Top 10 Veterans Stories in Today’s News – October 03, 2013

Veterans! Here’s your Top 10 News stories of the day compiled from the latest sources

We encourage you to browse our list so that you can take what you want and keep what you need

 
1.Park service: Honor Flight visits are a ‘First Amendment activity’.  World War II vets are allowed back in their war memorial now, shutdown or no shutdown.
2.Odierno: Short-term budget fix might end furloughs, but hurts planning.  After two days of meeting with allies and his top generals in Europe, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond Odierno was headed back over the Atlantic on Wednesday into a budget war that escalated in his absence.

3.Medicare, Medicaid To Keep Running Despite U.S. Government.  HealthDay  Despite the federal government … won’t affect any medical programs provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, …
4.Veterans to receive pensions and claims despite shutdown.  Times Daily Though U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs call centers have closed, the Alabama … a subscription and continue to enjoy valuable local news and information
5.Broader veterans’ center eligibility urged.  Tulsa World  Eligibility is limited to those who served during wartime but not to veterans who served … said Danny Stewart, Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs deputy director. ….

6.Shutdown means workers furloughed, death benefits halted.  While military personnel will be paid during the federal government shutdown, they may be affected in other ways. The Navy said funding for tuition assistance won’t be available for sailors taking any classes that begin after Oct. 1. And while military funerals at Arlington National Cemetery can proceed, death benefits won’t be paid immediately for troops who die during the shutdown.

7.White House, DOD looking at using military pay law to end furloughs.  The Pentagon and the White House are weighing whether a law that ensures military members as well as some DOD civilians keep getting paid during the government shutdown could be used to bring furloughed civilians back to work.

8.   Margaret Carlson: Bureaucrat binge costs billions.  Hyperlink to Article The Cap Times: The government shutdown is a bridge way too far, but I hate to admit that the right-wing Republican caucus sometimes has a point. Just take a look at what bureaucrats get up to on their equivalent of New Year’s Eve. It’s as wild and crazy a moment for them as it is for revelers in Times Square. The difference is that the functionaries get to blow taxpayer money.
9.   Andrea Mitchell Reports.  Hyperlink to Article MSNBC (Video):  This clip from the show, Andrea Mitchell Reports, reported on the government shutdown and the possible effects it could have on reducing the Backlog.
10.   Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs Continues Services Amid Federal Government Shutdown.  Hyperlink to Article WSFA-TV:   Alabama Department of Veterans’ Affairs officials are reassuring veterans and their families that services provided by the state agency will continue despite the federal government shutdown.
 

Have You Heard?

Have questions about the Affordable Care Act?    Below are two sites for you.
VA & the Affordable Care Act:  Answers questions about the Affordable Care Act for Veterans and their families.
HealthCare.gov – Information for Veterans:  Explains the options available to Veterans for attaining or changing health care plans under the Affordable Care Act.