Month: November 2013
News/Politics 11-13-13
What’s interesting in the news today?
It just gets worse.
From CBSNews “CBS News has learned that the project manager in charge of building the federal health care website was apparently kept in the dark about serious failures in the website’s security. Those failures could lead to identity theft among buying insurance. The project manager testified to congressional investigators behind closed doors, but CBS News has obtained the first look at a partial transcript of his testimony.
Henry Chao, HealthCare.gov’s chief project manager at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), gave nine hours of closed-door testimony to the House Oversight Committee in advance of this week’s hearing. In excerpts CBS News has obtained, Chao was asked about a memo that outlined important security risks discovered in the insurance system.
Chao said he was unaware of a Sept. 3 government memo written by another senior official at CMS. It found two high-risk issues, which are redacted for security reasons. The memo said “the threat and risk potential (to the system) is limitless.” The memo shows CMS gave deadlines of mid-2014 and early 2015 to address them.
But Chao testified he’d been told the opposite.”
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A former Obama advisor is warning that without significantly more sign-ups, the premiums could rise much higher.
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ObamaCare effect on individual healthcare plans is getting worse by the day.
From SacramentoCBSLocal “More than 1 million cancellation notices have been sent to Californians as the Affordable Care Act begins allowing individuals to buy insurance through exchanges, Jones said. The federal law requires policies to offer minimum levels of coverage, forcing companies to terminate many existing plans. But Jones said that under the law, insurers have another year to do so.”
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But thankfully people are wising up. Those responsible should be getting nervous, like this Senator. Looks like consequences and repercussions may be coming from voters. Lets hope so.
From Politico “Incumbent Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) is near the top of national Republicans’ target list for 2014 — and a new poll shows her lead over her potential GOP challengers has all but evaporated.
Against state House Speaker Thom Tillis, Hagan leads by only 2 points, 44 percent to 42 percent, according to the Democratic firm Public Policy Polling. She leads the Rev. Mark Harris by 2 points as well, 43 percent to 41 percent, and nurse Heather Grant by 3 points, 43 percent to 40 percent.
Hagan trails physician Greg Brannon, the Rand Paul-endorsed candidate in the race, by 1 point: He leads 44 percent to 43 percent.
That’s a huge difference from PPP’s September poll, which gave Hagan leads of anywhere from 12 points to 17 points against all possible GOP challengers.”
Ruh-Roh…… 🙂
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And that Project Veritas video of the ObamaCare navigators engaging in fraud has already brought consequences.
From FoxDallas/FtWorth “The Urban League of Greater Dallas fired one person and suspended three others after a video from a conservative activist reportedly showed the workers encouraging health care applicants to lie.
An edited video was released Monday that seemingly shows so-called health care Navigators encouraging people to lie on forms signing up for health care to get better rates.”
“The Urban League said the person fired was a “part-time receptionist trainee” who was not authorized to speak on behalf of The Urban League or act as a Navigator and said it supports decertifying three “Navigators-in-training” in the video.
The Urban League also called for the unedited video of the incidents to be released. It said the undercover applicants were told the people they were speaking to were Navigators-in-training and “the full context of these comments is not reflected in the video.”
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And here’s a pretty lengthy piece on the consequences of the green energy push, especially when it comes to ethanol production. As with many govt ventures, the cure is worse than the illness.
From APNews “The hills of southern Iowa bear the scars of America’s push for green energy: The brown gashes where rain has washed away the soil. The polluted streams that dump fertilizer into the water supply.”
“With the Iowa political caucuses on the horizon in 2007, presidential candidate Barack Obama made homegrown corn a centerpiece of his plan to slow global warming. And when President George W. Bush signed a law that year requiring oil companies to add billions of gallons of ethanol to their gasoline each year, Bush predicted it would make the country “stronger, cleaner and more secure.”
“As farmers rushed to find new places to plant corn, they wiped out millions of acres of conservation land, destroyed habitat and polluted water supplies, an Associated Press investigation found.
Five million acres of land set aside for conservation – more than Yellowstone, Everglades and Yosemite National Parks combined – have vanished on Obama’s watch.”
It’s caused the expansion of the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico as well. Read the whole thing, it’s worth the time.
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Peter’s Pack of Pickled Pigskin Picks- Week 11
It’s early, I know. But one of the featured games this week is Thursday night, a big battle in the ACC: Georgia Tech goes to Clemson. Several other big games in various conferences this week as well, as the season winds down to conference playoffs. So I tried to include as many conference “big games” as possible, including the Pillow Fight, which may decide the worst team in the Conference USA.
Oh, and for Mumsee, the Mountain West is represented by Boise State. So, here they are!
1. Georgia Tech @ #8 Clemson – ACC records: GT 5-2, 1st in Coastal division; Clemson 6-1, 2nd in Atlantic.
2. #25 Georgia @ #7 Auburn – SEC records: UG 4-2, 3rd in the East; AU 5-1 2nd in West.
3. #12 Oklahoma State @ #24 Texas – Big 12 records: OSU 5-1, 3rd; UT 6-0, 1st.
4. #16 Michigan State @ Nebraska – B1G 10 records: Both in the Legends division, MSU 5-0, 1st; Neb 4-1, 2nd.
5. Oregon State @ #19 Arizona State – PAC 12 records: OSU 4-2, 2nd in North; ASU 5-1, 1st in South.
6. Florida @ #10 South Carolina – SEC records: Both in East, Fla 3-4, 4th; SC 5-2, 2nd
7. Wyoming @ Boise State – MWC: This really will have no bearing on the conference, but Wyoming is 2-3, BSU 4-1, 2nd in the Mountain division.
8. South Alabama (3-5) @ Navy (5-4) – a non-conference matchup. It’s the only game involving a major military academy.
9. Pillow Fight: Florida International @ UTEP – Conference USA records: combined, 1-9 (conf), 2-16 overall.
10. Washington State @ Arizona PAC 12: Neither has a chance of winning their divisions, but it’s the tie breaker. So guess the score as well as the winner.
Open to all readers of this blog post regardless of regularity of visits here or familial ties herewith. Children, siblings and spouses are encouraged to participate.
Our Daily Thread 11-12-13
Good Morning!
On this day in 1799 Andrew Ellicott Douglass witnesses the Leonids meteor shower from a ship off the Florida Keys.
In 1840 sculptor Auguste Rodin was born in Paris. His most widely known works are “The Kiss” and “The Thinker.”
In 1859 the first flying trapeze act was performed by Jules Leotard at Cirque Napoleon in Paris, France. He was also the designer of the garment that is named after him.
In 1920 Judge Keneshaw Mountain Landis was elected the first commissioner of the American and National Leagues.
In 1942, during World War II, naval battle of Guadalcanal began between Japanese and American forces.
And in 1954 Ellis Island, the immigration station in New York Harbor, closed after processing more than 20 million immigrants since 1892.
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Quote of the day
“Be careful how you spend your time: Spend your time in nothing which you know must be repented of.”
Richard Baxter
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Today is Chris Huffman’s birthday.
It’s also Jo Stafford’s.
And it’s Neil Young’s too. So “Heart of Gold,” eventually…… 🙂
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Anyone have a QoD?
Prayer Requests 11-12-13
Who has a request or praise to share?
Psalm 86
¹Bow down thine ear, O Lord, hear me: for I am poor and needy.
2 Preserve my soul; for I am holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee.
3 Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily.
4 Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
5 For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
6 Give ear, O Lord, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications.
7 In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.
8 Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works.
9 All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name.
10 For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone.
11 Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.
12 I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore.
13 For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.
14 O God, the proud are risen against me, and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul; and have not set thee before them.
15 But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.
16 O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; give thy strength unto thy servant, and save the son of thine handmaid.
17 Shew me a token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because thou, Lord, hast holpen me, and comforted me.
News/Politics 11-12-13
What’s interesting in the news today?
First up, CBS has run a retraction/correction to a Benghazi story. I posted it here, so I’m posting the retraction as well.
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Next up, again with the fuzzy math…. 🙄
From TheWaPo “The fight over how to define the new health law’s success is coming down to one question: Who counts as an Obamacare enrollee?
Health insurance plans only count subscribers as enrolled in a health plan once they’ve submited a payment. That is when the carrier sends out a member card and begins paying doctor bills.
When the Obama administration releases health law enrollment figures later this week, though, it will use a more expansive definition. It will count people who have purchased a plan as well as those who have a plan sitting in their online shopping cart but have not yet paid.
“In the data that will be released this week, ‘enrollment’ will measure people who have filled out an application and selected a qualified health plan in the marketplace,” said an administration official, who requested anonymity to frankly describe the methodology.”
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Next, like roaches fleeing the light, they’re desperately seeking cover.
From TheWallStJournal “The torrents of Affordable Care Act monsoon season aren’t letting up, so Democrats are scrambling to help the victims: namely, their own careers. The Senators up for re-election in competitive states in 2014 are starting to panic, though they still aren’t offering solutions for anything other than their own growing political jeopardy.
Fifteen Senate Democrats plus Colorado’s Michael Bennet who chairs the Senatorial Campaign Committee sat down at the White House Wednesday, and they want all and sundry to know that they let President Obama have it. Alaska’s Mark Begich put out a statement saying he chewed out the big cheese for “absolutely unacceptable” mismanagement and “an understandable crisis in confidence.” He must have drafted it in advance.
Oregon’s Jeff Merkley chimed in to report that even after the two-hour encounter session that was not on the public schedule, he was still “very frustrated” and “I remain deeply convinced that this is a ‘show-me’ moment.” Asked by Politico if Democrats were losing credibility, an anonymous attendee said, “You got to have it, to lose it.”
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Then some controversy over GI Bill funds, and where they’re being used.
From NBCNews “Since the Post-9/11 GI Bill went into effect in August of 2009, the federal government has paid more than $30 billion in tuition and benefits, according to new figures from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs released on Friday. The VA said this money has now helped 1 million vets, service members and their families get college degrees or technical training.
Most of this money goes to for-profit colleges and universities. Eight of the 10 schools receiving the most GI Bill dollars are for-profits, according to a 2012 report from the Senate Committee on Health Education Labor and Pensions (HELP).
Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), who chairs that committee, accuses some for-profits of using “predatory and deceptive tactics to target service members and veterans for enrollment” in order to tap their federal educational benefits.”
“Sen. Durbin believes too much federal money is going to an industry that “often provides a greater return on taxpayer investment to its administrators and investors than it does to its students.”
Parents have known about the “not worth the money we’re spending” part for years. 😯
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NY City’s new mayor is promising a crack down on Crisis Pregnancy Centers, and an expansion of abortion services. This is why NYC leads the country in abortions. This is who they elect.
From LifeSiteNews “New York City has been called “the abortion capital of the world.” The city has some of the laxest restrictions and the highest abortion rate in the country, with 41 percent of its pregnancies ending in elective termination. According to New York Magazine, 10 percent of all U.S. abortions happen in the state of New York, and seven out of ten abortions in the state take place in New York City.
But those statistics aren’t high enough for newly elected Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio, who claims the city is “underserved” by its dozens of abortion centers, and for whom increased access to abortion was a key part of his campaign platform.”
“De Blasio, who was elected Tuesday with 73 percent of the vote, has promised to partner with Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers to help them expand their business in the city. He says he plans to help abortionists find neighborhoods that lack convenient clinic access and provide them with “city sponsored” space to set up shop.
Additionally, de Blasio has pledged to help abortionists wipe out their main competition – pro-life crisis pregnancy centers – that offer women financial and logistical help to either keep the babies they would otherwise be unable to afford, or place unwanted children with adoptive families. De Blasio calls crisis pregnancy centers “sham” clinics. In his view, their refusal to perform abortions means they do not offer “legitimate health care.” He has pledged to continue the city’s appeal of a court order striking down a law aimed at closing down such centers.”
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And last one for today. Project Veritas strikes again.
First PV exposed fraud at abortion mills, then fraud at OFA. (Obama campaign) Now it’s ObamaCare “navigator” fraud. That didn’t take long huh?
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Our Daily Thread 11-11-13
Good Morning!
And Happy Veterans’ Day to all who have served.
Thank you. 🙂
On this day in 1918 World War I came to an end when the Allies and Germany signed an armistice. This day came to be recognized as Veteran’s Day in the United States.
Also on this day in 1918, Poland was reestablished shortly after the surrender of Germany.
In 1921 The Tomb of the Unknowns was dedicated at Arlington Cemetery in Virginia by U.S. President Harding.
In 1938 Kate Smith first sang Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America” on network radio.
In 1972 the U.S. Army turned over its base at Long Bihn to the South Vietnamese army. The event symbolized the end of direct involvement in the Vietnam War by the U.S. military.
In 1981 the U.S.S. Ohio was commissioned at the Electric Boat Division in Groton, CT. It was the first Trident class submarine.
And in 1984 President Ronald Reagan accepted the Vietnam Veterans Memorial as a gift to the nation from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.
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Quotes of the Day, since it’s also his birthday…
“Better to fight for something than live for nothing.”
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“Always do everything you ask of those you command.”
George S. Patton
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Since it’s Veterans’ Day, I’m going with some military bands.
Since the Marines had a birthday yesterday, we’ll start with the US Marine Corps Marching Band.
Then it’s the Untited States Military Academy Band. Go ARMY!
Next we have the US Air Force Band of Flight.
And last, but certainly not least, the US Navy Fleet Forces Band.
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QoD?
Who is your favorite veteran?
Prayer Requests 11-11-13
Who has a request or praise to share today?
And since it’s Veterans’ Day, please remember to take the time to pray for those veterans you know, and those you don’t. 🙂
Psalm 85
¹Lord, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob.
2 Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.
3 Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger.
4 Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease.
5 Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations?
6 Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?
7 Shew us thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us thy salvation.
8 I will hear what God the Lord will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly.
9 Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land.
10 Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
11 Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.
12 Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase.
13 Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.
News/Politics 11-11-13
What’s interesting in the news today?
I’ve decided to take the day off today for Veterans’ Day.
It’s an open thread, so have fun. Talk about whatever you like.
🙂
Our Daily Thread 11-9-13
Good Morning!
The weekend has arrived!
Now what?
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On this day in 1872 a fire destroyed about 800 buildings in Boston, MA.
In 1906 President Theodore Roosevelt left for Panama to see the progress on the new canal. It was the first foreign trip by a U.S. president.
In 1911 George Claude of Paris, France, applied for a patent on neon advertising signs.
In 1938 Nazi troops and sympathizers destroyed and looted 7,500 Jewish businesses, burned 267 synagogues, killed 91 Jews, and rounded up over 25,000 Jewish men in an event that became known as Kristallnacht or “Night of Broken Glass.”
In 1965 the great Northeast blackout occurred as several states and parts of Canada were hit by a series of power failures lasting up to 13 1/2 hours.
And in 1982 Sugar Ray Leonard retired from boxing. In 1984 Leonard came out of retirement to fight one more time. To this day I still say Marvelous Marvin Hagler beat him.
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Quote of the Day
“Presumption should never make us neglect that which appears easy to us, nor despair make us lose courage at the sight of difficulties.”
Benjamin Banneker
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Today is Phil Driscoll’s birthday.
It’s also Bryn Terfel’s.
And Tom Fogerty’s.
And last one, Alan Gratzer’s.
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Wandering Views 