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February 5, 2010

I-Team: Seniors Beginning To Patrol Medicare Fraud A CBS4 I-Team investigation has prompted calls for changes in Federal Law. And the investigation is now mobilizing local seniors to fight back against Medicare fraud themselves.

CBS News Reports Agency Atmosphere Of ‘Intimidation, Retaliation, Discrimination’ Greatly Hindering U.S. Anti-terror Efforts

˚˚˚˚˚˚˚ I-Team: Cyber Scams Exploding In South Florida Irving Mercado shrugs his shoulders and groans, “I would never think something like this would happen to me” Mercado likes to double-check his bank statements every month.

˚˚˚˚˚˚˚ Bar Owners In Grove Fight For Later Last Calls Dozens of people showed up to a City of Miami commission meeting to voice their concerns about an ordinance that requires bars to stop serving alcohol at 3:00 a.m.

˚˚˚˚˚˚˚ New Drug Effective in Psoriasis Treatment Psoriasis is the most common autoimmune disease in the United States affecting 7.5 million Americans.

NEW YORK (CBS News) —A “toxic” work environment created by bosses in the Federal Air Marshal Service is “crippling” the agency’s efforts to keep skies safe, sources tell CBS News Chief Investigative Correspondent Armen Keteyian. “We talked to well more than a dozen current and former air marshals around the country,” Keteyian said to co-anchor Harry Smith Monday, “and, certainly in their mind, the service is riddled with internal problems. (From the) top down - supervisors, many of them white, male, ex-Secret Service agents, who have created a hostile atmosphere, work atmosphere, work environment inside many of the 21 field offices around

the country. Intimidation, retaliation, discrimination against women, minorities, disabled, gays.

˚˚˚˚˚˚˚ Home Sales Up, Prices Still Down In Sunshine State

“And it’s created a real atmosphere, a toxic atmosphere inside the agency that, in the belief of the people that we’ve talked to, has really crippled the agency from within.”

As sales continue to increase on a month to month basis, it looks like South Florida’s free falling home prices are stabilizing and may actually be heading back up in some areas.

The service is, says Keteyian, “attracting really quality candidates in a lot of ways. The problem is retaining them. Once they get into this atmosphere, once they get into these field offices, there are lawsuits, EEO (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) complaints continued on page 11

CBSSports.com Exclusive: Determined Brian Grant Eyes Future While Battling Relentless Disease

˚˚˚˚˚˚˚ Ex-NBA Star Grant Battles Parkinson’s

Next Edition: FEBRUARY 19, 2010

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February 5, 2010

I-Team: Seniors Beginning To Patrol Medicare Fraud benefit. We need your eyes and ears,” The message and goal is to enlist seniors themselves in the battle against massive Medicare fraud.

Reporting Stephen Stock MIAMI (CBS4) — A CBS4 I-Team investigation has prompted calls for changes in Federal Law. And the investigation is now mobilizing local seniors to fight back against Medicare fraud themselves. The program is called Florida Senior Medicare Patrol. The program has established a toll free hotline for anyone with questions, suspicions or evidence of fraud to call. It’s 1-866357-6677. As the I-Team first reported last year, Medicare fraud costs American taxpayers $60 Billion a year. And South Florida is at the center of it all. CBS4 I-Team investigator Stephen Stock first uncovered the extent of Medicare fraud and went along with senior citizens on patrol and on the lookout for Medicare fraud in their own communities. 73-year-old Janice Bovero suspected something was wrong when a local medical clinic and hospital billed her for a wheelchair and supplies she never needed and never received. “It makes me so angry,” said Bovero. “And I don’t know who to talk to (or contact.)” Preventing this kind of questionable and perhaps even fraudulent Medicare billing practices was the topic of this seminar at the assisted living facility where Janice Bovero lives, Grand Court Lakes. “”Red flags!! Dates of service! Doctors you don’t know,” said seminar leader Sandra Colon Ferrer. “This is your

“The goal is to raise awareness and helping them, giving them that empowerment to identify fraud waste and abuse,” said Colon Ferrer, Florida Senior Medicare Patrol’s Miami-Dade Outreach Consultant. “(It’s our goal) to identify errors in their (seniors’) Medicare and Medicaid, to know where it is happening, to learn about the types of scams.” This effort is part of Florida’s Senior Medicare Patrol program which is a statewide group of volunteers first organized statewide in 2005. Florida’s Senior Medicare Patrol has established a toll free hotline for anyone with questions, suspicions or evidence of fraud to call. It’s 1-866357-6677. “We feel that if they’re paying attention and then we give them a place or a number to call that they will call us if something look strange about it (their Medicare bill),” said Sylvia Gaddis, statewide director of Florida’s Senior Medicare Patrol. But the Senior Patrol has taken on extra urgency after this. “You have Medicare?” asked an unidentified man to a medical clinic worker, all on undercover videotape. The undercover video aired as part of a four-month long CBS4 I-Team investigation that showed firsthand how easy it is to buy and sell Medicare numbers to fraudulently bill Medicare without providing any medical services in return.

at the epicenter of the nation’s Medicare fraud scams. Medicare’s administrator says Miami-Dade accounts for more fraudulent billing than the rest of the country combined. “I would tell you that your investigation and your station has certainly created a high level of awareness (about the problem),” said Congressman Ron Klein. Klein is a Democrat representing residents in parts of Broward and Palm Beach Counties who has been outspoken about fighting Medicare fraud, waste and abuse. Prompted by our investigation, local US Congressman Klein recently met with US Attorney General Eric Holder in an effort to come up with new rules and changes in current law to help prevent Medicare fraud before it happens. “I asked him (Holder) specifically that instead of focusing something for the entire nation,” said Klein. “I said ‘Let’s create a pilot project and focus on a particular part of South Florida. Let’s test it out here and apply our resources. We know where some of these problems are happening right here. We already know where some of this is going on. Let’s go in and nail it. Then, if it works, take it nationwide.’ And he (Holder) seemed very receptive to that.” This problem has become so pervasive, so widespread, that in response to our report Representative Ron Klein, as well as several other Congressmen from around the country, have begun establishing their own Medicare Fraud hotline in their own Congressional offices. They are encouraging constituents to call in with suspicions of Medicare fraud.

“Especially some of the ones where they have stolen accounts, that kind of thing,” said Gaddis. “And they’re billing them (the seniors’ number) two and three months in a row. And if Medicare and other investigators know what’s actually going on sooner then they can actually go out and catch those people in the act.”

And Congressman Klein says the problem is so bad that it is actually now getting Congress’s attention.

The I-Team discovered South Florida is

Florida’s Senior Medicare Patrol has

Representative Klein predicts we may see actual changes in Medicare laws and rules make it through Congress this year in attempts to stop the stealing of your tax dollars before it happens.

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February 5, 2010

I-Team: School Lunchroom Reports Still Withheld Van Blanton Elementary School. The spoiled milk was ordered destroyed. The head of the Health Department’s Sanitation Program, Samir Amir, explained the report, saying it was, “Basically asking them to exterminate live roaches they found in cabinets.” In 2008, thanks to our “Cruddy Cafeteria Investigations,” state lawmakers ordered all public schools to publicly post their inspection reports inside schools and on the internet.

Reporting Al Sunshine MIAMI (CBS4) — Key Biscayne Dad Julian Wortelboer worries about the food his sons get in their school cafeteria. The father of 5-year-old twins explained, “They bring their own food from home because we heard about the cafeteria had roaches and things going on in the cafeteria; dirty plates and things like that.” For more than a decade, CBS4’s Al Sunshine has reported how state health inspectors routinely find sanitation problems at local schools. Last year, several public school cafeterias were temporarily closed after Health Inspectors found rat and roach infestations inside the kitchens. So how are our public schools doing this year? Sunshine checked out some recent inspection reports at the Miami-Dade Health Department and found a citation for an infestation of roaches when the school year first started at

“As a parent you need to know the quality, preparing food, where your children eats, make sure conditions meet health and safety standards,” Amir said. Just recently, Al Sunshine went out to see if schools were posting those reports. He visited about a dozen schools around South Florida. In almost all cases, the reports are not being posted where parents can easily find them. In fact, in all but one case, school officials refused to even show them to Sunshine; that’s a violation of both State and Federal law. And from what CBS4 News found, nobody’s enforcing the new law, because the Health Department doesn’t have the regulatory authority to cite a school for not making the sanitation reports easily available. Amir confirmed, “I am not aware of anybody checking.” When Key Biscayne Community School opened for the year, 500 cartons of spoiled milk were found in the cafeteria’s refrigerator. It turns out it was unplugged when school ended in May. The school found the problem and reported it to the Health Department.

But Sunshine couldn’t find the sanitation report in the school’s office or on its website when he checked it out several months ago. So what’s the Miami-Dade school system got to say? Penney Parham runs the school lunch program for Miami-Dade and said, “When you have to deal with a handwritten carbon copy, that’s what the Principals – that’s what they are given so it’s difficult to put it electronically.” But she confirmed, “The state statute says that the inspection reports are to be posted in a visible area and on the school website. It is done on a handwritten form and then photocopied, scanned, faxed and deciphered what is written and it causes a few extra steps to actually being updated electronically.” But Principal Yolanda Valls doesn’t seem to have any problem at Hialeah’s Mae Walters Elementary. She posts a copy of the health report in the main office and on the internet for parents. Valls explained, “It makes them comfortable, especially when they see it is satisfactory, that we are doing the right thing.” Most parents Sunshine spoke with didn’t even know about their right to see the schools’ health reports. As a result of the CBS-4 I-Team investigation, Congress may soon start cracking down on schools nationwide. Representative Debbie Wasserman-Schultz

now wants to make sure those inspection reports are available to any parents who want to see them. The Broward mom wants the CBS4 investigations entered into the Congressional record and played on Capitol Hill. The Broward Democrat plans on introducing legislation this fall strengthening parents’ rights to see school inspection reports and disciplining schools that fail to publicly post the information where parents can find them, either on-line or inside the school’s main offices. She added, “Without your reporting on this, without your dogged determination, there’s no way we would be at this point, to know we needed to change the Federal law because there’s been no light shed on this, other than your reporting.” Despite problems posting inspection reports, Health Inspectors say local schools are now doing better meeting state and federal sanitation standards than several years ago. There have been no major food-borne illnesses at any South Florida public schools this year. Nonetheless, both Broward and Miami-Dade School officials continue to refuse allow CBS4 News inside their cafeterias when Health Inspectors go through them looking for violations. (© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) NEWS POWERED BY

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February 5, 2010

I-Team: Cyclists Want More Protection On Causeway old Christopher Le Canne, died waiting for rescue. The emergency response is under investigation, amid a growing call from citizens and some Miami-Dade commissioners to reopen the closed nearby station.

Reporting Gary Nelson Fatality Spurs Calls For Greater Safety Activists Say Traffic Laws Need To Be Tougher MIAMI (CBS4 I-TEAM) — On the Rickenbacker Causeway, bicyclists shared the roadway with oft-times speeding cars and trucks. “It’s like the Indianapolis 500 out here,” cyclist Dan Devane said. “The cars are going way too fast. It’s dangerous.” Many cyclists rode their bikes on the sidewalks, rather than risk it out in the bike lane. Cyclist Jay Nunez was among those who chose to pedal along the sidewalk, protected from the roadway by a concrete barrier. Nunez said he won’t use the bike lane, “not after what happened the other day.” What happened the other day, Sunday, was a bicyclist was run over by an allegedly drunk driver who swerved into the east-bound bike lane on the Bear Cut bridge stretch of the causeway. The nearby Miami-Dade fire station was closed, operating on scaled back hours due to budget cuts. A CBS4 News I-Team investigation revealed Miami-Dade 911 dispatchers may have bungled the call by sending help from a station ten miles away, rather than calling on much closer rescue units from Miami or Key Biscayne--as department policies seem to require. The cyclist, 44-year-

Thursday night bicyclists showed county commissioners photos of accidents they have been involved in on the Rickenbacker, and demanded heightened traffic enforcement. “I survived what this gentleman (Le Canne) did not survive,” Bart Sherwood said. Sherwood--who was critically injured after being hit by a bread truck on the causeway a few years ago--said motorists have to be made to slow down. “What’s going to stop people from getting killed is if you put deterrent signs at the toll booth, where people enter the key, saying, “Speeders Beware!” Sherwood said. Cyclists on the Rickenbacker Friday one of the most popular recreation spots in Miami-Dade - also said there needs to be more than a white line separating the narrow bike land from the traffic lanes. Something as simple as raised reflectors along the dividing line, cyclists say, would be inexpensive and effective. Cyclists could also help protect themselves by staying in their lane. A CBS4 News camera captured several bicyclists Friday encroaching on the traffic lane, some riding two abreast. The alleged drunk driver in Sunday’s fatal crash, 29-year-old Carlos Bertonatti, had a history of 42 previous traffic citations, including speeding for reckless driving, running stop signs, running red lights, and speeding. He was also charged last year with driving with a suspended license.

Traffic safety activists say penalties for chronic violators need to be more severe. “They may have a suspended license, but then when they’re caught, there’s really no penalty,” said Jay Fraioli, a reserve state trooper and member of the board of directors of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. “Nobody’s doing jail time for a suspended license. Nobody takes it seriously until somebody dies.” M.A.D.D. executive director Janet Mondshein said police work hard to combat drunk driving, but she would like to see more DUI checkpoints looking for those who might be impaired. “If there had been a DUI checkpoint on the causeway Sunday morning, this crash might have been avoided,” Mondshein said. Bertonatti was freed on bond over the objections of prosecutors who fear he may flee to his native Venezuela. The United States has an extradition agreement with Venezuela, but it was crafted after the Hugo Chavez regime came to power. Chavez is a frequent, vocal critic of the U.S. Bertonatti’s attorney, Susy RiberoAyala, told CBS4 News her client “fully recognizes there are consequences” to face and intends to remain in the U.S. “He is focused on the victim,” Ribero-Ayala told CBS4’s Gary Nelson. “He is trying to reach out to the victim’s family and express his true remorse.” There were several Miami-Dade police officers working on the Rickenbacker Friday, snagging speeders. A department spokesman said the enforcement was routine, and not a direct response to the uproar that has followed Sunday’s fatality.

(© MMIX CBS Television Stations. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald contributed material for this report) NEWS POWERED BY

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February 5, 2010

Beach Cops Refuse Off-Duty Jobs In Pay Dispute that they will not be allowed to work off-duty jobs until further notice.

the city and the city has not acted in good faith,” said union Vice President Gus Sanchez.

emergency,” said Sanchez. “They have no experience dealing with urban communities.”

Noriega was responding to a vote by the union rankand-file not to work off-duty shifts.

“I’m not gonna be arm strong armed by the police department or any union,” said Miami Beach Mayor Mattie Bower. “I think it’s really strategically wrong to have done this at this time. But that’s what they chose to do.”

He added those officers will not be familiar with the geography of the city. Miami Beach Police officers use their police radios even when working off-duty so that they can respond to any major issues. Sanchez said the substitute officers won’t be tapped into that radio network.

The timing could not have been worse. Throngs of people are descending on Miami Beach for the Pro Bowl, Super Bowl and other festivities.

Reporting Peter D’Odench MIAMI BEACH (CBS4) — The rhetoric is heating up on Miami Beach in a big labor dispute that could potentially create a big safety concern during the Pro Bowl and Super Bowl. Miami Beach Police officers may refuse to work off-duty details during South Florida’s week of prime time football events. “The Mayor is wrong,” said Mark Richard, the attorney for the Miami Beach Fraternal Order of Police. “She’s taking the easy way out.” Richard made the comments Friday as both sides met again for a few hours and were not close to an agreement. They planned to meet again on Wednesday and so Super Bowl-related events on Miami Beach this weekend and early next week could be significantly impacted. “They want to take away retirement benefits. They take and they take,” said Richard outside Miami Beach City Hall. Timing is imminent as tens of thousands of people are beginning to flock to Miami Beach for Super Bowl preview parties and events. The police union voted not to work off duty jobs – such as security at clubs and restaurants. That comes after negotiations with the city have fallen apart over proposed cuts to medical and retirement benefits. “A lot of these benefits we fought for hard over the years and I think our president and our union acting in good faith to go to the city but the city hasn’t acted in good faith,” said Gus Sanchez of the Miami Beach Police Union. Miami Beach Police Chief Carlos Noriega sent out a memo to all his officers Thursday instructing them

continued

“They want a cut of up to 10 percent in pensions, retirement pay and wages and that is just not acceptable,” Richard said. “The city is selling out its police officers in tough economic times. These are men and women with families who defend the city 24/7.” When asked by CBS4’s Peter D’Oench about the timing related to the Super Bowl and affecting so many incoming visitors and businesses, Richard said: “How can you look at police officers as the bad guys? They’re just doing their best to support their families and protect the cities.” The directive will take officers out of clubs, restaurants, parties and other places where they will be sorely needed. Many businesses that use off-duty officers will have to hire other security, rely on their own or none at all. This is a big concern for business owners and residents. “When they see regular security guards there is no threat of jail, no threat of back up or armed police officers,” said business owner Brian Botton. “It’s very important to know that they’re around, that they are active outside their day to day activities, with the force, the Miami Beach police force,” said resident Devin Gregory. The police union voted this week to refuse to work off-duty jobs after contract negotiations with the city broke down over proposed cuts to pay and retirement benefits. Richard told D’Oench the benefits would be cut up to 10 percent, and that would ultimately affect salaries of the 361 officers impacted by this decision. As many as 200 of them would work on off-duty shifts during Super Bowl week. “A lot of those benefits were fought for hard over the years, I think our union and our president to go to

Bower is upset about the move, but she said the city’s safety will not be compromised. She said officers from outside police departments will be contracted for the job. “The residents can feel safe. The tourists could come down and they should feel safe; we are gonna have people in the street, police in the street and you won’t see a difference,” Bower said.

“Yeah, that concerns me especially with a lot of tourists here and people go crazy during those times,” said resident Andrea Day. She said the city shouldn’t skimp on money when it comes to security. But the mayor said enough is enough. Matti Bower said she has cut $52 million out of the budget over the past two years. She added Miami Beach Police are among the highest paid in the nation, with a starting salary of $48,000.

Bower has said other officers from other departments would respond to incidents in Miami Beach.

“I cannot go to the residents and say I’m gonna raise your millage, I’m gonna raise taxes,” Bower said.

But FOP President Alex Bello said that in response to the mayor’s comments, many police agencies would not send any officers to help in solidarity.

“We need to work together on this problem,” said Bower. “And safety will not be jeopardized during Superbowl week.”

“I’ve heard from Miami-Dade PDA, the teamsters union and police from as far away as Jacksonville, and they’ve said they will not help out the city of Miami Beach,” Bello said.

CBS4’S Tiffani Helberg, Gwen Belton and Sharrie Williams contributed to this report.

“We believe the city has demonized us as police officers, and all we’re asking is that they not take away our benefits,” Bello said.

Bob Deckelbaum says that without the uniformed police presence, public safety is at risk. “They’re going to need extra security at all these events,” Deckelbaum said. “I think this is a bad time for them to negotiate with all the thousands and thousands of people that are going to be down here.” Businesses and hotels relying heavily on the upcoming Super Bowl week also hope the negotiations get sorted out quickly. “We want our guests to feel secure, especially with so many people coming in town,” said Edith Ebanks, of Avalon Hotel. Sanchez also criticized the possibility of bringing in officers from other cities. Sanchez said some of those officers are from rural areas. “There’s no central way of contacting them in case of an

‘Toxic’ Morale ‘Crippling’ Air Marshals

continued from page 1 across the country. The real problem now is being able to keep the qualified candidates because, we’re being told, there’s a mass exodus of really good agents. The problems don’t stop there, Keteyian adds. The chances of a marshal being on the same flight as a terrorist are slim.

According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, there are about 27,000 domestic and international flights per day but, airline industry insiders estimate, only some 3,000 4,000 air marshals, who spend half their time in the air. Not only that but, according to the Transportation Security Administration, which includes the Air Marshal Service, the average air marshal flies 181 days a year - or about 15 days per month, spending five hours

per day in an aircraft. There were no marshals aboard the plane involved in the attempted Christmas Day bombing of Northwest Flight 253.

its officers and teams over to international flights, forcing it to go out to six other federal agencies to accommodate its needs for domestic flights - pulling people from places like the Coast Guard and Border Patrol to fill those roles.

After that terrorism try, President Obama ordered a “surge” in the number of air marshals on international flights.

How is that being accomplished? Keteyian says the service, in essence, moved many of

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February 5, 2010

I-Team: Past Sins Haunt Search & Rescue Team Miami-Dade lost its status as an international first responder after a federal audit discovered the department had been bilking the federal government for overtime expenses.

Reporting Jim DeFede MIAMI (CBS4 I-TEAM) — Within hours of Haiti’s earthquake, MiamiDade’s Urban Search and Rescue Team was mobilizing its 80 members and pulling together equipment. But two days would pass before they would actually go. Instead, U.S. disaster officials initially dispatched search and rescue crews from Fairfax, Virginia and Los Angeles, California. “We could have been in Haiti that same evening,” said Herminio Lorenzo, the Miami-Dade Fire Chief. “Our team was ready; our team was prepared and just waiting for orders to be deployed.” Lorenzo said it was frustrating waiting for orders. “Very frustrating,” he said. “From a rescuers standpoint, to know there is someone in need, to know that we can provide that help and yet there are lines that say, `Do not cross. You can’t go there, not until I tell you to do so.’ It is frustrating because we know there are many people who were suffering, may people who could have been saved.” Lorenzo said the reason rescue teams from Virginia and California were sent before Miami-Dade, stems from a problem Miami Dade Fire had years ago with the U.S. State Department years ago.

The audit revealed Miami-Dade was overbilling the federal government for international disasters it had responded to in the 90’s. According to Lorenzo, when Miami-Dade sends firefighters to a disaster, the shifts those firefighters would have worked here in South Florida are “backfilled” by other firefighters using overtime. Miami-Dade County tried to get reimbursed for that overtime expense by hiding the cost in other expenses, said Lorenzo. Following the audit, when MiamiDade’s contract with the State Department’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance came up for renewal -- Miami Dade was dropped from the list. Now it’s only called into action if the other departments request additional help. “Most of the personnel that were involved at that time are no longer members of the department,” said Lorenzo. “The entire management structure of the department has changed and with it the way that we process and do business.” Ironically, the contract with Fairfax and Los Angeles now allows those agencies to get reimbursed for the overtime costs associated with backfilling those positions. Chief Lorenzo said as recently as six months ago the department tried to get back on the list of first responders but was denied by federal authorities. Last week county commissioners passed a resolution asking the local congressional delegation to petition

the U.S. State Department to get Miami- Dade Fire Rescue reinstated. State Department officials did not respond to requests for comment. “Obviously we learned our lesson,” said County Commissioner Carlos Gimenez. Gimenez -- himself a former fire chief -- said it doesn’t make any sense for the federal government to continue to punish Miami-Dade County by excluding them from the State Department’s first responder contract. “And who are you punishing?” he asks. “You are hurting the people you are trying to help. We have a new [Miami-Dade Fire Department] administration. We will dot our `I’s and cross our `T’s and make sure everything is done the right way. We need to get our folks back on the

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I-Team: Cyber Scams Exploding In South Florida a part-time realtor, Zak knew a 5bedroom house should rent for a lot more than $1500 a month. But the e-mail ad he found in his inbox looked like too much of a good deal for him to believe it.

Reporting Al Sunshine MIAMI (CBS4) — Irving Mercado shrugs his shoulders and groans, “I would never think something like this would happen to me” Mercado likes to double-check his bank statements every month. So when the Miramar resident recently saw an unauthorized payment taken out of his checking account, he thought something was wrong. “I found one thing that was strange to me from cheapest themes dot com and I never heard of them before,” Mercado said. And it turns out it happened again a few months later. He called his bank and then he called us. “I’ve seen the CBS4 I-Team before and how you guys work and how you get things done” he explained. Mercado tried calling the company, but they didn’t return his repeated calls or emails. So he decided to check them out online. He found dozens of similar complaints and said, “That’s when I found out this was a fraudulent website. I found there had been so many other victims who had had charges made on their accounts.” And he’s not the only one who found more than he bargained for on his home computer. David Zak said he almost fell for a rental scam after checking out some recent e-mails. As

Zak said the sender “was asking for like sending him money before sending him money, before I got the keys, not being able to go into the property to look at the property sounded a bit strange to me for a real estate transaction.”

anything back either. If Sunshine does, he’ll you know about it. “You don’t want to give out any personal information such as your birth date your home address,” Zak warned. “Obviously your social security number, credit card information, checking account or bank account information. If it’s too good to be true, make sure you check everything out before you spend any money on it”

So he also called the CBS4 I-Team to tip us off and make sure nobody else might fall for this bogus E-Mail. What do cybercrime experts think about these two Cybercrime cases targeting South Florida Victims?

Cyber scams are also getting a lot more attention from local, state and federal investigators. That’s because of an increasing number of break-ins and data breaches are targeting companies and government agencies and it’s becoming a growing National Security Issue too.

“It’s absolutely getting worse,” Mike Walsh said.

Walsh is an agent with the U-S Secret Service who works out of the Miami Cybercrime squad. He said last year, hackers stole more than 285 million personal records in just one network break-in. His cyber-sleuths recently helped shut-down an international group of hackers in the country’s biggest network break-in. CBS4’s Al Sunshine asked where most of it was based out of? Walsh answered “Right here in Miami. And that’s why the Secret Service now considers South Florida one of national leaders for cyberscams. I would say we’d have to be in the top 3.” Sunshine asked if it’s really that bad here? Walsh explained “Yes it is, and it’s definitely getting worse”. Irving Mercado was able to get some of his money back from his bank and said he still hasn’t heard from the website. Al tried calling and sending them e-mails and haven’t heard

February 5, 2010

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February 5, 2010

Aide: 2010 Budget Deficit Hits $1.35 Trillion CBS News chief political consultant Marc Ambinder said that the effect on the budget, deficit and debt will probably be negligible. The Pentagon, veterans programs, foreign aid and the Homeland Security Department would be exempt from the freeze. The savings would be small at first, perhaps $10 billion to $15 billion, one official said. But over the coming decade, savings would add up to $250 billion.

Disclosure Comes As President Obama Gets Ready To Propose Partial Spending Freeze WASHINGTON (CBS News) —A senior congressional aide says the latest estimates put this year’s federal budget deficit at $1.35 trillion. The Congressional Budget Office figures confirm the massive problem facing President Barack Obama and his Democratic allies just days before his Feb. 1 budget submission. The White House says Obama will propose freezing domestic agency budgets, though the savings would barely make a dent. The deficit would slide to $480 billion by 2015, CBO says, but only if tax cuts on income, investments and large estates are allowed to expire at the end of this year. Most budget experts see deficits as far higher once tax cuts and other policies are factored in. The spending freeze would apply to a relatively small portion of the federal budget, affecting a $477 billion pot of money available for domestic agencies whose budgets are approved by Congress each year. Some of those agencies could get increases, others would have to face cuts; such programs got an almost 10 percent increase this year. The federal budget total was $3.5 trillion. The three-year plan will be part of the budget Obama will submit Feb. 1, senior administration officials said, commenting on condition of anonymity to reveal private details.

The White House is under considerable pressure to cut deficits - the red ink hit a record $1.4 trillion this year or at least keep them from growing. Encouraged by last week’s Massachusetts Senate victory, Republicans are hitting hard on the issue, and polls show voters increasingly concerned. Separately, Obama unveiled plans to help a middle class “under assault” pay its bills, save for retirement and care for kids and aging parents. Obama’s separate public comments previewed the State of the Union address he will deliver Wednesday night. The measures are not intended to create jobs - but to ease the pain, reports CBS News correspondent Chip Reid. “The president is waiting for the economy to turn around and in the interim the best that can happen for him is that people see he is on the case, that he’s working for them,” said CBS News’ John Dickerson. The initiatives amount to a package of tax credits, spending expansions and new mandates on employers to encourage retirement savings by workers. Most of them will be included in Obama’s budget for the fiscal year starting Oct. 1, and they will require approval from Congress. Obama will release that budget Feb. 1. The president’s latest rollout of ideas served as a preview of his prime-time State of the Union address. The economic elements of that speech will also cover Obama’s plans to boost job creation and reduce swelling budget deficits - areas of concern to the public. Obama’s address will outline his second-year agenda across a spectrum of issues, including tighter rules on Wall Street behavior and a push for financial discipline

in Washington. He also is expected to touch on the controversial issue of gays in the military. Among the president’s economic ideas:

The economy is growing, but not fast enough to bring down widespread joblessness. The unemployment rate is at 10 percent and most economists say it could take until at least 2015 for it to return to more normal levels.

- Nearly doubling the tax credit that families making under $85,000 can receive for child care costs, with some help for families earning up to $115,000, too.

The plans Obama set forth came from the yearlong work of a task force, led by Vice President Joe Biden, that was charged with helping the middle class.

- Capping the size of periodic federal college loan repayments at 10 percent of borrowers’ discretionary income to make payments more affordable.

“We’re talking about dignity. We’re talking about security,” Biden said. “We’re talking about knowing your pension is safe, your health insurance is reliable, your elderly parents and your children are going to be cared for, your neighborhood is safe.”

- Increasing by $1.6 billion the money pumped into a federal fund to help working parents pay for child care, covering an estimated 235,000 additional children. - Requiring employers who don’t offer 401(k) retirement plans to offer direct-deposit IRAs for their employees, with exemptions for the smallest firms.

Obama’s initiatives also include expanding and simplifying a tax credit that matches retirement savings, and making 401(k) rules easier to understand.

- Spending more than $100 million to help people care for their elderly parents and get support for themselves as well.

On the matter of gays in the military, Obama has promised to lift the ban on gays serving openly, and several lawmakers support a repeal of the law. But some senior military advisers and members of Congress have urged the president not to shake up the status quo at a time of two wars.

The White House maintained that its imperative still is to create jobs. Unemployment remains in double digits, and the economy is the public’s top concern. Yet Obama said that squeezed families need help in other ways, too: paying for child care, helping out aging parents, saving for retirement, paying off college debt.

Sen. Carl Levin, chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said he had planned to convene a hearing on the issue in January, but that the Obama administration asked him to hold off until the president’s national address.

What matters ultimately to people, Obama said, is “whether they see some progress in their own lives. So we’re going to keep fighting to rebuild our economy so that hard work is once again rewarded, wages and incomes are once again rising, the middle class is once again growing.” Less clear was how much the programs would cost or where the money would come from. Officials deferred comment until the release of the budget. Obama, whose poll numbers are off, is trying to sharpen his economic message in a way that shows people he is on their side. White House officials say they know people have been turned off by the long, messy fight for health insurance reform. Plus, there’s a perception that families have gotten far less help than big banks.

“We were told by the Pentagon that they expected the president to say something in the State of the Union on it,” Levin said. Levin, who favors repealing the law, said he does not know what Obama will say. He said he plans to hold hearings in February and would like to hear testimony from Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mike Mullen. (© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.) NEWS POWERED BY

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The Adtimes Newspaper - CONSUMER

February 5, 2010

Apple Earnings Shoot 50 Percent Higher The iPhone’s rollout in several major new markets, including China and South Korea, helped Apple double sales of the hot phone. Apple also got a boost because now it puts iPhone revenue and profit on its books when the gadget is sold, rather than deferring those results over the presumed life of the device.

CUPERTINO (CBS) — Apple Inc. said it rocketed to its most profitable quarter ever over the holidays. The iPhone’s rollout in several major new markets, including China and South Korea, helped fuel the company’s nearly 50 percent jump in net income over the same period a year earlier, CBS station KPIX-TV reports. Revenue also hit an all-time high, jumping 32 percent. Apple’s numbers for the three months ended Dec. 26 reflect the company’s ability to allure shoppers without deep cuts to its premium prices. Apple’s reputation as a luxury brand hasn’t dented its ability to put up better numbers even as many computer buyers gravitate toward cheaper options. The company offered no clues about what it plans to unveil Wednesday in San Francisco, although analysts expect the new product to be a tabletstyle computer. CEO Steve Jobs indicated that investors should expect a significant event. “The new products we are planning to release this year are very strong, starting this week with a major new product that we’re really excited about,” Jobs said in a statement. Apple also offered a profit and revenue forecast above Wall Street forecasts.

Apple said Monday it earned $3.4 billion, or $3.67 per share, in the latest quarter, which ended Dec. 26. In the same period of 2008, had the same accounting standards been in place, it would have had net income of $2.3 billion, or $2.50 per share. Revenue was $15.7 billion, a 32 percent jump from $11.9 billion in the same period last year. Apple’s report reflected the company’s ability to allure shoppers without deep cuts to its premium prices. Apple’s reputation as a luxury brand hasn’t dented its ability to put up better numbers even as many computer buyers gravitate toward cheaper options. Apple sold 8.7 million iPhones in the quarter, double what it sold in the same period the year before. And its sales of Macintosh computers rose 33 percent. But the 21 million iPods it sold marked an 8 percent decline. Although Apple refreshed its iPod Nano with new colors and a video camera last fall, sales of the iPod have suffered as the iPhone, which has iPod features built in, has grown in popularity. The earnings report was released after Apple shares gained $5.32, 2.7 percent, to close at $203.07. In extended trading the shares rose 61 cents to $203.68. Analysts had been predicting profit of $1.77 per share and revenue of $10.4

billion in the current quarter, according to Thomson Reuters.

were light. People were looking for closer to 9.5 (million).”

“Mac sales were very strong, which more than offset what might be perceived as a ho-hum iPhone number,” said Bill Kreher, an analyst with Edward Jones. “Maybe some on the Street were getting a little euphoric with their expectations on the iPhone.”

Apple forecast earnings for the current quarter of $2.06 to $2.18 a share on revenue of $11 billion to $11.4 billion. Wall Street analysts, on average, had expected earnings of $1.77 a share on revenue of $10.37 billion, but again it was unclear if those estimates were comparable.

Although Wall Street is already looking ahead to the tablet announcement, Apple’s holidayquarter results may have provided the company with a strong start to the week.

Apple’s stock has more than doubled over the past 12 months. The stock rose above $205 after closing at $203.08 on Monday.

Apple, which has surpassed Wall Street expectations for earnings per share by at least 15 percent in the past four quarters, adopted new accounting standards for its fiscal first quarter. Analysts had expected Apple to earn $2.09 per share on revenue of $12.09 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S, but it was not clear if the numbers were comparable given the surprise accounting change. “There is a bit of confusion because the consensus numbers are somewhat meaningless (due to new accounting). There is a state of confusion,” said Kaufman Bros analyst Shaw Wu. “What we do know is the iPhones

“Apple has reached its distribution profile by and large that it’s going to reach for the iPhone,” said Gartner Research analyst Van Baker. “So you would expect that growth would slow somewhat because now it becomes a replacement market as opposed to a new user market.”

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The Adtimes Newspaper - CONSUMER

February 5, 2010

NASA May Soon Turn To Private Companies Proponents of private space, an idea that has been kicking around for nearly 20 years, point to the airline industry in its infancy. Initially the Army flew most planes. But private companies eventually started building and operating aircraft, especially when they got a guaranteed customer in the U.S. government to deliver air mail. That’s what NASA would be: a guaranteed customer to ferry astronauts to the International Space Station through 2020. It would be similar to the few years that NASA paid Russia to fly astronauts on its Soyuz after the Columbia accident in 2003. Obama To Pitch Outsourcing Manufacturing Of Spacecrafts WASHINGTON (CBS) — Getting to space is about to be outsourced. The Obama administration on Monday will propose in its new budget spending billions of dollars to encourage private companies to build, launch and operate spacecraft for NASA and others. Uncle Sam would buy its astronauts a ride into space just like hopping in a taxi. The idea is that getting astronauts into orbit, which NASA has been doing for 49 years, is getting to be so old hat that someone other than the government can do it. It’s no longer really the Right Stuff. Going private would free the space agency to do other things, such as explore beyond Earth’s orbit, do more research and study the Earth with better satellites. And it would spur a new generation of private companies — even some with Internet roots — to innovate. But there’s some concern about that — from former NASA officials worried about safety and from congressional leaders worried about lost jobs. Some believe space is still a tough, dangerous enterprise not to be left to private companies out for a buck. Government would lose vital knowledge and control, critics fear.

“With a $6 billion program you can have multiple winners. You’ll literally have your Blackberry, your iPhone and your Android phone all competing for customers in the marketplace,” said John Gedmark, executive director of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation. The White House has said it will be adding $5.9 billion to the overall NASA budget over five years; Gedmark believes most or all will go to commercial space. Mike Gold, corporate counsel at Bigelow Aerospace, which is building the first commercial space station and is a potential spacecraft provider, believes the government should have privatized astronaut launchings decades ago. “It will force the aerospace world to become competitive again and restore us to our glory days,” Gold said. Last year as part of the stimulus package, NASA said it would give out $50 million in seed and planning money for the idea of a commercial spaceship. Several firms expressed interest and NASA will soon pick a winner or winners. American University public policy professor and space expert Howard McCurdy said this is not as radical as it seems. The shuttle was built not by government workers but by Rockwell

International, a private company. Then in 1996 the Clinton administration outsourced the shuttle’s day-to-day launch and other operations to a private company. “This is something that NASA has been drifting toward in the last 25 years,” McCurdy said. But the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel, created after NASA’s first fatal accident, warned that the existing private rockets are not rated by the government as safe for people to fly on. That has to be addressed with testing and study before jumping into commercial space, the panel said. It’s not that it is impossible to certify these rockets as safe enough for astronauts but it is a long process that is not spelled out, said former NASA associate administrator Scott Pace, now a space policy professor at George Washington University. Peter Diamandis, founder of the X Prize Foundation, which sponsored a competition in suborbital spaceflight, dismissed safety worries: “We don’t fly on U.S. Air Government. We fly on Southwest and JetBlue.” The Federal Aviation Administration, which has a commercial space division, would regulate private space safety and other issues. Pace cautioned that Clinton era efforts to privatize parts of the National Reconnaissance Organization, which builds and operates U.S. spy satellites, as a failure and this could be similar. He added that there’s such strong support in Congress for the current space program a change may be difficult to get through Capitol Hill. New York University government professor Paul Light said: “My general caution is be careful about what you give away. It’s awful expensive to get it back.” But there should be a lot of interest in giving

astronauts the ride if the price is right, Gedmark said. The leading contenders — most are mum at this point — to build private spaceships include established aerospace giants, such as Boeing Co. of Chicago and Lockheed Martin of Bethesda, Md., which built most of America’s rockets and capsules. Boeing and Lockheed Martin have existing rocket families in Delta and Atlas, which launch commercial and government satellites regularly and reliably, but for the moment aren’t rated by the government to be safe enough for humans. That may change. But it’s the newer space guard that brings some excitement to the field. PayPal founder Elon Musk may be ahead of most. His SpaceX already has a Falcon rocket and Dragon capsule. Other companies being mentioned include Orbital Sciences of Dulles, Va., Bigelow Aerospace of Las Vegas and Sierra Nevada Corp. of Sparks, Nev. In the 1980s, Tiffany Montague grew up wanting to get into space and figured she had to work for the government to do that. She joined the Air Force and was a high-altitude pilot. But now she works for Google, running a $30 million prize to encourage private companies to build a rover that can run around the moon. “We’re broadly interested in opening up space to everyone,” Montague said in a phone interview Friday. She said Google is “supportive of commercial spaceflight, we’re enthusiasts. But we’re not space entrepreneurs — at least not yet. Who knows what we might do in the future.” (© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.) NEWS POWERED BY

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The Adtimes Newspaper - CONSUMER

February 5, 2010

Senate Says No Way To Obama’s Deficit Task Force is borrowing to cover 40 percent of the cost of its programs. The report predicts a sluggish economic recovery and continued high unemployment — which presages big political problems for President Barack Obama and his Democratic allies heading into the midterm elections.

President Wanted Bipartisan Panel To Figure Ways To Reduce Deficit WASHINGTON (CBS) —The Senate turned down a proposed plan backed by President Barack Obama to create a bipartisan task force to tackle the federal deficit this year despite glaring new figures showing the enormity of the red-ink threat.

The report sees unemployment averaging 10.1 percent this year as the economy grows by just over 2 percent. It would grow only slightly more next year with an unemployment rate of 9.5 percent. “CBO expects that the pace of economic recovery will be slow,” said agency chief Douglas Elmendorf.

The special deficit panel would have attempted to produce a plan combining tax cuts and spending curbs that would have been voted on after the midterm elections. The measure went down because anti-tax Republicans joined with Democrats who were wary of being railroaded into cutting Social Security and Medicare.

The latest estimates also project that the deficit will drop to $980 billion next year and $480 billion in five years — but only if a host of tax cuts enacted under President George W. Bush are allowed to expire. Most budget experts see deficits nearing or exceeding $1 trillion each year over the next decade once tax cuts and other policies are factored in.

The Senate vote rejecting the deficit task force came just hours after the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office predicted a $1.35 trillion deficit for this year as the economy continues to slowly recover from the recession. “Yet another indication that Congress is more concerned with the next election than the next generation,” said Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., a sponsor of the plan.

It’s a sobering reminder of the fundamental imbalance of the federal government’s budget that comes just days before Obama’s Feb. 1 budget submission. The White House says Obama will propose a three-year freeze on domestic agency budgets, though the savings would barely make a dent. It hasn’t said whether Obama will proposes tax hikes or cuts to spiraling benefit programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.

The budget deficits facing Obama and Congress are large and intractable, and the CBO prediction for 2010 is roughly equal to last year’s record $1.4 trillion ocean of red ink. That means the government

The 2010 deficit figure is in line with previous estimates and would be less, marginally, than last year’s $1.4 trillion shortfall. But plans afoot on Capitol Hill for a new jobs bill and a coming Obama request for war funds

would add to the total. The spending freeze, expected to be proposed by Obama during the State of the Union address on Wednesday, would apply to a relatively small portion of the federal budget, affecting a $477 billion pot of money available for domestic agencies whose budgets are approved by Congress each year. Some of those agencies could get increases, others would have to face cuts; such programs got an almost 10 percent increase this year. The federal budget total was $3.5 trillion. The freeze on so-called discretionary programs would have only a modest impact on the deficit. The steps needed to really tackle such huge deficits include tax increases and curbs on benefit programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. That was the idea behind the Obamabacked plan to pass a law to create a special task force to come up with a plan to curb the spiraling budget deficit. Now, Obama may create a weaker version by a presidential order. But unlike the plan rejected Tuesday, there’s no way to force a Senate vote. Supporters actually garnered 53 votes for the plan co-sponsored by Gregg

and Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad, D-N.D. But 60 votes were required under special floor rules. Thirty-six Democrats and independent Joe Lieberman of Connecticut voted for the plan as did 16 Republicans. The task force was rejected after the powerful seniors lobby, led by AARP, objected to a potential fast-track debate of cuts to Social Security and Medicare. Anti-tax activists and GOP-friendly editorial pages pressed Republicans to oppose it. It would have tried to reveal a deficit reduction blueprint after the November elections for a vote before the new Congress convenes. The plan was offered as an amendment to a deeply unpopular bill to permit the government to borrow an additional $1.9 trillion to finance its operations and prevent a first-ever default on U.S. obligations. (© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.) NEWS POWERED BY

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The Adtimes Newspaper - REAL ESTATE

February 5, 2010

Home Sales Up, Prices Still Down In Sunshine State activity had increased in the year-toyear comparison. According to the National Association of Realtors home sales have seen a boost from the federal homebuyer tax credit.

ORLANDO (CBS4) — As sales continue to increase on a month to month basis, it looks like South Florida’s free falling home prices are stabilizing and may actually be heading back up in some areas. In December, sales of existing homes jumped 24 percent in Broward and a whopping 45 percent in Broward compared to December 2009, according a report released by the industry group Florida Realtors. This was the 16 month that sales

“There are many more potential buyers who can enter the market in the months ahead,” said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. “Activity should ramp up for another surge in the spring when buyers take advantage of the expanded tax credit, which hopefully will take us into a self-sustaining market in the second half of 2010. In all, 4.4 million households are expected to claim the tax credit before it expires, and balance should be restored to the housing sector with inventories continuing to decline.” As for existing home prices, the median was down 5 percent in

Miami-Dade and 2 percent in Broward in the year-to-year comparison. Housing industry analysts say that sales of foreclosures and other distressed properties are distorting the median price figure because they sell at a discount relative to traditional homes. In some areas, like Coral Gables, Plantation, Weston and Coral Springs prices have started to inch up, according to CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald. In Florida’s year-to-year comparison for condos, 5,968 units sold statewide last month compared to 3,132 units in December 2008 for an increase of 91 percent. The statewide existing condo median sales price last month was $107,000; in December 2008 it was $130,300 for an 18 percent decrease.

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The Adtimes Newspaper - REAL ESTATE

February 5, 2010

Innovida Helping Give Haitians New Homes builds lightweight, durable structures but are now building tiny 1-2 bedroom homes that could be key to Haiti’s profound housing need. Call it making lemonade out of the lemons life had dealt.

NORTH MIAMI (CBS4) — Hundreds of thousands of Haitians remain homeless after the 7.0 earthquake destroyed much of the city of Port-au-Prince. Some Haitians are living with nothing more than a tarp for a roof, but a North Miami company is hoping to be the answer to the prayers of many of the Haitians and are using recycled materials to also help the environment. Innovida, based in North Miami,

“Entrepreneurism is really necessary in these times,” Craig Toll of Innovida said. “This is a way that building can be done fast. It can be done strong and these materials are both earthquake and hurricane resistant.” Innovida is offering to donate a thousand homes made of resin and fiberglass and hope to manufacture thousands more. Innovida is offering to donate a thousand of the resin and fiberglass construction homes with the hope of manufacturing thousands more. Not only is the resin and fiberglass material durable, practically

indestructible, it’s incredibly lightweight. It’s a permanent, not temporary housing solution for Haiti. “It’s a chance to have a house that can last 30 years or 40 years,” said Amarilis Osorio of Innovida. The company says it can turn out 30 or 40 of the homes per week. The homes would be shipped in kits that would be put together in Haiti. “We actually want to use local laborers and they don’t have to be skilled to get this done,” Toll said. “Then they have pride in it. They’ve built it and they know it’s theirs.” Long-term, Innovida wants to open up a plant in Haiti to manufacture the structures and the company is already in talks with Haitian government to aid them.

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The Adtimes Newspaper - HEALTH

February 5, 2010

Whole Foods Healthy Employee Plan Sparks Outrage

Overweight Advocates Propose Boycott Of Grocery Store Over Alleged Discriminatory Health Initiative NEW YORK (CBS) — Weigh more and you’ll have to pay more. That’s how some people are interpreting Whole Foods’ new employee discount program. The plan to encourage healthy employees may cost the grocery store some customers. Whole Foods is offering its healthiest and thinnest workers bigger store discounts – and now advocates for the overweight are planning to boycott, reports CBS station WCBS-TV in New York City. “It’s just a way for everybody, for our team members, we’re just encouraging them to get healthier,” said Bimini Hayes of Whole Foods. For thousands of shoppers across the country, Whole Foods markets are synonymous with healthy eating. Their employees may soon embody healthy living – thanks to a new employee discount program. The new, voluntary initiative is called the Team Member Health Discount Incentive Program. CEO John Mackey said the company spent $150 million on health coverage in 2009. He believes the new program can help lower those costs by promoting healthy habits.

“The existing discount is 20 percent, that’s across the board, any store in the company. This is an additional up to 10 percent,” said Hayes.

“There’s a lot of bad eating going on in New York and around the country, so I think it’s in general a good idea,” said West Side resident Robert Carin.

Workers who choose to enroll in the program undergo a health screening and as long as they don’t smoke, maintain healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels and a body mass index that’s considered “normal,” they can save a maximum of 30 percent on everything they buy in the store.

“As someone who’s very conscious about my own health and weight, I feel like if I had that kind of incentive I’d totally go for it,” said Suzette Haas of the Upper West Side.

The BMI aspect has many advocates of the overweight up in arms. Some call the new program misguided, saying Whole Foods is rewarding people who are naturally thin and discriminating against obese employees. “Any policy based on rewards or incentives given because of body size is discriminatory,” fat acceptance advocate Peggy Howell said. Howell is with the National Association for the Advancement of Fat Acceptance. Her organization is encouraging people to boycott Whole Foods. “I will not give my money to someone who is discriminating against people of any size – not just fat people,” she said. Christina Minardi is the president of Whole Foods’ Northeast Region. She says the voluntary program is fair because employees can be overweight and still enjoy additional discounts. “We really encourage people to be at a model weight,” Minardi said. “That doesn’t mean that everybody is going to be skinny, but there are guidelines around what your weight should be, and for your height, and that’s what we encourage.” What do New Yorkers think?

Whole Foods Market is considered a trend setter in many areas. If this program is successful in lowering employee health care costs we could see similar programs in other companies. While the program is slated to begin in March, employees who don’t qualify right off the bat will be eligible for the steeper discounts as they become healthier. Whole Foods says they have a number of programs to help their employees

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The Adtimes Newspaper - HEALTH

February 5, 2010

New Drug Effective in Psoriasis Treatment 22, has been dealing with psoriasis. “It was kind of like just like on my trunk and on my arms just like little dots coming up but I really didn’t know what they were,” she said. The college student has used topical creams and injections before but the relief was minimal. Then she heard about a new injectable called Stelara. Reporting Cynthia Demos MIAMI (CBS4) — Psoriasis is the most common autoimmune disease in the United States affecting 7.5 million Americans. There are all kinds of treatments from topicals to lasers. Now there’s been a significant breakthrough in the treatment of psoriasis, a new injectable medication that you receive just a few times a year. For the last ten years, Olivia Jenkins,

“I was really excited especially because with the Enbrel. I was injecting myself like twice a week and with this it’s once every 3 months.” According to Boca Raton dermatologist Dr. Stefan Weiss, Stelara is a prescription medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. That’s the most common form of

psoriasis when red, thick scales that turn up on the scalp, elbows, knees and stomach. Medicine like Stelara actually suppresses the immune system and it doesn’t allow that immune trigger for the skin cells to replicate.

percent plus efficacy was one shot twice a month or an IV infusion every 8 weeks. This is one shot in the doctor’s office 4 times a year,” explained Weiss. The convenience is a huge benefit for Jenkins who’s also seeing results.

The down side is patients are likely to get more infections because their immune systems are suppressed.

“It’s been clearing up since I started taking it even within just a week and a half to 2 weeks,” she admitted.

“Anything could be an infection so if you have a cold or you cut yourself it’s just that much more significant,” said Dr. Weiss.

Weiss said some of his patients began seeing results just a week after taking Stelara.

According to Weiss, Stelara studies show 2 out of 3 patients have 75percent clearance on their skin within 12 weeks. “It’s a tremendous advance. The best treatment that we had before in terms of patient convenience with 75-

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The Adtimes Newspaper - HEALTH

February 5, 2010

Merhige Massacre Case Spotlights The Mentally Ill Carla Neufeld, who’s 35-year old son is schizophrenic, says she was told more than once that she should Baker Act her child. “That means you send a sick person to jail,” Neufeld says. Four of the six mothers have Bakeracted their children, because they felt like they had no other option. But a person is only held for 72 hours after they’re Baker-acted. Reporting Shannon Hori KENDALL (CBS4) — Last Thanksgiving night Paul Mehrige is accused of going on a shooting rampage. Police say he killed his twin sisters, an elderly aunt, and a six-year old cousin. Mehrige’s parents told police their son, who is now in jail, has a history of mental illness. This case has put the spotlight on the pain and frustration the families of mentally ill children face. CBS4’s Shannon Hori spoke with six women who all have one thing in common: Their children have been diagnosed with a mental illness such as schizophrenia or bi-polar disorder, but their children have never committed violent crimes. Elizabeth Torres, who’s 26-year old son has been diagnosed with a mental illness, says “Sometimes I look into my son’s eyes and say, where are you?” “You can’t see a brain disorder,” says Marilyn Lieberman. “So people don’t know that your loved ones need help.” Tilky, who doesn’t want to give her last name, has a daughter who has been in and out of the hospital because of her mental illness. Tilky says she feels frustration with the system and pain for families going through a similar situation.

The women interviewed say there’s no place in Miami-Dade County for mentally ill people to receive the long-term treatment they need to get better. Drugs are prescribed, but often not taken. Because the child is an adult, privacy laws prevent the parents from getting information about their child’s condition. Pearl Ward, who’s 30-year old son Jamal is currently in the hospital, says that makes it difficult to help her son. “If you can’t talk to me and tell me which medication (he’s on), then how is he going to get help?” Ward says. Torres agrees it is frustrating: “It’s like hitting your head against the wall.” Amy McClellan’s daughter Emily was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder at 15--years-old. McClellan says she was constantly worried about her daughter committing suicide or becoming homeless. “All of us have had many, many sleepless nights, just trying to figure out what we could do next,” McClellan said. McClellan and her husband found a special program in North Carolina for Emily. There she worked on a farm every day, and McClellan said her daughter got better. Emily is now 26-years-old and is McClellan’s inspiration for bringing a

similar program to Miami-Dade County. They have a vision for a place like Vincent House in Pinellas Park, near Tampa. It’s what’s called a clubhouse. There are 300 clubhouses around the world. Her fellow board member Neufeld says that for mentally ill people to get stable, drugs might be a component, but more important is community support, counseling, and peer support. At the clubhouse, those with mental illness work alongside staff members doing what needs to be done to run the clubhouse. The goal is to improve their lives, find work, and rejoin the world. “With the right environment, right approach, they could be useful individuals. and that’s what they want,” Tilky said.

The clubhouse in Miami-Dade would be called The Key Clubhouse of South Florida. The group is now looking to hire an executive director and for a location for the clubhouse. McClellan’s daughter Emily recently gave a contribution to it. “We’ve been through years and years,” McClellan said, “and now we’re coming out on the other end and we can do something about this.” (© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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The Adtimes Newspaper - ENTERTAINMENT / DINING

February 5, 2010

Bar Owners In Grove Fight For Later Last Calls because they could not compete with other areas which allow alcohol service until 5 a.m. The discussion over the ordinance was just that, a discussion and there’s no word on when a decision may be made.

MIAMI (CBS4) —Dozens of people showed up to a City of Miami commission meeting to voice their concerns about an ordinance that requires bars to stop serving alcohol at 3:00 a.m. Bar owners want the last alcohol call time to be changed to the original 5:00 a.m. closing time. They say the ordinance, which passed in 2008, has forced many establishments to go out of business

Club owner Shawn Shahnazi says cutting liquor hours has torpedoed the Grove’s nightlife. He had two nightclubs in Cocowalk for five years that shut down just months after the Grove ordinance took effect. Shahnazi said, “You can’t compete, it’s not competitive enough. Why would a customer come here? Just about every nightclub in Coconut Grove went out of business.” There are some, however, some that want the 3 a.m. ordinance adopted citywide. Avid cyclist June Savage is one of them. She rides at the crack

of dawn with dozens of friends in Coconut Grove, who she says all fear being hit by a late night partier. “There’s always the concern of being hit from behind from a car and not knowing if that person is intoxicated or not,” Savage told CBS4’s Natalia Zea. “I think we have the right to safety in this community, much more than the people have the right to get drunk and be intoxicated until 5 a.m. in a residential neighborhood.” According to the Miami Police Department, the streets are safer since that rule went into effect. Crime is down more than 50-percent across the board in the grove, between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. “The quality of life is much, much better,” said Commissioner Marc

Sarnoff. So much better, according to Sarnoff, that he wants to study the impact of limiting liquor hours to 3 a.m. elsewhere in Miami. Shahnazi believes all of Miami will take a hit if 3:00 a.m. becomes the new rule citywide. “Miami’s known for one thing: nightlife. The whole world comes here to party. What else do we have but tourism? This is tourism.” Commissioner Sarnoff believes the economy, not his ordinance is hurting the nightlife in the Grove. (© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) NEWS POWERED BY

Cheap Eats: Thai, Sushi, Health Food & Bar Bites Siam Palace Thai Restaurant. For 15 years, Cynthia Halelamien has been greeting guests while serving up some of the tastiest Thai you’ll ever try. “All my food is so authentic,” Halelamien said. “My chef stays with me for 20 years. I never changed a chef.”

Reporting Lisa Petrillo MIAMI (CBS4) — From delicious Thai to healthy alternative American fast food to great-priced drinks, South Florida is full of cheap and delicious food and drink – if you know where to look! If you live anywhere near Sunset Drive off 99th Street in Southwest Miami, you’ve probably heard of

A few months ago she opened a sushi bar, and it’s become popular with both longtime customers and newcomers. From steaming hot soups to Thai traditional dishes and more, Siam Palace is a diner’s delight. Heading northeast, the University Chicken Grill can be found across the street from the University of Miami. Think healthy, gourmet fast food service without the high price tag.

The family-owned eatery is packed with UM students and smart foodies; from wraps to chops to salads, the menu doesn’t lack a thing and it’s all for a great prices. “Everything is marinated in-house,” owner Iggy Abela told CBS4’s Lisa Petrillo. “It’s marinated for 24 hours for juicy goodness.” And if you drive further north to Aventura, you’ll find a fancy, highend eatery made famous in ritzy Beverly Hills. The Grill on the Alley premiered in the northern MiamiDade County town just over a year ago. There’s nothing cheap about the regular menu, but the bar offers great bites for a great price. From 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. five nights a

week, you’ll find $7 martinis, appetizers for $3.95 and small plates (which aren’t that small!) for $4.95. General Manager Jeff Martin pointed out, “You can actually create a whole meal during bar bites from the appetizers section, all the way to the $4.95 section.” Some of the choices include a huge chicken pot pie, Kobe sliders and calamari. No matter what type of food or atmosphere you’re going for, it’s not that hard to find cheap eats without a cheap taste across South Florida. (© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) NEWS POWERED BY

For information call: 305-477-1699

The Adtimes Newspaper - ENTERTAINMENT / DINING

February 5, 2010

‘Gourmet On Wheels’ Lunch Truck Rolls Into Miami homeless find work. Each shift onboard the lunch truck is staffed by a worker from Project Vacant Streets and a culinary student from Johnson and Wales.

By Arezow Doost MIAMI (CBS4) — The creator of the Latin Burger and Taco Truck calls it “gourmet on wheels.” The mobile food concept created by Food Network TV host Ingrid Hoffman joined a Miami charity that helps the

“We’re not social workers. We want to help people who want to go into a new career and give them a second chance so then I said I can justify the craziness in my head, if we’re doing something really cool,” Hoffman told CBS4’s Lisa Petrillo. They employ people such as Robert Peoples, who lost his cooking job of 36 years and found himself homeless, but thanks to Project Vacant Streets he met Hoffman and that changed his life. “I haven’t changed a bit. Everything is

going up instead of down; I’m very happy,” Peoples said.

hours before arriving on Twitter @latinburger and on Facebook.

On the menu, the on-the-go gourmet street food fare includes a Latin burger made from chorizo and sirloin, with caramelized jalapeño, melted cheese and special sauces priced at $5.75. It also offers chicken tomatillo tacos priced at $2.50.

During a recent afternoon, Gerard and his friends from Miami came out to the parking lot near Miami’s Midtown for lunch.

“I get to test recipes and see what they like and don’t like-- right now they are liking everything,” Hoffman said. Everything is made fresh to order with recipes from a cook who knows her stuff. The truck moves daily – without paid advertising. Her only publicity tool is aimed at her fans on Twitter and Facebook. They will post their location

When asked how he heard about it, Gerard replied: “From here on Twitter – I came here to try it – can’t beat the price? 5 bucks for a burger, come on!” (© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) NEWS POWERED BY

Just The Flax: Fad Diet Has Real Benefits

MIAMI (CBS4) — Flaxseed has become a health food sensation with real benefits, according to doctors and nutritionists. Lori Dowdle uses flaxseed every day for breakfast foods such as muffins and pancakes. She even puts it in smoothies and peanut butter. Even her son, Mathias, who is a picky eater, has no problem with eating flaxseed. “I found it at Wal-Mart for $1.97 a box,” Dowdle said, “and I can throw it in everything.” During the Middle Ages, flaxseed was used in breads. But through the years, people stopped using it because it spoils quickly. Today, the stalk is used to make linens. And now, as you may

have noticed, the seed is making a comeback on store shelves.

And Jones has a ‘buyer beware’ tip for those using flaxseed for other benefits.

You can find flaxseed now in breads, chips and granolas. Nutritionist Regan Jones said flaxseed contains fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. “Universally, health experts agree omega-3 fatty acids are healthy for us,” said Jones. “It’s a little bit of a craze, but a craze based in some credible science.”

“I think it’s a terrible misconception that people think they can buy this, sprinkle it in muffin batter and they’re getting all the omega-3 fatty acids,” Jones said.

Omega-3 fatty acids reduce the risk of heart disease and overall inflammation, like rheumatoid arthritis, in the body. And Dr. Vitaly Margulis of UT Southwestern Medical Center is now watching new studies focusing on breast and prostate cancer patients. “There is evidence that flaxseed did have a positive impact in the biology of prostate cancer in about a month of use,” said Margulis. “That’s quite remarkable.” Researchers at MD Anderson in Houston are finding prostate cancer patients taking flaxseed have fewer actively dividing cancer cells. But Margulis said he will only recommend flaxseed for his cancer patients after more research is complete.

Whole seeds, like those in some bread, may not do much good. You need to grind them. And whether you are buying products or making your own recipes, Jones said, a tablespoon of milled flaxseed is the best way to get your daily allowance.

Dowdle and her family, meanwhile, continue to add flaxseed to meals. “We have lots of history of blood pressure and heart disease, so I’d like to fight against that early on.” The shelf life for milled flaxseed and oil is six to 12 months, and it should be refrigerated. You can also cook with it. (© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) NEWS POWERED BY

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The Adtimes Newspaper - SPORTS

February 5, 2010

Ex-NBA Star Grant Battles Parkinson’s America. Even inside, the Pacific Northwest air is fresh and soothing. Relaxation and contentment are interrupted by the occasional, damning Bengals turnover, and also by the tremors -- a skittish, unruly metronome that can’t be controlled or predicted.

CBSSports.com Exclusive: Determined Brian Grant Eyes Future While Battling Relentless Disease (CBS) This story was written by CBSSports.com Senior Writer Ken Berger The afternoon sunlight lets itself into Brian Grant’s living room, a welcome guest these days. Playoff football is on the flat-screen TV, the Jets against Grant’s beloved Bengals. He reclines in a leather lounge chair, a remote control and iPhone at the ready, his left hand shaking ever so slightly -- but always, always shaking. This is the rhythm of Grant’s life. Thirteen-yearold Elijah, wearing a basketball jersey and his dad’s long, elegant dreadlocks, is getting ready for a game. Another son, 11-year-old Jaydon, is taking care of the dog before heading to a game of his own. A daughter, 7-year-old Maliah, is at dance class, and 6-year-old Anaya is busy, too. This week will be a good one. “I will pretty much be Mr. Mom,” Grant said. The house, in full view of the Cascade Mountains on a clear day like this, is bustling with the kind of weekend activity that envelops homes across

Other than twitching and fatigue in his left shoulder, Brian Grant feels no pain. His 6-foot-9, 250-pound frame still looks capable of setting up shop under an NBA basket, there to hold its own against bigger, more hulking bodies. Emptiness comes and goes without warning, an uninvited visitor called depression. Another disease, Parkinson’s, is more persistent. It’s here for good. The tremors begin when Grant opens his eyes every morning and don’t subside until his dreadlocked head hits the pillow for a night of sweet, glorious sleep. Thankfully, the part of the brain where Parkinson’s lives shuts down when you dream. “When you’ve got to go out and bang against Shaq or go out and play against a David Robinson or a Karl Malone, it’s like you see your opponent in front of you,” Grant said. “You know that your opponent is flesh and blood and you know that they’ve got weaknesses the same as anybody. And so there’s sort of an encouragement to that. But with this, there’s no beating it. This is something that is eventually going to catch up to you. It’s either going to happen quickly, or it’s going to take a long time. It’s like being in a fight that you know you can’t win.”

He started unraveling soon after knee problems forced him to retire from the NBA in 2006 at age 33. His world stopped, and he drifted into a deep, unforgiving darkness he couldn’t explain -- or didn’t want to. His wife, Gina, would come home from a day’s work as a Latin dance instructor only to find her husband right where she’d left him that morning -- in the bedroom, eating cereal and watching TV with the blinds drawn. “I knew something was wrong, because this wasn’t normal,” Grant said. “I knew I didn’t miss it that much.” “It” was playing basketball, something Grant did with a rare combination of brute force, recklessness and delicate skill. A relentless bruiser out of Xavier, Grant had been advised time and again to skip the 1994 pre-draft camp, which in those days was held in Phoenix. Nothing to gain, everything to lose, they told him. But one person believed in Grant -- his agent, Mark Bartelstein. Today, Bartelstein is one of the most influential agents in the NBA, with dozens of clients. But back then, he was staking his reputation on Grant attending that camp and shining. Before the ball went up, Grant sought out guard Khalid Reeves and told him: “I will beat everyone down the floor on every play. Get me the ball and I’ll get both of us drafted.” Grant dominated the competition and was picked eighth by Sacramento. Reeves went 12th to Miami.

run through guys like Brian,” Williams said. “He was kind of a throwback for me, he and guys like Otis Thorpe, Mark Bryant and Charles Oakley. When he set screens, you’d feel it in your back. It just jarred your whole body. Coming back up the floor, you’d get a salty taste in your mouth and then you’d realize, ‘That’s blood.’” To a pillar of strength like Grant, the word “depression” was synonymous with “weakness” - until he was diagnosed with it. What he learned later almost knocked him over: Depression and Parkinson’s often go hand-in-hand, a brutal double-team that converges on you like two Shaqs. According to medical journals, many Parkinson’s patients experience depression because of reduced dopamine levels in the brain. There is disagreement over which comes first -in other words, whether depression contributes to Parkinson’s or is merely an early symptom of the disease. “The thing about it is, I’m always on the edge,” Grant said. “I can feel myself wanting to slip back into it. That doesn’t happen to everybody, but I recognize it. Some mornings I get up and can just feel it, and you’ve just got to tell yourself, ‘No, I’m going to get up and do what I have to do. I’m going to take my kids to school. I’m not going to think about any negative stuff that’s going on. I’m going to think about what I can accomplish today and that’s how it’s going to be.’

The fight began about a year ago, when Grant stood in a doctor’s office, peering out the window, and heard these words wash over him: “You’ve got young-onset Parkinson’s ...”

Monty Williams, now patrolling the Blazers’ sideline as Nate McMillan’s lead assistant, was selected 24th by the Knicks in that draft -- which earned him nine years of colliding with Grant’s cement-like screens.

“If you think about it too long, you just start sinking into the chair and you don’t want to go anywhere,” Grant said, his voice drifting off to a deep, dark place. “And you’re like, ‘Damn, I’m almost in it. I’m going to get out of here before I’m in it.’ Because once you’re in, dude? It’s hard to get out.”

He was 36 years old when he heard that sentence -- a sentence in every sense of the word.

“Being a wing player running off screens and chasing around the top scorers, I always had to

A believer in naturopathic medicine, continued on page 43

For information call: 305-477-1699

continued

The Adtimes Newspaper - SPORTS

February 5, 2010

Ex-NBA Star Grant Battles Parkinson’s from the NBA. Last May, he decided to go public with his condition, announcing his Parkinson’s diagnosis to a national TV audience. Close friends, like Blazers head athletic trainer Jay Jensen and other members of the organization Grant played for from 1997-2000, already knew.

continued from page 41 Grant manages his depression with an herbal remedy and counseling sessions. He takes a host of other vitamins and minerals geared toward, among other things, reducing an unusually elevated mercury count. Medical doctors aren’t ready to make the connection, but Grant believes that his body’s inability to process mercury -- which collects in fatty tissue like the part of the brain linked to Parkinson’s -- contributed to his early onset of the disease. The majority of Parkinson’s victims are in their 50s or 60s when the disease takes hold; some health providers estimate that 5 to 10 percent of victims are under age 40. There’s a laundry list of treatments, procedures and eventually prescription drugs that will be available to help Grant slow the progress and mask the effects of Parkinson’s. But the answers he craves -- how fast the disease will progress, and how widespread its impact will be -- don’t exist. “This opponent has a face, but you don’t know what it’s going to do,” Grant said. “You have no clue as to how it’s going to attack you. At times, that can put fear into me.” Today, Grant has emerged from the darkness that flooded his life in the months and years after retiring

“If you didn’t see the symptoms from the Parkinson’s, you wouldn’t even know it,” Williams said. “He doesn’t walk around with a sad look on his face. He’s always smiling, always going out of his way to say, ‘What’s up?’ to the guys. A lot of former players get standoffish because they think the younger guys don’t know who they are. Brian’s not like that. He’s a cool cat. That’s the only way you could put it.” Getting diagnosed with a debilitating neurological disease that afflicts other celebrities has meant that Grant doesn’t have to walk alone. He has met actor Michael J. Fox and iconic boxing champ Muhammad Ali, both battling Parkinson’s. In November, Grant joined Fox in New York for a fundraising gala benefiting the Michael J. Fox Foundation. He met Ali in Phoenix last year at the dedication of an expanded Muhammad Ali Parkinson’s Center. Grant proudly posted photos of himself and Ali on his Facebook page, but the event also provided a cruel preview of what the future may hold. Ali, 68, the greatest, most flamboyant champion in the history of American sports, needed two people to help him walk. A giant of sports, a semi-automatic self-promoter, Ali could no longer speak. Not a single word.

the disease. “Lose the vanity,” Grant said. “People are going to look. Your tremor is going to be your tremor. It will be there, but you kind of have to lose it all and put it all out of your mind. Don’t let Parkinson’s rule you. You’ve got to rule Parkinson’s as best you can.” We go for a ride in Grant’s SUV, dropping Jaydon at basketball practice. The sun seems unusually low in the sky for the middle of the day, barely 2 p.m. local time in the mountains. He takes me for a ride around town, and it doesn’t take long to understand why he moved here from South Beach a few years ago. Here it is quiet, and the clean air and simple life are good for a family. Mount Hood watches over us in the distance, an inspiring sight like none you’ve ever seen. We drive past his old home, a pristine mansion that he still calls his dream house, not far from where he lives now. Gina lives there, and the realtor’s sign gives away the obvious. First depression and Parkinson’s, and now divorce has come to knock on Brian Grant’s door.

through something like that, your bad days are frequent. And a lot of the times, you’re the only one who knows.” The bad days come and go. The good ones are filled with rides to and from school and basketball gyms. The great days? In some ways, the great days are still ahead. Grant is busy planning a fundraising gala and golf tournament in Portland for Aug. 1-2, hoping to get commitments from Ali’s family and from Fox. Former teammates, rivals and coaches e-mailed and texted after he went public with Parkinson’s and said, “If there’s anything I can do ...” One at a time, they’re getting called on those offers. With the playoffs and summer league over by then, Grant is hoping for a big NBA turnout at his event, the first meaningful step in this new life -- his life with Parkinson’s. “It’s just like anything else,” Grant said. “You’ve just got to keep battling until you can’t battle anymore.” ©MMX, CBS Interactive Inc.. All Rights Reserved. NEWS POWERED BY

“I think my marriage was a victim of a lot of things,” Grant said. “Gina is a wonderful woman. It’s not just from the time I retired. That played a big part of it, but it was stuff throughout my career with me. Everything just came to a head -- past and present, both sides. And for me, it just happened at the wrong time. We’re friends, and we do everything that we can to help the kids.”

“It can be a scary feeling,” Grant said. “And even worse, not knowing how it’s going to affect me. Am I going to not be able to walk or talk? Am I going to be so drugged up that I’m not going to be able to do anything with my kids?”

He has two other sons, Amani and Jonavan, and the energy he used to pour into boxing out and rebounding now goes to something much more rewarding. There are people in the world who care a great deal about Brian Grant, and it has nothing at all to do with the millions he earned or the thousands of points he scored on the basketball court.

Parkinson’s steals your dignity, one sentence at a time, unless you do what Fox told Grant was the single most important factor in learning to live with

“My prayer is that he could have people around him who support him and will be there for him when he has bad days,” Williams said. “Because when you go

The Adtimes Newspaper February 5, 2010 Edition

For information call: 305-477-1699

The Adtimes Newspaper - AUTOMOTIVE

February 5, 2010

Toyota Dealers Unsure How To Respond To Recall answer was, wait for me to get a postcard in the mail and get a recall and then we’ll see what we do about it,” she said.

Dealers Flooded With Hundreds Of Calls, Few Answers For Concerned Customers NEW YORK (CBS) — It’s the big question Wednesday for Toyota owners: is your car safe to drive? In a stunning setback, the automaker has stopped selling eight popular models in the U.S. because of concerns the accelerator could stick, making the car almost impossible to stop. It’s the latest move from the world’s largest automaker in damage control: Toyota said it will take a hit to its bottom line by not selling the cars, even announcing it’ll halt production in an effort to save lives. “I’m constantly on the New Jersey Turnpike back and forth, and I’m scared to death,” said New Jersey mom Debbie Reilly, who said she needs her 2009 Camry, but feels she can no longer depend on it. “You can’t just go to where you bought it and say, ‘Am I affected? They don’t even have a solution,” said Bayside resident Debbie Cohen. At least six deaths have been linked to faulty gas pedals. One safety firm says there are more than 2,000 reports of sudden acceleration in Toyotas. Reilly, like millions of other Toyota owners, is looking for answers, but not getting them, CBS station WCBS-TV reports. “I called my dealership and their

“They seem to be getting to the point where they’re isolating the specific vehicles and the specific VIN numbers, but it’s not gonna be quick enough for those people who have a vehicle on the road right now and have to be concerned that they have an accelerator issue,” said John Giamalvo of Edmunds.com. Toyota said the problem is rare, but Giamalvo said owners who have 35,000 miles or more on their cars should be watching out for sticky accelerators, a sign that there may be wear and tear that could lead to sudden acceleration. “Thirty-five-thousand miles or higher – hold on to using it daily or keeping it in the garage if you can,” said Giamalvo. Toyota did not return calls for comment, and WCBS-TV tried to talk to the general manager of an Astoria Toyota dealership about owners’ concerns and whether loaner vehicles were an option, however the manager declined to comment. With Toyota urging customers to call their dealers, dealership employees have been flooded with hundreds of calls an hour, yet they’ve been provided no formal policy to provide loaners or a fix for the sticking gas pedals. “I don’t think any dealer is going to be in the situation where they can be able to provide loaner cars especially when you’re talking about models you’re talking about – the Camry, the #1 seller car,” said Giamalvo. Now with sales suspended, that number one status could be in jeopardy. It could be weeks before a solution is even approved at the federal level.

The 2009-2010 Pontiac Vibes may have same problem. Along with the affected Toyotas, they are being pulled from the rental fleets of Avis, Enterprise, Alamo and National.

(Tundra)

The automaker said the U.S. sales suspension includes the following models: the 2009-2010 RAV4, the 2009-2010 Corolla, the 2007-2010 Camry, the 2009-2010 Matrix hatchback, the 2005-2010 Avalon large sedan, the 2010 Highlander crossover, the 2007-2010 Tundra pickup and the 2008-2010 Sequoia large SUV.

The sticking accelerator pedal recall is separate from the on-going recall of Toyota and Lexus vehicles to reduce the risk of pedal entrapment by incorrect or out of place accessory floor mats. Approximately 1.7 million Toyota Division vehicles are subject to both separate recall actions.

The company issued a press release on its Web site, detailing the full list of affected vehicles: 2009-2010 RAV4, 2009-2010 Corolla, 2009-2010 Matrix, 2005-2010 Avalon, Certain 2007-2010 Camry, 2010 Highlander, 2007-2010 Tundra, 2008-2010 Sequoia No Lexus Division or Scion vehicles are affected by these actions. Also not affected are Toyota Prius, Tacoma, Sienna, Venza, Solara, Yaris, 4Runner, FJ Cruiser, Land Cruiser and select Camry models, including all Camry hybrids, which will remain for sale. Due to the sales suspension, Toyota is expected to stop producing vehicles on the following production lines for the week of February 1 to assess and coordinate activities. The North America vehicle production facilities affected are: • Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Canada (Corolla, Matrix, and RAV4) • Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Indiana (Sequoia and Highlander) • Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky – Line 1 (Camry and Avalon) • Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. (Camry) • Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Texas

No other North American Toyota vehicle production facilities are affected by the decision to stop production.

The Adtimes Newspaper February 5, 2010 Edition

The Adtimes Newspaper

February 5, 2010

Horoscopes provided by www.astrology-online.com

NEWSPAPER NEWS POWERED BY

Pisces

(Jan. 21-Feb. 18)

(Feb. 19-Mar. 20)

You might be overly emotional when dealing with your partner. It’s time to reevaluate your motives. False information is likely if you listen to idle chatter or gossip. Don’t be too quick to respond to a plea for help. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Saturday.

PUBLISHER Tony Gambirazio ART DIRECTOR Tammy Kukic DIRECTOR OF SALES Hector Collado ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVES Ines Collado Cleo Saenz Cesar Rodriguez INSIDE SALES Sarah White Ileana Patuto OFFICE MANAGER Montserrat Surroca

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Use your charm, but don’t sign or agree to anything. You will do well if you mingle with the brass this month. You will reach the most people if you speak out at an organizational function. You might not be as reserved on an emotional level as you’d like. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Wednesday.

Cancer

Taurus

Gemini

(Apr. 21-May 21)

(May 22-June 21)

Do not let others exhaust you financially. You must take care not to over exert yourself if involved in sports. If you’ve been under stress and worrying about older members of the family, it’s time to come to terms with the situation.You will be overly generous with children this month. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Wednesday.

(June 22-July 22)

You need time to think things through. Property purchases should be on your mind. Chronic health problems are likely to surface if you are keeping your problems locked up inside. Try to channel your energy into physical work. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Saturday.

You have to take hold of your life and make some crucial decisions. Try to concentrate on research and acquiring information that will be of value in your chosen field. Someone important may be watching you from afar. Sudden trips will take you by surprise. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Saturday.

Leo

Virgo

Libra

(July 23-Aug. 23)

(Aug. 24-Sept. 22)

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

Focus on what’s important rather than spreading yourself too thin and accomplishing little. You will learn easily if you put forth an effort. You may find a rare antique this month. You’ll be dropping friends for no apparent reason. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Thursday.

FRANCHISING Tony Gambirazio

(Mar. 21-Apr. 20)

Your generous nature could be taken advantage of. You may be angry if someone tries to take credit for something you did. Do what you can but don’t jeopardize your health trying to please everyone. You may be up for some changes in your home. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Wednesday.

You will find that social activities will be enjoyable and will promote new connections. Deal with inlaws this month. Do not force your opinions on others the connections will be short lived. Deep discussions may only lead to friction.Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Friday.

Risky financial ventures will result in unrecoverable losses. Don’t let anyone take credit for a job you did. Some of your new friends may not be that trustworthy.You may not be that popular at home but you should be able to shine at social gatherings. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Thursday.

Scorpio

Sagittarius

Capricorn

(Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

Changes regarding your career direction will payoff handsomely. You may have major blowups with someone you love if you don’t back down. Try to make arrangements with close friends or relatives to spend a few days away. Be cautious handling tools, machinery, or dangerous objects. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Sunday.

(Dec. 22-Jan. 20)

The home environment will be unpredictable this month. They will not have the patience to wait for you to complete things that they’ve asked you to do. You need to keep everyone on your domestic scene too busy to complain. You may be likely to have difficulties with females. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Friday.

Try to take some time to listen to their complaints, and in turn, do something to appease them. Family trips or projects should be on your mind.You could find yourself caught in a one sided relationship. Entertainment should include your whole family. Your luckiest events this month will occur on a Friday.

January’s Solution

6 8 1 3 2 5 7 9 4

2 7 4 9 1 8 6 5 3

9 5 3 7 4 6 2 8 1

1 9 7 4 5 3 8 2 6

8 2 6 1 9 7 3 4 5

3 4 5 6 8 2 1 7 9

7 1 8 5 6 4 9 3 2

4 3 9 2 7 1 5 6 8

5 6 2 8 3 9 4 1 7

2 1 6 7 2 4 5 6

6 2 1 8 8 5 2

3 5 6 6 9 4 1

4 8 1 6 5 3

Look For Our Next Edition: FEBRUARY 19, 2010

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