SatMods.com - FTA - FTA Files - FTA Bin - FTA Keys - FTA Forums - World News http://www.satmods.com/ News and Weather en Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:02:50 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.satmods.com/images/future/misc/rss.jpg SatMods.com - FTA - FTA Files - FTA Bin - FTA Keys - FTA Forums - World News http://www.satmods.com/ Miley Cyrus tour bus overturns, killing one http://www.satmods.com/world-news/19874-miley-cyrus-tour-bus-overturns-killing-one.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:44:59 GMT Miley Cyrus tour bus overturns, killing one Teen singer not on board during accident in central Virginia DINWIDDIE, Va. - Virginia State... Miley Cyrus tour bus overturns, killing one


Teen singer not on board during accident in central Virginia

DINWIDDIE, Va. - Virginia State Police say one person was killed when a tour bus belonging to Miley Cyrus overturned, but the 16-year-old "Hannah Montana" star was not on board.

Sgt. Thomas Molnar says the bus overturned around 8:15 a.m. Friday on Interstate 85 in Dinwiddie, in central Virginia.

One of the other nine passengers had minor injuries. Police would not identify those aboard.

According to Miley Cyrus' Web site, the pop singer is scheduled to perform Sunday in Greensboro, N.C.

Miley Cyrus is the daughter of country star Billy Ray Cyrus, who also appears on the family friendly sitcom "Hannah Montana ]]> World News musky http://www.satmods.com/world-news/19874-miley-cyrus-tour-bus-overturns-killing-one.html <![CDATA[New 'Charlie's Angels' series on its way!]]> http://www.satmods.com/world-news/19865-new-charlies-angels-series-its-way.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:54:23 GMT LOS ANGELES (UPI) -- A contemporary remake of the popular 1970s U.S. television series "Charlie's Angels" is in the works, industry sources told Variety.

ABC is expected to order a pilot for the new "Angels" soon with Josh Friedman, who recently worked on "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles," set to be the writer and executive producer, the entertainment industry trade newspaper said.

The original version of the show about a team of gorgeous female private detectives directed by a mysterious boss ran from 1976-81 and starred the late Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson and Jaclyn Smith.

It also was adapted for the big screen twice in the early 2000s with Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu playing the sexy crimefighters.:) ]]> World News Patrick1966 http://www.satmods.com/world-news/19865-new-charlies-angels-series-its-way.html No more letters from North Pole? Ho ho oh no! http://www.satmods.com/world-news/19857-no-more-letters-north-pole-ho-ho-oh-no.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:23:59 GMT *No more letters from North Pole? Ho ho oh no!* *Postal Service stops 55-year-old program after sex offender was spotted* Image:... No more letters from North Pole? Ho ho oh no!

Postal Service stops 55-year-old program after sex offender was spotted

Sam Harrel / AP
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Starry-eyed children writing letters to the jolly man at the North Pole this holiday season likely won't get a response from Santa Claus or his helpers.The U.S. Postal Service is dropping a popular national program begun in 1954 in the small Alaska town of North Pole, where volunteers open and respond to thousands of letters addressed to Santa each year. Replies come with North Pole postmarks.
Last year, a postal worker in Maryland recognized an Operation Santa volunteer there as a registered sex offender. The postal worker interceded before the individual could answer a child's letter, but the Postal Service viewed the episode as a big enough scare to tighten rules in such programs nationwide.
People in North Pole are incensed by the change, likening the Postal Service to the Grinch trying to steal Christmas. The letter program is a revered holiday tradition in North Pole, where light posts are curved and striped like candy canes and streets have names such as Kris Kringle Drive and Santa Claus Lane. Volunteers in the letter program even sign the response letters as Santa's elves and helpers.North Pole Mayor Doug Isaacson agreed that caution is necessary to protect children. But he's outraged North Pole program should be affected by a sex offender's actions on the East Coast — and he thinks it's wrong that locals just found out about the change in recent days.
"It's Grinchlike that the Postal Service never informed all the little elves before the fact," he said. "They've been working on this for how long?"
The Postal Service began restricting its policies in such programs in 2006, including requiring volunteers to show identification.
But the Maryland incident involving the sex offender prompted additional changes, even forcing the agency to briefly suspend the Operation Santa program last year in New York and Chicago.
The agency now prohibits volunteers from having access to children's family names and addresses, said spokeswoman Sue Brennan. The Postal Service instead redacts the last name and addresses on each letter and replaces the addresses with codes that match computerized addresses known only to the post office — and leaves it up to individual post offices if they want to go through the time-consuming effort to shield the information.
nchorage-based agency spokeswoman Pamela Moody said dealing with the tighter restrictions is not feasible in Alaska."It's always been a good program, but we're in different times and concerned for the privacy of the information," she said.
Moody stressed that kids around the world can still send letters to Santa Claus. The Postal Service still runs the giant Operation Santa Program in which children around the world can have their letters to Santa answered, and the restrictions do not affect private organizations running their own letter efforts.
But what will change are the generically addressed letters to "Santa Claus, North Pole" that for years have been forwarded to volunteers in the Alaska town. That program will stop, unless changes are made before Christmas.
Losing the Santa-letter cache is a blow to the community of 2,100 people, who pride themselves on their Christmas ties. Huge tourist attractions here include an everything-Christmas store, Santa Claus House, and the post office, where visitors can get a hand-stamped postmark on their postcards and packages if they ask for it.
Another issue raising the hackles on some locals is separate recent change. Anchorage — 260 miles (400 kilometers) to the south — is now processing the thousands of requests for North Pole postal cancellation marks on Christmas cards and packages from outside the state. It's a job long handled by nearby Fairbanks, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) away.
Moody said with as many as 800,000 items processed last year, Fairbanks is not equipped to handle the overload. Anchorage is the only city in Alaska with the high-speed equipment necessary to do the job without delay. Moody disagreed with the mayor's belief that the process creates a false postmark.
Santa Claus House, built like a Swiss chalet and chock full of all items Christmas, sells more than 100,000 letters from Santa and one of the lures is the postmark.
Operations manager Paul Brown believes his business will be affected under changes to the volunteer Santa letter program because tens of thousands of letters are addressed to Santa Claus House, North Pole, Alaska.
Those letters will still be forwarded to volunteers but it's unclear yet if anything will be done with them. Those intercepted by the postal service will probably eventually be shredded.
Brown worries about misinterpretations of the changes, such as people believing it's no longer possible to get individual pieces of mail graced with the North Pole postmark. ]]> World News MOD http://www.satmods.com/world-news/19857-no-more-letters-north-pole-ho-ho-oh-no.html MGM for sale http://www.satmods.com/world-news/19851-mgm-sale.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:36:34 GMT MGM closes its doors with nearly $4 billion in debt. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) has been a major player in the film studio industry, owning 4,000... MGM closes its doors with nearly $4 billion in debt.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) has been a major player in the film studio industry, owning 4,000 films, holding the rights to the James Bond movies, and including Sony and Comcast in its franchise. It was once worth $5 billion when it went private in 2004, according to The New York Times. But now the company, which released only one film in the past year, is up for sale, as it is closing in on $4 billion in debt.

The studio is estimated to sell for $1.5 to $3 billion and potential buyers include Time Warner, Lionsgate and Qualia Capital. MGM has also been granted permission to attempt a merger and to skip interest payments until Jan. 31.:eek: ]]> World News Patrick1966 http://www.satmods.com/world-news/19851-mgm-sale.html Computer Maker Dell to Enter the Smartphone Business http://www.satmods.com/world-news/19850-computer-maker-dell-enter-smartphone-business.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:31:53 GMT Dell has announced that they will be introducing their first smartphone, the Mini 3, in China and Brazil before the end of 2009. Many within the... Dell has announced that they will be introducing their first smartphone, the Mini 3, in China and Brazil before the end of 2009.

Many within the smartphone market have been speculating for months about Dell’s rumored entry into the business, but there had been no official confirmation from the company that they would be branching out from their primary generator of revenue as a computer provider. However, the speculation was apparently warranted since Dell announced on Friday that they will introduce their first smartphone before the end of the year in China and Brazil.

The President of Dell’s global consumer group, Ronald Garriques, released a statement to explain the company’s ambitious business strategy that reads, “Our entry into the smartphone category is a logical extension of Dell’s consumer product evolution over the past two years. We are developing smaller and smarter mobile products that enable our customers to take their Internet experience out of the home.”

Dell’s first version of the smartphone, the Mini 3, will run on Google’s innovative Android operating system and it will initially be introduced to China towards the end of November, according to The New York Times. The company has confirmed that the Mini 3 will also be introduced to the Brazilian market before the year comes to an end. No specific features of the Mini 3 have been unveiled but The New York Times is reporting that it is a touch-screen model that lacks a physical keyboard. ]]> World News Patrick1966 http://www.satmods.com/world-news/19850-computer-maker-dell-enter-smartphone-business.html Brazil appears on target for 6th WCup triumph http://www.satmods.com/world-news/19842-brazil-appears-target-6th-wcup-triumph.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:43:34 GMT *Brazil appears on target for 6th WCup triumph* By ROBERT MILLWARD, AP Football Writer 55 minutes ago LONDON (AP)—While football’s romantics may... Brazil appears on target for 6th WCup triumph
By ROBERT MILLWARD, AP Football Writer 55 minutes ago

LONDON (AP)—While football’s romantics may wish for a long-awaited first for Spain or a historic African victory on South African turf, the 2010 World Cup looks like being a sixth triumph for Brazil.Coach Dunga may have alienated some fans with pragmatic rather than typically Brazilian flamboyant play, but next year’s championship should end with another success for the World Cup’s most successful team.

The last six teams sneaked into the competition through the back door of the playoffs on Wednesday and the fact that France and Uruguay made it means that all seven winners will be in the field of 32 going into next month’s draw in Cape Town.The level of expectation will grow day by day until the teams arrive in South Africa next June for the biggest event of the world’s most popular sport.

England under Fabio Capello has its strongest hopes yet of a first win since 1966, Argentina hopes the Diego Maradona magic will rub off on its talented but underachieving players and two-time European champion Netherlands is out to show it finally has the ability to win a world title.While a mouthwatering final appears to be five-time winner Brazil against European champion Spain—the joint 9-2 favorites with British-based bookmakers William Hill—World Cups frequently throw up surprises.

Remember North Korea knocking out star-studded Italy in 1966, Cameroon beating defending champion Argentina in 1990, Senegal’s victory over 1998 champion France?
In the past three decades only one host—France in 1998—has won the title and that run doesn’t look like changing.South Africa, whose team has been in disarray after poor results over the past few years, is considered to be among the outsiders. But the talented Ivory Coast, which has the likes of Premier League stars Didier Drogba and Kolo Toure and in its lineup, is the leading contender to win on African soil.

For the likes of Brazil and Spain, anything less than the final will be considered a failure.
Under coach Dunga, often criticized for a lack of imagination and adventure, Brazil now has strength throughout the team and is far more than just a jumble of attacking superstars. Although Ronaldinho is struggling to get back into the team, Dunga has the likes of Kaka, Luis Fabiano and Robinho to unlock defenses and provide the goals in front of hard working midfielders and solid, reliable defenders.

Spain has its best squad ever with standout goalkeepers and experienced and hugely talented stars such as Xavi Hernandez, Cesc Fabregas, Andres Iniesta, Fernando Torres and David Villa all playing on the save wavelength.Michael Ballack remains the solid core of Germany’s lineup as it chases its fourth World Cup title but first since 1990. But the team lacks guile while the Dutch, twice runners up, will hope to shrug off its brittle form in major championships and rely on forwards Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben to bring home the title for the first time.

Under disciplinarian Capello, England won nine of its 10 qualifiers and has a solid look and probably its best chance for decades. Although he has the experience and talent of David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney and John Terry, however, Capello has a goalkeeper weakness while Rio Ferdinand’s fitness is now suspect.
With Maradona unable to transfer his greatness as a player to the bench, Argentina looked in danger of failing to qualify and only just made it.

Maradona, should he keep the coach’s job going into the finals, now has to get the best out of undoubted talents such as Lionel Messi, Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero to make an impact in South Africa.With its squad still filled with aging stars, Italy will struggle to hold on to the title and become the first back-to-back winner since Brazil in 1962.

The flip side of that is that Fabio Cannavaro, Gianluca Zambrotta, Gianluigi Buffon and Andrea Pirlo all know how to win to World Cup and that means the Italians can’t be discounted.Declining under coach Raymond Domenech, France needed a blatant handball by Thierry Henry against Ireland to make it through the playoffs while Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz seems unable to get the best out of stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Deco and Ricardo Carvalho.

The United States have revived under coach Bob Bradley and, after reaching the final of the Confederations Cup in South Africa in June, will target the quarterfinals as a measure of its improvement. The Americans reached that stage in 2002, have reliable goalkeepers, dependable defenders and talented forwards in Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey.

Australia hopes to justify moving to the Asian Confederation and underline its status as an emerging force in world football while Japan needs to make the second round to show it is a breeding ground for talented players. The same applies to African nations Cameroon, Nigeria and Ghana who will also measure success as reaching the knockout phase.

South Korea is back to try and emulate its semifinal appearance of 2002, when it was a co-host with Japan, and the North Koreans, among the 500-1 outsiders, might be dreaming of embarrassing the Italians the same way as in England in 1966.
Greece has made it for only the second time but, still with veteran coach Otto Rehhagel in charge, hopes to produce the same surprising success as when it won the 2004 European championship.

Mexico, Chile and Uruguay aren’t likely to get past the first round while, for New Zealand, Honduras, Slovenia, Slovakia and Algeria, simply being at the World Cup is a measure of success and anything they can achieve at the finals will be a bonus. ]]> World News MORPHEUS http://www.satmods.com/world-news/19842-brazil-appears-target-6th-wcup-triumph.html Burger King Sued Over Cheeseburger? http://www.satmods.com/world-news/19837-burger-king-sued-over-cheeseburger.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:54:59 GMT The National Franchisee Association disagrees with Burger King’s $1 double cheeseburger The National Franchisee Association filed a lawsuit... The National Franchisee Association disagrees with Burger King’s $1 double cheeseburger

The National Franchisee Association filed a lawsuit against Burger King because of pricing issues. On Tuesday the lawsuit was filed at the U.S District Court in South Florida.

Burger King is a Miami-based franchise. The National Franchisee Association is based in Kennesaw and represents over 80 percent of franchised Burger Kings in the U.S.

Burger King has pushed its $1 burgers to attract customers who are price conscious and the franchisees have said the pricing is costing them money.

According to the lawsuit, "Twice this year the association has voted against Burger King adding the double cheeseburger to its $1 menu and the item costs more than $1 to make and sell."

The lawsuit will seek to prevent Burger King from having whole say of pricing for the franchisees.

The National Franchisee Association filed a previous lawsuit against Burger King, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group and Coca-Cola because of restaurant reimbursements from soft-drink agreements in May.:rolleyes: ]]> World News Patrick1966 http://www.satmods.com/world-news/19837-burger-king-sued-over-cheeseburger.html G7 meeting a true taste of Canada http://www.satmods.com/world-news/19831-g7-meeting-true-taste-canada.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:02:38 GMT For those unfamiliar with the dark skies and bitter cold of an authentic *Iqaluit winter*. *Finance Minister Jim Flaherty will host his G7... For those unfamiliar with the dark skies and bitter cold of an authentic Iqaluit winter.

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty will host his G7 colleagues at a two-day summit in the city of 7,000. Mr. Flaherty framed the visit, some 2,000 kilometres north of Ottawa, as a true taste of Canada.
“I don't know if you've been Iqaluit in the middle of winter – I have. And it's the most beautiful scene I've ever seen in Canada,” he said. “It's spectacularly pristine and gorgeous. And, yes, it's very cold, but we're Canadians. We're used to the cold.”
It's not just any cold. Iqaluit's daily temperature in February is the coldest of any month, with average daily lows of -32 C, without wind chill, and only a few hours of light each day. And then there's the snow – Environment Canada senior climatologist Dave Phillips called it the “blizzard capital of Canada.”
“This is the dead of winter we're talking about here,” he said. “This is not Club Med in the North.”
It's customary for international finance ministers to meet in advance of the gatherings of world leaders, such as the ones that will take place in Canada in June.

Iqaluit, however, is becoming a host city of choice among the political ranks of late. Over the summer, Prime Minister Stephen Harper held a cabinet meeting in the tiny city – there are no traffic lights – in a show of Arctic sovereignty.
“We're starting to get a lot of exposure now,” said Brian Twerdin, who runs a local coffee shop with his wife, Iqaluit Mayor Elisapee Sheutiapik.
Mr. Flaherty's office couldn't say Wednesday night whether Russian officials, who often sit in on G7 gatherings and have stepped up their own Arctic activities, would attend the meetings on Feb. 5 and 6.
Mr. Flaherty said his G7 peers are excited by the idea of a Nunavut summit, a break in the monotony of their big-city political schedules.
“They not only approve, they're intrigued,” he said. “We travel around the world. And usually we're in one hotel room in one city compared to one hotel room in the other. And it doesn't really matter where you are. … But they'll remember Iqaluit.”
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]]> World News GrnMachine http://www.satmods.com/world-news/19831-g7-meeting-true-taste-canada.html Girl, 10, tasered by police officer http://www.satmods.com/world-news/19814-girl-10-tasered-police-officer.html Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:20:17 GMT Girl, 10, tasered by police officer


Police report calls it 'very, very brief' stun to get her into patrol car

OZARK, Ark. - Ozark Police Chief Jim Noggle says one of his officers used a Taser on a 10-year-old girl who was combative when the officer tried to get the girl into a patrol car to be taken to a youth shelter.

Noggle said Tuesday that officer Dustin Bradshaw went to the girl's home after her mother called police woman called police.

According to a report filed by Bradshaw on Thursday, the officer found the girl on the floor of the house screaming and crying. She refused to follow her mother's instructions and the mother told Bradshaw to use his Taser.

Bradshaw carried the girl to the living room and told her she was going to jail, according to the report. The girl was violently kicking, the report said, and struck Bradshaw in the groin with her legs and feet.

The report said Bradshaw administered a "very, very brief" stun with the Taser, put the girl in handcuffs and carried her to his patrol car. She was taken to the Western Arkansas Youth Shelter in Cecil ]]> World News musky http://www.satmods.com/world-news/19814-girl-10-tasered-police-officer.html Lack of education may increase H1N1 risk? http://www.satmods.com/world-news/19803-lack-education-may-increase-h1n1-risk.html Wed, 18 Nov 2009 07:16:40 GMT ANN ARBOR, Mich. (UPI) -- People without a high school diploma may be more likely to get H1N1 flu and the vaccine might be less effective in them,... ANN ARBOR, Mich. (UPI) -- People without a high school diploma may be more likely to get H1N1 flu and the vaccine might be less effective in them, U.S. researchers suggest.

Researchers looked at the latent virus CMV -- a latent virus in the herpes family -- in young people, and the body's ability to control the virus.

Study co-author Jennifer Dowd, who began her research while at the University of Michigan of Public Health, said the finding suggests that lower socioeconomic status may make it tougher for adults of all ages to fight new infections and may make the flu vaccine less effective in some.

Dowd, now an assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at Hunter College, and co-author Allison Aiello, assistant professor of epidemiology at University of Michigan, say people of lower income and education lose immune control more easily.

Their weakened immune systems, which may be due to increased levels of stress, make them more susceptible to other infections as well, Dowd explains.

"What is going on (is that) the dramatic (downturn) in the economy could actually translate into people's susceptibility to these diseases," Dowd says in a statement.

The study, published in the journal Epidemiology, finds a person with less than a high school education had the same level of immune control as someone 15-20 years older with more than a high school education.:confused:



Copyright 2009 by United Press International ]]> World News Patrick1966 http://www.satmods.com/world-news/19803-lack-education-may-increase-h1n1-risk.html Patients exposed to excessive radiation http://www.satmods.com/world-news/19797-patients-exposed-excessive-radiation.html Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:16:58 GMT LOS ANGELES (UPI) -- A faulty CT brain scanner exposed 260 patients to eight times the necessary radiation at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los... LOS ANGELES (UPI) -- A faulty CT brain scanner exposed 260 patients to eight times the necessary radiation at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, officials said.

The patients were exposed to excessive radiation between February 2008, when the hospital reconfigured the scanner, and August of this year, when a patient who had undergone a scan reported hair loss, the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday.

The hospital notified 206 patients of the problem in September and then discovered additional patients who had undergone scans on the device, Simi Singer, a hospital spokeswoman told the Times.

In a letter to patients Monday, the hospital apologized and said it would pay for any medical care associated with the scans.

An estimated 20 percent of the patients received exposure to the lenses of their eyes, putting them at higher risk for cataracts, Singer said.:eek:



Copyright 2009 by United Press International ]]> World News Patrick1966 http://www.satmods.com/world-news/19797-patients-exposed-excessive-radiation.html 2-karat ring lost in Halloween bag http://www.satmods.com/world-news/19787-2-karat-ring-lost-halloween-bag.html Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:30:08 GMT CAMUS, Wash. (UPI) -- A Washington state woman said she is offering a reward for the return of a diamond ring she accidentally dropped into a... CAMUS, Wash. (UPI) -- A Washington state woman said she is offering a reward for the return of a diamond ring she accidentally dropped into a trick-or-treater's bag.

Joan Collins of Camus said she remembered the 2-karat diamond ring getting caught on a plastic pumpkin being carried by a young girl, one of the about 300 trick-or-treaters who visited her home Halloween evening, KPTV, Portland, Ore., reported.

"It snagged, but I didn't feel it come off," she said. "The next day, I said, 'Oh, I don't have my ring on.' I started thinking back and the only thing I could think of was that little girl's plastic pumpkin."

Collins said she did not recognize the girl, a 2- to-3-year-old wearing a green costume, or her mother. She said the pair came to the door at about 7 p.m.

She said she realized the ring, which she has rarely removed in 20 years, was missing the next day. Collins said she is offering an unspecified reward for the ring's return.:eek:



Copyright 2009 by United Press International ]]> World News Patrick1966 http://www.satmods.com/world-news/19787-2-karat-ring-lost-halloween-bag.html Fed cracks down on gift card abuses http://www.satmods.com/world-news/19784-fed-cracks-down-gift-card-abuses.html Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:25:12 GMT *Fed cracks down on gift card abuses* *Consumers must have at least 5 years to use gift cards before they expire* The Federal Reserve on... Fed cracks down on gift card abuses

Consumers must have at least 5 years to use gift cards before they expire


The Federal Reserve on Monday proposed new rules to protect consumers from unexpected costs or restrictions on gift cards. More than 95 percent of Americans have received or purchased gift cards, the Fed said.
Under the proposed rule, consumers must have at least five years to use the gift cards before they expire. The Fed also said service or inactivity fees can be imposed only under certain conditions.


Such fees can be charged if the consumer hasn't used the card for at least a year, if the consumer is given clear disclosures about them and no more than one fee is charged a month, the Fed said. The Fed was directed to take the action under a law Congress passed in May.
"Consumers who do not use the value of the card within a short period of time may be surprised to find that the card has expired or that dormancy or service fees have reduced the value of the card," the Fed explained. "Even where fees or terms are disclosed on or with the card, the disclosures may not be clear and conspicuous."



The public, industry groups and other interested parties can comment on the Fed's proposal, which could be revised before a final rule is adopted. The Fed said the new provisions are slated to take effect on Aug. 22.
"These rules are the right step, but it would be far better for them to take effect in time for this holiday shopping season," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., who championed the gift card crackdown in Congress. "We will continue to push the Fed to speed up the effective data so that we end abuses by gift card issuers as soon as possible." ]]> World News MOD http://www.satmods.com/world-news/19784-fed-cracks-down-gift-card-abuses.html Uninsured ER patients twice as likely to die http://www.satmods.com/world-news/19783-uninsured-er-patients-twice-likely-die.html Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:44:24 GMT





Uninsured ER patients twice as likely to die

New study highlights disparity of care for those who don't have coverage

CHICAGO - Uninsured patients with traumatic injuries, such as car crashes, falls and gunshot wounds, were almost twice as likely to die in the hospital as similarly injured patients with [COLOR=darkgreen ! important]health insurance[/COLOR], according to a troubling new study.The findings by Harvard University researchers surprised doctors and [COLOR=darkgreen ! important]health[/COLOR] experts who have believed emergency room care was equitable.
"This is another drop in a sea of evidence that the uninsured fare much worse in their health in the United States," said senior author Dr. Atul Gawande, a Harvard surgeon and medical journalist.
The study, appearing in the November issue of Archives of Surgery, comes as Congress is debating the expansion of health [COLOR=darkgreen ! important]insurance coverage[/COLOR] to millions more Americans. It could add fodder to that debate.The researchers couldn't pin down the reasons behind the differences they found. The uninsured might experience more delays being transferred from hospital to hospital. Or they might get different care. Or they could have more trouble communicating with doctors.
The hospitals that treat them also could have fewer resources.
"Those hospitals tend to be financially strapped, not have the same level of staffing, not have the same level of surgeons and testing and equipment," Gawande said. "That also is likely a major contributor."
Gawande favors health care reform and has frequently written about the inequities of the current system.
The researchers took into account the severity of the injuries and the patients' race, gender and age. After those adjustments, they still found the uninsured were 80 percent more likely to die than those with insurance — even low-income patients insured by the government's Medicaid program.
"I'm really surprised," said Dr. Eric Lavonas of the American College of Emergency Physicians and a doctor at Denver Health Medical Center. "It's well known that people without health insurance don't get the same quality of health care in this country, but I would have thought that this group of patients would be the least vulnerable."
Private hospitals more likely to transfer uninsured
Some private hospitals are more likely to transfer an uninsured patient than an insured patient, said Lavonas, who wasn't involved in the new research.
"Sometimes we get patients transferred and we suspect they're being transferred because of payment issues," he said. "The transferring physician says, 'We're not able to handle this."'
Federal law requires hospital ERs to treat all patients who are medically unstable. But hospitals can transfer patients, or send them away, once they're stabilized. A transfer could worsen a patient's condition by delaying treatment.
The researchers analyzed data on nearly 690,000 U.S. patients from 2002 through 2006. Burn patients were not included, nor were people who were treated and released, or dead on arrival.
In the study, the overall death rate was 4.7 percent, so most emergency room patients survived their injuries. The commercially insured patients had a death rate of 3.3 percent. The uninsured patients' death rate was 5.7 percent. Those rates were before the adjustments for other risk factors.
The findings are based on an analysis of data from the National Trauma Data Bank, which includes more than 900 U.S. hospitals.
"We have to take the findings very seriously," said lead author Dr. Heather Rosen, a [COLOR=darkgreen ! important]surgery[/COLOR] resident at Los Angeles County Hospital, who found similar results when she analyzed children's trauma data for an earlier study. "This affects every person, of every age, of every race." ]]> World News MOD http://www.satmods.com/world-news/19783-uninsured-er-patients-twice-likely-die.html Crikey steveirwini http://www.satmods.com/world-news/19764-crikey-steveirwini.html Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:15:49 GMT Steve Irwin Day...Crikey! Snail named after Steve Irwin

One of the world's slowest moving creatures has been named in honour of the late crocodile hunter, Steve Irwin.

Queensland Museum scientist Dr John Stanisic has named the rare species of tree snail crikey steveirwini.

The snail was found in the mountainous regions of north Queensland's wet tropics, near Cairns.

"This is an extremely rare species of snail," Dr Stanisic said.

"So far it has only been found in three locations, all on the summits of high mountains in far north Queensland and at altitudes above 1,000 metres, which is quite unusual for Australian land snails.

"These mountainous habitats will be among the first to feel the effects of climate change and Steve Irwin's tree snail could become a focal species for monitoring this change."

The scientist described crikey steveirwini as "a colourful snail, with swirling bands of creamy yellow, orange-brown and chocolate giving the shell an overall khaki appearance".

"It was the khaki colour that immediately drew the connection to the late Crocodile Hunter," Dr Stanisic said.

Terri Irwin says her husband would have been delighted to have a new species bear his name and signature catch-cry.

"Steve worked tirelessly to promote conservation, wildlife and the environment and his work enabled the plight of endangered species to reach a whole new audience," Ms Irwin said.

"Steve also had a long history of collaborating with staff at the Queensland Museum and I'm sure he would be pleased to know his name is continuing to highlight a rare and endangered Queensland species."
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