RandySF
RandySF's JournalRetirement Crisis: 29 Percent of Older Americans Have No Savings, GAO Says
How bad is America doing when it comes to retirement savings? The Government Accountability Office looked into the question, and its answer is sobering.
A new GAO analysis finds that among households with members aged 55 or older, nearly 29 percent have neither retirement savings nor a traditional pension plan.
"There hasn't been a significant increase in wages, people have student loans and other debt, and many are continuing to struggle financially," said Charles Jeszeck, the GAO's director of education, workforce and income security, which analyzed the Federal Reserve's 2013 Survey of Consumer Finances to come up with its estimates. "We aren't surprised that people have not saved a lot for retirement."
Even among those who do have retirement savings, their nest eggs are small. The agency found the median amount of those savings is about $104,000 for households with members between 55 and 64 years old and $148,000 for households with members 65 to 74 years old. That's equivalent to an inflation-protected annuity of $310 and $649 per month, respectively, according to the GAO.
http://www.nbcnews.com/business/personal-finance/retirement-crisis-29-percent-older-americans-have-no-savings-gao-n369241
Inside the Josh Duggar cover-up
is "counseling" was at a church-run facility
When Josh, then 15, confessed to his parents in March 2003, Jim Bob, now 49, and Michelle, now 48, did not go to the police. Instead, Jim Bob turned to church elders, who agreed Josh "needed to be put into a treatment program," according to a 2006 investigation prompted by an anonymous tip. The teen spent four months doing manual labor at the Institute in Basic Life Principles Training Center in Arkansas. Founded by Bill Gothard (himself accused of sexually harassing female employees in 2014; no charges have been filed), the program promises to "find success by following God's principles."
An officer pushed aside his confession
Though Josh claims he turned himself in to "authorities" in 2003, he received nothing more than a "very stern talk" from a family friend, state trooper Joseph Hutchens. Police reportedly believed the statute of limitations had expired by 2006, and did not pursue criminal charges. (Shockingly, Hutchens himself is now serving 56 years in prison for child pornography.)
The victims did not press charges
Josh wrote May 21 that he "sought forgiveness" from his victims. Trained to be "helpmeets" to men, the girls complied. Indeed, the 2006 report has been expunged at the behest of the one still-minor victim.
The rumors fizzled out
In 2006, producers of The Oprah Winfrey Show canceled the family's appearance after receiving an anonymous email about Josh's sexual misconduct. Harpo execs forwarded it to Arkansas' Department of Human Services, resulting in the 2006 investigation. Commenter "Alice" recounted this incident in an online forum, posting in 2007 that Josh "has been molesting his sisters." Unable to provide proof, she was shot down.
Their fame shielded them
TLC stood by 19 Kids (and its 3 million weekly viewers), even airing a marathon the night the scandal hit. On May 22, the network pulled the show, still wishing its stars well: "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and victims." It remains to be seen if their wholesome rep can be saved.
http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/television/television_news/2015/05/inside_the_josh_duggar_cover_up
Duggar Family Pastor on Josh's Molestation Scandal: God 'Can Forgive Everything'
The famously conservative Duggars seemed to be models of wholesome family life, but son Josh was hiding a dark past: He allegedly molested five young girls as a teen. Subscribe now for an inside look at the Duggars' dark family secrets, only in PEOPLE.
Amidst the Duggars' family crisis, one of their pastors is speaking out about the recent allegations that Josh Duggar molested five underage girls when he was a teenager.
The Duggars' pastor, Dr. Ronnie Floyd, 59, of the five-branch Pinnacle Cross Church in Rogers, Arkansas, tells PEOPLE, "Everyone does wrong, and what was wrong was very wrong as to what was testified to and it's completely unacceptable.
"But I'm thankful, whether it's him or any other one, that I serve a God who can forgive everything.
http://www.people.com/article/duggar-pastor-josh-duggar-scandal
NH-SEN: Maggie Hassan already in dead heat with Kelly Ayotte.
DURHAM, N.H. —Sen. Kelly Ayotte and Gov. Maggie Hassan appear headed toward a tough, closely contested battle for the U.S. Senate in 2016 – that is, if the Democratic governor decides against a bid for a third term and instead chooses to challenge the Republican incumbent.
The latest WMUR Granite State Poll, conducted May 6-22 by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, shows the two in a statistical dead heat. Ayotte leads 45 to 43 percent, well within the 4.1 percent margin of error.....
The poll showed that 48 percent of New Hampshire adults have a favorable opinion of Ayotte, while 28 percent view her unfavorably, 5 percent were neutral and 19 percent did not know enough about her to say. Hassan was viewed favorably by 58 percent and unfavorably by 22 percent, while 10 percent were neutral and 10 percent did not know enough about her to give an opinion.
http://www.wmur.com/politics/wmur-poll-dead-heat-for-ayotte-hassan-in-possible-2016-us-senate-matchup/33248326
RUMOR: If you liked Netflix's Daredevil, you'll love "AKA Jessica Jones".
Word is leaking out from those involved in the production of the next Marvel/Netflix series, "AKA Jessica Jones" that, based on what they see being produced thus far, Daredevil fans will love this show even more. I never read the JJ comic so I have no expectations, but Daredevil may have set the bar impossibly high for any of the other four series coming out over the next two years. We'll see.
Women are stepping up in most major 2016 Senate races
Nationwide, other women -- including women of color -- are seeking Senate seats and are well-positioned but facing male competition.
In Nevada, former attorney general Catherine Cortez Masto, a Democrat, is vying to replace Sen. Harry Reid in a race that is still taking shape. If she wins, Masto would be the first Hispanic woman to serve in the U.S. Senate and the first woman to represent Nevada in that body.
In Maryland, another state with a relatively recent history of women in federal office in the person of Sen. Barbara Mikulski, Rep. Donna Edwards is running against another Democrat, Rep. Chris Van Hollen. No Republicans have officially entered that race, and the GOP isn't likely to be competitive.
In Arizona, Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D) just jumped in the race against longtime Sen. John McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, who also faces a primary challenge from a woman, state Sen. Kelli Ward.
In Illinois, the state that sent to Washington one of the two women of color who have served in the Senate (Carol Moseley Braun), Rep. Tammy Duckworth, who is part Thai, is the front-runner to face Sen. Mark Kirk (R). Other hopefuls include Chicago Urban League President Andrea Zopp and possibly Rep. Robin Kelly. Kirk’s reelection bid has been described as one of the toughest in the country.
And in North Carolina, we're still waiting to hear whether recently unseated former senator Kay Hagan (D) will challenge Sen. Richard Burr (R).
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2015/05/28/women-are-stepping-up-in-most-major-2016-senate-races/
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