Help The Middle ClassNews and Information For The Heart Of America
National Reading Scores For Students Stagnant (Washingtonpost.com)
The nation’s students are mired at a basic level of reading in fourth and eighth grades, their achievement in recent years largely stagnant, according to a federal report Wednesday that suggests a dwindling academic payoff from the landmark No Child Left Behind law.
But reading performance has climbed in D.C. elementary schools, a significant counterpoint to [...]
BEAT STRESS: 8 Foods That Help (Yahoo!)
Chow down on eats that tame hunger and reduce anxiety
Eat It to Beat It
We all know that tension can wreak havoc on our eating patterns. But the right (healthy!) foods can often help tame mindless munching and cravings and, better yet, actually lower overall anxiety and its symptoms. Eight of our favorites:
Dark Chocolate
High in flavonoids, [...]
Victorious Obama Signs Historic Health-Care Bill (AP / Yahoo! News)
A beaming President Barack Obama on Tuesday signed a historic $938 billion health care overhaul that guarantees coverage for 32 million uninsured Americans and will touch nearly every citizen’s life, presiding over the biggest shift in U.S. domestic policy since the 1960s and capping a divisive, yearlong debate that could define the November elections.
Celebrating “a [...]
Avoid Going Bankrupt. 5 Pitfalls To Avoid (Investopedia.com)
The bankruptcy statistics in America are alarming. The past few decades have seen a dramatic rise in the number of people that are unable to pay off their debts, and Congress has recently addressed the issue with legislation that makes it harder to qualify for this status. Following is a list of the most common [...]
For Obama The Fight Isn’t Over. Now He Has To Sell Health Care Overhaul To The Average American (L. A. Times)
Just before midnight Sunday, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel sent an e-mail to aides who had helped win passage of the historic healthcare overhaul. “Take a moment to celebrate tonight,” Emanuel wrote. “It’s onto the next one tomorrow.”
President Obama spent 14 months getting to this moment, but aides said Monday that he wouldn’t [...]
New Taxes! That’s How Obama Is Going To Help ‘Spread The Wealth Around’ (Bloomberg News)
President Barack Obama said on the campaign trail in October 2008 that he wanted to “spread the wealth around.” With Obama on the verge of signing sweeping health-care overhaul legislation, he’s about to do just that.
High-income investors would pay higher Medicare taxes, tax breaks for out-of-pocket medical deductions would be curtailed, and it would cost [...]
How The Healthcare Overhaul Affects Medicare (Reuters)
The sweeping healthcare overhaul the U.S. House of Representatives approved on Sunday includes about $455 billion in spending cuts for Medicare and other federal health programs over the next 10 years.
Here are some questions and answers about how the reforms will affect the Medicare healthcare program for the elderly.
WILL THE LEGISLATION CUT MEDICARE BENEFITS?
There are [...]
How To Stay Ahead Of The Health-Care Changes (The Wall Street Journal)
After years of debate, a health overhaul is finally becoming a reality. Now what?
Many big provisions don’t kick in until 2014, including the mandate for most folks to have health insurance and many new requirements for health-plan designs. Before then, you’ll see a mishmash of other things go into effect at various times—and of course [...]
Health Care Reform Now Faces Senate Challenge (CNN)
Now that the House has passed the Senate’s health care reform bill and a package meant to reconcile differences between the House and Senate bills, the next step is for members of the Senate to sign off on those changes.
That won’t be as easy as it sounds.
Senate Republicans have indicated they will use any and [...]
HEALTH-CARE GUIDE LINE: Timeline On When Major Provisions Kick In (McClatchy)
WASHINGTON — Here are the effective dates of major provisions of the health care overhaul legislation approved Sunday:
WITHIN A YEAR
- Would provide a $250 rebate this year to Medicare prescription drug beneficiaries whose initial benefits run out.
90 days after enactment:
- Would provide immediate access to high-risk pools for people with no insurance because of [...]
