Skyline Newspaper

UPDATED 11/20/20

Bankruptcy lawyers, just like any other lawyers, act on behalf of their clients in court. This kind of lawyer also works out of the court. The lawyers advise their clients on the complicated bankruptcy laws and counsel them to reduce their debt load by paying creditors and liquidating assets. When necessary, bankruptcy lawyers file bankruptcy documents for clients.

Bankruptcy is defined as a legal procedure through which entities or individuals who cannot repay debts to creditors find relief from their debts. On the other hand, state taxes may be referred to as the direct taxes on your income levied by a state. This is the tax deducted from what you earned in or from the government. Bankruptcy and taxes owed by people differ depending on the conditions one resides in or works in.

The availability of bankruptcy articles online has proved to be beneficial. The complexity of the process of filing bankruptcy can be a hassle. Before undertaking this kind of approach, it is vital to understand what it takes to actually succeed. One of the ways can be attending a bankruptcy class before filing the documents involved in a court case. Reading bankruptcy articles also equips you with the know-how of the process. 

Taking the initiative to read bankruptcy articles and educate themselves on the bankruptcy process may have been able to help Sears. Instead, the large chain fell victim to bankruptcy as many retailers have recently. Read on to discover the tale of Sears and bankruptcy.

Although data shows that individual sales climb by 10% every time a salesperson increases their social interaction by the same percentage, the reality is that many consumers no longer want to set foot in a brick and mortar store — no matter what retail workers do. Many former mall stores have been unable to adapt to growing e-commerce demand and have consequently been forced to shut their doors. Sears was one of the most recent brands to have fallen victim to the bankruptcy trend. But even though it’s filed for Chapter 11, it seems there are many more chapters to go in this never-ending saga.

In 2013, roughly 8,990 Chapter 11 bankruptcies were filed in the United States. In 2019, it’s becoming more common for once renowned stores to struggle to the point where they require serious financial protection. Back in October, Sears filed for that protection and later sold off all its assets in February. Former CEO Eddie Lampert bought those assets to the tune of a cool $5 million; in April, the company actually announced that they’d be opening three small stores — welcome news, considering that Sears had closed more than 3,500 over the last decade and a half. New Sears Home and Life stores were opened in Kansas, Louisiana, and Alaska with a focus on appliances, tools, mattresses, and smart home services. With all new branding and a target audience of young families, it seemed like Sears could make a small-yet-impressive comeback.

But that’s far from the end of the tale. In a transition rife with controversy, lawsuits have been filed against both the new and the old Sears. Sears Holdings is actually suing Lampert (along with others) for reportedly destroying the value of the company while he was CEO, which might be responsible for driving the company to bankruptcy in the first place. Further, Lampert alleges in a suit that the Sears estate failed to turn over “hundreds of millions of dollars of assets” as outlined in the sales agreement. Further, he’s now requesting that a federal bankruptcy judge release him from his obligation to compensate $43 million in severance costs to former Sears employees — a request he says is based on the fact that Sears has not made good on their part of the bargain. That move has not made him a popular figure with former workers, who have criticized Lampert’s reported penny-pinching ways.

Former employee and leader of United for Respect, an employee rights advocacy group, said in an email statement to USA Today: “Sears always promised us one week of severance pay for every year we were with the company. But after 21 years of service, I was laid off in January of 2019 and received just four weeks of severance pay. It’s not fair that Eddie Lampert and his friends are walking away with billions and now trying to cheat dedicated employees like me from what we were promised.”

All parties involved are hopeful that a bankruptcy court resolution will be imminent, as this is what’s needed to settle the case once and for all. Compared to the average divorce cost (anywhere from $15,000 to $42,500), this will be a huge expense for the company. But considering that Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are now delving into the activities of Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin — who served as a Sears board member prior to the bankruptcy filing — in order to learn more about his involvement, a quick and tidy ending to the story may not be in the cards.

Although the majority of Americans believe that having access to affordable healthcare is essential, the current system setup has resulted in an almost complete lack of confidence. In fact, 80% of U.S. residents surveyed believe the quality of medical care is being compromised in order to increase profits. That’s likely a view held by many senior citizens. While promises of Medicare coverage might seem enticing from the outside, the reality is that many older Americans can’t afford healthcare coverage — and for those who can, that might not be true in 10 years’ time.

One study by Gallup and West Health found that seniors are paying for more out-of-pocket healthcare than ever before. Over the past year, seniors have withdrawn an estimated $22 billion from their long-term savings account specifically for medical-related expenses, with the average individual taking $3,789 out of their accounts for this purpose. Not only are seniors depleting their savings just to pay for healthcare, but they’re also borrowing money to meet those rising costs and forgoing necessary treatments out of fear that their medical expenses could put them in debt. In fact, 10% of Americans over the age of 65 did not seek out treatment during the past year specifically due to the costs of care. What’s more, nearly 7 million seniors could not afford to pay for prescribed medications over the last 12 months — a staggering statistic when you also consider that four out of five older people take one or more daily medications and that 80% of the prescriptions surveyed seniors couldn’t afford were used to treat serious or very serious health conditions.

And while Medicare does cover some conditions, it won’t cover eye care, hearing aids, or dental care. Despite the fact that the U.S. dental industry has grown by 2.5% during the last five years, many seniors aren’t taking advantage of those services due to increasing out-of-pocket costs. Nearly 40% of seniors did not visit a dentist during 2014, with two-thirds of seniors with annual incomes of below $35,000 saying they cannot afford dental care like crowns and bridges. Skipping even dental cleanings can have serious consequences. Around 70.1% of adults aged 65 and older have periodontal disease — and since gum infection and inflammation can lead to other serious health problems, neglecting this care can really hurt seniors later on.

Unfortunately, the problem doesn’t seem to be improving. The majority of seniors surveyed anticipated that healthcare costs would only continue to rise. And according to recent data, they’re probably right. Estimates show that by 2029, 54% of middle-income seniors won’t have enough financial resources to pay for the level of care they need (both medical treatment and housing). Since the population of middle-income seniors alone is expected to grow to 14.4 million over the next decade, these predictions are especially harrowing. Approximately 60% of those seniors will likely experience mobility issues, with 20% requiring extensive care due to disabilities or chronic conditions. And with few options at their disposal, the future looks rather bleak for many Baby Boomers and Gen Xers.

Currently, the healthcare system is a hot-button issue — and one that most politicians can’t even agree on. Unless drastic changes are made, many seniors may have no choice but to watch their savings dwindle or to abstain from the care they need to survive.

Stress could be negatively affecting your quality of sleep, new data shows. According to a recent study from the Baylor College of Medicine, stressful and busy days can take a toll on the quality of sleep you get and could be the reason you wake up feeling tired.

Dr. Annise Wilson, the lead author of the study, says the link between poor sleep quality and stress isn’t new. But their latest findings serve as a reminder that stress can interfere with your sleep schedule. One of the most common ways stress can impact you is insomnia, Wilson says.

“High levels of stress impair sleep by prolonging how long it takes to fall asleep and fragmenting sleep,” said Wilson. “Sleep loss triggers our body’s stress response system, leading to an elevation in stress hormones, namely cortisol, which further disrupts sleep.”

Previous research has shown that sleep plays a vital role in memory and learning. Cognitive functioning may be improved with dopamine, a neurotransmitter produced when doing puzzles or exercising.

The body naturally increases its dopamine levels after a sleepless night in an attempt to compensate for sleep loss, but this doesn’t replace the body’s need for sleep. Chronic sleep deprivation has been associated with decreased endocrine dysfunction, decreased metabolism, and increased risk of cardiovascular issues. Considering that 75% of people are stressed that their smile could hurt their career success, it’s safe to say there’s enough anxiety to go around.

Sleep deprivation and stress can also have an impact on your skin. Although 85% of people will have acne at some point in their lives and much of that acne is caused by bacteria, it can also be caused by stress hormones.

According to Dr. Adam Friedman, an associate professor of dermatology at George Washington University, a stress-related hormone called CRH, or corticotropin-releasing hormone, can bind to the receptors in the skin’s sebaceous glands. This binding increases the skin’s oil production, which can cause acne.

“These sebaceous glands are also immune organs, and they can create inflammation,” said Friedman. “At the end of the day, an acne blemish is basically inappropriate inflammation, and so turning on that immune response can exacerbate swelling or redness.”

This may be why consumers spent nearly $5 billion worldwide on acne treatments in 2016. Instead of trying to treat their skin, consumers may have needed to manage and treat their stress.

Friedman also points out that, when people are stressed, there’s an increase in the body’s nerve signaling. This causes an itchy sensation in the inflamed areas of the skin, which causes people to scratch or pick. This results in even more swelling and redness.

Whether your stress is acute or chronic can also impact the duration and resolution of your breakouts. Friedman says there’s some evidence that chronic stress can have a negative impact on your immune system, which can slow healing.

That means your acne breakouts may be more likely to stick around for longer periods of time and you may be more susceptible to acne scarring.

That being said, it’s important to recognize the signs that you’re dealing with stress, especially chronic stress, before it begins to negatively impact your health and sleep schedule.

You may be able to reduce stress by exercising, using aromatherapy, spending time with friends and family, laughing, learning to say no, keeping a journal, and learning time management. If you can afford it, consider taking a vacation. Alaska, with its beautiful views and 17 of the highest peaks in the U.S., could provide a much-needed respite. If your chronic stress is having a significant impact on your life and you’ve been suffering from sleep deprivation, it may be a good idea to seek out professional help.

While many Baby Boomers and older generations like to claim that books and reading have become a thing of the past, younger generations are actually proving them wrong by reading more than their older counterparts. It’s not just e-books that are contributing to the increase in reading; younger generations are more likely to visit libraries and read from print books as well.

Continued Classics

Despite many options now being widely available for reading, print books remain the preferred choice, even among younger generations. In fact, print books are still the most popular format for reading in general, with 67% of Americans having read a print book in the past year. While many brick and mortar bookstores are continuing to struggle in today’s modern world, younger generations are helping to keep both bookstores and libraries afloat. Millennials and Gen Z are some of the most avid users of both bookstores and libraries currently; these generations are also more likely to shop at smaller, mom-and-pop bookstores rather than larger retail chains. A preference for affordable resources has also pushed more people from these generations towards libraries, helping to support these important local resources.

Going Green?

Millennials and Gen Z tend to be more heavily focused on reducing their environmental impact, and so many assume that they’ll also tend to stay away from print books in favor of digital options. However, the printing industry and books have become more mindful and employ greener alternatives when printing. Today, more than one-third of new paper is made with recycled fiber, reducing the overall impact of publishing new books. Additionally, Millennial preferences for libraries means that books are being reused. Rather than purchasing new books and requiring the use of additional paper, these readers opt for renting their materials from the library, making Millennial reading habits even more environmentally-friendly.

Old Books, New Tech

In recent years, a variety of technologies have become more popular that would suggest the rise of e-books among younger generations. For example, there are approximately 1.43 billion tablet users worldwide. Many now use a variety of apps on these mobile devices to read or listen to audiobooks. However, these options tend to be more popular among older readers where adaptive technologies are more useful. Millennials and Gen Z have shown a strong preference for physical print books, and are some of the most avid readers today. Millennials in particular are more likely to use print resources when conducting research or keeping up with current events. While having access to new technologies is helpful for many, it seems that younger generations will continue to prefer the classic printed book over the many new apps emerging.

Despite many stereotypes and misconceptions surrounding younger generations, these avid readers are keeping the printing and publishing industries alive and thriving. According to the experts from the website https://medimagery.com/buy-cialis-online-generic-cialis-tadalafil/, small doses and rare intake of alcohol in combination or during the treatment with Cialis usually don’t cause any problems. These younger generations are even going so far with their reading habits as to out-read older generations without the need for technology. Even divorce stats (almost 50% of marriages end in divorce) can’t bring this news down. By supporting local bookstores and libraries, Millennials and Gen Z are ensuring that printed books remain popular for years to come.

High housing costs are worsening the gap between the rich and poor, new data shows. According to a new report from Apartment List, the cost of living has risen so high in the last year that the lowest earners are now spending a higher percentage of their income on rent than the top earners.

Researchers analyzed data from the country’s 100 largest metro areas. In each city, the median homeowner income was higher than the median renter income. This is because monthly housing costs for homeowners have fallen over the past decade while rents have steadily risen.

Renters at all income levels today are spending a greater amount of their income on rent than they did in 1980. In comparison, homeowners are paying a smaller fraction of their monthly paychecks for housing than they did 40 years ago. And considering selling a house typically takes 6 to 12 months, homeowners waiting for a return on their investments may be struggling, as well.

Housing costs are also growing more quickly for those in the bottom half of the income distribution in each one of the top 100 metros than for those in the upper half. The average sales price for condos in existing buildings in Manhattan was $1.9 million in the third quarter of 2017. Meanwhile the average home cost is now $200,000.

Income inequality has increased in nearly all metro areas including 45 out of the top 50 cities. The bottom 10% of the income distribution in each city saw their housing costs rise the highest. The top 25% of the income distribution saw their housing costs decline.

Philadelphia has the highest income disparity between its lowest and highest earners. New Orleans has seen the greatest inequality growth in the last 10 years.

However, researchers found that Income inequality is larger than housing cost inequality. Those in the lowest quartile make 27% as much as those in the median quartile, but they need 79% of what the median quartile does to pay for rent each month.

The average income of renters has grown more quickly than the average homeowner’s due to an influx of high-income renters. The average renter’s household earns 23% more than the average renter did 10 years ago. However, in the same amount of time, the average amount of rent paid has also increased by 23%.

The average homeowner is also paying less than they did a decade ago despite skyrocketing housing prices, utilities, and additional costs such as maintenance repairs or pest control. Approximately 24% of a household’s water is used just by the toilet and residential pest control services make up 68% of the industry.

Lower mortgage rates and refinancing capabilities overpower the initial price of the house and these additional costs, researchers say. The overall effect is that homeowners are paying less out of pocket every month. Rising incomes and reduced costs mean lower cost burdens for homeowners.

But renters’ incomes have grown along with their rent. Researchers found that the average homeowner’s income is higher than the average renter’s income in every one of the largest 100 metros in the United States. In 55 out of the 100 cities, the average homeowner income was more than double that of the average renter’s.

“Differential trends in housing costs for renters and owners are exacerbating renter-homeowner inequality,” researchers wrote.

During a state of the city address, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti linked the local homeless crisis directly to the struggles of renters and the skyrocketing apartment costs over the last few years. According to the Apartment List report, the inequality growth rate in Los Angeles is currently 10.4%.

“Too many parents in this city are moving their families into cars because they’re living paycheck to paycheck and can’t keep up with the rent,” said Garcetti.

Chicago has over 3 million households and an inequality growth of 8.2%. That puts Chicago as #12 on the top 50 cities in the U.S. with the highest incomes inequalities.

When people go to the dentist every six months for a regular checkup, they expect to be treated with respect and care, both in their treatment and their finances. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case — one Mount Vernon, Missouri dentist was recently found guilty of Medicaid fraud.

Dr. Thomas Alms was ordered by the court to pay $200,000 after being deemed guilty of misusing the Medicaid system. It was found that between Aug. 21, 2014 and June 14, 2016, Alms submitted several fake Medicaid claims from his dental clinic.

The news release issued by Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s office stated that the fraudulent claims were submitted for procedures including 11 bone graft replacements, 11 restorations,15 office visits, 15 pre-orthodontic visits, as well as other procedures like pulp vitality tests. So while there are around five million people who have their wisdom teeth removed every year, the claims Alms made were for procedures and visits that never happened.

Alms submitted claims to Missouri HealthNet for performing dental services on 26 Medicaid participants — the lawsuit alleged that after the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit requested Alms’ patient records, the records that were submitted contained false information. Considering how many American seniors are on Medicaid — and that 70% will need long-term care at some point — this kind of fraud could impact the health of countless people.

The investigation was completed by the Missouri Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, headed by Amanda Burrows. The case involved an expert examination of a few patients of Dr. Alms, which eventually lead to finding Alms to be guilty of fraud. Alms was then prosecuted by Assistant Attorneys General Shannon T. Kempf and Brad Crowell as well as Lawrence County Prosecuting Attorney Don Trotter.

And this is not the first time Alms has had trouble with the law. Back in 2011, there was a civil lawsuit filed against him by the then Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster, again, for false Medicaid claims.

In the release for Alm’s most current case, Schmitt stated, “The Medicaid program provides health benefits to low-income families who don’t have access to https://sdarcwellness.com/buy-premarin-online/ health care. Cheating the system is actually cheating all the Missourians who rely on Medicaid and the taxpayers of the state of Missouri.”

While there are laws in place to protect businesses and their assets, like the 2016 Defend Trade Secrets Act, fraudulent cases are not protected under law, often having severe consequences.

Along with the $200,000 fine, Alms, will surrender is dentistry license and will be on probation for five years. He had been facing three counts of Medicaid fraud and one count of obstructing a healthcare fraud investigation — but because Alms pleaded guilty, the plea deal gave him a lesser sentence.

Amazon is expected to capture nearly half of all U.S. online sales this year. According to the market research company eMarketer, sales for Amazon are expected to grow by over 20% this year, amounting to $282.52 billion. That’s approximately 47% of American online expenditures and 5% of the U.S. retail market.

A new feature from Vox traces the birth of Amazon Prime, the hugely popular membership program. Thanks to increasing customer loyalty, Amazon is now worth an incredible $900 billion. For reference, eBay is worth a mere $30 billion.

With each passing year, more and more people take their shopping online. Every year, about 2 billion t-shirts are sold around the world, and on Amazon you can find more than 300,000 individual listings for t-shirts. Amazon has capitalized on this trend better than any other company, putting major stress on traditional retailers. This trend isn’t likely to change anytime soon, either.

Cindy Liu, eMarketer’s forecasting analyst, says that Amazon’s growth has slowed but that it still outpaces the e-commerce sector as a whole. Considering e-commerce retail spending was predicted to double between 2016 and 2020, it’s fair to say Amazon has the lion’s share. Amazon is expected to continue to expand sectors that have high growth potential including pharmacy and grocery.

Amazon ships up to 1.6 million packages a day. That number will continue to climb as Amazon grows, and the retail giant recently announced it will now be lessening its environmental impact. Amazon said the company plans to make all its shipments net zero carbon with a 50% achievement goal by 2030.

“With improvements in electric vehicles, aviation biofuels, reusable packaging, and renewable energy, for the first time we can now see a path to net zero carbon delivery of shipments to customers,” said Dave Clark, Amazon’s senior vice president of worldwide operations.

There are currently 500,000 reefer trailers operating on U.S. roads, and there were approximately 24,142,000 general aviation flight hours logged in 2015 alone.

“It won’t be easy to achieve this goal,” said Clark, “but it’s worth being focused and stubborn on this vision and we’re committed to seeing it through.”

But that’s not Amazon’s only goal. Clark says the company also has a long-term goal to power its global infrastructure using 100% renewable energy.

Forbes has also reported that Amazon will require consumer products manufacturers to change their packaging to make it greener. Brands that comply early will be rewarded with a credit of $1 per item shipped. After August 1, brands that are non-compliant will have a surcharge of $1.99 per item.

Amazon has already started shipping its items in lightweight plastic mailers rather than boxes. Using the mailers rather than cardboard boxes produces fewer greenhouse gases. For even further innovation, solar panels may also be an apt consideration. Following in the footsteps of North Carolina, the nation’s second-leading state in solar panel installation, may be the greenest option of all.

The goal of the mailers is to fit more items in Amazon’s trucks and planes, and also to make the items more secure. Unsecured truck cargo was the cause of 200,000 car accidents over the course of a four-year study by AAA.

Some recycling centers have complained that the mailers often jam their machinery. Amazon has yet to determine how to fix this issue.

Although Amazon plans to make its major green changes by 2030, environmentalists are urging the retail giant to act immediately. This is because drastic measures are necessary to curb human-made carbon emissions within 12 years to mitigate the effects of global warming.

A group of Amazon shareholders and employees filed a resolution in 2018 that would require the company to share its plans for going green.

“I think an effective plan will include dates and milestones,” Emily Cunningham, an Amazon employee who signed the resolution. “To me, climate change is the issue of our lifetime. And we want to make sure they understand it’s that important.”

eMarketer predicts that the percentage share for the top 10 U.S. online retail companies will be as follows: Amazon (47%), eBay (6.1%), Walmart (4.6%), Apple (3.8%), Home Depot (1.7%), Costco (1.3%), Wayfair (1.3%), Quadrate Retail Group (1.3%), Best Buy (1.3%), and Macy’s (1.2%).

A new study performed by the American Cancer Society has found that rates of prostate cancer have begun to stabilize throughout the globe. As the third-most common form of cancer in the United States, this health concern has been among the top health issues witnessed throughout the country.

According to this new study, however, some countries have seen a decline in the numbers of this diagnoses with the United States witnessing the largest decrease in prostate cancer rates.

The study tested the long term and short term data submitted by 44 countries who provided incidence data, while 71 countries submitted data pertaining to cancer deaths. The study took place between 1980 and 2012.

So far, it’s estimated that 37 million Americans throughout the United States will suffer from an enlarged prostate at some point in their lives, but only some of these health issues will result in a cancer diagnosis. However, the data has proven otherwise.

“Previous studies have indicated significant variation in prostate cancer rates, due to factors including detection practices, availability of treatment, and genetic factors,” explains ACS scientist and study director, MaryBeth Freeman.

“By comparing rates from different countries, we can assess differences in detection practices and improvements in treatment.”

The decrease in diagnoses is, in part, due to the decline in false positives made from an innovative blood test released in 1994. Though this led to a decrease in the number of deaths among older men who were tested, it also created a surge in incorrect diagnoses, increasing the fear of this condition among middle-aged men.

In fact, many forms of prostate cancer are slow-growing and unlikely to pose a significant health risk. This includes those who are actually diagnosed with this form of cancer. This is one of the many reasons most men aren’t required to get a prostate cancer screening until retirement, around the age of 63. After the age of 70, US Preventive Services Task Force even discourages taking the test in the first place as of 2018.

It was within the last five years that witnessed the greatest drop in prostate cancer diagnoses. This roughly correlates with the Preventive Services Task Force recommendation, who began to advise against the PSA test in 2012.

However, there are further technological advances that are attributed to the global decline of this disease.

In China, medical doctors and urologists have been able to formulate a 3D prostate treatment method. This treatment helps those with prostate cancer, but it also treats benign prostatic hyperplasia and other prostate issues. It has been found that this form of 3D treatment has a 95% effectiveness rating.

Unfortunately, only Chinese urologist Dr. Song is able to perform this innovative treatment. But as technology advances, the future for those diagnosed with prostate issues is looking a little brighter.