate ventured into familiar territory, rallying young voters and libertarian-minded supporters who turned out big for his father's presidential campaigns.

Paul found friendly audiences at the end of a stormy week filled with negative headlines over comments he made about vaccinations and swirling controversy involving one of his advisers in Iowa.

The crowds this weekend were a marked contrast to the social conservative audience that packed a Des Moines theater two weeks ago to hear 10 hours of speeches from a hoard of other potential candidates at the Iowa Freedom Summit.

The Federal Reserve was hardly mentioned at that event, and the rhetoric on war and the fight against ISIS was more forceful and hawkish that the positions Paul took this weekend.

'One loud voice'

Last fall, the senator struggled to communicate his stance on the war against terror. At first he urged restraint against ISIS, but after American journalists were beheaded by the group, Paul began supporting limited action.

He eventually, in a committee vote, voted "no" to authorizing war against ISIS, saying he felt the bill was too open-ended, and it was a vote he stood proudly by this weekend as he used it to separate himself from his potential competitors.

"You're going to get a choice on who the nominee is for the Republican Party. You're going to have nine, 10, 15, 20 who are eager to go and want troops on the ground," he said at the "Audit the Fed" rally Friday, which took place at a winery in Des Moines. "They want 100,000 troops on the ground. Right now. In all the countries."

"I can tell you there will be one loud voice in our party saying, think of the unintended consequence. Think about what we're going to accomplish and whether it will work before we go to war.' I promise you that will always be something I take very, very seriously."

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Rand Paul stakes out libertarian claim

In Iowa, Rand Paul Returns to His Roots

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AMES, IowaIn a tour this weekend across central Iowa, Sen. Rand Paul (R., Ky.) delivered a trio of wide-ranging speeches heavy on the themes of personal liberty, smaller government, tighter monetary policy and a less bellicose role on the world stage.

It was, in other words, a return to his libertarian roots.

Mr. Paul spoke to three receptive crowds in Des Moines, Marshalltown and Ames, delivering speeches heavy on the libertarian themes that helped propel his father, former Rep. Ron Paul, into the national spotlight during his two presidential runs.

Though Iowa is known more for the power of traditional conservative activists concerned about family values and social policy, Mr. Paul called for a more thoughtful American foreign policy, praised the Obama administration for efforts to reduce the penalties for nonviolent drug users and called formajor new changes to the Federal Reserves banking practices.

In his approach to the state, Mr. Paul is hoping to improve on his fathers two disappointing showings in the first-in-the-nation presidential contest. In 2008, the elder Mr. Paul finished fifth in the caucuses and failed to crack 10% of the vote. In 2012, he improved to third, drawing about 21% of the vote. Social conservative darlings Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum, who campaigned on family values,won in 2008 and 2012, respectively.

Mr. Paul has long walked a tightrope between staying true to many of the libertarian principles and ideas that made his father a thorn in the side of the GOP establishment, while trying to grow that coalition to include young people, minorities and other voters typically not inclined to support Republican candidates.

Theres a great opportunity for us to reach out to new people who havent been interested in the Republican message if we are the party that believes in justice; we are the party that believes you are innocent until proven guilty, Mr. Paul told a group of college students at Iowa State, during a speech in which he criticized National Security Agency wiretapping and free-speech zones on college campuses, and hit a variety of other privacy themes.

This weekends trip was on Mr. Pauls terms. He was noticeably absent from the Iowa Freedom Summit last month where nearly two dozen other party leaders, including many potential presidential candidates, showed up to speak to conservative activists. Instead, he came to the state two weeks later, without having to jostle with any other GOP candidates for press coverage, stage time or voter attention.

The Kentucky Republican arrived in Iowa after a challenging week in Washington where he found himself on the defensive over his stance on the safety of vaccinations and whether such inoculations should be mandatory.Mr. Pauls view is that most childhood vaccines should be voluntary, a view that thrilled some libertarian conservatives.He used the trip to further fire up his fathers longtime supporters.

Hes more likely to describe himself as a constitutional conservative than a libertarian, but on Friday he tossed red meat to a constituency near and dear to his fathers heart: the voters who want to bring more transparency to the Federal Reserve. In remarks to an older crowd at a Des Moines winery, Mr. Paul raised concerns about the state of the U.S. currency and pinned the blame on the Fed.

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In Iowa, Rand Paul Returns to His Roots

Beautiful northern lights (full HD time-lapse), Lofoten islands, Norway – Video

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Beautiful northern lights (full HD time-lapse), Lofoten islands, Norway
All shots in this video were made around the polar light center in Laukvik at the Lofoten islands. Visit there website for more information! http://www.polarlightcenter.com/ The time-lapses...

By: Ramon Oost

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Beautiful northern lights (full HD time-lapse), Lofoten islands, Norway - Video

The 19 best Greek islands

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Best for beaches - Zakynthos

The Ionian Islands can't be beaten for sandy beaches backed by dramatic coastlines. Myrtos Beach on Kefalonia and Porto Katsiki on Lefkada are among the most photogenic, but Shipwreck Bay on Zakythos, only accessible by boat, trumps them both - even if it does get a bit crowded.

"Visitors to Zakynthos should avoid the boozy corners of the south coast and stick to the beautiful, unspoilt north and mountainous west of the island," says Telegraph Travel's Joanna Symons. "Or base yourself on the pine-forested Vasilikos peninsula in the south-east, most of which has been protected from large-scale development because of the loggerhead turtles that breed on Gerakas beach."

Gerakas itself is "a perfect curve of golden sand", she adds. "Those turtles know how to pick a good spot."

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The 19 best Greek islands

NIWA: Whale tales from the edge of Antarctica

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Researchers aboard RV Tangaroa have encountered humpback whales at the Balleny Islands deep in the Southern Ocean and are on the track of the worlds largest mammal, the blue whale.

Voyage leader Dr Richard ODriscoll said Tangaroa surveyed whale, krill and fish around most of the islands coasts except where they were hampered by sea ice.

"Numerous humpback whales were observed, particularly around Buckle Island (the middle island), and acoustic data showed aggregations of Antarctic krill in the upper 200 metres of the water," Dr ODriscoll reported from the ship.

"Biopsy samples were taken from seven humpback whales, and we also trawled for food species, netting krill and jellyfish, some grenadiers (rattails), small Antarctic cods and lanternfish."

The first two blue whales were sighted and photographed between Buckle and Sturge Islands. "This was a great thrill, and hopefully a good omen for the next phase of the voyage," he said. The Australian Antarctic Division team on board had deployed sonobouys to listen for blue whales and get a fix on their location.

Dr ODriscoll said: "The weather and sea conditions so far have been amazing and we have been treated to some spectacular sunrises and sunsets against the backdrop of the Balleny Islands. We are out of sight of land again now, with only icebergs (and hopefully blue whales) for company."

The blue whale work is scheduled for the next 10 days before Tangaroa enters the Ross Sea proper. "The latest sea ice charts suggests that the ice is clearing nicely and all onboard are hopeful that the favourable conditions will continue," he said.

Dr Richard ODriscoll is NIWA fisheries scientist and project leader on the New Zealand-Australia Antarctic Ecosystems Voyage 2015. The voyage is monitoring the health of the ecosystem that supports the oceans top predators, blue whales, humpback whales and Antarctic toothfish.

Video and high-resolution photos are available at niwa.co.nz.

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NIWA: Whale tales from the edge of Antarctica

ONA CCAC Health Care Professionals on Strike – Update for February 1st – Video

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ONA CCAC Health Care Professionals on Strike - Update for February 1st
Almost 3000 CCAC Health Professionals in Ontario are on strike, forced onto the picket lines by their employers in the name of fairness. http://www.ona.org/ | http://twitter.com/OntarioNurses...

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ONA CCAC Health Care Professionals on Strike - Update for February 1st - Video

Standard & Poor’s U.S. Consumer, Retail, And Health Care Weekly Review (Feb. 2) – Video

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Standard Poor #39;s U.S. Consumer, Retail, And Health Care Weekly Review (Feb. 2)
In this segment of Standard Poor #39;s U.S. Consumer, Retail, and Health Care Weekly Review, Managing Director Robert Schulz highlights sector trends and the a...

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Standard & Poor's U.S. Consumer, Retail, And Health Care Weekly Review (Feb. 2) - Video

Family Medicine On Air: What Med Students Need to Know About Cost of Care – Video

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Family Medicine On Air: What Med Students Need to Know About Cost of Care
AAFP President Robert Wergin, MD, will discuss the cost of care and its implications on individual patients and the health care system as a whole. He will also explain how family medicine is...

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Family Medicine On Air: What Med Students Need to Know About Cost of Care - Video

Health care, retirement changes looming

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The Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission is urging President Barack Obama to endorse and Congress to enact sweeping changes to military health insurance and retirement options to empower service members to make choices that would drive down compensation costs.

The panels final report makes 15 recommendations that, if fully implemented, would cut personnel spending for the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs by $12 billion a year. The most surprising idea is to replace the triple-option TRICARE program for military families and working-age retirees with a selection of commercial health insurance plans.

On retirement, current force members could stay under their High-3 plan. But the commission forecasts 40 percent of them, if given a chance, would replace that plan, offering no benefits before 20 years service, with a blended plan that lowers annuities for careerists, but offers some retirement savings to the 83 percent of service members who leave short of 20 years.

Sweeping changes may be in store for military retirement and health insurance options. (Courtesy of Tom Philpott)

That menu of health insurance offerings to the military would be similar to the Federal Employees Health Benefits Insurance Program for civilians. Indeed, the Office of Personnel Management, which administers FEHBP, would also run the military plans. But rather than saddle active-duty families with the same costs paid by civilians roughly 28 percent as premiums they would receive a new, two-part Basic Allowance for Health Care to cover at least most of their new health insurance costs.

One part would be paid to the selected insurance plan directly and cover member premiums for an average-priced plan. Part two of BAHC, to cover co-pays and deductibles, would go to members to use as they choose. The intent of those dollars is to incentivize military families to be careful consumers of health care. Today they are not, the report says. TRICARE Prime users, for example, make 55 percent more outpatient visits than do civilians enrolled in HMOs who have to cover co-pays out of pocket.

Participating insurance plans would have to include military treatment facilities in their provider networks. Patients and plans would be enticed to use on-base care with offers of reduced co-pays and fee reimbursements, particularly for complex medical cases that keep wartime skills sharp.

TRICARE administrative costs are excessive, the report says, and yet too many beneficiaries dont get timely or quality care. Also, TRICARE provider networks have coverage gaps because contractors set physician fees too low. Relying on commercial insurance would improve access, speed referrals for specialty care, save millions of dollars in administrative costs and leave beneficiaries more satisfied, the commission predicts.

The commission would leave unchanged TRICARE for Life, the golden supplement to Medicare that elderly retirees have prized for a dozen years.

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Health care, retirement changes looming