| ADQ benefits from mass disaffection with establishment
Mondays Quebec election shattered the political framework that has prevailed in Canadas sole majority French-speaking province for the past three decades. Both of the parties that have alternated as Quebecs government since the early 1970sthe federalist Parti Libral du Qubec (PLQ) and the indpendantiste Parti Qubcois (PQ)suffered stunning losses in terms of both seats and popular vote. The Action Dmocratique du Qubec (ADQ), a right-wing populist party that didnt even have official party status in the National Assembly prior to Mondays vote, will now form Quebecs official opposition. For the moment, the Liberals of Jean Charest, who were first elected to office in April 2003, retain the reins of power, but it is a weak minority government. Weak because of the extent of the Liberal losses, but also because of the breadth of the ADQs gains.
CalPERS opens enrollment to long-term care plan
For the next three months, public employees can apply for long-term care coverage offered by the California Public Employees' Retirement System. CalPERS, the nation's second-largest provider of group long-term insurance with 170,000 policyholders, offers three programs: comprehensive plan for at-home, adult day care, assisted living and nursing homes; facilities-only option for nursing home and assisted living care; and partnership plan, a state-backed program offering comprehensive benefits while allowing middle-income families to protect some assets, even if they later have to qualify for Medi-Cal. Long-term care insurance helps consumers offset a large share of the costs. CalPERS' nonprofit program offers policyholders a choice of maximum daily benefits ranging from $140 to $250, with or without inflation protection.
Proposed plan could reduce health care costs
Gov. Ted Strickland's proposals for reform of Ohio's Medicaid program could offer health care coverage to more than 20,000 Ohio children, including many of the almost 1,200 uninsured children in Athens County. The proposed program would extend coverage from Ohio's current Medicaid program to children whose families earn up to 300 percent of the poverty line, or less than $62,000 for a family of four, said the governor's press secretary, Keith Dailey. While it is impossible to know for certain how many Athens children would receive health care as a result of the proposals, 87 percent of Athens households make less than the $62,000 cut-off for Medicaid eligibility for a family of four, said Tracy Galway, community relations coordinator for the Athens County Department of Job and Family Services.
1:1 Digital House and the Future of Green Building
There is a direct link between the growing "intelligence" of our homes -- their increasing ability to use electronics to sense, monitor and adapt -- and their sustainability. Many of the coolest aspects of green building involve the building itself responding to the conditions around it, working with, rather than against, the sun, wind and weather. Such adaptive, responsive buildings are at least as important a goal as radical new material breakthroughs. We don't even need robotic edge monkeys crawling all over our homes to get there. The tools are ready-to-hand or coming soon. Smart homes can automate the opening and closing of windows to maintain ventilation and cooling, angle sunshades for optimal solar heat gain, even turn geothermal heat pumps on and off. Smart homes can also change the way we think about inhabiting our homes, by revealing to us previously hidden connections and facilitating better choices.
O'Neal To Miss Tuesday Game For Funeral
O'Neal is expected to miss the game so he can attend his grandfather's funeral in New Jersey, The Miami Herald reported Monday. The Heat are counting on his return for Wednesday's home game against Washington. The Heat hold a 2 1/2-game lead on the second-place Wizards in the Southeast Division. The Heat could be without forwards James Posey and Udonis Haslem and guard Gary Payton for Tuesday's game, the newspaper reported. Posey was arrested Monday on a DUI charge, Haslem suffered a groin injury in Sunday's overtime loss to the Bobcats, and Payton is bothered by calf and groin injuries. Wade returned Sunday after missing the previous 23 games with a dislocated left shoulder. 2007 UPI .
The Road Home to offer appointment times in April
Homeowners who have yet to apply to The Road Home can do so by viewing this story online for a link to the program's Web site or by calling toll-free at (888) ROAD.2.LA (762-3252) or TTY (800) 566-4224.
After you apply, you can call to schedule an appointment at any of the Housing Assistance Centers in Louisiana or Houston. The program will have representatives in Shreveport on April 16-21 for people who have scheduled an appointment. They will be in Meeting Room 206 of the Shreveport Convention Center, 400 Caddo St. Morning and evening appointment times will be available.
Displaced residents residing in the Shreveport area or elsewhere in north Louisiana who have applied to the program but have yet to schedule their initial appointment may do so by calling toll-free at (888) ROAD-2-LA and choosing prompt #4.
Green Bay Symphony Concert Unveils World Premiere
The Green Bay Symphony Orchestra is making history this season with the debut of the first world-premiere in the orchestra's 93-year history. The premiere work, composed by David Dzubay, GBSO 2005/06 Music Alive Composer-in-Residence, will open the Classics 3 concert on March 24, 2007, 7:30 p.m. at the Weidner Center for the Performing Arts. .
Zimbabwe in new forex grab
Cash-strapped Zimbabwe is now forcing all motor-vehicle importers to pay their excise duty in foreign currency, the state-run Herald reported on Monday. Finance Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi has ordered that the new rule, which will cover all luxury goods, takes effect immediately after declaring the change in a government gazette, according to the newspaper. "Payments of customs duty and value added tax on the importation of any item of goods designated as luxury items shall be payable in United States dollars, euros, or any other currency denominated under the Exchange Control," Mumbengegwi was quoted as saying. The general rate of duty for cars ranges between 60 and 80 percent depending on the type of vehicle. Previously importers paid for duty in local currency, making it relatively cheap to import.
Bleeding Disorder Community Comes Together In Austin, Texas At The ...
On Thursday, March 15, 2007 the bleeding disorder community converged on the State Capitol of Texas located in Austin. March is nationally recognized as a time to raise awareness about Hemophilia. Representatives from The Texas Central Hemophilia Association (Dallas), The LoneStar Chapter (Houston), The National Hemophilia Foundation, The Hemophilia Federation of America and an advocacy group known as The Committee of Ten Thousand were all in attendance. Fortunate for the group, it was Spring Break week and a large amount of tourists were visiting the Capitol on that day. Tour guides even brought tours right through the middle of the exhibit.
Hemophilia is a genetically inherited bleeding disorder that affects 1 in 5,000 male births. Individuals with hemophilia lack or have a deficiency in one of the proteins necessary for their blood to clot properly.
By Ridge Mahoney
The arrival of an international celebrity and fashion icon who also plays midfield is just one of many radical changes in store as Major League Soccer enters the big time. MUCH BUZZ ABOUT BECKS. When will he arrive? Where will he and Victoria live, and where will the kids go to school? Will the team travel by charter or private jet to avoid massive crowds and possible security problems? Nearly lost in the blizzard of speculation about David Beckham is how well will he play when burdened by insane scrutiny, summer heat, long flights and a whole new supporting and opposing cast? Will even the most sinuous free kick be savored by fans new not only to MLS, but to soccer? Also under intense scrutiny will be the teams themselves and the league. A single-entity league founded on stringent financial strictures, a rather haphazard history of procedures and policies, and the very notion of professional soccer in America is destined to be examined, analyzed and dissected as never before.
NJ PURE Medical Malpractice Insurer Declares Dividends to Its ...
PRINCETON, N.J., March 13 /PRNewswire/ -- New Jersey Physicians United Reciprocal Exchange (NJ PURE), a leading New Jersey medical malpractice insurer, has declared a cash dividend to its physician policyholders. NJ PURE, a not-for-profit reciprocal exchange, will be returning unused premiums to its policyholders of record for the 2003 policy year. NJ PURE is believed to be the first medical malpractice insurer in New Jersey to provide such a dividend return to policyholder physicians since the medical malpractice crisis of 2002. Several physicians will receive checks of up to $2,000 from NJ PURE, while some larger groups will receive amounts totaling more than $11,000. "Providing our New Jersey physicians meaningful cash back from their medical malpractice insurance is a crowning achievement in NJ PURE's history, and we hope to continue this pattern for years to come." said Eric S.
The Main Street America Group Names Seven Employees to its Circle ...
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., March 22 /PRNewswire/ -- The Main Street America Group announced today seven of its employees have received the company's highest honor by being inducted into its Circle of Excellence. The diverse group of winners, who were honored at a recent ceremony in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., represents several of Main Street America's office locations, and were selected for their 2006 achievements and contributions to the company's success. "These seven employees truly embody our organization's core values of ownership, relationships and service," said Tom Van Berkel, Main Street America's chairman, president and chief executive officer. "They continually perform above and beyond the call of duty. They are highly regarded within our organization and always strive to keep the best interests of our company, our customers (independent insurance agents) and our customers' customers (policyholders) in mind." Established in 1985, The Circle of Excellence is an annual recognition program for Main Street America employees.
Nationwide Announces New Board Members
COLUMBUS, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nationwide today announced the election of M. Diane Koken and Jeffrey W. Zellers to the Board of Directors for Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and Nationwide Mutual Fire Insurance Company. Koken was elected to a three-year term and Zellers to a one-year term. "Diane and Jeffrey add valuable economic and financial experience to the Nationwide board," said Chairman Arden L. Shisler. "Their individual areas of expertise will add depth to an already outstanding board of directors and will help Nationwide address the increasingly complex issues of corporate governance and business development." Koken is the former Commissioner of Insurance for Pennsylvania. Originally appointed by Governor Tom Ridge in 1997, Koken was reappointed in 2003 by Governor Ed Rendell and was Pennsylvania's second longest serving Insurance Commissioner.
RAM Mutual Insurance Company Provides Identity Theft Services ...
Services Free of Charge Business Editors/Security Writers ESKO, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 3, 2007--RAM Mutual Insurance Company, a carrier offering products to nearly 600 independent agencies throughout Minnesota, announced today a partnership that will provide cutting-edge identity theft resolution services to all its farm and homeowner policyholders, free of charge. Ram Mutual has collaborated with the leading provider of identity theft-related services, Arizona-based Identity Theft 911(R). This is a step forward for Ram Mutual in protecting its policyholders from the virulent crime of identity theft, which has topped the FTC's list of consumer complaints for the last seven years.* "We've invested a considerable amount of time and energy in finding the most comprehensive identity theft solution for our policyholders," said Steve Knutson, President of RAM Mutual.
Anxious owners asking about food
One of the largest pet food recalls in history has pet owners on edge and many scrutinizing what they buy. In Sioux Falls, the recall of products made by Menu Foods caused Shannon Crayne to take a second look at what she feeds her cat and two dogs.
"We checked all of it out before they were fed anymore," Crayne said. Local veterinarians say about half the inquiries they've received in recent weeks have been about pet food safety. And new recalls are popping up as grocery and pet stores scramble to remove tainted food.
"It's a big mess is what it is," said Dr. Dennis Somers, veterinarian at Best Care Pet Hospital.
Pet foods believed to be contaminated by the industrial chemical melamine have been in the news since the middle of March, when the recalls began.
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