March 31, 2013

Partying continues in Austin despite North Korea's threats of missile attack

AUSTIN -- If there was any anxiety in Texas' capital city from being named as a possible target by an increasingly belligerent North Korea, it was hard to find Friday.

Tourists and townsfolk alike were clearly in a mellow mood as they strolled along Austin's storied Sixth Street, seemingly oblivious to the possibility they could be in the cross-hairs of mercurial dictator Kim Jong Un.

"Austin, seriously?" said an amused Jeff Miller, a 34-year-old restaurant worker, as he sat inside The Jackalope, a bar and restaurant named after the mythical creature. "He's going to wreck a couple of musical festivals, I guess."

In a city that prides itself on tolerance and its world-famous motto, "Keep Austin Weird," Miller's response typified the street reaction to media reports that Austin is one of four U.S. targets of a missile strike plan prepared by the North Korean leader and his senior military strategists

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/03/30/4738185/partying-continues-in-austin-despite.html#storylink=cpy

March 30, 2013

State Rep. Kolkhorst: Obamacare subsidies, yes; larger Medicaid, no

Rep. Lois Kolkhorst, the House’s chief health policy writer, is featured in a new 10-minute video on Gov. Rick Perry’s website.

<<<snip>>>

In the video, Kolkhorst stands at a white board and uses differently colored markers to press the case that people — presumably, the news media, health care industry interest groups and naïve do-gooders — have made far too big a deal out of the federal health law’s push to have states expand their Medicaid programs.

Texas is resisting expansion. On Monday, Kolkhorst will join Gov. Rick Perry and the state’s two GOP U.S. senators, John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, and Brooke Rollins, the head of a conservative think tank, at an Austin event. Its message:

<<<snip>>>

Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, is chairwoman of the House Public Health Committee. She relies on state estimates that show Medicaid expansion would have much less effect on Texas’ nation-leading uninsured rate than would the subsidies that help better-off people buy private coverage in a federally run state health insurance exchange. As I noted in this Medicaid fact checker earlier this month, former U.S. Census Bureau chief and ex-state demographer Steve Murdock did a study about a year ago that gives both prongs of Obamacare roughly equal weight in probably cutting the state’s rate in half. (See the jump to read the relevant excerpt.)

If Texas weren’t resisting, Medicaid expansion and the exchange both would commence in January. It appears more likely that just the exchange will kick off in early 2014.

More at http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/2013/03/kolkhorst-obamacare-subsidies-yes-larger-medicaid-no.html/ .

[font color=green]What is it with Republicans and whiteboards? Is it that they can't write all of the information on their palms instead?

Unfortunately, Kolkhorst is my state representative although she doesn't represent me.[/font]

March 30, 2013

Capt. Kirk beamed down, but Texas Lottery’s “Star Trek” Guinness record attempt fell short

Lt. Anthony Williams, the Dallas Police Department’s eyes and ears downtown, took a quick look at the U.S.S. Enterprise crew members, Vulcans, Klingons, Andorians and assorted other Star Trek footnotes lined up against a Dallas Convention Center wall and said, “500.” Then he hastily corrected his guesstimate. “No, more like 550.”

He was off by 11.

Which meant that the Texas Lottery’s attempt to break the Guinness World Record for most people dressed as Star Trek characters in one place fell well short of the existing record of 1,063. No matter, though: “Everyone has been so in the spirit of Star Trek,” said Guinness adjudicator Michael Empiric shortly after he broke the bad news Saturday morning to the small but well-dressed crowd at the convention center. “And that’s what I look for in a record attempt. But sometimes, the best laid plans just involve getting people in the door.”

And the Lottery did its best by bringing in none other than William Shatner, Captain James T. Kirk himself, to kick off the event and introduce the Lottery’s new Star Trek scratch-off game.

More at http://popcultureblog.dallasnews.com/2013/03/capt-kirk-beamed-down-but-texas-lotterys-star-trek-guinness-record-attempt-fell-short.html/ .

March 30, 2013

Cost of Environmental Damage in China Growing Rapidly Amid Industrialization

BEIJING — The cost of environmental degradation in China was about $230 billion in 2010, or 3.5 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product — three times that in 2004, in local currency terms, an official Chinese news report said this week.

The figure of $230 billion, or 1.54 trillion renminbi, is based on costs arising from pollution and damage to the ecosystem, the price that China is paying for its rapid industrialization.

“This cuts to the heart of China’s economic challenge: how to transform from the explosive growth of the past 30 years to the sustainable growth of the next 30 years,” said Alistair Thornton, a China economist at the research firm IHS Global Insight. “Digging a hole and filling it back in again gives you G.D.P. growth. It doesn’t give you economic value. A lot of the activity in China over the last few years has been digging holes to fill them back in again — anything from bailing out failing solar companies to ignoring the ‘externalities’ of economic growth.”

And the costs could be even higher than the ministry’s estimate, he said. The $230 billion figure is incomplete because the researchers did not have a full set of data. Making such calculations is “notoriously difficult,” Mr. Thornton said.

More at http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/30/world/asia/cost-of-environmental-degradation-in-china-is-growing.html?hp&_r=1& .

March 29, 2013

Cowboys, Romo agree on 6-year, $108M extension

IRVING, Texas —

Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys have agreed on a six-year contract extension worth $108 million, with about half of it guaranteed.

The agreement was reported on the team's website Friday. The deal will lower Romo's salary cap number of $16.8 million for 2013, giving the team more room to sign free agents and draft picks.

Romo, who turns 33 next month and was entering the final year of his contract, gets $55 million guaranteed and could be with Dallas through 2019. Super Bowl winner Joe Flacco got $52 million guaranteed in the six-year, $120.6 million contract he signed with Baltimore earlier this month.

Romo is the franchise leader in touchdown passes but has just one playoff win in six full seasons as the starter.

Source: AP

March 29, 2013

Jindal's tax swap proposal has jumped to a 6.25% state sales tax

Gov. Bobby Jindal's tax swap proposal would require a state sales tax rate of 6.25 percent, more than a third of a percentage point higher than previous estimates, administration officials said Thursday evening. The higher sales tax, which would be imposed on a wider range of goods and services, is intended to help make up for revenue lost by the plan's elimination of the state income tax.

Louisiana Department of Revenue Executive Counsel Tim Barfield, the lead official on the tax overhaul, said in a news release that the higher tax rate is necessary to keep the plan revenue-neutral.

Officials had previously stated the plan would increase the tax rate from 4 percent to 5.88 percent as part of an effort to fill the $3.6 billion gap that would be left in state finances by eliminating personal income and corporate taxes.

Legislators had already expressed concerns about that increase, which would come on top of local sales taxes and be applied both to purchases that are already taxed and a wide array of new services. Even under the lower figure previously used by the administration, the plan was expected to make Louisiana's combined state and local sales tax burden the highest in the country.

More at http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/03/jindals_tax_swap_proposal_now.html#incart_m-rpt-2 .

[font color=green]A 56% hike in the state sales tax. Way to go gov! [/font]

March 29, 2013

Southeastern Louisiana University finds 137 ineligible athletes competed

NEW ORLEANS — An internal investigation at Southeastern Louisiana has revealed that 137 ineligible athletes competed for the Lions in unspecified sports between 2005 and 2010.

In a statement released Thursday, Southeastern, which is located in Hammond, said most violations occurred between 2005 and 2007 and involved instances in which the university failed to comply with NCAA academic requirements by mistakenly certifying athletes as eligible.

"In many instances, student-athletes would have been eligible had proper procedure been followed, such as timely declaration or change of a major," Southeastern athletic director Bart Bellairs said.

The report stressed there was no evidence Southeastern recruited athletes who weren't in good academic standing, noting that 86 percent of the athletes in question graduated.

More at http://www.shreveporttimes.com/viewart/20130328/SPORTS02/130328050/Southeastern-Louisiana-University-finds-137-ineligible-athletes-competed- .

Cross-posted Louisiana Group.

March 29, 2013

Southeastern Louisiana University finds 137 ineligible athletes competed

NEW ORLEANS — An internal investigation at Southeastern Louisiana has revealed that 137 ineligible athletes competed for the Lions in unspecified sports between 2005 and 2010.

In a statement released Thursday, Southeastern, which is located in Hammond, said most violations occurred between 2005 and 2007 and involved instances in which the university failed to comply with NCAA academic requirements by mistakenly certifying athletes as eligible.

"In many instances, student-athletes would have been eligible had proper procedure been followed, such as timely declaration or change of a major," Southeastern athletic director Bart Bellairs said.

The report stressed there was no evidence Southeastern recruited athletes who weren't in good academic standing, noting that 86 percent of the athletes in question graduated.

More at http://www.shreveporttimes.com/viewart/20130328/SPORTS02/130328050/Southeastern-Louisiana-University-finds-137-ineligible-athletes-competed- .

Cross-posted Sports Group.

March 29, 2013

Texas man convicted in $11M investment scheme

PLANO, Texas (AP) — Prosecutors say a federal jury in North Texas deliberated six minutes before finding a 58-year-old man guilty of defrauding investors as part of an $11 million investment scheme.

Gary Lynn McDuff of the Houston suburb of Pasadena was found guilty Wednesday of conspiring to defraud investors. He faces up to 20 years in prison at his sentencing, which has not been scheduled. Two co-defendants previously admitted their guilt in the scheme and have been sentenced to federal prison.

McDuff and another defendant created the Lancorp Investment Fund and solicited investments from people across the U.S. McDuff recruited the third defendant to sell investments. All three made false claims to their investors in order to induce payments.

Prosecutors say McDuff then laundered the proceeds in order to continue operating the scheme.

More at http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/200496151.html .

[font color=green]The jury took six minutes, huh? Dinner must have been waiting on the table.

Another one bites the dust.

Meanwhile, I realize how much I screwed up by not becoming a financial advisor--it sounds much more profitable than going to work and earning a wage. [/font]

March 29, 2013

Norwood found guilty in Morton case

A San Angelo jury found Mark Norwood guilty of capital murder at 2:15 p.m. Wednesday after three and a half hours of deliberation.

Mr. Norwood is sentenced to life in prison. Following the law at the time of the 1986 murder, Mr. Norwood is eligible for parole after serving 15 years of the sentence.

Mr. Norwood's family cried as the verdict was read out loud by Judge Burt Carnes. Mr. Norwood showed no reaction. Dorothy Norwood, Mr. Norwood's mother, maintains that her son is innocent and said the Texas justice system is broken.

Michael Morton held hands with his wife Cynthia Chessman as the verdict was read. His son Eric Olson held hands with his wife and his aunt Mary Olson and began to cry when the verdict was announced. Morton family members embraced the family of Debra Baker as people began to disperse from the courtroom.

More at http://wilcosun.com/ .