This summer, the U.S. Department of Education proposed several reforms to its dysfunctional student loan forgiveness process for individuals who are permanently disabled. The Department of Education drafted the reforms after a 2011 investigation by the website ProPublica found gross inadequacies in the Department's process for discharging loans for the disabled. Current Rules for Discharging Loans of the Disabled Currently, the Department of Education allows those who are permanently disabled to apply to have their student loans discharged. Only individuals whose ...

Yet another new study shows homeowners struggling to save their homes are not getting the help they were promised from government programs. Countless homeowners fell victim to predatory lending practices within the mortgage industry over the course of just a couple of years in the United States. A review process was set up that required a number of mortgage lenders to review the records of those who lost their homes and pay them back for the errors, when applicable. However, a recent study found that the review and notification process is also flawed, potentially keeping ...

Playing by the rules is undeniably important in an orderly society. When conflicts arise, a clear set of rules can help resolve the underlying problem without undue delay, in a way that is usually acceptable to both parties. In workers' compensation cases, however, those rules are sometimes set by the employers, and their application can seem unfair to an injured worker. This article will examine one such rule and its application in a recent Pennsylvania workers' comp case. The case involved an employer that was allowed to terminate an employee for not reporting an injury ...

Earlier this year, Bexar County followed the example of other large Texas counties by authorizing the establishment of a separate court just to deal with DWI offenders. The idea has the vocal support of both judges and public safety advocates around the county, and an application has been submitted to the Federal Bureau of Justice Assistance to fund the transition. How Do DWI Courts Work? DWI courts follow the basic model of the state's longtime drug courts and have the same ultimate goals: lower judicial system costs and make one-time offenders productive members ...

In April, the Social Security Administration (SSA) added more than 50 new conditions to its list of illnesses eligible for a Compassionate Allowance, or CAL. This announcement is the latest decision in a trend toward more quickly identifying and approving disability applicants whose qualifying physical disabilities and conditions clearly meet the administration's definition of disabled. The SSA Grows its Compassionate Allowance Program The SSA estimates that it has approved CALs for 61,000 benefit applicants in the past fiscal year and for 173,000 applicants since ...

For many years on TV, the Brady Bunch represented the idealized vision of the blended family. One topic that never arose, at least in the television episodes, was the issue of estate planning. If you are involved in a divorce, you need to discuss your situation with both your divorce attorney and an estate planning attorney to ensure decisions made for your divorce do not compromise your estate plan and your estate plan takes into consideration your new family circumstance. Many Things to Think About Because of the variability of financial and family situations, ...

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has proposed a mandate that would require electronic stability control technology in all large trucks and buses. Electronic stability control systems, also known as anti-rollover systems, provide computerized braking technology that helps drivers sustain control of the truck in emergency situations. Safety Benefits of Electronic Stability Control The NHTSA projects that the electronic stability control systems will prevent 56 percent of roll-over truck accidents and 14 percent of crashes caused by a driver ...

Tractor-trailer trucks are part of the huge network of vehicles traveling the roads each day. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)--the government agency in charge of regulating the trucking industry and improving commercial motor vehicle safety--has concluded that many corporations cut corners and violate important safety standards, like vehicle maintenance requirements, in order to increase profits for their companies. And, experts say, this dangerous practice is increasing the risk of trucking accidents in Missouri and all across the country. One ...

Sustaining a disability later in life can have widespread consequences that affect the individual not only physically, but also emotionally and financially. Many disability diagnoses are accompanied by exorbitant medical bills. In addition, some people newly diagnosed with disabilities may find themselves unable to perform their current job responsibilities. In such situations, options exist to assist the individual in adjusting to his or her new way of life. Social Security disability benefits are one avenue of support for workers who are no longer able to perform their ...

Chinoiserie at Jumeirah Carlton Tower continues its partnership with Eric Lanlard by unveiling its new 'I Love Paris' afternoon tea. The tantalising menu, inspired by the master patissier's favourite city, is the third installment in the 'Afternoon Tea by Eric Lanlard' series. The 'I Love Paris' menu will feature classic French staples: brioche, macaroons and mini eclairs, all of which Eric Lanlard has elegantly re-invented to bring a touch of Parisian chic to Chinoiserie. "Paris is my favourite city in the world to visit this season," said Eric. "The ...

With new university tuition fees coming into effect across England and Wales this month, new researchi from Lloyds TSB highlights the growing financial challenge facing new students as they embark on their first year of study. And with the prospect of higher debt upon graduation, money management is set to become even more testing for students starting university this year. Therefore, Lloyds TSB offers its top tips for how they can make their money go further during term time The new research reveals that many existing students would need to make changes to their finances ...

Goss RV Inc., headquartered in Atlanta GA, is being featured in Biography Channel's educational travel documentary series hosted by Joan Lunden. This documentary feature highlights the Luxury Travel Experience and America's traveling traditions. The educational documentary is available to Public Television stations in all 50 states. PBS estimates that this represents viewing audience of 60 million households. "Americans work hard and play hard," says Joan Lunden. "One of their favorite playgrounds is the great outdoors. Finding new ways to enjoy it gets ...

A brand new guided trek service was launched this week in Ohio's spectacular Hocking Hills region. Hocking Hills Adventure Trek helps visitors to Ohio's Hocking Hills uncover the region's storied history, while unveiling rarely explored locations and trails. The unique professional guide service takes visitors off the beaten path, to roads less traveled. Hocking Hills Adventure Trek offers several different interpretive treks, featuring everything from nature and wildlife treks, to a Shawnee storytelling hike that transports travelers back thousands of years into the area's ...

Hamilton Equipment, Inc. - 800-733-0275- is showcasing Tanco Bale Wrappers and Bale Shears at Booth EH S01 at the WDE in Madison, WI. Visit Booth EH S01 at WDE to see for yourself why Tanco builds the best quality Bale Wrappers and Shears, has the lowest prices - and see how you can greatly improve your productivity! Or view our video - above, to see the Tanco 1320 Bale Wrapper in action! Hamilton Equipment, Inc. is the exclusive importer and distributor of Tanco bale wrapping products for the United States. Hamilton Equipment stocks Tanco bale wrappers, bale ...

Some landlords can find it difficult to set a rental amount for their investment properties. Setting the rent too high may mean your property receives limited interest and remains empty for an extended period of time, leaving you out of pocket, while undervaluing the property will limit your rental income potential. Determining a fair rent for you and your tenants involves more than picking a number out of a hat, according to landlord insurance specialist Terri Scheer Insurance. Terri Scheer Insurance Manager, Ms Carolyn Majda, suggested landlords do their research ...

Following a huge success in Europe, Trafalgar's (www.trafalgar.com) At Leisure collection for 2013 is now expanding worldwide with itineraries in South and North America, South Pacific and Asia. Featuring a more relaxed travel style, the At Leisure itineraries let guests experience their destination as a local with Trafalgar, the Insider of guided vacations, and also allow plenty of free time for individual exploration. Guests enjoy stays of 2-3 nights on average in each destination, starts no earlier than 9 a.m. on most travel days, small group sightseeing in select locations ...

Firelight Fusion Electronic Cigarettes has announced an end of September sale where they are offering 20% off of everything in their online store. The blog post announcing the sale states that there are no minimums and no maximum amounts needed to save big. Lower prices should not deter vapors from looking at the Firelight Fusion e cigarette line. The Fusion e cigarette is the KR808D-1 model that has become a sensation and sold by many other top brands across the U.S. over the last few years. The Firelight brand has built a solid reputation online with the total package ...

HOUSTON -- (Sept. 27, 2012) -- Move forward. High-five your neighbor. Turn around. Repeat. That's the winning formula of one of the world's smallest predators, the soil bacteria Myxococcus xanthus, and a new study by scientists at Rice University and the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) Medical School shows how Myxococcus xanthus uses the formula to spread, engulf and devour other bacteria. The study, featured on the cover of this month's online issue of the journal PLOS Computational Biology, shows how the simple motions of individual ...

(Santa Barbara, Calif.) –– By mimicking nature's own sensing mechanisms, bioengineers at UC Santa Barbara and University of Rome Tor Vergata have designed inexpensive medical diagnostic tests that take only a few minutes to perform. Their findings may aid efforts to build point-of-care devices for quick medical diagnosis of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), allergies, autoimmune diseases, and a number of other diseases. The new technology could dramatically impact world health, according to the research team. The rapid and easy-to-use diagnostic test consists of a ...

Boulder, Colorado, USA – The October GSA TODAY science article, "Open-source archive of active faults for northwest South America," by Gabriel Veloza and colleagues, is now online at www.geosociety.org/gsatoday/archive/22/10/. The article introduces the "Active Tectonics of the Andes Database," which will provide more data to more geoscientists. Understanding important aspects of how the Earth works -- in this case, hazards associated with active seismic fault zones -- is greatly improved by free and open access to the many types of spatial and geological data collected ...

(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) -- A national study has found that earnings over the course of the careers of primary-care physicians averaged as much as $2.8 million less than the earnings of their specialist colleagues, potentially making primary care a less attractive choice for medical school graduates and exacerbating the already significant shortage of medical generalists. The results, published online in the journal Medical Care, lead the study's authors to recommend reducing disparities in physician pay to ensure adequate access to primary care, which has been shown to improve ...

PORTLAND, Ore. – Nearly 20 percent of people who underwent low back fusion surgery developed post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms associated with that surgery, according to a recent Oregon Health & Science University study published in the journal Spine. Past studies have noted PTSD symptoms in some trauma, cancer and organ transplant patients. But this is the first study, its authors believe, to monitor for PTSD symptoms in patients undergoing an elective medical procedure. "It is maybe not surprising that significant surgical interventions have psychological as ...

STANFORD, Calif. — If you were a bacterium, the virus M13 might seem innocuous enough. It insinuates more than it invades, setting up shop like a freeloading houseguest, not a killer. Once inside it makes itself at home, eating your food, texting indiscriminately. Recently, however, bioengineers at Stanford University have given M13 a bit of a makeover. The researchers, Monica Ortiz, a doctoral candidate in bioengineering, and Drew Endy, PhD, an assistant professor of bioengineering, have parasitized the parasite and harnessed M13's key attributes — its non-lethality ...

STANFORD, Calif. — Healthy people's lungs are home to a diverse community of microbes that differs markedly from the bacteria found in the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients. That's the result of new research from Stanford University and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, which has wide implications for treatment of cystic fibrosis and other lung diseases. "The lung is not a sterile organ," said David Cornfield, MD, an author of the new study, which will be published Sept. 26 in Science Translational Medicine. Although decades of received scientific wisdom said healthy ...

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- A new research study led by an Indiana University professor has found that social bullying is just as prevalent in children's television as depictions of physical aggression. The study, "Mean on the Screen: Social Aggression in Programs Popular With Children," which appears in the Journal of Communication, found that 92 percent of the top 50 program for children between the ages of two and 11 showed characters involved in social aggression. On average, there were 14 different incidents of social aggression per hour - or once every four minutes. While ...