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The market seems to be casting its lot with those who are predicting Republican candidate Scott Brown will win today’s election for the Senate seat formerly held by Ted Kennedy.

The Dow Jones U.S. Health Care Index jumped 1.85% this morning, which compares favorable the Dow’s more modest 0.7% climb.

It’s too quick, however, to assume that health care stocks rise or fall in a inverse correlation the prospects of health care reform. Health care lobbyists have been heavily influential in shaping the reform, assuring that the reforms won’t be as detrimental to health care profits as initially assumed. In fact, many companies would likely benefit from the reforms.

So it’s worth taking a closer look at health care stocks to see what they are saying about health care reform. The hospital sector was set to receive at least $171 billion over 10 years in reimbursements for the newly insured. That would have more than offset $155 billion in proposed cost cuts. The $16 billion gain for the sector led the hospital sector to endorse health care reform last year. If they are doing poorly while the rest of the healthcare sector is rising, that might be a good indicator.

The big players in the hospital sector are Universal Health Services (UHS) and Community Health Systems (CYH), which each have a market cap of around $3.46 billion. UHS is down 1.73% today and CYH has dropped 2.95%.  Other hospital operators are also down: Health Management Association (HMA) dropped 2.74%, Lifepoint (LPNT) is down 1.54%, and Tenet Healthcare Corporation (THC) fell 4.12%.

While it is always dangerous to assign exogenous rationales to movements in stock prices, it is at least safe to say that health care stocks are moving as we would expect them to if they were predicting a win for Brown in Massachusetts.

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• It’s Over: Scott Brown Is The 3:1 Favorite Over Martha Coakley
• How Does Reconciliation Work In Congress?
• Jim Cramer: Markets Will Surge Wednesday If Coakley Loses

Following a teaser from Mini yesterday, the first pictures of the company’s upcoming crossover have been leaked. We’re still not sure as to what the model will be called, but so far it’s been known as the Countryman and the Crossman.

From the three leaked photos, you can tell that there will be a Cooper S version of the crossover with “All4″ all-wheel-drive badging on the side front fender. The interior keeps the current Mini theme.

We’ll bring you more details as we get them – so stay tuned. Let us know what you think for now.

Mini Countryman Crossover (Leaked Images):

– By: Omar Rana

Source: WorldCarFans

Wade Roush wrote:

Atlas Venture, an early stage venture investing firm with offices in Waltham, MA, and London, announced today that it will consolidate its operations, downsize its UK office, and bring almost all of its active investment professionals together under one roof in the Boston area.

That roof likely won’t be Atlas’s current office 890 Winter Street in Waltham, says Jeff Fagnan, a partner at the firm. So it’s conceivable that Atlas will join the minor migration of venture firms from the distant suburbs to Cambridge and Boston proper—areas often seen as the emerging center of gravity for the region’s software, Internet, and life sciences startups. Greylock Partners moved its regional office to Harvard Square last year and Bessemer Venture Partners is reported to be considering a similar move.

But Fagnan says the firm hasn’t chosen a spot yet. “We’re evaluating a few different locations right now,” Fagnan said by phone from the Waltham office. “Some are out this way and some are back that way.”

Wherever the firm goes, he adds, it would be mistake to read too much into the choice. “I definitely look at office space as tactical rather than strategic; I find it interesting that the whole venture firm office space thing is considered so newsworthy right now,” Fagnan says. “If any firm in New England has stuck to its knitting, it’s us. We are doing all seed and Series A investments and we’re committed to early stage investing. That’s not going to change, whether we’re in Cambridge, Massachusetts, or Cambridge, England.”

The decision to consolidate personnel in the Boston area is also tactical rather than strategic, Fagnan says. “We operate best when we’re around one table and we can collaborate and challenge one another and look each other in the eye,” he says. “We are going to continue to execute on European deal flow, but we feel like we can continue to do that out of an office in Boston. It’s a lot easier these days to do the best deals today regardless of geography. We’ve proven that with the West Coast, and London is actually an easier flight from Boston. We don’t see it changing our strategy.”

Atlas partner Fred Destin will relocate from the London office to Boston, the firm said in today’s announcement. Graham O’Keefe and Regina Hoddits, partners in the London office, have “transitioned to venture partner roles,” the firm said. Christopher Spray will remain as the firm’s ranking partner in London.

As it comes together in a new location and continues to invest money from its $283 million eight fund, which closed about a year ago, it’s also likely that the Atlas team will grow, Fagnan says. “We’re hiring a new general partner on the technology side, and the life sciences team is also likely to add somebody. So you’re going to see an aggressive team with a fresh pool of capital.”

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Los Angeles: The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is seeking public assistance to identify and locate a suspect/driver who hit and killed a 25-year-old woman early this morning.

Today at about 4 a.m., a person driving north on Normandie Avenue from 204th Street struck Charmmaine Ouk of Long Beach when she ran into the roadway heading west across Normandie Avenue.  The driver then failed to stop and render aid or provide identification as required by law. According to a witness, the suspect may have been driving a gray or brown minivan, but police need more solid details about the vehicle.                                                                                                                                      

Detectives from LAPD’s South Traffic Division are hopeful that witnesses or others with information about the incident will come forward. Anyone with information about this crime is urged to call South Traffic Division Detective Jones at 323-290-6063 between 7 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.  After hours, calls may be directed to the South Traffic Division watch commander at 213-485-7336.  During non-business hours or on weekends calls, calls may also be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7.  Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call Crimestoppers at 800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477).  Tipsters may also contact Crimestoppers by texting to phone number 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S on most keypads) with a cell phone. All text messages should begin with the letters "LAPD." Tipsters may also go to LAPDOnline.org, click on "webtips" and follow the prompts.

Brazil’s federal energy company, Petrobras, is using sugarcane-based ethanol in a gas turbine system to produce electricity on a full commercial scale — the world’s first such project. They marked the occasion with a celebration today at the plant, which uses two GE gas turbines — one of whose combustors has been modified by GE to enable the use of ethanol.

Sweet spot: The Juiz de Fora Power Plant is located about 110 miles north of Rio de Janeiro. The sugar-based ethanol it uses is one of Brazil most efficient biofuels in terms of energy balance and carbon emissions.

In late 2009, Petrobras announced an agreement with GE to convert and test an LM6000 gas turbine system at its Juiz de Fora power plant for sugarcane-based ethanol operation. Demonstration of the newly developed GE conversion kit began in December 2009 and was divided into three phases — the first evaluating engine performance, the second examining reduction of environmental impact and the third investigating impact on the equipment, which had been running on natural gas. This project marks the first time that sugarcane-based ethanol has been used to generate electricity.

There will be five months of demonstration runs to validate the use of ethanol as an alternative fuel, as well as to ensure that emissions are within the expected limits. GE is providing the conversion technology, engineering and field support during conversion and commissioning.

As the world’s second largest producer of ethanol and the world’s largest exporter, Brazil is eager to benefit from incorporating ethanol into its energy profile because it’s so abundant. The country produced about 7.3 billion gallons of ethanol in 2008, according to data provided by Brazil’s government.

Between now and 2013, Petrobras intends to invest heavily in renewable energies and biofuels, with the goal to increase its use of renewable fuels for power generation and demonstrate the feasibility of these fuels, while also increasing fuel supply assurance.

* Read today’s announcement
* Read “The sugar-land express: Brazil orders 50 locomotives” on GE Reports
* Read about GE Aviation’s recent deal with Brazil’s Azul airline
* Read about GE’s other gas turbine technologies on GE Reports

Michael Handelsman, Distinguished Professor in the Humanities and professor in Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures (Spanish), is the co-editor of a book, “Globalization and its Apparitions (La Globalización y sus Espejismos),” recently published by the distinguished Ecuadorian publisher El Conejo. The work is a collective effort by 13 humanists from five different countries, reflecting upon the contradictory and conflicted nature of globalization.

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Haitao Liao, joint professor in Industrial and Information Engineering and Nuclear Engineering, has received a National Science Foundation CAREER Award.

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Norman Magden, professor in the School of Art, has received a First Place in Experimental Film award for his film, “CAFÉ,” at the Los Angeles Reel Film Festival. The film also was selected for screening at festivals in Hollywood, New Orleans, Denver, and Quito, Ecuador.

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Adboulaye Yansané, GTA in Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures (French), has just had his first novel, “Destinées,” published with Editions Phoenix. In this novel, Amidou Camara, after the violent arrest of his father, leaves his native Guinea at the age of 5 and begins a long journey into exile. In Mali, then in Senegal, he leads a picaresque life under the protective gaze of his mentor, Maam Matty Diop.

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Dolly Young, professor in Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures (Spanish), has just published ¡Vívelo! with John Wiley and Sons, Inc.  This first-year comprehensive textbook and program includes an electronic activities manual, self-tests and assignment questions, animated grammar tutorials, voice-recording questions and voice boards powered by Wimba. The entire textbook is also digitized with audio and video. The textbook takes an anthropological and socio-cultural approach to content for the purpose of breaking down stereotypes and broadening students’ perspectives so they are less ethnocentric.

Nick Sangermano, chief operating officer at Ambata Capital Partners, emailed GER from Abu Dhabi, where he is attending the World Future Energy Summit.

He wrote that Ambata Capital, founded by former Credit Suisse investment banker Michael Philipp, is taking “a significant” minority stake in geothermal developer Reykjavik Geothermal, declining to provide more details on the ownership stake or how much money it is forking out for that equity position.

Reykjavik Geothermal and Ambata Capital say they plan to jointly develop and operate utility scale geothermal power generation in emerging markets in the Middle East and Africa.

Seattle Post Intelligencer (blog)Boeing joins Abu Dhabi research in aviation biofuelsUPI.com… biofuels is far from clear because of the huge cash outlays required for technologies involved in arriving at the current stage in biofuel production. …Ba…

Who we are:
The Frontier Project, a Richmond, VA based strategy and leadership development consulting firm, is looking for a multimedia production intern. As a small, growing company, The Frontier Project offers a laid back, informal working environment in a modern industrial studio in Shockoe Bottom. Frontier has worked with a range of clients from non-profit organizations to some of the biggest names on the Fortune 500 list. For more information on Frontier, please view our website at www.thefrontierproject.com and our blog at www.engagethinking.com.

Why we need you:
Frontier has dabbled in video production, but we are ready to take it to the next level. To do this, we need someone who can produce compelling, interactive, engaging and “tricked out” video that upholds our focus on research, client deliverables, and Frontier branding.

What you need to have:
Cutting edge knowledge of video production and compression for web delivery
Shooting still photos and video
• Ability to use Adobe Premier/AVID/Final Cut and After Effects
• The gumption to learn how if you don’t already know it
• Oh, and it would be great if you could bring your own equipment (we will provide very basic video software and hardware)

The give and take:
We will provide a creative, free-flowing, hands-off environment for you to produce awesome multimedia pieces all while being encouraged to do it differently and better. That being said, we are in the real world with real clients so you must be able to time manage, meet a deadline, stick to a schedule, handle feedback, and listen to the boss.

Start Date:
Spring Semester 2010

Time Commitment:
Flexible, but not too flexible. We can work within the parameters set up by your university and class load but we would need some idea of your weekly schedule so we can manage projects effectively.

This internship is unpaid:
We fully expect the on-the-job experience and the skills you will walk away with to be compensation enough. (Oh yeah, the credit hours you will receive from your university are nice too).

We are located at 1901 E. Franklin Street, Richmond, VA 23223 on the GRTC bus line and a short distance from Main Street Station.

Applicants should email resume and cover letter to:
Jennifer Moseley (Studio Manager): [email protected]
(804)612-8796

Last week, I wrote at Science Progress about how a group of scientists had dealt a devastating blow to the practice of MTR (mountaintop removal mining) with a good paper, some luck, and a good communications plan.

Now, the point is driven home further, as the chief scientist involved, Dr. Margaret Palmer of the University of Maryland, was actually invited on The Colbert Report to discuss her work. Of course, the blowing up of mountains is a perfect Colbert topic, but I felt that Dr. Palmer did a good job, er, sticking to the science. Watch the whole thing:

The Colbert Report	Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Coal Comfort – Margaret Palmer
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Economy

I got a note from my friend, Tom Kemp, this morning, apprising me of the fact that GenealogyBank.com is now up to over 280 African-American newspapers in their online offerings. The following is from the website:

This fully searchable and expanding collection of newspapers provides details about the daily lives of millions of African Americans from 1827-1999. No other online source provides such a detailed snapshot of the African American experience. Find family history records across the U.S. including obituaries, military records, advertisements, editorials, illustrations and much more.

Tom also noted that 61 newspaper titles went live this month and more will be added every few weeks. The newspapers are from across the country and cover more than 170 years.

GenealogyBank is a subscription site. However, searches are free. Your search results come back as “snippets” of digitized newspaper. To get beyond the “snippets,” you must subscribe.

FTC Statement: GenealogyBlog has an affiliate relationship with GenealogyBank.com. However, at the moment I’m not encoding my blogs, so I expect no remuneration for any promotion given GenealogyBank.com. I have a subscription to the site, use it often and recommend it to my readers.

by Tom Philpott

White House flickr streamHer husband got dealt a difficult set of cards in taking over the post-Bush II presidency—and has arguably played them quite badly. He now finds himself in a tight political corner: caught between an emboldened Right, an angry Left, and a shrivelled middle.

But Michelle Obama abides, as fabulous and beloved by the electorate as ever. She has built up a tidy store of political capital. She plans to spend it “by spearheading an initiative to reduce childhood obesity that, she hopes, will create a legacy by which she can be remembered,” reports Sheryl Gay Stolberg in The New York Times.

Reducing childhood obesity is a goal that few could argue with. But really it’s an appealing way to frame a massive problem with powerful vested interests behind it: a food system that churns out low-quality, environmentally ruinous food and robust profits for a few companies.

If the First Lady plans to confront the issue in a serious way, she’ll soon be knocking heads with those very companies. She has already gotten a taste of the coming pushback, just by planting an organic garden.

It will take every iota of Ms. Obama’s considerable grace, smarts, and popular appeal to “move the ball” (as she puts it) on the diet-related maladies that confront the nation’s children. The sustainable food movement has never had a more appealing or high-profile champion.

Related Links:

Tales from a D.C. school kitchen: How foods that don’t occur in nature end up on your kid’s plate

To address obesity, the First Lady will need to cast a wide net

Tales from a D.C. school kitchen: What does ‘fresh-cooked’ really mean?

You may recall that over in the UK there has been a bit of a battle between online news aggregator NewsNow (which, again, in my experience is one of the best aggregators out there) and various newspapers who are demanding payment from the company. The issue is not NewsNow’s “free” aggregator, but the fact that NewsNow makes most of its money from offering businesses custom, private aggregation of links. NewsNow isn’t providing full content at all — just links and headlines. But the complaint from newspapers is that NewsNow is selling this service to companies and making money from it — and thus, they deserve a cut.

Now, as the battle has escalated, it appears that Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. has taken the next step and blocked links coming from NewsNow. It’s not clear what happens to NewsNow users who click on News Corp. stories, but apparently they don’t get the story. The link above goes through all of the many, many reasons that it is absolutely a bad idea, and extremely “anti-internet” to block links from anywhere, but this whole thing got me thinking.

Based on Murdoch and News Corp’s reasoning here, I believe Murdoch owes me money.

After all, News Corp. is most certainly a commercial enterprise. And, as we all know, the Wall Street Journal charges many people money in the form of subscription fees (just like NewsNow does) for access to the information it provides. Now, over the past couple of years, the Wall Street Journal online has linked to Techdirt more than a couple of times. A quick search of their archives shows at least nine stories over the past two years. So, if Murdoch is saying that NewsNow can’t charge a subscription and link to him, why is it okay for him to charge a subscription and link to me?

Clearly, the answer is that Rupert Murdoch owes me money. Consider my invoice on the way… Of course, the alternative answer is that Murdoch doesn’t owe me a dime… and NewsNow doesn’t owe Murdoch either. But how can that be? It isn’t like we’ve seen Rupert Murdoch suggest that rules that apply to others don’t apply to him. Oh wait….

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Yes, the Apple Tablet is coming next week! But do you know what gets me even more excited? A new version of the iPhone. But how will it be different? Let’s look at the rumors.

Will it be announced on January 27th?

While the original iPhone was announced in January 2007, a full six months before it was released, the 3G was announced two months before its release and most recent version, the 3GS, was announced a mere month before its release. There’s no real reason for Apple to announce a new version of the iPhone months before its release at this point, and if they really are announcing the tablet on the 27th, there’s no reason to overdo it by announcing both. The only way they’d announce it next week is if it was being released much sooner than anticipated. Probability: 20%

When is it coming out?

Yes, a new iPhone will be released this year. Foxconn, Apple’s main manufacturer, is rumored to have already received the order. But when, exactly, should we expect to see it?

If Apple continues along the schedule they’ve stuck to for the past three iterations, look for the iPhone 4 to drop this summer. The original iPhone dropped on June 29, 2007, the 3G came on July 11, 2008 and the 3GS arrived on June 19, 2009. While there have been rumors about a new iPhone showing up in April, those are sketchy at best. The good money is on late June/Early July. Probability: 95%

Will it run on a 4G wireless network?

The 3G and 3GS both run on AT&T’s 3G network, with the 3GS supporting the speedier 7.2 Mbps HSDPA network. AT&T is also working on its 4G LTE network, and some people think the next-gen iPhone could run on that.

It’s unlikely. 3G networks were technically available when the first iPhone was released, but Apple held off until the network was robust enough to handle a good number of people before releasing the 3G. And LTE phones are probably a good six months off still, so expect the new iPhone to continue running on the 7.2 Mbps HSDPA network.

The good news is that the network is far from running at full capacity, so as AT&T beefs it up we should see speeds increase until the v5 LTE iPhone shows up in 2011. Probability: 10%

OMG is it coming to Verizon?!

One analyst seems to think so, and he also claims Apple and Verizon are disagreeing on pricing. Unfortunately, these claims are just his assumptions and aren’t based on any solid information, as is analyst’s wont.

The real motivation for Apple to bring the phone to Verizon is that AT&T’s serious network limitations in NYC and SF have given the iPhone’s once-sterling reputation a black eye. Add to that the fact that Android is starting to encroach on Apple’s hype train, and you’ve got the makings of a good time to expand to other networks.

However, the fact that Apple would need to make a totally new iPhone to run on Verizon’s (and Sprint’s, for that matter) CDMA network is a big roadblock here. It’s not insurmountable, however. Verizon would have to be willing to play ball (although they’ve given hints of that lately), and a lot would have to be worked out.

Our guess is that this is still another year away. After all, both Verizon and AT&T are turning to LTE for their 4G networks, which would make it easier to release one LTE iPhone for both networks. And we all know how Apple likes to keep its product lines simple. Probability: 30% that it happens this year, 60% next year

What processor will it have?

The sketchy source that claimed the new iPhone would be out in April also claimed that it will feature a multi-core ARM Cortex-A9, capable of speeds over 2GHz. While the source isn’t great, this part of the rumor isn’t out of the realm of possibility.

Another option is Apple using chips designed by PA Semi, their in-house chip foundry. There are rumors of PA Semi chips running the forthcoming tablet, and it would make sense that Apple would go a similar route for the next iPhone. Specs are unclear, but it’s safe to say that it would be a bump up from the 3GS.

How much storage will it have?

64GB, probably. Both Samsung and Toshiba have some new 64GB NAND chips that are exactly what Apple would put in an updated iPhone. And the 3GS already has 32GB, so doubling that number is a pretty obvious upgrade. Probability: 95%

What about the graphics chip?

Imagination Technologies, the company behind the iPhone 3GS’s PowerVR SGX535 GPU, recently announced the next version in that line, the SGX545. It has OpenGL 3.2 and Open CL 1.0 support, runs at 200MHz, supports DirectX 10.1 and can do HD output. It seems like a natural next step for the guts of the iPhone, unless Apple wanted to keep the product line simpler by continuing to use the 3GS GPU for another year. Another GPU upgrade would allow for more visually impressive games, just not on older models. Probability: 85%

Will it have video chat?

This was strongly rumored for the 3GS, but didn’t happen: a second camera on the front of the phone, allowing for mobile video chat. Jesus wants it very badly.

The main argument against this happening is that AT&T’s network just couldn’t handle it, which is probably true. But it could be done with a Wi-Fi-only implementation. Then again, maybe it’s just one of those features that just sounds better than it actually is; the idea of holding your phone up in front of your face at arm’s length seems pretty stupid to me. Probability: 30%

Potential New Features

A High-Res AMOLED Screen:
The iPhone’s screen is starting to look a little dated when compared to the beauties found on the Motorola Droid and the Nexus One. The Droid’s screen is 3.7 inches with a 480×854 resolution, while the Nexus One sports a particularly lovely 3.7-inch AMOLED screen with a 480×800 resolution. Compare these numbers to the iPhone, which sports a 3.5-inch LCD screen with a resolution of 320×480, and it becomes clear that a screen upgrade is inevitable.

Furthermore, Apple filed a patent for a slimmer, lighter dual-function touchscreen back in 2008. The new touchscreens feature capacitors included in the pixels of the screen, able to operate individually, eliminating the need for a touch sensor panel overlaid on the display. This would allow the screens to be manufactured more cheaply and easily while also allowing for a thinner profile.

Whether or not the new screens are AMOLEDs or Apple’s new LCD technology, the chances are good that the resolution will get a bump. The trouble is that all of the apps in the App Store have been coded for a native resolution of 320×480, so a lot of work will have to be done to get those upscaled for a higher-resolution screen. That’s no reason to keep a last-gen screen on a new product, however, so we think a resolution upgrade is highly likely. Probability: 90%

A Stylus:
A recently-unearthed Apple patent shows an iPhone being used with a stylus with a conductive tip. The patent was filed back in July of 2008, however, so this seems like more of an ass-covering patent than a product-defining patent. After all, Steve famously said “yuck” to styluses at the first iPhone keynote. So the chances of the new iPhone coming with a stylus are slim to none. Probability: 5%

Removable Battery:
The same flimsy source that claimed that the new iPhone will be released in April also said we should expect a removable battery. This is highly doubtful. Apple has just revamped all of its laptops to have non-user-removable batteries, why would it suddenly do an about-face with the new iPhone? Don’t count on it. Probability: 5%

Touch-Sensitive Casing:
This is an interesting one. A Goldman Sachs analyst seems to think that the back of the new iPhone will be touch-sensitive, like the Magic Mouse. This would allow for gesture-based control, like scrolling, without your fat fingers blocking the screen. This one’s purely speculative, but makes a certain amount of sense. Probability: 35%

Wireless N Support:
This one is pretty obvious. The newest iPod Touch already has a Broadcom BCM4329 chip inside that supports 802.11n and FM transmission, so it’s natural that the next iPhone would get the same thing. A recent job posting by Apple for a Wi-Fi software engineer just adds credence to the rumor. Probability: 95%

5-Megapixel Camera:
Digitimes claims that OmniVision Technologies, the company behind the iPhone 3GS’s 3.2-megapixel CMOS image sensor, has won a new contract with Apple to produce millions of 5-megapixel sensors this year. This one makes sense, as the MP count (as well as storage size) is one of the most basic ways to show that the phone’s been upgraded. Probability: 95%

LED Flash:
On the one hand, the iPhone’s camera could be better, especially in low light, and a flash could help with that. On the other hand, cellphone flashes are almost universally terrible and useless. Nevertheless, there’s a rumor out there that Apple has ordered “tens of millions” of Philips’ LumiLEDs. Probability: 60%

Push-Button Antenna:
Apple filed a patent for an antenna that pops out like a button. This looks to pretty clearly them covering their asses rather than leaking new product designs, so don’t count on seeing a big, ugly antenna button popping out of the top of the new iPhone. Probability: 5%

Spongey Dock:
This is another weirdo patent, one that in all likelihood will never actually be made. Probability: 5%

A Bumpy Screen:
Yet another patent that could be for a tablet or a phone, this shows a touchscreen device with a screen that “create[s] physical bumps or dots for the user to feel when it is in keyboard mode.” Interesting! But also, merely a patent, and a left-field patent at that. Probability: 5%

• Only one week left on the 4-minute Youth Engagement survey from @DECCgovuk – what do you think? http://bit.ly/5rJJ7R #

Farrah Abraham, one of the teen mothers featured on the popular MTV reality show Teen Mom, was allegedly choked and hit during a dispute with her mom last weekend.

Debra Danielson, 54, was arrested on suspicion of domestic abuse/serious assault and is facing domestic violence charges after the women reportedly fought over “childcare issues and other problems” in their Iowa home. According to police reports obtained by The Daily Nonpareil, Farrah, 18, had “multiple cuts” on her lips.

Debra and Farrah are routinely seen arguing on the show, where Abraham’s life as young mom to baby daughter Sophia is documented along with those of three other teenage mothers.

We are happy to announce that two personal injury attorneys from Michigan Auto Law have received the largest car accident settlement and verdict in the state for 2009, according to a year-end compilation of trial verdicts and settlements by Michigan Lawyers Weekly.

Steve Gursten’s settlement was for a serious traumatic brain injury accident in Roseville, which is in Macomb County, Mich. In this case, the metal leg of a traffic sign that was not properly secured, blew through the windshield of the plaintiff’s vehicle, striking her in the head.

David Christensen’s jury verdict was in Lenawee County, where he received a record-breaking verdict for that jurisdiction. His client was hit by a negligent teenage driver and suffered serious injuries, including TBI and a shoulder injury that required surgery.

Top Auto Accident Verdict and Settlement for Second Year in a Row

In 2008, Steve received the highest overall settlement in Michigan, based upon a tragic truck accident wrongful death case in Detroit. He also received the highest reported auto negligence jury verdict that was tried in Macomb County Circuit Court. This case involved a pedestrian who was run over by a pick-up truck.

Read here for more details on Michigan Auto Law’s record-breaking 2008 cases.

In addition to achieving some of the highest car and truck accident settlements each year for injury victims in Michigan, Steve has received the largest jury verdict in four of the past seven years. Michigan Lawyers Weekly wrote about Gursten’s successful record: “…considering the fact that there are approximately 4,000 Michigan attorneys who say they handle personal injury cases as part of their practice, [and over 40,000 in the state] the odds of accomplishing this feat are astronomical.”

With the latest year-end compilation, the attorneys of Michigan Auto Law have received the largest auto negligence jury verdict in the past seven years. Here’s a list of our top verdicts and settlements.

Michigan Auto Law Attorneys Are Here to Protect You

Our greatest satisfaction is obtaining justice for our clients who have been seriously injured or for families who have lost loved ones in auto accidents. Sadly, we realize that lawyers must bring lawsuits to obtain full justice, because often it’s only the threat of litigation that will force some insurance companies and large trucking companies to take full responsibility and change their practices.

We’re proud that we have worked very hard to make Michigan a safer place to live and drive, and that we have been recognized as Leaders in the Law for our efforts to promote truck safety.

Michigan Auto Law  is the largest law firm in the state that practices exclusively in car accidents, truck accidents and motorcycle accidents. Our attorneys want to help you, and will treat you with dignity, caring and respect during these difficult times. Call (800) 777-0028 for a free case evaluation.

Related information:

Choosing the Best Truck Accident Attorney

Top 10 Auto Accident Guide

17 Mistakes that Can Kill Your Auto Accident Case

We truly wrestled with whether to share this report from Sunday’s Hollywood farmers’ market. On the one hand, we know many of our readers (and writers) live in colder climes than California, and strawberries might not be the most welcome sight if you’re having yet another root vegetable meal…

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