Russian Effort in Syria

2015 Employer Health Benefits Survey | The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation

http://kff.org/health-costs/report/2015-employer-health-benefits-survey/

Wages Can’t Keep Up With Rising Health Insurance Costs | Money.com

http://time.com/money/4046708/health-insurance-deductibles-wages/

Can I Be Fired Over My Private Text Messages?

http://time.com/money/4045304/fired-private-text-messages/?xid=yahoo_money

Can I Be Fired Over My Private Text Messages?

http://time.com/money/4045304/fired-private-text-messages/?xid=yahoo_money

Can I Really Be Fired Over My Private Text Messages?

http://time.com/money/4045304/fired-private-text-messages/?xid=yahoo_money
Q: Was it wrong for my boss to fire me after a stranger sent in photos of my private text messages? I’m a part-time retail employee at a clothing store. I left work a couple of weeks ago, got on my bus …

Halliburton to pay $18.3 mln overtime wages -U.S. Labor Dept

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/halliburton-pay-18-3-mln-175336441.html
Halliburton Co will pay $18.3 million to more than 1,000 oil and gas workers it improperly exempted from overtime pay, the U.S. Department of Labor said on Tuesday, the latest development in a nationwide probe into wage practices in the industry. The department said Halliburton improperly identified workers in 28 job categories as exempt from overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act, the U.S. law governing wages and working hours. The company said it had begun paying the overtime and was cooperating with the Labor Department.

The Latest: German vice chancellor urges fast VW probe

http://news.yahoo.com/latest-vw-hit-lawsuits-over-emissions-scandal-102658622–finance.html
BERLIN (AP) — The latest news on the scandal over Volkswagen’s evasion of U.S. emissions controls. All times local.

Schiff: I’m Right on Fed, I’ll Be Right on Stocks

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/schiff-im-fed-ill-stocks-120000226.html
Peter Schiff has a strong message for investors: It’s time to wake up. The longtime Fed foe took a victory lap on CNBC’s ” Futures Now ” Tuesday, days after Fed chair Janet Yellen announced she would leave interest rates unchanged for the time being.

Facebook Gains on ‘360 Videos,’ Yahoo! Dragged Down by Alibaba: Tech Winners & Losers

http://www.thestreet.com/story/13299243/1/facebook-gains-on-360-videos-yahoo-dragged-down-by-alibaba-tech-winners-losers.html?puc=yahoo&cm_ven=YAHOO
Facebook began offering a feature providing panoramic views of videos, and PayPal benefited from an analyst’s upgrade, while Yahoo! dropped amid concern over its Alibaba stake.

Petrobras Sees ‘Great Wave’ of $100-Oil Never Coming Back

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-09-22/petrobras-sees-great-wave-of-100-oil-never-coming-back?cmpid=yhoo
It’s unlikely that oil prices will ever return to $100 a barrel and Petroleo Brasileiro SA needs to work with suppliers to manage the price rout, an executive at the state-run oil producer said Tuesday. “We were all surfing the great wave of $100 a barrel,” Cristina Pinho, the company’s executive manager for exploration and production said at an event in Rio de Janeiro. The world’s largest producer in ultra-deep waters is working to optimize technology to cut costs and save in everything from buoys to riser pipes used at its offshore platforms, Pinho said. Chief Executive Officer Aldemir Bendine said Monday that the company seeks to reduce costs to withstand a combination of lower oil prices and a weaker currency, which has increased the cost of servicing the company’s debt.

Materials and energy stocks slide on China growth worries

http://news.yahoo.com/us-stocks-waver-early-trading-oil-recovers-142035825.html
NEW YORK (AP) — Another slide in raw-material producers and oil companies tugged the stock market to a slight loss on Wednesday, amid heightened concerns about global economic growth. Dow Chemical and Chevron each lost 2 percent.

Couple ordered to pay $10 million for stealing trade secrets

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/couple-ordered-pay-10-million-160314071.html
A judge has ordered a former employee of a mid-Missouri tech firm and his wife to pay $10 million for stealing trade secrets and partnering with a Chinese firm to sell knockoff products to unsuspecting …

Clinton plan to cut health costs includes tax credits, more sick visits

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/clinton-plan-cut-health-costs-213838665.html
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton unveiled a plan on Wednesday to lower out-of-pocket health costs, including expanded coverage of sick visits to the doctor and tax credits for those with substantial medical bills. Clinton, who has promised to build on President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare initiative, also pledged to try to strengthen efforts to block or modify what her campaign called “unreasonable” health insurance rate increases. Clinton’s campaign released the proposals a day after her plan to battle drug “price gouging” battered shares in some pharmaceutical companies.

The president and the Pope – BBC News

The president and the Pope 2 hours ago Pope Francis has called for further action on climate change saying that it was “a critical moment of history”, on the first day of his visit to the US. He talked about climate change and immigration during an address on the White House’s south lawn. Take a look at the key moments during Wednesday’s visit between President Barack Obama and Pope Francis. Video journalist: Andrew Webb Pope in White House climate change plea Read more Pope Francis urges action on climate change on visit to

Source: The president and the Pope – BBC News

Saint of the Day for Wednesday, September 23rd, 2015: St. Padre Pio

Saint of the Day for Wednesday, September 23rd, 2015

St. Padre Pio

Francesco, named in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, was born to Giuseppa and Grazio Forgione, peasant farmers, in the small Italian village of Pietrelcina on May 25, 1887. From his childhood, it was … continue reading

More Saints of the Day

St. Padre Pio St. Adamnan St. Andrew and Companions Bl. Bernardina Maria Jablonska St. Cissa St. Constantius

St. Irais St. Linus St. Thecla Bl. William Way St. Xantippa & Polyxen

today’s holiday: Constitution Week (Mesa, Arizona)

Constitution Week (Mesa, Arizona)

Mesa, Arizona, has consistently celebrated the Congressionally established Constitution Week for over 30 years. Held at the Mesa Amphitheater, the celebration includes a school band concert, a Constitution Quiz, a Boy Scouts parade of flags, the high school color guard ROTC, and live music. Educational activities include information about the lives and activities of America’s Founding Fathers and an in-depth examination of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Mesa students at all grade levels learn about the U.S. Constitution during the week. More… Discuss

quotation: If youth did not matter so much to itself it would never have the heart to go on. Willa Cather

If youth did not matter so much to itself it would never have the heart to go on.

Willa Cather (1873-1947) Discuss

today’s birthday: Typhoid Mary (1869)

Typhoid Mary (1869)

Mary Mallon was the first person in the US to be identified as a healthy carrier of typhoid fever. In 1904, a typhoid epidemic was traced to homes where she had been a cook. She fled but was located by authorities and forcibly quarantined for several years. In 1910, she was released on the condition that she not take another food-handling job. Discovered cooking again in 1914, she was quarantined for life. Though she herself never had the disease, she infected about 50 people. How many died? More… Discuss

this day in the yesteryear: El Grito de Lares: The Lares Uprising (1868)

El Grito de Lares: The Lares Uprising (1868)

The Lares rebellion of 1868 was the most notable uprising in a series of failed Puerto Rican rebellions against Spanish rule that began in the 1820s. Best known as El Grito de Lares, or The Cry of Lares, the revolt took place in the town of Lares, where rebels briefly declared independence. Though the rebellion was brutally and swiftly suppressed, Lares has come to be known as the birthplace of Puerto Rican nationalism. Who was declared the republic’s first president during the rebellion? More… Discuss

The Water Clock

The clepsydra, or water clock, is an ancient timekeeper that operates by measuring the regulated flow of liquid into or out of a vessel. It is believed to have been used in Egypt as early as 2,000 BCE, making it one of the earliest known time-measurement devices. Early water clocks were calibrated with a sundial, and they remained the most accurate timekeeping devices until the invention of the pendulum clock in the 17th century. When did knowing the time become important to the common man? More… Discuss

word: peavey

peavey

Definition:	(noun) A stout lever with a sharp spike; used for handling logs.
Synonyms:	cant dog
Usage:	The lumberjack rammed the peavey’s spike into the log and rolled it toward the pile. Discuss.

WHO says most people in Europe too fat

WHO says most people in Europe too fat http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-34335512

Canada rail plotters get life in prison

Canada rail plotters get life in prison http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-34342968

West Bank funeral sparks clashes

West Bank funeral sparks clashes http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-34340572

Pope makes saint of controversial friar

Pope makes saint of controversial friar http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-34342971

Pope makes saint of controversial friar

Pope makes saint of controversial friar http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-34342971

Russia exhumes murdered tsar and wife

Russia exhumes murdered tsar and wife http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-34338802

From NPR News

Pope Francis Tells His U.S. Bishops Not To Shy Away From Big Issues http://n.pr/1LNJJmG

Rare images of 1964 Los Angeles

Rare images of 1964 Los Angeles
http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/22/us/cnnphotos-los-angeles-1964-davidson/index.html

Skid Row: LA’s ‘quarter of despair’

Skid Row: LA’s ‘quarter of despair’
http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/03/us/americas-skid-row-los-angeles/index.html

Skid Row: LA’s ‘quarter of despair’

Skid Row: LA’s ‘quarter of despair’
http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/03/us/americas-skid-row-los-angeles/index.html

Skid Row: LA’s ‘quarter of despair’

Skid Row: LA’s ‘quarter of despair’
http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/03/us/americas-skid-row-los-angeles/index.html

Old man punched over Nutella

Old man punched over Nutella
http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/23/us/nutella-attack-costco-shopper/index.html

Trump threatens to sue critics

Trump threatens to sue critics
http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/22/politics/donald-trump-club-for-growth-cease-and-desist/index.html

Researchers: Rapid military buildup in war-ravaged nation

Researchers: Rapid military buildup in war-ravaged nation
http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/23/middleeast/syria-russia-military-buildup/index.html

India 65-year old gets typewriter as police abuse goes viral

India 65-year old gets typewriter as police abuse goes viral http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-34323936

Are there more poor people now than 200 years ago?

Are there more poor people now than 200 years ago? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-34312879

Drug company to cut 5,000% price rise

Drug company to cut 5,000% price rise http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-34332363

Facebook dealt blow in privacy fight

Facebook dealt blow in privacy fight http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-34336111

From NPR News

What To Watch For During Pope Francis’ U.S. Visit http://n.pr/1V8sh1d

From NPR News

The Flood Of Syrian Refugees Puts ISIS On The Defensive http://n.pr/1V8briT

La Plume Sketch

La Plume Sketch

Everyone has a ‘microbial cloud’

Everyone has a ‘microbial cloud’ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-34314065

Mexico students clash with police

Mexico students clash with police http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-34332365

Life as a waitress too often means low pay and sexual harassment

Life as a waitress too often means low pay and sexual harassment

http://gu.com/p/4ctdm?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_WordPress

Putin’s closest ally – and his biggest liability

Putin’s closest ally – and his biggest liability

http://gu.com/p/4ctm4?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_WordPress

Fattemah’s choice: stay in a warzone or risk losing her baby on journey to Europe

Fattemah’s choice: stay in a warzone or risk losing her baby on journey to Europe

http://gu.com/p/4cjgq?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_WordPress

The Guardian

The Guardian

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2015/sep/23/russian-vetoes-putting-un-security-council-legitimacy-at-risk-says-us

Russian vetoes are putting UN security council’s legitimacy at risk, says US

Russian vetoes are putting UN security council’s legitimacy at risk, says US

http://gu.com/p/4ctpf?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_WordPress