Obamacare Driving Up Your Pet’s Healthcare Costs, Too

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American health care consumers aren’t the only ones who will be hit by slated Obamacare tax hikes. Medical bills for their pets may go up as well.

According to a rule published Friday by the Internal Revenue Service, some medical devices used in veterinary practices will be hit by Obamacare’s 2.3 percent device tax. Many of their manufacturers are expected to hike prices, meaning higher veterinary costs for the nation’s pet owners.

The tax will not hit devices that are used exclusively for veterinary purposes. But a host of such devices are manufactured for use in both human health care and veterinary practices. Those devices’ manufacturers will have to pay the tax.

The IRS rule states: “Section 4191 [of the Internal Revenue Code] limits the definition of a taxable medical device to devices described in section 201(h) of the [Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act] that are intended for humans, but does not provide that the device must be intended exclusively for humans. Under existing [Food and Drug Administration] regulations, a device intended for use exclusively in veterinary medicine is not required to be listed as a device with the FDA, whereas a device intended for use in human medicine is required to be listed as a device with the FDA even if the device may also be used in veterinary medicine.”

According to the FDA, common “dual use” medical devices are “examination gloves, sterile catheters, infusion pumps, etc.”

Read more from this story HERE.

Salvation Army Seeing Record Number Of Families In Need (+video)

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Officials with the Salvation Army say they’re seeing a record number of families asking for help this holiday season.

Nearly 18,000 families have registered for Christmas assistance in the last month. That number has grown by 2,500 since last year, breaking the 2009 record.

Registered families will get free toys, money for food and other donated items at up to six Salvation Army locations as well as other partnered agencies.

Read more from this story HERE.

You can donate to Salvation Army HERE. And in case you’re interested in its history, the following is a brief video on Salvation Army’s background:

Touching Video: Cerebral Palsy Sufferer Wins Wrestling Match

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With one heartwarming gesture of sportsmanship, a teenage boy has become an internet sensation after letting a severely disabled opponent defeat him in a wrestling match.

Video posted online shows cerebral palsy sufferer Jared Stevens, 13, fulfill his dream to fight in a competitive wrestling match and beat big-hearted Justin Kievit in front of his cheering classmates in Nolensville, Tennessee. With over 100,000 views on YouTube and Facebook so far, the video shows the moment the two boys meet for the first time and show the ‘bigger message’ according to Phil Stevens, Jared’s father.

‘It’s what — a minute, minute and a half maybe?’ said Jared’s dad, Phil Stevens to The Tennessean. ‘But it’s the echoes of it that make the difference.’

Physically, Jared is equivalent to a six-month old but intellectually he has no difficulty and the teen practices with the Sunset Middle School wrestling team every day – but has never competed until now.

‘The first time he met Jared was when he shook hands with him before the match. So it really was spontaneous. They just picked this kid,’ said Craig Kievit, Justin’s father. ‘If you watch the video, he just did an amazing job. There’s not many adults comfortable putting hands on a disabled kid, much less another 13-year-old.’ Read more from this story HERE.

Fascinating Video of Husky Imitating Human Baby

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As most of you probably know, Joe and I are dog lovers. We currently have four dogs, three mastiffs and a bulldog.

Although our children have grown up around dogs and have seen plenty of entertaining scenes – including one last night when our four month-old mastiff got the better of his dad in a game of tug-of-war – we’ve never seen anything quite like the video below.

I had to watch this several times. In this extraordinary video, a beautiful husky dog imitates his owner’s baby’s sounds.

It’s obvious that the baby was enjoying the duet as much as the dog.

And if you haven’t already seen it, you should take the time to watch the video of a Great Dane, enjoying his master’s pool.

Little Girl to Lincoln: “All the Ladies Like Whiskers”

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Even among the distinguished company of former U.S. presidents, Abraham Lincoln’s portrait stands out. Nearly every schoolchild can pick out the 16th president, thanks his to tall, this frame, his long coat and stovepipe hat – and the distinctive beard on his chin.

The source of the president’s facial hair has been revealed as an 11-year-old girl who wrote a letter to the then-Republican presidential candidate and urged him to grow a beard because ‘all the ladies like whiskers.’

Grace Bedell of Westfield, New York, penned a letter to Lincoln in October 1860 suggesting that he would have a better chance of getting elected if he grew a beard, Mental Floss magazine reports. The story of Lincoln’s trademark beard has become a source of national interest after the release – and success – of Steven Spielberg’s newest film, ‘Lincoln.’ Daniel Day Lewis takes on the role of the battle-hardened president as he lead the nation through the brutal Civil War.

‘You would look a great deal better for your face is so thin,’ she said. ‘All the ladies like whiskers and they would tease their husbands to vote for you and then you would be President.’ Women weren’t allowed to vote at the time, and did not gain the right until 1920.

Remarkably, the Illinois Senator promptly wrote her back. ‘As to the whiskers, having never worn any, do you not think people would call it a piece of silly affectation if I were to begin it now’
He did not promise her a beard, but photographs from the era reveal he stopped shaving shortly after the letter was written.

Read more from this story HERE.

After Growing Up in Household Where Married Gays Can’t Go to Heaven, Brad Pitt Says He’s Glad Obama Won

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Brad Pitt says that even though his mother came out against President Obama and same-sex marriage, he is very happy about the election and feels that the country is headed in the right direction by allowing equal rights to all couples.

In an interview with People magazine, Pitt said that he respectfully disagrees with his mother’s position and has been an outspoken advocate for legalizing gay marriage throughout the U.S. ‘Sure, I believe in it. I believe in the idea of fairness and equality in our country. I truly believe it’s a matter of time. The next generation isn’t frightened by anything,’ Pitt said.

He explained that while he and partner Angelina Jolie, who he called ‘Mama’ throughout the interview, are planning to get married in the near future, they believe that it is a right that should be extended to everyone. ‘I come from a Christian family, and (gay marriage) goes against Christian beliefs, as far as what’s going to get you into heaven or not. My argument is, that you may be as you believe, and it may be true in the end I don’t think so- but let your God make that call, and in the meantime we live in a country where everyone should be treated equally, so let’s treat everyone equally,’ he said.

Pitt’s political beliefs were called into question when his mother Jane wrote a letter to her local paper claiming that Mr Obama should not serve a second term because he lacks moral conviction and backs gay marriage and ‘the killing of unborn babies’. Mrs Pitt wrote in her letter to the Springfield News-Leader, in Missouri: ‘I hope all Christians give their vote prayerful consideration because voting is a sacred privilege and a serious responsibility’.

Read more from this story HERE.

Close Friend Publicizes Petraeus Letter Admitting “Screw-up,” then Blames Broadwell for it All

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General David Petraeus has admitted to a close friend that he ‘screwed up royally’ over the affair with his biographer – and confirmed for the first time that his wife is standing by him.

In his most frank comments on the scandal, the former head of the CIA said that he had created ‘enormous difficulty’ for Holly Petraeus but revealed that she has not kicked him out. In a letter Petraeus said that ‘Team Petraeus’ will survive and that he is ‘incredibly fortunate’ to be married to such a forgiving woman.

He also addressed his resignation for the first time and wrote: ‘I paid the price (appropriately) and I sought to do the right thing, at the end of the day.’

The letter was sent on November 20 to Petraeus’ close friend of three decades, retired Brigadier General James Shelton, who considers himself a father figure to him.

In an exclusive interview with MailOnline, Brig Gen Shelton blamed biographer Paula Broadwell for the affair as Petraeus was the ‘innocent one when it came to relationships’.

Read more from this story HERE.

GOP Civil War Brewing Over Abortion; Pro-Life Leader Warns of Third Party

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If the Republican Party closes itself to passing pro-life legislation, it will signal the end of the GOP and the formation of a new, pro-life third party, a leader in one of the fastest growing pro-life ministries has warned.

“There is a Civil War brewing in the GOP, and it’s not pretty,” said Jennifer Mason, communications director of Personhood USA.

Over the weekend, 2008 Republican presidential candidate John McCain said pro-life conservatives should state their position on abortion, then “leave the issue alone.” Elected officials, he indicated, should enact no new legislation to protect the unborn.

He and a host of GOP consultants have suggested the party downplay or abandon social issues in light of the 2012 electoral loss.

Mason said his comments “made me wonder: instead of dropping the abortion issue, why not drop John McCain?”

“If McCain and his ilk are successful, we are looking at a major defection to a third party, and the ultimate death of the Republican Party,” she added.

Read more from this story HERE.

Gennifer Flowers: Bill Clinton Had Affair Go Public for Name Recognition, Wanted More as Late as 2005

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More than two decades after she became a household name for alleging she had a 12-year affair with Bill Clinton, Gennifer Flowers has made yet more shocking claims about the former president.

Flowers, who enjoyed a lucrative modelling and acting career as well as top book sales following her announcement in 1992, has claimed that Clinton called her as recently as 2005, begging to see her. Speaking with WGNO, Flowers, 62, said was at home alone in Louisiana following her divorce when her phone rang.

‘I picked up the phone and it was him,’ she told host Susan Roesgen. ‘And he wanted to come by my house and talk to me. I was taken aback; that was the last thing I expected.’ She added that, even when she refused to allow him to visit, he persisted.

‘I said, “No you can’t come over here”,’ she continued. ‘He said, “I’ll put on a hoodie and I’ll jog up there” and I said, “No, I want you to leave me alone”. And that was that.’ Former president Clinton has yet to respond to a request for comment from MailOnline over the claims.

The call allegedly came decades after Flowers claimed they had a years-long affair while Clinton was governor of Arkansas. He later claimed they only ever had one sexual encounter in the 1970s.

But in another bombshell on WGNO, Flowers claimed Clinton had in fact discussed revealing the affair in the 1990s as he was struggling to achieve the recognition he needed to win the presidency. ‘I made him a household name over night,’ she told WGNO. ‘We had had that discussion. He said, “My problem right now is that no one knows who I am. I need that name recognition”. ‘He went on to talk about the other candidates and the advantages they had… When my story came out, he was a household name.’

Read more from this story HERE.