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VA’s bad business practices: Veterans keep getting lost in the shuffle

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:20:53 GMT

VA business practices need thorough reviewRe: “Eastern Colorado Health Care System:  VA told veterans’ needs neglected,” Nov. 12 news storyThe situation described in the article seems to be a situation that goes through a cycle: a decline in the quality of services followed by an overhaul of the system, then a rise in the quality of services. A few years later, the cycle repeats. Why?Is there something in the business practices and policies that influences this pattern? If such conditions are left as they are, the cycle will repeat. What would make leaders resort to the alleged behaviors described? There is the stated mission, but there must also be other motivations that would drive people to behave otherwise, like power, salary, incentive, and bonus structures, to name a few.Are there decisions that can be made that are argued to be for the company’s benefit that are really more of a benefit to the employee at the expense of the company and the people it serves? Maybe ...

What to Know About Turkey Before Your Visit

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:20:53 GMT

Turkey, not only offers natural beauty and impressive historical landmarks. It also has infrastructure to support the large number of visitors that enter the country each year. It features excellent public transportation in its major cities, well-connected flights, accessible travel packages and more.You can explore different areas of the country and marvel at its richness. However, there are several things to know before making a trip. From Turkey’s entry requirements, top destinations, mosque etiquette, to travel advisory. Read further to find out more.What should US travelers know before traveling to Turkey?The US and Turkey do not have a visa waiver agreement. What this means for US passport holders is that they must get the Turkey e-Visa online before their trip to the country.The Turkey online visa requirements for US travelers are straightforward. To apply, a passport, email, and debit or credit card are necessary. In the past, it was possible to get a visa on arrival. Howeve...

Innovative Solutions for Seamless Smile Transformations

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:20:53 GMT

Your smile is often the first thing people notice about you. It can convey warmth, confidence, and approachability, making it a vital component of your overall appearance. However, not everyone is born with a perfect smile, and various factors can affect the way our teeth look and function. Fortunately, modern dentistry offers innovative solutions for transforming your smile seamlessly. In this blog post, we will explore some of the latest advancements in the world of cosmetic dentistry that can help you achieve the smile of your dreams.Invisible Braces: Straightening Teeth DiscreetlyTraditional metal braces have been used for decades to straighten misaligned teeth. However, many adults and teenagers are reluctant to wear them due to their visibility and discomfort. Enter invisible braces, a revolutionary solution that offers a discreet way to straighten teeth. Invisalign, for instance, uses clear aligners that are custom-made to fit your teeth snugly. These aligners are nearly invi...

Is Armenia a logistical hub in Putin's war against Ukraine?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:20:53 GMT

According to  recent reports, Armenia-based entities are using  the sea route Batumi-Novorossiysk to re-export sanctioned goods to Russia. Through the Armenian Shipping Company, 600 containers with a total weight of 6 tons are transported to Russia weekly via Georgian ports, writes Nicholas Chkhaidze.This sophisticated Russo-Armenian scheme involves a variety of goods, such as clothing, cars, and spare parts, as well as medical equipment produced by Western companies. Among the most re-exported commodities are vehicles, especially American: they are usually delivered, through the Georgian ports, to Armenia, where they are registered and stored in the city of Gyumri. This is from where most of the cars are re-exported to Russia, again via Georgia. This scheme has been very well portrayed on Financial Times back in summer.Such operations usually involve several stakeholders, such as C&M International LLC, the operator of transportation along the sea route Batumi-Novoross...

Everything About Baccarat: Rules, strategies, and online casino recommendations

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:20:53 GMT

Baccarat is a modern casino game that involves predicting the outcome between the player and the banker. The game fundamentally compares the sums of cards to determine the winner.There are three betting options in Baccarat: player betting, banker betting, and tie betting. If either the player or the banker has a number close to 9, that side wins. If the sum exceeds 9, the result is determined based on the closest number.The basic rules of 바카라 are simple. A deck of cards is used, and each player receives two cards. J, Q, K are counted as 0, and Ace is counted as 1. If the sum of the cards exceeds 10, only the unit digit is considered. For example, if you add 7 and 8, the sum is 15, but only the unit digit, 5, is considered.Additionally, there are several strategies in Baccarat. However, it's crucial to remember that Baccarat is entirely random, and strategies don't always guarantee a win. When using strategies, it's important to make rational decisions and bet appropriate amounts....

Elias: Here are the signs Newsom is setting self up for ’28 presidential run

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:20:53 GMT

Bet on this: When Gavin Newsom is termed out of the California governor’s office at the end of 2026, he will not go quietly into retirement, as Jerry Brown did when his fourth term as governor ended almost five years ago.Related ArticlesLocal News | Elias: California towns’ battle for local control still very much in play Local News | Elias: California should try same test on homelessness as addiction Local News | Elias: California’s denser housing ‘solutions’ are failing badly What does Newsom want next, though? That’s an open question, one that’s difficult to answer as he looks to his next big media event, a planned upcoming debate with Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, currently a flailing candidate for his party’s presidential nomination.For sure, Newsom has not neglected his current job, even though after next year he will be the lamest of lame ducks, staring at a term limit with no set agenda for his...

Opinion: Preventing stillbirths as California maternity wards close

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:20:53 GMT

Everyone loves a good birth story. We love hearing about warrior moms who heroically bring their children into the world. We share these stories and we relish them.Just not stories like mine.As a healthy 28-year-old, I never dreamed something could go wrong during my first pregnancy. I knew miscarriages were relatively common, but once I crossed that daunting 13-week mark I thought I was in the “safety zone.” I continued my pregnancy with as much bliss as one can experience in the midst of a global pandemic.At nearly 32 weeks, I was blindsided to learn that my son Henry “Hank” Justice Felker had died in my womb. This was especially heart wrenching since I went to the hospital a day earlier for reduced movement but was eventually sent home.I was not told about the severity of decreased fetal movement and what that could mean for myself and my baby. Had this information been available to me, I believe Hank would be alive today.In my subsequent pregnancies, I drove nearly two hours rou...

Judge: California family that sold sick Labradoodle puppies defrauded pet buyers

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:20:53 GMT

Huntington Beach newlyweds Brittany and Brandon Swigart believed in 2019 that they had to that point completed their fledgling family when they spotted Winnie, a brown mini Labradoodle, in a Craigslist ad and took delivery of the tiny puppy after handing over more than $1,000 cash in a West Covina parking lot.“We knew we couldn’t afford to have a child, so this was the next best thing,” Brandon said in an interview.“This is what our life was going to look like,” Brittany added: “We were going to be dog people, we would go to dog parks, we were going to have dog-park friends.”But that hope — and the puppy they named Winnie — died a month later after Winnie became seriously ill and the fur coloring washed off during a bath, revealing a stark white coat.The Swigarts and five other families who suffered through similar trauma and filed a lawsuit received a measure of justice, however, when a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge ordered the Kenney family of Phelan in San Bernardino Co...

10 Freeway to fully reopen next Tuesday at latest, Gov. Newsom says

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:20:53 GMT

The 10 freeway is set to fully reopen by next Tuesday, Nov. 21 at the latest — a stark improvement from its original three to five week reopening timeline — Gov. Gavin Newsom announced during a news conference on Thursday, Nov. 16.“With the extraordinary work of the men and women you see behind me, the carpenters, laborers, Teamsters, Cement Masons and 30 new carpenters on site in the last 24 hours,” Newsom said, “one thing we can guarantee you is, we will be open — five lanes in both directions at the latest Tuesday of next week.”Construction crews shore up the fire-damaged 10 Freeway in Los Angeles on Thursday evening, November 16, 2023. Gov. Gavin Newsom says the freeway will open next week earlier than estimated. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG) Newsom noted that Los Angeles and the state would also be working to get the freeway opened up sooner than Tuesday — but said he didn’t want to overpromise.Thousands of Southern California commuters, meanwhi...

Review: ‘Next Goal Wins’ is fun but lacks serious depth

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:20:53 GMT

By Mark Kennedy | Associated PressIn “Next Goal Wins,” a soccer coach comes from far away to lead a hapless group of athletes. He’s a fish-out-of-water type, ill-suited for the job, but rises to the occasion and everyone feels good at the end. Wait, you’re thinking, that’s the plot of “Ted Lasso.” Well, only kind of.Writer-director Taika Waititi — the manic, slightly unhinged mind behind “Thor: Love and Thunder” and “Jojo Rabbit” — offers a sports movie that’s not, of course, a sports movie and the opposite of whatever Jason Sudeikis was doing on his TV series.“Next Goal Wins” — “inspired by true events” — stars Michael Fassbender as a bitter Dutch-American soccer coach assigned to help the struggling American Samoa national team qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The team is an international laughing stock and still stinging from having been on the wrong side of the worst loss in inter...