10-07-2012 14:56 In a campaign speech Tuesday in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, an animated President Obama praised his administration's Affordable Care Act, recently upheld by the Supreme Court. He assured supporters that despite repeal efforts from the House, "We're not going to re-fight political battles from two years ago, or three years ago."
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10-07-2012 15:56 In an interview with CBS News Congressional correspondent Nancy Cordes, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor explains why he's called for another vote to repeal President Obama's health care law after over thirty previous attempts.
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WASHINGTON (AP) -- House Republicans pushed an election-year vote Wednesday to repeal President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, casting it as not only a rejection of an unpopular law but a surefire way to block a tax on the middle class.
"The intent of the president's health care law was to lower costs and help create jobs. One congressional leader promised it would create 400,000 jobs," said House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. "Instead, it is making our economy worse, driving up costs and making it harder for small businesses to hire."
The House has voted more than 30 times to scrap, defund or undercut the law since Obama signed it in March 2010, political moves that went nowhere in the Democratic-controlled Senate. The House GOP leadership staged another symbolic repeal vote with a fresh argument courtesy of the Supreme Court.
Two weeks ago, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in his majority opinion that the law was constitutional because it imposes a tax not a penalty on people who refuse to buy insurance. Republicans who repeatedly pressed for repeal said a "yes" vote would not only overturn the law but spare some 20 million Americans from an unnecessary tax.
Democrats mocked Republicans for insisting on repeal without offering a replacement.
Standing on the House floor, Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, held the 2,700-plus page bill in one hand and said he had the GOP alternative in his other hand. He waved an empty right hand.
"Empirical evidence against the invisible evidence," Green said.
The Affordable Care Act, Obama's signature domestic achievement, would extend coverage to about 30 million of the estimated 50 million uninsured. But two years after its enactment, polling shows that it remains unpopular and highly divisive among the American people. The law contributed to the defeat of many House Democrats in the 2010 elections and the party's loss of majority control.
Still, House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi dismissed the election-year implications.
"The politics be damned. We came here to do a job," Pelosi told reporters at a Capitol Hill news conference in which various individuals, including some with illnesses, offered their gratitude for the law.
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HIGH POINT, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Cornerstone Health Care announced that it will participate with Aetna (AET) in the health benefits company's national Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) program.
The program recognizes primary care physicians who more actively coordinate and manage their patients' care across the health care system. By strengthening the role of primary care doctors, the PCMH program aims to improve patient health outcomes.
"We are pleased to receive this opportunity to collaborate with Aetna," said Grace E. Terrell, M.D., president and CEO of Cornerstone. "Each of our 29 primary care practices has been recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) as a Patient-Centered Medical Home. The Aetna program acknowledges that these practices are enhancing care and decreasing costs as a result of this designation."
"Aetna believes strongly in the value of patient-centered care," said Elizabeth Curran, head of National Network Strategy and Program Development for Aetna. "Our PCMH program rewards physicians who focus on the patients' entire health needs, not just on a single condition. The program is one more way we are moving to a system that rewards quality outcomes, and away from a system that rewards quantity."
Aetna believes the PCMH approach may help its members experience better health, fewer hospitalizations, improvements in transitions of care, and greater engagement, Curran added.
Cornerstone's NCQA-recognized PCMH practices are recognized for providing a number of enhanced services, including improved access to care, proactive and planned preventive care, coordination of care with nurses and other members of the treatment team.
The Cornerstone practices recognized by the NCQA as Patient-Centered Medical Homes include: Advance Pediatrics, Brookview Hills Internal Medicine, Carolina Primary Medicine, Cornerstone Family Medicine at Archdale, Cornerstone Family Medicine at Trinity, Cornerstone Family Practice at Summerfield, Cornerstone Internal Medicine at Jamestown, Cornerstone Internal Medicine at Premier, Cornerstone Internal Medicine at Westchester, Cornerstone Pediatric Associates at Kernersville, Cornerstone Pediatrics at Premier, Cornerstone Pediatrics at Westchester, Cornerstone Premier Care, Deep River Family Medicine, Deep River Health and Wellness, Emerywood Medical Specialties, Family and Community Medicine of Asheboro, Ford, Simpson, Lively & Rice Pediatrics, High Point Family Practice, Lucas Pediatrics, Piedmont Centre Family and Sports Medicine, Piedmont Internal Medicine, Thomasville Family Practice Associates, and Total Family Care of Winston-Salem, Medical Arts Clinic, Springs Road Family Practice, Generations Family Medicine and Aesthetics, Conover Family Practice, and Granite Falls Primary Care Physicians.
About Cornerstone Health Care
Cornerstone Health Care is a group of more than 300 physicians and mid-level health professionals representing a wide range of specialties. The physician-owned and managed multi-disciplinary practice has over 80 locations in communities throughout central North Carolina. One of the fastest growing physician groups in the Southeast, Cornerstone is transitioning from the traditional "fee-for-service" model to a patient-centered medical home system providing expanded access, increased coordination of care, enhanced patient education for prevention and treatment of chronic disease, and sophisticated technological support. For more information visit http://www.cornerstonehealth.com.
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Cornerstone Health Care Will Participate in Aetna’s Patient-Centered Medical Home Program
MINNEAPOLIS, MN--(Marketwire -07/11/12)- Children's HeartLink, a nonprofit organization partnering with health care centers in underserved regions of the world to promote sustainable cardiac care for children with heart disease, today announced the awarding of a $230,000 grant from the Medtronic Foundation for growing and improving cardiac programs in their partner sites in India over the next two years.
"With the increased global momentum around non-communicable diseases (NCDs), our work of expanding and improving pediatric cardiac services in India relates directly to both the United Nations' new focus on NCDs and their Millennium Development Goals, specifically reducing child mortality," said Elizabeth Perlich Sweeney, Children's HeartLink president. "We are especially grateful to the Medtronic Foundation for their continued support and allowing us to carry on working with our four partner sites in India for the next two years."
"The world has turned its attention to NCDs such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes... diseases that collectively kill more people each year than any other cause of death. India is not immune to this ever-growing threat," says Dr. Jacob Gayle, vice president Medtronic Community Affairs and Executive Director of the Medtronic Foundation. "By supporting the important work of organizations such as Children's HeartLink, we at Medtronic hope to improve access to crucial diagnosis and treatment options, in India and elsewhere."
The Medtronic Foundation grant enables Children's HeartLink to continue to focus in three areas, all aimed at strengthening the system of care for children with heart disease. Children's HeartLink will collaborate with public and private stakeholders in India to:
In India, a country of more than 1 billion people, it is estimated that less than 5 percent of the children in need of treatment for cardiac disease actually receive optimal care(1). This is due to a shortage of trained professionals in the field and limited numbers of centers able to provide treatment, as well as lack of government and public awareness around congenital and acquired heart disease. Some estimates show that approximately 10 percent of present infant mortality in India can be attributed to congenital heart defects(2).
Children's HeartLink's work in India addresses challenges in accessing pediatric cardiac care due to the limited numbers of health professionals specializing in the field, inadequate public and government support, and a lack of awareness around congenital and acquired heart disease. Children's HeartLink addresses these barriers by providing training, education and mentoring programs for medical professionals specializing in pediatric cardiac care. Additionally, by working with large health centers that provide a great deal of charity care, Children's HeartLink is helping to reach the below-poverty-line population and expanding access to pediatric cardiac care. Finally, Children's HeartLink reaches outside the walls of individual health care centers and works with the broader health care community to begin to address the issues in a more systemic way.
About Children's HeartLinkFounded in 1969, Children's HeartLink is a nonprofit organization partnering with health care centers in underserved regions of the world to strengthen their ability to diagnose and treat heart disease in children. Nearly 90 percent of newborns with congenital heart disease are in areas of the world where appropriate medical care is inadequate or unavailable. Children's HeartLink currently supports partner hospitals and programs in the following countries: Brazil, China, Ecuador, India, Malaysia, Ukraine and Vietnam. For more information on Children's HeartLink, please visit http://www.childrensheartlink.org, with additional information found on our Facebook (www.facebook.com/childrensheartlink), Twitter (www.twitter.com/cheartlink) and blog (www.childrensheartlink.wordpress.com).
About MedtronicMedtronic, Inc., headquartered in Minneapolis, is the global leader in medical technology -- alleviating pain, restoring health, and extending life for millions of people worldwide.
The Medtronic Foundation is committed to improving the lives of people around the world living with chronic disease. Its grant making is focused in three areas: health, education and community.
(1) Saxena, A., Congenital cardiac surgery in the less privileged regions of the world. Expert Rev Cardiovasc Ther. 2009 Dec;7(12):1621-9.
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Medtronic Foundation Awards Grant to Children's HeartLink for Pediatric Cardiac Care in India
U.S. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor joins a Republican news conference Tuesday to discuss repeal of the health care law.
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Washington (CNN) -- House Republicans launched an all-out assault Tuesday against President Barack Obama's signature health care reform law, holding a series of committee hearings and other events ahead of a planned vote Wednesday on repealing the measure.
The vote will be the latest of more than 30 House GOP efforts to undermine the 2010 Affordable Care Act, including previous Republican-led moves to repeal the measure or cut funding for various provisions.
Any House repeal effort is sure to die in the Democratic-led Senate, and the White House made clear Obama would veto such a measure.
At news conferences, in media interviews and before congressional panels on Tuesday, GOP opponents of the health care law depicted it as an unwarranted government intrusion in health decisions that would reduce patients to commodities treated on a cost basis.
"This is all about the government. It is Washington knows best, and it is wrong," said House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp, R-Michigan, in floor debate ahead of the Wednesday vote.
Republicans also complained that the bill known as Obamacare would fail to control spiraling health care costs, and that it included new taxes and fees despite the president's promise not to raise middle-class taxes.
To Democrats, the entire exercise was an unnecessary repetition of past political posturing on a settled issue, now that the Supreme Court has upheld the law's constitutionality.
"This repeal vote is a waste of time and tax dollars," said Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-North Carolina, while Rep. Frank Pallone, D-New Jersey, noted, "We've had this debate so many times that it really sounds like we just keep repeating the same thing."
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WASHINGTON (AP) They're young, healthy and flat broke and now the government says they have to buy thousands of dollars' worth of medical insurance. What should tapped-out twentysomethings do?
Well, some may just do nothing. The annual fine for shrugging off the new federal insurance requirement, which is to begin in 2014, starts out at a relatively low $95, depending on income. That would be far cheaper than paying premiums.
But that doesn't necessarily make blowing off the mandate a good idea for the fit and frugal. Millions of young people will qualify for good deals on health care if they take time to sort through the complicated law.
Many will get Medicaid coverage at virtually no cost. Others will qualify for private insurance at a fraction of the full premiums. And health plans offered under the law will limit individuals' out-of-pocket expenses to about $6,250 per year or less a bulwark against gigantic, unexpected medical bills.
"It doesn't have to be cancer or a heart attack or even a bad car accident," said Karen Pollitz, a health policy expert at the Kaiser Family Foundation whose own son needed $15,000 worth of surgery after he broke his wrist while skateboarding at age 20. "Once you show up in the ER, it starts to cost you some money."
The plans also will cover at no charge preventive care such as HIV tests, screening for depression or alcoholism, flu shots, hepatitis vaccine, contraception and pregnancy care. And insurers will no longer be able to exclude or charge extra for people who already have health problems.
"It's the 15 percent of young people who have chronic conditions like asthma or diabetes, and the young women looking to have a baby," said Aaron Smith, 30, co-founder of Young Invincibles, which advocates for young adults' health care. "That discrimination won't fly in 2014."
Young Americans are the least likely to be insured: almost three of 10 adults who are under 35 aren't covered. And they go to emergency rooms more than any other group except seniors.
It's still possible President Barack Obama's health care law won't be around in 2014, when the big changes are to kick in. Congressional Republicans and GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney want to repeal "Obamacare" if they win the November elections. Still, with open enrollment for the law's new state-based insurance markets scheduled to begin in October of next year, it's prudent to start considering the options for getting covered.
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Nancy Pelosi Speaker John Boehner Jerrold Nadler
"Today, in upholding the Affordable Care Act, the Supreme Court has shown that, even at a time when Washington seems to have reached a new level of dysfunction, there remains a respect for the rule of law, for precedent, and for the ability of Congress to legislate on matters that affect the American people," Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) said in a statement. "By not caving in to the most craven political calls, it appears the Court has stood by more than 70 years of legal precedent to ensure that: some 32 million Americans will have access to health insurance; we stop the unnecessary deaths of 42,000 Americans annually who die simply because they lack health insurance; insurers can no longer deny a child health care because of pre-existing conditions; millions of young adults receive coverage on their parents' plans until age 26; insurers can no longer impose lifetime limits on coverage; millions of Americans receive free preventive care; and, seniors save billions of dollars on prescription drugs. "The Affordable Care Act will now assume its rightful place, along with Social Security and Medicare, as powerful testimony to what our nation can achieve to benefit the lives of all Americans. Today's decision will, I truly hope, put to rest the partisan attacks from the Right against the law and many of its provisions. Republicans have threatened to continue their attempts to repeal these provisions, but let us all hope that they will respect the Court's ruling and put the health and wellbeing of the American people ahead of insurance companies."
"Today's decision makes one thing clear: Congress must act to repeal this misguided law," said Sen. Republican Leader Mitch McConnell. "Obamacare has not only limited choices and increased health care costs for American families, it has made it harder for American businesses to hire. Today's decision does nothing to diminish the fact that Obamacare's mandates, tax hikes, and Medicare cuts should be repealed and replaced with common sense reforms that lower costs and that the American people actually want. It is my hope that with new leadership in the White House and Senate, we can enact these step-by-step solutions and prevent further damage from this terrible law."
Republican Governors Association Chairman Bob McDonnell issued the following statement regarding the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: "Today's ruling crystallizes all that's at stake in November's election. The only way to stop Barack Obama's budget-busting health care takeover is by electing a new president. Barack Obama's health care takeover encapsulates his Presidency: Obamacare increases taxes, grows the size of government and puts bureaucrats over patients while doing nothing to improve the economy. It's never been more important that we elect a President who understands the marketplace and will make job creation his top priority. By replacing Barack Obama with Mitt Romney, we will not only stop the federal government's healthcare takeover, but will also take a giant step towards a full economic recovery."
"Dr. Coburn will be reviewing the ruling and will respond with an updated plan to repeal and replace this unworkable law. The Court affirmed Congress' power to tax people if they don't eat their broccoli. Now it's up to the American people to decide whether they will tolerate this obscene abuse of individual liberty," said John Hart, a spokesman for Sen. Coburn.
"Today's Supreme Court decision sets the stakes for the November election. Now, the only way to save the country from ObamaCare's budget-busting government takeover of health care is to elect a new president," said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus. "Under President Obama's signature legislation, health care costs continue to skyrocket, and up to 20 million Americans could lose their employer-based coverage. A panel of unelected bureaucrats now has the unprecedented authority to come between elderly patients and their doctors. Meanwhile, the rules and regulations placed on job creators and small businesses make it nearly impossible to hire new workers at a time when Americans desperately need jobs. "We need market-based solutions that give patients more choice, not less. The answer to rising health care costs is not, and will never be, Big Government. "We must elect a president who understands the economy, respects free enterprise, and can provide the leadership we now so desperately need. On Election Day, we must elect Mitt Romney and put America on the path toward a brighter economic future and successful health care reform."
Today, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) released the following statement on the Supreme Court ruling on the President's health care law: "The Supreme Court's decision to uphold ObamaCare is a crushing blow to patients throughout the country. ObamaCare has failed to keep the President's basic promise of allowing those who like their health care to keep it, while increasing costs and reducing access to quality care for patients. In this tough economy, jobs and economic growth are on the minds of most Americans, but ObamaCare has increased uncertainty for small businessmen and women and forced them to put their hiring decisions on hold. "During the week of July 9th, the House will once again repeal ObamaCare, clearing the way for patient-centered reforms that lower costs and increase choice. We support an approach that offers simpler, more affordable and more accessible health care that allows people to keep the health care that they like. "The Court's decision brings into focus the choice the American people have about the direction of our country. The President and his party believe in massive government intrusions that increase costs and take decisions away from patients. In contrast, Republicans believe in patient-centered, affordable care where health care decisions are made by patients, their families and their doctors, not by the federal government."
House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement today after the Supreme Court's decision on the Affordable Care Act: "Our highest court has weighed in, and its decision to uphold the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a victory for all Americans who have ever worried about being able to access or afford the care they need. Democrats are proud to have worked hard to pass this landmark legislation in 2010 and of our efforts to make sure it is implemented in a way that continues to yield new benefits for patients, employers, and care providers. "The Affordable Care Act made it illegal for insurance companies to discriminate against patients on the basis of pre-existing conditions, allowed young people to remain on their parents' plans until age 26, and prohibited insurance companies from charging women higher premiums than men. The Medicare Part D 'donut hole' is closing, and seniors on Medicare now have access to free preventive services like mammograms and colonoscopies. Moreover, the Affordable Care Act provides deficit savings of more than $1 trillion over the next two decades. The Affordable Care Act further brought peace of mind to the 30 million uninsured Americans who will finally be able to access affordable coverage once the law is fully implemented. "Republicans have been trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act since the day it was enacted, and they have been eagerly awaiting today's ruling. But they must now accept that the Affordable Care Act will remain in place and that the time for litigation and partisan posturing on this issue ought to come to an end. Republicans now have a responsibility to work with Democrats to implement the Affordable Care Act, and I call on them to do so in order to make care affordable and accessible to Americans."
Following the Supreme Court's decision affirming the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, former Governor and U.S. Senate candidate Tim Kaine today released the following statement: "The Affordable Care Act is an important first step in curbing discriminatory insurance company practices and increasing access to health care, but more needs to be done to bring down costs. Our government, businesses, and citizens cannot continue to spend more than any other nation on health care while getting second-rate results. As Senator, I am committed to working with all stakeholders to find additional improvements to the Affordable Care Act that give all Americans affordable access to high quality services. "While there is more work to do, it is worth noting what has already been accomplished under the Affordable Care Act. Nearly 63,000 more young people in Virginia have health coverage, more than 800,000 Virginia seniors have received free preventive care, millions of small businesses are now eligible for tax credits, and twenty million American women have access to cancer screenings and contraception without co-pays. And we've put an end to the egregious abuses by insurance companies that denied coverage to children with preexisting conditions, charged women higher premiums for the same coverage, and dropped folks when they got sick. "My opponent regularly calls for a full repeal of this law, despite the positive results it's already delivering for Virginia. In the decade encompassing George Allen's six years as a U.S. Senator, the average insurance premium for families more than doubled and over 12 million more Americans were uninsured. Clearly, inaction was not a solution, and neither are continued calls for repeal. Instead we must work together to strengthen this existing program and improve cost controls."
"In passing health reform, we made history for our nation and progress for the American people. We completed the unfinished business of our society and strengthened the character of our country. We ensured health care would be a right for all, not a privilege for the few. Today, the Supreme Court affirmed our progress and protected that right, securing a future of health and economic security for the middle class and for every American."
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Contact: Cathia Falvey cfalvey@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News
New Rochelle, NY, July 11, 2012As athletes from around the world compete for medals at the Summer Olympics in London, the city will be striving to meet Olympic-level sustainability goals. A fascinating first-person view of how these sustainability targets were developed and will be achieved is featured in Sustainability: The Journal of Record, a publication of Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers (www.liebertpub.com) The article is available free online at the Sustainability: The Journal of Record (www.liebertpub.com/sus) website.
The central location of the Summer 2012 Olympics is the East End neighborhood of Stratford, once known as an industrial wasteland. But it has been transformed into a model for sustainability, developed under the guidance of five key themes: climate change, waste, biodiversity, inclusion, and healthy living. The use of public transportation only on the Olympic groundsno cars permitted and no parking lotsis just one example of the extent to which London has gone to reach its sustainability goals. Another example: no waste will flow directly to landfills, through a combined effort involving composting, recycling, and reduced packaging use.
Shaun McCarthy, Chair of the Commission for a Sustainable London, the independent watchdog group responsible for making sure sustainability goals for the Summer Games are tracked and met, discusses the challenges and the progress being made as the Games approach in the article entitled, "The Olympics Go for the Green: With the 2012 Games Looming, London Works to Raise Bar in Sustainability (http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/SUS.2012.9965)."
"The Olympic Games are the singular event of our time where the whole world will be watching, and to have sustainability be such a visible factor in the Games is invaluable to the sustainability movement," says Jamie Devereaux, Editor of Sustainability: The Journal of Record (www.liebertpub.com/sus).
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About the Journal
Sustainability: The Journal of Record (www.liebertpub.com/sus) documents the implementation of sustainability programs in higher education and business, and provides the central forum for academic institutions, the business community, foundations, government agencies, and leaders of green-collar endeavors to share and learn about one another's progress and programs. The Journal fosters collaborations among all stakeholders for attaining mutually supportive objectives. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed online at the Sustainability: The Journal of Record (www.liebertpub.com/sus) website.
About the Publisher
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Summer Olympics go for the green as London prepares to host the world
Andrew Zolli, author of Resilience: Why Things Bounce Back, says we might not be able to change the future, but we can figure out how to survive it. Photo: PopTech/Kris Krug
Andrew Zolli is a funny kind of optimist. As a futurist, he thinks it may be too late to pull the world back from many of the most dire global crises, including climate change, financial meltdown, and the energy crunch. But in that unpleasant future he sees an opportunity to embrace what he calls resilience thinking, an approach that could enable the world not to avoid disaster but survive it. In his new book, Resilience: Why Things Bounce Back, the PopTech impresario describes a car hurtling toward a cliff, Thelma and Louise-style. In the car are two groups of problem solvers: Risk mitigators and risk adapters. The first, the risk mitigators, held the moral high ground when the cliff was still a long way off as they sought a way to turn the car around. But Zolli thinks we may be past the point of a global U-turn. He says the people who need the worlds attention now are those in the other group, the risk adapters, who are working on building a better parachute.
Wired Business: How did you first get turned on to the idea of resilience thinking?
Zolli: Several years ago we started to notice something really interesting, and that was organizations and institutions and innovators were increasingly working not to steer us away from the big systemic challenges and risks that we face but were really beginning in a concentrated way to think about how to withstand those risks and disruptions and challenges. Big organizations the IBMs and Nikes of the world, foundations like the Rockefeller, the State Department these big organizations and lots of smaller social entrepreneurs and organizations, they were all converging on the same conversation. When you see that across the spectrum under the surface you get the sense that, wow, the tectonic plates are moving here.
Wired Business: Why is resilience a concept thats important to embrace now?
Zolli: We are in a world where were closer and closer to the cliff. Not just in climate change, but in global economic systems, global energy systems. Were closer to different cliffs across the board, and the systems are tied to one another. If we go over one cliff, we may pull ourselves over other cliffs. Our current system of globalization, for all its wonders and benefits, is like a giant hairball: If you pull one string, its not clear what other strings you might be yanking along with it.
Wired Business: Whats changed in recent years that makes you think it may be too late to bring the world back from the edge?
Zolli: Im in my 40s. I came to adulthood in the 1990s. I got out of school and came into the labor pool in the decade when the Soviet Union was collapsing. America was able to scale down its military and spend a giant peace dividend. Clintonian economics reigned. The global economy was about ideas, creativity, the end of history. It was going to be peaches and gravy as far as the eye could see. And in the middle of that you had the advent of the web, which sort of put a giant exclamation point on the whole thing. What was the decade we got right after that? A decade demarcated by global acts of terrorism followed by international wars that ended with a global financial crisis. It may come to be seen as the suckiest decade in a very long time. I think whats happened is there is an appreciation that we live in an era of intrinsic volatility and disruption and surprise. Global systems have created vulnerabilities, fragilities and disruptions. We need a new way of thinking about systems that bolsters them and makes them better at handling those disruptions.
Wired Business: So how do you actually define resilience?
When we let systems over-optimize, we often create systems that are really in danger even when they look like theyre doing their best.
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It's the End of the World, And I Feel Fine: 10 Questions with Andrew Zolli
'Catastrophic' erosion along Pinellas beaches 'Catastrophic' erosion along Pinellas beaches
Updated: Tuesday, June 26 2012 9:52 PM EDT2012-06-27 01:52:20 GMT
Tropical Storm Debby has caused the worst beach erosion in a decade, Pinellas authorities said Tuesday, adding that it's not clear where the money will come from to replace the vanished shores.
Tropical Storm Debby has caused the worst beach erosion in a decade, Pinellas authorities said Tuesday, adding that it's not clear where the money will come from to replace the vanished shores.
Pinellas County beaches ripped apart by Tropical Storm Debby could be patched up in a matter of months. That's if federal disaster funds are approved quickly.
It just so happened that one re-nourishment project in the area around the Bellair Beach Resort was already in place. Debby disrupted that initiative, but because heavy equipment is already out there it should help speed things up if the cards fall correctly.
The county's tourism development council heard the same numbers we reported last week. Debby caused about $20 million in damage to beaches in the Army corps of engineers' re-nourishment program.
That probably opens the door for federal disaster funding, and hopefully it opens it quickly.
"The fact that they're there now, if we can modify that contract with some of these emergency funds, we could get this done in the next few months," said Pinellas County coastal engineer Andy Squires. "If we can't get these emergency funds, then it could be a process of months or a year or so or more, depending on when and how much funding we get."
The amount of sand lost and the cost is still being calculated. This equipment is only around until October, so some sort of decision will have to be made within a matter of weeks.
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Charleston, South Carolina is one of the most beautiful and historical cities in the United States. Millions of people visit there every year for Charleston's culture, history, architecture, food and shopping.
In fact, Charleston was named the top city in the U.S. in the Conde Nast Traveler 2011 Readers' Choice Awards.
You should also consider Charleston when planning a beach vacation. While the city itself doesn't have any beaches, you don't have to travel far to enjoy world-class beaches, which simply adds to Charleston's attraction as a vacation destination. With its many opportunities to delight in city and beach activities, Charleston appeals to travelers with a variety of interests.
Isle of Palms is a barrier island located about half an hour's drive northeast of Charleston, South Carolina. It's the location of one of three public beach parks operated by the Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission. Isle of Palms County Park is an especially good beach for families.
Folly Beach County Park is another Charleston County Public Beach. In addition to the amazing beach, there are wonderful nature programs offered here. Unfortunately at the time of this article, Folly Beach County Park is closed due to erosion problems.
Center Street Beach is another well-known beach in Folly Beach, South Carolina. This is where you will find the fishing pier. Center Street Beach is close to the center of town with its shops, restaurants, hotels and activities. The beach has a laid back, surfer vibe to it making it a really fun beach for people of all ages.
Kiawah Island is the location of a well-known destination resort with multiple golf courses, vacation homes, tennis courts, a spa and a AAA rated 5-diamond hotel. It's also home to Kiawah Beachwalker Park, another of Charleston County's public beach parks. That means mere mortals can enjoy the same beach as resort guests for a fraction of the cost!
Follow Lisa Dworkin on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@thebestbeachne
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Lisa Dworkin: The Beaches Of Charleston County, South Carolina (PHOTOS)
By Anna M. Phillips, Times Staff Writer Anna M. PhillipsTampa Bay Times Posted: Jul 11, 2012 11:39 AM
The damage to Pinellas County beaches wrought by Tropical Storm Debby could cost as much as $20 million to repair, county officials announced Wednesday.
Exactly how much sand was washed away remains to be tallied. But the visuals of eroded dunes and waves crashing where beachgoers used to plant their chairs suggest that re-shaping the shoreline will be a costly endeavor.
However Sisyphean the task of constantly feeding new sand to eroding beaches may seem, county officials said it is one that must continue if Pinellas is to attract tourists and protect its residents from storms.
"People expect to see the beach when they come here on vacation and that's going to be a priority for us, it has to be," County Commissioner John Morroni said during a Tourist Development Council meeting Wednesday.
County officials hope federal and state governments will bear the majority of the renourishment costs, said Andy Squires, the coastal manager for Pinellas County.
"It could potentially be done this calendar year if we get federal and state funding," Squires said. "If not, renourishment could take months or years."
Most of the county's beach restoration projects are funded 60 percent by the federal government, 20 percent from the state, and 20 percent from the county. But the crackdown on congressional earmarks traditionally the county has relied on U.S. Rep. C.W. Bill Young to bring home the sand and the recession have made it more difficult to get aid.
Pinellas must compete for money against other counties, many of which also suffered from Debby. If the county does not get outside aid, it could dip into its reserve fund or use money that was allocated for beach repair before Debby's arrival.
Plans already were under way to restore certain beaches, such as Sand Key, where construction has begun, and Treasure Island's Sunset and Sunshine beaches, which were scheduled for repair in 2013.
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Tropical Storm Debby caused up to $20 million in damage to Pinellas beaches, officials say
11 July 2012 Last updated at 12:07 ET
Two beaches in Donegal that had been closed following the discovery of a toxic algae which was killing fish have been re-opened.
Rossnowlagh and Murvagh beaches had been given red flags when concerns were raised.
Swimming had been banned at the beaches while the problem was resolved.
Donegal County Council said in a statement that this was a "natural phenomenon."
The algae is not toxic to humans but may result in dead marine life washing up on shore.
A local website has reported that some people have been lifting dead fish from the beaches.
The council has said it will be monitoring the beach closely and will keep the public updated on changes.
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A citizen-hosted blog focused on the outdoors.
Evening telescope viewing will be available Wednesday through Sunday at the Apgar Transit Center and daily at the St. Mary Visitor Center from 10 p.m. to midnight, weather and sky visibility dependent. The St. Mary Visitor Center is currently screening the documentary The City Dark every Tuesday and Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. The film highlights the story of light pollution and disappearing night skies.
Solar-viewing opportunities will be available at the Apgar Village Green, 100 yards north of the Apgar Visitor Center, on Wednesday through Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Informal solar-viewing opportunities will also be available at the St. Mary and Logan Pass visitor centers, weather permitting. Visitors can safely view sun spots and coronal mass ejections through a hydrogen-alpha filtered telescope.
A joint effort between Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada and Glacier National Park is being initiated for designation of both parks as an International Dark Sky Park/Preserve.
For more information on the astronomy program, view the ranger-led activities schedule at http://home.nps.gov/applications/glac/inforequest/inforequest3.cfm or contact the park at 406-888-7800.
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FARNBOROUGH, England--Irish airplane lessor Avolon Aerospace Leasing Ltd. extended a strong week for airplane financiers at Europe's big aviation event, ordering 35 planes from Boeing Co. (BA) with a list price of $2.3 billion.
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Irish airplane lessor Avolon Aerospace Leasing Ltd. extended a strong week for airplane financiers at Europe’s big aviation event, ordering 35 planes from Boeing Co. with a list price of $2.3 billion.
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The Pathology Blawg reports on a tuberculosis outbreak in Jacksonville, Fla., which was initially announced by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in April. The outbreak has been responsible for 99 illnesses and 13 deaths making it "the worst [TB outbreak] seen in the US in 20 years," the blog says. "The [April 5] warning [from CDC's Robert Luo] contained the fact that an estimated 3,000 people had come into contact with the TB strain in 'homeless shelters, an outpatient mental health clinic, and area jails,' over the previous two years," Pathology Blawg adds.
Citing a story from The Palm Beach Post that broke news of the outbreak, The Florida Times-Union adds that "the public was not to learn anything until early June, even though the same strain was appearing in other parts of the state."
Pathology Blawg says CDC found that the outbreak strain's genotype is identical to one isolated in 2008 from a patient who "had circulated from hospital to jail to homeless shelter to assisted living facility, living in dorm housing in many locations," the agency said at the time. Now, that same strain "has already been identified in Miami," Pathology Blawg adds.
In a NaplesNews.com guest column, former president of the Florida Public Health Association Marc Yacht says that the state's "health department action to thwart this outbreak has been questionable and ineffective at best."
But Steven Harris, deputy secretary for health at the Florida Department of Health refutes local media reports, writing in a statement that "the number of TB cases in Florida has been trending downward for several years," and that "the increase in this particular strain of non-drug resistant TB has affected approximately 99 people over the past eight years." Harris also says that The Jacksonville Community Tuberculosis Coalition took action to ensure that the outbreak was "contained and the locally affected community informed of the isolated strain within an isolated population."
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Outbreak, Outed
OMAHA, Neb.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Bond Laboratories, Inc. (OTCQB:BNLB) is pleased to announce that its wholly owned operating division, NDS Nutrition Products (NDS) has entered into a promotional relationship with fashion, fitness and sports social media trendsetter, Samantha Busch. Samantha, one of the most recognizable personalities in NASCAR today, possesses a growing Twitter following (@Samantha Busch) in the widely-popular NASCAR world. Samantha is married to NASCAR driver, Kyle Busch. NDS is a national provider of innovative and proprietary nutritional supplements for health conscious consumers, whose weight loss, general health and sports nutrition supplements are sold exclusively through the GNC franchise system.
"This is another exciting step for NDS and we are thrilled to have Samantha as part of the team. With her unique personality and innovative style, she fits the NDS brand perfectly," said Bond Labs President and CEO, John S. Wilson. "Samantha's impact on social media in the fitness, sports and fashion world is enormous and I know that she can add a great amount of exposure to the NDS brand through her social media network as well.
"Social media allows us to stay close to our customers and Samantha gives us instant exposure to a massive audience. Im involved on a daily basis with our consumers on a retail level and through our web site, and we have seen the tremendous impact it can have for business growth, continued Mr. Wilson.
NDS will also work closely with John Paysor, Chief Operating Officer of KBM, and business manager for Samantha Busch and worldwide motorsport talent, NASCARs Kyle Busch. Mr. Paysor is widely considered one of the most profound sports & entertainment business managers, with an emphasis on leading retail strategy, licensing and sponsorship. "Im very excited to partner with NDS. We believe this relationship will greatly increase the reach of both brands and continue to fuel the growth of NDS in the marketplace," commented Mr. Paysor.
Keep an eye out for Samantha Busch and NDS in a city near you!
About Bond Labs
Bond Laboratories is a manufacturer of innovative nutritional supplements. The Company produces and markets products through its wholly owned operating division, NDS Nutrition. NDS produces over 50 products focused on weight loss, sports nutrition and general health. NDS products are sold directly through specialty health and nutrition retailers, including top-selling products at GNC franchises. Bond Labs is headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska. The Company's Common Stock currently trades under the symbol BNLB on the OTCQB market. For more information, please visit http://bond-labs.com. For more information on NDS Nutrition, please visit http://ndsnutrition.com. Follow us on Twitter: @NDSNutrition and on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/NDS-Nutrition/231245956899714.
About Samantha Busch
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle while living life on the road can be difficult, but with her experience in fitness, Samantha is dedicated to staying active and sharing her tips with the community. Her busy lifestyle and commitment to fitness earned Samantha the cover of Womens World magazine and a feature story. Keep up with Samantha on her website as well as Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest for all her style, beauty, and fitness advice. Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MrsSamanthaBusch. Twitter: @SamanthaBusch. Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/samanthabusch/
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Bond Labs Teams with Samantha Busch to Expand Social Media Presence
BOULDER, CO--(Marketwire -07/11/12)- The Center for Productive Longevity (CPL), which serves as the bridge between people 55 and older and opportunities that enable them to continue in productive activities, is organizing three more meetings this fall in the "Spotlight on Entrepreneurship Opportunities for Baby Boomers" series. The meetings are designed to contribute to a national momentum for new-business creation, which enables Baby Boomers to remain productively engaged and also facilitates national economic growth.
The events will be held for people 50 and older at Babson College in Wellesley, MA on September 14, Northwestern University/Kellogg School of Management in Chicago on October 11, and the University of Denver on November 15. To register and view preliminary agendas, visit http://www.ctrpl.org/entrepreneurship-meeting/overview. Sponsors of upcoming meetings include AARP, CPL, and a number of other organizations.
Each of the meetings will have presentations by three successful entrepreneurs. The meetings will also include two rounds of interactive breakout sessions on topics relating to new-business creation and how to become an entrepreneur, including: risks and rewards of being an entrepreneur, strategies for identifying and selecting potential business opportunities, developing a business plan or business concept statement, and exploring funding support.
The first meeting in the series was held March 27 in Kansas City, MO at the Kauffman Foundation, a focal point for entrepreneurship in America, and attracted 95 participants. The written evaluations indicated that the meeting was extremely successful: 87 percent of the participants reported that it increased their awareness and understanding of the benefits and opportunities provided by entrepreneurship, and 97 percent stated they were now more likely to create a new business.
This interest in entrepreneurship as a career after retirement is reflected in national research as well, with increasingly more people 55 and older creating their own businesses. In fact, according to Kauffman Foundation research, the relative percentage of entrepreneurs has increased by almost seven percent for people 55-64 from 1996-2011, the largest increase among all age groups; by contrast, the percentage dropped about five percent for people 20-44.
The minimum age level is 50, and qualified people can register now for one of the following meetings at http://www.ctrpl.org/entrepreneurship-meeting/overview:
The number of participants will be limited to 125 on a first-come basis. The cost of $35 per person covers inclusion of a spouse, if desired, and a post-meeting workshop on the "how-tos" of creating a new business. Payment to the Center for Productive Longevity must be received by the first of the month in which the meeting is held to confirm participation.
CPL has also initiated a national competition, the Later-Life Story Contest, for people 55 and older. The competition has two categories: Entrepreneur Success Stories and Inspirational Later-Life Stories. A panel of three independent judges will select one winner from each category who will receive $1,000 and a specially designed trophy. CPL will post the best stories on its website (ctrpl.org) under "Success Stories." The contest deadline is August 31, and winners will be announced on October 1, 2012.
To submit a story, visit http://www.ctrpl.org/laterlifestorycontest and complete a submission form. Entrants must be 55 and older, have a compelling story to share, and be willing to have it posted on the CPL website for viewing and for possible publication. Stories may also be sent to James Hooks at jhooks@ctrpl.org.
For more information on CPL, the meetings and how to submit entrepreneur success stories, visit http://www.ctrpl.org or Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/CTRPL.
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Center for Productive Longevity Organizing Events to Stimulate Entrepreneurship Among Baby Boomers