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Alvarez: Tough Year, But Miami-Dade Will Persevere

CHARITY UNDER FIRE The charity “Feed the Children” is the fifth largest in the country with more than a billion dollars in donations each year. But, as Sharyl Attkisson reports, there are serious questions as to where the money goes.

CBS News Investigation into a Billion-Dollar-a-Year Charity That Solicited Aid for Haiti. By Sharyl Attkisson (CBS) “Feed the Children” is perhaps best known by its infomercials featuring founder, the Reverend Larry Jones.

“For only $8 a month, you can help feed a child. Would you go to your phone,” Jones said in a commercial.

March 5, 2010

State Of The County Message Upbeat, Despite Economic Woes

˚˚˚˚˚˚˚ What New Credit Card Rules Mean For You The new credit card law is finally here.

Starting Monday, banks will need to abide by new regulations on terms and disclosures.

˚˚˚˚˚˚˚ Lawmakers Take On Property Insurance This Session When the Florida legislature convenes on Tuesday one item that will be on lawmaker’s plates will be sorting out the state’s insurance mess.

˚˚˚˚˚˚˚ Heart Health: Living With Congestive Heart Failure February was Heart Health Month so there’s no better time to learn how to avoid the deadliest disease in our country.

˚˚˚˚˚˚˚ Can Leno Revive “Nice Guy” Image?

First “Tonight Show” with Comic Back at Helm to Feature New Announcer, Big-Name Guests Sarah Palin, Simon Cowell

After the Haiti earthquake, the charity sprang into action. The Oklahoma City headquarters buzzed with activity, as donors sent in a million dollars in cash.

˚˚˚˚˚˚˚ Did Toyota Pull Strings to Stifle Probes?

“Right now, we need your help like never before to get urgently needed relief to Haiti,” the commercial said.

CBS News Investigates Questionable Ties between Toyota and NHTSA, the Federal Agency Charged with Regulating It

CBS News investigative correspondent Sharyl Attkisson reports continued on page 9

Next Edition: MARCH 19, 2010

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I-Team: Angel Medina Weighing Jackson CFO Post members failed to prevent the hospital’s current financial crisis.

Contacted late Thursday Medina said he has not made up his mind about taking on the job of CFO for the country’s third largest public hospital.

Medina, who recently resigned as the area president of Regions Bank of South Florida, told CBS4 News that he has been asking questions about Jackson’s finances for years. But as a board member, he said, he is limited in what he is able to do.

Medina would be coming into the position just as the hospital is expected to announce as many as 1,000 layoffs in the next few weeks. The hospital is also expected to enact across the board pay cuts. It will also be forced to either close or restrict many of the services it provides to the community.

In an interview earlier this month, the 51year-old Medina said he was frustrated by not being able to get good information while he had been serving on the board and that he made it clear to Roldan that Jackson needed to change.

“We can’t dwell on the past,” Medina said earlier this month. “We need to look at today, know what we have today and make the right decisions for tomorrow.”

“I will sleep on it,” he said, adding that he expected to make his decision known on Friday.

Reporting Jim DeFede MIAMI (CBS4 I-TEAM) Ñ Former bank president Angel Medina, who has been a member of Jackson Memorial Hospital’s governing board for the past five years, is in line to become the hospital’s new chief financial officer, CBS4 News has learned.

Sources say Medina was approached more than a week ago by Jackson President Eneida Roldan about moving from his unpaid role as vice chairman of the Public Health Trust to the full-time paid position of CFO. Roldan has been quietly sounding out members of the Public Health Trust, Jackson’s governing board, about hiring Medina. And CBS4 News has learned that Medina met privately on Thursday with the head of the union representing Jackson’s nurses and doctors to find out what their reaction would be if he were to take the job. Union officials told Medina

everyone to find solutions.”

they would get back to him Friday morning.

News that Medina may become the person responsible for overseeing Jackson’s finances came on the same day that a much anticipated audit was released detailing a litany of problems with how the hospital is being operated.

The audit found that Jackson’s operating losses for 2009 jumped a staggering 45 percent, from $427 million in 2008 to $618 million in 2009. At the same time the revenue the hospital received from Miami Dade County through property taxes and sales tax revenue dropped substantially.

The audit noted that, “The Trust will continue to be challenged in fiscal year 2010.”

If Medina is hired as the hospital’s new chief financial officer, with a projected salary of between $300,000 and $400,000, he will likely face questions over whether he is the right choice, given the fact that as a member of the Jackson’s governing board, he and his fellow board

“One of the things that I told Eneida when we were discussing it with her, is that this new Jackson has to be based on transparency, responsiveness, accountability, and consistency,” he said.

“And I think that is a critical part of where we go. I think the big huge urgency had not completely fallen upon the leadership of the organization, but I think the leadership of the organization has to bear some responsibility for where we are today.”

Asked if the new Jackson is all about transparency, what was the old Jackson based on?

“I’m not saying that the old Jackson wasn’t about transparency,” he said. “I’m putting that as a stake in the ground and saying we must ensure that we are transparent and we are working with

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Alvarez: Tough Year, But Miami-Dade Will Persevere safety services would likely be spared.

Reporting Michael Williams State Of The County Message Upbeat, Despite Economic Woes MIAMI (CBS4) Ñ The orchestra played the theme song from the movie, Superman, Wednesday ahead of MiamiDade Mayor Carlos Alvarez and his annual “State of the County” address. It was up to the mayor to acknowledge the kryptonite sapping every local budget in the form of foreclosures and ever sinking tax rolls. Mayor Alvarez put it bluntly when he said, “The economic realities are harsh.”

Union contract concessions have been hammered out, but there is still a $50 million deficit to close this year. Some county commissioners say they are bracing for a deficit of $100-$200 million next year. That could mean more layoffs and service cuts, though front line public

Miami-Dade commissioner Joe Martinez said, “Bottom line, some services will be cut. Employees will be laid off. When 72percent of the budget involves employee costs, that is the only place you can really cut.”

There is a new albatross for the county to deal with. That would be Jackson Memorial Hospital, which is sinking in red ink to the tune of an estimated $230 million deficit. The scramble is on to fix the accounting mismanagement and other woes that have turned the giant public hospital into a financial wreck.

On other fronts, the mayor touted the fast rising Marlins ballpark in Little Havana, one that is largely being paid for with county tourism taxes. Alvarez remarked, “I know there are naysayers and skeptics, but I firmly believe major league baseball promotes major league communities.”

Those answers could demand a drastic restructuring and downsizing. Alvarez would only say, “Our public hospital is ailing and there is no magic pill to cure it.

We know we have a moral responsibility to the poor and uninsured but a simple cash bailout is not the answer.”

president Lawrence Percival put it best when he said, “Everybody expects their level of service but don’t want to pay more for it and you can’t have it both ways.”

In the end the Miami-Dade message is really no different than that of local and state governments everywhere, namely trying to do more with less. It is a balancing act that will test every resource and public patience again this year. (© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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There must have been many naysayers in the audience because the line did not earn any applause.

Mayor Alvarez touted a declining crime rate in unincorporated Miami-Dade and ongoing expansion work at the airport and seaport. Both are prime engines for the local economy and while Miami International Airport expansion is way over budget and overdue hope springs eternal.

The mayor noted that MIA serves more international passengers than any U.S. airport except for JFK International in New York. He said of MIA, “The ugly duckling MIA once was is slowly but surely on its way to becoming a swan.”

There are no easy answers for any of the budget woes afflicting Miami-Dade, not when money is disappearing, but demands are always on the rise. Kendall Federation of Homeowners vice

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March 5, 2010

9

Charity Under Fire

continued from page 1 most donors have no idea about the nasty family feud that’s tearing apart the billion-dollar a year charity.

On one side: founder Larry Jones. On the other: his daughter Larri Sue, and the charity’s Board of Directors. It came to a head more than a year ago when each side accused the other of the worst sort of financial improprieties.

In a lawsuit, Larry Jones accuses the Board of serious financial neglect, claims his daughter misused charity funds including living in a $1.2 million dollar Los Angeles home on the charity’s dime, and that she engaged in illegal schemes to cover up unpaid taxes.

Larri Sue denies any wrongdoing. The board claims it’s her father who got caught taking bribes and kickbacks, awarded himself and his wife unauthorized pay raises and went so far as to bug the executive offices.

questioning the charity’s practices for more than a decade.

of the inflated fundraising claims being made by headquarters.

“It’s ridiculous this charity can continue to raise money and have its hand out to the donating public,” Borochoff said.

“Feed the Children’s” Dr. Stephan Villatt said, “We have three doctors working here.”

We asked “Feed the Children” spokesman Tony Sellars about Borochoff’s allegations.

You might ask how three doctors are handling the supposed 12,000 patients.

They’re not. It’s more like a hundred a day.

“Only 21-23 percent of your cash donations that people give actually go to program services,” Attkisson said.

“I can’t address that,” Sellars said. “I just address to the people that when they support us, what they want us to do is feed families and children, and that’s what we’re doing.”

“Fifty-four percent of cash is spent on TV, radio ads and direct mail,” Attkisson said.

“No, again, I cannot verify or comment to that,” Sellars replied.

Larry Jones fired his daughter and Board members who opposed him. But when a judge resintated them, they turned around and fired him.

Sellars says the good they do can be seen all over the world - like in Nashville, where they distributed food and personal items to the needy.

“Larry Jones has not engaged in any financial improprieties whatsoever,” said his lawyer Mark Hammons.

Borochoff warns that looks can be deceiving.

“Has Larry Jones done anything wrong,” Attkisson asked.

“Yeah,” Hammons replied. “He made a mistake. He relied on people, and they let him down.”

“Certainly they’re going to be doing some good, enough - not to be too cynical here but enough good to look good in the fundraising and promotion of charity,” Borochoff said.

“Feed the Children” also claimed that the United Nations chose them “to distribute food and milk for the entire camp.”

But that’s false according to the United Nations, and the account from “Feed the Children’s” own manager in the field, Rachel Zelon. Zelon told us the UN actually chose another charity called “ADRA.” Back in Oklahoma City, we confronted Sellars -- who was unaware that we’d been to the camp.

Sellars left to chat privately with one of his Vice Presidents. He then returned and told us this: “We will certainly look into the difference of opinion as to exactly how much help we’re providing, and exactly who is involved with it,” he said.

Rachel Zelon, the “Feed the Children” worker we first saw at the camp in Carrefour, later contacted us to explain why the charity wasn’t feeding anyone there. She told us not one donation from “Feed the Children” ever reached her in Haiti.

Last week, she resigned.

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“Is it your impression that you are, that “Feed the Children” is in charge of the camp,” Attkisson asked.

“That is my impression at this point,” Sellars said.

It’s Never Too Early To Prepare...

“Because we visited the camp, and ‘Feed the Children’ is not running it,” Attkisson said. “Does that surprise you to know?”

“I would certainly have to look into that,” Sellars said.

“The U.N. says it didn’t ask you to be in charge of the camp,” Attkisson continued.

But the Christian charity’s donors might feel let down by the most scandalous allegations, about pornography and sexual and racist emails.

Which brings us to Haiti. In online e-mail messages and on its Web site, “Feed the Children”, the chairty claimed it set up a base and was running a huge camp “providing medical relief for 12,000 people.”

“Feed the Children” says it found incestrelated porn in Reverend Larry Jones’ office.

CBS News decided to send a camera to the camp in Carrefour, west of Port-auPrince, to see for ourselves.

Most shocking of all: more than two weeks after the quake “Feed the Children” despite its name wasn’t feeding anybody.

Larry Jones counters by producing racist and inappropriate emails that he claims were traded by top executives. “Plot to kidnap Obama” a watermelon under a box trap. “if she looks too young, just assume she’s 18.”

We found the camp was set up by local monks and nuns, not “Feed the Children.”

“At this point, we’re not doing food,” Zelon said.

What about the claim that “Feed the Children” was running the camp?

Apparently, that’s not true either.

“There was not any food or meals being handed out. Does that surprise you,” Attkisson asked.

Watchdog Daniel Borochoff says donors should see lots of red flags. He’s been

We did find a small, well-meaning “Feed the Children” staff - apparently unaware

“That does surprise me at this time, yes,” Sellars said.

“I can’t comment,” Sellars replied. “I have no direct conversation with them, so I’d have to look at that.

Look for the

2010 Hurricane Guide Coming in June

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11

Rookie Homestead Cop Charged In Gun Incident “If I have friends here,” he said, the report states him as saying, “please tell her to leave.”

Friends stepped in, Maldonado to leave.

and

convinced

After Homestead police learned of the incident from Encamacion, they contacted the Miami-Dade police department, which has jurisdiction in The Redland, and started an internal affairs investigation.

Maldonado was suspended while it was underway.

Reporting Dave Game A Homestead reserve police officer has been arrested, charged with aggravated assault with a firearm after she allegedly pointed her department-issued weapon against her boyfriend. Jenna Maldonado, daughter of former Homestead Mayor Lynda Bell, had been on suspension since February 10. She surrendered to MiamiDade police Monday night.

Miami-Dade police started a criminal investigation and Monday, notified Maldonado that she could surrender to them by 5 p.m. Monday or face arrest.

Jail records show she surrendered at the Dade County Jail around 8:30 p.m. She appeared in bond court Tuesday and was released on $5 thousand bond.

Homestead police said Maldonado was

According to the arrest affidavit made public by Miami-Dade police, Maldonado threatened Steven Encamacion, her boyfriend and the father of one of her children, with a gun during a Super Bowl party hosted at a friend’s Redland home.

According to the affidavit, Maldonado was upset that Steven Encamacion was at the party instead of coming home to care for the children so she could go out with friends. Police claim Maldonado called her boyfriend at the party, and told him she was on her way to the party “with her gun in her lap”.

Concerned, Encamacion asked a friend to drive him home but before he could leave, police said Maldonado arrived, pointed her service revolver at Encamacion, and forced the friend to back-up his truck.

Police say Maldonado walked toward the two men, pointing her gun at Encamacion.

The affidavit said then pushed his face as she yelled at him that she wanted him out of the house. Encamacion reached for the gun twice and let it go.

Police said Encamacion was worried the situation would escalate, and walked to the back of the house. The affidavit says Maldonado followed him, still pointing her gun at him, yelling, “We’ll see who’s the duck now.”

Police say Encamacion tried to leave a number of times, but was stopped by Maldonado. He then appealed to friends for help.

hired as a Reserve Police Officer in November 2009 and faced a 1 year probationary period before she could be considered for a full time police position.

The reserve position allows officers to train on the job, but pays a salary of just $1 annually.

The mayor has his own problems. MiamiDade public corruption investigators are probing a battery he allegedly committed against a female tenant earlier this month at a rental home he owns in Homestead.

Maldonado had been living with Encamacion for about 6 years, according to the police report.

“It was a tenant/landlord dispute,” the mayor said Monday. “I did nothing more than knock on the door and ask for the rent.”

The arrest is just the latest problem facing the administration of Homestead Mayor Steven Bateman. City Manager Mike Shehadeh was fired after sexually charged messages to another city employee were found on his city-owned Blackberry.

That investigation led to the discovery of sexual and racial messages on the city Blackberry assigned to Parks and Recreation Robert Landen, who resigned this week after he was suspended and the messages were made public.

Bateman denies the allegation.

Miami-Dade police have released a heavily redacted police report of the incident, omitting details of the alleged battery, even the victim’s name. The department has cited an “on-going” investigation in declining to release the full report. (© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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March 5, 2010

13

I-595 Express Project Begins Near Flamingo Road Pine Island Road was closed and will remain that way until fall 2010 to begin major roadway construction. Drivers, however, are still able to able to make the u-turn through the intersection.

The work is part of a $1.2 billion expansion and improvement project that will include flyover entrance and exit ramps, a greenway and sound barrier walls.

Reporting John MacLauchlan DAVIE (CBS4) Ñ Drivers in the area of Davie, Cooper City, Southwest Ranches, Plantation and Sunrise who use SR 84 and I-595 at night or early in the morning will have to deal with road construction beginning Sunday night.

As part of the I-595 Corridor Roadway Improvements project one lane of SR 84 from I-75 to Flamingo Road will undergo intermittent closures for the next week from 9:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. One lane of eastbound SR 84 will be closed through the intersection of Pine Island Road, from 9:30 p.m. to 5 a.m., nightly, beginning Monday, March 1 and ending Thursday morning, March 4.

Last week the designated u-turn lane eastbound SR 84 to westbound SR 84 at

The first phase of the improvement project is centered on 3.5 mile section of SR 84 and I-595 from Nob Hill Road to Davie Road.

In addition to widening the bridges, workers will install new ramp systems where the entrance ramps will pass over exit ramps using an overpass structure; currently drivers use the same lane to enter and exit the highway, often jockeying for position to get on or off I595.

According to the I-595 project website, workers will widen the existing westbound bridge over Nob Hill Road to the north and the south to accommodate three toll lanes and five westbound lanes.

They will also widen the existing eastbound bridge over Nob Hill Road to the south for a new eastbound off-ramp east of the Nob Hill Road intersection. At

Pine Island Road they will demolish existing westbound bridge and build new bridge that will include three toll lanes, four westbound lanes, and two exit ramp lanes to Nob Hill Road and WB SR-84.

The eastbound bridge will be widened to accommodate eastbound I-595 lanes; build a new 3-span, single lane bridge over Pine Island Road for a new eastbound bypass ramp for exiting traffic.

The I-595 Corridor Roadway Improvements project stretches from the I-595/I-95 interchange to the I-75/ Sawgrass Expressway.

County Greenway System. * 13 sound barriers providing noise abatement for 21 communities. * Implementation of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) / Express Bus service within the corridor.

Much of the work for the improvement project will be done overnight. The project is scheduled to be completed in Spring 2014. (© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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When completed there will be reversible toll lanes from I-75/Sawgrass Expressway to SR 7 with a connection to the Florida’s Turnpike. Like the express lanes on I-95, these lanes will have variable tolls based the flow of traffic.

Other improvements include: * SR 84’s frontage road will be continuous between Davie Road and SR7. * 2.5 miles of the Florida Turnpike’s mainline will be widened and improvements to the I-595/Florida’s Turnpike interchange. * Grade seperated entrance and exit ramps. * Construction of the New River Greenway, a component of the Broward

Task Force Created To Fight Pill Mills In Broward Sometimes they are sold on the street for big money; other times the purchaser is feeding an addiction.

Reporting Joan Murray South Florida can’t export the sunshine, but Broward County has apparently cornered the market on pill mills. People come here from all over the country to get their prescription pain medications.

In 2009, a Broward County grand jury issued a report noting the proliferation of pain clinics. According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Broward leads the state in overdoses involving legal prescription medications.

According to the Broward Sheriff’s Office, the number of pain management clinics in Broward more than doubled from 2008 to 2009.

While not all pain clinics are abusing the system, some are dispensing astounding amounts of narcotics. But now, a clinic task force has been established to regulate

these so called pill mills in Broward.

to 180 days.

County Commissioner Ilene Lieberman was appointed to the task force, and she told CBS4 News Reporter Joan Murray what they hope to accomplish. Lieberman said the focus will be on the location of the pain clinics and their dispensing practices.

CBS4’s Murray asked what she would like to see a year from now. “That this is an issue of the past,” Lieberman said.

“We want to make sure people are not stocking up on narcotics, as opposed to getting treatment for a limited period of time.”

Lieberman said it will take a concerted effort of city, county and state officials to bring the pill mill problem to a close. She says that they will issue a report within 90

According to Lieberman, there are at least a dozen positions open on the task force and if anyone is interested in serving they should mail their resume to ilieberman@broward.org. (© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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17

What New Credit Card Rules Mean For You Statements will also indicate how much needs to be paid each month to pay off a balance within three years.

SERVICE FEES

NEW YORK (CBS) Ñ The new credit card law is finally here. Starting Monday, banks will need to abide by new regulations on terms and disclosures. The idea behind the landmark law was to prevent banks from using practices that often dug borrowers deeper into debt.

A look at how the credit card law affects key aspects of your account.

INTEREST RATES THEN: Banks could raise the interest rate on an account at any time, including the rate on an existing balances, even if you weren’t late on payments.

NOW: The rate cannot be raised in the first year after an account is opened unless an introductory rate has come to an end. After that, cardholders must be notified 45 days in advance of any rate change.

For existing balances, rates can’t be raised unless the account is at least 60 days past due. If payments are made on time for six consecutive months, the original rate must be restored.

There’s still no cap on rates.

DISCLOSURES THEN: The fine print on cardholder agreements was often difficult to understand. Rates, fees and penalties for other services such as cash advances, for example, could be hard to find. The impact of the interest rate on paying down a balance was hard to compute.

NOW: Cardholders will see how many months it will take to pay off a balance if only minimum payments are made.

THEN: Banks could charge as much as they wanted. They could assess annual fees, activation fees and other fees. This was mostly a problem for subprime cards marketed to those with poor credit scores.

One popular card, for example, the Premier Bankcard, charged $256 in firstyear fees for a $250 credit line.

NOW: Service fees, such as activation and annual fees, will be capped at 25 percent of the credit limit during the first year of use. After that, there is no cap.

GRACE PERIODS THEN: Some card companies sent out statements not long before payments were due, and sometimes shifted payment due dates from month to month, meaning that payments would not always have enough time to arrive and get processed before being deemed late. As a result, some cardholders ended up getting charged interest or late fees even when they thought they were sending in payments on time.

NOW: The law requires that due dates remain consistent. Statements must be sent out 21 days before the payment due date, and finance charges and fees cannot be applied before that period is up. In practice, about half of card issuers have extended grace periods to as long as 25 days.

OVER-THE-LIMIT FEES THEN: Banks set credit limits, then routinely allowed charges to exceed those limits. When that happened, though, the customer was charged an over-the-limit fee as high as $39. These fees were often triggered by interest charges or latepayment fees that pushed a balance over the credit limit. What’s more, multiple over-the-limit fees could get charged in a single billing cycle if the balance was paid down and another charge pushed the balance back over the limit.

NOW: The cardholder must specifically agree to permit transactions that exceed the credit limit. Only then can over-thelimit fees be charged. But the fees can’t be triggered by other fees or interest charges. Only one over-the-limit fee may be imposed during a billing cycle. No over-the-limit fees may be charged unless the cardholder has specifically agreed to permit transactions exceeding their authorized credit limit. These fees can no longer be triggered by other fees or interest charges imposed by the card issuer, and only one such fee may be imposed during a billing cycle.

In practice, several of the largest card companies have dropped these fees. Some banks are using pop-up boxes on their Web sites or other methods to obtain consumer authorization.

UNIVERSAL DEFAULT THEN: If you made a late payment on one credit card or loan, or even late payments for obligations like utility bills, that could trigger interest rate hikes on other credit card accounts.

NOW: Card companies cannot raise interest rates on existing credit card balances. Interest rates can’t rise during the first year an account is open, unless the original agreement spelled out a promotional rate for a limited time.

Consumers with older accounts must be informed of any interest rate increase on new charges at least 45 days in advance.

They must also be given a chance to opt out of the hike by canceling the account and paying down the balance at the old interest rate. If an interest rate is increased, the card company must review the account once every six months to assess whether the rate should be dropped.

STUDENTS THEN: Students arriving on college campuses often confronted a gantlet of credit card marketers handing out T-shirts, pizza and other gifts in exchange for filling out card applications. Credit cards were frequently handed out without checking the applicant’s income sources.

In 2008, 84 percent of undergraduates had at least one credit card. Average balances topped $3,100.

NOW: Credit cards may no longer be issued to anyone under age 21, unless the applicant has a co-signer, or can show independent means to repay the debt.

Colleges must disclose any marketing deals they make with credit card companies. Banks are not allowed to hand out gifts on or near campuses or at college-related events. (© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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19

Florida Lawmakers Try To Focus On Job Creation adrenaline into the job market.

Business Innovation Research incentive.

Senate president-designate Mike Haridopolos of Merritt Island and House speaker-designate Dean Cannon of Winter Park worked together to organize a January Job Summit in Orlando; there, ideas were tossed about but few compromises were made

And one far more wide-sweeping idea would attempt to double the budget for promoting the stat’s tourism industry.

While much of the nation is buried under feet of snow, the state would work to draw the frozen neighbors to the north to Florida beaches and theme parks for a bit of a thaw.

Still, a bit of common ground was found.

Reporting Kimberley Chapin TALLAHASSEE (CBS4) Ñ Florida’s unemployment rate is expected to 12 percent. The state budget is expected to budget out with yet another deficit this year. Now legislators are trying to figure out how to balance the two and kick-start stalled job creation in a state hurting for jobs and a boost in the economy.

Lawmakers need to decide if they want to focus on short-term or long-term jobs. But either way, there are still a few steps the state can take to get a small bit of

The Senate “Jobs for Florida” package looks like it will gain lawmakers’ attention, as well as support from the Florida business community. One would provide tax relief to businesses that add new jobs in higher-wage industries.

Another would expand the Capital Investment Tax Credit, which is generally given to companies adding at least 100 new jobs. The changes would include offering the credit to smaller businesses adding only 50 jobs.

Small businesses that work with a Florida university to commercialize research would be able to double the federal Small

Lawmakers aren’t alone in tackling the issue of job creation. Governor Charlie Crist is bandying suggestions. In his state budget, he included a boost of $67 million for the community college system in an effort to retrain Florida’s unemployed, in hopes of making them more marketable.

to finding the remaining money to make the project possible.

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Still, the issue is funding – which remains in short supply, even though more federal stimulus funds could be on the way.

The Obama administration’s grant of over $1 billion to help create a high-speed rail line between Orlando and Tampa is expected to create 23,000 jobs, but the plan faces an uphill battle when it comes

Ex-Madoff Executive Charged with Fraud records and false filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, according to the Manhattan U.S. Attorney.

Daniel Bonventre, 63, of Manhattan who was with the Madoff firm for 40 years is expected to appear Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Theodore Katz in Manhattan Federal Court.

Daniel Bonventre, Former Operations Chief, Arrested in NY; Also Charged with Conspiracy, Falsifying Books (CBS) This story was written by CBS News Investigative producer Pat Milton.

The former chief of operations for Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC was arrested Thursday on a criminal complaint charging him with conspiracy, securities fraud, falsifying books and

According to U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, Bonventre was the author of Bernie Madoff’s fraudulent books for years effectively hiding the doomed state of an investment firm founded on fraud.

The criminal complaint unsealed Thursday charges that Bonventre not only failed to disclose material information about the Madoff investment advisory business but allegedly fabricated basic financial documents to conceal the fraud.

Prosecutors charge that with Bonventre’s knowledge hundreds of millions of dollars were siphoned out of accounts

belonging to Madoff’s clients and to use in support of other aspects of his business.

In some cases, it is alleged that Madoff’s company used client money as collateral to obtain loans.

The complaint also alleges that Bonventre failed to report hundreds of thousands of dollars in income to the IRS. The complaint disclosed that during the liquidity crisis, BLMIS was required to file financial and operational reports with the SEC. Because the broker-dealer’s general ledger reports were inaccurate, as Bonventre allegedly knew, those reports were likewise false, failing to accurately reflect BLMIS’s assets and liabilities.

For example, one such report for April 2006, in the midst of the liquidity crisis, failed to reflect at least $299 million in BLMIS liabilities related to $154 million in 1A client’s bonds and the $145 million that BLIMS borrowed using those bonds

as collateral.

Joseph Demerest, the head of the New York FBI office said Bonventre is “just the latest in a succession of arrests that put to lie Madoff’s original contention that he alone was responsible for the debacle.”

Bonventre’s attorney did not immediately return a call for comment on the charges.

Bonventre faces 77 years in prison if convicted of all the charges against him. © MMX, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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How To Deal With Information Overload workers spend nearly a third of their day answering email. That adds up to about $650 billion in lost productivity.

“All of this information is making us work harder,” explained communications analyst Josh Holbrook. He believes unnecessary email is the largest of the many high-tech evils. “People use that reply all button like drunken sailors,” he joked.

Reporting Al Sunshine MIAMI (CBS4) ÑWe are an informationdriven society. Between computers and smart phones, we are constantly barraged with a flood of email, tweets, texts and posts.

“I even get twitter on my TV now,” said one worker. “There are a lot of different ways that people can reach me and at times it’s overwhelming,” another worker said.

It’s also expensive. A recent study found

One of the latest killers of productivity is Facebook. Workers can be easily distracted by the musings and posts of friends and co-workers. “If they post on your Facebook wall, you feel obligated to post or reply,” one office worker said.

“There’s always some sort of pressure to stay connected.”

According to Holbrook, everyone needs to think more carefully about the people on the receiving end of their messages.

“I have news for people who are letting you know via Facebook that they are in the shower to taking the dog for a walk.

No one cares,” he said.

or Delete.

Another problem: No one actually leaves work anymore. iPhones and Blackberries are like carrying little offices around in your pocket. For a lot of people, the work emails never stop. “It makes us realize that other people are working when we are not. That adds a level of stress,” Holbrook explained. “There used to be a thing called work-life balance and that’s disappearing.”

Don’t feel the need to respond to everything.

So here are a few suggestions to get your work done and that balance back.

Turn off your email alerts. Those little messages that creep up in the lower corner of your computer screen are a constant distraction. Every time we see one, we are tempted to stop what we’re doing and respond. If you don’t see the message, you won’t be distracted. Set a specific time each day to go through your inbox.

Open each message only once. Then apply one of the three “D”s. Do, Delegate

Unemployed May Suffer After Senate Inaction Sentinel, Florida’s Agency for Workforce Innovation laid out three scenarios that could happen for the Florida workers who may begin to lose their benefits starting Monday.

First, if an extension is passed next week, there will be no interruption of benefits.

This could happen if the extension is added onto another bill which is being voted on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (CBS4) Ñ Late Thursday night, Republican Senator Jim Bunning refused to allow Democrats to pass a thirty day extension of unemployment benefits for 1.2 million Americans. The exchange became so heated that when Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley pleaded for Bunning to relent, Bunning replied, “Tough ****.” So what does that mean to the unemployed who will lose their benefits next week?

According to the South Florida Sun-

Second, if Congress fails to pass the extension by the end of next week, the Agency for Workforce Innovation will begin start to send letters to unemployed Floridians of how the end of benefits will impact them. The impact will depend what tier of benefits you are in as of Sunday night, according to the SunSentinel.

Third, if Congress extends the eligibility after the deadline, anyone eligible for those benefits retroactively will be

contacted through mail. A first letter will say the worker is no longer eligible for benefits and a second would follow saying the worker is retroactively eligible for additional benefits, the Sun-Sentinel reported.

The dispute in Congress ended Friday morning when Bunning still refused to let Democrats act on the extension.

Bunning’s main beef with the extension was how to pay for it. Bunning sought to pull the money from the stimulus package, while Democrats and senior GOP leadership opposed Bunning’s stance.

Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel (© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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“The RSVP isn’t necessary anymore,” Holbrook explained. “Silence has come to mean: ‘not interested’ or ‘not attending’.

Finally turn off your smart phone. It’s not always possible but when you can, it’s really your only chance to stop the stream of information. “Other people aren’t going to respect the device or your time, so it is up to you to take hold of the situation.” (© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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Lawmakers Take On Property Insurance This Session “It’s like a kaleidoscope,” said Rep. Bill Proctor, a St. Augustine Republican who is spearheading an effort in the House to pass legislation this spring he believes will help companies -- and the state -- become solvent. “You think you see (the solution) one minute and the next minute it’s different.”

“We have a long way to go,” concedes Senate President Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach. “How we get there, I don’t know.”

TALLAHASSEE (CBS4) Ñ When the Florida legislature convenes on Tuesday one item that will be on lawmaker’s plates will be sorting out the state’s insurance mess.

The objective is to make policies affordable while making sure the companies that provide them are profitable and able to cover claims if a major hurricane hits. The latter is a major sticking point because if the companies can’t pay claims, the state could be on the hook for billions. Lawmakers would also like to lighten the load of state-backed, underfunded insurer of last-resort, Citizens Property Insurance Corp.

While no major storms have hit the state since the devastating years of 2004 and 2005, when eight struck, many insurance providers claim they are losing money.

“The thing that’s worrisome is you see that 102 of them are reporting losses when you’ve had no storms,” Proctor said.

A handful of proposals have already been introduced, including one similar to a measure vetoed last spring by Gov. Charlie Crist that would largely leave premium rates up to the insurers. Currently, the rates have to be approved by the state.

grips with the reality we’re going to pay rates equal to the risk,” Proctor said.

Atwater, however, wants to reduce the risk for worried homeowners.

“Florida taxpayers remain on the hook for potentially billions of dollars of claims following a major catastrophe,” said Sam Miller, executive vice president of the Florida Insurance Council, an industry association. He noted that many of the newer, small companies -- that make up roughly half the market now -- would likely go bankrupt if a cataclysmic event happened. The state would have to step in.

Also, the possibility of deep pocket insurers like State Farm pulling out of Florida also created an industry ripple that sent homeowners scurrying.

In December, lawmakers and many consumers breathed a sigh of relief when State Farm reached a truce with state regulators and said it would continue to do business in Florida. However State Farm, which insurers slightly more than 700,000 homeowners in the state, isn’t taking on much new business and will shed another 125,000 policies in the next 18 months.

“It’s very limited,” State Farm spokesman Justin Glover said. “It’s basically folks who are already customers of ours who move from one area of the state to another.”

While big national companies like State Farm and Allstate have substantially reduced their stake in Florida, creating space for more new competitors, it’s a risky business for everyone involved and costs are likely to increase despite the politics.

“Competition is what drives prices down,” said Sen. Garrett Richter, a Naples Republican who chairs the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee. “It’ll be important for us to continue to work on property insurance reform with the goal to increase competition in the state.” (© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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“It’s time, we’re going to have to come to

Condo Sales May Be The Icon Of Downtown Rebirth “Truth be told, if somebody wanted to fire sale this property, there isn’t one fund in the country that wouldn’t love to come take down this property,” said Alicia Cervera Lamadrid, of Related Cervera Realty.

But that hasn’t happened. With the cooperation of HSBC and Bank of America, Cervera has managed to begin selling this Icon one unit at a time. Six months ago she might not have sat down for an interview.

Reporting David Sutta DOWNTOWN MIAMI (CBS4) Ñ It’s been called the ground zero of Miami’s condo craze: Icon Brickell. More than 1,200 luxury units hit the market as South Florida’s real estate crashed. A year after its first tower opened, a majority of the units are still dark.

In fact, up until a few months ago developer Jorge Perez could count on on his hands how many pre-sold units actually closed.

“It would have been a hard interview because you would have asked me how many sales have you had in the last month, and I would have said none or maybe I would have said two or three,” she said.

That’s not the case anymore.

Wednesday night Cervera threw a party for more than 30 brokers who have sold 110 units since December. She even had a photographer on hand to take pictures of the brokers for an ad she plans to run in the Miami Herald announcing their success.

The brokers were smiling ear to ear. “I’ve sold three, and they are very happy, the buyers,” said Nihan Goren, of Florida Investments.

buckets are filled, one drop at a time.”

Max Mlekus, of Keller Williams, told CBS4 he moved four units.

“It should be a very good endorsement for the city and anyone who is out there considering buying. If they were thinking about when and how and why, I think this is clear indication that when is now,” said Cervera. “It definitely is a step in the right direction.”

Annie Montiel, a broker who just started five years ago in Panama, has had a really good month. “Six already, and I’m going to sell two more,” Montiel told CBS4’s David Sutta.

CBS4 News thumbed through the contracts. They are real. So how did they do it?

A price drop of more than 30 percent and developer financing. Half million dollar units are being snagged up by primarily international buyers for $200 grand.

Million dollar units are going for as low as $500,000. In the grand scheme of things though, less than a tenth of the project has sold.

She thinks it’s a sign downtown’s condo craze may be on its way back.

Two years ago the experts believed it may take a decade for Downtown Miami to work out of this condo mess. Right now though places such as 500 Brickell, with some 600 units, have just 50 left to sell.

It’s peanuts compared to the elephant-sized Icon in Downtown Miami. We’ll have to see if this rise in sales continues for Icon and surrounding areas. (© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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Cervera admitted, “It’s a drop in the bucket. There is no doubt. But that’s how

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Company Set To Step In To Run Troubled HOAs But Suarez found help with a phone call to the Enclave at Miramar offices.

That’s where Michael Sagaro and his company, S3 Management, stepped in.

Sagaro said in some cases South Florida judges are choosing court-appointed receivers, like S3 Management, to take over troubled condominium and homeowner’s associations.

Reporting Carey Codd

“We come in and get the place back up to livable conditions,” Sagaro said.

MIAMI (CBS4) Ñ Yesenia Suarez and her husband feared the worst when the man from the bank showed up at their door earlier this year.

Another goal, Sagaro said, is to restore the depleted cash reserves of the association.

The man gave Suarez and her husband ten days to pack up their two children and all their belongings, and move out of their condo at Enclave at Miramar.

“At this moment I really don’t have anywhere to go,” she said, adding that her first thought was, “Where am I gonna go with my family?”

Suarez said she and her husband paid their rent each month. However, she said apparently their landlord wasn’t turning that money over to the bank to pay the mortgage. The bank foreclosed on the property and prepared to evict the Suarez family.

The foreclosure crisis is crippling many condominium and homeowner’s associations throughout South Florida.

When an owner falls into foreclosure, they not only stop paying their mortgage.

Oftentimes, they stop paying their monthly maintenance fees also. For some associations that means bills for services do not get paid. It also means other unit owners who do pay get hit with higher fees and special assessments to keep the association running.

“Out of 340 units (at Enclave at Miramar) you have 180 not paying,” Sagaro said.

“So that means the budget’s not being

paid each month. The water bill’s not getting paid. The lawn’s not getting paid.

The pool’s not getting paid.”

Sagaro says his company is overseeing associations in Broward, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach and Collier counties.

Here’s what they do: Once a judge appoints S3 receiver, they slap a court order sticker on the door of delinquent owners who are not paying their monthly fees. Sagaro and his team change the locks on the door, inspect the apartment and take photographs of the unit to document what the place looks like.

Usually, the place is left a mess.

“Most of the people left their furniture, left the property pretty much to rot,” Sagaro told CBS4’s Carey Codd.

In one unit that had been abandoned for at least 3 months, we saw a fridge full of food, a television in the kitchen and a set of bunk beds in a bedroom.

S3 fixes up the units and hires a realtor to rent the places out to existing renters, like the Suarez family, or new tenants.

Sagaro said the bulk of the rent payments go straight into the condo or HOA reserves.

income that immediately goes to the association’s past dues,” Sagaro explained. “And every month of rent covers four past due HOA payments.”

Part of the reason the situation gets this bad, Sagaro said, is many banks do not pay association dues as they are supposed to once a foreclosure action is completed.

“The bank doesn’t want to foreclose on them because they’re responsible to pay the past due HOA and taxes,” Sagaro said. “So the banks keep delaying the foreclosure for the same purpose.”

Another tactic S3 is using is suing banks who take ownership of a property after foreclosure and do not pay the required 6 months of maintenance fees.

In Yesenia Suarez’s case, the bank did foreclose. She was able to negotiate a new lease and keep a roof over her and her family’s heads.

“It’s perfect,” Suarez said. “At least I know I’m gonna be stable with my family for a year.” (© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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“For every tenant we keep inside, that’s

S. Fla. Home Prices Continue To Slump

WASHINGTON (CBS4) Ñ Nationally, home prices continued to rise for the seventh consecutive month; South Florida, however, is doing nowhere near as well.

According to the Standard & Poor’s/CaseShiller home price index, South Florida

home prices dropped 0.3 percent in the last three months of 2009.

spending makes up more than two-thirds of American economic activity.

For the year, home prices in the “Miami Metro Area” (which includes Broward and Palm Beach) are down by nearly 10 percent.

Price increases also help rebuild equity for homeowners; many currently owe more on their mortgages than their houses are worth.

Nationally, the 20-city home price index released Tuesday rose 0.3 percent from November to December, to a seasonally adjusted reading of 145.87. The index was down 3.1 percent from December last year, nearly matching analysts’ estimates that it would fall by 3.2 percent.

South Florida is ranked fourth in areas with the largest home price declines. Las Vegas leads the pack with a 20.6 percent decline; Tampa follows with an 11 percent drop.

Detroit is in third with a 10.3 percent different.

The index is now up more than 3 percent from when it hit bottom in May, but is still 30 percent below its May 2006 peak.

Rising prices is a good sign of economic recovery; homeowners who feel wealthier are more likely to spend money. Consumer

Los Angeles and Phoenix posted the largest price increases. (© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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Study Warns Against Weight Gain During Pregnancy anxious about the arrival of her first child.

“This last month it’s been rough with the sleeping and weight management’s been tough,” Ross said.

Ross says trauma in her life led to overeating and little exercise. She figures she’s gained about 40 pounds throughout her pregnancy. That’s about 10 more than her doctor recommended. And she put on up to 15 pounds in just the first trimester.

DENVER (CBS) Ñ There’s another reason for women to watch their weight during pregnancy. A new study by Kaiser Permanente shows excessive weight gain, especially in the first trimester, can increase the risk of developing diabetes later in the pregnancy, CBS station KCNC-TV reports.

Gestational diabetes can be a serious problem for both mother and child. It can lead to early delivery, c-sections and type 2 diabetes. It can also increase the risk of the child developing diabetes and obesity later in life.

Jessica Ross is 39 weeks pregnant. She’s due March third and feeling a little

“The baby is going to have an increased risk of developing diabetes later in life if they are overweight when they are born, “ Ellis said.

Luckily, Ross stayed healthy despite the extra pounds and she is determined to get back in shape after her baby girl is born.

Doctors advise future mothers to plan your pregnancy. Talk with an obstetrician about the proper weight gain for a

person’s size. Most recommend that a person of normal weight gain 25 to 35 pounds when pregnant. Those who are too thin, they’ll recommend more and, if the woman is obese, they may recommend gaining just 15 pounds or less. (© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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“I think I may have slipped in some ‘notso-good for me’ foods,” Ross said.

The extra pounds put her in a danger zone.

“I’d say five pounds or less for almost all women in the first trimester is going to be what’s recommended,” said Dr. Toya Ellis, obstetrician at Kaiser Permanente in Aurora.

A new Kaiser study in the latest issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology found that women who gained more in those first 12 weeks had a 50 percent increased risk for developing gestational diabetes. That can lead to a “too big” baby, a c-section for the mom and future trouble for the child.

Heart Health: Living With Congestive Heart Failure breathing at night. He attributed his shortness of breath to an asthma condition.

“So I treated myself with some over the counter asthma medicine and put off going to the doctor but it just got worse,” explained Lucious.

“After a month of treating the symptoms himself, the Fort Lauderdale resident decided he needed to do something more.

Reporting Cynthia Demos MIAMI (CBS4) Ñ February was Heart Health Month so there’s no better time to learn how to avoid the deadliest disease in our country. One form of coronary artery disease is congestive heart failure, a condition which affects about 5 million Americans each year.

George Lucious, 63, had a hard time

“I went to my primary physician finally and he pretty much diagnosed me with congestive heart failure,” said Lucious.

His doctor found a severe blockage.

“It’s a condition where the heart is unable to properly pump blood or in some cases relax,” said cardiologist Joshua Larned.

Dr. Larned, of Holy Cross Hospital, says

the symptoms of congestive heart failure are often vague.

“Patients will often present first and foremost with shortness of breath and fatigue. Often they think they have a flulike illness but the reality of it is if it clusters with other symptoms such as swelling, nausea, and unexplained weight gain then it can point toward a more ominous condition,” according to Dr. Larned.

There are a number of conditions that can lead to heart disease and more specifically congestive heart failure. Hypertension, high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol are all conditions that can contribute to a weakening heart.

“It turns out Lucious had diabetes but was not taking his medication. He had bypass surgery to open up his blocked arteries and is now taking all his medications

regularly.

“The difference between night and day, night and day, no more breathing problems,” said Lucious. “I believe my heart function is considerably better now.”

Dr. Larned says with the proper diet, medication, and regular exercise congestive heart failure can be managed successfully. (© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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Ultrasound Now Being Used For Younger-Looking Skin essentially cause a minor wound deep in the tissue and it’s the healing process it’s the bodies remodeling that causes this remodeling and tightening,” according to Dr. Nestor.

How does it work?

For about 15 to 30 minutes, a device that creates heat is moved over the areas a patient wants to improve. The benefits are similar to a facelift but without the surgery.

Reporting Cynthia Demos AVENTURA (CBS4) Ñ The technology that has allowed mothers around the world to see their unborn children is now being used to help men and women fight the aging process. The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first cosmetic ultrasound system to be used to tighten and lift skin.

Aventura dermatologist Mark Nestor is using the Ulthera System to tighten skin and deep soft tissue.

“Any

types

of

these

“It’s a permanent procedure. What happens is you get the tightening whether it’s in this area, the jowel under the neck or raising the brow and that will last, the aging process will continue however.

Theresa Herrera of Hallandale Beach tried the ultrasound technology around her eyes and jowels.

“I don’t know, I just feel like my face is tighter I feel a little bit younger, I like the way I look in my mirror and I like the way it felt and everything,” said Herrera.

Sometimes patients see immediate changes but mostly it can take up to six months to achieve maximum results.

Patient Daneen Steifel noticed a difference just moments after she had it done.

“And you get pretty much immediate results, the turkey neck disappears and the jowels which tend to make us all look a bit older seem to go down,” said Steifel.

“Amazing I didn’t expect to see results for a couple of weeks.”

The procedure can be a little painful.

Steifel said it felt like a quick slap with something hot.

The procedure can cost between $1,500 to $3,000 depending on which areas you have done. (© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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procedures

Incision-Free Surgery Relieves Painful Acid Reflux Due to the problem Wilson’s diet consisted of yogurt and bread. The reflux symptoms were causing shortness of breath and made her heart race. “Every night, no matter what time I ate, I’d go to bed with heartburn.”

Millions of people suffer from acid reflux. The painful symptoms make it hard to eat and difficult to sleep. Now, there’s permanent relief available in the form of a new, non-invasive procedure.

Just two months ago, Juanita Wilson could barely drink water due to severe acid reflux.

“The water was terrible. I couldn’t drink water and I’m a big water drinker,” she said. “It was just terrible; it was not fun to live with,” said Wilson.

Wilson’s doctor suggested she have a new non-invasive procedure. Doctors used a device called Esophyx to reconstruct the valve between the stomach and the esophagus.

“It creates a fold of tissue that closes off the esophagus so the acid doesn’t get up there. It’s just the beginning of a whole type of new surgery,” explained Dr. Glenn Ihde.

Using a camera, the Esophyx tool is guided through the mouth and into the stomach where wires and sutures are used to gather tissue to create the new fold.

“It allows us to pull the tissue up into the

device and that’s going to create our fold,” said Dr. Ihde.

About four days after the procedure Juanita Wilson was back at work and within a few weeks, back to a more normal diet. “I can drink what I want. I can eat what I want,” she said happily.

Wilson is even back to eating spicy food.

“I had Mexican food for the first time the other day in months and I have to say it tasted really well. I didn’t have the jalapenos on the side like I normally have, but it was good.”

Not every case of reflux is severe enough for surgery. Doctors first suggest cutting back on alcohol and acidic foods like tomatoes and orange juice. For many people, over the counter remedies work just fine.

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In Your Community: Food For Dialysis Patients Before experiencing kidney failure, Villegas was an industrial engineer.

“I traveled all over the world, I worked 16 hours a day and that kind of ended” said Villegas.

Living alone and exhausted after dialysis, it became hard to do the simple things in life, like buying food which is critical.

Reporting Nicole Maristany MIAMI (CBS4) Ñ Kidney failure often leaves patients on expensive dialysis and that can deplete a budget fast. But there is a local foundation which can help with the basic things like food.

George Villegas has been on kidney dialysis for seven years.

“You need some help with this, you can’t do it alone,” said Villegas, “I’m here at the dialysis center three times a week, four hours every time.”

“They can actually make your heart stop, if you eat too much or eat at the wrong time,” Villegas explained.

He then started receiving food from the Dialysis Food Foundation of South Florida, the only foundation of its kind in the country.

“We buy bulk food and we pack up the food into bags and we give it to the patients on a weekly basis, 7 days a week in a bag,” said founder Loretta DeVries who began the foundation after her husband went on dialysis.

became aware of the fact that people not only had problem with foods, many of them weren’t eating at all,” DeVries explained.

She now works with local doctors to make sure the dialysis patients don’t go hungry, doctors say they can see the difference in the patients served by the program.

For more information on how you can sponsor a patient, give Neighbors 4 Neighbors a call at 305-597-4404 or visit The Dialysis Food Foundation of South Florida. (© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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“When we look at our patients that we are feeding versus the ones that are not fed, we have less hospitalizations, their entire social lives are better and it makes a huge impact,” said Dr. Jochen Riser, a Professor at the University of Miami and Chief of Nephrology.

FOR SALE! INCOME PRODUCING PROPERTY SHENANDOAH AREA

Villegas said he was grateful for the help he’s received.

“It would be much harder, I mean I may not even be here, if I hadn’t had that support,” said Villegas.

The cost to feed one patient is less than $4 a day.

“I spent a great deal of time here, and

Cases Of Gestational Diabetes Rising With Tests more than 23,000 women in nine countries. They found the former levels used for diabetes tests in pregnant women were responsible for twice as many overweight babies and twice as many cases of preeclampsia and 40-percent of early deliveries.

DALLAS (CBS) Ñ The number of women who develop diabetes during their pregnancies is expected to swell in the next few years - not because of an increase in the disease but because of a change in testing guidelines, CBS station KTVT-TV reports.

New measurement guidelines come as a result of a new study out of the Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. Boy Metzger and an international group of researchers studied

The new measurements suggested for use may change that. Right now, 8 percent of all pregnant women are diagnosed with gestational diabetes. Under the new measurement guidelines, twice as many pregnant women will be diagnosed with gestational diabetes and more importantly treated for it before complications arise.

Dr. Roderick Diggs is an OB/GYN at Methodist Mansfield Medical Center. He said, “You’re going to have fewer complications, better outcomes for baby, better outcomes for mom. In the long run you’re going to end up saving money by lowering these thresholds.

Diane Clark just gave birth at Methodist Mansfield Medical Center. “Baby Clark”

is so new he hasn’t even been measured yet. But he has been weighed. “Baby Clark” came into the world at 9 1/2 pounds.

Doctors say, large babies are typically born to women who develop diabetes during their pregnancies. Diane Clark was tested for it during hers. “I know that when I took my gestational test this time I was borderline with it because those new numbers have changed,” Clark said.

Clark, who just had her fourth child, was all for the change in guidelines. She said, “If more people are screened and can get help earlier then hopefully preeclampsia and all that won’t be such a big deal.” (© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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Fashion that Feeds the Hungry “There’s no other option,” Gustafson said. “We have to help them get into school. That’s the only option we have.”

The pair met four years ago through their work with the United Nations.

What they witnessed inspired the launch of their collection FEED.

By Michelle Miller

Their first bag, a $60 re-usable shopping tote, provides a school meal for a child anywhere in the world for an entire a year.

The American Spirit: Fashion Statement Becomes Key Accessory in Fight Against World Hunger

To submit an idea for The American Spirit send us an e-mail: theamericanspirit@cbsnews.com

(CBS) Handbags are one of the signature statements for every fashion conscious woman.

CBS News correspondent Michelle Milller reports Lauren Bush and Ellen Gustafson have managed to turn this accessory into a necessity in the struggle to feed the world’s hungry children, one handbag at a time.

“World hunger seems so far away and so overwhelming for most people,” Bush said. “So to know exactly what you’re doing is great.”

FEED now has a dozen styles in some of New York’s most popular stores. Prices range from $15 to $195. The cost varies because each bag provides help in a

different way and says so right on the back.

essential to human life - food to thrive it is very powerful.”

When the earthquake hit Haiti, FEED designed the “FEED Haiti 50” bag. It provides 50 school lunches to children there.

Success is counted in the number of meals served - 55 million in just three years - and in the faces of children who smile in the absence of hunger.

“That meal that a child gets in school is almost certainly the only proper meal that they get everyday,” said Marcus Prior, U.N. spokesperson in Haiti.

©MMX, CBS Interactive Inc.. All Rights Reserved.

Every year hunger and malnutrition kill more people in developing nations than AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined. That’s 3 million children who never make it to their fifth birthday. 300 million other children go to bed hungry every night.

Since 2007, FEED has donated $5.5 million to the UN World Food Program.

“Hunger is a very terrible feeling, it’s a very terrible way to die,” Gustafson said.

“To know that just through selling a product that they’re getting the most

Johnny Depp on Taking a Stand p.m. on “48 Hour Mystery,” Depp talks about why he publicly supports and believes in the innocence of three convicted men in Arkansas, known as the West Memphis Three.

“I’m here because I firmly, truly, 1000 percent believe that Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley are totally innocent - completely innocent of these horrific crimes. And I think that … the real killer or killers are not far away,” says Depp.

Actor Explains Why He’s Speaking Out In Defense of Convicted Killers Known as the West Memphis Three (CBS) He’s a mega-movie star, who, for the most part, keeps a low profile.

But actor Johnny Depp is making headlines this week, not just for his new film, “Alice and Wonderland,” but for speaking out about what he and many others call an injustice.

In an interview airing Saturday at 10

Echols is on death row and Baldwin and Misskelley are serving life sentences for the brutal murders of three 8-year-old boys in West Memphis, Ark., in 1993.

The boys were found drowned in a ditch - naked and hogtied with their own shoelaces.

than 16 years after the murders, new DNA evidence points away from the trio.

Depp says he’s not worried about those who may criticize him for speaking out or say he’s just out for the publicity.

“I’ve never been a big publicity fiend myself, but, yeah, I’ll take some hits for it. But that’s OK, I’ve taken hits before,” he says. “If they try to make me squirm that’s nothing compared to what these guys have had to deal with for the last 16 years, and certainly nothing compared to what the families of those little boys have had to deal with.” © MMX, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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As correspondent Erin Moriarty reports, there are serious questions about the guilt of the men, who were convicted, without any physical proof. Now, more

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March 5, 2010

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Can Leno Revive “Nice Guy” Image? seven months, Leno was a ratings disaster. In the same time, “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien” lost three million viewers. It was humiliating all around. However, while Leno and Conan O’Brien tanked, David Letterman’s ratings on CBS got a big boost, jumping from 3.9 million viewers to 4.2 million.

But will Leno’s return to “The Tonight Show,” end Letterman’s reign as late night’s king -- or seal it?

First “Tonight Show” with Comic Back at Helm to Feature New Announcer, Big-Name Guests Sarah Palin, Simon Cowell (CBS) Leno.

It’s back to the future for Jay

After NBC’s primetime debacle, Leno returns Monday to “The Tonight Show,” where he was No. 1 for most of his 17 years behind the desk.

Leno’s show was a primetime experiment that went south -- fast. CBS News correspondent Ben Tracy reported for

Tracy pointed out Leno’s “nice guy” image has taken a hit following his foray into primetime. Many people also believe he kicked O’Brien to the curb to get his old job back. And, Tracy added, Leno may have hit below the belt when he joked about Letterman’s admitted infidelities, saying, “What’s the best way to get Letterman to ignore you? Marry him.”

So Leno hit Hollywood’s road to redemption, landing where many have before he: Oprah’s couch.

On her show, Leno said he’s going to

“work hard to try and rehabilitate” his image.

Tracy reported Leno’s new “Tonight Show,” to be filmed in Burbank, Calif., is expected to be a lot like his old one, but he’ll have a new announcer. Already, bigname guests, including Jamie Foxx, Simon Cowell and Sarah Palin, are lining up for return.

show.”

Mo Rocca, a CBS Sunday Morning contributor and former “Tonight Show” correspondent, pressed Froelich, saying, “What other show?”

She responded that many viewers have moved on to other shows, and have experienced a boost in ratings.

As for O’Brien, he’s made his way onto Twitter. One recent post says, “I had a show. Then I had a different show. Now I have a Twitter account.”

But Rocca disagrees with Froelich’s view, saying viewers will come right back to Leno and things will likely be as they were before Leno left the show.

Paula Froelich, a novelist and pop culture commentator, said Leno will have to be patient to get back his audience. She said he’s likely to have a great draw the first week, but it’s likely the numbers will fall later.

“I think the restoration will be complete,” Rocca said. “The Conan problem will have been forgotten. Jay didn’t kill anyone as far as I know.”

“At the end of the day, people like my Aunt Dee in Ohio don’t care about NBC executives,” Froelich said. “My Aunt Dee in Ohio just knows that he went off the air at 11:30, so she had to find something else to watch. And now she likes her other

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March 5, 2010

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PETA Mocks Woods’ Sex Scandal in Billboard attempt to use the lurid sex scandal involving Tiger Woods to bring attention to animal-control issues, PETA plans to use the golfer’s likeness in a billboard ad placed in his hometown - though it has not secured his permission.

In Bid to Bring Attention to Animal-Control Issues, PETA Ad Says: “Too Much Sex Can Be A Bad Thing… For Little Tigers Too” (CBS) This blog was written by CBSSports.com golf writer Steve Elling Over the course of history, has an organization ever so completely misread an athlete, his personality, or his less-than-forgiving background?

In

an

astoundingly

ham-handed

A mock-up of the ad was featured in the Orlando Sentinel, along with the message to be featured on the proposed billboard: “Too Much Sex Can Be A Bad Thing … for little tigers too. Help keep your cats (and dogs) out of trouble: Always spay or neuter!”

PETA hopes to place the billboard in the Windermere area, near where Woods lives. Virginia Fort, who is associated with PETA, told the newspaper, “We’re sure Tiger will appreciate our attempt - from a story that’s distracted the world and followed Tiger - to turn it into something positive for little tigers,” she said.

She obviously hasn’t done much

homework.

Woods has repeatedly and fiercely defended the use of his likeness, particularly when others have made money or tangible gains off his name or reputation. So it’s hard to envision him allowing the use of his photo to make a joke out of his increasingly sticky personal life, right in his hometown.

Off the top of my head, I can think of a billboard in Michigan that attempted to use a caricature of Woods that was eventually removed.

In another instance, when Woods’ management learned that a USGA website that was selling photos of Woods from the U.S. Open for hundreds of dollars, the offer was removed almost immediately.

“It’s a fun, tongue-in-cheek approach. We hope these billboard companies will understand,” Fort told the newspaper.

Woods’

spokesman

didn’t

immediately return an email seeking comment from CBSSports.com. Just an educated hunch here, but Woods will play tournament golf again before this billboard ever sees the light of day.

Woods has no ties to PETA and has not sanctioned the ad. ©MMX, CBS Interactive Inc.. All Rights Reserved.

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March Madness Bargain: Vasectomies begins. They’ve been encouraging men to go by this timetable for years.

That way, they’ll have an excuse to sit and front of the TV and watch the games all in the name of recuperation.

Doctors at one Chicagoland urology clinic are even throwing in freebies.

Urologists Say Watching Basketball Tournament Good Way To Recover

(CBS) Are you planning to have a vasectomy? Urologists say March Madness is a perfect time to recover from the procedure.

Urologists say men should get vasectomies three days before the college basketball tournament

The doctors at 21st Century Urology in Orland Park are offering free pizza and a free bag of frozen peas to help reduce the swelling.

“Just think, the perfect excuse to sit around, relax, and enjoy the games!” the clinic writes on its Web site.

The clinic has also been advertising their pizza-and-peas promotion on

Chicago sports radio.

The urologists at the clinic, Dr. Robert Bonzani and Dr. Tony Mammen, bill themselves on their Facebook page. They specialize in vasectomies that don’t require scalpels.

The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development says a total of about 50 million men have undergone a vasectomy, which corresponds to about 5 percent of all married couples of reproductive age worldwide. ©MMX, CBS Interactive Inc.. All Rights Reserved.

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Did Toyota Pull Strings to Stifle Probes? regulating?” he was asked “Not that I’m aware,” Santucci said.

In 2003, Santucci gave his two weeks’ notice and joined Toyota’s team, working under the very man who’d been his Toyota contact: Christopher Tinto. Tinto also used to work for NHTSA.

CBS News Investigates Questionable Ties between Toyota and NHTSA, the Federal Agency Charged with Regulating It (CBS) Critics in Congress say Toyota pulled strings at NHTSA -with help from two former insiders, reports CBS News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson.

Christopher Santucci’s job at NHTSA was to conduct defects investigations of automakers and some of his probes were into Toyota.

At some point, while working at NHTSA, Santucci negotiated himself a job at Toyota - the very company he’d investigated.

Santucci testified two months ago in a lawsuit against Toyota.

“Were there any procedures within NHTSA that would govern your negotiating a job with an entity that you were supposed to be

Once together at Toyota, records show the two helped negotiate with their former NHTSA colleagues to limit probes into Toyotas surging out of control. They convinced NHTSA to focus only on the “brief burst” accelerations, ruling out socalled “long duration” events that have allegedly led to accidents and deaths.

“You use the word ‘negotiated’...

We discussed the scope,” Santucci said.

But “negotiated” is exactly the word used in Toyota internal documents obtained by CBS News. One in 2006 says NHTSA requested information on “a broad testing and analysis question” regarding Camry and Solara engine surge. It says Toyota “negotiated to reduce the response” to provide much less data.

Consumer watchdog Joan Claybrook headed up NHTSA way before Toyota’s problems -- and says NHTSA ex-employees are key.

“They maneuvered and manipulated and I think bamboozled the agency,” Claybrook said.

Yesterday, Congress Transportation Secretary LaHood if there’s a conflict.

asked Ray

materials it should have over the years. And the inspector general is investigating NHTSA’s role.

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“Absolutely not,” LaHood said.

Other automakers say -- unlike Toyota-- they do not use ex-NHTSA people to deal with NHTSA on defect cases.

Toyota says its employees’ only interest is “the safety of every single owner of one of our vehicles.”

At Christopher Santucci’s deposition, we found a third exNHTSA figure helping out Toyota off-camera: former NHTSA attorney Kenneth Weinstein.

For his part in limiting the investigations, Santucci said NHTSA got exactly what it was looking for.

“You say it worked out well for Toyota,” Santucci said. “I think it worked out well for both the agency and Toyota.”

Maybe not so well, in the end.

NHTSA is now investigating whether Toyota provided all the

The Adtimes Newspaper March 5, 2010 Edition

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March 5, 2010

43

Horoscopes provided by www.astrology-online.com

THE ADTIMES

NEWSPAPER NEWS POWERED BY

Pisces

Aries

(Feb. 19-Mar. 20)

(Mar. 21-Apr. 20)

Look into events that you might find interesting, and compromise by doing a few things that you both like to do. Old friends may not like your choices. You may want to make plans to take a vacation together.

Overindulgence could cause problems for you with your loved ones. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Wednesday.

Taurus

Get involved in creative projects that could turn into moneymaking ventures. You may be tired of working for someone else.

Partnerships could be tense. Don’t push your luck. You will expand your circle of friends if you join groups. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Monday.

(Apr. 21-May 21)

Arguments with children or friends may leave you steaming. You may have a rather hectic day due to events that children are involved in. Catch up on your correspondence and reading. Tone down and put some of that hard earned cash into a safe, long-term investment. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Sunday.

PUBLISHER Tony Gambirazio

DIRECTOR OF SALES Hector Collado ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVES Ines Collado Henry Pinto Cesar Rodriguez Cleo Saenz INSIDE SALES Oscar Alvarado Ileana Patuto Sarah White OFFICE MANAGER Montserrat Surroca

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Cancer

Leo

(May 22-June 21)

(June 22-July 22)

(July 23-Aug. 23)

Disappointments are likely if your mate embarrasses you in front of friends. You may be overreacting to a situation at hand. Physical limitations are possible if you aren’t careful.

Be supportive in order to avoid confrontations. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Tuesday.

Organize all the responsibilities that have to be attended to and make sure everyone knows what to do. Don’t hesitate to look for alternatives that will enable you to raise the kind of donations you need to do the job right. You may be sensitive concerning friends and their situations. Be very careful while in transit or while traveling in foreign countries.

Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Saturday.

Virgo

Libra

(Aug. 24-Sept. 22)

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

If you join intellectual or cultural groups, you should meet individuals who stimulate you. You have the ability to motivate others. Lowered vitality could affect your work. Catch up on overdue phone calls and correspondence. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Thursday.

Sagittarius

Capricorn

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

(Dec. 22-Jan. 20)

Lighten up your serious attitude Your mind is on moneymaking ventures. You can’t help everyone. You don’t owe anyone an explanation. Do your own thing, you need time to yourself. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Monday.

You can make new friends and get involved in new hobbies successfully. Plan a nice evening for two. Don’t make large purchases unless you have discussed your choices with your mate. Financial limitations will not be as adverse as they appear. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Thursday.

Scorpio

Romantic opportunities are evident.You may have ignored or neglected your mate lately. There’s lots to be done and if you meet your deadline you’ll be in your boss’s good books. Don’t let someone you work with put words in your mouth.Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Friday.

FRANCHISING Tony Gambirazio •

Gemini

A little volleyball or other outdoor sports should be on your agenda. You are best to avoid confrontations. You will be entertained and intrigued by the logic foreigners possess.

Tell it like it is. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Sunday.

(Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

Joining organizations will provide you with stimulating romantic contacts. Money can be made if you use your ingenuity. You will drive your emotional partner crazy this month.

Older relatives may be a burden. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Tuesday.

Aquarius (Jan. 21-Feb. 18)

Attend to things that you should have done yesterday. Someone envious of your popularity may challenge you to a debate. Travel will be fun and entertaining. You may have difficulties at an emotional level with mates. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Wednesday.

January’s Solution

6 2 7 8 5 4 1 9 3

9 8 3 1 7 2 5 6 4

1 4 5 9 6 3 7 8 2

4 9 1 7 3 5 6 2 8

3 6 8 2 4 1 9 7 5

5 7 2 6 9 8 4 3 1

7 1 4 3 8 9 2 5 6

8 5 9 4 2 6 3 1 7

2 3 6 5 1 7 8 4 9

4 6 7 7 5 1 7 9 4 5 7 7 1 2 3 5 8 6 1 4 1 9 8 4 2 6 5 9

Look For Our Next Edition: MARCH 19, 2010

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ART DIRECTOR Tammy Kukic