Daily Archives: February 14, 2012

Uninsured Get Reassured

February 14, 2012   Meagan Cahuasqui   No comments

Times are tough all around, but America’s working class seems to be getting hit the hardest from all sides.  Where once the average working class citizen could live comfortably he must now struggle to keep from going under.  That means more and more U.S. citizens have fallen vulnerable to a lack of health insurance.

With millions in the nation relying on federal aid for their health, this help can only go so far when it comes to filling prescriptions.  Many patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes go without medication for long periods of time, making their ailment worse, and all because they cannot afford to buy it.

Medco Foundation and Dispensary of Hope (DOH) have teamed up though in an attempt to solve this problem.  While Congress works toward helping the uninsured, these companies’ goal is to pick up the slack and cover crevices the government has passed over.

According to a Medco article, “The initiative will, for the first time, mobilize multiple generic drug manufacturers to donate significant supplies of medications to match clinical need among the uninsured.”  Basically, the plan is to have non-brand name companies donate medicines most needed by the uninsured so that these patients can afford the prescriptions.

Federal Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) do their best to provide cheap medical care for uninsured patients, but they can only do so much.  That’s why Medco and DOH have stepped in to assure such patients their health matters.

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Graffiti Artist Worth $200 Million in Facebook Stock

February 14, 2012   Joanelle Navarro   No comments

Photo Credit: www.laughingsquid.com

When graffiti artist David Choe did a piece for Facebook years ago, he took his pay in stock.  Now Choe’s stock is expected to be worth $200 million when the social media site makes their public offering.

Back in 2005, Choe, who is based in Los Angeles, was asked to paint Facebook’s first corporate headquarters.  As payment, he was offered cash or stock.  Choe chose stock, despite finding the idea of Facebook as “ridiculous and pointless” at the time.  Now, the stock will be worth $200 million when the Facebook IPO goes through.

Aside from painting Facebook’s headquarters, Choe has done many other works.  He was one of three street artists to be featured in last month’s Terminal Kings project.  The project required Choe, as well as Sam Flored and Highraff, to create a giant mural for the Denver International Airport’s Art and Culture program.

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Man Charged For Killing Couple Over Defriending Daughter on Facebook

February 14, 2012   Joanelle Navarro   No comments

Photo Credit: www.news.asiantown.net

A man has been charged with killing a Tennessee couple after they deleted his adult daughter as a friend on Facebook.

Marvin Potter, 60, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Billy Payne Jr. and his girlfriend, Billie Jean Hayworth.  The couple were shot to death in their Mountain City home and their 8-month-old baby was found unharmed in Hayworth’s arms.

The victims had recently complained to the police over the fact that Jenelle Potter, 30, Potter’s daughter, had been harassing them after they had deleted her as a friend on Facebook.

Potter’s friend Jamie Curd, 38, has also been charged in the couples deaths.  Curd supposedly has romantic feelings for Jenelle Potter, according to police.

Potter currently doesn’t have an attorney and is being held on a $200,000 bond, while Curd was assigned a public defender.  Curd’s bond was raised to $1.5 million in order to postpone Potter’s bond hearing.

The couple has lived with Billy Payne Sr., who happened to be the last person to see them alive.  He reported that he last saw Hayworth feeding her baby before he left work at around 5:30 a.m. on Jan. 31.

The victims were later discovered about five hours later when their former neighbor stopped by to pick up mail the family had saved for him.  Payne Jr. was in his bedroom, while Hayworth was in the baby’s room.

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Girl with No Hands Rejected From Rides at SeaWorld and Universal

February 14, 2012   Joanelle Navarro   No comments

Photo Credit: www.zuri1.com

A girl born without hands was turned away from rides at both SeaWorld and Universal’s Islands of Adventure in Orlando.

Katie Champagne, 17, was born without hands, as well as her left arm almost to the elbow.  Despite her condition and without the use of prosthetics, Champagne is co-captain of a state runner-up high school equestrian team.  She can also rope climb and is an aspiring artist and photographer.

Champagne was quite surprised when back in December she was told she couldn’t ride a ride at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  Her and her family waited in line for the main attraction, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, but were then approached by a park employee who told them that Champagne couldn’t go on the ride.  The Champagne family were given refunds for their tickets.

Then, when Champagne visited SeaWorld in late January, she boarded the Kraken coaster, but when the ride didn’t start, she knew that she wouldn’t be able to ride.  Champagne was most angry about this incident because she had rode the coaster at her last visit to Orlando in December.  The family was upset about the inconsistencies in SeaWorld’s policies.

A spokesman for SeaWorld Orlando said in a statement that the park regrets “any inconvenience or embarrassment this incident may have caused for the Champagne family.”

Currently, the Champagne’s are working with Richard Bernstein, a blind Michigan attorney who represents clients in pro-bono federal disability suits.  Bernstein wants to argue that the fact that SeaWorld said that you have to be able to grasp the harness “with at least one hand,” instead of an arm is a possible violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The Champagne’s aren’t filing a civil lawsuit yet, but are hoping that with the help of Bernstein they can get the policies to be more consistent.

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UCSF Scientists Calling for Regulation on Sugar

February 14, 2012   Joanelle Navarro   No comments

Photo Credit: www.essentiallyhealthyfood.com

Scientists at the University of California, San Francisco, or UCSF, are reporting that sugar is a toxic, addictive substance that needs regulation.

In a paper published in Nature on Feb. 1, UCSF scientists argue that an increase in global consumption of sugar is what has led to the high rate of chronic diseases.  They also compare the addictiveness of sugar to that of alcohol and tobacco.

Sugar, however, won’t be a habit that people will be able to kick quickly.  It’s a part of almost all food and simple education and awareness campaigns won’t make people watch their sugar intake.

Currently, American eat and drink around 22 teaspoons of sugar every day, which is more then triple what was consumed over three decades ago.

UCSF scientists believe that public policy is going to be required in order to guide people toward healthier food choices.  Policy will also be needed to remove sugar from processed foods that people eat everyday.

The scientists are calling for taxes on heavily sweetened foods and beverages, as well as restricting advertisement towards children and teenagers.  They also recommend removing products with high levels of sugar from being sold in schools or even near schools, and suggest a ban of the sale of sugary beverages to children.  UCSF scientists feel that these policies would urge people to make healthier choices, but only if healthier choices are made more widely available.

In response to the study, both the food and beverage industries, and the American Beverage Association, have released statements.  The food and beverage industries said that sugar is not to blame for high rates of chronic disease around the world, while the American Beverage Association said that the comparison of sugar to alcohol and tobacco is “simply without scientific merit.”

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Billion Dollar Mortgage Settlement

February 14, 2012   Jocelyn Apodaca   No comments

The $25 billion mortgage fraud settlement with the five biggest banks gained approval from 49 of 50 states attorneys general.

To be performed over a three year period, the nation is experiencing the second largest civil settlement obtained by attorney generals in history.

The five banks: Bank of America, Citibank, Wells Fargo & Co., JPMorgan Chase, and Ally Financial (formerly GMAC) who participated in “robo-signing,” submitting foreclosure documents that were not properly reviewed and notarized, will be held accountable through financial penalties. For the people who borrowed and lost their homes to foreclosure Jan 1, 2008 to Dec 31, 2011, attorney generals have sent out claim forms to persons who are eligible for the cash retribution.

More than half the nations outstanding 27 million home loans are in the middle of this settlement. The banks are paying a combined $5 billion, with $1.5 billion to compensate borrowers whose home foreclosed and the rest going to the federal and state governments to pay for regulatory programs.

Some lenders lost an average of $60,000  on every foreclosure, according to federal government disclosure in connection with settlement announcements.

Most of the balance is in mortgage relief for those in stressed and “underwater” positions, including principal reductions, refinancing and other modifications.

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