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Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Upgrade Your Macbook Air SSD, Reuse the Old One as a Sleek External Drive [Storage]
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Assembly OKs adding bank settlement into Calif law
FILE - In this June 22, 2012 file photo, DeAun Tollefson holds the notice of trustee sale, outside her home in Sacramento, Calif. California will become the first state to write into law much of the national mortgage settlement negotiated this year with the nation's top five banks, and expand it to all mortgages, if state lawmakers approve wide-ranging legislation on Monday, July 2, 2012.(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)
FILE - In this June 22, 2012 file photo, DeAun Tollefson holds the notice of trustee sale, outside her home in Sacramento, Calif. California will become the first state to write into law much of the national mortgage settlement negotiated this year with the nation's top five banks, and expand it to all mortgages, if state lawmakers approve wide-ranging legislation on Monday, July 2, 2012.(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)
Attorney General Kamala Harris, second from right, talks with homeowner Jose Vega, second from left, after the homeowner protection legislation she backed was approved by the Legislature at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif., Monday, July 2, 2012. Vega, accompanied by his son Roberto, 11, left, and daughter, Luciana,8, had lobbied lawmakers to pass the bills after he spent three years battling to keep his home in the San Francisco-area city of Pittsburg. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
Assemblyman Mike Eng, D-Monterey Park, center, receives congratulations from Assembly members Jose Solorio, D-Santa Ana, left, and Mike Feuer, D-Los Angeles, after the homeowner protection legislation Eng was carrying was approved by the Assembly 53-25 at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif.., Monday, July 2, 2012. The legislation would require large lenders to provide a single point of contact for homeowners who want to discuss loan modifications, prohibit lenders from foreclosing while the lenders consider homeowners' request for alternatives to foreclosure and let California homeowners sue lenders to stop foreclosures or seek monetary damages if the lenders violate state law. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
State Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, is thanked by homeowner DeAun Tollefson, after he helped get homeowner protection legislation approved by the Legislature at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif., Monday, July 2, 2012. The legislation would require large lenders to provide a single point of contact for homeowners who want to discuss loan modifications, prohibit lenders from foreclosing while the lenders consider homeowners' request for alternatives to foreclosure and let California homeowners sue lenders to stop foreclosures or seek monetary damages if the lenders violate state law. Tollefson's is facing the loss of her Sacramento home due to foreclosure.(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) ? California would become the first state to write into law much of the national mortgage settlement negotiated this year with the nation's top five banks, and expand it to all lenders, under wide-ranging legislation state lawmakers approved Monday.
Majority Democrats sent the homeowner protection package to Gov. Jerry Brown despite opposition from business and lending organizations and most Republican legislators.
The Assembly approved the legislation on a 53-25 vote, and the Senate followed by voting 25-13.
The legislation would require large lenders to provide a single point of contact for homeowners who want to discuss loan modifications. It would prohibit lenders from foreclosing while the lenders consider homeowners' request for alternatives to foreclosure. And it would let California homeowners sue lenders to stop foreclosures or seek monetary damages if the lender violates state law.
The protections would benefit all California homeowners, not just those whose mortgages are with the five banks that signed the national settlement in February. And many of the restrictions would become permanent, while those in the nationwide agreement will end after five years.
It applies to all owner-occupied residences, but not commercial or rental properties.
Jose Vega drove 70 miles to Sacramento with his two young children to lobby lawmakers to pass the legislation after he spent three years battling to keep his home in the San Francisco-area city of Pittsburg.
In November 2009, he said, he found a trustee sale notice posted on his door 16 days after he was placed in a loan modification program. He was put into another modification program in the spring of 2010, only to have the bank again begin foreclosure proceedings.
Vega, 52, eventually kept his home after filing for bankruptcy and getting help from the office of Democratic U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Now he and his family owe $466,000 ? including the bank's legal fees ? on a home he said is worth about $200,000.
"I'm not asking for a handout. All I'm saying is, you created this mess, let's work something out," said Vega, a member of the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment. "Hopefully, California will lead the way so other states will follow."
Attorney General Kamala Harris said an estimated 700,000 California homeowners now are facing foreclosure, up from 500,000 in previous projections.
"They will now have a system that will offer them transparency and fairness," Harris said after the vote.
She helped negotiate the February settlement that requires Bank of America Corp., JPMorgan Chase & Co., Wells Fargo & Co., Citigroup Inc. and Ally Financial Inc. to pay $18 billion in penalties to California homeowners.
Harris said the California legislation is the next step in reforming the industry, even as a special task force of California Department of Justice prosecutors continues investigating mortgage abuses.
Key portions of her original proposal to write the settlement into state law were stalled by opposition from some of her fellow Democrats in the Legislature, until the right to sue banks and other measures were significantly narrowed.
"This legislation can be the catalyst not only for a recovery of California's real estate market, but a catalyst across the nation as borrowers everywhere will demand the same protections given to California borrowers, the same protections given to our families," said Democratic Assemblyman Mike Feuer, a member of the conference committee that negotiated the bill. "Those protections boil down to this: They ought to be treated fairly, they ought to be treated consistently."
Lenders' organizations joined by the California Chamber of Commerce said in a letter to lawmakers Friday that the final legislation is an improvement, though they still fear it will "encourage frivolous litigation" by borrowers who cannot realistically afford to stay in their homes.
The lending industry cited a study it commissioned by Beacon Economics, a Los Angeles-based research firm. It echoes industry arguments that letting homeowners sue their lenders, even in limited circumstances, will delay foreclosures and increase lenders' costs, potentially harming the shaky housing recovery and making it more difficult and costly to obtain mortgages.
The legislation can't address what lenders and opposing lawmakers said is the underlying problem: too many borrowers can't afford their payments.
"It's a mistake that will hurt this economy for years to come," said Republican Sen. Sam Blakeslee, a member of the conference committee.
Supporters of the bill say it still takes important steps.
"The point is ... not to launch an avalanche of lawsuits. What it's really about is having some meaningful accountability to ensure that servicers follow the rules," said Paul Leonard, director of the California office of the Center for Responsible Lending, a consumer group.
Previous efforts have repeatedly failed to clear the Legislature. Leonard said the national mortgage settlement and Harris' involvement are likely to make the difference this year.
Democratic Sen. Noreen Evans, who co-chaired the conference committee that negotiated the bill, said Brown's administration worked with Democrats on the legislation and has given every indication he would sign it into law. However, Brown declined to comment as he left the office of Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg moments before the vote.
The governor's office later issued a statement praising the legislation for establishing "important consumer protections that are long overdue" but stopped short of saying he will sign the bill.
The law would not take effect until Jan. 1, though Evans and Harris said they expect lenders would begin following the new rules immediately even if the penalties don't yet apply.
____
Associated Press writer Judy Lin contributed to this report.
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Predator-Prey Equations Govern Gang Territories
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The Lotka-Volterra equations describe population dynamics between competing species. Criminologists have now shown they also describe gang turf boundary formation and violence hot spots. Evelyn Lamb reports.
July 2, 2012
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The same mathematical models used to study the hunting range of lions have many other applications?they describe the flight patterns of honeybees. And now researchers say these math models can help explain the stability of gang territories and patterns of between-gang violence. The work is in the journal Criminology. [Jeffrey Brantingham et al, The Ecology of Gang Territorial Boundaries]
Researchers used the models to draw new maps of gang territories in east LA. What are known as the competitive Lotka-Volterra equations describe population dynamics between species competing for resources. They take into account the effect each population has on the other.
The researchers generated maps of gang territories using the Lotka-Volterra equations rather than police reports or urban geographical features. After creating maps, researchers analyzed data about between-gang shootings and found that violence clusters along the gang boundaries predicted by their model.
The researchers think that their work also demonstrates that a gang?s turf forms in part based on competitive interactions with other gangs. The hope is that understanding patterns of between-gang violence can help police prevent more of it.
?Evelyn Lamb
[The above text is a transcript of this podcast]
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Detroit toddler found dead in closet
By Andrew Mach, msnbc.com
A toddler was found dead inside a closet in her grandmother's home in east Detroit, only hours after she was reported missing.
Detroit police are investigating the death of 17-month-old Zyia Roch-Quelle Alyssa Turner, whose body was found early Saturday in a closet buried under piles of clothes and notebooks.
Zyia?s uncle and one other adult were babysitting her and several other children at the time of her disappearance, according to local reports.? Ten to 12 people were living in the home.
?The uncle was taking care of several children and left for a couple minutes to a bedroom and when he returned the girl was gone,? Sgt. Allan Quinn told the Detroit News. ?When he asked the other children where she was, none of them knew.?
Ziya?s family reported her missing around 4 p.m. Friday.
The family made flyers?to pass around the neighborhood, and police set up search parties, canvassing the area all evening with a K-9 unit and going door-to-door searching for clues.
About 1 a.m. Saturday, a cadaver dog picked up the girl?s scent inside the home and led police to Zyia?s body.
Zyia?s mother, Erica James, 24, told the Detroit Free Press she had no idea how her daughter got stuck in a closet.
?I [have] two closets at home and she never went in,? she said. ?She never pulled [anything] down out of the closet, so it?s strange that my baby is in the closet under 20 pounds of clothes.?
Police aren?t saying whether the death was an accident. The family believes the toddler walked into the closet and stuff accidentally fell on top of her.
Police would not comment on media reports of an arrest, saying only, ?This is an ongoing investigation and individuals are being questioned by the Detroit Police Department?s homicide investigators.?
The Wayne County Medical Examiner?s Office has completed an autopsy, but they are awaiting results of a toxicology report, which could take up to eight weeks.?
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Sunday, July 1, 2012
The states that are dying for healthcare coverage
By Alexander E.M. Hess and Samuel Weigley, 24/7 Wall St.
The lack of medical coverage in America is a serious problem as approximately 50 million people were uninsured all through 2010. But the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday ruled the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which was passed in 2010, was constitutional. The legislation, once implemented in its entirety, is expected to cover 30 million Americans currently lacking coverage.
The lack of medical insurance has had grave consequences for individuals and the nation. In 2010 alone, 26,100 people died because they had no health insurance ? that amounts to 502 preventable deaths a week. However, some states fared better than others. Based on the latest report by Families USA, a health care consumer advocacy group, 24/7 Wall St. identified the 10 states with the highest number of deaths per 100,000 people due to a lack of insurance.
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Not surprisingly, nearly all of the states with the most residents dying due to a lack of insurance also had high numbers of uninsured residents. Seven of the states on the list were among the 10 states with the highest percentage of people without health coverage. Seven of the states were also in the bottom 10 for the lowest rates of private insurance coverage.
People without health insurance often forgo medical treatment for different reasons. According to Families USA, a supporter of President Obama?s health care reform law, uninsured adults are nearly four times more likely than insured adults to delay or avoid preventive care screening due to cost. Uninsured adults are also nearly seven times more likely to go without needed care due to cost than privately insured adults.
?You still see a very, very strong correlation between uninsurance and poor health-care outcomes ? including mortality ? and [that is] because people aren?t getting the type of care that they need,? Kim Bailey, the research director for Families USA, told 24/7 Wall St.
Many of the states with high death rates due to a lack of insurance also were among the poorest states in the country. The top seven states on this list also are among the 10 states with the highest poverty rates. Every state on this list is in the top half.
Poor health also appears to play an important role. States with high death rates due to lack of insurance had a high percentage of people with lifestyle-related risk factors for poor health. Of the states on our list, five of them have among the 10 highest percentages of smokers and among the 10 lowest percentages of people who eat vegetables at least three times a day. Four have among the 10 highest proportions of overweight or obese adults. Seven states on the list were in the bottom 10 in terms of life expectancy.
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Based on Families USA?s report, ?Dying for Coverage: The Deadly Consequences of Being Uninsured,? 24/7 Wall St. identified the 10 states with the highest number of deaths from being uninsured per 100,000 residents. 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the methodology used by Families USA, first developed in 2002 by the Institute of Medicine, to determine?excess mortality from being uninsured. This method considers the proportion of?people who are insured and uninsured, the mortality risks for the uninsured and the number of expected deaths from a hypothetical fully insured population. 24/7 Wall St. also identified poverty rates and median income by state, provided by the U.S. Census Bureau. The Kaiser Family Foundation?s website ? Statehealthfacts.org ? provided health-related data, including life expectancy, obesity and diabetes rate.
These are the 10 states dying for health coverage.
1. Mississippi
? Excess deaths from a lack of insurance (per 100,000):?15.82
? Percent of population uninsured:?18.2 percent (ninth highest)
? Percent living below the poverty line:?22.4 percent (tied for the highest)
? Life expectancy at birth:?74.81 years (The lowest)
Many residents of Mississippi cannot afford insurance. The state has the lowest median income in the nation and the highest percentage of residents living below the poverty line. As a result, Mississippi has the second-lowest percentage of residents with private health insurance coverage, at 56.49 percent. Exacerbating the problem, residents are especially unhealthy. Among all states, Mississippi has the second-highest obesity rate, the second-highest percentage of adults with diabetes and the fifth-highest percentage of adult smokers in the nation. Probably on account of both high uninsurance rates and poor personal health, Mississippi is the only state where life expectancy was below 75 years at birth in 2010. Mississippi?s excess death rate was the highest among all states and twice that of 28 states in 2010.
2. Louisiana
? Excess deaths from a lack of insurance (per 100,000):?14.94
? Percent of population uninsured:?17.8 percent (10th highest)
? Percent living below the poverty line:?18.7 percent (sixth highest)
? Life expectancy at birth:?75.39 years (fourth lowest)
Louisiana has one of the lowest life expectancies at birth in the U.S. at 75.4 years. Though much of this certainly can be attributed to poor health choices ? the state has a higher number of smokers and its residents eat comparatively little fruit or vegetables ? the inability of?many residents to receive proper care due to lack of insurance is also a contributing factor. In Louisiana, 17.8 percent of the population goes without health insurance, despite the fact that 21.9 percent of the population qualifies for Medicaid ? the fifth-highest proportion among all 50 states. The high uninsurance rate is partly due to the relative economic disadvantage of the state?s residents. With 18.7 percent of residents living below the poverty line ? the sixth-highest rate in the nation ? and a median income that is more than $5,000 lower than the U.S. average, just 58.39 percent of state residents have private insurance. That is the fourth-lowest such rate in the nation.
3. Arkansas
? Excess deaths from a lack of insurance (per 100,000):?13.49
? Percent of population uninsured:?17.5 percent (tied for 12th highest)
? Percent living below the poverty line:?18.8 percent (fifth highest)
? Life expectancy at birth:?76.09 years (sixth lowest)
According to the Council for Community and Economic Research?s ACCRA Cost of Living Index, Arkansas had the second-lowest cost of health care in the United States. However, with 18.8 percent of the population living below the poverty line and a median annual household income of just $38,307 ? both among the lowest figures for any state ? many Arkansans cannot afford private health coverage. As a result, just 58.78 percent of the population has private insurance, the sixth-lowest figure in the country.
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4. South Carolina
? Excess deaths from a lack of insurance (per 100,000):?13.48
? Percent of population uninsured:?17.5 percent (tied for 12th highest)
? Percent living below the poverty line:?18.2 percent (seventh highest)
? Life expectancy at birth:?76.57 years (ninth lowest)
South Carolina is not a particularly healthy state: 67.4 percent of the state?s residents are either overweight or obese, just 23.3 percent eat proper amounts of fruit, only 22.9 percent eat proper amounts of vegetables and 10.7 percent are diabetic. All of these are among the highest rates in the country. Meanwhile, much of the cost of health care falls to private individuals. The state spent about $6,300 per person on health care in 2009, among the lowest levels, and just 51.9 percent of residents have employer-based health coverage. Unfortunately, South Carolinians have trouble affording insurance on their own: Median income was just $42,000 in 2010, significantly lower than the $50,000 national average, 18.2 percent of residents live below the poverty line and the cost of health care is higher than is the case in many states.
5. New Mexico
? Excess deaths from a lack of insurance (per 100,000):?12.15
? Percent of population uninsured:?19.6 percent (sixth highest)
? Percent living below the poverty line:?20.4 percent (tied for the highest)
? Life expectancy at birth:?78.21 years (20th lowest)
New Mexico has a fairly healthy population, with relatively low heart disease and obesity rates. However, just 55.8 percent of residents have private health insurance ? the lowest rate of any state in the country. One possible reason is that few employers provide insurance ? just 45.6 percent of the population has employer-based health coverage. The relative poverty of the state also means many residents cannot afford medical coverage. The median income in the state was just above $42,000 in 2010, far below the national median of about $50,000, while 20.4 percent of people live below the poverty line ? the highest rate in the country.
Click here to read the rest of 24/7 Wall St.'s analysis of states' death rates
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