| Business Highlights
The Bush administration announced new trade cases against China on Monday over copyright piracy and restrictions on the sale of American movies, music and books. Standing near a table of pirated movie DVDs, music CDs and books, U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab said American companies were losing billions of dollars annually from piracy levels in China that "remain unacceptably high." She said the United States would file the two cases Tuesday with the World Trade Organization, the Geneva-based organization that oversees trade disputes. One case will contend that Beijing's lax enforcement of copyright and trademark protections violates WTO rules, and the other will argue that Beijing has erected WTO-illegal barriers to the sale of U.S.-produced movies, music and books in China.
Yesterday's news
"In the protean burletta, written expressly for them, both Mr. and Mrs. Florence have four excellent character sketches interspersed with dance, and song and wit, and equivogue that form a perfect and continuous battery of fun." Tuesday, April 9, 1907 "The federal grand jury now in session in Mobile did not take up the Honduras lottery cases yesterday, as had been expected. The first witnesses will be before the jury this morning. The cause of the postponement was the delay of District Attorney Armbrecht in reaching home from his recent trip to San Francisco, where he had been ordered to appear and prosecute one of the lottery cases. ... Probably the most important of the witnesses to visit the district attorney was Chief Wilkie of the United States secret service department.
When life changes, it's time to change your insurance
NEW YORK - Insurance policies, like shoes, provide the most comfort when they fit well. Yet at least 32 million households in the U.S. own insurance policies that aren't right for them, according to the Insurance Information Institute. In fact, in 2006, 58 percent of homes were undervalued in their policies by an average of 21 percent.But how can you tell if your insurance policy doesn't fit correctly? A good time to test it is when you undergo a major change in your life. For example, if you've recently gotten married or divorced, it may be time to update your homeowners and life insurance policies. You could be eligible for a discount on your auto insurance if you've just tied the knot. And don't forget to update your life insurance protection when you have a new baby - one-third of households with new additions forget to do so.
Lawmakers push for children's health
A pair of East Texas lawmakers joined the fight this week to partially restore the Children's Health Insurance Program to Texas children. A round of budget cuts and other changes in 2003 axed an estimated 250,000 childen from CHIP. Both state Rep. Tommy Merritt, R-Longview, and Rep. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, voted in favor of House Bill 109. The bill was approved on final reading Wednesday, according to Hughes. The bill is expected to head to the Senate for consideration where state Sen. Kevin Eltife, R-Tyler, said it will have his support. He was not sure of the bill's chances of passing in the Senate. "I fully support the House bill and will support it in the Senate where I will work to get it passed," Eltife said late Wednesday afternoon. Merritt said if the bill becomes law, it will mean more children of Texas' working poor would have access to the state's low-cost health insurance program.
Illinois makes big strides in covering all kids
By Doug Trapp, AMNews staff. April 16, 2007. Washington -- The 11-year-old boy is 4 feet, 9 inches tall and weighs 140 pounds. His single mother, who does not speak English, is worried that he might be having seizures while he sleeps. His mother takes two buses to get him to Carrie Nelson, MD, a North Aurora, Ill., family physician and associate director of the Family Medicine Residency Program at the Rush-Copley Medical Center. .
Oak Lawn mayor points to progress after two years, but critics ...
Early in the 2005 campaign for mayor, Dave Heilmann cast himself as a different kind of political character when he belted out show tunes for campaign cash. But the Oak Lawn native relied on more than just his theatrical skills to captivate an audience of voters. Heilmann railed against wasteful spending, sky-high legal bills, back-door deals and what he calls an ill-conceived Center of Town development that left taxpayers on the hook for more than $1 million. And he pledged to update Oak Lawn's image. Voters liked what they heard, and in spring 2005, they elected the business attorney. Two years after Heilmann was sworn into office, the former park district board president still casts himself as the leader poised to bring Oak Lawn into the 21st century.
Unitrin Announces Definitive Agreement to Acquire Merastar ...
CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 26, 2007--Unitrin, Inc. (NYSE:UTR) announced today that its subsidiary, Trinity Universal Insurance Company ("Trinity"), has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Merastar Insurance Company ("Merastar Insurance") and certain of its affiliates, superseding the previously announced agreement in principle. Trinity will acquire Merastar Insurance in a cash transaction valued at approximately $45 million, subject to certain purchase price adjustments. The transaction is subject to approvals by insurance regulators and other third parties and other customary closing conditions, and is expected to close in the second quarter. Merastar Insurance is based in Chattanooga, Tennessee and specializes in the sale of personal automobile and homeowners' insurance through employer-sponsored voluntary benefit programs.
bellwetherreport.com: Morning Alert for Countrywide Financial Corp.
Countrywide Financial gives credit where credit is due. One of the largest independent residential mortgage lending firms in the US, the company writes, sells, and services mainly prime first mortgages for single-family homes through its Countrywide Home Loans subsidiary. It also offers home equity loans, commercial mortgages, and subprime home mortgages. In addition, Countrywide Financial is a broker/dealer of mortgage-backed securities; underwrites and sells property/casualty, health, and disability insurance (mainly through Balboa Insurance Group); and runs Countrywide Bank. Countrywide Financial operates approximately 1,000 branch offices in all 50 states and Washington, DC. Shares were down 3% as the company will lost 2 board members. BellwetherReport.com is a leading online research firm for international investors looking to get an edge over their portfolio.
Finance Chiefs To Survey Robust World Economy
Global financial chiefs gather in Washington this week to take stock of a world economy that appears to be shrugging off a housing-led slowdown in the United States. However, currency rates will again stoke debate among finance ministers and central bankers from the Group of Seven nations, who meet Friday ahead of the annual spring gathering of the IMF and World Bank at the weekend. "Discussion on exchange rates is likely to include the yen, the dollar, the euro and the (Chinese) yuan," Japanese Finance Minister Koji Omi said last Friday. But the G7 industrialized nations -- Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States -- "will not particularly focus on the yen" at their meeting, Omi told reporters in Tokyo. The G7 ministers opted for a relatively soft line on the sliding Japanese yen at their February meeting in Germany despite European concerns about the currency's weakness, which is hurting eurozone exporters.
Unions seeking new types of workers
By JOHN SEEWER THE ASSOCIATED PRESS TOLEDO, Ohio - Hoping to stop the erosion of organized labor, union leaders are looking beyond their core auto and steel industries and recruiting low-wage service workers and professionals worrying about losing their health care. The new faces of unions are immigrants working at construction sites, hospital nurses, parking lot attendants, mechanics and casino dealers - all groups who are unlikely to lose their jobs to overseas workers. Al Mixon, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 507 in Cleveland, just finalized a contract with American Red Cross employees in northern Ohio. "We're all forced to look into new areas," he said. And this may be just the beginning of unions reshaping at a time when factory jobs are being sent overseas or lost to technological changes.
Easter on ice: Record cold damages crops
Record-breaking cold may be an inconvenience for ladies who bought short-sleeved Easter outfits with matching sandals, but its havoc on farmers. Saturday mornings temperature dipped to 25 degrees, breaking a 27-degree record for that day set in 1950. The all-time record for the coldest day in April is 24 degrees, set on April 1, 1923. Meteorologist Dave Nadler with the National Weather Service in Huntsville said the area was likely to experience another record-breaking cold Sunday morning. Nadler said North Alabama will contend with subfreezing temperatures through Monday morning. Ill be glad when global warming gets here, said Wes Isom of Isoms Orchard in Athens. I dont care what Al Gore says. Isom referred to the former vice presidents crusade to halt global warming, captured in the movie An Inconvenient Truth.
A love story: Black Betsy and Shoeless Joe Jackson
It has been weeks since Betsy's last sip of fresh oxygen. She is kept behind a door, locked from the outside. She shares her space with a stack of reading material, but there is no light to make the words dance. The whispers in her direction come infrequently. When they do, all anyone talks about is how old she looks, how heavy she is and how the blemishes on her 99-year-old complexion seem wider and deeper than black-and-white photographs indicate. Betsy has had 55 years to adjust to being a widow. What she did best, of course, was support her man, Joe — and make him look good. But then Joe left her, in December 1951. Betsy was in his office, keeping quiet as always and leaning against the wall next to his desk, when Joe's heart gave out. He never said goodbye.
Canadian pleads not guilty in $7mln insurance scam
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A Canadian man accused of running an insurance-fraud scheme that netted more than $7 million pleaded not guilty on Friday to criminal fraud charges in U.S. District Court. Ian Stuart, who was arrested in Canada last May and extradited to New York on Thursday, was arraigned before U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff in Manhattan. Stuart was accused of holding himself out to New York insurance brokers as a wholesale insurance broker able to place insurance coverage, and as an authorized agent for various insurance companies, including underwriters at Lloyd's of London, Great American Insurance Co., Tower Insurance, and Traveler's Insurance. The government alleged Stuart, using several fake agency affiliations and pseudonyms, collected more than $7 million in policy premiums from about 2000 through 2004 as part of the fraud.
Mortgage Fraud Task Force provides tips to buyers, sellers
The Missouri Department of Insurance, Financial Institutions and Professional Registration on April 2 issued several tips to prevent mortgage fraud, a growing threat in Missouri and across the nation. A previously organized Mortgage Fraud Task Force within the Department of Insurance created the tips for buyers and sellers with the intention of helping consumers and professionals identify mortgage fraud. Seller tips Get references for real estate and mortgage professionals. Make sure theyre licensed with the state. Consult with a reputable real estate professional to determine the sale price of your home. Be wary of an offer to buy your home for an amount substantially higher than the listed sale price. Be cautious of someone asking to buy your property when it is not listed for sale.
Health Insurance Promotions Fair
The American Medical Student Association (AMSA) at Virginia Tech will hold its first Health Insurance Promotions Fair April 9 in the Graduate Life Center Multipurpose Room. Students, as well as members of the community, are being strongly encouraged to attend free of charge. &ldqou;People should come because this is a great opportunity to learn about health care insurance, which is something that everyone needs,&rdqou; said Jiadi Wang, senior biochemistry major at Virginia Tech and AMSA Vice President. The fair is being held to inform individuals about the importance of obtaining health insurance and will feature guest speakers from multiple insurance companies. These speakers will present twice on the day of the event – the first at 2:30 p.m. for students and 3 p.m.
Tales of pot's dangers may not be just smoke and mirrors
Were you in Oxford, England, you might have already heard this, but since you're in Oxford, Miss., we'll let you know: Pot might just be really bad for you after all.
The Independent (newspaper) out of London has recently made an about-face on its 1997 call for decriminalization of cannabis in England. At that time The Independent led a campaign to decriminalize the drug, culminating in a 1998 march on Parliament and eventual softening of drug laws in England, allowing physicians to prescribe cannabis for medical use. The drug was even downgraded in 2004 to a class C drug, making possession illegal, but not arrestable.
Fast forward 10 years, and now The Independent has printed a front-page apology to its readers for its earlier stance. Mounting evidence in British scientific cirlces in recent years has indicated that cannabis use can impair mental health.
Pets Best Insurance Becomes the Exclusive Recommended Pet ...
BOISE, ID -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 04/03/07 -- The National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS) announced today that Pets Best pet insurance has received the exclusive endorsement as the pet insurance provider for the association, and its members. There are over 10,000 pet sitting businesses registered in the United States and well over 20,000 individual pet sitters operating as professional providers. In the United States, 63% of households have pets and 37% of pet owners consider their pets important family members. Over 70 million U.S. Households own dogs or cats and 45% of U.S. households own more than one pet. Consumer spending on pets has more than doubled from $17 billion in 1994 to an estimated $38.4 billion in 2006, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA).
Video: Providers, Hospitals Can Now Access Consistent Health ...
WASHINGTON, April 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Healthcare providers and hospitals can now access in seconds consistent eligibility and benefits information required to verify patient health insurance coverage thanks to new standard business rules developed by the CAQH Committee on Operating Rules for Information Exchange (CORE). To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/caqh/27654/ Currently, provider practice staffs often spend hours researching and making follow-up calls at significant cost to obtain and verify insurance information. The CORE rules, which build on the HIPAA eligibility (X12 270/271) transaction, make electronic administrative data communications seamless, streamlined and predictable, regardless of the technology -- in many cases eliminating the need for practice staff phone calls.
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