Health care law rattling Democratic nerves

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -

Quick, can you hear it? That creaking sound from Washington is the nerves of congressional Democrats in response to the political firestorm raging around the health care law.

The botched rollout of the Affordable Care Act's vital new marketplaces, coupled with insurers notifying more than a million Americans that their policies were being canceled, raised questions about the administration competence and honesty in selling and implementing President Barack Obama's signature health care reforms.

Republicans still licking their wounds after last month's failed bid to dismantle the ACA by shutting down the government got a new chance to attack, keeping the issue in national headlines because of the problems rather than a successful launch of the enrollment process.

Obama apologized on Thursday night in an interview with NBC and said unspecified steps would be taken to help those losing coverage.

However, some Democrats facing re-election battles next year are joining Republicans in calling for the administration to delay provisions of the 2010 law that survived a Supreme Court challenge last year.

Here are four reasons why Democrats are nervous:

Website woes

The major problem has been the failure of the HealthCare.gov website that was set up to enroll people in new ACA health insurance exchanges starting on Oct. 1.

Instead of a comprehensive online portal for uninsured people or those who buy individual coverage to readily shop for policies online, the website became a symbol of government failure when most early visitors couldn't log in, got constant error messages, faced long delays and had their profiles disappear.

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Health care law rattling Democratic nerves

Wisconsin health care advocates question Walker

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MADISON, Wis.Wisconsin health care advocates want Gov. Scott Walker to say what will happen with 77,000 adults being shifted off Medicaid in January if they are not able to get coverage through the new health insurance exchange in time.

The Wisconsin State Journal reported Friday ( http://tiny.cc/nvl85w) that advocacy groups sent Walker a letter this week expressing their concern.

Walker said in February that adults on Medicaid, or BadgerCare, who make more than the poverty level will have to switch to insurance on the federal exchange Jan. 1. The deadline to enroll on the exchange for coverage by then is Dec. 15.

In late September, the state notified 77,000 people, most of them parents, that they might be affected. But letters letting people know for sure won't be sent until Nov. 23, when the state expects to be ready to use new federal criteria to determine eligibility.

The federal health insurance exchange website, healthcare.gov, has been plagued with problems making it difficult for people to sign up. Federal officials say the site is improving and should be running smoothly by the end of the month.

"We are concerned that this short window does not allow enough time for all 77,000 custodial parents who are losing BadgerCare eligibility to complete the process of enrolling in qualified health plans via the marketplace," advocacy groups said in a letter to Walker on Thursday.

The letter asks Walker to spell out his contingency plans if enrollment on the exchange continues to be difficult or if the federal government creates conditions under which Walker's plan can't be implemented.

The goal remains to get people signed up by Dec. 15 so they have uninterrupted coverage, said state Department of Health Services spokeswoman Claire Smith.

The letter was sent by six groups: Community Advocates Public Policy Institute, Wisconsin Council on Children and Families, Mental Health America of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Primary Health Care Association, Wisconsin Alliance for Women's Health and ABC for Health.

Walker opposes the federal health care overhaul law, which relies on the exchanges to increase coverage for people who don't get insurance through their jobs or programs such as Medicaid. Like most governors, Walker chose to have the federal government run the state's exchange.

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What is the Evidence that Religious Freedom is Necessary for the Political Success of Free Societies – Video

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What is the Evidence that Religious Freedom is Necessary for the Political Success of Free Societies
For more on this event, visit: http://bit.ly/1gbou1h For more on the Berkley Center, visit: http://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu For more on the Religious Fre...

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Structures of Freedom – 21st Century Television: Michael Rofe and Frank Aycock at TEDxMeieki – Video

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Structures of Freedom - 21st Century Television: Michael Rofe and Frank Aycock at TEDxMeieki
Freedom is one of our most important rights. The kinds of freedom, are as vast as an ocean. One type of freedom is networks such as canals, railways and free...

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For Africa Media Leaders, Press Freedom Isn't Top Concern

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African media leaders concluded a three-day conference in Ethiopia Friday, where press freedom was not on top of the conference agenda, even though many journalists on the continent face restrictions and repression.

Conference organizers said their core focus was on business development, technology innovation, and leadership and ethics. They believe discussions on the business side of media will automatically result in debates on press freedom.

Alison Bethel of the International Press Institute findsit worrisome that the African Media Leaders Forum did not prioritize the issue of press freedom.

There needs to be more time dedicated to the issue," she said, "because besides from business models and licensing and other things that are crucial to the media here, press freedom also is a very, very important part of doing business.

There was a one-hour side event organized on the practices and challenges of press freedom in Africa. Journalists from different countries shared their experiences of being harassed, detained and threatened for trying to do their job.

The Committee to Protect Journalists urged the media leaders to address repression in Ethiopia, where the conference is being held. Last week, two Ethiopian journalists were detained for about six days without charges after reporting on local corruption.

More than 75 media publications have been closed in Ethiopia in the past 20 years and seven journalists are currently imprisoned on charges of terrorism.

Amare Aregwi, managing editor of Ethiopias largest English newspaper, The Reporter, says his media colleagues on the continent can also play a role in improving press freedom in Ethiopia:

They can advise you, share their experiences and train you in such things," Aregwi said. "Sometimes, you dont find people or the government being ready to listen. On the other side also, some of the international media enjoy criticizing and ridiculing rather than helping.

Twenty-eight journalists died on the African continent in 2012, with Somalia being the deadliest country. Twelve African countries have passed freedom of information bills, but they include countries such as Ethiopia and Uganda, which are regularly accused of cracking down on media practitioners.

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BJJ Scout Bsides: Roberto "Cyborg" Abreu v Keenan Cornelius ADCC China 2013 Absolute Semi-Final – Video

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BJJ Scout Bsides: Roberto "Cyborg" Abreu v Keenan Cornelius ADCC China 2013 Absolute Semi-Final
Roberto "Cyborg Abreu v Keenan Cornelius ADCC China 2013 Absolute Semi-Final. Go to http:/a/www.bjjscout.com for ADCC Day 1 and 2 Review. 1080p for better qu...

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DSO's 'Cyborg' a successful blending of modern with traditional

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About 17 minutes into the Detroit Symphony Orchestras performance of Ferran Cruixents Cyborg on Thursday, a tiny recorder sounded a high, piccolo-like tone. The orchestra stopped in its tracks and made a U-turn toward the heavens.

What had been an earthly cauldron of contrasting sonorities buzzing string harmonics, stuttering reeds, musicians inhaling and exhaling air, brazen and brassy tone clusters, domineering rhythmic repetitions, lascivious trombone slides, dissonant climaxes shouted at full voice morphed into an ethereal glow. Strings hovered, and musicians began to softly sing chant-like plainsong. Muted trombones joined the rhythm of the voices. Suddenly, ringing melodies prerecorded on the musicians cell phones rippled through the air, the fault line between acoustic and electronic sound dissolving in midair.

Man and machine became one. The 10th Century shook hands with the 21st Century. And the audience swooned with delight. Cruxient had them at hello.

Born in Barcelona, Spain, the 37-year-old Cruixent (CRU-shent) is all but unknown in America, but his distinctive voice deserves wider attention. Certainly, he seems to have found a champion in DSO music director Leonard Slatkin, who has a sharp ear for young talent and landed the North American premiere of Cyborg in Detroit. The composer is interested in big ideas concerning the marriage of humanity and technology in contemporary life, and in Cyborg the title refers to human-machine hybrids he has created a 25-minute meditation on the theme.

Despite its progressive surface, however, the music is by no means radical. Cruxient employs all kinds of techniques associated with the avant-garde of the 1960s and 70s, but channels them into often traditional melodic and harmonic material and accessible rhythm. In the end, Cyborg is an interesting synthesis of experimental and conservative impulses, delivered with a high level of craftsmanship and taste. Slatkin led a beautifully prepared performance, clarifying the rhythms and densities and liberating the musics emotional content; the players enthusiastically bought into Cruxients language. I look forward to hearing more from this intriguing composer.

Elsewhere, young French-born violinist Alexandra Soumm made an impressive American debut with Jean Sibelius beloved Violin Concerto. Soumms cavernous sound and virtuoso flair made for an exciting thrill ride through the piece, though her hot-wired approach captured little of the poetic mystery embedded in the score.

After intermission Slatkin and the DSO turned to Gustav Mahlers Symphony No. 4, which, at less than an hour, is the shortest, most intimate and sunniest of the composers symphonies. Slatkin led an even-tempered and smartly proportioned musical account that was long on lyricism and forward momentum but short on revelation. The orchestra spoke in a single, lush voice, though I wanted more sparkle and elegance from the cellos. Principal horn Karl Pituchs warm solos were a highlight, and though soprano soloist Ilana Davidson lacked power, her light-textured voice made a graceful evocation of heaven in the finale.

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Florida Beaches Google-Style

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By: Mike Vasilinda November 8, 2013

Want to know what a beach on the other side of Florida looks like? Youll soon be able to get a 360 degree view courtesy the states tourism marketing agency. Visit Florida has partnered with Google to visually map more than eight hundred miles of Florida beaches.

It began in the Panhandle. Florida-Alabama state line and these are our first steps, says Chris Officer, Trekker.

Two teams of two people have been walking Floridas beaches since mid July. On their backs a 40 pound 360 degree camera pack. Its the states latest effort to lure more people to the state. So its a great opportunity to give wet peoples appetite and help-let them virtually explore the Florida beaches, says Will Seccombe, Visit Florida Director.

Along their way the trekkers, as they are called, were as much a tourist attraction as the beaches they walked.

Florida had ninety one and a half million tourists last year. The goal is one hundred million and marketers think the beach views will be one more tool to reach their goal. Its not just a picture. You want to show people what, you know, what their beach looks like and what their walk is going to be like in the morning or the sunset that afternoon, says Seccombe.

The trekkers have been covering about 50 miles a week, their journey hasnt been without, well surprises. [What do you do with nude beaches?] Well, our Visit Florida team ran across a couple of those beaches on their trek through the state. They will be blurred out just like the licenses plates on street cam for Google, says Will Seccombe.

The journey finishes next week on South Beach, the pictures go live early next year.

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Florida Beaches Google-Style

Hybrid Solar Eclipse 2013: Rare solar eclipse phenomenon delights astronomy fans across the globe – Video

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Hybrid Solar Eclipse 2013: Rare solar eclipse phenomenon delights astronomy fans across the globe
A rare solar eclipse plunge parts of the US, Africa and Europe into darkness after the moon passed between the sun and the earth.

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Overview of the Evolving Artificial Intelligence Lab at the University of Wyoming – Video

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Overview of the Evolving Artificial Intelligence Lab at the University of Wyoming
A brief overview of the Evolving Artificial Intelligence Lab at the University of Wyoming, directed by Jeff Clune. The video summarizes some of the reasons w...

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NIC Program Trains Students to Meet Needs of Regional Aerospace Businesses

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Nov. 08--The fast-growing aerospace industry needs skilled workers across the Inland Northwest, and North Idaho College has opened a new training center in Hayden to prepare students for those manufacturing and maintenance jobs.

Forty students are enrolled this fall in the Aerospace Center for Excellence, which operates in a converted pole barn near the Coeur d'Alene Airport. They are learning composite materials fabrication and repair, which ties into much of the aerospace business in Spokane, Kootenai and Bonner counties.

Over the next two years, NIC will roll out three more aerospace programs: quality assurance and nondestructive testing; manufacturing and machining operations; and airframe maintenance. Total enrollment is expected to hit 80 to 100 students.

Among those in the first class is Marcus Torres, 27, a Coeur d'Alene High School graduate who earned a photojournalism degree at NIC last May. Now he plans to earn a two-year degree in advanced manufacturing and use those skills to become a mobile repairman specializing in fiberglass and carbon-fiber parts. He wants to get his pilot's license, too, so he can fly to jobs.

"It gets you on all levels -- intellectually, you get your hands dirty working with material, see how different materials lay up, their properties," Torres said. "It's so interesting."

The aerospace center was established with a $2.97million federal grant and is expected to create 520 new jobs by 2015, with the average salary estimated at $43,500, according to the Idaho Department of Labor.

"The outlook for the aerospace industry is really bright," NIC President Joe Dunlap said.

Twenty-five aerospace businesses have sprung up in North Idaho alone, Dunlap said. They are part of an industry that anticipates sharp growth in passengers, cargo and airliner replacement in the next 20 years, he said.

"We want to do our part to contribute to that," Dunlap said.

Idaho Gov. Butch Otter and Lt. Gov. Brad Little stopped by the aerospace center Thursday for a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Otter paid tribute to those who made it happen.

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