Archive for June, 2021

Submitted by: Jerry Rodgers

Next month, President Obama will likely sign a bill into law ordering changes in the ways banks, credit card issuers and mortgage lenders interface with consumers. Here are the key features of the financial reform agreement that the Senate and House of Representatives came to on June 24, with a vote pending.

#1: The Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection. This new consumer agency answering to the Federal Reserve would supervise mortgages, credit cards, student loans and the banks, credit unions and private lenders that issue them. Institutions holding less than $10 million in assets wouldn t be regulated by the BCFP but they would have to follow its rules. The BCFP would aim to make these products easier to comprehend for consumers and crack down on any possible deceptive practices.

#2: See your credit score for free. If you are turned down for a mortgage or a loan, the new reforms would give you the power to see the credit score supplied to your lender. Right now, you can request three free credit reports each year but you can t see your actual score.

#3: Tougher rules for mortgage lenders. These rules should have come into play years ago, of course, but better late than never. Mortgage lenders would need to verify the assets and income of borrowers, thwarting any surreptitious comeback for liar loans . Loan officers and mortgage brokers would not be able to receive bonuses for guiding you into this or that loan. Borrowers with ARMs and other types of complex home loans could not be hit with prepayment penalties should they want or need to pay off a mortgage before the end of its term.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ryvq9JEWZmg[/youtube]

#4: Retail minimums for the use of credit cards. Score one for retailers, who don t want to see people make $2 credit card purchases when the swipe fee alone cancels out the revenue. Under the new legislation, stores could set minimums for credit card use. The minimum transaction level could be as high as $10 if a store chooses; the Federal Reserve could raise that $10 limit on the minimum with time.

Alternately, stores could offer consumers discounts if they pay for items with cash or debit cards. (They wouldn t be able to vary the discounts for different debit cards.)

Additionally, the proposed reforms could allow colleges and universities and the U.S. government to set maximums for credit card transactions.

#5: Brokers could be held to a fiduciary standard. Under the new reforms, the Securities and Exchange Commission now has the chance to hold brokers to the same fiduciary standard common to financial advisers that is, investment brokers would have to put a client s best interest first and not simply recommend a suitable investment to a client. That new standard may or may not come into play, however; the SEC is undertaking a six-month study to see if such a rule would amount to regulatory overlap or not.

#6: The Volcker Rule would be put into play. This is the rule that would prevent banks from trading with their own money. It would kick in with small concessions. While the reforms would halt most proprietary trading by banks, some limited investment would be permitted.

The big banks got another key concession from Congress: they don t have to get rid of their swaps-trading desks (some legislators had contended that this decision would drive such trading to foreign markets). They can still be involved in foreign-exchange and interest-rate swaps dealing.

#7: An Office of Credit Ratings would appear. It would oversee the actions of Moody’s, Standard and Poor’s and other big names, and one of its objectives would be to flag potential conflicts of interest that could influence ratings judgements.

Now, what about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac? Good question. Nothing made it into the final reform bill to address that dilemma. Some analysts expect another bill will emerge in 2011 to propose their restructuring or elimination.

About the Author: Jerry M. Rodgers is an independent writer and loves writing on variety of topics. He is quite impressed with the

plaxo.com/directory/profile/231930225534/ae5b088a/John/Jastremski

John Jastremski and his company.

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Cleveland, Ohio clinic performs US’s first face transplant

Posted by: Adminin Uncategorized
30
Jun

Thursday, December 18, 2008

A team of eight transplant surgeons in Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, USA, led by reconstructive surgeon Dr. Maria Siemionow, age 58, have successfully performed the first almost total face transplant in the US, and the fourth globally, on a woman so horribly disfigured due to trauma, that cost her an eye. Two weeks ago Dr. Siemionow, in a 23-hour marathon surgery, replaced 80 percent of her face, by transplanting or grafting bone, nerve, blood vessels, muscles and skin harvested from a female donor’s cadaver.

The Clinic surgeons, in Wednesday’s news conference, described the details of the transplant but upon request, the team did not publish her name, age and cause of injury nor the donor’s identity. The patient’s family desired the reason for her transplant to remain confidential. The Los Angeles Times reported that the patient “had no upper jaw, nose, cheeks or lower eyelids and was unable to eat, talk, smile, smell or breathe on her own.” The clinic’s dermatology and plastic surgery chair, Francis Papay, described the nine hours phase of the procedure: “We transferred the skin, all the facial muscles in the upper face and mid-face, the upper lip, all of the nose, most of the sinuses around the nose, the upper jaw including the teeth, the facial nerve.” Thereafter, another team spent three hours sewing the woman’s blood vessels to that of the donor’s face to restore blood circulation, making the graft a success.

The New York Times reported that “three partial face transplants have been performed since 2005, two in France and one in China, all using facial tissue from a dead donor with permission from their families.” “Only the forehead, upper eyelids, lower lip, lower teeth and jaw are hers, the rest of her face comes from a cadaver; she could not eat on her own or breathe without a hole in her windpipe. About 77 square inches of tissue were transplanted from the donor,” it further described the details of the medical marvel. The patient, however, must take lifetime immunosuppressive drugs, also called antirejection drugs, which do not guarantee success. The transplant team said that in case of failure, it would replace the part with a skin graft taken from her own body.

Dr. Bohdan Pomahac, a Brigham and Women’s Hospital surgeon praised the recent medical development. “There are patients who can benefit tremendously from this. It’s great that it happened,” he said.

Leading bioethicist Arthur Caplan of the University of Pennsylvania withheld judgment on the Cleveland transplant amid grave concerns on the post-operation results. “The biggest ethical problem is dealing with failure — if your face rejects. It would be a living hell. If your face is falling off and you can’t eat and you can’t breathe and you’re suffering in a terrible manner that can’t be reversed, you need to put on the table assistance in dying. There are patients who can benefit tremendously from this. It’s great that it happened,” he said.

Dr Alex Clarke, of the Royal Free Hospital had praised the Clinic for its contribution to medicine. “It is a real step forward for people who have severe disfigurement and this operation has been done by a team who have really prepared and worked towards this for a number of years. These transplants have proven that the technical difficulties can be overcome and psychologically the patients are doing well. They have all have reacted positively and have begun to do things they were not able to before. All the things people thought were barriers to this kind of operations have been overcome,” she said.

The first partial face transplant surgery on a living human was performed on Isabelle Dinoire on November 27 2005, when she was 38, by Professor Bernard Devauchelle, assisted by Professor Jean-Michel Dubernard in Amiens, France. Her Labrador dog mauled her in May 2005. A triangle of face tissue including the nose and mouth was taken from a brain-dead female donor and grafted onto the patient. Scientists elsewhere have performed scalp and ear transplants. However, the claim is the first for a mouth and nose transplant. Experts say the mouth and nose are the most difficult parts of the face to transplant.

In 2004, the same Cleveland Clinic, became the first institution to approve this surgery and test it on cadavers. In October 2006, surgeon Peter Butler at London‘s Royal Free Hospital in the UK was given permission by the NHS ethics board to carry out a full face transplant. His team will select four adult patients (children cannot be selected due to concerns over consent), with operations being carried out at six month intervals. In March 2008, the treatment of 30-year-old neurofibromatosis victim Pascal Coler of France ended after having received what his doctors call the worlds first successful full face transplant.

Ethical concerns, psychological impact, problems relating to immunosuppression and consequences of technical failure have prevented teams from performing face transplant operations in the past, even though it has been technically possible to carry out such procedures for years.

Mr Iain Hutchison, of Barts and the London Hospital, warned of several problems with face transplants, such as blood vessels in the donated tissue clotting and immunosuppressants failing or increasing the patient’s risk of cancer. He also pointed out ethical issues with the fact that the procedure requires a “beating heart donor”. The transplant is carried out while the donor is brain dead, but still alive by use of a ventilator.

According to Stephen Wigmore, chair of British Transplantation Society’s ethics committee, it is unknown to what extent facial expressions will function in the long term. He said that it is not certain whether a patient could be left worse off in the case of a face transplant failing.

Mr Michael Earley, a member of the Royal College of Surgeon‘s facial transplantation working party, commented that if successful, the transplant would be “a major breakthrough in facial reconstruction” and “a major step forward for the facially disfigured.”

In Wednesday’s conference, Siemionow said “we know that there are so many patients there in their homes where they are hiding from society because they are afraid to walk to the grocery stores, they are afraid to go the the street.” “Our patient was called names and was humiliated. We very much hope that for this very special group of patients there is a hope that someday they will be able to go comfortably from their houses and enjoy the things we take for granted,” she added.

In response to the medical breakthrough, a British medical group led by Royal Free Hospital’s lead surgeon Dr Peter Butler, said they will finish the world’s first full face transplant within a year. “We hope to make an announcement about a full-face operation in the next 12 months. This latest operation shows how facial transplantation can help a particular group of the most severely facially injured people. These are people who would otherwise live a terrible twilight life, shut away from public gaze,” he said.

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Crosswords/2005/February/1

Posted by: Adminin Uncategorized
29
Jun

Tuesday, February 1, 2005

Feel free to use the Wikimedia sites to solve our Wikinews crossword (Please do not fill it out online as it would spoil it for other people, print it out and fill it in at you own leisure!)

If you like, you can follow the instructions on Crosswords/Across Lite to download and solve today’s crossword on your computer.

Today’s crossword in Across Lite TEXT format (warning – contains answers!).
< Yesterday’s crossword.
Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Crosswords/2005/February/1&oldid=515782”

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Coinciding with Easter Sunday, Glasgow Cannabis Social Club’s annual 420 event was held on Glasgow Green, under sunny blue skies, and overlooking the river Clyde. Despite the city’s council attempting to revoke permission for the gathering at the last minute, police were happy for it to go-ahead with approximately a dozen officers attending in high-visibility vests.

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The Daily Record reported five arrests were made for minor offences, likely smoking and possession of small quantities of cannabis. Taking a less-sensational — and more accurate — line of reporting, the Monday edition of Glasgow’s Evening News stated five were referred to the Procurator Fiscal who is responsible for deciding if charges should be brought.

Official figures provided by the police were that 150 attended. With people coming and going, Wikinews reporters estimated upwards of 200 attended, compared to nearly 700 who had signed up for the event on Facebook. Hemp goods were advertised and on sale at the event, and some attendees were seen drinking cannabis-themed energy drinks.

“I was searched and charged under the Misuse of Drugs Act (which is a lot of bollocks)” one attendee noted online, adding “not fair to happen on a brilliant day like it was, other than that I had a great day!” A second said they were openly smoking and ignored by police, who “were only really focusing on people who looked particularly young”.

Cannabis seeds were openly and legally sold at the event and a hydroponics supplier brought a motortrike towing an advertising trailer. Actually growing cannabis is, however, illegal in the UK.

With the event openly advocating the legalisation of cannabis, speakers put their arguments for this to a receptive crowd. Retired police officer James Duffy, of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, spoke of the failed United States alcohol prohibition policy; stressing such policies needlessly bring people into contact with criminal elements. Highlighting other countries where legalisation has been implemented, he pointed out such led to lower crime, and lower drug use overall.

One speaker, who produced a bottle of cannabis oil he had received through the post, asserted this cured his prostate cancer. Others highlighted the current use of Sativex by the National Health Service, with a cost in-excess of £150 for a single bottle of GW Pharmaceuticals patented spray — as-compared to the oil shown to the crowd, with a manufacturing cost of approximately £10.

Similar ‘420’ pro-cannabis events were held globally.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Glasgow_cannabis_enthusiasts_celebrate_%27green%27_on_city_green&oldid=3759078”

byAlma Abell

Have you ever had the misfortune of having your toilet back up? If so, this can cause damage to the plumbing system itself as well as the interior of your home. To keep your plumbing system working at optimal levels, get the plumbing service Tucson you need by working with a qualified and trustworthy plumbing contractor. Plumbing Service includes installing, repairing, replacing, and maintaining all parts of a plumbing system. A plumbing network needs to work correctly at all times for sanitary water to flow freely within its piping system to designated areas in a home. This water is used for daily activities such as cleaning, bathing, eating, and drinking.

If you don’t have a plumbing contractor you use on a regular basis, ask other professionals you know for recommendations. Roofing contractors and building contractors are good sources of information for obtaining suggestions on plumbing contractors since these professionals tend to work closely with plumbers on certain projects. You can also ask friends, family members, and colleagues for the names of plumbers they have worked with. Once you have these referrals, you can concentrate on one or two candidates.

When you are dealing with plumbers, make sure you work with one who is licensed. In some states, it’s illegal to hire a contractor who is not licensed. You can contact the state agency in charge of professional licensing to verify the existence of a license. To keep a license, some plumbers have to undergo an evaluation regarding their businesses processes. Some even have to take an examination to establish their knowledge of plumbing.

An experienced plumber who performs durable Plumbing Service Tucson will carry a minimal level of insurance. Some states mandate that plumbers carry workers’ compensation and general liability. A plumber who is uninsured will open you up to the possibility of being sued if a plumber is hurt while working on your plumbing.

With a little knowledge and tenacity, you can do a comprehensive search on the background of your prospective plumber. Doing so will let you have the water you need in your home for everyday life.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Journalist, counselor, painter, and US 2012 Presidential candidate Joe Schriner of Cleveland, Ohio took some time to discuss his campaign with Wikinews in an interview.

Schriner previously ran for president in 2000, 2004, and 2008, but failed to gain much traction in the races. He announced his candidacy for the 2012 race immediately following the 2008 election. Schriner refers to himself as the “Average Joe” candidate, and advocates a pro-life and pro-environmentalist platform. He has been the subject of numerous newspaper articles, and has published public policy papers exploring solutions to American issues.

Wikinews reporter William Saturn? talks with Schriner and discusses his campaign.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Wikinews_interviews_Joe_Schriner,_Independent_U.S._presidential_candidate&oldid=4497624”

Dozens arrested in leadup to St Petersburg G8 Summit

Posted by: Adminin Uncategorized
25
Jun

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

A G8 summit has been planned to take place from 15-17 July in St Petersburg, Russia. Several sources have reported that a systematic police crackdown on people participating in alternative meetings (a Libertarian Forum and the Russian Social Forum) and critical of the official meeting has begun almost a week prior to the summit. Estimates range from dozens to one or two hundred arrests and detentions.

For the past several years, especially since the 27th G8 summit in 2001 in Genoa, the G8 summits of the leaders of seven of the world’s richest industrialised countries and of Russia have been regularly met by popular protests by critics who assert that members of G8 are responsible for global issues such as global warming due to carbon dioxide emission, poverty in Africa and developing countries due to debt crisis and unfair trade policy, exacerbating the AIDS crisis by medicine patent policy and other problems that are related to globalization. These protests have been met by massive numbers of arrests and police violence, on some occasions.

In contrast to previous G8 meetings, this time arrests have been taking place a week before the official meeting itself has started. At least 23-25 human rights activists and political activists, including two German citizens, have been detained by police in Moscow, St Petersburg and other cities in Russia since 7 July. Many of them have been sentenced to ten days’ imprisonment, enough to prevent them from participation in political protests until the end of the official summit.

Some sources claim that the true detention rate may be much higher, such as an unconfirmed report attributed to the Siberian Confederation of Labour (????????? ???????????? ?????) claiming 200 arrests. The activists’ legal team claims that more than 100 arrests and detainments have occurred.

Discussions on global energy issues and other themes have started at the Libertarian Forum despite the arrests, and the Russian Social Forum is expected to start on schedule on 13 July, followed by the official G8 meeting on 15-17 July. Permission to carry out a street demonstration by the Russian Social Forum has been refused by the authorities.

Russian authorities say that demonstrations are permitted, but only in the location set aside for them – a sports stadium about 25 km (16 miles) from the Constantine Palace, which will house the summit. The Russian Deputy Interior Minister Alexander Chekalin said that allegations of harassment were “from the realms of supposition”.

“The police’s actions are commensurate with the situation at hand. The situation demands particular measures, sometimes intensified. Sometimes it demands that we visit a family in their apartment,” He said.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Dozens_arrested_in_leadup_to_St_Petersburg_G8_Summit&oldid=4580469”

Governor of Illinois arrested on suspicion of corruption

Posted by: Adminin Uncategorized
24
Jun

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

The Democratic governor of Illinois in the United States, Rod Blagojevich, 51, along with his chief of staff John Harris, 46, were arrested Tuesday morning by the FBI on federal corruption charges.

The Chicago Tribune reports that federal agents raided Blagojevich’s home this morning and took him into federal custody. The arrest comes after a three-year investigation into Blagojevich’s “pay-to-play politics.”

Specifically, the Department of Justice alleged that Blagojevich attempted to sell the Senate seat previously held by President-elect Barack Obama. Blagojevich, as governor, has the sole authority to appoint someone to complete Obama’s term. Authorities believe the process to select a new senator was tainted after authorities secretly recorded several of Blagojevich’s conversations. They believe that he was attempting to sell the seat in exchange for financial benefit for himself and his wife.

Documents from the FBI and from U.S. attorney Patrick Fitzgerald identify the people whom Blagojevich was considering as Senate Candidates 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. According to Fitzgerald’s press release, Blagojevich told an advisor that he wanted to “get some (money) up front, maybe.”

In Illinois, a new state ethics law will take effect on January 1, 2009, so Blagojevich was trying to embezzle as much money as he could before that date, said Fitzgerald.

Authorities also believe that Blagojevich was trying to withhold state financial assistance from the owner of the Tribune, the Tribune Company, which recently filed for bankruptcy protection. They allege he was trying to get members of the editorial board of the Chicago Tribune fired by threatening to complicate the sale of Wrigley Field by Tribune Company.

On December 8, Blagojevich responded to the reports that federal authorities had wiretapped his phone conversations, saying that “I should say if anybody wants to tape my conversations, go right ahead, feel free to do it. I can tell you that whatever I say is always lawful and the things I’m interested in are always lawful.”

If convicted, Blagojevich could face up to 30 years in prison and $500,000 in fines.

This is not the first time in Illinois history that a governor has been arrested for corruption charges. In 2006, George Ryan was indicted and is now serving a 6½-year prison term.

Retrieved from “https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Governor_of_Illinois_arrested_on_suspicion_of_corruption&oldid=1108564”

Today many Americans have excellent oral health and are keeping their natural teeth throughout their lives. But everyone does not have healthy teeth. Cavities are still the prevalent chronic disease of childhood. Most of the people believe that they need to visit a dentist only if they think something is wrong or suffer in pain, but actually, they are missing the bigger picture. A visit to a dentist in Northern Virginia means diagnosing and treating conditions that can range from routine to complex.Team WorkThe team approach to dentistry helps in promoting continuity of care that is convenient, comprehensive, efficient, and cost-effective. Members of the team include dental hygienists, lab technicians, and dental assistants. The team is led by a dentist who specializes in oral health and has a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree or Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD).Role of the DentistDentists are doctors who have expertise in oral health. Their responsibilities include• Monitor development and growth of the jaws and teeth• Interpret diagnostic tests and x-rays• Perform surgical procedures on bone, teeth and soft tissues of the oral cavity• Ensure safe administration of anesthetics• Create treatment plans to restore or maintain the oral health of their patients• Promote disease prevention and oral health• Diagnose oral diseasesDentists’ oversight of his team is crucial to ensure effective and safe oral care. Even routine procedures like administering anesthetics, preparing and placing fillings, or extracting tooth carries risks of complications like prolonged bleeding, temporary or permanent nerve damage, infection, pain and hematomas.More than Gums and TeethThe areas of care for a dentist in Northern Virginia include not only their patients’ gums and teeth but also include salivary glands, the tongue, the nervous system of the neck and head, muscles of the jaw, neck, and head and many other areas. At the time of comprehensive test, dentists examine the gums and teeth and also look for discolorations, swellings, lumps as well as ulcerations. If a major problem occurs, they conduct procedures like screening tests for oral cancer, biopsies, salivary gland function, and diagnostic tests for infectious or chronic diseases. Moreover, the dentists can detect early warning signs in your mouth that may indicate disease in other parts of the body. Their training enables them to recognize situations that warrant referring patients for care by dental physicians or specialists.Why Oral Health Should MatterRecent scientific studies point out associations between various general health conditions and oral health, including heart disease and diabetes. The World Health Organization has integrated oral health into its efforts for preventing chronic disease “as the risks to health are interconnected. “ The American Dental Association states that a visit to the dentist must start after a child’s first birthday for establishing a dental home. Dentists in Northern Virginia provide guidance to parents and children, diagnose and treat dental problems in its earliest stages and deliver preventive oral health services. The ongoing dental checkup will aid both adults and children maintain optimum oral health throughout their lives.

Category:Music

Posted by: Adminin Uncategorized
22
Jun

This is the category for Music.

Refresh this list to see the latest articles.

  • 11 June 2021: Taylor Swift’s Evermore records biggest sales week of the year as it returns to No 1 on album chart
  • 27 May 2021: Olivia Rodrigo’s song good 4 u debuts at No 1 on US Billboard Hot 100 chart
  • 25 May 2021: ‘Rock and roll never dies’: Italy wins Eurovision after 30 years
  • 6 February 2021: Country singer Morgan Wallen’s recording contract cancelled following use of racial slur
  • 8 October 2020: Guitarist Eddie Van Halen dies, aged 65
  • 7 October 2019: Influential rock drummer Ginger Baker dies at age 80
  • 25 September 2019: Singer-songwriter Robert Hunter dies, aged 78
  • 16 May 2019: Actor Doris Day dies at 97
  • 9 September 2018: US rapper Mac Miller dies at home in Los Angeles
  • 18 August 2018: Singer Aretha Franklin, ‘queen of soul’, dies aged 76
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