| Round Rock City Council candidates (and new mayor) speak out
Two candidates square off for a contested seat, and three positions bypass an election. By Andrea LorenzAMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Thursday, March 27, 2008 ROUND ROCK — Two active community members will face off in May for Round Rock's one contested council seat, while one new and one returning council member — along with the next mayor — will claim their positions without an election. Council Member Rufus Honeycutt will fight for his council seat with local architect John Moman, who said he's running for the council position, not against Honeycutt in particular. Honeycutt, a retired engineer, was elected in 2005 and has since helped establish arts and cultural offerings in Round Rock. Building an arts community will likely take more than 20 years, Honeycutt said, but he and other city officials are working toward the goal.
Pa. Catholics have strong democratic voice
Understanding Pennsylvania's rich Catholic tradition and responding to it is an article of faith for Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama as the April 22 primary looms in the still unsettled and intense Democratic presidential race. It's a way of life - and of thinking - well-known to the people of Scranton, a working-class city nestled in northeast Pennsylvania where earlier generations worked in the factories, mills and coal mines - and kneeled in prayer in Catholic church pews on Sunday morning. On Election Day of yesteryear, large numbers of Pennsylvania Catholics evoked the name of Franklin D. Roosevelt and voted Democratic. This year, Clinton has fared well among Catholic voters in early primary states and she holds a substantial lead over Obama among Catholic Democrats in Pennsylvania polls.
A.M. Best Releases Revised Rating Methodology on Life Settlement . Securitization
Securitization 24/03/2008 14:55:00 Business Wire A.M.
Best Co.
has released its revised rating methodology on life settlements, "Life Settlement Securitization," which describes the criteria for rating securities backed by life settlements.
A life settlement is an insurance policy sold by the owner--typically the insured or a trust--for an amount greater than the surrender value of the policy but lower than the face amount of the policy.
The purchaser of the life settlement becomes the new owner and beneficiary of the life insurance policy and is responsible for making future premium payments and collecting the death benefits of the insured.
This current methodology puts more emphasis on the issues surrounding life expectancy projections by medical examiners--one of the most critical service providers in life settlement transactions.
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