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Sens. Warren, Markey to hold Mass. fishing hearing

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 03 November 2013 | 00.48

BOSTON — U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren is planning to hold a "listening session" at the Statehouse to hear about challenges facing Massachusetts' fishing industry.

Warren said she hopes to hear from fishermen, shore side businesses and the local marine science community about how science and fisheries management can be improved to sustain the fishing culture in the state.

Warren will be also joined at the Monday morning hearing by fellow U.S. Sen. Edward Markey and Massachusetts U.S. Reps. John Tierney and William Keating.

The session comes as Congress weighs the reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the law that regulates fishing in the United States.

U.S. Sen. Begich, an Alaska Democrat and chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard will also attend the listening session.


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Gov. Patrick, ex-Gov. Romney to discuss health law

BOSTON — Massachusetts' current and former governors are set to appear on NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday to discuss the federal health care law.

Gov. Deval Patrick and former Gov. Mitt Romney are expected to paint very different portraits of the law that is President Barack Obama's signature policy achievement.

Even though Romney helped draft and then signed the 2006 Massachusetts health care law that became the blueprint for Obama's law, the former GOP presidential nominee has argued that health care changes are best left up to states rather than the federal government.

Patrick, a Democrat and a vocal supporter of Obama, has argued in favor of the federal law saying that it will help expand health care access to millions of Americans.

Patrick has also urged patience with the beleaguered federal health care website.


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Henry pays $38M for Globe HQ

John Henry paid $38.4 million for The Boston Globe's headquarters on Morrissey Boulevard as part of the 
$70 million deal last month to acquire the New England Media Group from The New York Times, according to newly filed records at the Suffolk County Registry of Deeds.

"That's interesting as a metric because as I talk to newspaper brokers over the years what they've said is on average, the price of newspaper properties is half-covered by real estate," said analyst Ken Doctor of Newsonomics. "That would fit that principle really well. The brand, the good will, the cash flow ... amounts to only half the sales price, the other half is the hard real estate."

Experts have speculated the sprawling Dorchester property — with its proximity to the Southeast Expressway and UMass Boston — could be a hot commercial property if redeveloped, even though parts of it are contaminated.

Henry also paid $7.8 million for the property containing the Worcester Telegram & Gazette's printing presses in Millbury and $277,400 for the Clinton office of Coulter Press, which publishes The Item and The Banner, according to Worcester County Registry of Deeds documents.

Secretary of State William Galvin officially certified Henry's corporation papers for the newly created The Boston Globe Newspaper Co. LLC Thursday night, according to state records.

Henry and Globe controller Karen Bray are the only names listed in the corporation filings — Henry organized the Globe LLC in Delaware. Henry declined to comment through a spokesman yesterday.


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Hilltop townhouses offer view

A major transformation of the hilltop site of the former Symmes Hospital in Arlington is adding 176 residential units, including 12 townhouses for sale.

Arlington 360 has been long in the making, but the development is now renting and selling. The 12 townhouses — in two attached groups of six — are two- or three-bedroom and range in price from $619,000 to $644,000.

We took a look at model unit 2012, a two-bedroom plus den end unit with three levels of living space and a garage on the lower level. The 2,090-square-foot condo, which has two bedroom suites, is on the market for $644,000.

The townhouses have attractive exteriors of brick red cement board, with brown shingle accents, projecting bays and white trim.

A covered front porch leads into a bamboo foyer with a coat closet. To the left is a formal living room with bamboo floors, recessed lighting, 9-foot ceilings and lots of windows on two sides.

Straight ahead is an open kitchen/dining area with a rear glass wall and door out to a wood-floored balcony.

The kitchen features recessed lighting and bamboo floors, 22 hazelnut-stained cabinets and dark brown granite counters, including a preparation peninsula. General Electric stainless-steel appliances include a refrigerator, dishwasher and a four-burner gas stove and oven. Off to one side is a pantry with built-in shelving.

The dining area side windows, in addition to the glass wall and the balcony, overlook a community garden and sports court.

Behind this room is a half bath with a pedestal sink.

The nicely crafted turning staircase to the second floor has bamboo treads and there's even a nook on the ground floor for a home office desk.

There are two carpeted bedroom suites on the second floor. The front master suite is a little nicer, with a large walk-in closet and views of Boston's Back Bay skyline. The en-suite bathroom has creme marble floors and a white cultured marble vanity with two sinks.

There is white subway tile around a deep soaking tub and shower.

The rear bedroom is also good-sized and features an en-suite bathroom with porcelain-like striated tile floors and a white cultured marble vanity. There is also a white subway tile tub and shower.

In the bamboo hallway between the bedrooms, a white General Electric washer and dryer are stacked.

The unit's basement features a carpeted den and bamboo hallways with a rear egress out to the community garden and an additional outdoor parking space. There is also direct access to an oversized one-car garage.

A nearby closet holds the condo's high-efficiency Hydro Air two-zone heating and cooling system and a Navien tankless water heating system.

Townhouse owners can also use a pool and fitness center in the adjacent rental property for $135 a month.


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Obama: Budget is about choices, priorities

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama says budget negotiations in Congress are about choices and priorities.

In his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama urges Congress to pass a budget that includes spending on education, infrastructure and research.

Obama says there's an obsession with cutting spending just for the sake of cutting. He says it's not helping grow the economy. He's pointing out that deficits are falling fast on his watch.

House and Senate budget negotiators hope to strike a deal that would avert a new round of automatic cuts set to hit the Pentagon and domestic programs.

In the Republican address, Sen. Dan Coats of Indiana is criticizing Obama over the health care website and insurance cancellation notices. He says the health care law can't be fixed and Americans should start over.

___

Online:

Obama address: www.whitehouse.gov

GOP address: www.youtube.com/gopweeklyaddress


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Mass. fishermen eligible for federal disaster aid

BOSTON — The federal Small Business Administration has decided to provide federal disaster assistance to Massachusetts fishermen hard hit by reductions in catch limits and groundfish stocks.

U.S. Sen. Edward Markey said Friday that the assistance will help fishermen keep their businesses afloat as they adjust to changing conditions that threaten commercial fishing communities across the state.

In September, Gov. Deval Patrick officially certified that Massachusetts fishermen who chase bottom-dwelling groundfish had suffered "substantial economic injury."

He cited the poor health of key fish stocks and this year's devastating cuts in the allowed catch.

The disaster aid will help fishermen in Barnstable, Bristol, Essex, Plymouth, Norfolk and Suffolk counties as well as two counties in New Hampshire.

An industry group, the Northeast Seafood Coalition, had initiated the appeal for disaster assistance.


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Reports: Barclays bank suspends 6 in rigging probe

LONDON — Barclays bank has suspended six traders amid an investigation into whether international currency markets were rigged, the BBC, the Financial Times and other outlets reported Saturday.

Barclays, Britain's second-largest bank, revealed on Wednesday that it was the subject of an investigation by regulators in Britain and other countries over "possible attempts to manipulate certain benchmark currency exchange rates."

The bank said it was "reviewing its foreign exchange trading covering a several year period through August 2013 and is cooperating with the relevant authorities."

Barclays spokeswoman Aurelie Leonard declined to comment Saturday on reports that traders had been suspended.

Other banks including JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup and Switzerland's UBS have also said they are being investigated over currency trading, and Britain's RBS suspended two traders on Thursday in the same investigation.

The investigation is the latest bad news for Barclays, which overhauled its top management after being fined $453 million for manipulating a key global interest rate and other wrongdoing.

The international currency-trading investigation has echoes of inquiries into manipulation of the London interbank offered rate, or LIBOR, which underpins trillions of dollars in transactions around the world. The financial world was shaken when it emerged that banks — including Royal Bank of Scotland, Barclays and UBS — were submitting false data to gain market advantages.


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Iran criticizes Iraq for increasing crude exports

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran's Oil Minister says Iraq has increased its crude oil exports to compensate for a fall in Iranian exports as a result of sanctions over Tehran's suspected nuclear program, calling the policy "not friendly at all."

Bijan Namdar Zanganeh is quoted by the semiofficial Mehr news agency Saturday as saying that Iraq's oil policies are to Iran's detriment.

Iran's oil exports are believed to have fallen from about 2.5 million to over 1.2 million barrels a day as a result of a Western oil embargo against Iran over Tehran's uranium enrichment program.

The U.S. and its allies fear that Iran may ultimately be able to develop a nuclear weapon, a charge Iran denies.

Iran generally enjoys good relations with Iraq's Shiite-led government.


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Sticker shock often follows insurance cancellation

MIAMI — Dean Griffin liked the health insurance he purchased for himself and his wife three years ago and thought he'd be able to keep the plan even after the federal Affordable Care Act took effect.

But the 64-year-old recently received a letter notifying him the plan was being canceled because it didn't cover certain benefits required under the law.

The Griffins, who live near Philadelphia, pay $770 monthly for their soon-to-be-terminated health care plan with a $2,500 deductible. The cheapest plan they found on their state insurance exchange was a so-called bronze plan charging a $1,275 monthly premium with deductibles totaling $12,700. It covers only providers in Pennsylvania, so the couple, who live near Delaware, won't be able to see doctors they've used for more than a decade.

"We're buying insurance that we will never use and can't possibly ever benefit from. We're basically passing on a benefit to other people who are not otherwise able to buy basic insurance," said Griffin, who is retired from running an information technology company.

The Griffins are among millions of people nationwide who buy individual insurance policies and are receiving notices that those policies are being discontinued because they don't meet the higher benefit requirements of the new law.

They can buy different policies directly from insurers for 2014 or sign up for plans on state insurance exchanges. While lower-income people could see lower costs because of government subsidies, many in the middle class may get rude awakenings when they access the websites and realize they'll have to pay significantly more.

Those not eligible for subsidies generally receive more comprehensive coverage than they had under their soon-to-be-canceled policies, but they'll have to pay a lot more.

Because of the higher cost, the Griffins are considering paying the federal penalty — about $100 or 1 percent of income next year — rather than buying health insurance. They say they are healthy and don't typically run up large health care costs. Dean Griffin said that will be cheaper because it's unlikely they will get past the nearly $13,000 deductible for the coverage to kick in.

Individual health insurance policies are being canceled because the Affordable Care Act requires plans to cover certain benefits, such as maternity care, hospital visits and mental illness. The law also caps annual out-of-pocket costs consumers will pay each year.

In the past, consumers could get relatively inexpensive, bare-bones coverage, but those plans will no longer be available. Many consumers are frustrated by what they call forced upgrades as they're pushed into plans with coverage options they don't necessarily want.

Ken Davis, who manages a fast food restaurant in Austin, Texas, is recovering from sticker shock after the small-business policy offered by his employer was canceled for the same reasons individual policies are being discontinued.

His company pays about $100 monthly for his basic health plan. He said he'll now have to pay $600 monthly for a mid-tier silver plan on the state exchange. The family policy also covers his 8-year-old son. Even though the federal government is contributing a $500 subsidy, he said the $600 he's left to pay is too high. He's considering the penalty.

"I feel like they're forcing me to do something that I don't want to do or need to do," Davis, 40, said.

Owners of canceled policies have a few options. They can stay in the same plan for the same price for one more year if they have one of the few plans that were grandfathered in. They can buy a similar plan with upgraded benefits that meets the new standards — likely at a significant cost increase. Or, if they make less than $45,960 for a single adult or $94,200 for a family of four, they may qualify for subsidies.

Just because a policy doesn't comply with the law doesn't mean consumers will get cancellation letters. They may get notices saying existing policies are being amended with new benefits and will come with higher premiums. Some states, including Virginia and Kentucky, required insurers to cancel old policies and start from scratch instead of beefing up existing ones.

It's unclear how many individual plans are being canceled — no one agency keeps track. But it's likely in the millions. Insurance industry experts estimate that about 14 million people, or 5 percent of the total market for health care coverage, buy individual policies. Most people get coverage through jobs and aren't affected.

Many states require insurers to give consumers 90 days' notice before canceling plans. That means another round of cancellation letters will go out in March and again in May.

Experts haven't been able to predict how many will pay more or less under the new, upgraded plans. An older policyholder with a pre-existing condition may find that premiums go down, and some will qualify for subsidies.

In California, about 900,000 people are expected to lose existing plans, but about a third will be eligible for subsidies through the state exchange, said Anne Gonzalez, a spokeswoman for the exchange, called Covered California. Most canceled plans provided bare-bones coverage, she said.

"They basically had plans that had gaping holes in the coverage. They would be surprised when they get to the emergency room or the doctor's office, some of them didn't have drug coverage or preventive care," Gonzalez said.

About 330,000 Floridians received cancellation notices from the state's largest insurer, Florida Blue. About 30,000 have plans that were grandfathered in. Florida insurance officials said they're not tracking the number of canceled policies related to the new law.

National numbers are similar: 130,000 cancellations in Kentucky, 140,000 in Minnesota and as many as 400,000 in Georgia, according to officials in those states.

Cigna has sent thousands of cancellation letters to U.S. policyholders but stressed that 99 percent have the option of renewing their 2013 policy for one more year, company spokesman Joe Mondy said.

Cancellation letters are being sent only to individuals and families who purchase their own insurance. However, most policyholders in the individual market will receive some notice that their coverage will change, said Dan Mendelson, president of the market analysis firm Avalere Health.

The cancellations run counter to one of President Barack Obama's promises about his health care overhaul: "If you like your health care plan, you'll be able to keep your health care plan."

Philip Johnson, 47, of Boise, Idaho, was shocked when his cancellation notice arrived last month. The gift-shop owner said he'd spent years arranging doctors covered by his insurer for him, his wife and their two college-age students.

After browsing the state exchange, he said he thinks he'll end up paying lower premiums but higher deductibles. He said the website didn't answer many of his questions, such as which doctors take which plans.

"I was furious because I spent a lot of time and picked a plan that all my doctors accepted," Johnson said. "Now I don't know what doctors are going to take what. No one mentioned that for the last three years when they talked about how this was going to work."

____

Associated Press writers Christina A. Cassidy in Atlanta; Rachel La Corte in Olympia, Wash.; Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pa.; Tom Murphy in Indianapolis; Juliet Williams in Sacramento, Calif.; and Kristen Wyatt in Denver contributed to this report.


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Site repair: Hold that online health application

WASHINGTON — The troubled health insurance website is going offline until Sunday morning.

The Health and Human Services Department says a technology team will be working on HealthCare.gov, so people won't be able to apply or enroll through the site.

The site will be down from about 9 p.m. Saturday to about 9 a.m. Sunday.

The government says people can apply for coverage through the health marketplace call center — 1-800-318-2596. That's available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The federal website locked up the day it went live, Oct. 1, and has been cranky since. It's been taken down for maintenance before — usually for a few overnight hours.

The administration has said it's aiming to have HealthCare.gov humming along by month's end.


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