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Second is revamping Medicaid, giving states more flexibility to run their programs and restoring it as a safety-net program for the aged, blind and disabled, plus poor pregnant women and children, and not a way to insure the working poor. |
The latter point is key: Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion had the perverse effect of devoting more federal dollars to the able-bodied than the people the program was meant for. That’s not to say the working poor shouldn’t get help, just that Medicaid isn’t the right way to provide it. The GOP bill needs to help Americans... |
No bill will be the end-all, be-all of health reform. But Republicans can and must ensure their effort, whatever shape it eventually takes, has an even more durable effect than Obamacare did. |
New analysis from the Australian Institute of Criminology has confirmed that homicide in Australia has fallen significantly since the 1990s, including domestic homicide. The report, by Willow Bryant and Samantha Bricknell, looks at national data from 1989-90 to 2013-14. |
During that period, the number of homicides has fallen from over 300 a year -- the level homicide was at for much of the 1990s -- to around 240-250 at the moment. Adjusted for population, that means a significant fall, from around 1.8 murders per 100,000 population each year to 1.0 currently. If Australians were murder... |
Love is in the air on Wall Street. |
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned -- but what about a Wall Street titan? |
Individuals who work in the securities and investment industry have given the Romney campaign $8.5 million through the end of April, according to data from the Center for Responsive Politics. |
Over the same time period, Obama has brought in only $3 million from securities and investment workers, and the industry is only the campaign's fifth largest source of funds. |
"They have basically ditched Obama," said John Dunbar, the managing editor for politics at the Center for Public Integrity. "Romney is just a much friendlier candidate if you are a banker." |
The absence of Wall Street love is a departure from the norm for the Obama campaign. In 2008, then-Senator Obama raised almost $16 million from Wall Street. John McCain, the Republican nominee, received donations totaling only $9 million. |
The shift is evident even within specific firms. The employees of Goldman Sachs (GS, Fortune 500), who have traditionally given more money to Democratic candidates, have donated more to Romney's campaign than any other firm. |
Meanwhile, individuals associated with Goldman have given far less to Obama this cycle, even after he milked the bank for $1 million in 2008 -- or four times McCain's haul. |
Goldman isn't an isolated case. The top six spots on Romney's donor list are all financial firms, with Bank of America (BAC, Fortune 500), JPMorgan Chase (JPM, Fortune 500), Morgan Stanley (MS, Fortune 500), Credit Suisse (CS) and Citigroup (C, Fortune 500) following Goldman. |
Of the top 20 organizations and businesses with donors who contributed to the Obama campaign, not one is a bank or investment firm, according to Center for Responsive Politics data. |
The dwindling donations underscore intense feelings of dissatisfaction that some on Wall Street feel toward the White House, both in terms of the rhetoric used and the policies pursued by the president. |
"Wall Street has taken some of the blame for the financial crisis," said Viveca Novak of the Center for Responsive Politics. "The result of that has been increased oversight and regulation -- two things that are never popular." |
Early in his presidency, Obama chastised "fat cat" bankers who took large bonuses during the financial crisis. He then worked to pass a financial reform law that included restrictions on banks that some in the industry find onerous, especially the so-called Volcker Rule that would limit some types of trading activity. |
After a period when it looked like the relationship between big business and the White House was on the mend, new fissures appeared as the president embraced the rhetoric of income inequality. Obama discussed the growing wealth gap in a series of high-profile speeches, including his most recent State of the Union addre... |
With the general election campaign now fully underway, Obama has been more specific in his attacks on Romney, and much emphasis has been put on the former governor's career at Bain Capital. |
The president's words and the campaign's advertisements have not cast private equity in a flattering light. Vice President Joe Biden said last week that a career in private equity "no more qualifies you to be president than being a plumber." |
Dunbar said the escalating rhetoric is a sign that the White House has "made a calculated decision" to "go to war" with Romney over Bain. "They've decided to burn the bridge and go after Wall Street. They have decided to rely on populism." |
The industry, by all accounts, is not enjoying its thrashing from the president. |
On the same day that the Obama launched its campaign against Mitt Romney and Bain Capital, the president attended a fundraiser at the Manhattan home of Tony James, the president of private equity firm Blackstone (BX). |
Fortune reported that the president didn't specifically mention private equity, and the attendees, who had paid $35,800 per plate, didn't ask. |
Two power players who are even closer to the White House, ex-auto czar Steven Rattner and Newark Mayor Cory Booker, have come to the industry's defense, complicating matters for the president. |
Asked last week about his campaign's attacks on Bain Capital, Obama walked a fine line, saying that there "are folks who do good work in that area" but "their priority is to maximize profits." |
Related: Could Europe sink Obama's campaign? |
"When you're president, as opposed to the head of a private equity firm, then your job is not simply to maximize profits," Obama said. "Your job is to figure out how everybody in the country has a fair shot." |
The breakdown of decorum between Wall Street and the White House sharply reduces the odds that Obama will be able to match Romney's fundraising totals from industry players. |
But given the substantial investments the White House has made in its so-called ground game, dwindling funds from Wall Street won't necessarily leave the campaign cash-strapped. Many observers still expect Obama to raise a cool $1 billion by November. |
Still, the attacks could push a wealthy donor to make a substantial contribution to a pro-Romney super PAC -- groups that can accept and spend unlimited money. |
One pro-Romney super PAC, Restore Our Future, has already raised more than $20 million from individuals and organizations associated with the securities and investment industry. |
Obama's super PAC, Priorities USA Action, has received only $218,500 from the same group. |
A Nashville developer has land in the Gulch under contract with plans for a $75 million building with 330 apartments. |
A Nashville developer has a contract to buy 1.8 acres in the Gulch with plans for a $75 million high-rise building with 330 luxury apartment units. |
The deal is in a part of the Gulch drawing new attention because of the proposed Division Street extension. |
Crescendo will be the name for a 23-story building that Division Street Land Partners LLC, which is led by Nashville developer Travis J. Kelty, plans for the property. The site at 641 Division St. has been home to Myers Flooring, a retailer of carpet, hardwood and other products, for the past 13 years. |
In addition to the apartments, the Crescendo project would also have space for ground-level retail shops and restaurants, along with an attached 600-space parking garage. The total building should top 350,000 square foot. |
Construction is expected to start by year's end with completion expected in late 2016, Kelty said. The existing building is expected to be torn down, with Myers planning to build a new showroom on the remaining 1.2 acres on the west side of the property. "The design of the building will be consistent with other mixed-u... |
The property is immediately adjacent to where Division Street now dead ends. The proposed $20 million to $25 million extension planned by Metro includes a bridge over railroad tracks and an extension of Division Street to Ash Street. |
"In my opinion, that Division Street bridge is going to be an enormous catalyst for development in that area," said Brian Taylor, a broker with Karr Commercial representing Division Street Land Partners in pursuing the site now owned by Artemis Real Estate LLC. He cites City Winery Nashville, a music venue, restaurant,... |
If Kelty's name rings a bell, it's because of his controversial plans nearly two years ago for Strings, a 32-story guitar-shaped high-rise building. That $100 million building was expected to have been 300,000 square feet with luxury apartments built over retail/restaurant space and a parking garage. |
Kelty said the Strings project required a larger retail base to get off the ground, and that his company's attention has shifted to Crescendo for now. His background includes serving as president of Impakt Commercial Real Estate, along with previous work at NAI Nashville, which is now the local office of the Colliers I... |
Crescendo's project team includes two companies listed on the Strings team — general contractor Roy Anderson Corp., a division of Tutor Perini Corp. of Gulfport, Miss.; and lead architect Rick Standard of KPS Architects of Atlanta. Gresham Smith and Partners of Nashville is the civil engineer for Cresendo, while Bone M... |
Join. Raise Funds. End Liver Disease. May 14, 2011 at Philly's Please Touch Museum. |
One in 10 people in our country face a future with liver disease, according to the Liver Life Walk website. In Philly, you can help the people right now who are living with liver disease and help create a future free of liver disease. |
The Liver Life Walk is on Saturday, May 14, 2011. It starts at 8:30 a.m. at the Please Touch Museum, which is located at 4231 Avenue of the Republic. |
You can register online or an hour early -- 7:30 a.m. -- on the day of the walk. |
It's a 5k, which is 3.1 miles. It doesn't cost you a dime to register and any donations you collect goes toward research "for the prevention, treatment and cure of liver disease," according to the Liver Life Walk's website. And some of the funds support advocacy and education campaigns. In all, 82 cents from every doll... |
Click here for more information on how the money you raise can help cure liver disease and here for an inspirational video the organization posted on YouTube that starts with the powerful quote, "Courage is the first of human qualities, because it guarantees all others." |
Dino De Laurentiis, the flamboyant Italian movie producer who helped resurrect his country's film industry after World War II and for more than six decades produced films as diverse as the 1954 Federico Fellini classic “La Strada” and the 1976 remake of “King Kong,” has died. He was 91. |
The Italian media reported his death Thursday morning. |
Once described by Los Angeles Times columnist Patrick Goldstein as “a master showman, the last survivor of a bygone era of swashbuckling Hollywood producers ... who made movies fueled by grandiose schemes and consummate salesmanship,” De Laurentiis launched his long career as a producer in Italy in the 1940s. |
In the 1950s, he produced two Oscar-winning best foreign films — Fellini's “La Strada” (with then-partner Carlo Ponti) and Fellini's “Nights of Cabiria” (1957). |
In 1962, the prolific producer began building a sprawling studio complex on the outskirts of Rome that he called Dinocitta — Dino City. |
During the 1960s — he is credited with pioneering the now-common practice of financing films by pre-selling the distribution rights in foreign countries — De Laurentiis produced films such as director Richard Fleischer's “Barabbas,” starring Anthony Quinn; John Huston's star-studded “The Bible”; and Roger Vadim's “Barb... |
The son of a pasta manufacturer, he was born Agostino De Laurentiis on Aug. 8, 1919, in Torre Annunziata, some 17 miles from Naples. |
One of seven children, he dropped out of school at 15 and traveled as a salesman for his father's pasta factory. But he wasn't enamored of the family business. |
In 1937, the movie-struck teenager was accepted to the first-year acting course at a new film school in Rome, Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia. |
At the end of the year, De Laurentiis realized he didn't have the makings of a successful actor and realized he'd rather be behind the camera — as a producer. |
He worked for a time as an extra, stagehand, electrician and director's assistant before changing his first name from Agostino to Dino and launching a production company. |
A full obituary will follow at www.latimes.com/obits. |
In the real world, Mondays are the opposite of fun. But in the fashion world, the Monday that falls right in the middle of New York Fashion Week is always filled with glamor-- and plenty of surprises. |
This time around, we were wowed by Carolina Herrera, rocked out with Tommy Hilfiger and the coolest music heiresses, and caught up with Paris and Nicky Hilton. Here are five highlights. |
Carolina Herrera's highly anticipated show bloomed on the runway, with floral gowns beautifully deconstructed with sheer detail like shards of broken glass. Awe-inducing citrus hues, jewel tones and black and white on architectural silhouettes left the crowd raving, and, for those who were worried, attendee Anna Wintou... |
Farm to table is so last week. |
Lela Rose took us from runway to table, leaving recipe booklets on each seat (shaved asparagus and mint salad, black sesame and pear tea cake and rhubarb and rosemary fizz, to name a few), pairing each dish with a look from the collection that would best be worn while serving it. |
We'd go into detail about the ladylike polka dots, flirty florals, cute cut-outs, kimono dresses and full skirts, but we have a dinner party to plan. |
Rock and roll loving Tommy Hilfiger put his name in lights and channeled the free-spirited music festival girl for spring 2015, with rocker tees, jean jackets, psychedelic dresses, hand-painted "tattoos" and a flower-strewn runway. |
Georgia May Jagger, Mick Jagger's daughter, opened the show, and Kendall Jenner closed it out, as rock star daughters Alexandra Richards, Amber Le Bon, Tennessee Thomas and Tali Lennox sat front row. |
Donna Karan's 30th anniversary show was a little bit city and a little bit country, with belted midi skirts, crop tops, patchwork prints and more spring statement pieces, but all eyes were on her choice of accessory-- big, tall, Pharrell-like hats... and lots of them. |
Kendal Jenner didn't wear one as she walked in her third show of the season, instead showing off her braided 'do, looking fresh yet mature. Karlie Kloss, however, did pull off a balancing act in the headgear. |
In the front row, model Camila Alves (aka Mrs. Matthew McConaughey) stunned in a sheer, curve-hugging black dress, and Bernadette Peters turned heads in a rust-colored number. |
Stacey Bendet, the whimsical woman behind celeb-favorite alice + olivia, hosted this season's Fashion Week presentation at Manhattan'a iconic Pierre Hotel. |
In the crowd, as usual, were Bendet's devoted fans, Paris and Nicky Hilton, Paris in a green belted frock and Nicky in leopard with neon pink heels. |
While Paris made a stop to put on mascara, Nicky gushed about the collection. "I thought it was beautiful," she said, "so feminine, pretty, pastels-- it was gorgeous." Nicky added that she plans to add some of the beaded pieces and the "unique, cool prints" to her own closet. |
Disney star Bella Thorne, meanwhile, was still on cloud nine after an interaction with Rihanna over the weekend at the Versus Versace show. "I met her and she's like, 'Wow, she's so beautiful,' to my stylist," Thorne said. "I was like wow-- that's freaking weird! Rihanna just called me beautiful and she's known for bei... |
New York Fashion Week weekend recap: Celebs, celebs, everywhereStars, celeb models and bold fashion make for a lively weekend in NYC. Fashion Week day 2 recap: 3D dresses, frog bags, speedos & morePlus: An ice bucket challenge and Wu's muse. Fashion Week day 1 recap: Adriana Lima, comfy shoes and funky street styleFive... |
This is one family who will have a great Christmas despite an unfortunate accident. |
There it was: "Picture of the Year" on page one of Thursday's (Dec. 20) Public Opinion. |
Grandmother Tina Long with granddaughter Kylee Long of Greencastle, after Kylee had her right leg amputated following a family hunting accident last month. |
A plucky teenager with her loving grandmother Tina. It is all wrapped up in the smiles of both women. I don't know the family but I can recognize "every person's favorite grandmother" in that photo. This is one family who will have a great Christmas despite an unfortunate accident. |
That photo, as well as Jim Hook's well done article, has made this Christmas extra meaningful for me. |
Well, after 58 years, my wife and I decided to take in the Glee Club concert at the Chambersburg high school. As a member of the Glee Club 58 years ago, I know how much time and effort goes into the production, and it’s quite an experience. |
The concert, in my opinion, was excellent in every way. The young adults can sing, and the production was terrific. |
I can think of no better way to spend an evening than a concert by the young people in the Chambersburg high school. |
As a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, I would like to extend my wishes to all Christians celebrating the birth of Jesus, the one who lifted the morals of the society of his time. Sadly, with every passing day we are moving away from his true teachings. Now we have entered an era where materialism is attaining ... |
On the surface things like beauty, wealth, relationships, and agreements between nations look attractive but deep down we all know that everything that glitters is not gold. Critical analysis would reveal that the real cause of these exasperations is decline in moral behavior -- what Jesus once taught. The world’s chal... |
We all want to live in a different world where we have peace at all levels but most of us are running away from the means which leads toward a beloved community, that is, religion. Surprised? Yes, all champions of humanity, be it Jesus, Moses, or Muhammad, all of them worked to lift the morals of the people to form a p... |
I hope on this important day we realize the importance of Jesus' message too. The solution to all our problems lies in the recognition of our One God who is our Creator and Lord of Jesus Christ (peace be on him). |
This New Year, less-skilled job seekers in 43 states and localities will have a little less to celebrate following planned minimum wage hikes. |
Twenty states and 23 localities are raising minimum wages, including 15 that will reach or rise above $15 an hour. These higher wage mandates have shown to come at a high cost to employers and employees. In the Bay Area, for instance, a Harvard study found that each dollar increase in the base wage caused a 14 percent ... |
My organization has also chronicled the stories of dozens of businesses across the country that have been negatively affected by rising wages. |
While minimum wage hikes can be well-intentioned, they most often hurt those they are intended to help. Policymakers should use caution before mandating additional wage hikes that are shown to cause more harm than good. |
No, I am not in a good mood today. The stock market is down several hundred points. Congress has once again proven to be the playground of petulant children. We're in the dark and it only seems to be getting darker. |
Sadly, America’s Can Do spirit has become a museum piece, displayed in a case with long-ago collected moon rocks. We stand on the shore, a wet finger forever raised to find the wind – but we never set sail. Whatever happened to high gear in America? |
Once more, in the 21st Century, America's best and brightest can't rise above politics, can't find common ground. The latest in a growing string of failures is the so-called Congressional Super Committee that wasn't so super and couldn't find a way to do what's best for an ailing nation. |
Instead of leadership and an agenda, we have surrendered our nation to one group of citizens playing dress-up as wannabe Minute Men, and another group of superannuated Hippies and mask-wearing drum beaters. A costume ball of demagoguery. |
“Once upon a time, kings made decisions at the risk of losing their heads and kingdoms. In olden days, rulers didn’t take polls, they didn’t waste time with self-serving panels–those in power wielded power. My, what a novel concept! You’re hired to do a job and you do your own homework, make your own decisions and put ... |
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