President Bush signed into law the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA). This law, which has been called “the first civil rights law of the 21st Century,” would prohibit discrimination against individuals on the basis of their genetic information in both employment and health care. The employment provisions of GINA become effective in November 2009, or 18 months after the President signed the bill, and the provisions pertaining to group health plans become effective in May 2009, or one year after the date of enactment.
GINA will prohibit an employer from discriminating against an individual in the hiring, firing, compensation, terms, or privileges of employment on the basis of genetic information of the individual or family member of the individual.
GINA defines a family member as the:
(1) spouse of the individual;
(2) a dependent child of the individual, including a child who is born to or placed
for adoption with the individual; or
(3) parent, grandparent, or great-grandparent.
GINA forbids an employer from requesting, requiring, or purchasing genetic information of the individual or family member except (1) where the employer inadvertently requests or requires the information, (2) for genetic services offered by the employer (including wellness programs), (3) for purposes of complying with the Family and Medical Leave Act, and (4) where the employer purchases documents that are commercially available.
GINA will prohibit an insured or self-insured health care plan, from denying eligibility to enroll for health care coverage or from adjusting premium or contribution rates under a plan based on an individual or family member’s genetic information. Health care plans would also be prevented from requiring a plan participant to undergo a genetic test to be eligible for coverage under a health care plan.
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May 26th, 2008
Bump Keys are sold online for as little as $3.00 and gives a thief the ability to enter your home without forced entry. A thief can inserts a bump key into a lock and taps the back with a hammer, which causes the pins to apply upward presure to the lock cylinder, allowing the lock to open as if you had the key. A large percentage of locks are vulnerable, we recommend you have your locks inspected by a locksmith to determine if your locks are bump proof.
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May 21st, 2008
Our condolences to the family and friends of Sallie Rohrbach of North Carolina. Ms. Rohrbach was reported missing on Friday, May 16, 2008 and her body was discovered Tuesday, May 20, 2008 in a wooded area in North Carolina. Authorities suspect she was killed in the performance of her duty and have Michael Howell in custody who is charged with first-degree murder.
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May 20th, 2008
The United States Supreme Court ruled 7-2 to stop child porn and denies e-mail protection. Prosecutors now have a powerful tool to attack the spread of child pornography online. In the court ruling an individual will be prosecuted for sending a message over the computer offering or seeking sexual images of children even when no such pornography exists. In this ruling prosecutors do not have to prove that the underlying material is illegal. The criminal offense is the speech that offers to sell or trade illegal material.
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May 15th, 2008
The following message has been forwarded to milllions of individuals and is a scam. The senders domain name is from .gov and the IRS logo is present. If you fall for the scam, money will be wired out of your account immediately. REMEMBER, the IRS will never contact you by e-mail unless you initiate an e-mail question.
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Over 130 million Americans will receive refunds as
part of President Bush program to jumpstart the economy.
Our records indicate that you are qualified to receive the
2008 Economic Stimulus Refund.
The fastest and easiest way to receive your refund is by
direct deposit to your checking/savings account.
Please follow the link and fill out the form and submit
before May 19th, 2008 to ensure that your refund will be
processed as soon as possible.
Submitting your form on May 19th, 2008 or later means that
your refund will be delayed due to the volume of requests we
anticipate for the Economic Stimulus Refund.
May 13th, 2008
Buyer beware! Many car dealer fees are charged by dealers to cover everything from preperation to paperwork. Deceptive fees and false terms such as “required by law” lead the buyer to believe they are required charges. Before purchasing a vehicle do your homework and ignore the sticker price. Visit web sites such as autosite.com, edmunds.com and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (safercar.gov)
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April 29th, 2008
Unfortunately, criminals have perfected the art of home invasion crime and all too often they prey upon the elderly. Perhaps it is because senior citizens rely upon repairmen and tend to trust people. Next time you hear a knock at your door – think twice before you open it. He or she may seem clean-cut, friendly and harmless. Maybe the person knocking at the door will say the car broke down and ask to use your phone. Perhaps he or she will pose as a maintenance worker who needs to make sure something in your house is working properly. If so, beware! That person might be a scam artist trying to get inside your house to rob you. Such scammers use creative tactics, preying on your fears, loneliness or sense of sympathy to get inside. It only takes a few seconds for a scammer to grab your money or valuables when your back is turned. You may not even realize you’ve been robbed until much later. Scammers are slick talkers and are good at convincing people that dire consequences will result if they are not allowed inside immediately.
This message is provided by a licensed private detective
April 26th, 2008
Thieves are pretending to be IRS officials who need personal information to process tax refunds and rebates. The IRS does not initiate contact with a taxpayer by e-mail and will never ask for bank or credit card information.
This message is provided by a licensed private detective