Pennsylvania Insurance Chief Doubts Obama’s Health Care Plan

Map of Pennsylvania (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The state Insurance commissioner cast doubt Friday on a plan by President Obama to stop insurers from dumping more than 250,000 Pennsylvanians whose medical coverage did not meet the minimum requirements of the new health care law.

Insurance Commissioner Michael Consedine questioned whether Obama had the legal authority to allow insurers to reinstate or extend those policies. He also said the state has limited power to force insurers to comply with a scheme that he said “heightens confusion” surrounding the law’s implementation.

“I think there are very fair questions being raised about the legal authority for the president to say we’re going to ignore what’s in the” Affordable Care Act, Consedine told the Tribune-Review.

The president acted to quell a firestorm over the chaotic rollout of the law known as Obamacare in proposing the administrative fix for consumers whose policies were being canceled. Many accused him of reneging on a pledge that no one would lose medical coverage if they liked it.

Read more: http://triblive.com/business/headlines/5078520-74/insurers-health-state#ixzz2kpOO1rvh
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State Senators Send Letter To HUD Regarding Sherman Hills

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WILKES-BARRE, PA — Three local state senators have petitioned the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to address concerns about crime and violence at the Sherman Hills apartment complex.

State Sens. John Yudichak, D-Plymouth Township, Lisa Baker, R-Lehman Township, and John Blake, D-Archbald, Friday released the joint statement regarding the multiple instances that have occurred recently at the complex.

“In recent months, we have turned our collective attention to addressing the frightening spike in criminal activity at Sherman Hills apartment complex in Wilkes-Barre,” the senators wrote. “Families with young children are living in fear at Sherman Hills and desperately need the help of local, state and federal leaders to end the senseless violence.”

Read more: http://www.timesleader.com/news/local/988174/State-senators-send-letter-to-HUD-regarding-Sherman-Hills

Post Office Reports Loss Of $5 Billion For Year

USPS service delivery truck in a residential area of San Francisco, California (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. Postal Service said Friday it lost $5 billion over the past year, and postal officials again urged Congress to pass legislation to help the beleaguered agency solve its financial woes.

In a positive sign, the loss was a fraction of the record $15.9 billion the Postal Service reported losing last year. But it was still the agency’s seventh straight annual loss and came despite its first growth in revenue since 2008.

Operating revenue rose 1.2 percent to $66 billion, thanks to growth in the post office’s package delivery business and higher volume in standard mail. That was not enough to offset long-term losses in first class mail – the post office’s most profitable service – where revenues declined by 2.4 percent.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20131115_ap_bec035dfa75648f5a1f03a745ca1eb46.html#OcVHlq2UB7XQFb1U.99

Probe Into Suspended Philly Detective Yields Human Remains

English: Map of Philadelphia County highlighting North Philadelphia (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

NORTH PHILADELPHIA Crime-scene investigators recovered human remains in a North Philadelphia ravine Friday as part of an investigation into suspended Homicide Detective Ron Dove, who is suspected of lying about three killings and a man’s disappearance, according to law enforcement sources.

Police have been digging in the area since last month, after they found information on the veteran detective’s iPad concerning Reynaldo Torres, a North Philadelphia man who has been missing for a year and a half.

Investigators believe Dove concealed information about Torres’ disappearance and the slaying of Torres’ friend Melanie Colon from other detectives.

Around 2:30 p.m., investigators found what is believed to be a human jawbone in the trash-strewn ravine near Fourth and Westmoreland Streets, the sources said. Medical examiners were trying to identify the remains Friday night.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20131116_Probe_into_suspended_detective_yields_human_remains.html#QCq7foKh6AtFLvlA.99

Marcus Hook Mayor Convicted Of Charges Related To Drunken Encounter

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MARCUS HOOK Mayor James “Jay” Schiliro won’t be lighting up a victory cigar anytime soon.

Schiliro, 39, was convicted in Delaware County Common Pleas Court yesterday on five charges in connection with a bizarre encounter that unfolded in his house Feb. 21.

A 20-year-old man, who had long known Schiliro and described him as a father figure, said he was summoned to the mayor’s house late that night for a chat.

Schiliro allegedly plied the man with wine and offered to perform oral sex on him, the Daily News reported earlier this year.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/20131117_Marcus_Hook_mayor_convicted_of_charges_related_to_drunken_encounter.html#XVsuZCrjqETR6sXT.99