‘GMA’ host Robin Roberts denied honeymoon suite in Curacao, fans say ‘hope you didn’t go all White Lotus on them’
Robin Roberts and Amber Laign shared a picture with the couple that got the honeymoon suite instead, celebrating their anniversary with them
2023-09-20 11:15
One dies in Russia's night air raid on Kyiv, more than 20 drones downed - official
By Valentyn Ogirenko and Gleb Garanich KYIV At least one person died and three were injured in Russia's
2023-05-28 08:54
U.S. Senate panel sends three FTC nominations to full Senate
WASHINGTON The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee voted on Wednesday to send three nominations for the U.S. Federal Trade
2023-10-18 23:59
NFL Rumors: The one player Chiefs should sign after roster cut day
With the 53-man roster cut deadline passing, the Kansas City Chiefs should opt to take a chance on this edge rusher who was let go by their team.
2023-08-30 07:10
Big central banks hike again with end of tightening in sight
LONDON Major central banks are tentatively eyeing the end of aggressive interest rate hikes as price pressures finally
2023-07-28 16:46
Serbia, Kosovo presidents clash at summit over flare-up
By Andrew Gray and John Irish BULBOACA, Moldova The presidents of Serbia and Kosovo insisted on Thursday they
2023-06-01 20:10
Meta to ask EU users' consent to share data for targeted ads
Social media giant Meta on Tuesday said it intends to ask EU-based users to give their consent before allowing targeted advertising on its networks including Facebook...
2023-08-01 23:11
Bernie Sanders and Democratic Rep Ro Khanna launch campaign to wipe out medical debt
Progressives are beginning a new offensive on Capitol Hill: Taking on America’s staggering $88bn in medical debt. Headed up by the Bernie Sanders spinoff group Our Revolution, advocates around the country are gathering horror stories of instances where necessary procedures were blocked by insurance companies or, perhaps worse, approved with stipulations such as “out of network” classifications that can quickly (and often do) lead to lifesaving treatment becoming a financial death sentence. The group hosted a town hall led by executive director Joseph Geevhargese on Monday, where a number of Americans shared their own personal versions of ruin at the hands of medical debt collectors and hospital bills. Between 10 per cent and half of adult Americans are thought to carry medical debt in some form, with estimates widely varrying thanks to the complexities of tracking paid-off debts. Elizabeth McLaughlin, one woman who shared her account with participants of the town hall event on Monday, spoke about how treatment she received in 2017 has led to her taking on tens of thousands of dollars in credit card debt as she placed utility bills and other basic needs like groceries on lines of credit rather than face medical debt collectors. “I pass it from one [card] to another, and in the meantime I’m just grateful that I’m employed, and insured, and I can keep making the payments,” she explained. Another woman, Kristin Noreen, explained that she even filed for bankruptcy, only for her debt to immediately begin climbing into the thousands again thanks to tax obligations and other costs. Her treatment bills rose past $1m dollars after she was struck by a car on her bicycle and suffered grievous injuries, including the amputation of her hand, and now she explains that she has little chance of ever climbing out of her personal debt trap — even after her insurance paid for all but $60,000 of the treatment cost, and $50,000 of the remaining debt was handled by a charitable donation. The remaining $10,000 was still more than enough, coupled with the cost of years of therapy she says is “barely” covered by her Affordable Care Act plan, to leave her in financial desolation. “I’m back up to $10,000 on credit cards and as of last month, I have another $3,000 in debt to the IRS for prioritising my care over my estimated taxes. I’ve been denied disability and I work part-time from home as much as I’m able to,” she explained, while noting that if her pay increases from her part-time work, she is legally required to pay it towards Affordable Care Act subsidies rather than her own debt. Mr Sanders, along with a colleague in the House, Ro Khanna, reportedly plan to introduce legislation in the coming weeks aimed at addressing the issue — along with a nationwide campaign aimed at pressuring vulnerable lawmakers to get on board. Among the legislation’s priorities will be halting “predatory” debt collection practices and going after price gouging in medical billing. And while the demands in their upcoming legislation are small in comparison to Mr Sanders’s long-held desire to overhaul America’s for-profit healthcare system into a single-payer system aimed at affordability and access, the efforts by progressives to highlight the tragic cases of Americans consumed by medical debt likely aid in the left’s work to popularise the idea of major reforms and changes to the structure of America’s health system. Mr Sanders called for the elimination of all medical debt in the spring of 2022 after three leading credit agencies announced that they would no longer track paid-off medical debts when calculating credit ratings for Americans. “‘Medical debt’ and ‘Medical bankruptcy’ are two phrases that should not exist in the United States of America,” the senator said at the time. “Removing 70 percent of past-due medical debt from credit reports is a step in the right direction, and much more needs to be done. We must cancel all medical debt.” Read More Deal or default? Biden, GOP must decide what's on the table Black voters backing Biden, but not with 2020 enthusiasm House Republicans pressure Biden as they vote to raise debt ceiling in exchange for spending cuts
1970-01-01 08:00
'Ghost garden' discovered at country home due to intense heatwave
The UK heatwave has uncovered a "ghost garden" at a British country house. The scorching temperatures have caused the outline of the Victorian formal garden at Gawthorpe Hall, near Burnley, to re-emerge on its front lawn. Aerial photographs capture the traces of the footpaths of the Victorian parterre garden, which was installed in the 1860s. The garden was removed after the Second World War due to maintenance costs but often re-emerges during summer months as various soil types dry at different rates. Built-in the Elizabethan era, the hall was remodeled in the 1850s by noted architect Sir Charles Barry, who sketched out plans for the Houses of Parliament. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Barry also re-designed the gardens at both the front and back of the property. The one at the back is smaller and was kept after the Second World War, but the front one became too onerous to maintain and was removed in 1946. It comes as Britain has baked in 30C heat, prompting an amber heat alert from the UK Health Authority. So much so, now employers are being urged to relax dress codes and let staff work at cooler times of the day. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said the current temperatures for June, and the record-breaking temperatures reached last summer, show that helping workers during extreme heat must be a priority for employers. Spokeswoman Clare Owen said: "The updated yellow heat-health alert, as well as the extreme heat we experienced in 2022, should serve as a wake-up call for all employers. "We know that employers are under pressure and we don’t want to add to their burden, but climate change means we’re likely to get hotter summers and that could have a big impact on the workforce of this country." TUC general secretary Paul Nowak added: "We’ve all been enjoying the sunny weather after a cold start to the year, but working in sweltering conditions can be unbearable and dangerous, whether it’s in an overheated shop, a baking office, or outdoors in the direct sun." "Indoor workplaces should be kept cool, with relaxed dress codes and flexible working to make use of the coolest hours of the day. "Employers must make sure outdoor workers are protected with regular breaks, lots of fluids, plenty of sunscreen and the right protective clothing." Credit: SWNS. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-06-15 16:29
Brexit Will Be Reversed Within 20 Years, Says Ex-M&S CEO Stuart Rose
The UK is likely to reverse Brexit within two decades according to retail veteran Stuart Rose, who briefly
2023-09-05 20:05
New Biden rule would make government websites and apps more accessible to people with disabilities
The Biden administration is proposing new regulations to make state and local government websites and apps for services like libraries, parking, transit and court records more accessible for people with disabilities
2023-07-26 01:00
German industrial orders rise more than expected in May
(Reuters) -German industrial orders rose significantly more than expected in May, due to large scale orders of ships, spacecraft and
2023-07-06 14:18
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