| Wal-Mart to open in-store clinics
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. will open its first in-store medical clinics under its own brand name after leasing space in dozens of stores to outside companies that operate the quick-service health stops. The world's largest retailer said yesterday it will open "The Clinic at Wal-Mart" as a joint venture with local hospital systems in Atlanta, Dallas and Little Rock, Ark., starting in April. Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart is among several U.S. supermarket and drug store chains that in the past couple of years have begun opening store-based health clinics, which are staffed mostly by nurse practitioners or physician assistants and offer quick service for routine conditions from colds and bladder infections to sunburn. .
Author reads into "Other People" stories
Zadie Smith might be best known as the audaciously skilled young author of "White Teeth" and "On Beauty," but she claims her gifts lie elsewhere. "I think I'm a pretty talented writer," she once told the poet Robert Hass, "but I'm a great reader." Judging by "The Book of Other People," an anthology of stories she edited to benefit 826, Dave Eggers' writing lab for kids, Smith might be on to something. Who else would put graphic novelist Chris Ware and Irish novelist Colm Toibin between the same pages of a short story anthology? Smith's instructions to them were simple: "Make somebody up." That permission seems to rub off on the work. "The Book of Other People" is full of writers taking chances. Some of the characters we meet here talk their way into existence, like Rhoda, the chatterbox grandmother in Jonathan Safran Foer's story.
Execution for child rape?
The goal is to put the issue in play in Colorado," Ward said. Under current Colorado law, those convicted of raping a child 15 or younger must serve four years to life in prison, with a parole board freeing them only after they have demonstrated they are no longer a threat to society. Those rapists must spend at least eight years in prison if, during their sexual assault, they also applied force against their victim, threatened their victim or committed a pattern of sexual assault. Ward's bill would mandate the death penalty or life in prison for a new crime called "aggravated sexual assault on a child" for that second, more serious class of rape, in cases where the child was 12 or younger. Ward said he is aware his bill could become a lightning rod. But he insists he is putting it forward because it's good policy and not because he is running this year to replace U.S.
TELUS Reports Profit of $400 Million in Fourth Quarter 2007
Vancouver, BC, February 15, 2008--(T-Net)--TELUS Corporation today reported fourth quarter 2007 revenue of $2.33 billion, an increase of 3.4 per cent from a year ago. The performance was driven by nine per cent growth in wireless revenue and seven per cent growth in wireline data revenue, partially offset by declines in local and long distance wireline revenues. Consolidated earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) increased eight per cent to $953 million due to a 14 per cent increase in the wireless segment and two per cent increase in the wireline segment.
Net income in the quarter was $400 million and earnings per share (EPS) was $1.23, up 66 per cent and 73 per cent respectively. Net income and EPS included favourable tax related adjustments of approximately $143 million or 44 cents per share, compared to $20 million or six cents a year ago.
Personal Finance 101 with H. Swint Friday
We are entering the last weekend before Christmas and I am sure everyone is scrambling to get all of their last-minute shopping and holiday preparations ready. A shopper interviewed by a local TV news crew last week had some obvious but good advice that this is not a time to be stressed, but to enjoy. Easy to say. As adults, many of us have a number of stressful responsibilities on our shoulders at this time of year. One of if not the largest is the financial burden created by the customary holiday celebrations. The other stresses include the time and effort required to make sure the holidays are fun for everyone we care about. The magnitude of these stresses is readily observable as we see suicide rates rise dramatically this time of the year. The best advice I can give is to do the best you can and realize that your financial and personal health and sanity depend on not trying to do, expect or demand too much from the holidays.
Chambers Of Commerce Endorse New Health Insurance Plan To Help Small ...
VISALIA, Calif. - (Business Wire) California chambers of commerce are increasingly taking a leadership role to help small businesses cope with rising healthcare costs and improve access to quality health insurance for their employees, according to BEN-E-LECT, a leading third party administrator (TPA) and innovator of Employer Driven Health Plans. "We’ve seen a rise in interest from chamber executives, particularly those who are taking a more active role as advocates for the small business members they represent," says Mark Reynolds, president and CEO of BEN-E-LECT. "Just this month, five new chambers have joined our Chamber Affinity Program and are now introducing their members to our health insurance plan that has proven to be successful and is being used by more than 2,000 businesses throughout California." Among the chambers that have most recently partnered with BEN-E-LECT are the Stockton, Chino Valley, Santa Barbara, Irvine, and Escondido Chambers of Commerce, representing approximately 6,500 businesses.
Scientists, artists and artistes head the field in the New Years ...
Griffiths, now 60, was born in Thornaby-on-Tees, North Yorkshire, and grew up caring for his deaf mute parents.OBE for top film producerIAIN Smith, the Scottish film producer behind such movies as The Fifth Element and Seven Years in Tibet, which starred Brad Pitt, was appointed an OBE for his services to film.Born in Glasgow, and educated in film technique in London, Smith, 58, began his career working with the late Bill Douglas on My Childhood, before going on to work with David Puttnam and Hugh Hudson on Chariots of Fire.He acted as line producer on Local Hero, The Killing Fields and The Mission before then going on to produce Entrapment, starring Sean Connery and Alexander starring Colin Farrell, Anthony Hopkins and Angelina Jolie.Mr Smith is a board member of the UK Film Council as well as Scottish Screen and was recently appointed to the board of Creative Scotland.He is currently producing a film called Wanted for Universal Pictures.Kylie tells of her joy and surpriseKYLIE Minogue's battle against breast cancer inspired millions around the world and her return to the music scene was met with delight by her army of fans.Now the Australian pop princess's achievements have also been recognised by the Queen with an OBE.Minogue was among an A-list cast of stars of stage and screen to be honoured in this year's New Year Honours list.Others include chat-show supremo Michael Parkinson, actress Julie Walters and sports commentator Des Lynam.Speaking from Australia, where she has been spending Christmas with her family, Minogue, 39, said: "I am almost as surprised as I am honoured to be awarded an OBE."I feel deeply touched to be acknowledged by the UK, my adopted home, in this way."This last year I have felt so much love and support from everyone as I took greater steps back into the public domain, and it is with absolute gratitude and joy that I say farewell to 2007 and look forward to what the New Year will bring."Minogue's OBE for services to music seals her reputation as one of pop's most enduring icons after she first hit No 1 in the charts with I Should Be So Lucky almost 20 years ago.In 2005, fans were shocked by the news that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer.
Leila Elwy
Leila ElwyI am happy with most of the acting I’ve done. Let’s say 80 percent.Born in 1962, Leila Ahmed Elwy grew up in the neighborhood of El-Helmeya El-Gedida. Her Egyptian father worked in a tourism company, while her Greek mother, Stella, was an anchorwoman at Radio Cairo’s local European Service. Her parents, neighbors before they married, shared a passion for music and theater they passed on to Leila, who dreamed of becoming a ballet dancer. Elwy’s first brush with fame was through radio shows with famous children’s show presenter Abla Fadeela (see Egypt Today cover story August 2005 for more on Abla Fadeela). .
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