Short on savings? You're not alone.

Twenty-eight percent of Americans have nothing in their savings accounts and another 21 percent don't even have a savings account, according to a new survey from GOBankingRates.

The rate comparison website surveyed 5,000 people and found just 29 percent of them had $1,000 or more in savings account.

...

Most financial advisors recommend that people have three to six months of essential expenses in an emergency fund to pay for unexpected costs. Sadly, it looks like most savers aren't following that advice whether they want to or not.

http://www.cnbc.com/2015/10/06/nearly-half-of-americans-have-no-savings-survey.html

Rand Leads 34 Senators Requesting HHS Inspector General Investigation of Planned Parenthood

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) sent a letter, signed by 34 of his colleagues, to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Inspector General Daniel R. Levinson calling for a full audit of all fetal research supported by HHS to determine whether there have been violations of the law and how the agency verifies compliance. Originally stemming from videos showcasing the Planned Parenthood Federation of America’s potential violations of federal law, the audit would specifically examine the Department’s oversight of contractor and grantee compliance with laws governing fetal tissue research.

In July 2015, Sen. Paul joined 49 of his Senate colleagues in sending a bipartisan letter to HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell immediately following the release of footage from the Center for Medical Progress depicting Planned Parenthood executives discussing - in graphic detail - the organization’s involvement in the harvesting and sale of the organs of aborted babies. In the letter, the Senators asked HHS to conduct an internal review of the compliance of both HHS and their grantee, Planned Parenthood, with all applicable federal laws, including those prohibiting the sale of fetal tissue for profit. The response received from Sec. Burwell in August was unacceptable and makes clear that a thorough internal investigation of compliance was not conducted.


Co-signers of the letter to HHS Inspector General Daniel R. Levinson include the following: Senators Mike Rounds (R-SD), James Lankford (R-OK), Thad Cochran (R-MS), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Rob Portman (R-OH), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Tom Cotton (R-AR), John Thune (R-SD), David Perdue (R-GA), Tim Scott (R-SC), John Boozman (R-AR), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), John Barrasso (R-WY), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Mike Lee (R-UT), Mike Enzi (R-WY), Richard Burr (R-NC), Ted Cruz (R-TX), David Vitter (R-LA), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Jeff Sessions (R-AL), John Cornyn (R-TX), Roger Wicker (R-MS), James Risch (R-ID), Dan Coats (R-IN), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Steve Daines (R-MT), and Ben Sasse (R-NE).

The full text of the Senators’ letter can be found HERE or below.

LETTER TEXT:

The Honorable Daniel R. Levinson
Office of the Inspector General
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
330 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20201

Dear Inspector General Levinson:

We request that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) conduct an audit of all fetal tissue research supported by HHS, specifically examining the Department’s oversight of contractor and grantee compliance with the laws governing fetal tissue research.

Research involving human fetal tissue is primarily regulated by the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 (NIH Act), the Health Research Extension Act, and the National Organ Transplant Act, 42 USC Sec. 289g-2. Federal laws make it unlawful to knowingly acquire, receive, or accept a donation of human fetal tissue for valuable consideration.

The Planned Parenthood videos recently released by the Center for Medical Progress raise serious concerns about potential violations of federal law prohibiting the transfer of fetal tissue for valuable consideration. The videos not only raise questions about Planned Parenthood’s compliance with applicable laws and regulations, but also highlight potentially significant problems with HHS’s oversight of practices in this market in general.

Our request to you follows receipt of an unacceptable response from the Department on August 14, 2015, which failed to address many of the substantive questions raised in the July 22, 2015 inquiry to HHS (both letters attached). The Department does not appear to have conducted any internal investigation of their own research practices or any audits or other oversight of their contractors, suppliers, and grantees with regard to their compliance with fetal tissue research laws and instead relied on assertions of compliance.

We request your assistance in answering questions that the Department did not answer, within the limits of your jurisdiction, including:

1. The attached letter from HHS dated August 14, 2015 states that NIH and FDA currently conduct and fund research involving fetal tissue samples. According to the letter, NIH and FDA obtain tissue samples from “non-profit organizations that have provided assurances to [HHS] that they are in compliance with all applicable legal requirements,” and the third parties conducting research funded by FDA and NIH have certified to HHS that they are in compliance with all legal requirements, including the ban on receiving valuable consideration for fetal tissue.

a. Please conduct an audit to determine, for fetal tissue used in connection with projects funded or conducted by HHS, what these third party entities have paid for fetal tissue, how prices are set, and how they determine whether they are in compliance with 42 USC Sec. 289g-2.

b. How does HHS verify third-party entities’ certifications and/or assurances regarding compliance with 42 USC Sec. 289g-2? What kind of certifications and assurances do NIH and FDA obtain (i.e. who signs them, how often they are received, are they in writing, etc.)?

c. HHS’ August 14, 2015, letter states that it also requires these third-party funding recipients to “be able to demonstrate their compliance with applicable legal requirements.” With respect to compliance with 42 USC Sec. 289g-2, what does HHS require to demonstrate compliance? How often (if ever) has HHS invoked this requirement and asked a funding recipient to demonstrate compliance? Has HHS ever terminated an award based on noncompliance with 42 USC Sec. 289g-2?

d. Do NIH and FDA require any documentation to demonstrate compliance with 42 USC Sec. 289g-2, and if so, what documentation?

2. HHS’ August 14, 2015, letter states that HHS has not funded or conducted research on the transplantation of human fetal tissue “in recent years” and currently knows “of no violation of [42 USC Sec. 289g-1] in connection with research done at our agencies.” However, the letter does not clearly say whether HHS knows of any violations of 42 USC Sec. 289g-1 by third parties that conducted research with HHS funding.

a. Does HHS have knowledge of any violations of 42 USC Sec. 289g-1 in connection with research conducted by third parties but funded by HHS?

b. What has HHS done for past fetal tissue transplant research (if anything) to ensure third parties conducting HHS-funded research complied with 42 USC Sec. 289g-1, including verification of grantee/contractor certifications of compliance?

c. When HHS conducted its own tissue transplant research in the past, what steps did it take to ensure compliance with 42 USC Sec. 289g-1, including verification of any third-party suppliers legal assurances or certifications?

3. Please review and respond to the remaining unanswered questions in the attached July 22, 2015, letter to Secretary Burwell and conduct any other investigation of the issues raised about Planned Parenthood, fetal tissue transplant research, or fetal tissue research of whatever scope is possible within HHS OIG’s jurisdiction.

HHS OIG has a reputation for fulfilling its mission through thorough, nonpartisan audits and investigations. We look forward to working with your office to shed light on the many serious and alarming questions raised about fetal tissue research in recent months.


Sincerely,

Sen. Rand Paul

http://www.paul.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/PP%20Letter%20.pdf

Rand Paul: Why are we still in Afghanistan?

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, said Tuesday the U.S. military strike that hit a hospital in Afghanistan raises questions over the U.S.'s continued involvement in that country, 14 years after the U.S. first deployed troops there.

Paul argued the U.S. should no longer be fighting the war in Afghanistan and that "the Afghans need to step it up and defend themselves."

"I think this goes to a bigger question and this is the question President Obama should have to answer: Why are we still at war in Afghanistan? What is the U.S. objective, what's the U.S. mission and why are we bombing anybody in Afghanistan?" Paul, a GOP presidential candidate, told CNN's Wolf Blitzer.

Paul argued that while the U.S. "had a clear cut mission" in Afghanistan following the attacks of September 11, 2001, "that's been long gone for many years now."

Paul, whose non-interventionist foreign policy views are largely out of step with his party's hawkish majority, said the U.S. should avoid a "perpetual war" in Afghanistan and said Afghans "should be able to defend themselves" as the U.S. has poured billions of dollars in aid into Afghanistan.

...http://www.kxlf.com/story/30198852/rand-paul-why-are-we-still-in-afghanistan

Rand Paul on 2016: Why the GOP candidate says he's not going anywhere

It’s been a tough week for Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul.

The Republican presidential candidate has spent the week explaining why his campaign still even exists, appearing on outlet after outlet to defend himself from speculation that weakening poll numbers and a cash-strapped campaign would – or should – lead him to drop out.

This week, fellow GOP candidate Donald Trump mocked Sen. Paul on Twitter, writing, “Rand Paul has been driven out of the race by my statements about him – he will announce soon.”

...http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/USA-Update/2015/1004/Rand-Paul-on-2016-Why-the-GOP-candidate-says-he-s-not-going-anywhere

Rand Paul Takes An Indirect Shot At Fellow GOP Presidential Contender Donald Trump

Rand Paul, Kentucky’s junior senator, didn’t bring up the subject of his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination when he spoke to the Florence Rotary Club Monday, but he had plenty to say about it to reporters afterwards.

Paul, who is mired in the single digits in national polls, took a back-handed swipe at the Republican candidate who is leading most national polls, business mogul Donald Trump – and he did it without mentioning him by name.

“I think the celebrity skew of this race is about to turn,’’ Paul said after the lunch at the Turfway Hilton. “I think you’re going to see that once the celebrity nature of this race sort of fades a little bit; I think you’re going to see it’s going to be a jumble again, a mixture of 10 candidates."

...http://wvxu.org/post/rand-paul-takes-indirect-shot-fellow-gop-presidential-contender-donald-trump#stream/0

Isn't there some sort of press release that could be added to the OP? I know the Winks would have some choice words about how thrilled they are to get this thing moving and perhaps what the ETA for the ETF might be.

Rand tied for 5th in New Reuters Poll
OCTOBER 2ND, 2015 (5-DAY ROLLING)

511 Responses

Businessman Donald Trump

32.4%


Surgeon and author Ben Carson

10.9%


Former Fla. Gov. Jeb Bush

10.2%


Former Sen. candidate and business executive Carly Fiorina

8.2%


Wouldn’t vote

6.8%


Tex. Sen. Ted Cruz

6.2%


Ken. Sen. Rand Paul

6.2%


Former Ark. Gov. Mike Huckabee

5%


Fla. Sen. Marco Rubio

4.8%


NJ Gov. Chris Christie

4.8%


Former Penn. Sen. Rick Santorum

1.5%


La. Gov. Bobby Jindal

1.3%


Ohio Gov. John Kasich

0.9%

http://polling.reuters.com/#!response/TR130/type/smallest/filters/PARTY_ID_:2/dates/20150808-20151002/collapsed/false

Polls for the 2016 U.S. presidential race have been defying all expectations: Donald Trump as the persistent Republican frontrunner even as he insults large swaths of the country and brushes off policy questions; Hillary Clinton haunted by an email controversy Democrats shrug off while a Vermont socialist keeps gaining on her.

Are the polls correct? While that is hardly a new question, doubts are intensifying after a series of high-profile misfires around the world in the past year, notably in Greece, Israel and the UK. As politics and business lean increasingly on surveys and data, technological and social shifts are combining to challenge polls’ reliability in an entirely new way. Polling professionals have no solution; investors are wary.

"There isn’t a pollster out there who thinks about this seriously who isn’t a little bit uneasy," said Kirby Goidel, editor of the book "Political Polling in the Digital Age." Interviews with more than a dozen pollsters in the U.S. and around the world revealed similar anxiety.

Brad Schruder, a director of foreign exchange at Bank of Montreal, said what many in the investment world have been thinking: "It makes you wonder, how much weight should we attach to these polls?"

...http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-09-29/flaws-in-polling-data-exposed-as-u-s-campaign-season-heats-up

Pretty sure the last quarter of 2015 is what they were mentioning and shooting for. We're just entering this quarter and things seem to be progressing.

Economist Art Laffer (Reagan's Guy) Loves Rand Paul's Tax Plan | Fox News Neil Cavuto

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pEflrDNJTg

I've never liked Art but he makes some great points about Rand's tax policy and it's too bad that it has been relinquished to Fox Business rather than the main Fox channel so the rest of the so-called conservative base sees it once and for all. However, Fox News the main is now known as the shell game media that it has become since they've elevated frauds like Fiorina yet never mention Rand in a decent light up til now. Go figure...

Rand Paul Interview: Polls are Misleading

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhGsnUo9r34

Since millennials don't have landline services.. or does anyone know a bunch of mills that have landlines to make the polling legit?

Point blank: (via ronpaulforums.com) I'm 30 years old and don't have a landline. Furthermore, I don't answer my cell phone for numbers I don't know. I would say this goes for many of my friends my age or younger. If we don't recognize the number we don't pick up. It is not an effective method to poll millennials via phone because as mentioned earlier we really don't use them for voice anymore. If a pollster wanted an accurate and effective method of polling those 40 and under they might consider conducting their polls via text message.

I'm 33 and don't have a landline yet I'm a delegate in the GOP of my state including the local area, so this polling doesn't shade over anyone I do business with, nor most of my customers at this point. However, I know a decent group of former Ron Paul folk that are entertaining Trump and Carson at this point. This speaks to Rand's strategy up to this point, which hasn't gone so good and we're hoping he's rebranding himself at this point in a large way.

This is great news to see the bitcoin related services being strengthened in Korea as they're a pretty tech savvy nation. When the buying frenzy eventually starts, everybody and their brother will have access to obtaining bitcoin easily in every place that matters on earth.

Pretty sure it's late July of next year, would have to look deeper for a specific date as I don't have my calendar marked for precise date. I'm more interested in all the developments in the ecosystem that are going on between now and then and the halving will just add fuel to the rocket.

Rand Paul raises $2.5 million in second quarter

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) will report around $2.5 million in donations to his presidential campaign, a dip from his first quarter, though his campaign is emphasizing that more money started to roll in recently.

"Not only are we in for the long haul but we’ve seen an uptick in crowds and support," said Paul's spokesman Sergio Gor. "Since the last debate we’ve raised $750,000."

...http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/10/01/rand-paul-raises-2-5-million-in-second-quarter/

Rand Paul seeks scope of waste in agencies’ year-end spending sprees

Some federal agencies do rush to spend all of their money at the end of the fiscal year, leading to wasteful expenses, economists told Congress on Wednesday — but they disagreed over how big the problem is.

“It’s in some ways anecdotal, but also now empirical to the point where we were spending hundreds of millions of dollars a year that could be wasteful. The question now is, what is wasteful?” said Jason Fichtner, a senior research fellow at George Mason University’s Mercatus Center.

...

A former State Department employee, Dean Sinclair, told the committee that a facility manager for a U.S. ambassador once had to order a truckload of plastic flower pots even though they only needed four, just because it was a way to spend the money.

“When they showed up, they took four of them out and put them around the embassy where they were needed, and the rest were put behind a building and left just to rot in the sun,” Mr. Sinclair said. “Because you can’t let them go, you can’t give them away because of the rules, you can’t sell them, you just have to keep them.”

That kind of spending leaves taxpayers fuming, Mr. Fichtner said.

“We can’t go out and say we have effective government, we can’t go out and ask the taxpayers for more funding for programs when they don’t believe we’re spending wisely the money we have today,” he said.

Philip Joyce, senior associate dean of the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy, said Congress creates an atmosphere of uncertainty in departments and agencies when lawmakers have a tough time passing spending bills on time.

...http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/sep/30/rand-paul-seeks-scope-of-waste-in-agencies-year-en/?

Rand Paul has 275 endorsements in New Hampshire

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul's presidential campaign remains very much alive in the New Hampshire grassroots.

We’ve obtained from the Paul campaign a preview of the 25 newest members of his New Hampshire leadership team, which now numbers 275 activists.

The list is headed by state Rep. J.R. Hoell of Dunbarton, who was a 2012 Republican National Convention delegate for former U.S. Rep. Ron Paul. Other former Ron Paul supporters on board with his son are Ron and Kate Peik of Hollis, Linda Siwik of Amherst and Kenneth Moak of Northwood.

Also backing Paul are Brinck Slattery of Manchester, who was the state director for former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson’s New Hampshire presidential campaign in 2012; Gerard Svetly, Richard Lamontagne, David Martinez and Leon Dufresne of Manchester; Tim Bauman of Penacook, Jacob Olson of Mason, Andy Begosh of Webster, Beth Ashton of Hudson, Caleb Baker of Greenfield, Elise Ronan of Belmont, Eric Gregoire of Sutton, Jeffrey Farwell of Northfield, Steven and Roxanne Provencher of New Ipswich, Joe and Teresa Connelly of Amherst, Casey Cotton of North Conway, and Matthew Gosselin of Nashua.

“Rand Paul stands as the beacon of liberty that continues to draw primary voters to his campaign from across New Hampshire,” campaign senior adviser Mike Biundo said.

...http://www.wmur.com/politics/new-hampshire-primary-source-imagine-ayotte-endorsing-cruz-or-trump/35584130

Rand Paul Holds Hearing to Mitigate Wasteful, End of the Year Federal Spending

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), chairman of the Subcommittee on Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management for the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee held a hearing entitled, “Prudent Planning or Wasteful Binge? A Look at End of the Year Spending.” Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Joni Ernst (R-IA), and James Lankford (R-OK) also participated in the hearing.

During the hearing, Sen. Paul explored the phenomena of end of year federal government spending – the practice of trying to obligate all remaining funds in an agency budget before they expire at the end of the year – as well as identified possible solutions to mitigate this problem, including legislation introduced by Sen. Paul, known as the Bonus for Cost-Cutters Act.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1j1bXugyos

...http://www.paul.senate.gov/news/press/sen-rand-paul-holds-hearing-to-mitigate-wasteful-end-of-the-year-federal-spending

What do you want me to do, set myself on fire?

"It's going to sort itself over time. I mean, we're in it for the long haul," Paul said.

"That's not a confidence-boosting answer," Montgomery interjected.

"What do you want me to do, set myself on fire? I mean, we are doing what we have to do to get the message out," Paul replied, touting his support among younger voters who he said are being undercounted in the polls. "We think that the numbers are actually much higher than represented."

Paul actually has set things on fire to grab attention in the past. In July, he literally destroyed thousands of pages of paper that represented US tax code using a chainsaw, a wood chipper, and fire, in order to highlight his tax-reform proposal.

He also said on"Kennedy" Wednesday that he's seeing a surge of support on the campaign trail despite what's reflected in polls.
"We haven't seen the movement in the polls but we can feel it everywhere we go," he said. "If I didn't turn my computer on and look at the stories that aren't always so favorable, I would have no idea from traveling on the road that we aren't doing great."

Video and more...http://www.businessinsider.com/rand-paul-fire-burn-2016-polls

Wisconsin poll: Rand tied for 6th along with Cruz

Trump 20%
Carson 16%
Rubio 14%
Fiorina 11%
Bush 7%
Paul 5%
Cruz 5%
Kasich 3%
Huckabee 3%
Christie 3%
Jindal 1%
Santorum 1%
Pataki <1%
Gilmore <1%
Graham 0%

https://law.marquette.edu/poll/2015/09/30/marquette-law-school-poll-finds-walker-job-approval-at-37-percent-following-presidential-run/