Obamacare sign-ups picking up steam in Texas

After a slow start in Texas, insurance sign-up under the Affordable Care Act seems to be growing this month as an important deadline looms for those needing immediate coverage.

“I sense that our numbers are picking up dramatically,” Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said after a round of meetings with federal officials to review the troubled rollout of the new law.

Any such enrollment rush is likely to be tied to Monday’s deadline for anyone wanting their new health insurance plan to kick in next month.

“Monday is the last day to sign up for coverage that starts on Jan. 1,” said Louis Adams, a spokesman for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas. “But open enrollment continues through March 31.”

More at http://www.dallasnews.com/news/local-news/20131221-obamacare-sign-ups-picking-up-steam-in-texas.ece .

Cross-posted in Texas Group.

[font color=green]The article from the Dallas Morning News provides some background on five individuals that have benefited from the ACA including a 20-year-old man who will be paying $114/month for health insurance coverage.[/font]

GOP plan would make Texas major player in 2016

Texas would vault to a plum place in choosing the next Republican presidential nominee under new rules that will be acted upon by the Republican National Committee in the new year, adding an intriguing twist to a contest that might feature both U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and Gov. Rick Perry.

As a result, for the first time in more than three decades, Texas would command attention in the GOP primaries befitting its size, drawing candidates’ time and advertising dollars.

A special rules subcommittee of the Republican National Committee has drawn up a plan for compressing the 2016 primary schedule, moving up the date of the national convention while limiting and better controlling primary debates. In combination with the Texas Legislature some years ago setting the state’s primary for the first Tuesday in March, the changes would secure Texas a spot as the big prize on March 1, 2016, which would be the first multiprimary day on the 2016 calendar.

“It really looks like Texas has a real chance to be a major player in the 2016 selection of the nominee,” Texas Republican Chairman Steve Munisteri, one of 17 members of the subcommittee, said in an interview last week.

More at http://www.statesman.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/gop-plan-would-make-texas-major-player-in-2016/ncRjz/ (subscription required).

Cross-posted in Texas Group.

GOP plan would make Texas major player in 2016

Texas would vault to a plum place in choosing the next Republican presidential nominee under new rules that will be acted upon by the Republican National Committee in the new year, adding an intriguing twist to a contest that might feature both U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and Gov. Rick Perry.

As a result, for the first time in more than three decades, Texas would command attention in the GOP primaries befitting its size, drawing candidates’ time and advertising dollars.

A special rules subcommittee of the Republican National Committee has drawn up a plan for compressing the 2016 primary schedule, moving up the date of the national convention while limiting and better controlling primary debates. In combination with the Texas Legislature some years ago setting the state’s primary for the first Tuesday in March, the changes would secure Texas a spot as the big prize on March 1, 2016, which would be the first multiprimary day on the 2016 calendar.

“It really looks like Texas has a real chance to be a major player in the 2016 selection of the nominee,” Texas Republican Chairman Steve Munisteri, one of 17 members of the subcommittee, said in an interview last week.

More at http://www.statesman.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/gop-plan-would-make-texas-major-player-in-2016/ncRjz/ (subscription required).

Cross-posted in Politics 2013 forum.

Houston doctor accused of performing illegal abortions cleared of wrongdoing

HOUSTON—A local doctor was cleared Friday by a Harris County grand jury over claims that he had performed illegal late-term abortions.

Back in May, the controversial anti-abortion group Operation Rescue accused Houston doctor Douglas Karpen of illegal late-term abortions. The group gave a video it produced to prosecutors in Houston. The video contained interviews with three people said to be former employees of the doctor, along with images the group claimed were of the abortions.

Operation Rescue has an “Abortion Whistleblowers Program” which offers a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of an abortionist breaking the law. The group said that is how they were alerted to the Houston physician.

However, Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson said in a statement Friday “that the evidence does not justify an indictment.”

Source: http://www.khou.com/news/health/Houston-doctor-accused-of-performing-illegal-abortions-cleared-of-wrong-doing-236805511.html

Ranking The Top 10 Bowl Games From A Fat Person's Perspective

One very underrated calendar quirk this year is the fact that Christmas and New Year's both fall on a Wednesday. Anyone with a regular, Monday to Friday, nine to five job knows what I am talking about.

A Wednesday standalone holiday is basically a reason to say "Ah, eff this...I'm just gonna take the whole week off." We see it during the summer with July 4th sometimes. Now, two weeks back to back with Wednesday holidays? At the end of the year? It's like a vacation fire hose!

With respect to the sports calendar, my co-host (for the next several hours, at least) John Granato and I figured out yesterday that if you started your vacation tonight and just went with the "Ah, eff this" plan, your vacation would overlap the entire bowl season, minus the BCS Title Game on January 6.

How great is that? (Answer: Very, very great.)

So here comes bowl season, 35 games worth of gambling, which equates to about 140 hours of eating, drinking, burping, farting, and general sloth. And that all translates into about 176,164 grams of fat. For lazy, middle aged men with a dollop of disposable income and three weeks of disposable time, this is our your Olympics.

See if your favorite bowl game is on the list at http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2013/12/ranking_the_top_10_bowl_games.php .

Davis looking strong, Abbott looking shaky on education issue

This via Clay Robison at Grading Texas, No defense for Abbott on education.

Lt. Guv Hopeful Dan Patrick on "Duck Dynasty" Star's Anti-Gay Rant: "God is Speaking to Us"

There's a lot of stupid stuff floating around the Internet A&E's decision to suspend Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson from the reality show for going public with his personal views on sin.

"Start with homosexual behavior and just morph out from there," he told GQ. "Bestiality, sleeping around with this woman and that woman and that woman and those men."

A lot of it's being said by conservative politicians like Steve Stockman, eager to score points by decrying the liberal tyranny. But nothing that's been put out there has been quite so stupid as what state Senator Dan Patrick, a Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, said on Facebook this afternoon:

Mars to spend $11.7 million on its Waco candymaking plant

Mars Chocolate North America will make $11.7 million in capital improvements to its Waco candymaking plant, including the purchase of a $4 million enrobing machine it reportedly will use to coat food items with chocolate, the city of Waco confirmed.

Waco City Council this week approved a business grant that will give the confectionary giant tax breaks on its investment in the plant at 1001 Texas Central Parkway. The upgrades reportedly will allow Mars to retain 456 full-time jobs, with benefits, at its Waco facility.

Production workers in Waco make 85 percent of the popular Snickers candy bars produced in North America.

“The only Snickers not made locally are the snack-size variety,” said Kris Collins, senior vice president for economic development at the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce. She occasionally visits the Mars facility as a member of the chamber’s business retention team.

More at http://www.wacotrib.com/news/business/mars-to-spend-million-on-its-waco-candymaking-plant/article_8d8906b6-1fe2-5fc8-9e0b-f3dc88948f34.html .

[font color=green]The Waco plant also makes all Starburst and Skittles products.[/font]

Somerville mourns loss of Burleson County deputy killed serving warrant; suspect arrested

Anti-gay Houston candidate who pretended to be black may also have lied about where he lives

When anti-gay activist Dave Wilson got elected last month by pretending he was black, he also may have been deceiving voters about where he lives.

The Harris County attorney filed a lawsuit against Wilson on Thursday alleging the perennial candidate doesn’t live in the district he was elected to represent on the Houston Community College board. Wilson’s wife lists an address outside the district as her residence, but Wilson reportedly used the address of his office.

It’s not the first time Wilson has been accused of lying about his residence to qualify for an election. He sued after being kept off the ballot when he tried to run for county commissioner in 2010.

From the Houston Chronicle: