Consumer confidence hits 28 year high in December
Americans feel strongest about finances since 1969 as the Conference Board reports consumer confidence rising to 134.5 in December from 128.1 in November. Steve Hoey of Huntington, New York, notes growth, jobs, and competitiveness boosting optimism while strolling with his children in Rockefeller Center. The index exceeds Wall Street expectations and signals a sustained expansion ahead.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
New York
Steve Hoey
Huntington
N.Y
Rockefeller Center
Conference Board
Disabled child loses SSI benefits under 1996 reforms
Rosa Williams and her family lose a $484 monthly SSI check for her 15-year-old son born with dwarfism and arthritis. The 1996 Welfare Reform Act reduced eligibility, affecting about 135,000 of the roughly 1 million SSI recipients. Williams is seeking work while caring for her disabled husband.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Rosa Williams
Williams
Social Security Administration
Ector Junior High
Odessa Fire Department rolls out enhanced EMS plan
Odessa Fire Department launches a new emergency response plan to cut response times. Eight paramedic engines will carry four personnel plus ALS equipment, with four stations hosting full-time ambulances and six firefighters per unit. Two crew on ambulances respond from the nearest station.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Odessa
Steve Pollack
Pollack
Brother of man who seized day care holds wife hostage
In McKinney Texas two weeks after James Lipscomb stormed a Plano day care and took 80 children and five adults hostage his brother James Monroe Lipscomb Jr. held his estranged wife and two of their three children hostage at a public housing complex. Police sought a peaceful surrender though no deal emerged.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Simmons
Lipscomb
James Monroe Lipscomb Jr
Plano
McKinney
James Riccardo Lipscomb
Mexico death squads operate in secret cruel world
In Chiapas the largely invisible paramilitary death squads levy night taxes to fund weapons and terror villagers. A recent attack in Acheal killed 45 and wounded 31, fueling claims of local complicity and possible federal ties denied by officials. Residents report nightly harassment while police and soldiers conduct raids seeking hidden gunmen.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Puebla
Mexico
Zapatista
Chiapas
Acheal
Mexico City
Pedro Hernandez Gutierrez
San Cristobal de Las Casas
New Year brings sweeping state laws across the nation
New York AP reports hundreds of 1998 laws take effect at midnight, including California ear wax removal for audiologists easing hearing tests. Other changes raise or lower taxes, mandate health coverage, and touch on body piercing rules and pig immunization. California audiologists celebrate a smoother consumer experience.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
New York
California
Gail Sollid
California Academy of Audiology
Colorado
New Mexico
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U.S
Larry Beckner
Fred Rodriguez
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Gonzalez
Mona Charen
Abby
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