Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/199749
Saturday, October 26, 2013 – Daily News 7A WORLD BRIEFING Private contractor to oversee repair of health care website WASHINGTON (AP) — Nearly a month into the dysfunctional rollout, the Obama administration acknowledged the wide extent of its health care website's problems Friday and abruptly turned to a private company to oversee urgent fixes. Setting a new timetable, officials said most issues will be repaired by the end of November. It will take a lot of work, but ''HealthCare.gov is fixable,'' declared Jeffrey Zients, a management consultant brought in by the White House. By the end of next month, he said, there will be many fewer signup problems such as computer screen freezes — but he stopped short of saying problems will completely disappear. The administration also said it is promoting one of the website contractors, a subsidiary of the nation's largest health insurance company, to take on the role of ''general contractor'' shepherding the fixes. Quality Software Services Inc. — owned by a unit of UnitedHealth Group— was responsible for two components of the government's online insurance system. One is the data hub, a linchpin that works relatively well, and the other is an accounts registration feature that initially froze and caused many problems. Zients reported that his review found dozens of issues across the entire system, which is made up of layers of components meant to interact in real time with consumers, government agencies and insurance company computers. Quake rocks Japan off Fukushima TOKYO (AP) — An earthquake of magnitude 7.3 struck early Saturday off Japan's east coast, the U.S. Geological Survey said, triggering small tsunamis but causing no apparent damage. Japan's meteorological agency said the quake was an aftershock of the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami that struck the same area in 2011, killing about 19,000 people and devastating the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power plant. Tsunamis of up to 40 centimeters (15 inches) were reported Saturday at four areas along the coast, but a tsunami advisory was lifted less than two hours after the quake. Japanese television images of harbors showed calm waters. The quake hit at 2:10 a.m. Tokyo time (1710 GMT) about 290 kilometers (170 miles) off Fukushima, and it was felt in Tokyo, some 300 miles (480 kilometers) away. ''It was fairly big, and rattled quite a bit, but nothing fell to the floor or broke. We've had quakes Fall Classes DORMANT SPRAY CLASS Today, Oct. 26 at 11am WINTERIZING WATER GARDENS Sat., Nov. 2 @ 11am WIRE BASKET WORKSHOP Sat., Nov. 16 @ 11am PLANTED CENTERPIECE WORKSHOP Sat., Nov. 23 @ 11am Our classes are always free, please call or email to reserve your seat. WYNTOUR GARDENS 365-2256 8026 Airport Road, Redding I-5 North, Exit #673, Rt on Knighton, Rt on Airport Located 1 mile south of the Airport (Next to Kents Mkt) Open Mon-Sat 8-5 & Sunday's 10-4 wyntourgardens.com Facebook inform@wyntourgardens.com ANNUAL SPARTAN HALL OF FAME BOOSTER FALL BONANZA Saturday, Nov. 9, 2013 Social Hour: Tri-Tip Dinner: 5:30pm 6:30pm Red Bluff Community Center Tickets: $20 (available from a Red Bluff Spartan Athlete or at Re/Max Top Properties or by emailing us at spartanboosters@sbcglabal.net) NEW THIS YEAR Red Bluff Spartan's Hall of Fame Honorees for 2013 Bob Grim - Male Athlete Kathy Long Brandt - Female Athlete Bill Jacobs - Coach Silent Auction and Raffle Prizes! Sponsored By of this magnitude before,'' Satoshi Mizuno, an official with the Fukushima prefectural government's disaster management department, told The Associated Press by phone. ''Luckily, the quake's center was very far off the coast.'' Alleged electronic targeting of allies must end, French BRUSSELS (AP) — Indignant at reports of U.S. electronic espionage overseas, the leaders of Germany and France said Friday they will insist the Obama administration agree by year's end to limits that could put an end to alleged American eavesdropping on foreign leaders, businesses and innocent citizens. German spy chiefs will travel to Washington shortly to talk with U.S. officials about the spying allegations that have so angered European leaders, including whether Chancellor Angela Merkel's own cellphone was monitored by the National Security Agency. Merkel and French President Francois Hollande, at the final day of a European Union summit in Brussels, did not offer many specifics on what they want President Barack Obama and his intelligence chiefs to agree to. A former French counterintelligence agent, however, told The Associated Press the European allies will likely demand the Americans sign off on a ''code of good conduct'' for intelligence-gathering, and could use the espionage dispute as leverage against the United States in upcoming trade talks. ''I think France and Germany would want guidelines,'' said Claude Moniquet, who now directs the Brussels-based European Strategic and Intelligence Center. But he was dubious there would be much change in intelligence agencies' real-world behavior. Leader of alQaida-linked front killed BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian state-run TV reported Friday the leader of a powerful al-Qaida-linked rebel group has been killed — a claim that if confirmed would be a huge blow to fighters trying to topple President Bashar Assad. At least one rebel commander denied the report. Abu Mohammad alGolani heads Jabhat alNusra, also known as Nusra Front, which has emerged as one of the most effective among rebel groups fighting Assad. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which closely monitors the fighting in Syria, said senior Nusra Front leaders contacted by activists in Latakia and the eastern Deir el-Zour province denied al-Golani had been killed. Other Nusra Front sources said they could not confirm or deny the report ''because contact with alGolani was cut,'' the Observatory said in a statement. A rebel commander in a Damascus suburb contacted by The Associated Press said he believed al-Golani was ''alive and well'' based on his contacts with other fighters including those from Nusra Front. He declined to elaborate or be identified for security concerns. 604 Main St. Red Bluff (530) 529-5154 www.redblufflosmariachis.com Breakfast or Lunch Complete Meal Served 6:30am2:00Pm Mon.-Fri. 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