(Image credit: @redcrossokc/Twitter; Sue Ogrocki/AP Photo)
Volunteers from the American Red Cross are on the ground in Moore, Okla., where a violent tornado tore through homes, a hospital and two elementary schools killing 24 people and injuring at least 240 more.
Full coverage of the Oklahoma tornado
The organization, which provides food, shelter, blood and mental health services for disaster survivors, turns 132 today. Its birthday wish? To support and comfort the residents of Moore for ?as long as it takes.?
?We?re there to help communities recover and rebuild,? said Red Cross spokeswoman Anne Marie Borrego. ?Our hearts go out to those affected by this tragedy, and we want to be there to help today and tomorrow and as long as it takes.?
Founded May 21, 1881, the American Red Cross works closely with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to respond to more than 70,000 natural and man-made disasters a year in the U.S., according to its website.
?Our members respond to a disaster every eight minutes,? said Borrego, noting that most of the disasters are house fires. ?We?re a national organization, but we?re built on local chapters and in communities across the country.?
In its 132 years, the Red Cross has grown and expanded its reach, using the latest technology and social media to connect to people in need.
?In 1881, it was much smaller,? said Red Cross historian Susan Watson, explaining how founder Clara Barton had ?a handful? of volunteers collecting money at local gatherings as reports of a disaster landed in newspapers.
?Social media is allowing us to reach much further and get the word out much faster,? Watson said.
The response is faster, too. It took six days to get help to deliver aid after the Johnstown, Pa., flood of 1889, according to Watson.
?In Moore, we?re there now,? she added.
The organization was actually chartered by the United States Congress to ?carry on a system of national and international relief in time of peace and apply the same in mitigating the sufferings caused by pestilence, famine, fire, floods and other great national calamities, and to devise and carry on measures for preventing the same,? according to its website, working hand-in-hand with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Ninety-one cents of every dollar donated goes towards its humanitarian programs, according to Borrego.
The Oklahoma tornado tragedy hit close to home for her, she said, and affected everyone at the Red Cross.
?My mother?s from Oklahoma and I grew up driving past Moore on the 35, I can?t even count the number of times,? she said. ?We?ll be there to help the community with whatever they need.?
The easiest way to help the Red Cross support the people of Moore is to donate money online at RedCross.org or by texting ?REDCROSS? to 90999 (the text will automatically donate $10).
What Kind of Compensation Can I Receive in a Personal Injury Case?
The amount of damages, or compensation, you can recover if you have suffered harm as the result of an accident or injury that was caused because of the fault or negligence of another depends on the type and extent of your injuries. Consulting with an experienced personal injury attorney can help you understand your legal rights and options and can inform you if your injury qualifies for a personal injury claim that can be pursued successfully. Most personal injury attorneys offer a free initial consultation to discuss the specifics of your claim.
There are 2 different types of damages that are recoverable in a personal injury case. They are compensatory damages and punitive damages. Compensatory damages can be economic and non-economic in nature and punitive damages are neither economic nor non-economic because they do not compensate for any loss.
Georgia Personal Injury Compensation Can be Economic, Non-Economic and Punitive
What is a compensatory damage? Compensatory damages can be divided into 2 parts and includes economic damage and non-economic damage. Compensation for things like physical injury, permanent physical impairment, present and future loss of income or earning capacity, rehabilitation, future medical expenses, and the like are economic damage because they cost the injured party financial loss. Compensation for pain & suffering, embarrassment, humiliation, disfigurement, and loss of ability to enjoy life are non-economic damages. In a case of wrongful death, a loss of companionship for the surviving spouse would be a non-economic damage.
What are punitive damages? Punitive damages are not compensatory because they are not intended to compensate for any financial loss to the injured but instead to punish the responsible party. This type of damage is not often used in a personal injury claim and is limited to situations where the at fault party is considered to have behaved in a reckless or hazardous manner with willful disregard for the safety of others. The purpose of punishment is intended to change the behavior of the offending party and to discourage others from such behavior.
If you live in Georgia it is important to consult with an Atlanta accident injury attorney like those at The Goldman Firm. Personal injury cases can be complex and you need to be able to establish that negligence caused your injury and that you were substantially damaged by that injury through no fault of your own. Your attorney will collect evidence of the type and extent of your injuries, collect witness statements, get ?medical records presented, negotiate with insurance companies and more in order to build a successful case.
The amount of financial compensation you can receive in a personal injury case depends on all these different factors and requires the expertise and knowledge of an Atlanta accident injury attorney. Your attorney will work for you to establish all the facts in your case and present them to the opposing side to help you get the most compensation that you are entitled to and deserve.
Experienced Successful Atlanta Personal Injury Attorney
If you need help because you were injured because of the negligence of another due to a car accident, workplace accident, slip & fall, medical negligence, nursing home neglect, or any type of accident injury contact the experienced?Atlanta personal injury attorney?at The Goldman Firm. Make an appointment for your free initial consultation today to discuss your possible personal injury claim.
LONDON (Reuters) - British police said on Friday they had identified people they want to question about the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, the three-year-old who went missing in Portugal six years ago.
Madeleine disappeared from her room at a holiday resort in the Algarve, Portugal, on May 3, 2007, as her parents dined at a nearby restaurant, sparking a global manhunt and transfixing the world's media.
Speaking to the Evening Standard newspaper, Detective Chief Superintendent Hamish Campbell, head of Scotland Yard's Homicide and Serious Crime Command, said: "There are a lot of people of interest," without saying how many.
"There are people who could be properly explored further, if only to be eliminated."
British police confirmed they had identified people of interest but said they had not asked Portuguese police to arrest anyone.
Despite reported sightings the world over, the fate of Madeleine McCann remains a mystery.
Her parents Kate and Gerry were named as official suspects by Portuguese police four months after their daughter's disappearance, but in 2008 were cleared.
"Kate and Gerry remain very, very pleased with the work that Scotland Yard are doing and have been encouraged by Operation Grange from the day it began," the McCanns' spokesman Clarence Mitchell was quoted as saying by the British media.
British Prime Minister David Cameron ordered a new investigation by London police after the McCanns wrote to him in 2011 saying neither British nor Portuguese authorities had done enough to try to find their daughter.
(Reporting by Dasha Afanasieva; editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Andrew Roche)
We've all been there before ... you're curled up on the couch with a spoon of ice cream in one hand and a box of tissues in the other. In other words, you're going through a breakup. Instead of pouring your heart out to Ben & Jerry, how about bonding with a few authors who can relate? Check out eight great books to read when you're going through a breakup.
1. Six-Word Memoirs on Love & Heartbreak: by Writers Famous and Obscure edited by Smith magazine
If you could describe your breakup in six words, what would you say? At a loss for words? No problem. Six-Word Memoirs on Love & Heartbreak is happy to fill in the blanks. Composed of hundreds of nuggets on love and loss, these memoirs say just what you've been trying to articulate yourself -- without going over six words. Whether it's heartbreaking ("What once were two, are one"), tongue-and-cheek ("Reclaimed maiden name after every divorce") or just confusing ("Don't trust a man who waxes"), this read has a sliver of wisdom for anyone with a broken heart. There's also a little something for those who wish to remain optimistic on the state of love, including, "At 12 found soul mate, still together." Now don't we all wish we could write a memoir like that?
(Give it a try! Login and leave your six-word memoir in the Comments area below.)
2. What Was I Thinking? 58 Bad Boyfriend Stories by Barbara Davilman and Liz Dubelman
For every woman who missed that red flag waving wildly in her face (He owns a faux dog! He's Homer Simpson's clone! He's a porn star!), this book is for you. Fifty-eight women share their hilarious tales of the romances (and the men) that took a nose-diving turn for the worse. Even if you can't relate to their stories, you'll at least get a good laugh out of them.
3. Love, Loss and What I Wore by Ilene Beckerman
Two divorces, six children and one fabulous wardrobe. In this quirky pictorial for adults, author Ilene Beckerman takes you back through the most pivotal moments in her life ... and what she wore along the way. From Brownie uniform to prom dress to wedding gown, each clothing item holds a strong memory. Good and bad, Beckerman remembers them all and encourages us to look back on our own lives and wardrobes. By the end of it, you'll be throwing out that old he-broke-my-heart dress, strapping on some ready-for-a-fresh-start heels and heading out to create a closet full of new memories.
4. Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding
This classic chick lit book might be the ultimate tale of what not to do when you're single and lonely. Do not stare at your phone for an entire weekend, binge on chocolate Christmas tree decorations or have an affair with your cad of a boss. However, this book's plucky heroine also does quite a few things right. On Bridget's to-do list? Do lean on your fabulous friends, give that nice man (whom you once snubbed) a second chance and turn every humiliation into a laugh-out-loud moment, all in the name of finding love and "inner poise."
5. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
This soul-searching memoir has become the bible of all breakup books, and if you haven't already turned to it to nurse your broken heart, you need to now.
After going through a bitter divorce and a disastrous love affair, Elizabeth Gilbert sets out on a journey that changes her life forever. She finds pleasure (and pizza) in Italy, peace in India and love in Bali. And the best part? It comes complete with a happy ending.
6. Split: A Memoir of Divorce by Suzanne Finnamore
It's a story as old as time: Boy meets girl, boy asks girl to marry him, and five years later, boy downs two martinis and announces that he wants to divorce girl. We've all heard this tale before, but for California journalist and author Suzanne Finnamore, it was very real. With brutal honesty and deadpan humor, she divulges the dirty details of her marriage and divorce -- and how she ultimately muddled her way through all the lies, betrayals and attorneys. Finnamore's book is not your typical divorce diatribe. It's more like sitting down with your wittiest, most acerbic friend as she throws out her filter and tells you how it all went wrong...and how you can do things differently.
7. Personal History by Katharine Graham
Take notes from a woman who survived much worse than a breakup. In Katharine Graham's powerful autobiography, this Washington socialite recounts her husband's very public affair, his mental illness and subsequent suicide, as well as her unexpected accession to power at The Washington Post. Here's why you'll relate: Katharine Graham suddenly found herself thrown in a situation that she never wanted or expected (sound familiar?). She never claims that these changes were easy or that she walked into them with confidence. Instead, she says: "What I essentially did was to put one foot in front of the other, shut my eyes, and step off the ledge. The surprise was that I landed on my feet."
8. High Fidelity by Nick Hornby
Want to know what's going on in his head? Of course you do! You may remember John Cusack in the movie adaptation of Nick Hornby's High Fidelity, a cynical breakup tale told from the male perspective. After being dumped yet again, music addict Rob looks back on his "all-time top five" breakups. Read along as he relives the losses, and then ask yourself, "Does this breakup really make my top five?"
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May 16, 2013 ? Northwestern University scientists have shown a gene involved in neurodegenerative disease also plays a critical role in the proper function of the circadian clock.
In a study of the common fruit fly, the researchers found the gene, called Ataxin-2, keeps the clock responsible for sleeping and waking on a 24-hour rhythm. Without the gene, the rhythm of the fruit fly's sleep-wake cycle is disturbed, making waking up on a regular schedule difficult for the fly.
The discovery is particularly interesting because mutations in the human Ataxin-2 gene are known to cause a rare disorder called spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) and also contribute to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. People with SCA suffer from sleep abnormalities before other symptoms of the disease appear.
This study linking the Ataxin-2 gene with abnormalities in the sleep-wake cycle could help pinpoint what is causing these neurodegenerative diseases as well as provide a deeper understanding of the human sleep-wake cycle.
The findings will be published May 17 in the journal Science. Ravi Allada, M.D., professor of neurobiology in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, and Chunghun Lim, a postdoctoral fellow in his lab, are authors of the paper.
Period (per) is a well-studied gene in fruit flies that encodes a protein, called PER, which regulates circadian rhythm. Allada and Lim discovered that Ataxin-2 helps activate translation of PER RNA into PER protein, a key step in making the circadian clock run properly.
"It's possible that Ataxin-2's function as an activator of protein translation may be central to understanding how, when you mutate the gene and disrupt its function, it may be causing or contributing to diseases such as ALS or spinocerebellar ataxia," Allada said.
The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is a model organism for scientists studying the sleep-wake cycle because the fly's genes are highly conserved with the genes of humans.
"I like to say that flies sleep similarly to humans, except flies don't use pillows," said Allada, who also is associate director for Northwestern's Center for Sleep and Circadian Biology. The biological timing mechanism for all animals comes from a common ancestor hundreds of millions of years ago.
Ataxin-2 is the second gene in a little more than two years that Northwestern researchers have identified as a core gear of the circadian clock, and the two genes play similar roles.
Allada, Lim and colleagues in 2011 reported their discovery of a gene, which they dubbed "twenty-four," that plays a role in translating the PER protein, keeping the sleep-wake cycle on a 24-hour rhythm.
Allada and Lim wanted to better understand how twenty-four works, so they looked at proteins that associate with twenty-four. They found the twenty-four protein sticking to ATAXIN-2 and decided to investigate further. In their experiments, reported in Science, Allada and Lim discovered the Ataxin-2 and twenty-four genes appear to be partners in PER protein translation.
"We've really started to define a pathway that regulates the circadian clock and seems to be especially important in a specific group of neurons that governs the fly's morning wake-up," Allada said. "We saw that the molecular and behavioral consequences of losing Ataxin-2 are nearly the same as losing twenty-four."
As is the case in a mutation of the twenty-four gene, when the Ataxin-2 gene is not present, very little PER protein is found in the circadian pacemaker neurons of the brain, and the fly's sleep-wake rhythm is disturbed.
In this engrossing journey into the lives of psychopaths and their infamously crafty behaviors, the renowned psychologist Kevin Dutton reveals that there is a...
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From Mystic Chemist: The Life of Albert Hofmann and His Discovery of LSD, by Dieter Hagenbach and Lucius Werthm?ller. Copyright ? Synergetic Press, May 15, 2013.
Ergot is the name given to the spore, the sclerotium, of the parasitic filamentous fungus Claviceps purpurea, which attacks various cereal grains and wild grasses, especially rye. The sclerotium is a black-violet, slightly curved, conical body, a few millimeters to up to six centimeters in length that can develop in place of a pollen grain. The name ergot (Mutterkorn in German) derives from its earlier use as an abortifacient and a midwife?s aid, since the components trigger labor. The ergot of rye, Secale cornutum, is primarily used medically. Depending upon the habitat, host grass, and climate, the fungus contains different ergot alkaloids, for the most part lysergic acid derivatives. It was long used medicinally in many areas of the northern hemisphere.
Ergot first figured in the historical record during the early Middle Ages when it caused the mass poisoning of thousands. The poisoning was caused by consuming bread that, in extreme cases, contained up to twenty percent ergot. Most affected were the poorer classes who ate rye bread in quantity, whereas the wealthier had more wheat at their tables. Epidemics of ergot poisoning occurred in different regions of Europe and North America. St. Anthony was the patron of the sick and the Antonines the order which cared for the afflicted. Because of the terrible effects of ergot poisoning, known as St. Anthony?s Fire or Ergotism, it was deemed to be divine punishment until the true cause was discovered in the 17th century. This knowledge, along with improved planting methods, led to the decline of such epidemics.
The healing effect of ergot was discovered quite early. The first written record of its medical use is found in Herbal, published in 1582 by Frankfurt?s city physician, Adam Lonitzer. He recommends it for labor pains and mentions that ergot extracts have long been used by midwives to promote contraction of the uterus and to speed up birth. In 1907, the English chemists George Barker and Howard Carr isolated an ergot alkaloid mixture that affected the uterus. Because of its toxic side effects, it was named ergotoxine and was never used medically. After 1932, the English gynecologist Chassar Moir used aqueous ergot extracts which strongly affected the uterus.
Albert Hofmann?s superior, Arthur Stoll, began investigating ergot in 1917 and by the following year had succeeded in isolating pure alkaloids of ergotamine. The compound was brought to market in 1921 as Gynergen?. After that, Stoll ended his research in this area.
In 1935, Hofmann was looking for a new project and suggested to Stoll that he resume investigation of ergot alkaloids. Based on what was known about them so far, Hofmann believed things looked promising. His objective was to continue Stoll?s work and develop new medicines out of ergot. Stoll approved, but warned about the difficulty of working with these unstable substances. The required ergot was grown by farmers in the Emmental region as a secondary income and shipped to Sandoz in Basel in one hundred kilogram barrels. There, it would be milled, extracted with benzene, and concentrated. The components would be fractionated6 and delivered to the experimental laboratory to be tested for purity before further processing. Safety measures in laboratories of the thirties did not compare to present day standards. The workers had no effective protection against highly poisonous chemicals and solvents. Consequently, there were frequent accidents and health hazards, especially with toxic and highly volatile solvents that often led to fainting.
The arrests of two brothers after a Mother?s Day parade shooting appear to be an example of the dramatic shift in gang-war policing that New Orleans has made under Mayor Mitch Landrieu.
By Patrik Jonsson,?Staff writer / May 17, 2013
Shawn Scott, a suspect in the Mother's Day parade shooting is led out of the New Orleans 5th District Police Station, Thursday, in New Orleans. Shawn, was arrested after a short foot chase on Thursday. His brother Akein Scott was picked up Wednesday without incident in New Orleans East.
Matthew Hinton/AP
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With the capture of two suspects following a Mother?s Day parade shooting, New Orleans has become the second major US city this year ? Boston being the first ? to endure episodes of large-scale street violence allegedly initiated by brothers, a massive law-enforcement manhunt in response, and the eventual capture of the wanted individuals.
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Last Sunday, Mother?s Day, at least two shooters, identified by police as Akein and Shawn Scott, attempted what even hardened criminologists called the unspeakable: a gang hit on a street full of paradegoers, just a few blocks from the French Quarter. Of the 20 people hurt, seven were women and two were children.
The scene shocked even a city long known for a stubbornly high murder rate, with crimes often conducted in brazen fashion ? including drive-bys, executions, and daytime killings.
But if residents were stunned by an attack that criminal-justice experts say teetered on domestic terrorism, the long-suffering New Orleans Police Department helped turn the emotional response around by tracking the alleged shooters down and capturing them by the end of the week.
For a city often at odds with its police department over complaints about harassment and excessive force, the manhunt and arrests of the Scott brothers became, for some, a unique moment of unity. It also appears to be an example of the dramatic shift in gang-war policing that the city has made under Mayor Mitch Landrieu, as well as under the supervision of federal marshals dispatched to end corruption in the department.
?In this case, Police Department intelligence is way better than what it used to be with regards to this kind of thing, and part of it is working with the Feds,? says Dee Wood Harper, a criminologist at Loyola University New Orleans.
As with other US cities, notably Atlanta, New Orleans has dramatically shifted its priorities away from low-level shakedowns of street dealers ? a popular practice among police but one that can alienate neighborhoods. Instead, it?s building deeper cases against members of the most violent groups, the people posing the greatest threat to their neighbors.
In New Orleans, Mr. Harper says, that means the Police Department is making notably fewer arrests on the whole, but potentially with more impact: Only last week, local and federal officials indicted 15 people for involvement in multiple shootings and killings, including the death last year of a 5-year-old girl.
LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Dustin Brown slumped in front of his locker and contemplated the final minutes of Game 2 with the same bewildered wonder felt by all those joyous Kings fans streaming out of Staples Center.
With three minutes left, the San Jose Sharks appeared to be cruising toward a well-deserved win over Los Angeles. After two penalties and two dynamic power-play goals, the Kings were halfway to the Western Conference finals.
And even the Kings weren't quite sure how they got there.
Brown tied it with 1:43 left and Trevor Lewis scored the tiebreaking power-play goal 22 seconds later, propelling the defending Stanley Cup champions to a 4-3 victory Thursday night and a 2-0 series lead.
"It's huge, I guess," Brown said. "Two minutes left, down one, it's about capitalizing. The power play is about scoring big goals, and we found a way to do that. We're happy with the result, but we have to play better. We can't let it get to that situation every night."
Brown scored during a 5-on-3 advantage and Lewis provided the winner on a loose puck with 1:21 left, sending Staples Center into shocked celebration. The Kings won their 12th straight home game since March and their sixth straight postseason game, but only after getting outplayed for long stretches and needing late-game magic to thrive.
"It's a roller coaster, but when you go through the experience of everything we did last year, you keep your emotions in check," Brown said. "Even when that happens, you know there's a lot of work still to do."
Game 3 is Saturday night at the Shark Tank.
Jeff Carter scored on the Kings' first shot and added an assist on Brown's goal. Drew Doughty scored an early power-play goal for Los Angeles, which didn't really get rolling until the third period ? and with two late goals, the Kings landed one of the most amazing victories in their relatively thin playoff history.
"We found a way," Los Angeles coach Darryl Sutter said. "You know what? The power play was on. We've been talking about it. We've been getting good looks and good opportunities and not finishing, and we got it from different guys."
Jonathan Quick made 28 saves for the Kings, tying Kelly Hrudey's franchise record with his 26th career playoff victory. Antti Niemi stopped 27 shots for the Sharks, but was powerless to stop the Kings' power play.
Marc-Edouard Vlasic scored his first career playoff goal with 11:04 to play for the Sharks, who were doomed by their late penalties after rallying from an early two-goal deficit. Coach Todd McLellan left his team alone in the dressing room afterward.
"I liked our game," McLellan said. "We'll meet (Friday) at the rink, and I'll tell our team that. The thing I like about our team, maybe in the past, this would have bothered our team more, but with the group of guys we have, I think we can recover from this."
Patrick Marleau and Brad Stuart scored second-period goals for the Sharks, who largely dominated the first two periods with another barrage of superior speed and skill. None of it mattered when the Kings charged ahead.
"We've got to put it behind us," said Stuart, who had a goal and an assist. "There's two ways for us to respond. We can either fold up and say, 'Oh, at least we tried,' or we can say, 'You know what? We can win.'
"I think 5-on-5, we were the better team. We keep doing those kinds of things, we'll get our wins. That's what we have to do. We have to respond in that way. We're being tested, and it's about how we're going to respond. The key for us is to come out and do a lot of the same things we were doing tonight."
After Vlasic's score on a rebound of Stuart's shot off the end boards, the Sharks seemed to be cruising to a win ? until Stuart was whistled for tripping with 2:41 to play. Just 22 seconds later, Vlasic joined him in the box when he shot the puck over the glass, although Vlasic claimed the puck had deflected off Carter.
The Kings scored 36 seconds later, with Brown pounding home his second goal of the postseason. Lewis got the winner shortly after the ensuing faceoff, finding a loose puck on the back side of a scrum in front of Niemi after a shot by rookie Tyler Toffoli.
Lewis hadn't scored in the postseason, but the depth forward scored two goals in the Kings' Cup-clinching win over New Jersey last June.
"Power play got it done in the end when we needed it most," Lewis said. "We've got some work to do to clean things up, but it's a big win for us."
The Kings played without veteran center Jarret Stoll, who didn't return to Game 1 after a hit from San Jose's Raffi Torres late in the second period. Torres was suspended for the rest of the series Thursday by the NHL's Department of Player Safety for his illegal check to the head after a hearing in New York.
Brad Richardson contributed a key power-play assist while filling in for Stoll.
Los Angeles has won six straight home playoff games dating to last season's Stanley Cup clincher, but none was more surprising than this victory. The Sharks appeared to be sure Quick couldn't steal another win after the Kings took the opener despite getting outshot 35-20.
Quick's streak of more than 125 minutes of shutout hockey ended in the second period with two quick San Jose goals. Vlasic then gave San Jose its first lead with a rebound goal on Stuart's shot off the end boards midway through the period, capping a lengthy scramble near Quick's net. Vlasic didn't score a goal in his first 73 career playoff games.
The Kings were forced to make several changes in the absence of Stoll, the third-line center and faceoff specialist who excels on special teams. Stoll was replaced by Richardson, who played 13 postseason games during the Kings' championship run last summer.
The Sharks replaced Torres by juggling their lineup, promoting Joe Pavelski to the second line and using several new combinations. Tim Kennedy was in uniform for just his second game of the postseason for San Jose, which also played without injured forward Marty Havlat.
NOTES: Sharks F Adam Burish sat out his second straight game after playing in all four games against Vancouver. He was replaced again by Bracken Kearns. Havlat hasn't played since the playoff opener in Vancouver while nursing a lower-body injury. ... Richardson hadn't played since the Kings' playoff opener against St. Louis on April 30. He appeared in just 16 regular-season games. ... Quick hadn't allowed a goal since early in the second period of the Kings' series-clinching win over St. Louis six days earlier.
BANGKOK (AP) ? Asian stock markets were mixed Thursday following dour European economic data that dampened hopes of a recovery there anytime soon. However, losses were limited by another record session on Wall Street.
The European Union statistics office said Wednesday that nine of the 17 countries that use the euro are in recession, including France. The combined economy of the 17 countries shrank by 0.2 percent in the first three months of 2013 compared to the prior quarter.
Meanwhile, the economy of Germany, whose growth supports lesser economies in the region, expanded by a slight 0.1 percent in the first quarter of the year, undershooting expectations of a 0.3 percent rise.
"The Eurozone has registered six straight quarters of contraction and any recovery is likely to be limited in the months ahead," said analysts at Credit Agricole CIB in Hong Kong in a market commentary.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.4 percent to 23,127.04. South Korea's Kospi added 1 percent to 1,989.89. Japan's Nikkei lost 1.1 percent to 14,933.66. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 shed 0.4 percent to 5,171.10. Benchmarks in Taiwan and Indonesia rose while the Philippines and Thailand fell.
Gains were registered even though U.S. manufacturers cut back on production in April, government data showed Wednesday. The Federal Reserve said factory output dropped 0.4 percent in April, the third decline in four months, as auto companies cranked out fewer cars and factories made fewer consumer goods.
Among individual stocks, Virgin Australia Holdings plummeted 13 percent after the airline issued a profit warning after the market closed on Wednesday. Japan's Olympus Corp. surged more than 15 percent after reporting a net profit for fiscal 2012, Kyodo News agency said.
The negative economic news on Wednesday wasn't enough to slow things down on Wall Street, which has been fueled by strong corporate earnings. Google's stock topped $900 for the first time Wednesday after the company announced several upgrades to its Android software for smartphones. Quarterly earnings reached a record in the first quarter, according to S&P Capital IQ, rising 5 percent from the year before.
Francis Lun, chief economist at GE Oriental Financial Group in Hong Kong, said he thinks the rally will continue until fall, particularly since $85 billion in automatic spending cuts, known as a "sequester," did not derail the U.S. economy, despite predictions that it would.
According to the latest figures, the U.S. economy grew at an annual rate of 2.5 percent in the January-March quarter.
"Everyone was predicting the sequester would be a disaster for the U.S. economy, but it turned out to be a nonevent. The American economy has enough strength to survive the sequester," Lun said.
The Dow Jones industrial average rose 0.4 percent, to close at 15,275.69. The Standard & Poor's 500 index gained 0.5 percent to 1,658.78. Both closed at all-time highs. The Nasdaq composite index rose 0.3 percent to 3,471.62.
Benchmark oil for June delivery was down 30 cents to $94 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 9 cents to close at $94.30 a barrel on the Nymex on Wednesday.
In currencies, the euro slipped to $1.2873 from $1.2875 late Wednesday in New York. The dollar fell to 102.23 yen from 102.32 yen.
___
Follow Pamela Sampson on Twitter at http://twitter.com/pamelasampson
"The Big Bang Theory" delivers on the chuckles, whether they're from an always-present laugh track or genuine guffaws from viewers. But even better, CBS' megahit offers more than just good times.
From the further development of Sheldon (Jim Parsons) and Amy Farrah Fowler's (Mayim Bialik) non-physical romance to Howard's (Simon Helberg) spot-on impersonations and Raj's (Kunal Nayyar) love for pooch Cinnamon, the show has delivered great moments in the development of its characters, along, of course, with the funny this season.
As season six winds down, we take a look at some of its best scenes of the year, in pictures.
"The Big Bang Theory's" season finale airs Thursday at 8 p.m. on CBS.
Which was your favorite scene this season? Tell us in comments!
Human disease leptospirosis identified in new species, the banded mongoose, in Africa
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
The newest public health threat in Africa, scientists have found, is coming from a previously unknown source: the banded mongoose.
Leptospirosis, the disease is called. And the banded mongoose carries it.
Leptospirosis is the world's most common illness transmitted to humans by animals. It's a two-phase disease that begins with flu-like symptoms. If untreated, it can cause meningitis, liver damage, pulmonary hemorrhage, renal failure and death.
"The problem in Botswana and much of Africa is that leptospirosis may remain unidentified in animal populations but contribute to human disease, possibly misdiagnosed as other diseases such as malaria," said disease ecologist Kathleen Alexander of Virginia Tech.
With a grant from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Coupled Natural and Human Systems Program, Alexander and colleagues found that the banded mongoose in Botswana is infected with Leptospira interrogans, the pathogen that causes leptospirosis.
Coupled Natural and Human Systems is part of NSF's Science, Engineering and Education for Sustainability investment and is supported by NSF's Directorates for Biological Sciences; Geosciences; and Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences.
"The transmission of infectious diseases from wildlife to humans represents a serious and growing public health risk due to increasing contact between humans and animals," said Alan Tessier, program director in NSF's Division of Environmental Biology. "This study identified an important new avenue for the spread of leptospirosis."
The results are published today in a paper in the journalZoonoses and Public Health. The paper was co-authored by Alexander, Sarah Jobbins and Claire Sanderson of Virginia Tech.
The banded mongoose, although wild, lives in close proximity to humans, sharing scarce water resources and scavenging in human waste.
The disease-causing pathogen it carries can pass to humans through soil or water contaminated with infected urine.
Mongoose and other species are consumed as bushmeat, which may also contribute to leptospirosis exposure and infection in humans.
"I was convinced that we were going to find Leptospira interrogans in some species in the ecosystem," said Alexander.
"The pathogen had not been reported previously in Botswana, with the exception of one cow more than a quarter of a century ago.
"We looked at public health records dating back to 1974 and there were no records of any human cases of leptospirosis. Doctors said they were not expecting to see the disease in patients. They were not aware that the pathogen occurred in the country."
Alexander conducted a long-term study of human, wildlife and environmental health in the Chobe District of Northern Botswana, an area that includes the Chobe National Park, forest reserves and surrounding villages.
"This pathogen can infect many animals, both wild and domestic, including dogs," said Jobbins. "Banded mongoose is likely not the only species infected."
The researchers worked to understand how people, animals and the environment are connected, including the potential for diseases to move between humans and wildlife.
"Diseases such as leptospirosis that have been around for a very long time are often overlooked amid the hunt for the next newly emerging disease," Alexander said.
Leptospirosis was first described in 1886, said Jobbins, "but we still know little about its occurrence in Africa."
With the new identification of leptospirosis in Botswana, Alexander is concerned about the public health threat it may pose to the immunocompromised population there. Some 25 percent of 15- to 49-year-olds are HIV positive.
"In much of Africa, people die without a cause being determined," she said.
"Leptospirosis is likely affecting human populations in this region. But without knowledge that the organism is present in the environment, overburdened public health officials are unlikely to identify clinical cases in humans, particularly if the supporting diagnostics are not easily accessible."
The researchers looked for Leptospira interrogans in archived kidneys collected from banded mongoose that had been found dead from a variety of causes. Of the sampled mongoose, 43 percent tested positive for the pathogen.
"Given this high prevalence in the mongoose, we believe that Botswana possesses an as-yet-unidentified burden of human leptospirosis," said Jobbins.
"There is an urgent need to look for this disease in people who have clinical signs consistent with infection."
Because banded mongoose have an extended range across sub-Saharan Africa, the results have important implications for public health beyond Botswana.
"Investigating exposure in other wildlife, and assessing what species act as carriers, is essential for improving our understanding of human, wildlife, and domestic animal risk of leptospirosis in this ecosystem," the scientists write in their paper.
The paper also cites predictions that the region will become more arid, concentrating humans and animals around limited water supplies and increasing the potential for disease transmission.
"Infectious diseases, particularly those that can be transmitted from animals, often occur where people are more vulnerable to environmental change and have less access to public health services," said Alexander.
"That's particularly true in Africa. While we're concerned about emerging diseases that might threaten public health--the next new pandemic--we need to be careful that we don't drop the ball and stop pursuing important diseases like leptospirosis."
Alexander is working to identify immediate research and management actions--in particular, alerting frontline medical practitioners and public health officials to the potential for leptospirosis in humans.
###
National Science Foundation: http://www.nsf.gov
Thanks to National Science Foundation for this article.
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Contact: Holly Auer holly.auer@uphs.upenn.edu 215-200-2313 University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Results of clinical trial led by Penn Medicine reveal new potential therapy for advanced cancers
PHILADELPHIA In the largest clinical trial to date to examine the efficacy of PARP inhibitor therapy in BRCA 1/2 carriers with diseases other than breast and ovarian cancer, the oral drug olaparib was found to be effective against advanced pancreatic and prostate cancers. Results of the study, led by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer, Israel, will be presented during the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual meeting in Chicago in early June (Abstract #11024).
The multi-center research team, including investigators from across the United States, Europe, Australia and Israel, studied nearly 300 patients with inherited BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations who had advanced cancers that were still growing despite standard treatments. Study participants, comprised of patients with breast, ovarian, pancreatic, prostate and other cancers, all took olaparib.
"Our results show that the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes inherited by some patients can actually be the Achilles heel in a novel, personalized approach to treat any type of cancer the patient has," says the study's senior author, Susan Domchek, MD, director of Penn's Basser Research Center for BRCA, the nation's only center devoted solely to research for prevention and treatment associated with BRCA mutations. "As many as 3 percent of patients with pancreatic and prostate cancer have an inherited mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2. Our findings have implications for many patients beyond those with breast and ovarian cancer."
Five of 23 pancreatic cancer patients (22 percent) and four of eight prostate cancer patients (50 percent) responded to the therapy, as measured by objective clinical criteria. Importantly, the therapy also appeared to halt disease progression even in those whose tumors did not shrink: an additional eight (35 percent) of the pancreatic cancer patients studied had stable disease at 8 weeks after beginning olaparib, as did two (25 percent) of the prostate patients. Overall survival at one year was 41 percent for the pancreatic cancer patients, and 50 percent for the prostate cancer patients.
For patients with breast and ovarian cancer, the study confirmed the previously reported activity of olaparib, although tumors treated in this study were much more advanced than in prior studies. For example, in 193 patients with ovarian cancer in whom cisplatin was no longer effective for controlling advanced disease, 31 percent had partial or complete tumor regression on olaparib, and 64 percent were alive at one year. Among 62 patients with metastatic breast cancer patients who had already received at least three chemotherapy regimens, 13 percent responded to new therapy and 45 percent of patients were alive at one year.
The authors found that treatment with olaparib is very well-tolerated. The most commonly reported side effects were mild to moderate fatigue and nausea (each experienced by 59 percent of patients), and transient episodes of vomiting (37 percent). Seventeen percent of patients experienced anemia, and four percent of patients suffered side effects that led to discontinuation of therapy.
As of January 2013, 33 patients remained on the study.
"This study underscores a new paradigm in cancer therapy. We can better fashion treatments for our patients based on a personalized assessment of the genetic factors underlying the cancer," Domchek says. "PARP inhibitors such as olaparib represent the most promising new treatment for individuals suffering from cancer based on inherited BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations."
The results will be presented by lead author Bella Kaufman, MD, from Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer, Israel, in the Tumor Biology poster session from 8 a.m. to noon on Monday, June 3, 2013 in S102 McCormick Place.
###
Penn Medicine is one of the world's leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. Penn Medicine consists of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form a $4.3 billion enterprise.
The Perelman School of Medicine has been ranked among the top five medical schools in the United States for the past 16 years, according to U.S. News & World Report's survey of research-oriented medical schools. The School is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $398 million awarded in the 2012 fiscal year.
The University of Pennsylvania Health System's patient care facilities include: The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania -- recognized as one of the nation's top "Honor Roll" hospitals by U.S. News & World Report; Penn Presbyterian Medical Center; and Pennsylvania Hospital -- the nation's first hospital, founded in 1751. Penn Medicine also includes additional patient care facilities and services throughout the Philadelphia region.
Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2012, Penn Medicine provided $827 million to benefit our community.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Contact: Holly Auer holly.auer@uphs.upenn.edu 215-200-2313 University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Results of clinical trial led by Penn Medicine reveal new potential therapy for advanced cancers
PHILADELPHIA In the largest clinical trial to date to examine the efficacy of PARP inhibitor therapy in BRCA 1/2 carriers with diseases other than breast and ovarian cancer, the oral drug olaparib was found to be effective against advanced pancreatic and prostate cancers. Results of the study, led by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer, Israel, will be presented during the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual meeting in Chicago in early June (Abstract #11024).
The multi-center research team, including investigators from across the United States, Europe, Australia and Israel, studied nearly 300 patients with inherited BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations who had advanced cancers that were still growing despite standard treatments. Study participants, comprised of patients with breast, ovarian, pancreatic, prostate and other cancers, all took olaparib.
"Our results show that the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes inherited by some patients can actually be the Achilles heel in a novel, personalized approach to treat any type of cancer the patient has," says the study's senior author, Susan Domchek, MD, director of Penn's Basser Research Center for BRCA, the nation's only center devoted solely to research for prevention and treatment associated with BRCA mutations. "As many as 3 percent of patients with pancreatic and prostate cancer have an inherited mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2. Our findings have implications for many patients beyond those with breast and ovarian cancer."
Five of 23 pancreatic cancer patients (22 percent) and four of eight prostate cancer patients (50 percent) responded to the therapy, as measured by objective clinical criteria. Importantly, the therapy also appeared to halt disease progression even in those whose tumors did not shrink: an additional eight (35 percent) of the pancreatic cancer patients studied had stable disease at 8 weeks after beginning olaparib, as did two (25 percent) of the prostate patients. Overall survival at one year was 41 percent for the pancreatic cancer patients, and 50 percent for the prostate cancer patients.
For patients with breast and ovarian cancer, the study confirmed the previously reported activity of olaparib, although tumors treated in this study were much more advanced than in prior studies. For example, in 193 patients with ovarian cancer in whom cisplatin was no longer effective for controlling advanced disease, 31 percent had partial or complete tumor regression on olaparib, and 64 percent were alive at one year. Among 62 patients with metastatic breast cancer patients who had already received at least three chemotherapy regimens, 13 percent responded to new therapy and 45 percent of patients were alive at one year.
The authors found that treatment with olaparib is very well-tolerated. The most commonly reported side effects were mild to moderate fatigue and nausea (each experienced by 59 percent of patients), and transient episodes of vomiting (37 percent). Seventeen percent of patients experienced anemia, and four percent of patients suffered side effects that led to discontinuation of therapy.
As of January 2013, 33 patients remained on the study.
"This study underscores a new paradigm in cancer therapy. We can better fashion treatments for our patients based on a personalized assessment of the genetic factors underlying the cancer," Domchek says. "PARP inhibitors such as olaparib represent the most promising new treatment for individuals suffering from cancer based on inherited BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations."
The results will be presented by lead author Bella Kaufman, MD, from Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer, Israel, in the Tumor Biology poster session from 8 a.m. to noon on Monday, June 3, 2013 in S102 McCormick Place.
###
Penn Medicine is one of the world's leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. Penn Medicine consists of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form a $4.3 billion enterprise.
The Perelman School of Medicine has been ranked among the top five medical schools in the United States for the past 16 years, according to U.S. News & World Report's survey of research-oriented medical schools. The School is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $398 million awarded in the 2012 fiscal year.
The University of Pennsylvania Health System's patient care facilities include: The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania -- recognized as one of the nation's top "Honor Roll" hospitals by U.S. News & World Report; Penn Presbyterian Medical Center; and Pennsylvania Hospital -- the nation's first hospital, founded in 1751. Penn Medicine also includes additional patient care facilities and services throughout the Philadelphia region.
Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2012, Penn Medicine provided $827 million to benefit our community.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Social Finance Inc. offers a network-based alternative to government-sponsored student loan programs.
After borrowing his way through business school at the University of Chicago, Benny Joseph emerged with an MBA, the spark of an entrepreneurial idea, and $115,000 in debt. Even with interest rates at all-time lows, he couldn?t find traditional lenders willing to refinance his student loans. Instead he tapped a network of deep-pocketed alumni. They offered him a lower interest rate along with access to a community of savvy business advisers.
SoFi, or Social Finance Inc., is one of the newest...
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Macquarie Regional Library has received almost $64,000 to start a collection demanded by its members.
A grant from the NSW government will enable it to offer e-books - electronic books downloaded via the internet - for loan.
The innovation means access to stories and other works from home, holiday destination or any convenient location.
The library, a joint venture between Dubbo and three neighbouring councils, had started planning for the new service after fielding inquiries from readers.
The receipt of $63,949 from the Library Council of NSW?s Country Libraries Grant Fund gave it the means to keep pace with city counterparts that already have e-collections.
Regional library service chairwoman and ?Wellington councillor Anne Jones thanked the NSW government for its contribution to the E-Lending - rEaching Rural Communities Eliminating Distance program.
Its purpose was to provide equitable access to resources by all users of the service, and in particular to those in remote locations of the region, she said.
Library director John Bayliss said it was a way for people to keep up their reading, fiction or non-fiction, wherever they were.
Member for Dubbo Troy Grant congratulated Macquarie Regional Library while emphasising the importance of libraries to urban and rural communities.
?Local libraries are invaluable community assets, and I am pleased to see these worthy libraries being rewarded with grant funding,? Mr Grant said.
?Public libraries play a critical role in our communities by providing access to collections, information?
and technology that help people at all stages of their lives.?
?The NSW government is committed to working with councils to enhance library services and facilities across the state.?
Today, a day after discussing his voice issues, Google CEO Larry Page took the stage at the I/O keynote. He skipped last year's conference and a few earnings calls due to those same voice problems, which he has noted are improving. Page even did something a little new for I/O -- taking questions at the end of his talk.
Public DomainThere's been a lot of discussion about the challenges faced by businesses large and small in managing health care costs, especially as those costs escalate and as employers' options are increasingly limited by the strictures imposed by Obamacare. An even clearer picture of the dilemma small firms face is offered by a peek inside their internal deliberations, including the trade-offs that companies have to offer their employees in order to keep them reasonably content, as well as control costs and comply with the law. The following memo was sent to employees of Capterra, a Virginia-based firm that serves as a marketplace for business software, by Michael Ortner, the company's president. Capterra has just 23 employees, so it's subject to fewer restrictions than larger employers (especially those with more than 50 employees) but has fewer resources and less bargaining power than larger companies, too.
Ortner is no stranger to political debate, having written on health care issues for public consumption, and this memo includes some (informed) policy discussion. But the memo also outlines the hard choices the company has to make as it decides what (and whether) to offer employees in the way of health coverage. With permission, I've included the whole memo including political discussion, with one name excised, so you get everything in context.
Hey everyone,
Following up on [N]'s email, I wanted to give to give some more background as to why we are considering a switch. ?In fact, I will take this as an opportunity to dive deeper into the health insurance world. Unfortunately, given the times we live in, we can no longer afford to be in the dark on this stuff. ?We have some tough choices ahead of us, if not now, then likely in a year or two. ?First, the short answer...
We're considering a switch from CareFirst to United because CareFirst is increasing their rates by 28%. ?We may be able to switch to United without any increase in our premiums for the next year; our insurance guy will confirm this over the next couple weeks. ?The last time I checked, CareFirst and United are the two largest health insurance providers in the country. ?We would be moving from CareFirst's best plan (zero deductible in network and no need to see your primary physician before seeing a specialist) to United's best plan (also zero deductible in network and no need to to see your primary physician before seeing a specialist) and maintaining the same arrangement where Capterra pays 100% of premiums for individuals and 75% for families. ?
I know that some of us use doctors that do not take CareFirst and my guess is that some of your doctors do not take United. ?In fact, I know of some doctors who have dropped all insurance over the last 12 months so whatever program we go with will not be perfect. ?That said, I am happy to look at other insurance providers if your doctor does not take United. ?Please ask them what insurance plans they do accept and I will have our guy look into those plans. ?If we hear a common theme, then that would certainly increase the likelihood that we would go with that insurance plan if the price is right. ?If you would like more time to investigate then we can extend our deadline a month. ?We have the option of switching over on June 1 or July 1.
And now the long answer, but please keep reading. ?:-)
Health benefits are our third highest cost, after payroll and search ads, but now more than our rent. ?A 28% increase is significant. ?We essentially have four options:
1) Keep the exact same CareFirst plan, and have Capterra swallow the cost. ?Individuals currently pay 0% of their premiums (which are around $500/month) but families pay 25% (of their $1500 monthly premiums). ?So the families would also pay more for their 25% share. ?The higher cost for Capterra would reduce our ability to hire, give raises, etc.
2) Keep the exact same CareFirst plan, and start charging both individuals and families 25% of the premiums. ?(Most companies, yes even Google, that provide health insurance benefits to their employees have them pay 25-50% of their monthly premiums.)
3) Keep CareFirst but subscribe to a cheaper plan that includes an in-network deductible. ?This basically means if you ever visit your doctor, you will be paying the first 1k or whatever the deductible is in expenses that year.
4) Switch to a different top tier plan from a a different insurance provider such as United that for whatever reason has not increased their premiums yet and not change anything (yet) about how we pay for everyone's insurance.?
5) Stop paying heath care benefits, pay people cash instead and encourage everyone to do health savings accounts (they are not taxed!) and buy catastrophic plans with part of the cash. ?More on this later.
#4 seems like the least painful solution for everyone here. ?Again, please let me know what other insurance plans your doctors take if they do not take United and I can have our insurance guy research it. ?Also, if you have any input regarding the other options I mentioned I'd love hear it.
You may be wondering how the health insurance industry got to be so convoluted. ?Let me explain why and it requires going back in history a bit:
Back in the 1940s, our federal government enacted wage controls that restricted what some businesses could pay their employees. ?(There were smart people who spoke out against this terrible idea but unfortunately not enough.) ?This resulted in businesses looking for other ways to compensate their employees and the IRS decided that it would not treat benefits such as health insurance as taxable wages. ?Until then people generally paid medical fees out of pocket in the same way they paid for virtually anything else out of pocket. ?The fees up until were relatively small for two reasons: ?1) medicine was not very advanced so when something catastophric happened there was not often much that could be done to help the patient and therefore no huge expenses were incurred and 2) since people were paying their doctors directly it was a very efficient and fair market.?
So 70 years later, even though the wage controls thankfully disappeared, the IRS treatment of health insurance did not. ?Health insurance benefits continue to not be taxed as income. ?At first glance by the uninformed citizen (such as me until a few years ago), this appears to be a good thing. ?But in reality it is actually a terrible thing. ?Here is why. ?
First, let's look at the first obvious and intended consequence: ?while our total compensation remains the same whether we are getting salary plus health benefits or all of it in the form of salary, our freedom to decide how much of our salary to spend on health benefits is lost. ?And many of us would and should spend less than we do on health benefits. ?For example, there is no way most 23 year old single people should be spending $500/month on health insurance. ?That's a bad deal for most 23 years olds and if given the choice most should take atleast half of that in cash and save it/invest it. ?23 year olds are already getting stuck with higher premiums on auto insurance since they are higher risk drivers; by the same principle, they should be paying much lower premiums since they are generally less at risk health-wise.
But that's just the start. ?Other unintended consequences that have gradually worsened over the last 70 years:
1) Irrespective of much we decide to spend, we lack freedom in choosing the specific plan that is right for us when we receive it as a benefit from our employer.
2) If we decide to buy health insurance directly (10% of Americans do), we are discriminated against since we do not receive the same treatment from the IRS. ?We have to use post tax dollars to purchase it. ?This is completely unjust and should be the first thing on an political leader's agenda when it comes to solving the healthcare problem. ?Either everyone should pay taxes on them or noone should.
3) When we develop a treatable medical condition, we are out of luck if we leave our employer since our insurance was tied to that employer and we now have a pre-existing condition.
4) The worst of all...because most of us receive our heathcare as a benefit, we are completely separated from any real knowledge of our actual expenses. ?This is the major reason why our healthcare expenses are now through the roof.
The beginning of a solution is relatively simple:
1) Allow individuals to deduct their health insurance from their taxes (just like they essentially can if they receive them as a benefit)
2) Have employers get out of healthcare as a benefit and instead kick that money into the salaries of their employees
3) Allow people to buy health insurance from any provider across the country (also not currently allowed)
4) Allow insurance companies to offer plans that are primarily catastrophic in nature (also not currently allowed due to over-regulation)
Oh yes, and elect principled political leaders who have the guts to to offer real solutions like this instead of the misery that is happening now. ?It was bad prior to the most recent healthcare legislation; it is now way worse. ?For example, one big reason that our rates are skyrocketing is that it is becoming illegal for CareFirst and all other health insurance companies to deny someone with a preexisting condition. ?What insurance provider in their right mind would cover someone new who say, just contracted flesh eating bacteria, for example? ?It's the equivalent of a home insurance provider accepting a new customer whose house was already burning down. ?People can now pay a small fine/tax, and not get insurance until they get a major health problem and then the insurance provider has to accept them at the same rate that everyone else is paying. ?This is just plain stupid; it violates the entire point of insurance and will result in people gaming the system. ?It tries to solve a problem by dealing with the symptom. ?Anyone who has a preexisting condition (exclude the poor - 15% of population - who are covered by Medicaid) should be on their own insurance plan that they have been purchasing since they rolled off their parents plan. ?(It's slightly more complicated than that but I'm trying to be brief.)
Anyway, why am I saying all this? ?Everyone needs to be educated on this stuff because it is impacting all of us. ?And more to the point, assuming United works for this coming year, my guess is that rates will go up next year, and we'll go through this again. ?And I think we should seriously consider #5 next year or atleast do #2.
In the meantime, we need to decide whether to do #4 and switch to United or #2 which means sticking with CareFirst and having all employees start paying 25% of premiums. ?Guessing most of you would pick #4, but please let me know.
I'm simply trying to be fully transparent and help everyone be more informed! ?Anyway...please let me know if you have any questions. ?Happy to host a roundtable or discuss individually if you have questions. ?Sorry if this seemed convoluted. ?:-)
- Mike
Michael Ortner Capterra, Inc.
By the way, you've probably already heard that calculating the size of a company for the purposes of Obamacare compliance isn't as simple as counting the names on the payroll, but rather is a matter of "full-time equivalent" employees. as Businessweek explained in March, "[t]he FTE calculation considers full-time any employee who is scheduled or has worked more than 40 hours per week, averaged over a month. So if you have two part-timers who work 20 hours a week, they would count as one FTE." *
Where things get interesting is with companies that have fluctuating staff needs, depending on short-term jobs and shifting contracts. As that same article explained to a business owner whose staff varied from 37-53:
A business like yours, which employs variable-hour workers who may work 40 hours one week and not at all other weeks, must add up the total hours those employees worked in a year. Divide that number by 2,080 (which represents 40 hours/week times 52 weeks in a year) and you?ll get the number of FTEs your company employs.
Got it? So figure out how many employees you have, and start parsing your options, just like the folks at Capterra.
* Jonathan Ingram, Director of Research at the Florida Foundation for Government Accountability, tweets to me that this is wrong. Says he, "BusinessWeek is wrong. FTE not 40 hrs. All part-time hours are added together and the total is divided by 120 hours per month. ... See 26 U.S.C. ?4980H(c)(2)(E) for the exact language. Hope no small businesses are misled by the BusinessWeek article!"
Now imagine small businesses wading through this crap ...
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Public release date: 15-May-2013
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Today, a day after 