Archive | May, 2012

Democrats Take Aim At Deficit Targets, Continue To Wait For CBO Numbers On Health Overhaul

The Wall Street Journal: “With Congress just days away from an expected vote, Democrats still hadn’t settled on final language of the bill and until they do the Congressional Budget Office can’t release an estimate for how much the complete package would cost.” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D., Md…

Opinion Pieces Examine How Health Reform Affects Coverage For Women’s Services

The American Prospect, Boston Globe and Washington Post recently published opinion pieces and an editorial discussing how health reform legislation would affect health insurance coverage for abortion, prenatal care and other services that affect women…

Poll: More Americans Oppose Health Bill, But Democratic Faithful Want Action

A new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll finds about half of those polled oppose the health care plan, “but core Democrats the party needs to show up and vote in November are strong backers,” The Wall Street Journal reports…

House Democratic Leaders Twist Arms Of The Rank-And-File; Track Health Reform Vote Tally

Democrats are pressuring fellow members to accept the health care reform legislation and are playing hardball to secure votes for the health reform package. Politico: “As health care lobbying heats up, some members are getting calls from President Barack Obama, like the three Rep. Jason Altmire (D-Pa.) got in the past two weeks.” Altmire is undecided…

Dems Newly-Favored Tactic To Advance Health Measure Draws GOP Rage

The latest strategy House Democratic leaders have considered for passing the health overhaul bill would allow lawmakers to approve a Senate-passed version of the bill without a direct vote, The Washington Post reports…

Dems Defend Health Reform Strategy; Undecided House Members Face Pressure As Vote Nears

Democratic leaders on Tuesday defended their possible use of a legislative maneuver that would allow House Democrats to pass the Senate health reform bill (HR 3590) in the chamber without members actually having to vote on it, the Washington Post reports…

Wachovia to Pay $160 Million to End Money Laundering Probe

Wells Fargo & Co.’s Wachovia Bank agreed to pay $160 million to resolve a criminal investigation of how drug cartels used the bank to launder money through Mexican exchange houses. The government agreed to defer prosecution on a criminal charge that Wachovia, once the fourth-largest U.S. bank, failed to …

AIA Says Recommendation to Abolish Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation is Misguided

The American Insurance Association (AIA) today, stated that efforts to abolish Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation (Citizens) are misguided.  Dissolving Citizens, a state-run non-profit organization that serves as Louisiana’s property insurer of last resort and as its windstorm insurance residual market, and reconstituting it as a FAIR and Coastal Plan …

Catastrophes, disasters cost insurers $26B in 2009

Natural catastrophes and man-made disasters cost insurers $26 billion worldwide in 2009, Swiss Reinsurance Co. Ltd. said Tuesday in a sigma study. Natural catastrophes cost insurers $22 billion last year, man-made disasters cost insurers $4 billion and, combined, claimed about 15,000 lives, according to the study. North America …

210 jobs coming to Virginia Beach, mayor announces

Mar. 18–VIRGINIA BEACH — Car rental company Avis Budget Group and insurance giant Geico plan to hire or relocate a total of 210 workers here in the coming months, Mayor Will Sessoms announced today …