____________
____________
________
from Crosscut.com
What can Washington state learn From Finland’s education system? Trust and collaboration, for starters. By Alison Krupnick
________
from DEBKAfile.com
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report [shared by Lars Larson]
________
from Mother Nature Network
11 animals more likely to kill you than sharks
If the mere thought of sharks sends chills down your spine, consider the damage that a swarm of ants could inflict. And even cows have been known to be deadly.
________
from The Spokesman-Review
Rise in state supermajorities shows widening partisan gap
Half of all legislatures are veto-proof; all but three run by one party
Truce still elusive for Israel, Hamas
Both sides continue border attacks
Ancient carvings stolen from cliffs
Gulf dolphins being maimed, killed
_____
In brief: From Wire Reports:
OKLAHOMA CITY – A federal judge Monday rejected Hobby Lobby Stores Inc.’s request to block part of the federal health care overhaul that requires the arts and craft company to provide insurance coverage for the morning-after and week-after birth control pills.
In a 28-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton denied a request by Hobby Lobby to prevent the government from enforcing portions of the health care law mandating insurance coverage for contraceptives the company’s Christian owners consider objectionable.
The Oklahoma City-based company and a sister company, Mardel Inc., sued the government in September, claiming the mandate violates the owners’ religious beliefs. In his ruling denying Hobby Lobby’s request for an injunction, Heaton said that while churches and other religious organizations have been granted constitutional protection from the birth-control provisions, “Hobby Lobby and Mardel are not religious organizations.”
Hobby Lobby’s attorney said the companies’ owners will appeal.
LOS ANGELES – Five of the biggest U.S. banks have cut struggling homeowners’ mortgage balances by $6.3 billion, part of a total $26.1 billion in home loan relief provided under a landmark settlement over foreclosure abuses.
More than 309,000 borrowers received some form of mortgage relief between March 1 and Sept. 30, according to a report issued Monday by Joseph Smith, monitor of the settlement.
That translates to roughly $84,385 per homeowner, according to the report, which is based on mortgage servicers’ own account of their progress as they move to comply with the settlement terms.
“The relief the banks have reported is encouraging,” Smith said in a statement. He added that the banks won’t get credit under the settlement until he can confirm their figures.
Smith said that $13.1 billion of the $26.1 billion in relief was in the form of short sales, in which lenders agree to accept less than what the seller owes on the mortgage.
Another $1.4 billion in relief was provided by refinancing 37,396 home loans with an average principal balance of $210,398. As a result, each borrower will save about $409 in interest payments each month, according to the report.
Banks also had $4.2 billion worth of loans under trial modifications. That could lead to permanent reduction in loan balances of $135,223 per borrower.
All told, banks erased about $2.6 billion in first-lien loans and $2.8 billion in second-lien loans. That amounts to an average reduction of $116,929 for the 21,833 borrowers with first-lien loans. The 50,025 borrowers with second-lien loans saw their balances reduced by an average of $55,534.
The federal government and state attorneys general for 49 states forged the $25 billion settlement in February with five banks: Ally Financial Inc., Bank of America Corp., JPMorgan Chase & Co., Citigroup Inc. and Wells Fargo & Co.
Credit card debt rises in third quarter
LOS ANGELES – Americans cranked up their use of credit cards in the third quarter, racking up more debt than a year ago, while also being less diligent about making payments on time, an analysis of consumer-credit data shows.
The average credit card debt per borrower in the U.S. grew 4.9 percent in the July-to-September period from a year earlier to $4,996, credit reporting agency TransUnion said Monday.
At the same time, the rate of credit card payments at least 90 days overdue hit 0.75 percent, up from 0.71 percent in the third quarter of last year, the firm said.
While higher, the late payment rate is rising from historically low levels. The lowest late payment rate on TransUnion records going back to the mid-1990s was 0.56 percent, set in the third quarter of 1994. More recently, it was at 0.60 percent in the second quarter of last year.
_____
VA tries to increase awareness
Historic stops mark Asia trip
Myanmar gets lift; Cambodia chided
Syria Islamists reject opposition coalition
West’s plan draws extremists’ ire
Colombia awarded islands
Nearby water under Nicaraguan control
Spielberg speaks on Gettysburg Address
‘Hobbit’ animals died, wranglers say
Reports of Twinkies’ demise may be premature
Judge tells Hostess, bakers union to try mediation to end impasse
U.S. housing market making steady gains
Rebound is expected to add 25,000 jobs a month next year
Mona Charen
Local health advocates look to remove barriers for testing among people over 50
Adrian Rogers The Spokesman-Review
No proven link between milk, diabetes
Anthony L. Komaroff Universal Uclick
Joe Graedon M.S. PeoplesPharmacy.com
Consumer group warns of dangers on store shelves
Documentary: Inmate may be involved in OJ case
Study: NJ beaches 30-40 feet narrower after storm
________
from The Wenatchee World
_____
PUD SETS UP SAGE HILLS DRINKS
Water wings for Sage Hills wildlifefrom The Wenatchee World
 |
| The steamboat Enterprise on the Okanogan River. It was built in 1903 and wrecked in 1915. |
PUD SETS UP SAGE HILLS DRINKS
PUD installs “guzzlers” to quench critters’ thirst
Residents, city get their way: It’ll still be Soap Lake
 |
| An Iron Dome missile as it is launched near the city of Ashdod, Israel. |
Iron Dome anti-missile system is winning praise among Israelis
Bleakness only a child’s smile can lift
A mother’s grueling struggle to survive in Afghanistan
How Obama’s visit to Pacific affects China
No comments:
Post a Comment