Mazda recalls midsize cars to fix door latches

DETROIT — Mazda is recalling 161,400 midsize cars in the U.S. because the doors can open while they're being driven.

The recall affects Mazda 6 cars from the 2009 through 2013 model years. The company says the door latch mounting screws can loosen. That can stop the doors from latching. If the latches come loose, a door ajar light will warn drivers.

Mazda traced the problem to improper tightening at the factory or uneven door surfaces. The company will notify owners and dealers will put on a thread-locking adhesive and tighten the screws. The recall will start around Oct. 18.

Owners with questions can contact Mazda at (800) 222-5500.

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Regulators in New England cap river herring catch

NEWBURYPORT, Mass. — Regional fishery managers have adopted limits on how much river herring can be caught by huge trawlers working New England waters.

Populations of alewives and blueback herring, referred to collectively as river herring, are in historically bad shape, as are stocks of shad. These fish once supported a large commercial fishery, and they also have cultural importance up and down the coast because of the "herring runs" that occur when the fish return upriver to spawn.

The caps proposed Thursday by the New England Fishery Management Council during their meeting on Cape Cod target so-called mid-water trawlers, which catch herring by pulling a large net between them. The caps limit the trawlers to a total of 500,000 pounds of river herring in three areas off New England.

The caps must be approved by federal regulators.

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Shutdown impact: Tourists, homebuyers hit quickly

WASHINGTON — A government shutdown would have far-reaching consequences for some, but minimal impact on others.

Mail would be delivered. Social Security and Medicare benefits would continue to flow.

But vacationers would be turned away from national parks and Smithsonian museums. Low-to-moderate income borrowers and first-time homebuyers seeking government-backed mortgages could face delays.

A look at how services would or would not be affected if Congress fails to reach an agreement averting a government shutdown at midnight Monday.

AIR TRAVEL

Federal air traffic controllers would remain on the job and airport screeners would keep funneling passengers through security checkpoints. Federal inspectors would continue enforcing safety rules.

INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL

The State Department would continue processing foreign applications for visas and U.S. applications for passports, since fees are collected to finance those services. Embassies and consulates overseas would continue to provide services to American citizens.

BENEFIT PAYMENTS

Social Security and Medicare benefits would keep coming, but there could be delays in processing new disability applications. Unemployment benefits would still go out.

FEDERAL COURTS

Federal courts would continue operating normally for about 10 business days after the start of a shutdown, roughly until the middle of October. If the shutdown continues, the judiciary would have to begin furloughs of employees whose work is not considered essential. But cases would continue to be heard.

MAIL

Deliveries would continue as usual because the U.S. Postal Service receives no tax dollars for day-to-day operations. It relies on income from stamps and other postal fees to keep running.

RECREATION

All national parks would be closed, as would the Smithsonian museums, including the National Zoo in Washington. Visitors using overnight campgrounds or other park facilities would be given 48 hours to make alternate arrangements and leave the park. Among the visitor centers that would be closed: the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island in New York, Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Alcatraz Island near San Francisco and the Washington Monument.

HEALTH

New patients would not be accepted into clinical research at the National Institutes of Health, but current patients would continue to receive care. Medical research at the NIH would be disrupted and some studies would be delayed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would be severely limited in spotting or investigating disease outbreaks, from flu to that mysterious MERS virus from the Middle East.

FOOD SAFETY

The Food and Drug Administration would handle high-risk recalls suspend most routine safety inspections. Federal meat inspections would be expected to proceed as usual.

HEAD START

A small number of Head Start programs, about 20 out of 1,600 nationally, would feel the impact right away. The federal Administration for Children and Families says grants expiring about Oct. 1 would not be renewed. Over time more programs would be affected. Several of the Head Start programs that would immediately feel the pinch are in Florida. It's unclear if they would continue serving children.

FOOD ASSISTANCE

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, known as WIC, could shut down. The program provides supplemental food, health care referrals and nutrition education for pregnant women, mothers and their children.

School lunches and breakfasts would continue to be served, and food stamps, known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, would continue to be distributed. But several smaller feeding programs would not have the money to operate.

TAXES

Americans would still have to pay their taxes and file federal tax returns, but the Internal Revenue Service says it would suspend all audits. Got questions? Sorry, the IRS says taxpayer services, including toll-free help lines, would be shut as well.

LOANS

Many low-to-moderate incomes borrowers and first-time homebuyers seeking government-backed mortgages could face delays during the shutdown. The Federal Housing Administration, which guarantees about 30 percent of home mortgages, wouldn't underwrite or approve any new loans during the shutdown. Action on government-backed loans to small businesses would be suspended.

SCIENCE

NASA will continue to keep workers at Mission Control in Houston and elsewhere to support the International Space station, where two Americans and four others are deployed. The National Weather Service would keep forecasting weather and issuing warnings and the National Hurricane Center would continue to track storms. The scientific work of the U.S. Geological Survey would be halted.

HOMELAND SECURITY

The majority of the Department of Homeland Security's employees are expected to stay on the job, including uniformed agents and officers at the country's borders and ports of entry, members of the Coast Guard, Transportation Security Administration officers, Secret Service personnel and other law enforcement agents and officers. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services employees would continue to process green card applications.

MILITARY

The military's 1.4 million active duty personnel would stay on duty, but their paychecks would be delayed. About half of the Defense Department's civilian employees would be furloughed.

PRISONS

All 116 federal prisons would remain open, and criminal litigation would proceed.

VETERANS SERVICES

Most services offered through the Department of Veterans Affairs will continue because lawmakers approve money one year in advance for the VA's health programs. Veterans would still be able to visit hospitals for inpatient care, get mental health counseling at vet centers or get prescriptions filled at VA health clinics. Operators would still staff the crisis hotline and claims workers would still process payments to cover disability and pension benefits. But those veterans appealing the denial of disability benefits to the Board of Veterans Appeals will have to wait longer for a decision because the board would not issue any decisions during a shutdown.

WORK SAFETY

Federal occupational safety and health inspectors would stop workplace inspections except in cases of imminent danger.

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Associated Press writers Matthew Daly, Frederic J. Frommer, Kevin Freking, Andrew Miga, Deb Riechmann, Lauran Neergaard, Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Mark Sherman, Stephen Ohlemacher, Lolita Baldor, Jesse Holland, Seth Borenstein, Mary Clare Jalonick and Alicia Caldwell contributed to this report.

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‘Hot Wheels’ Camaro just for grown-ups

What are you calling a toy?

Born with the heart of a '60s muscle car, the 2013 Chevrolet Camaro SS pays homage to its forefather with curvy fenders, a low profile and rippling exhaust notes, yet manages decent mileage from a monster 
6.2-liter, 426-horsepower power plant.

The low-slung, high-waisted, slit-windowed Camaro handles well, although the firm suspension and oversized tires let you know what's on the road, but point this roadster down the freeway and you're driving 
All-American muscle.

Our tester, which included a special "Hot Wheels" edition for $6,995 and other add-ons, featured 21-inch low-profile rubber mounted on red-trimmed alloys, blue metallic paint scheme with a matte black racing stripe, special edition decals and badging, and contrasting red stitching on the black interior.

The interior is a bit plain, with uninspired plastics and some leather accents. But it's what's under the hood that you're paying for.

A quick jab of the accelerator and the V-8 roars, pushing you back into the driver's seat as the heads-up display rolls through the miles per hour. A smallish, tight steering wheel responds immediately to switching lanes, leaving you looking in the mirrors for blue lights.

Even at low speeds, the snarling exhaust has heads turning, admiring the handsome lines of this meaty machine. The gas mileage for the roadster is 15 in the city and 24 on the highway.

High-end, rear-wheel-spinning power packed into a sleek shell has always been the muscle cars' calling card and this Camaro coupe 
delivers — zero to 60 in 
4.4 seconds with huge Brembo brakes that bring the car to a solid stop. Quick, agile steering and solid footing as you work the curves with minimal body roll.

Our tester SS had the six-speed automatic with Tap Shift paddles in it, but for better command of the vehicle, order a six-speed manual. I've tested the manual and thought it added immensely to the driving experience.

Sling yourself into the comfortable and supportive leather driver's seat to pilot the Camaro. A simple two-gauge dash is tucked into a sleek minimalist design, while a multi-gauge cluster is mounted a bit out of sight on the center console.

I think the 7-inch navigation/Mylink display screen drops down to muddy the view, so perhaps there's a slight ergonomic rework needed in future models.

The navigation package, which I found tricky to work, includes a backup camera, which is a must, 
because peering out the highly set and smallish rear window, you do lose sight of the rear end.

The aggressive feline styling comes with a cost elsewhere as well, as all the sight lines in the car are tight, so being aware of your surroundings is critical. To use old fighter pilot jargon, "check your six" frequently — look behind you often.

You can get a really well-decked-out SS for about $36,135. Although the $46,010 Hot Wheels edition is an 
interesting co-branding idea, I'd prefer the badging and embroidered seats toned down a bit.

However, the Camaro is a excellent contender in the pony-car class. So start your engines and lay down some rubber at the next meet with the Ford Mustang GT and Dodge Challenger SRT.

Remember, this is not a toy.

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Details add charm in Dorchester

This starter single-family in Dorchester's Neponset neighborhood has just the right amount of space for a young family, and its covered front porch and original woodwork add charm.

The three-bedroom hip-roof Colonial at 36 Garner Road was built in 1925 and still has much of its original wainscoting, built-ins and hardwood floors. A two-story addition was added in the 1980s, which created a family room and an additional full bathroom on the first floor and a master bedroom on the second. The price of this 1,668-square-foot home has just been reduced $20,000 to $399,000.

A white picket fence surrounds the front yard and the home has a covered farmer's porch and light blue vinyl siding with black shutters.

To the left, off an entry foyer, is a formal living room with three windows, hardwood floors and a brick covered wood-burning fireplace. A wide opening leads into a formal dining room with a chandelier hung from a plaster medallion and paneled wainscoting and a built-in cabinet.

Behind the dining area, in a 1980s addition, is a carpeted family room with a double-door closet.

Off the dining area is the home's kitchen, which also has hardwood floors, beadboard wainscoting and built-in hutches. This area, with a butcher block central island and older appliances, needs some sprucing up.

Behind the kitchen is a full bathroom added in the 1980s with green ceramic tile floors and white tile surround for a tub and shower. A hallway from the kitchen leads out to a rear deck that overlooks a grass backyard.

The home's three bedrooms are on the second floor, including a two-room master bedroom suite. There's a sitting room/dressing area with hardwood floors and a carpeted master bedroom with a light and fan in the 1980s addition. A door from the bedroom opens onto a roof that could be made into a private deck.

An adjacent full bathroom with hardwood floors was redone in the 1980s with beige tile walls and surround for a tub and shower.

Two other bedrooms on this floor are ideal for children, with hardwood floors and light/fans and there are two additional closets in the hallway for storage.

The home's basement has a garage area currently used for storage. There's also a laundry area with a full-sized washer and dryer.

The water heater was recently replaced and a new gas-fired high-efficiency furnace was added two years ago. The roof was redone eight years ago.

There's a driveway that holds four vehicles next to the house.

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Deval signs repeal of 6.25 percent tech tax

Gov. Deval Patrick repealed the tech tax yesterday, a move welcomed by an industry leader who said "it never should have become law."

The governor's signature brought an end to a months-long debate over the 
6.25 percent software services tax, that was passed in July as part of a $500 million transportation package. House and Senate lawmakers, as well as Patrick, reversed course on the tax after the tech industry criticized it as a job killer and said it was too vague.

"Repealing the tech tax is a necessary step, but it never should have become law," Felix Browne, vice president of the Massachusetts High Tech Council, said yesterday.

A spokeswoman for the state Department of Revenue said the state had collected $717,000 under the tech tax, and the 192 taxpayers who paid can file an abatement by Dec. 31 to get a refund.

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Telemedicine docs urged to get state license

Doctors who practice telemedicine in Massachusetts should be licensed by the state, especially if they're diagnosing patients without doing so in person, a lawyer for the Massachusetts Medical Society said.

"When you're talking about diagnosis, that's a really critical area," Bill Ryder, the group's legislative and regulatory counsel, told the state Division of Insurance yesterday. "Anybody who does that should have a full license in Massachusetts."

A law the state Legislature passed last year defines telemedicine as the use of interactive audio, video or other electronic media — except telephone, fax or email — for the purpose of diagnosis, consultation or treatment.

Lawmakers left it to the Division of Insurance and the Board of Registration in Medicine to submit a report with recommendations for legislation to permit the use of out-of-state physicians for telemedicine. But before the agencies do that, they want to gather feedback from the medical community, insurers and other stakeholders.

"We realize we're at the starting point," Kevin Beagan, deputy commissioner of the division's Health Care Access Bureau, said at yesterday's "listening session" in Boston.

Ryder noted that the board lacks jurisdiction over anyone without a Massachusetts license. So requiring doctors who practice telemedicine here to have one would preserve the board's ability to act in cases involving complaints of misconduct or error, he said.

"Say you have a real physician, but they're not licensed in Massachusetts. They might not respond to a summons, and they might not have malpractice insurance, so the patient's kind of on their own," Ryder said. "Would that physician be governed by law in Massachusetts or their own state? That's up in the air."

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Mass. trying to mesh state health law with federal

BOSTON — Massachusetts finds itself in a unique position as states gear up to launch new insurance marketplaces under President Barack Obama's health care law.

It was Massachusetts that created the blueprint for the marketplaces when it passed its landmark 2006 health care law, making it the first state to create the kind of exchanges envisioned under the federal Affordable Care Act.

But the state and federal laws aren't mirror images, and that means plenty of work trying to mesh the two.

Many of those changes are being welcomed by state officials who say Massachusetts could reap hundreds of millions in additional federal dollars under the law.

"There is no question that the Affordable Care Act benefits Massachusetts in very concrete and significant ways," said Glen Shor, Massachusetts secretary of administration and finance.

But the federal law could also mean some smaller employers and individuals could end up paying more for coverage, and reconciling the laws could spark disruption with some individuals forced to shift from one health program to another.

The federal law could also cause headaches for those deemed able to afford health care but who opt not to. Both the state and federal laws have individual mandates that levy tax penalties to those who refuse to get insurance.

Since the inception of the state mandate, Massachusetts taxpayers have paid more than $115 million in penalties. For 2013, the state penalty is as much as $106 per month or $1,272 per year for an individual. Those who earn up to 150 percent of the federal poverty level don't face penalties.

The federal penalty kicks in next year, meaning uninsured individuals could face federal tax penalties when they file in early 2015. The new federal penalty doesn't mean the state mandate goes away, however, though that won't trigger a double penalty.

Officials say the higher penalty will act as a cap. If an individual owes a $95 federal penalty and a $200 state penalty, they will pay the federal penalty and that amount will be deducted from the state penalty.

Businesses are also keeping a close eye on the federal law, which will affect insurance costs for smaller businesses and individuals who pay out-of-pocket for insurance.

Changes in what factors can be taken into account when determining insurance rates means about 14,000 individuals and small businesses that employ 377,000 workers could see their costs rise, while about 69,000 individuals and businesses employing 256,000 workers could see costs drop.

The increases could be as high as 10 percent, but a federal waiver will let that increase be phased in over three years.

Merging the two laws will also require many people already receiving insurance coverage to re-enroll or be shifted to new programs.

The biggest change will be for those insured through the state's subsidized Commonwealth Care program. Under the federal law, about 150,000 will have to re-enroll in health care plans beginning Tuesday.

They're not alone.

Aligning the federal and state laws means an additional 100,000 individuals will be shifted from Commonwealth Care into the state's Medicaid program, known as MassHealth, and 45,000 uninsured people will become eligible for MassHealth.

The ACA allows states to offer Medicaid coverage to low-income adults making less than 133 percent of the federal poverty level, or about $15,000 a year for an individual.

As a result of the change, state officials expect the total number of individuals in MassHealth to hit about 325,000 next year.

State health officials say they're working aggressively to make sure the enrollment efforts go as smoothly as possible so no one falls off insurance during the transition. They say they want to protect Massachusetts' status as the state with the highest percentage of insured residents.

"We are doing everything we can not to backslide," said John Polanowicz, secretary of health and human services.

On balance, Massachusetts officials say that, despite any disruption, the federal law will help the state strengthen health care services.

They say the state will also reap an additional $200 million in higher federal reimbursements during the current fiscal year and $400 million in the fiscal year that begins next July.

The state has taken other steps to help smooth the transition.

Lawmakers repealed a mandate requiring employers provide health insurance to workers or pay a penalty — in part because the federal law included its own mandate. Under the federal law, firms with 50 or more employees face a mandate to offer insurance or risk fines from the government starting in 2015.

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Trout habitat being restored in Maine stream

FRENCHTOWN TOWNSHIP, Maine — Maine's wildlife agency is restoring brook trout habitat in a stream in the Moosehead Lake area.

The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and Plum Creek land and timber company are working together to enhance the habitat on Intervale Brook, an important tributary of First Roach Pond in Frenchtown Township.

In the days of log drives, streams like Intervale were straightened and had in-stream boulders and trees removed to make log drives easier. But those things also hurt the fish habitat.

To restore habitat, boulders and fallen trees have been added to the stream to provide cover for the fish, increase the insect population and enhance pools.

This past week, Plum Creek removed an old log-driving dam at the stream's headwaters.

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Online:

Restoration project: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdrvwXUNaDg

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Billionaire's daughter in NJ court in will dispute

HACKENSACK, N.J. — A bitter dispute pitting a billionaire's daughter against her late grandfather's estate is playing out in a New Jersey courtroom.

The trial in Hackensack is the latest chapter in a fight between Revlon Chairman Ron Perlman's 23-year-old daughter, Samantha, and her uncle James Cohen. He runs Hudson News, which operates newsstands in train stations and airports nationwide.

Samantha Perelman's late mother, Claudia Cohen, was James Cohen's sister. Their father, Robert Cohen, took over his family's newspaper distribution company in the 1940s, and it developed into Hudson News, which was sold in 2008 for about $800 million.

Robert Cohen suffered from a Parkinson's-like disease and died in 2012. Samantha Perelman claims James Cohen illegally pressured his ailing father into taking her out of portions of his will. Cohen denies it.

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