| Sen. Mel Martinez wants to double Medicare fraud penalties
U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez on Tuesday trumpeted his proposal to stiffen criminal and civil penalties for people who abuse the nation's health-care system, bringing his message to South Florida, the nation's worst haven for Medicare fraud. ''In Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties we probably have three of the busiest counties in fraud in the United States by a large measure,'' the Florida Republican told reporters at Miami Dade College. He said the federal government estimates about $60 billion in Medicare fraud claims a year, including about $12 billion in Florida. ''Four million Floridians and 47 million Americans that are uninsured could all be amply insured if we just took the fraud out of the Medicare system,'' he said. Martinez, who also met with U.S.
IDG’S COMPUTERWORLD NAMES VERIZON WIRELESS AS ONE OF THE TOP GREEN ...
Being green is not just saying youre conscious about the environment and its challenges. In todays business world, its about efficiency, power consumption and applying those green principles to smart business decision making, said Don Tennant, editorial director, Computerworld. The companies recognized in our first Top Green-IT Computing issue have taken a serious look at how they impact the environment and how they can address those challenges with good business sense. The Top Green-IT Companies have been selected by Computerworld for implementing smart, efficient strategies to achieve green IT. Companies were measured against a set of a set of criteria developed by Computerworld and green IT experts that identified how organizations are working to reduce energy consumption in IT equipment and are using technology to conserve energy and lower carbon emissions.
Former high court justice is mediator for ORU lawsuit
For more: Read the latest ORU stories, view the lawsuit and other documents and watch slide shows and video.
The parties involved in the Oral Roberts University lawsuit have chosen former Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice Daniel Boudreau as their mediator.
Three former professors have sued ORU, former President Richard Roberts and three college administrators for wrongful termination and related claims.
Tulsa County District Judge Rebecca Nightingale last week granted a request by ORU and the administrators to require mediation.
John Tucker, an attorney for ORU and the administrators, said a date for the mediation has not been set.
Boudreau served on all three levels of the Oklahoma judiciary -- the district court, intermediate court of civil appeals and the state Supreme Court.
UK women can learn from Spanish señoritas
First their enlightened government banned size-zero models. Now a new survey shows that most women in Spain are happy with their bodies. Maria Alvarez reveals why Spanish women do get fat - but don't mind There is a scene in Pedro Almodóvar's most recent film, Volver, in which Penélope Cruz visits her childhood village in La Mancha, teenage daughter in tow, to see her ageing Aunt Paula. The latter's memory is hazy. Upon embracing Cruz, she says: "You're very thin," and goes on to ask, "Have you had your baby?" To which Cruz, a regular visitor, replies: "Fourteen years ago." Felicity Kendal says bulimia is inevitable Lucy O'Brien: Girls just wanna have total control .
A few of Peterson's soups that sing
Chop or shred it into bite-size pieces and put it back in the soup. If you used ham hocks, pull the rind away from the hocks and discard the rind. Pull the meat away and add it to the soup. If you like, puree the soup for a few seconds with an immersion blender to give it a little richer consistency. But be sure to keep it identifiably lumpy. Ladle the soup into serving bowls. Pass the hot pepper sauce and sour cream at the table. Makes about 2 quarts. Freezes well. -- "Cooking" by James Peterson (Ten Speed, 2007) .
3 to shut Superdrug concessions
Mobile operator 3 UK is to close the majority of its Superdrug retail concessions. The company will exit 107 of the 127 concessions it has in the health and beauty chain, which is owned by its parent company Hutchison Whampoa. The list from A to Z Click on the links below to find out more... A is for ADSL B is for BT C is for Cable & Wireless D is for Dial-up E is for Education F is for Fibre G is for Goonhilly H is for HSDPA I is for In-flight J is for Janet K is for Kingston L is for Landlines M is for Murdoch N is for Next generation O is for Ofcom P is for Power lines Q is for Quad-play R is for Remote working S is for Satellite phones T is for Trains U is for Unbundling V is for VoIP W is for WiMax X is for Xbox Y is for YouTube Z is for Zombies A 3 spokesman explained the operator initially opened the concessions as a quick way of gaining a high street presence but has since expanded its retail base - ramping up from 100 stores at the start of last year to 270 by the end.
Tobacco: an inconvenient weed
A call for world action last week sounded as familiar as, say, that against global warming. But while a UN report did warn of a "catastrophe" in the 21st century, the topic wasn't the usual greenhouse gases. It was tobacco smoking. In terms of global priorities to save lives, the math alone argues for as much attention to be paid to tobacco addiction as to climate change – maybe even more. In the 20th century, more people died prematurely from smoking (100 million) than those who perished under the ruthless regimes of Hitler, Stalin, and Mao. Today, tobacco is seen as responsible for more deaths than from AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined, according to the World Health Organization in its 300-plus-page report, "Global Tobacco Epidemic, 2008." And with escalating numbers of people taking up the habit in poorer countries, WHO predicts another 1 billion people will die prematurely in the 21st century – unless more governments and people act to prevent smoking.
Fundraiser for nature-based kids program will feature noted musician
Kids and Creeks, a Chico nonprofit that works with schools to promote science education and watershed health, is hosting a fundraiser tonight at the El Rey Theatre. The event is sold out, due in part by an appearance from singer-songwriter Brett Dennen, who was named one of Rolling Stone magazine's "10 Artists To Watch" in its November issue. Kids and Creeks, which says it has provided more than 10,000 hours of community service and hosted field trips for more than 7,000 kids from 60 elementary school classes, ties its efforts into educational curriculum. "Working with some of the standard base curriculum (schools) have to meet, we bring elementary-aged students into the field," Kids and Creeks President Mark Lynch said Friday. "We meet the requirements of the state standards for teaching by doing it experientially.
Soaked in Swiss bliss
Soak it up ... the Kempinski Grand Hotel is a five-star converted 19th-century palace, with a granite and timber spa, saunas and steam baths Head rest ... Tamina Therme has harnessed the hot spring water to warm one outdoor and two indoor pools .
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