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Thursday, 30 May 2013 10:44
Oklahoma tornado damages could hit $2 billion
As search and rescue operations wind down and this battered, exhausted city mourns its dead, attention is turning to a long, costly rebuilding effort. Up to 13,000 homes were damaged or destroyed by Monday's tornado that may have caused up $2 billion in damages, nearly double earlier estimates. The official death toll remains at 24, with 237 injured.
Thursday, 30 May 2013 10:43
Health differences may explain Medicare spending variation
The idea that uneven Medicare health care spending around the country is caused by wasteful practices and overtreatment — a concept that has influenced portions of the federal health law — took another hit in a study published Tuesday. The analysis concludes that differing levels of health of people around the country explain between 75 percent and 85 percent of cost variations in Medicare.
Thursday, 30 May 2013 10:40
Virginia Governor to expedite rights restoration process for non-violent felons in Virginia
Virginia Governor Robert F. McDonnell said that he is waiving the waiting period and automatically restoring the voting rights of non-violent felons who have completed their sentences and satisfied certain conditions. The decision by McDonnell, a former prosecutor who has supported restoring voting rights, underscores a long-held position.
Thursday, 30 May 2013 10:40
Some states push back against new school standards
Some states are pushing back against a set of uniform benchmarks for reading, writing and math that have been fully adopted in most states and are being widely put in place this school year. The new Common Core standards replace a hodgepodge of educational goals that had varied greatly from state to state.
Thursday, 30 May 2013 10:37
California health exchange reveals premium costs
Californians received the bottom line Thursday on which insurance firms will sell policies on the state's new health-care exchange this fall and how much those premiums will cost. Thirteen health plans were picked to sell plans, with none of the state's 19 designated regions having fewer than three plans to serve consumers, Covered California announced.
Thursday, 30 May 2013 10:36
Obama drawing attention to new student loan debate
The government's subsidized student loan program, a marquee issue for President Barack Obama last year as he courted young voters on the campaign trail, is back on the White House agenda one month before a scheduled interest rate increase. But Obama's push to avoid the increase is far more low-key than it was in the election year.
Thursday, 30 May 2013 10:34
States dependent on Colorado River consider conservation effort
Officials in the seven states that depend on the drought-beset Colorado River expressed a cautious willingness Tuesday to join the federal government in a complex, possibly contentious effort to step up conservation.
Thursday, 30 May 2013 10:33
Audit says 20,000 inmates were mistakenly paid nearly $24M in state and federal benefits
At least 20,000 inmates in New Jersey’s jails and prisons were improperly paid nearly $24 million in benefits by government programs over a two-year period, according to an audit released today by the state comptroller’s office. The state is trying to get the money back but knows that it won’t be easy.
Thursday, 30 May 2013 10:31
Pentagon furloughs hit hardest in Virginia, California
Virginia, home to the military’s headquarters, and California have the most people who will be hit by Pentagon furloughs set to begin July 8, according to data provided by the Defense Department. About 72,000 Defense Department civilian employees in Virginia (BEESVA) will have 11 unpaid days off as a result of automatic U.S. spending cuts, according to the data provided to Bloomberg News.
Thursday, 30 May 2013 10:31
Virginia Governor to expedite rights restoration process for non-violent felons in Virginia
Virginia Governor Robert F. McDonnell said that he is waiving the waiting period and automatically restoring the voting rights of non-violent felons who have completed their sentences and satisfied certain conditions. The decision by McDonnell, a former prosecutor who has supported restoring voting rights, underscores a long-held position.