Who digs a pit....!

A cardiologist on Long Island’s Gold Coast traded semiautomatic guns and prescription pills in an elaborate plot to rub out a rival heart doc, (Reuters).  A New York cardiologist has been arrested and accused of a murder-for-hire plot against a competing doctor. The failed scheme was put into motion only after Anthony Moschetto, 54, hired two men to torch the competitor’s office in February.

A search of Moschetto’s ritzy home in the exclusive Sands Point neighborhood turned up a cache of some 100 weapons, concealed behind a motorized moving bookshelf in the heart doc’s basement, the Nassau County District Attorney’s office said. Among his secret arsenal were an illegal Uzi, an SKS semiautomatic weapon, a hand grenade, an assortment of knives and enough ammo to supply a small army.

He was accused of bartering prescription pills and semiautomatic guns in the shocking murder-for-hire plot.
“He wanted to put rival out of business so he could get his business,” said Nassau County prosecutor Anne Donnelly, explaining that Moschetto’s hatred for the doctor stemmed from a “professional dispute.”

Undercover officers conducting a drug sting unraveled the sinister plot when an oxycodone dealer they were targeting ask them for explosives “to blow up a building.”

He who digs a pit will fall into it, And he who rolls a stone, it will come back on him.

Just a thought.

Which Marco?

 

All politicians are a combination of the principle and calculation. One candidate's ideological stand is another's craven surrender. Sometimes it's even hard for supporters to tell the difference.

Yet this dichotomy within Rubio seems especially stark. At his best, the junior senator demonstrates that his party is more than a collection of oppositionists and ideologues.

Rubio has earned a reputation for policy ideas that are more pragmatic than partisan, starting with legislation he sponsored in 2013 that would have given 11 million undocumented immigrants an eventual path to citizenship.

Rubio's tax-reform proposals may be budget-busters, but at least his inclusion of bigger middle-class tax credits acknowledges that such reform must include goals other than cutting the top personal rate.

And his proposal for automatic income-based repayments of student loans would help ensure that nobody goes broke because of college debt.

Last year, Rubio gave a speech focused on improving the financial security of older Americans. It included proposals to end the Social Security clawback for those who work after turning 62, and ending the Social Security tax altogether for people who keep working after they reach retirement age. Those ideas are as good as they are dull.

There's another Marco Rubio. The one who abandoned his position on immigration when his party's base demanded it, who says human activity isn't to blame for climate change, whose positions on foreign policy opposing efforts to engage Cuba, for example reflect an outdated view of the world and of U.S. power.

As Rubio's campaign progresses, it will be interesting to see which version predominates. A talented politician, Rubio is capable of being both thoughtful and reckless. There's no question which quality makes for a better president.

[David Shipley of Bloomberg]

 

We need to see more work and more experience.

Just a thought.

Kind Bars 'healthy'??????????

The FDA issued a warning that Kind Bars misleading consumers by using the word "healthy" on labels of four products.  "None of your products listed above meet the requirements for use of the nutrient content claim "healthy" that are set forth........" wrote William A. Correll Jr. of the FDA New York District. Correll cited misbranding issues related to product label claims about fiber, antioxidants, trans-fats and non-GMO glucose. 

"The above violations are not meant to be an all-inclusive list of violations that may exist in connection with your products or their labeling. It is your responsibility to ensure that your products comply with the Act and its implementing regulations," the letter said. "You should take prompt action to correct the violations. Failure to promptly correct the violations may result in regulatory action without further notice, including seizure and/or injunction."
A company spokesman, Joe Cohen, said the issue focused on nuts. Even though they do not meet the standard for use of the term "healthy," they are still considered nutritious by an overwhelming body of scientific evidence, Cohen said.

Just because a company claims its products are healthy, doesn't make it true.

Just a thought.

Helping Yourself?

A home health care worker, a McDonald’s cashier, a bank teller, and adjunct professor. They are all evidence of an improving economy and not among the steadily declining ranks of the unemployed.

Nearly three-quarters of the people helped by programs geared to the poor are members of a family headed by a worker. As a result, taxpayers are providing not only support to the poor but also, in effect, a huge subsidy for employers of low-wage workers.

One report estimates that state and federal governments spend more than $150 billion a year on four key antipoverty programs used by working families: Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, food stamps and the earned-income tax credit, which is specifically aimed at working families.

The low-wage business model practiced by many of the largest and most profitable employers in the country leaves many working families unable to afford the basics, and also imposes significant costs on the public as a whole.

Other states, as well as several cities, have moved to raise the minimum wage above $10, while local activists demand $15 an hour. It doesn't matter though.

The US economic system and its balance require exactly this arrangement. Poor people working these jobs and get public assistance. Certain services are high cost for no reason except balance. Example, healthcare premium can cost as much as 10K/per year in USA while other Countries cost 3k with better service.

So don't look down at no one, and no one would wish you fail. Just a thought.

the Support...*!

John Booker Jr. struck others as strange or even troubled but also as a young man not shy about discussing his faith or debating Islamic philosophy at the mosque.

But the 20-year-old Topeka resident told a confidante informant that he wasn't liked at his mosque because he expressed support for the terrorist group al-Qaida - views that would have gotten him barred. The cleric said the FBI brought Booker to the mosque and sought counseling to turn him from views behind Facebook postings about plans to die in a jihad.

Booker was in contact with two informants portraying Islamic State group sympathizers. He was arrested trying to arm a 1,000-pound bomb outside Fort Riley.

Kansas' top federal prosecutor also charged another Topeka man, Alexander Blair, 28, with failing to report Booker's plans to authorities.  He loaned Booker money to rent space to build and store a bomb.         Remove the support. Just a thought.

Don't Shush...

The controversy began when Paul grew curt with "Today" show anchor Savannah Guthrie.   She pressed him on shifts in his positions over the years, Paul accused her of editorializing. Paul was also abrasive when AP reporter Philip Elliot asked him about apparent contradictions in his positions on abortion legislation.

They recall when Paul shushed CNBC anchor Kelly Evans earlier this year.

By Wednesday evening, Paul was telling CNN's Wolf Blitzer, "I think I've been universally short tempered and testy with both male and female reporters. I'll own up to that."

In her interview with Paul on Wednesday, Kelly, who hosts a primetime show on Fox News, defended Evans and Guthrie for their line of questioning and admonished Paul.
 "Those women were not yelling at you," Kelly told Paul.

Some may contended that Paul's interactions could be construed as sexist.

Rupert Murdoch, the billionaire mogul who counts Fox News among his media assets, has made no secret of his affinity for the senator. Paul has made more appearances on Fox News than any other Republican presidential contender.
The senator is on better terms with the Fox News community than his father.

When you ask a question, let us hear the answer instead of interrupting with another question. Just a thought.

Young, Old, Black and white.

Officer, Michael Slager, 33, said he had feared for his life because ......... a scuffle after a traffic stop. A video shows the officer firing eight times as the man, Walter L. Scott, 50, fled. At that point, the officer was not in fear of his life from the victim.

Officer Slager stopped the driver of a Mercedes-Benz with a broken taillight. Mr. Scott ran away, and the officer chased him into a grassy lot that abuts a muffler shop. He fired his Taser, an electronic stun gun, but it did not stop Mr. Scott, according to police reports.

Moments after the struggle, Officer Slager reported on his radio: “Shots fired and the subject is down. He took my Taser,” according to police reports.

The officer then runs back toward where the initial scuffle occurred and picks something up off the ground. Moments later, he drops an object near Mr. Scott’s body.

No Narcotics no dead body in the car. A young officer killed an older man. Something is wrong here. Too much taxes used to pay police force to ensure no car with a broken taillight?

We don't need more training of police officers. We need a change of policies of using force arresting someone for minor fractions.

Just a thought.

Phantom Debt.

 A lawsuit against Universal Debt and Payment solutions was revealed, alleging the firm’s tactics included purchasing personal information from data brokers that operators could use to convince victims to pay debt they didn’t owe.

 

Agents tell consumers they risked jail time if they didn’t pay immediately. The claims were bolstered by operators’ citing personal information, including bank account numbers, the CFPB alleges, that had originally been obtained by payday loan lead generation websites and sold to data brokers.

 

The caller stated that he had a ‘restraining order against (the consumer) to appear in court if I didn’t settle with them.’ The caller said the consumer had 24 hours to pay $500 on a $1,600 debt to Bank of America, or the collector would ‘contact (the consumer’s) employer to levy (his) wage, and they were also contacting the local police to serve papers,’” the lawsuit alleges

 

Consumers were harassed, threatened, and deceived as part of a reprehensible scheme to collect debt that was not even owed,” said CFPB Director Richard Cordray. “We are taking action against the many parties that allegedly contributed to this phantom debt collection operation. The ringleaders of the scheme, the telemarketing company that broadcast millions of robo-calls, and the companies that processed the payments should all be held accountable for taking advantage of vulnerable consumers.”

I suggest the chair.  Just a thought.

Follow the Money.... Healthcare

A report issued Wednesday says that the most recent official projections indicate that the U.S. will spend $2.5 trillion less on health care from 2014 until 2019 than had been originally estimated at the time the Affordable Care Act [ACA] became law in 2010.

That represents a nearly 11 percent decrease in projected spending, according to the report issued by the Urban Institute.

Nearly half of the decrease in projections comes from lower spending estimates for Medicare and Medicaid.

While the exact impact of the ACA cannot be determined, it is clear that the nation has successfully expanded health coverage to Eleven Millions, and is now expected to spend considerably less than anticipated even before the law was enacted."
Kathy Hempstead, who directs coverage issues for the RWJ Foundation, said, "The impact of health reform on this slowdown, and whether it can be maintained, are very important issues."

This is a win/win/win program. More covered, Less utilized, and Surplus. Every turn you find Obama care beneficial. Opponents are crushed.

Just a thought.

Young Manipulate...


Stevens was a marketing manager at a dating service called Perfect Match, supervised Nourn. She was [18 yo.] in a "very intense" relationship with then-35-year-old, [with a wife and two kids] whom she met after seeing his profile on the Internet.

Barker wasn't available for her that holiday evening, so Nourn decided not to waste the evening, she'll try Stevens, spent the evening and part of the night with him.  During which [one thing led to another] she had sex at his place.

After leaving, Nourn returned to her home, and was confronted by an angry Barker. She told him she was and had sex with Stevens, but then she said he raped her. Barker wanted to end their relationship, but Nourn begged him not to. Her plan is to get him to leave his wife and be with  her and jealousy was the way.

Nourn chose to go along with a plan to kill Stevens and burn his body in his car, the prosecutor said. That should wipe the past and start fresh with her lover. She returned to Stevens' apt. and tricked him about car trouble.

After the murder, Nourn moved in with Barker, the mistress, the wife, and the kids for a while. She still wasn't able to manipulate the system as she wanted.

Nourn decided she has no use for Barker any more, she has the upper hand so she went to the police to report the murder and put it on him. She got caught, and her manipulation process of getting red of men one after the other failed miserably. One dead, two in jail and families destroyed.

Just a thought.