Ohio Republican Rep. LaTourette retires citing acrimony

LaTourette and his family pose with John Boehner at his 2011 swearing-in (Susan Walsh/AP)

Ohio?Republican Rep. Steve LaTourette announced Tuesday that he's sick of Washington and has decided to retire.

"Washington and public life ? is not the same as it was when I started a quarter century ago," the longtime moderate lawmaker said at a press conference in Painesville, Ohio.

"The atmosphere today and the reality that exists no longer encourages common ground," he later added.

LaTourette revealed he will officially announce his retirement Wednesday Aug. 8 instead of continuing with his campaign for a 10th term. State law directs party leaders to choose his replacement.

LaTourette conceded that his decision, given that he had already won his party's nomination in the 14th District, leaves his party in a?"somewhat precarious position, and I apologize for that."

News broke late Monday that LaTourette would make a surprise retirement announcement Tuesday.

Anonymous sources told various news outlets that LaTourette had been prompted to leave due to a dispute over committee assignments, and another report suggested the congressman was in ill health. LaTourette's office refused to comment.

But LaTourette knocked down both of those rumors directly Tuesday, saying he supports the new chairman of the Transportation Committee, Pennsylvania Rep. Bill Shuster, is pleased to be serving on the Appropriations Committee, is not sick and does not have insurmountable problems with House Speaker John Boehner, whom LaTourette identified as a friend.

LaTourette expressed annoyance that news of his retirement had been leaked the previous day.

He said many supporters, Republican and Democrat, called him last night and?"suggested this was a mistake." But LaTourette said he believed that since he didn't want to serve another term, this was the "cleanest way" to exit, avoiding a special election and allowing his replacement to serve a full two-year term.

The 14th District, which encompasses the northeastern tip of the state, is considered competitive territory. Democrat Dale Blanchard won his party's nomination for the seat in March.

Boehner (R-Ohio) expressed confidence Tuesday in Republican odds of retaining LaTourette's district. "Republicans are in good position to hold this seat, and I am confident that Steve's legacy will continue on as northeast Ohioans elect a new representative this November to fight for a stronger economy and a more accountable government," Boehner said in a statement.

That sentiment was echoed by National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Pete Sessions (R-Texas), who said in a statement that "voters in northeast Ohio have consistently supported Republicans in this district."

Democrats on Tuesday argued LaTourette's decision is part of a larger trend of moderate Republicans rejecting extreme conservatives in the House.

"The Tea Party Republican Majority now has a sign outside their meeting room-- no moderates allowed," Jesse Ferguson spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said in a statement.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/ohio-republican-rep-latourette-retires-citing-acrimony-washington-142357069.html

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New ad highlights Romney's role in 2002 Olympics

NEW YORK (AP) ? An independent group backing Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is out with a new TV ad featuring a trio of former Olympic athletes praising his stewardship of the 2002 Winter Games.

Restore Our Future is spending $7.2 million to run the ad in Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. The ad will also air in Michigan and Wisconsin.

In the ad, figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi, speed skater Derek Parra and skeleton racer Jimmy Shea offer testimonials to Romney.

The former Massachusetts governor is credited with turning around the financially troubled games in Salt Lake City and steering them to success and profit.

Shea says Romney, quote, "changed my life."

The ad does not mention President Barack Obama.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ad-highlights-romneys-role-2002-olympics-145244901.html

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Montana Military Vehicle Club preserves history, honors veterans 07-29-12

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Eurogroup chair sees decisions soon in debt crisis

BERLIN ? The German and Italian leaders issued a new pledge to protect the eurozone, while the influential eurogroup chairman was quoted Sunday as saying that officials have no time to lose and will decide in the coming days what measures to take.

The weekend comments capped a string of assurances from European leaders that they will do everything they can to save the 17-nation euro. They came before markets open for a week in which close attention will be focused on Thursday's monthly meeting of the European Central Bank's policy-setting governing council.

Last Thursday, ECB President Mario Draghi said the bank would do "whatever it takes" to preserve the euro ? and markets surged on hopes of action.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Italian Premier Mario Monti "agreed that Germany and Italy will do everything to protect the eurozone" in a phone conversation Saturday, German government spokesman Georg Streiter said, a statement that was echoed by Monti's office.

That was nearly identical to a statement issued Friday by Merkel and French President Francois Hollande, which followed Draghi's comments.

Though they didn't pledge any specific action, the comments raised expectations that the ECB might step in to buy Spanish and perhaps Italian government bonds to lower the countries' borrowing costs, which have been worryingly high in recent weeks. Another possibility might be for the eurozone's temporary rescue fund, the European Financial Stability Facility, to buy bonds.

"What measures we will take, we will decide in the coming days," Jean-Claude Juncker, the Luxembourg prime minister who also chairs meetings of the eurozone finance ministers, or eurogroup, was quoted as telling the German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung. "We no longer have any time to lose."

Italy and Spain have the eurozone's third- and fourth-largest economies, respectively, behind Germany and France.

Merkel and Monti agreed that decisions made by last month's European Union summit "must be implemented as quickly as possible," Streiter said, again echoing Friday's Merkel-Hollande statement.

Those included allowing Europe's bailout fund ? once a new, independent bank supervisor is set up ? to give money directly to a country's banks, rather than via the government. Countries that pledge to implement reforms demanded by the EU's executive Commission also would be able to tap rescue funds without having to go through the kind of tough austerity measures demanded of Greece, Portugal and Ireland, which have had to get international bailout packages.

"I have no doubt that we will implement the decisions of the last summit," Juncker was quoted as saying. "It still has to be decided what exactly we will do when. That depends on the developments of the coming days and how fast we have to react."

"When I say 'we,' I mean the EFSF rescue fund ? that means the 17 euro countries," Juncker was quoted as saying. He added that they would coordinate closely with the ECB ? "and we will, as Draghi says, see results."

"I don't want to raise expectations," he said. "But I must say that we have arrived at a decisive point ... the euro countries have arrived a point where we must make extremely clear with all available means that we are determined to ensure the financial stability of the currency union."

Merkel's finance minister, Wolfgang Schaeuble, earlier dismissed talk that Spain might make an application to the EFSF to buy its bonds. He told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper that "there is nothing to this speculation."

The latest assurances come as concern flares again about Greece. International debt inspectors are scrutinizing Greece's finances and its progress in implementing unpopular budget cuts and reforms demanded in exchange for the rescue loan program that is keeping the country afloat.

Greek officials have called for more time to implement the measures, but patience among creditors is running short. If the inspectors' report, expected in September, is damning, Athens could stop receiving loans and face bankruptcy and an exit from the 17-nation euro.

"The aid program is already very accommodating. I cannot see that there is still scope for further concessions," Schaeuble said.

Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.wral.com/business/story/11368794/

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Source: http://www.herbokalog.com/tr/clover-advertising-taking-direct-marketing-head-on/

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New Egypt government to be announced on Thursday: media

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's new cabinet will be announced on Thursday, state media said on Saturday, ending what was seen as a long wait for a new government following the swearing-in of President Mohamed Mursi three weeks ago.

"I will announce the formation of the cabinet in its final form next Thursday," Prime Minister Hisham Kandil said in statements carried by state news agency MENA and state TV.

He said he had briefed Mursi on his meetings with possible candidates.

The former Irrigation and Water Resources Minister was designated premier last week, despite concerns the little-known technocrat may not have the political or economic experience needed for the job.

The time it took Mursi to name his prime minister underlined how Egypt is struggling to turn new political freedoms into an effective government following the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak in a popular uprising a year and half ago.

A Muslim Brotherhood politician and Egypt's first freely elected civilian president, Mursi is seeking to stamp his authority on a state where the military that assumed power from Mubarak still wields enormous influence.

Kandil said Mursi was in contact with the army generals on the choice of a new defense minister, a post currently occupied by Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, who held the post for 20 years under Mubarak.

(Reporting By Tamim Elyan; Editing by Michael Roddy)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egypt-government-announced-thursday-media-144644634.html

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Opening ceremony gives Olympics a rocking start

Fireworks explode during the Opening Ceremony at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 27, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Fireworks explode during the Opening Ceremony at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 27, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

The Olympic cauldron is lit during the Opening Ceremony at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 28, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

The Olympic rings light up the stadium during the Opening Ceremony at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 27, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, Pool)

Fireworks light up over the stadium during the Opening Ceremony at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 28, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

The Olympic cauldron burns after being lit during the Opening Ceremony at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 28, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

LONDON (AP) ? Shaken and stirred.

James Bond and the queen teamed to give London a wild Olympic opening like no other.

And creative genius Danny Boyle turned Olympic Stadium into a jukebox, cranking up world-beating rock from the Beatles, the Stones and The Who to send the planet a message: Britain, loud and royal proud, is ready to roll.

Now over to you, athletes. It was a brilliant introduction to kick off a 17-day festival of sports.

Queen Elizabeth II, playing along with movie magic from director Boyle, provided the highlight of the Oscar-winner's high-adrenaline show. With film trickery, Boyle made it seem as if Britain's beloved 86-year-old monarch and its most famous spy parachuted into the stadium together.

Daniel Craig as 007, the queen, playing herself, and her royal corgis starred in a short movie filmed in Buckingham Palace.

"Good evening, Mr. Bond," she said before they were shown flying by helicopter over London landmarks and then leaping ? she in a salmon-colored dress, Bond dashing as ever in a black tuxedo ? into the inky night over Olympic Park.

At the same moment, real skydivers appeared as the stadium throbbed to the James Bond theme. And moments after that, the monarch appeared in person, accompanied by her husband, Prince Philip.

Organizers said it was thought to be the first time she has acted on film.

"The queen made herself more accessible than ever before," Boyle said.

Boyle sprang another giant surprise in giving seven teenage athletes the supreme honor of igniting the Olympic flame. Together, they touched torches to trumpetlike tubes that spread into a ring of fire and then rose elegantly to jointly form the cauldron ? which organizers said would be moved Sunday night to one end of the stadium.

It was the end of the journey for the flame. Some 8,000 torchbearers, mostly unheralded Britons, had carried it on a 70-day, 8,000-mile journey from toe to tip of the British Isles, whipping up enthusiasm for a $14 billion Olympics taking place during a severe recession. The final torchbearers were kept a closely guarded secret ? remarkable given the scrutiny on these, the first Summer Games of the Twitter era.

The evening started with fighter jets streaming red, white and blue smoke and roaring over the stadium, packed with a buzzing crowd of 60,000 people, at 8:12 p.m. ? or 20:12 in the 24-hour time observed by Britons.

The show never caught its breath with a nonstop rock-and-pop homage to cool Britannia. The soundtrack veered from classical to irreverent. Boyle daringly included the Sex Pistols' "Pretty Vacant" and a snippet of its version of "God Save the Queen" ? an anti-establishment punk anthem once banned by the BBC. With a singalong of "Hey Jude," Beatle Paul McCartney closed the spectacle that ran 45 minutes beyond its scheduled three hours.

The encyclopedic review of modern British music included a 1918 Broadway standard adopted by the West Ham football team, the Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" and "Bohemian Rhapsody," by still another Queen, and other tracks too numerous to mention, but not to dance to.

Boyle, who directed "Slumdog Millionaire" and "Trainspotting" while developing into one of Britain's most successful filmmakers, had a ball with his favored medium, mixing filmed passages with live action to hypnotic effect, with 15,000 volunteers taking part in the show.

Actor Rowan Atkinson as "Mr. Bean" provided laughs, shown dreaming that he was appearing in "Chariots of Fire," the inspiring story of a Scotsman and an Englishman at the 1924 Paris Games.

Headlong rushes of movie images took spectators on wondrous, heart-racing voyages through everything British: a cricket match, the London Tube, the roaring, abundant seas that buffet and protect this island nation, and along the Thames, the river that winds like a vein through London and was the gateway for the city's rise over the centuries as a great global hub of trade and industry.

Wearing his yellow winner's jersey, newly crowned Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins rang a 23-ton Olympic Bell from the same London foundry that made Big Ben and Philadelphia's Liberty Bell. Its thunderous chime was a nod to the British tradition of pealing bells to celebrate the end of war and the crowning of kings and queens.

Former world heavyweight champion and 1960 Rome Olympic gold medalist Muhammad Ali also was cheered when he appeared briefly with his wife, Lonnie, before the Olympic flag was unfurled.

The show portrayed idyllic rural Britain ? a place of meadows, farms, sport on village greens and picnics ? that then gave way to the industrial transformation that revolutionized the nation in the 18th and 19th centuries, the foundation for an empire that reshaped world history. Belching chimneys rose where only moments earlier live sheep had trod.

The Industrial Revolution also produced terrifying weapons, and Boyle built in a moment of hush to honor those killed in war.

"This is not specific to a country. This is across all countries, and the fallen from all countries are celebrated and remembered," he explained to reporters ahead of the ceremony.

"Because, obviously, one of the penalties of this incredible force of change that happened in a hundred years was the industrialization of war, and the fallen," he said. "You know, millions fell."

Olympic organizers separately rejected calls for a moment of silence for 11 Israeli athletes and coaches slain by Palestinian gunmen at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

The parade of nations featured most of the roughly 10,500 athletes ? some planned to stay away to save their strength for competition ? marching behind the flags of the 204 nations taking part.

Greece led, as the spiritual home of the games, and Team Great Britain was last, as host. Prince William and his wife, Kate, joined in thunderous applause that greeted the British team, which marched to the David Bowie track "Heroes." A helicopter showered the athletes and stadium with 7 billion tiny pieces of paper ? one for each person on Earth.

Bahrain and Brunei featured female flagbearers in what has been called the Olympics' Year of the Woman. For the first time at the games, each national delegation includes women, and a record 45 percent of the athletes are women. Three Saudi women marching behind the men in their delegation flashed victory signs with their fingers.

"This is a major boost for gender equality," said International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge, overseeing his last games as head of the IOC before he steps down in 2013.

Rogge honored the "great, sports-loving country" of Britain as "the birthplace of modern sport," and he appealed to the thousands of athletes assembled before him for fair play.

"Character counts far more than medals. Reject doping. Respect your opponents. Remember that you are all role models. If you do that, you will inspire a generation," Rogge said.

The queen then said: "I declare open the games of London, celebrating the 30th Olympiad of the modern era."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/apdefault/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-07-28-OLY-Opening-Ceremony/id-dad96fe6c0304d0ca60d77c936dec70f

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Heart Of The Hide Trapeze Outfielder's Baseball Glove | The ...

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Cash-strapped Britain eyes Olympic business bounce

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister David Cameron urged global business leaders gathered in London on Thursday ahead of the Olympics to invest in Britain, a day after data showed the economy is in much worse shape than previously thought.

Cameron is under pressure to turn around Britain's economic fortunes, and Wednesday's data showed the economy shrank far more than expected in the second quarter, battered by everything from an extra public holiday to the euro zone crisis.

Speaking at a trade and investment summit designed to harness the July 27 to August 12 Games to drum up business deals, Cameron reiterated his commitment to cutting the budget deficit and getting the recession-hit economy back on track.

"Yes, I want medals for Britain. And there will be no more passionate supporter of Team GB than me. But I've got a job to do this summer. And a big part of that job is to get behind British business," Cameron said.

Cameron tried to deflect calls to amend his government's flagship seven-year austerity plan after Wednesday's data, and assured gathered dignitaries that deficit reduction remained at the top of his agenda.

"We've taken bold decisions to sort out our public finances and earn credibility with the markets .... And my message today is clear and unequivocal. Be in no doubt: we will go on and finish the job," he added.

He also reaffirmed his commitment to improve regulation of Britain's banking sector, whose reputation has been hit by a bank rate-fixing scandal in recent weeks.

Delegates to the trade and investment summit, the first of 17 planned to coincide with the Olympics, include International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde and the heads of global firms such as Google's Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt and Vodafone Chief Executive Vittorio Colao.

Britain hopes to seal one billion pounds ($1.5 billion) of deals this summer as businesses capitalize on the Olympics, the first to be held in Britain since 1948.

OLYMPICS COST

The government is also keen to assuage critics of the Games who say the event is too expensive at a time of strained public finances, by highlighting the business opportunities offered by the event and uses of Olympic venues after the Games have ended.

British officials say the Games will cost 9.3 billion pounds ($14.5 billion) to host.

Despite forking out to host the event, Cameron and others say a credible austerity plan is crucial if Britain is to retain market confidence and keep its borrowing costs low.

Angel Gurria, secretary general of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), warned on Thursday that the markets would come down on Britain "like a tonne of bricks" if they detected weakness.

"The UK adjustment programme cleared the markets. This is why you have very low borrowing costs. This is why I think you should just persevere. You are now sowing the seeds of what will be the elements for recovery," Gurria told BBC Radio 4.

"You have to have credible public finances before you start moving on the growth," he said.

Britain reported this week a gain of nearly 53,000 new jobs in the 2011-12 financial year from inward investment, an annual rise of 26 percent.

However, figures from the United Nations World Investment Report show that $54 billion of foreign direct investment in 2011 is only a fraction of the $196 billion recorded in 2007, before the global banking crisis.

Others attending Thursday's investment conference include Bank of England Governor Mervyn King, European Central Bank President Mario Draghi and Mexico and Brazil's central bank chiefs, who all warned of the deep challenges facing the global economy and Britain's euro zone trading partners in particular.

However, London's mayor Boris Johnson sought to give a more upbeat outlook.

"In the coming weeks, with major global investors in town for the Games, I am embarking on a gigantic schmooze-athon, to highlight this and the wealth of other amazing investment opportunities that exist," he said.

(Additional reporting by David Milliken, Tim Castle and Estelle Shirbon, editing by Justin Palmer)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cash-strapped-britain-eyes-olympic-business-bounce-081244688--sector.html

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Pets Need Friends, Too! | Victoria Stilwell Positively

Posted by Victoria Stilwell - 07/27/12 at 08:07:45 am - No Comments

Great Videos to Share with your Friends!

Pets Add Life (PAL) is at it again! Remember when I posted a video they made with an adorable guinea pig who has ?a real problem being the only pet?? Now PAL has created another hilarious video featuring a bird, dog and cat that each give us insight into what their world is like living as the ?only pet.? Check it out:

The Pets Add Life Campaign does a great job of showing how, like humans; pets need friends to talk to. Not only can our lives improve by being responsible multiple pet owners, but so can the lives of our pets. Did you know multiple pet ownership can often help your pets have happier, healthier lives with increased socialization and companionship?

PAL has promised to add even more of these hilarious videos soon, so be sure to follow them on Twitter and Facebook for upcoming news and information.

Source: http://positively.com/2012/07/27/pets-need-friends-too/

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Romney's Olympics comments cause a flap in London (Washington Bureau)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

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Effective Ways To Develop Yourself And Be Happy - Health Web ...

Wednesday, July 25th, 2012 at 6:03 pm ?

It?s very important to work on personal development. Personal development includes virtually every aspect of your life, including what you eat and how you manage your finances. Striving to improve yourself is important, no matter how you go about it. Personal development should be an ongoing process, since we all have room for improvement in our lives. Healthy habits are the key to a happier life.

Keep in mind the well-known saying that you can?t please everybody all of the time. Your main concern should be yourself. That doesn?t mean you should become selfish, but rather that you take control of your own emotions. Develop your life around things that you value and that make you happy.

When working on your personal development, you need to value yourself and what is best for your life. Make reaching your goals one of the most important aspects of your life.

If you are not able to achieve anything you wanted to, it is time to evaluate the situation seriously. Look for resources related to your issues and ask your friends about their struggles. The problem might be that your expectations were set too high, important steps were not taken, or inadequate resources were allocated in working toward your goals.

Be sure you?re humble. In the grand scheme of things, we are relatively insignificant. People with different experiences and different perspectives are filled with knowledge you may not have. Open yourself to new ideas and other ways of thinking! If you stay open-minded, you will be poised to learn something new when the opportunity arises.

If your personal development plan calls for overcoming social anxieties, going to the movies with a friend is a great first step. This is a good way to push yourself out of your comfort zone. You can be social with your friend before and after the movie and will have to be around strangers, but you won?t have to be overly social and can recharge during the movie. This will help get you used to being in the same vicinity with lots of different people.

They say that speaking and listening are equally important. This is very true for personal development skills. Ensure you are taking time to listen to yourself. If you?re not able to hear yourself, you can?t possibly get a grasp on what is truly necessary for self improvement.

It may become discouraging to begin developing better personal habits and lifestyles, but once you start noticing your life developing towards a better future, you will never want to stop. You can always develop better ways to do things and it?s important to always try hard towards any personal development goals you have.

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Source: http://health-web-guide.com/?p=136360

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Katherine Jackson Speaks Out: I'm Fine!

Katherine Jackson has spoken out for the first time since she abruptly left her home in California for a supposedly doctor-recommended vacation in Arizona.

Considering the 82-year old mother of Michael Jackson, and legal guardian of his three kids, did not speak to her grandchildren during her time away, there's been talk that Katherine was taken/held against her will.

But she claims that wasn't the case.

 

Katherine Jackson on ABC News

"There are rumors going around about me that I have been kidnapped," Jackson told ABC News. "I am here today to let everybody to know that I am good and fine. My children would never do anything to me like that."

But would they? Perhaps if they were upset over MJ's will and hoping to use Katherine to challenge its authenticity?

Why did Katherine leave three young kids at home without supervision? Reading from a script and sounding confused, she said she just needed a "short vacation," adding: "One reason I didn't call is I just gave up my phone and I didn't want to have any phone calls while I was here."

So... she simply abandoned 14-year old Paris Jackson and her two siblings? It's a VERY odd, likely very sordid situation.

"I am devastated that while I've been away, my grandchildren have been taken away from me, and I'm coming home," Katherine concluded.

In the meantime, TJ Jackson has been named temporary guardian of Paris, Prince and Blanket.

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/07/katherine-jackson-speaks-out-im-fine/

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S&P 500, Nasdaq fall on Apple's miss; Dow rises

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The S&P 500 fell for a fourth day and the Nasdaq dropped on Wednesday after a rare earnings stumble from Apple, while strong results from Boeing and Caterpillar lifted the Dow.

Apple Inc , the most valuable U.S. company by market capitalization, reported sales late on Tuesday that fell short of Wall Street's expectations as the European economy sagged and consumers held off buying iPhones before a new version expected in the autumn.

Shares fell 4.3 percent to $574.97. Without Apple's losses, the S&P would have ended higher.

The price-weighted Dow industrials managed gains thanks to Caterpillar and Boeing . Caterpillar rose 1.4 percent to $82.60 after its quarterly profit easily beat Wall Street's expectations.

The world's largest maker of construction machines also raised its 2012 forecast.

"Expectations have been very low and this is a huge positive for the market," said Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at Harris Private Bank in Chicago.

Hope that the Federal Reserve will act soon to provide more stimulus to the economy also supported stocks. A report in The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday said Fed officials may be moving closer to taking more steps to aid the flagging economy.

Because of those expectations "bank stocks are performing relatively well," said Thomas Villalta, portfolio manager for Jones Villalta Asset Management in Austin, Texas. The KBW bank index was up 0.5 percent.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 58.73 points, or 0.47 percent, at 12,676.05. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was down 0.42 point, or 0.03 percent, at 1,337.89. The Nasdaq Composite Index was down 8.75 points, or 0.31 percent, at 2,854.24.

Housing stocks ranked among the worst performers on data for June showed the biggest drop in U.S. single-family home sales in more than a year. The PHLX housing sector index tumbled 3 percent, pulled lower by a 3.7 percent drop in D.R. Horton shares to $17.98.

The S&P 500 once again tested its 50-day moving average around 1,332. The benchmark index broke through that level on Tuesday but rebounded above it after reports the Fed was likely to provide more stimulus.

Boeing also helped the Dow when it reported a larger-than-expected increase in second-quarter profit and raised its full-year earnings forecast. The company said rising airplane deliveries offset higher pension costs. Boeing's stock gained 2.8 percent to $74.03.

Sixty-three percent of S&P 500 companies have surpassed earnings expectations so far, just a touch above the 62 percent long-term average, Thomson Reuters data showed.

Ford Motor Co reported a better-than-expected second-quarter profit but roughly doubled its forecast for losses in Europe where a deepening economic crisis pushed the auto industry's sales to their lowest level in nearly 20 years. Ford shares edged down 1 percent to $8.97.

After the closing bell, shares of Internet company Zynga , a game publisher, dropped 37.6 percent to $3.17. The company cut its 2012 earnings outlook and reported results below expectations. Shares of Facebook , which relies on Zynga for some 15 percent of its revenue, fell 7.5 percent to $27.15.

Shares of Visa rose 1.1 percent to $123.58 in extended-hours trading after the credit card company reported an adjusted profit that topped Wall Street estimates and raised its full-year earnings forecast for the second time this year.

Volume was about 6.43 billion shares on the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq and Amex, compared with the year-to-date daily average of 6.74 billion shares.

Advancers beat decliners on the NYSE by about 16 to 13 and on the Nasdaq by about 7 to 5. (Additional reporting by Rodrigo Campos; Editing by Kenneth Barry)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/p-500-nasdaq-fall-apples-miss-dow-rises-214925478--sector.html

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EPA Recognizes EarthPeople for Leading Green Power Purchase

Purchase Supports New Development of Clean Renewable Resources

Dallas, Texas (PRWEB) July 25, 2012 EarthPeople, a sustainability communications firm, is continuing its purchase of green power and its partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency?s Green Power Partnership. EarthPeople purchases 100 percent wind energy from Green Mountain Energy Company to power its office, estimated at 10,000 kilowatt-hours (kWH) annually. This demonstrates a proactive choice to switch away from traditional sources of electricity generation and support cleaner renewable energy.

?This is a huge honor and we are proud to be recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,? said Anna Clark, president of EarthPeople. ?Purchasing green power helps our organization model sustainability for our clients, while also sending a message to others across the U.S. that supporting clean sources of electricity is a sound business decision and an important choice in reducing climate risk.?

Green power is electricity that is generated from environmentally preferable renewable resources, such as wind, solar, geothermal, biogas, biomass, and low-impact hydro. Purchases of green power help accelerate the development of new renewable energy capacity nationwide and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector.

?Conventional electricity use is the single-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.,? said Blaine Collison, Director of EPA?s Green Power Partnership. ?By continuing its impressive commitment to purchase 100 percent green power, EarthPeople is reducing carbon pollution and helping to protect public health, and we encourage other organizations to follow their lead.?

About EarthPeople

EarthPeople is a sustainability communications firm that helps organizations profit from branding, corporate social responsibility, marketing and public relations strategies. Since 2005, EarthPeople has helped clients from startups and non-profits to Fortune 500 companies recoup resources while bolstering their brands. Aligning with internationally-recognized experts to serve a global market, EarthPeople operates from a Platinum LEED-certified office in Dallas, powered by 100% wind, and contributes to conservation efforts around the world. For more information, visit http://www.earthpeopleco.com.

About Green Mountain Energy Company

Green Mountain, the nation?s leading competitive retail provider of cleaner energy and carbon offset solutions, was founded in 1997 with the mission to ?change the way power is made.? The company is the longest serving green power marketer in the U.S. and believes in using wind, sun and water for good. Green Mountain offers consumers and businesses the choice of cleaner electricity products from renewable sources, as well as a variety of carbon offset products and sustainable solutions for businesses. One of Green Mountain?s largest customers is the ?world?s most famous office building,? the Empire State Building in New York City. Green Mountain customers have collectively helped avoid over 19.4 billion pounds of CO2 emissions. For more information, visit http://www.GreenMountain.com and learn more about the campaign for good at http://www.greenmountain.com/forgood.

About EPA?s Green Power Partnership

The Green Power Partnership is a voluntary program that encourages organizations to buy green power as a way to reduce the environmental impacts associated with electricity use. The Partnership currently has more than 1,300 Partner organizations voluntarily purchasing billions of kilowatt-hours of green power annually. Partners include a wide variety of leading organizations such as Fortune 500? companies, small and medium sized businesses, local, state, and federal governments, and colleges and universities. For additional information, please visit http://www.epa.gov/greenpower.

Anna Clark
EarthPeople, LLC
214-597-0367
Email Information

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/epa-recognizes-earthpeople-leading-green-power-purchase-072906494.html

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Rising star Adam Gemili striving for perfection at ... - BBC World News

Adam Gemili?s coach has revealed the sprinter could not bear to watch replays of the race that secured his Team GB spot ? because he was embarrassed by how poorly he started. Striving for perfection: Adam Gemili (Picture: Action Images) Gemili burst onto the senior stage in Regensburg, Germany, in June, clocking 10.08seconds to seal his Games place just six months after turning full-time. The 18-year-old bettered that when taking gold in the world junior final two weeks ago, lowering his personal best to 10.05.

Asbestos & Industrial Diseases | | Whats My Claim WorthWhats My ...

What?s My Claim Worth have extensive?experience dealing with asbestos related illnesses and diseases. If you are sufferring from an asbestos related illness or disease, you may be entitled to a personal injury compensation claim.? At What?s My Claim Worth our expert? team of lawyers will fight for the compansation that you deserve.

There are many serious illness and diseases which can be directly linked to, or are directly caused by asbestos exposure.? At What?s My Claim Worth , our team understands the issues affecting you due to an asbestos related illness or disease and that it can be a very difficult and daunting time for both you and your family.? We fight fearlessly to achieve the best outcome for you whilst offering sensitivity, professionalism and unparalleled legal expertise.?

?

?What is Asbestos?

Asbestos is the term that refers to a group of minerals made of long, crystal fibres which are heat resistant and extremely strong.? When disturbed, through for example drilling or deterioation, it releases a very fine dust containing asbestos fibres which when breathed in can pose very serious health risks.

Asbestos was widely used in the past for construction and in buildings for insulation before it was altogether banned in 1999.?

There are four types of asbestos related diseases that you are able to claim compensation for: Asbestosis, Lung Cancer, Mesothelioma and Pleural Thickening.

?

Asbestosis

This is caused by inhaling large amount of asbestos dust or fibres which causes permanent scarring of the lungs leading to breathing problems.?? It is not possible to repair the damage caused by asbestos and for some people their condition may deteriorate further over time.? People with asbestosis have a greater risk of developing other serious diseases.

?

?Lung Cancer

While there can be other causes of lung cancer, exposure to asbestos can significantly increase this risk.? Symptoms of lung cancer include coughing, shortness of breath and unexpected weight loss and usually occur at least 20 years after the initial exposure to asbestos.? Whether asbestos exposure occurs in the workplace or elsewhere, there are numerous parties who may be held liable.

?

Mesothelioma

The only known cause of mesothelioma is asbestos exposure and even minimal amounts of exposure can cause the disease.? It is a form of cancer which affects the lining of the lungs and in some cases also the lining of the abdomen and the heart.? It usually takes between 10 and 50 years to develop after the initial exposure.

?

Pleural Thickening

This is when areas of the lining of the lung become thicker and prevent the lungs from expanding normally, leading to breathlessness.? Pleural thickening also increases the chances of developing a more serious condition later in life.? As with asbestosis, it is caused by inhaling asbestos dust and fibres and indicates high levels of exposure.? Plueral thicking can also deteriorate or lead to more serious asbestos-related conditions such as lung cancer or mesothelioma

?

Can I Claim Compensation?

All employers have a duty to protect their employees against hazardous substances.? If you develop an asbestos related disease due to employment you may be able to claim compensation.? In addition, you may be entitled to receive benefits; the most common benefit entitlement is Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB).

?

Previous Expertise

What?s My Claim Worth successfully recovered ?117,000 compensation for a client who was diagnosed with asbestos related mesothelioma.? The client was regularly exposed to asbestos dust during the course of his employment between 1965 and 1986.? His role involved mixing asbestos powder to be placed into old bearings in the company?s service department.? What?s My Claim Worth traced insurers for the company and recovered the compensation from them within 6 months of the initial instruction by the client.

?

How We Can Help

If you or a family member are suffering from an asbestos related disease, or are worried about asbestos exposure, you should not hesitate to contact us.? We understand that the injuries that you have suffered can have severe consequences on your day to day life. When fighting for your compensation we take into account if you have had to take time off work, if you have had to pay for medication and any other losses that you may have incurred.

?

At What?s My Claim Worth we have a specialist team of lawyers who have been involved in many asbestos disease compensation claims as a result of asbestos exposure.

?

If your claim is successful you will keep 100% of the compensation that is awarded, and that, win or lose, you will not pay any legal fees.

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Call 0800 849 2220 to speak to a member of our specialist team of industrial disease lawyers who will assist you further with this matter.

Source: http://www.whatsmyclaimworth.co.uk/2012/07/asbestos-industrial-diseases/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=asbestos-industrial-diseases

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Looking Before You Leap into Home Brewing | E Publishing

Whenever you start a major new hobby, its best to take a few minutes and think about what you are getting into. A lot of new hobbies require a significant investment of time and money. This is certainly true of golf, skydiving, scuba and home brewing. So along with a plan on how to get started, its good to have a good plan for getting ready to plunge into home brewing full scale. If you have a road map for "checking it out", you can determine if home brewing will fit into your lifestyle and your budget.

"Looking before you leap" means that you find out what it means to be involved in the hobby or sport as a full time member of that hobby community. When it comes to home brewing, that will only happen when you too can make your own beer at home. And when that time finally gets here and you can play with the recipes and make the taste of your own beer very unique, that will be an exciting moment for you. But a mature approach to this very adult hobby means checking it out and knowing the investment of time, money and space in the home before you spend your first dollar to get set up as a home brewer.

An easy and fun way to ease into the hobby of home brewing that doesn?t cost a cent is to begin to network with those who are already well into their passion for making beer. You can find forums online to use to learn more about getting started. And there are almost certainly a number of home brewing societies and clubs in town that you can find out about online or through your local retail brewing supply store. These social connections will be people who are very much "evangelists" for home brewing because they know the fun of it. So you will get plenty of chances to sit in with a new friend to step through the brewing process and not only learn what equipment you will need but how it is used as you get training from an "old pro" in home beer making.

Once you have gotten some basic training the free route through home brewing gurus, the time will come when you are ready to consider buying your own equipment and taking a stab at it yourself. But you have already witnessed that home brewing is a big event in the house filling up the kitchen, the refrigerator, making a mess sometimes and requiring places to store, refrigerate and ferment the beer in the various stages from ingredients to finished product.

So it is important that the hobby of home brewing not just be your solitary passion but if at all possible you get the family into the act. If they can attend meetings at the home brewing club or go to competitions or other events that are all about home brewing, they can catch the same enthusiasm you have. That enthusiasm will be very important particularly in your significant other because each brewing session will be a major event in the house involving the kitchen with lots of pans and bottles and equipment. So having your wife or husband fully onboard with the process and even working on it together makes the fun of home brewing even more fulfilling.

Another area of looking before you leap is to plan out not only how you will use all of the equipment you will buy but how you will handle issues of storage. Its a very pragmatic concern but if you bring in this arsenal of beer making equipment. Between batches it is going to have to be somewhere. And while you will enjoy that equipment a great deal, you dont want it to dominate the home.

By getting a feel for the equipment when you are preparing to start your home brewing hobby, you can prepare a storage space for the equipment when it is not in use. Think ahead about storage for the fermentation phase of brewing as well as storing up to five gallons of beer per finished batch. But by thinking ahead, when you become a very active home brewer, you will have your family and facilities all ready for the changes. And that is looking before you leap into the exciting world of making and enjoying your own home made beer.

Source: http://e-publishing.org.uk/food-and-drink/homebrewing/looking-before-you-leap-into-home-brewing/

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Bread and Crackers are so handy to put stuff on! | Corporate ...

Bread and crackers are so handy to put stuff on!

Only trouble is they can be heavily processed, contain ingredients that don?t make our bodies thrive and be heavy in sugar, salt and fat.

The fat generally comes from vegetable oil, but we don?t know what kind of vegetable oil as labeling laws don?t always stipulate.? Often times ?vegetable oil? will be palm oil which food manufacturers use in baked and biscuit products as it?s cheap, but it is 50% saturated fat and shouldn?t be included in a healthy diet.

Processed crackers will often say ?baked not fried? to imply they have less fat that fried foods, but that isn?t usually the case.

If you have a food dehydrator you can make these yummy Chi?a seed crackers at home ?to put stuff on?.

Click here for the recipe.

Source: http://www.itsuptoyou.com.au/2012/07/bread-and-crackers-are-so-handy-to-put-stuff-on/

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Cook's Corner: Summer cookbooks yield party-perfect recipes ...

Summertime, and cooking isn't on my mind. At least that's the way I've felt as unrelenting heat and damaging storms have battered the Northern Virginia suburbs where I live. Curling up to read new cookbooks has proven an entertaining - and mouthwatering - diversion.

My favorite of the recent crop is the lush and lavish "The Hamptons: Food, Family, and History" by Ricky Lauren (Wiley, $40). Lauren, wife of designer Ralph, uses personal and historical anecdotes and wonderful recipes stylishly presented to show us The Hamptons, where her family has summered for 40 years.

The recipes are, for the most part, easy to follow, honing to Ricky Lauren's philosophy of taking advantage of natural settings and entertaining outdoors whenever you can.

Besides offering a peek into the lives of the rich and famous on a Gatsby-esque estate, the book charmed me with family stories like this one, which introduces David's Ice Cream and Brownie Cannonball recipe:

"On Saturday evenings after the children were bathed, fed and dressed in their Dr. Denton pajamas and little plaid robes, we would all gather in the living room to watch "The Love Boat" and "Fantasy Island" on television. During "intermission," the children would race off to the kitchen to climb on chairs to scale the kitchen counters, and rush to prepare their favorite snacks to share with us.

"The children were like a team of Oompa Loompas on an assembly line, tossing Twinkies, Mallomars, red Twizzlers and Mr. Salty pretzel bags down to one another, squealing with delight, raiding the freezer for ice cream and sorbets, sharing in the fun of concocting treats of malteds, shakes and ice-cream sodas."

DAVID'S ICE CREAM AND BROWNIE CANNONBALL

1 quart vanilla ice cream

1/2 quart chocolate sorbet

1/2 quart coffee ice cream

6 brownie pieces with nuts, broken by hand into chunky bits

1 cup chopped mixed nuts (walnuts, almonds, pistachios and/or almonds)

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Remove the ice cream and sorbet from the freezer and allow them to soften, 20 to 30 minutes. Place in a bowl and add the brownie, nuts and chips. Mix to just incorporate. Spoon the mixture into a bowl, smooth the top, and freeze until hard, at least 2 hours.

To serve, run the outside of the bowl under hot water to loosen the frozen ball. Place a plate on top of the bowl and invert it. If you feel like an extra delight, serve with chocolate sauce and whipped cream. Makes 6 servings.

Per serving: 713 calories (47 percent from fat), 38 g fat (15.6 g saturated, 11.5 g monounsaturated), 64 mg cholesterol, 14.4 g protein, 83 g carbohydrates, 4.6 g fiber, 321 mg sodium.

MARTHA'S LATEST

I've never met a Martha Stewart cookbook I didn't enjoy immensely and cook from often, but I'm especially taken by Martha's "American Food" (Clarkson Potter, $40). It offers more than 200 recipes from across America, organized by region. Stewart describes it as "a culinary road trip" and a "celebration of the extraordinary quilt of American ingredients and cuisine."

There are recipes for favorites such as clam chowder, pulled pork, chicken pot pies, Shaker lemon tarts, blueberry crisp and strawberry shortcake, plus lots of stories about our national dishes and the stories behind them.

Since I had received a basket of fresh mangoes from a generous Miami friend with a backyard tree, I tried the chicken recipe here with mangoes rather than peaches. It was simple and yet delicious.

MARTHA STEWART'S GRILLED CHICKEN WITH SPICY PEACH GLAZE

1 cup peach preserves or jam

1 large garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon dry mustard powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Vegetable oil, for grill

4 skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts (about 5 pounds), split into halves

4 ripe but firm peaches, halved and pitted

Heat grill to medium. (If you are using charcoal, the coals are ready when you can hold your hand 4 inches above the grates for just 4 to 5 seconds.)

In a medium bowl, combine preserves, garlic, olive oil, soy sauce, dry mustard and cayenne. Season with salt and pepper and mix well. When grill is hot, brush grates with vegetable oil. Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper and place, skin side down, on the grill.

Cook about 10 minutes on each side before brushing top with glaze. Continue cooking another 10 to 12 minutes, turning chicken every 3 to 5 minutes and brushing top with glaze, until chicken is cooked through. (Move pieces to a cooler part of grill if they get too dark before they are cooked through.) Transfer to a platter.

While chicken is cooking, place peach halves on the grill, cut side down and cook 2 minutes. Turn and brush the tops with glaze. Grill 3 to 4 minutes more, until the peaches are soft and the cavities fill with juices. Transfer to platter with chicken. Makes 8 servings.

Per serving: 378 calories (36 percent from fat), 14.8 g fat (3.5 g saturated, 6.8 g monounsaturated), 72.5 mg cholesterol, 25.3 g protein, 35.5 g carbohydrates, 1.7 g fiber, 211 mg sodium.

SLEUTH'S CORNER:

Q: I tasted the best creme brulee cheesecake several years ago. The cheesecake was topped with creme brulee custard, then caramelized sugar over the top. I would love to make this for my next party dessert.

-J.L., Pembroke Pines, Fla.

TRIED AND NEW

Several readers reported having trouble finding the picadillo seasoning packet from Nueva Cocina mentioned in a recent column. If you have Internet access, there is a store locator and online shop at nuevacocina.com. You can also call 800-630-1125.

Send questions and responses to LindaCiceroCooks@aol.com. Personal replies cannot be guaranteed.

Source: http://www.heraldonline.com/2012/07/23/4130373/cooks-corner-summer-cookbooks.html

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Health Insurers & the Affordable Care Act: Extinction or Reinvention ...

By KENT BOTTLES, MD

Now that the Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), health insurers are scrambling to reinvent themselves for a new era.? In an earlier post, I quoted Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini as saying he wants to create a business model that makes sense under the new rules and regulations.? In a recent speech Bertolini? explained, ?We need to move the system from underwriting risk to managing populations.? We want to have a different relationship with the providers, physicians and hospitals we do business with.?

Starting with Aetna, this analysis will examine the ways that insurance companies are trying to reinvent themselves for a reformed health care delivery system that often wonders why we need health insurers at all.

Early this year, Aetna decided to evolve ??from an insurance carrier to a health solutions company.? ?The head of brand and consumer marketing at Aetna stated, ??More and more, the end consumer is who we need to focus on.?? Aetna has developed Care Pass Platform, an agnostic tool that all consumers can use to aggregate and organize their fitness, medical, insurance and nutrition data. Aetna is also partnering with Medicity to provide smartphone apps for providers and iTriage to provide apps for consumers.? Aetna has conducted 57 pilot programs to test ways to decrease per-capita cost and increase the quality of the health care they deliver; the company is participating in 10 accountable care organizations (ACO) and has plans for 17 more ACO experiments.? One successful diabetes pilot in Pennsylvania resulted in acute sick days dropping by 31% with the use of case managers.? Aetna also spent $1.6 billion in 2011 to buy health care companies, including Medicity, Prodigy Health Group, Genworth Financial?s Medicare supplement business, and PayFlex Holdings. Aetna?s partnership with Northern Virginia?s Inova Health System to create a health plan where both partners will share costs and profits is perhaps the company?s most innovative experiment.? The partnership will provide incentives to encourage physicians to not over utilize tests and procedures and will also measure and reward quality of care.? Companies will get a rebate if the cost of the care of their employees is lower than expected.

A different innovative approach to responding to health care reform is Highmark?s merger with West Penn Allegheny Health System (WPAHS).? When first announced in June 2011, the idea inspired Hoover?s health care industry team to create the following headline:? ?Bizarre Pittsburgh proposal:? will Highmark ? West Penn merger work?? () ?A year later in June 2012 Moody?s rating service cited dropping patient volumes and continued operating losses at WPAHS in reaching the conclusion that the $475 million infusion of Highmark funds will not be enough to save the struggling health care system; Moody?s still rates $737 million of WPAHS debt as junk bonds.

The Highmark WPAHS merger is complicated by Highmark?s unsuccessful attempt to merge with Independence Blue Cross and failed contract negotiations between Highmark and University of Pittsburg Medical Center (UPMC), the major health system in the Western Pennsylvania market that has its own insurance plan that competes with Highmark.? As if dueling advertising campaigns and lawsuits were not enough excitement, the plot thickened when Highmark fired its CEO Dr. Kenneth Melani, the architect of the merger, after he fought with his Highmark employee girl friend?s husband.? Assault charges were dropped against Melani after he successfully completed an anger management program.?

One wonders if new Highmark CEO William Winkenwereder, Jr., MD will continue to support the merger plans.

The Highmark WPAHS merger is an attempt to create ?what health-care thought leader, Clayton Christensen, in The Innovator?s Prescription, describes as an integrated, fixed-fee provider system. As such, Highmark and West Penn Allegheny are undertaking a tremendous change agenda.? () ?Other observers are watching the merger with interest because such vertical mergers have not been extensively studied or investigated.? The Western Pennsylvania region clearly needs to try something new because the status quo is not working: the largest hospitals and health insurers are engaged in a legal battle; WPAHS, the second largest hospital system, is on the brink of failure; and health care costs in Pittsburgh are substantially higher than in similar markets, relative to the quality of care.? Wellpoint, which covers about one third of the nearly 100 million Americans who receive their insurance from a Blue Cross plan has been investigated by Congress for canceling policies retroactively in order to achieve at least a $128 million profit. Wellpoint has also been criticized for having 39 executives who each make more $1 million a year and for spending $27 million on staff retreats at resorts in 2007 and 2008.?

Reform advocates point out that such overhead costs contribute to the $400 billion a year in administrative costs that would largely disappear under a single payer system. ?Wellpoint?s response to health care reform has been to spend $100 million on technology upgrades and to buy Medicaid provider Amerigroup for $4.46 billion and CareMore for $800 million.? Angela Braly, Wellpoint?s CEO said, ?First and foremost there are significant growth opportunities ahead in the Medicaid marketplace resulting from economics, demographics, budgetary issues, as well as healthcare reform. We expect Medicaid spending under managed care programs to increase by nearly $100 billion by the end of 2014.?

At least one critic has wondered about the wisdom of this purchase , based on two future possibilities: 1) if Romney becomes president and the GOP takes control of the Senate, then the Medicaid expansion in the PPACA might be overturned and 2) the Supreme Court ruling left the door open for GOP governors to refuse to participate in the Medicaid expansion.

Braly, of course, is the health insurance executive who stubbornly defended proposed 2010 premium increases in California that President Obama attacked during the debate over the passage of the PPACA. Anthem Blue Cross, a unit of WellPoint, attempted to increase premiums for individual insurance policies in California by an average of 25 percent, with some rates going up as much as 39 percent.

CIGNA has developed a new ad campaign ?Go You? that focuses on consumers for the first time. The chief communications officer at CIGNA states, ??It is a shift, it?s an important shift.??? In the past insurers addressed their advertising campaigns at wholesale business accounts, not individual consumers. To bolster this consumer strategy, CIGNA bought Kronos Optimal Health to obtain their health coaches, health education programs, and lifestyle management systems.?

CIGNA also spent $3.8 billion in cash to buy HealthSpring and its 340,000 Medicare Advantage participants in 11 states and its 800,000 member Medicare prescription division. The company is also expanding their Medicare Advantage position in Texas and Arkansas.

Humana, like Aetna and CIGNA, is concentrating on the individual health care consumer with television ads showing ?a family reunion at a summer home, complete with giggling children, cooing grandparents, bonfires, and swimming at the lake.??

In addition to the consumer oriented ad campaigns, Humana has a new program that rewards members for losing weight or quitting smoking with points that can be redeemed for hotel reservations, electronics and clothing.

On the mergers and acquisitions front, Humana has acquired Concentra, for $790 million in cash. Concentra provides occupational medicine, urgent care, physical therapy and wellness services at more than 300 medical centers in 42 states.?

The insurer has also completed the acquisition of Arcadian Management Services, a Medicare Advantage health maintenance organization

UnitedHealth Group was one of the earliest converts to evolving from a health insurance company to a health care data mining company.? As early as 2007 their subsidiary Ingenix bought The Lewin Group, a respected health policy think tank in Northern Virginia. A Lewin report in 2009 claimed to show that a public option would force 119 million Americans out of their private health plans and into the government sponsored plan. Although the Lewin report was shown to be faulty, the GOP used it to great advantage in excluding the public option from the final PPACA bill. UnitedHealth Group has also been active in exploring private sector payment and delivery system pilots. Their Patient Centered Medical Home model provides primary care providers a prospective care management fee as well as a performance incentive payment.? Their ACO pilot with Tucson Medical Center includes a spending target based on three years experience by each physician group or hospital and shared savings and bonuses are given to those that meet their goals. United Healthcare is also experimenting with bundled payment programs with oncologists in Georgia, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, and Texas. Whether these branding and advertising campaigns and payment and delivery system pilots will be successful is an open question.? An Edelman global survey about trust found insurers, banks, and financial service companies at the bottom of a ranking of 16 industries.? They found that corporate reputations were determined by high quality products, transparent and honest business practices, and how companies treat their employees.? They also discovered that when a company is distrusted, 57% of people will believe negative information when they hear it once or twice and only 15% of people will believe positive information. (http://www.edelman.com/trust/2011/)? Of all the players in health care, insurers routinely rank last in terms of consumer trust.

The PPACA and the health care reform movement offer tremendous retail opportunities for health insurance companies.? There may be as many 30 million Americans seeking insurance through the exchanges.? There will be about 15 million Baby Boomers who will eligible to sign up for their preferred plan, Medicare Advantage.? The Medicaid expansion could cover as many as 17 million citizens, despite the reservations of many governors.

Whether health insurance companies can overcome the mistrust that many consumers feel and whether they can truly add value to a reformed system remains to be seen.? They might want to listen to Dr. Elliott S. Fisher, the ACO guru at Dartmouth:

?Their future is going to depend on their ability to demonstrate value to patients and to employers. No one any longer questions the fact that health care is unaffordable and that the current way we are doing business isn?t working.? (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/22/us/politics/insurance-companies-are-trying-to-soften-their-image.html?pagewanted=all)

Kent Bottles, MD, is past-Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Iowa Health System (a $2 billionhealth care organization with 23 hospitals). He was responsible for the day-to-day operations of a large education and research organization in Michigan prior to his work with in Iowa with IHS. Kent posts frequently at his blog, Kent Bottles Private Views.

Source: http://thehealthcareblog.com/blog/2012/07/22/health-insurers-the-affordable-care-act-extinction-or-reinvention/

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