Top 10 Veterans Stories in Today’s News

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From The VA

Federal stimulus funds are being used for more than bricks and mortar at VA. The department is putting Americans to work with funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, while bolstering staffing at VA benefits offices where Veterans’ claims are processed. Some 2,300 employees have been added to VBA regional offices around the country. The new hires do not directly decide Veterans claims, but they are involved in general office administrative work supporting the professional adjudicators making compensation or pension decisions or processing changes in Veterans benefits. This frees the more highly trained personnel to spend more time on their core activities. The additional staffing will reduce the time it takes VA to process claims, meaning Veterans will receive benefits more quickly than they would otherwise. The Recovery Act provided $150 million for the program to hire and train the new staffers. VA has hired 500 new staff members as permanent employees. While Recovery Act funding for the temporary employees will expire in September 2010, the 2011 President’s budget includes funds to retain or replace these employees on a permanent basis and to hire more than 2,000 additional new processors.

Top Veterans Stories in Today’s News

  1. Dept. of Labor to help veterans find work Denver, Colorado – The Colorado Department of Labor will join with the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) to have a series of job fairs at National Guard Armories across Colorado. “It’s all about making a connection between veterans and employers,” said Josh McDaniel of the U.S. Department of Labor, “and to that end, we are pledging our support in carrying out these job fairs across the state and to expand the network of veteran employment services. We will increase our engagement with employers and help service members transition seamlessly into meaningful employment.”
  2. Veteran agency draws House criticism Washington, DC – A key House member asked Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki to explain an apparent “emerging pattern” of agency noncompliance” with congressional requests for information about veteran suicide and other issues. Rep. Harry Mitchell, D-Ariz., canceled a hearing on suicide prevention efforts, which was scheduled for today, saying he was upset about the witnesses the agency wanted to send. Mitchell is chairman of the House subcommittee with oversight over the VA.
  3. Vietnam War veteran: Images ‘indelibly etched’ in his mind Menasha, Wisconsin – Richard Erck kept a stiff upper lip for nearly four decades. Erck, who was 17 when he quit high school to join the Marines in February 1964, was forced to grow up fast in the dense Vietnamese jungle in 1966 when his unit encountered almost “daily” firefights during reconnaissance missions.
  4. Iowa 1st State to Enact All Defense Department Priorities Des Moines, Iowa -Iowa has become the first state to enact into law legislation addressing all 10 of the Defense Department’s priorities or supporting military service members and their families. Gov. Chet Culver signed seven bills April 27, the final pieces of the Legislature’s veteran’s agenda, four at a ceremony in Sioux City and three earlier Tuesday.
  5. Herod and Hume testifying at state capital Craig, Colorado – Lila Herod and K.C. Hume, two residents recently affected by the Hatch Act, will be testifying today before the Colorado House committee on state, veterans and military affairs. They will be sharing their recent experiences regarding the Hatch Act and voicing their opinions on a proposed House joint resolution aimed at limiting the Hatch Act’s scope.
  6. Operation Home Front helps women veterans heal Fort Lauderdale, Florida – For 15 years, there did not seem to be light at the end of the tunnel for US Navy veteran Lou Ann McPaul. She was addicted to alcohol and drugs, but she pretended to others that she didn’t have a problem – even when she was not properly there for her three children and when she was arrested for possession.
  7. AstraZeneca to pay up to $520M to settle Seroquel marketing allegations The Department of Justice said Tuesday that AstraZeneca has agreed to pay the federal and state governments up to $520 million to resolve allegations that the pharmaceutical company illegally marketed the anti-psychotic drug Seroquel for uses not approved as safe and effective by the Food and Drug Administration. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division Tony West, and U.S. Attorney Michael L. Levy of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania announced the civil settlement.
  8. More vets eligible for service dog benefits Washington, DC – Disabled veterans with sight, hearing and mobility limitations who might benefit from having a service dog at their side are being encouraged by a major veterans service organization to apply for government reimbursement of some dog-related expenses.
  9. Vets donate settlement money to charities New York, (UPI) – Military veterans who settled an identity-theft lawsuit against the Department of Veterans Affairs said they will donate $13 million to veterans’ charities. John Rowan, 64, of New York, a Vietnam veteran and plaintiff in the class-action suit, and about 20 million other veterans settled with the VA for $20 million, the New York Daily News reported Tuesday.
  10. Health Care Reform Protects TRICARE Ever since President Barack Obama signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or the new health care bill, members of the military and military retirees and their families have been concerned about how the bill will affect their benefits. And if they’ve been listening to statements from groups such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars and some Republican congressmen, they would have good reason to be concerned.

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