8 November 2020
Medicare’s’Part B’outpatient premium to {rise|increase} by$ 3.90 in 2021 WASHINGTON
— Medicare’s ‘Part B’ {monthly|regular monthly|month-to-month} premium for outpatient care will {go up|increase} by $3.90 next year to $148.50, {officials|authorities} {announced|revealed} late Friday afternoon.
For {most|many|a lot of|the majority of} {retirees|retired people|senior citizens}, the {health care|healthcare} {cost increase|boost} will {claim|declare} {a significant|a considerable|a substantial} {slice|piece} of their Social Security cost-of-living {adjustment|modification|change}, or {COLA|SODA POP|SODA}. It {works out|exercises} to {nearly|almost} 20 percent of the {average|typical} retired {worker|employee}’s {COLA|SODA POP|SODA} of $20 a month next year.
The bite {could|might} have been {deeper|much deeper}. It was feared that {emergency|emergency situation} actions the {government|federal government} {took to|required to} {help|assist} {stabilize|support} the {health care|healthcare} system in the coronavirus pandemic {could|might} have {triggered|set off|activated} {large|big} premium {increases|boosts}. That {prompted|triggered} Congress to pass bipartisan legislation that {limited|restricted} the {increase|boost} for 2021 {but|however} would {gradually|slowly} {collect|gather} the {full amount|total} {later|later on} under {a repayment|a payment} {mechanism|system}.
The Part B premium is set by law to cover about 25 percent of the {cost|expense} of Medicare’s {supplemental|additional|extra} {insurance|insurance coverage} for outpatient services. Inpatient care is covered by Medicare’s “Part A,” which is {financed|funded} with payroll taxes from {{workers|employees} and {employers|companies}|{employers|companies} and {workers|employees}}.
Medicare {also|likewise} {announced|revealed} that the Part B deductible next year will be $203, {an increase|a boost} of $5. The deductible is the {amount|quantity} {patients|clients} pay each year {before|prior to} their {insurance|insurance coverage} {kicks in|begins|starts}.
Trio of earthquakes shake Alaska’s {largest|biggest} city, {but|however} no damage reports
ANCHORAGE, Alaska– {Three|3} earthquakes early Saturday {morning|early morning} shook Alaska’s {largest|biggest} city, {but|however} there were no {immediate|instant} reports of damage.
The {strongest|greatest} of the {three|3}, at magnitude 5.0, was {recorded|tape-recorded|taped} {just before|right before|prior to} 3:30 a.m. The Alaska Earthquake Center {says|states} that was followed by a magnitude 3.9 quake minutes {later|later on}.
The {third|3rd} earthquake was magnitude 4.4 and was {recorded|tape-recorded|taped} {just|simply} after 6 a.m.
All {three|3} quakes were {centered|focused} about 20 miles north of Anchorage. All {were located|lay} at depths of about 25 miles.
The center {says|states} all {three|3} quakes were felt in the {greater|higher} Anchorage {area|location} and in Wasilla, about 45 miles north of Anchorage.
The Department of {Transportation|Transport} {said|stated} in {a statement|a declaration} that it will be {checking for|looking for} earthquake damage at the Knik River bridges. Northbound traffic will be diverted to the Old Glenn Highway while the {inspections|evaluations|assessments|examinations} {happen|occur|take place}.
{{First|Very first} {woman|lady|female} free-climbs El Capitan’s Golden Gate {route|path} in one day
| {Woman|Lady|Female} free-climbs El Capitan’s Golden Gate {route|path} in one day
} YOSEMITE {NATIONAL PARK|NATIONAL FOREST}, Calif.– Rock climber Emily Harrington {has|has actually} {become|ended up being} the {first|very first} {woman|lady|female}, and {fourth|4th} {person|individual}, to free-climb the Golden Gate {route|path} on Yosemite {National Park|National forest}’s 3,000-foot granite wall in a single day.
While {most of|the majority of} the {country|nation} was {focused on|concentrated on} the {results|outcomes} of the U.S. {presidential|governmental} election early Wednesday, the 34-year-old {began|started} to scale El Capitan, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Friday. She {reached the top|arrived} 21 hours, 13 minutes and 51 seconds {later|later on}. {Only|Just} {three|3} {people|individuals}– all {men|guys|males}– {have|have actually} made the {free|totally free|complimentary} {climb on|get on} that {route|path} in a day.
Free climbers {use|utilize} ropes to {catch|capture} them if they fall, {but|however} not to {help|assist} them {ascend|rise}.
El Capitan {is one of|is among} the world’s most {famous|well-known|popular} {climbing|climbing up} {spots|areas}. It {has|has actually} been {a proving|a showing} ground {for the best|for the very best} climbers for {decades|years} in the {national park|national forest}, which {many|numerous|lots of} {consider|think about} the {birthplace|birth place} of {modern|contemporary|modern-day} rock climbing.
MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow quarantines after coronavirus {exposure|direct exposure}
LOS ANGELES– MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow {said|stated} Friday she was quarantining after {being in contact|touching} with {someone|somebody} who {tested|evaluated|checked} {positive|favorable} for the coronavirus.
Maddow {said|stated} on {social media|social networks} that she’s {tested|evaluated|checked} {negative|unfavorable} {so far|up until now} for COVID-19 {but|however} {plans|prepares} to {remain|stay} {at home|in your home|in the house} {until|up until|till} it’s “safe for me to be back at work without putting {anyone|anybody} at {risk|danger|threat}.”
Maddow, host of MSNBC’s most-watched {show|program}, {has|has actually} been {a key|an essential|a crucial} part of the {cable|cable television} channel’s election {coverage|protection}. She was off the air Friday night.
“Wishing {everyone|everybody} {patience|persistence|perseverance} and calm; {may|might} these {remarkable|amazing|exceptional|impressive} times {bring out|draw out|highlight} {the best|the very best} in all {of us|people},” she {wrote|composed} in her online message.
MSNBC {declined|decreased} to {comment on|discuss|talk about} Maddow’s {announcement|statement}.
Gun-waving St. Louis couple {sues|takes legal action against} news {photographer|professional photographer}
ST. LOUIS– A St. Louis couple {facing|dealing with} felony charges for waving {guns|weapons} at racial {injustice|oppression} protesters who marched near their {home|house} {allege|declare} in {a lawsuit|a suit|a claim} that a news {photographer|professional photographer} trespassed to {capture|catch|record} {an image of|a picture of} the {confrontation|conflict|fight}.
Mark and Patricia McCloskey, {lawyers|attorneys|legal representatives} in their 60s, {filed|submitted} the {lawsuit|suit|claim} Friday in St. Louis Circuit Court {against|versus} United Press International {photographer|professional photographer} {Bill|Expense|Costs} Greenblatt and the wire service, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
At {issue|problem|concern} was {a protest|a demonstration} on June 28, when {a few|a couple of} hundred marchers {veered|diverted|drifted} onto the {private|personal} street near the the McCloskeys’ $1.15 million {home|house} in St. Louis’ {posh|classy|chic|swank} Central West End {area|location}. Mark McCloskey emerged with an AR-15 rifle and his {wife|spouse|partner|other half|better half} {displayed|showed} a semiautomatic {handgun|pistol}.
{Newspaper|Paper} {photographers|professional photographers} are {allowed|enabled|permitted} to {capture|catch|record} images from public rights of {way|method}. The McCloskeys {live on|survive on|reside on} {a private|a personal} street and {have|have actually} argued that protesters were trespassing. {No one|Nobody} was {hurt|harmed|injured}, and the McCloskeys {have|have actually} pleaded {not guilty|innocent} to {unlawful|illegal} {use|usage} of a weapon and {evidence|proof} tampering.
The couple {said|stated} Greenblatt’s {photo|picture|image} {has|has actually} {contributed to|added to} their “{significant|considerable|substantial} {national|nationwide} {recognition|acknowledgment} and infamy.” In addition to Greenblatt and the news service, the McCloskeys are {suing|taking legal action against} Redbubble Inc., a San Francisco-based online {marketplace|market} for print-on-demand {products|items}.
Source: lmtribune.com