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After spending most of his decade-long recording career as one of R&B's journeymen ? a sensuous crooner with the occasional crossover hit ? Thicke has exploded into pop's consciousness with "Blurred Lines": It's the undeniable song of the summer and may turn out to be the single of the year. The Marvin Gaye-inflected dance groove (and its naughty video counterpart) has become a cultural flashpoint, sparking parodies, commentaries, and endless radio replays.
It's a triumph for Thicke, to be sure ? but the tricky part of having success is sustaining it. It's not something Thicke has managed that well through the years, particularly after scoring with 2007's smoldering "Lost Without U." Will "Blurred Lines" end up being a transcendent, but very singular moment for the 36-year-old singer?
If it does, it won't be because of his music. Thicke has always created cohesive albums that are remarkably underrated; with his sixth album being released as its title track continues on its path to world domination, Thicke may finally get the audience his songs deserve.
With 11 tracks, "Blurred Lines" is tightly woven but still manages to bring different flavors, from electronic dance music to R&B anthems. Thicke wrote or co-wrote every track, and while he enlists Pharrell for "Blurred Lines" and has names like Dr. Luke and will.i.am as contributors, he remains the star of his own show.
Thicke charms throughout, whether he's using a falsetto, smooth tenor or even a few raps, which he does fairly well on the retro-sounding "Top of the World" (showing he's learned something from those numerous Lil Wayne pairings). He even succeeds when his lyrics fail, like some cringe-worthy attempted come-ons on the disco-ball whirring electrobeat tune "Give It 2 U" (Kendrick Lamar does a much better job with his verses, thankfully).
Thicke usually does romance right, though, and it's where he shines on the album's best track, "4 the Rest of My Life," a gorgeous ode to the lady in his life that seems tailor-made for countless wedding first-dances (and honeymoon playlists). The song encapsulates everything that makes Thicke's music so alluring: perfect-pitch vocals and the music that delivers. With "Blurred Lines," Thicke's path to music's top spot should be clear from now on.
Exterior view of the 2011 Holiday Windows at Saks on November 23, 2011 in New York City.
Lord & Taylor owner Hudson's Bay Co., is buying luxury retailer Saks for about $2.4 billion.
Hudson's Bay, which also runs some Canadian department stores, will pay $16 per share for Saks. This is a 5 percent premium to the company's Friday closing price of $15.31.
In announcing the deal Monday, the companies put the deal's total value at about $2.9 billion, including debt.
Saks' stock jumped nearly 4 percent Monday. For the latest stock price, click here.
The buyout is targeted to close before year's end. It still needs approval from Saks' shareholders. The New York-based retailer has about 150.2 million outstanding shares, according to FactSet.
The deal brings together three of the retail industry's biggest names?Lord & Taylor, Saks Fifth Avenue and Hudson's Bay, covering luxury, mid-tier and outlet retail sectors.
The combined company will operate 320 stores, including 179 full-line department stores, 72 outlet stores and 69 home stores in prime retail locations throughout the U.S. and Canada, along with three e-commerce sites.
Source: www.nytimes.com --- Monday, July 29, 2013 Multiple explosions on Monday night rocked a Christian area in the northern city of Kano. Security forces ferried scores of wounded to hospitals. ? ? ? ? ...
Source: www.olddominionblogs.com --- Sunday, July 28, 2013 Posted at The Richmonder - Read the original here: Ken Cuccinelli played the editors of the Washington Post for a bunch of fools ...
The former wife of an MSP has claimed a newly discovered wedding photograph shows the black eye he gave her two weeks before their marriage.
Bill Walker's first wife Maureen Traquair returned to Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday to give evidence for a second time after the photograph unexpectedly came to light.
She said it showed her face was bruised on the day of their wedding in January 1967.
Mrs Traquair, 66, previously told the court she had to buy concealer after Walker punched her in the eye during an argument a fortnight before they wed.
The 71-year-old is accused of a string of attacks on his three ex-wives and a step-daughter between 1967 and 1995.
His trial was adjourned on July 12 after five days of evidence and resumed on Monday.
The court heard that in the intervening period, Mrs Traquair's sister had been searching for family photographs to jog the memory of their mother, who was in a care home suffering from dementia.
Fiscal depute Les Brown said she had discovered the original black-and-white wedding picture by chance and had handed it to the police.
Sheriff Katherine Mackie granted a Crown motion to recall Mrs Traquair to give additional evidence about the image.
The witness said she had been surprised to see the picture as she had destroyed her own photographs after she divorced Walker in 1970.
Evidence of her injuries was clearly visible in the wedding photograph despite the concealer and foundation she had worn, she said.
"I can see the bruising that still remains from the wound that I got," Mrs Traquair said. "It's a dark colour."
She told the court that her mother had arranged her veil so that she could cover up the marks on her face during the wedding.
Walker's lawyer, solicitor advocate Gordon Martin, asked whether the marks could be "simply a shadow".
But Mrs Traquair, who the court heard is an award-winning photographer, said there had been nothing present to cause such a shadow.
She denied that the mark was a figment of her imagination.
"Other people have looked at this and have seen it as well," she said.
Walker, an Independent MSP for Dunfermline, denies 23 charges of assault and one breach of the peace.
Hoey starts the final round with a huge advantage over nearest rivals Matthew Nixon and Rikard Karlberg
The Northern Ireland ace carded six birdies and an eagle to move to 14 under par and open up a huge gap over England?s Matthew Nixon and Sweden?s Rikard Karlberg.
South Africa?s James Kingston and France?s Alexandre Kaleka are a further stroke back. Hoey, who has four European Tour wins to his name, signed for a ?seven-under-par third round that contained just one bogey.
The Balleymoney star has not finished better than 25th on tour this season and has missed seven of his last ten cuts.
England?s Mark Foster and Matthew Baldwin are together on six under par.
The cloth seats are comfortable, and honestly having the extra 3rd seat in the front (console folds up into seat) is convenient when required.
Like I mentioned above, the mileage is comparable to the 5L, but the acceleration from the 3.5L EcoBoost definitely blows it away thanks to the turbos.
This is my first truck and if I was to purchase another in the future, Ford is doing a good job in the quality department, so I'd get another without question.
BANGOR, Maine ? Authorities say an investigation into the fatal crash at Bangor's Fourth of July parade confirms that an antique fire engine lost its braking ability when it crushed a man driving a tractor.
Police said 63-year-old Wallace Fenlason was killed when the city's 1930 McCann pumper hit him.
The fire engine was being driven by 29-year-old Bangor firefighter Patrick Heathcote. He had his two daughters with him.
The Portland Press Herald reports (http://bit.ly/16b7bZD) a police report made available Friday said Fenlason had slowed his antique tractor on the downhill incline of Water Street at the intersection with Main Street. The pumper "lost its braking ability" and struck the tractor.
The report says Fenlason was ejected and landed in the road in the path of the pumper, which hit him.
___
Information from: Portland Press Herald, http://www.pressherald.com
KUWAIT (Reuters) - Kuwaitis voted for the sixth time in seven years on Saturday in a parliamentary election boycotted by the main Islamist and populist opposition, which may help liberals and independents win seats.
Turnout was expected to be low in summer temperatures hitting 44 degrees Celsius (111 Fahrenheit) during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, and as Kuwaitis become fed up with voting in short-lived parliaments.
The opposition boycott may produce a parliament more willing to cooperate with the government on economic development than some of its predecessors in a country where political infighting has held up investment.
"Voting is a national duty," said Mohsen Dashti, a 40-year-old doctor who was casting his vote in a coastal district south of the capital. "We need reconciliation between the parliament and the government as well as a focus on development."
The oil-producing U.S. ally has the most open political system in the Gulf Arab region. While it has witnessed sizeable street protests in the past two years over local issues, its generous welfare system and relative tolerance of dissent have helped to shield it from Arab Spring-style unrest.
But parliaments have been dissolved time and again, usually for getting too bold in challenging government ministers.
The snap election was triggered by a ruling from the top court in June, which said the process leading up to the last one in December was legally flawed.
Almost constant political upheaval and entrenched bureaucracy have held up major parts of a 30-billion-dinar ($105-billion) development plan announced in 2010 to build a refinery, airport, hospitals, housing and highways.
Kuwaitis say they face housing shortages, clogged roads and an old-fashioned airport despite living in one of the world's richest countries per capita. They point out that other Gulf states, such as Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, have pushed ahead with bold modernization projects.
"It is very difficult and it is very depressing for us to have so many elections in such a short time," said lecturer Wasmeyah al-Abbad after casting her ballot in an upmarket district close to Kuwait City.
Abbad, in her 50s, said the issues important to her were women's rights, inequality and the dominance of powerful families in politics and the economy: "Men get houses, but women don't, we don't get to choose our careers, and some names are dominating positions."
Campaign themes have included corruption, loan relief and concern over a $4 billion aid package to Egypt after the military overthrow of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi.
On Saturday Kuwaitis on Twitter vented frustration at the aid promise, saying the money could be better spent at home.
Kuwait and other Gulf states like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were glad to see the back of Mursi because they are fearful of Islamist influence in their own conservative, dynastically ruled countries.
"WASTE OF TIME"
Polls are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (0500-1700 GMT) and results are expected early on Sunday.
The mainly Islamist and populist opposition is boycotting in protest against a new voting system announced last October, which cut the number of votes per citizen to one from four, and which it says would prevent it forming a majority in parliament.
In a country where political parties are banned, the old system helped opposition politicians to form alliances by offering reciprocal backing from their supporters.
"The election will lead to a sham parliament that the government will control," said Mohammad al-Dallal, a former Islamist MP who joined the boycott. He said many Kuwaitis believed the parliament would not last long and be invalidated by a court ruling or by the emir, like previous assemblies.
"Electing such parliaments is a waste of time," he said.
The government says the voting changes brought Kuwait into line with other countries and will ensure stability.
Saturday's vote will elect a 50-member assembly which can pass legislation and interrogate government ministers. But the 84-year-old emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, has the final say in state matters and can dissolve parliament.
The emir courted groups unhappy about the new voting system and encouraged several powerful tribes to endorse the election. That led to splits in the opposition, with liberals deciding to run as well as Salafi Islamists, who support the austere form of Islam practiced in Saudi Arabia.
(Additional reporting by Ahmed Hagagy and Mahmoud Harby, Editing by Mark Trevelyan and David Evans)
PALLEKELE, Sri Lanka - South Africa captain AB de Villiers won the toss and elected to bat first Friday in the third one-day international against Sri Lanka at Pallekele International Stadium.
The visitors must win this match to remain in the five-match series after losing the first two games in Colombo. They will be without opener Hashim Amla who was injured trying to stop a ball in the second match last Tuesday. Quinton de Kock replaces him.
Spinner Aaron Phangiso and seamer Chris Morris have been dropped to include batsman Farhaan Behardien and seam bowler Lonwabo Tsotsobe.
Sri Lanka's captain Angelo Mathews returns to the team after serving a two-match suspension for maintaining a slow over rate in the tri-series final against India in the Caribbean earlier this month.
Middle order batsman Lahiru Thirmanne has been left out due to injury while Jehan Mubarak and seamer Shaminda Eranga have been dropped. Spinner Ajantha Mandis and ODI debutant Angelo Perera have been included.
South Africa: AB de Villiers (captain), Alviro Petersen, Quinton de Kock, Jean-Paul Duminy, Farhaan Behardien, Robin Peterson, Faf du Plessis, David Miller, Ryan McLaren, Morne Morkel, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.
Money raised by an Islamic charity created to help Canada?s poor and needy instead went overseas, potentially into the hands of violent militants, a government audit has found. The federal charity watchdog is now threatening to revoke the charity status of Mississauga?s ISNA (Islamic Society of North America) Development Foundation.
A Canada Revenue Agency audit revealed the foundation shipped more than $280,000 to a Pakistan-based agency, cash the government fears went to supporting the Hizbul Mujahideen ? a militant group that seeks the secession of Kashmir from India.
The foundation ?facilitated the transfer of resources that may have been used to support the efforts of a political organization . . . and its armed wing,? the CRA said in a letter to the charity outlining its findings, obtained by the Star.
?Canada?s commitment to combating terrorism extends to preventing organizations with ties to terrorism from benefiting from the tax advantages of charitable registration,? the CRA letter said.
The charity?s acting president dismissed the suggestion that the money it gave to the Pakistan-based Relief Organization for Kashmiri Muslims may have landed in the wrong hands because of poor oversight.
?The money did not go to any groups who were freedom fighters,? G. Nabi Chaudhary said. ?We made sure that all of the money the charity sent to those organizations was spent on the needy, to help the misplaced. We had people on the ground who were working with the relief organizations.?
But the charity failed to show auditors any documents proving it had control over how the money was spent, as the tax agency requires.
Contradicting Chaudhary?s assurance the money was carefully spent, the charity?s board members told auditors the funds were sent abroad with ?no strings.?
In fact, the sole scrap of evidence the charity said it had on how its money was spent overseas ? photographs appearing to show relief work being done on behalf of the ISNA Development Foundation ? was ?altered,? auditors said.
A forensic examination determined the pictures of men performing relief work with a banner depicting ISNA Development Foundation in the background had been doctored after they were taken, specifically around the banner.
The charity?s directors told auditors their knowledge of the relief work done in Kashmir is based solely on these photographs.
?Once the money left Canada, (the foundation) had no control over the money, how it was spent or what it was to be spent on,? board members said, according to the CRA.
The CRA?s audit probed the charity?s operations for a three-year period, from 2007 through 2009. Since then, the foundation has sent more than $80,000 to Pakistan
Swell, the app that brings a Pandora-like experience to news and talk radio content, is announcing that it has raised $5.4 million in Series A funding. The round was led by Draper Fisher Jurvetson, with participation from Google Ventures, InterWest Partners, Correlation Ventures, and Draper Nexus Ventures. Swell previously raised a $1.8 million seed round from Google Ventures, Charles River Ventures, DFJ, Andreessen Horowitz, Inspovation Ventures, and various angel investors.
The?Airbender Mini : NT31B protective keyboard case for iPad mini from NewTrent has a lot of features you expect in a keyboard case ? and a lot that you don?t expect. ?The mini itself is housed in a rugged clamshell case with built-in screen protector and a silicone outer shell. ?The case is a lot like the?Hard Candy iPad Mini Shockdrop Rugged Case I reviewed last year, but the Airbender?s clamshell case covers and protects more of the iPad mini than the Hard Candy case did. ?You?ll notice one of the images even shows water droplets all over the Airbender with iPad mini inside (click for a larger view), which implies water resistance to me, but I couldn?t find anything about it in the specifications for the case.
The other half of the Airbender is a Bluetooth keyboard, and you?ll notice the case is designed to allow a lot of leeway for adjusting the viewing angle of the iPad mini as you work or rotate it to a horizontal or vertical orientation. ?You can even completely remove the top of the case from the keyboard and use the mini like a tiny monitor with the keyboard, or disconnect it from the stand and use the mini alone in the rugged case. ?It weighs about 9 ounces, and it has a built-in Li-ion battery to power the keyboard. ?And by the way, the Airbender case has magnets that operate the iPad mini?s sleep/wake functions.
That?s a lot of features for a keyboard case, and you?ll probably find yourself wondering just how much something like this costs. ?After all, the Hard Candy case I mentioned above is $50 by itself, and the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover I reviewed with the iPad mini is $80. ?You may be as surprised as I was to see the complete Airbender Mini case and Bluetooth keyboard is available for $39.95. ?That?s a bargain for just a ruggedized cover for the iPad mini.
Tagged as: Bluetooth keyboard cover for iPad mini, Ruggedized case
Source: www.androidheadlines.com --- Tuesday, July 16, 2013 Refurbished ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity on Sale Tiger Direct has the ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity on sale for $280 after rebate. That?s about $150 off. Keep in mind that is a refurbished 32GB version. You can buy it here. ReKey Master Key Vulnerability Patch Launches in the Play Store Duo Security and NEU SecLab released a new app in the Play Store which is for rooted users to patch the master key vulnerability we?ve heard so much about. You can grab it here . Custom Beam LWP Launches in the Play Store You know that live wallpaper on Android 4.x, Phase Beam? Well now there?s a customized version of it available in the Play Store. It actually looks very nice and is free. You can grab it from the Play Store here. Google Maps now Available to Everyone The new Google Maps unveiled at Google I/O in May is now available to everyone, on the desktop. The new version of the app came out not too long ago. The new Google Maps for the web is even easier to try out. No email invite needed. Sign up and get instant access: http://goo.gl/1qhuL Chrome Beta 29 Today, the Chrome Team announced Chrome Beta 29, which is available for Android, Mac, Linux and PC. It has a pretty nice changelog: The Chrome Team is happy to announce the promotion of Chrome 29 to the beta channel for Android. Chrome 29.0.1547.23 contains many improvements including: Support for WebRTC, a web platform feature to enable real-time voice and video communications Faster pag ...
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Suspected rebel gunmen assassinated a well-known supporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Lebanon on Wednesday, the latest sign that Syria's civil war is spreading to its smaller neighbor.
Mohammad Darra Jamo, a commentator who worked for Syrian state media and often appeared on Arab TV channels to press Assad's cause, was riddled with bullets by gunmen at home in the southern town of Sarafand, Lebanese security sources said.
It was the first assassination of a pro-Assad figure in Lebanon since Syria's conflict started more than two years ago and follows a series of attacks in recent weeks against the Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah, which has thrown its weight behind Assad on the battlefield in Syria.
Lebanon, whose own 15-year civil war ended in 1990, is struggling to stay on the sidelines of Syria's conflict. Car bombs and clashes between groups supporting opposite sides of Syria's war have become increasingly common.
Syrian state media blamed an "armed terrorist group" for the killing which took place at around 2 a.m. (7 p.m. ET Tuesday).
Lebanese security sources said supporters of the Syrian rebel opposition were top suspects in the killing in a Shi'ite area of southern Lebanon, where security is normally tight.
Syria's Sunni Muslim rebels have threatened to take the war across the border following the involvement of Lebanese Shi'ite fighters from Hezbollah in Syria in support of Assad, a member of the Alawite sect that is a branch of Shi'ite Islam.
After two years of gains in Syria's civil war, forces loyal to Assad have been making ground, while rebel groups have been plagued by infighting between Islamist fighters and the more liberal Free Syrian Army.
Jamo's wife, who was with him during the attack but not harmed, said on Hezbollah TV that officials from Syria's ruling Baath party had called her husband on Tuesday and warned him to be careful.
That call came on the day a Hezbollah security official was killed and two wounded when a convoy of vehicles heading to Syria from Lebanon was subjected to a bomb and gun ambush.
CAR BOMB
Jamo, 48, a Syrian Kurd who lived in Sarafand for 20 years, appeared regularly on Hezbollah TV and radio broadcasts. The attack in the Shi'ite town shows anti-Assad groups can hit targets far from Sunni areas where they have the most support.
Last week a car bomb injured more than 50 people in a southern Beirut suburb controlled by Hezbollah, one of Lebanon's most powerful political and military forces. In late May, rockets were fired at a Hezbollah area of southern Beirut.
Across the border, Syria's civil war has taken on an increasingly sectarian and fragmented aspect, as the death toll rises over 90,000.
Near the Turkish border in the north, Kurdish armed men took control of the majority of a border town from Islamist rebel fighters from the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, a monitoring group said.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an anti-Assad group, said there were fierce clashes in Ras al-Ain on Wednesday in a district of town that is only around 200 meters from the Turkish border.
The clashes between Kurdish fighters, who generally support the creation of an autonomous region within Syria, and Islamist Arabs started on Tuesday after Nusra fighters attacked a Kurdish patrol and took a gunman hostage, the Observatory said.
The Observatory also reported clashes and bombardment in other regions of the country including the northern city of Aleppo, which is split roughly in half between rebel and army forces, and on the outskirts of the capital Damascus.
Government artillery hit the east Damascus district of Ain Terma, where rebels have managed to get a foothold on the fringes of the city centre, a government stronghold.
Government forces have renewed their assault on Damascus suburbs held by the rebels, taking some ground this week.
Diplomats have said Assad wants to take a firmer grip on the capital, his power base, as part of a strategy to secure a corridor from the city to his loyalist strongholds on the Mediterranean coast.
(Writing by Giles Elgood; editing by Anna Willard)
RALEIGH, N.C. ? Peter Hall?s adaptation of George Orwell?s novel, Animal Farm, opens on July 19th for a two-week run in the Gaddy-Goodwin Teaching Theatre at Raleigh Little Theatre. Presented by RLT?s Teens on Stage (TOS) and Teens Backstage (TBS), Animal Farm tells the story of the animals of Manor Farm?s revolution gone wrong as power-hungry pigs corrupt the societal system of justice and equality.
To share their experiences working on the play, TOS and TBS participants have created a blog (http://animalfarmrlt.tumblr.com/). Also, this Saturday, they will stage flash mobs at the State Farmers Market and Cameron Village, with songs from the play such ?Vote for Napoleon, Vote for Snowball? and ?Four Legs Good.? The social media plan and flash mob were created by program participants under the guidance of BC/DC Ideas, and funded by a grant from the Raleigh Arts Commission.
This year marks the 29th production of the TOS/TBS program. The five-week TOS program is a conservatory for young adults to explore advanced acting techniques with the help of a host of professional artists. TBS students learn about all aspects of technical theater. Also as part of the youth education program, RLT will offer two exciting new youth and adult ensembles this school year, The Improv Performance Ensemble and the Advanced Performance Ensemble as well as two spring break camps for younger children.
Tickets for all events can be purchased by calling the box office (919)-821-3111, Monday through Friday, noon-5 PM, or by visiting the theatre?s website at www.raleighlittletheatre.org. Animal Farm runs from July 19-28. Thursday and Friday showings are at 7:30 PM; Saturday and Sunday showings are at 1 PM and 5 PM. There are two weekday matinees at 10:30 AM on Tuesday and Wednesday. Tickets are $15 for teens/adults, and $10 for children age 12 and under.
Raleigh Little Theatre is located at 301 Pogue St., Raleigh, N.C. 27607, adjacent to the Raleigh Rose Garden. About Raleigh Little Theatre: Founded in 1936, Raleigh Little Theatre (RLT) is one of the oldest continuously operating community theatres in the United States. RLT offers entertainment, education, and community programs year-round, reaching more than 30,000 people. As a community theatre, RLT engages hundreds of volunteers under the guidance of professional staff to achieve its mission and bring quality live theatre to the Triangle region. Visit www.raleighlittletheatre.org for more information.
Follow Raleigh Little Theatre on Twitter @RLT1936 or twitter.com/RLT1936 and on Facebook at facebook.com/RaleighLittleTheatre
Streaming online television services appears to be the next big thing in the Valley -- at least, if you ask Google, Apple, Intel and other tech giants that are considering making a move in that direction. According to the Wall Street Journal, Google has approached several media companies about licensing TV channels for such a service, which involves offering cable TV-like channel packages over broadband. This wouldn't be the first time we've seen the folks at Mountain View putting feelers out, as the company opened up discussions with media companies two years ago. Nothing came of them, of course, but it's hard to say if the current conversations will meet the same fate -- a couple years is a long time in the industry, and things may be different enough to merit a more appealing offer on either side, especially given the rise of Netflix, Amazon Instant and others. A report from the New York Times indicates that these talks are still likely preliminary and not anywhere close to a deal, so we shouldn't anticipate watching new TV shows live on our Google TV anytime soon.
Despite the fact that the platform hasn?t performed as superbly as BlackBerry would have wanted, there are still a large number of BlackBerry 10 users out there. Twitter today announced that it is rolling out a new update for its BB10 app. Not only does the update bring a number of user interface enhancements, it also brings a few much requested features and improvements. One such improvement is the ability to add multiple Twitter accounts in the app.
The latest update lets users view, reply and send new Direct Messages from within the app itself. Improved refresh will always maintain the user?s position in the timeline, an annoying issue of the previous version that has now been taken care of in this update. The app also lets users save pictures being shared on Twitter on their BlackBerry. The UI improvement brings a wider timeline in all parts of the app, making it much easier for users to browse the app. This Twitter for BlackBerry 10 update will be rolling out over the next 24 hours, so don?t worry if you don?t immediately get a notification that an update is ready to be installed.
Affordable Care Act could cause people to leave their jobsPublic release date: 15-Jul-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Timothy S. Paul tp2111@columbia.edu 212-305-2676 Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health
New study makes predictions using insights from 2005 Medicaid cuts in Tennessee
As a consequence of the Affordable Care Act, between 500,000 and 900,000 Americans may choose to stop working. That possibility is predicted in a new analysis of an analogous situation in reverse: the abrupt end of Tennessee's Medicaid expansion in 2005. That year, Tennessee dropped 170,000 of its citizens from Medicaid. It was the largest Medicaid disenrollment in the history of the program.
Economists from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, and the University of Chicago Booth School of Business have released a full analysis online as a working paper distributed by the National Bureau of Economic Research.
In 1994, Tennessee expanded its Medicaid public health insurance program, called TennCare, to provide for uninsured and uninsurable adults regardless of age, income or family status. As a result, Tennessee's Medicaid program became one of the most generous in the country. But nine years later, largely due to budgetary constraints the program was ended in 2005. Approximately 170,000 residents lost coverage.
Those who lost coverage were disproportionately single, childless adults with incomes slightly higher than the federal poverty line. That population is very similar to uninsured Americans who are likely to gain coverage under the Affordable Care Act.
Perk Over Paycheck
In an analysis of employment records in Tennessee, the researchers determined that close to half of those who lost TennCare coverage in 2005 went on to find insurance through an employer. Moreover, the researchers found that as soon as TennCare coverage ended, there was a spike in Google searches for "job openings" in the state of Tennessee.
"This shows that there are many people out there who look for work simply because they need health insurance. For them, the perk matters more than the paycheck," says Tal Gross, PhD, co-author of the paper and assistant professor of Health Policy and Management at the Mailman School.
The authors call this phenomenon "employment lock," the idea that people must keep working so they can keep their health insurance. They believe it happens because the individual market for health insurance is flawedif you're a single person on your own, health insurance can be really expensive and you're worried about being denied coverage or an insurer dropping you due to health reasons. So you opt to find a job instead.
"The fact that people are working solely to get health insurance signals a failure of the private health insurance market," explains Dr. Matthew J. Notowidigdo, PhD, assistant professor at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a study co-author. "That's one of the reasons why the Affordable Care Act was created."
With Medicaid rapidly expanding under the Affordable Care Act, the researchers foresee that such a progression could happen in reverse: the option of public health insurance may lead some Americans to retire or to leave their jobs. This doesn't make the Affordable Care Act a "job killer," as some have suggested; it just provides an alternative way to procure health insurance that doesn't require people to work for the "perk."
"When the Affordable Care Act is enacted, it's possible that hundreds of thousands of people may choose to leave the labor force or retire earlier than they otherwise would have because they now have access to health insurance outside of their jobs," explains Craig Garthwaite, PhD, assistant professor at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management and a study co-author. "It's giving people important options that otherwise wouldn't exist without the ACA."
What's Next
The full impact of the ACA on the jobs picture will only be apparent after it is put in place. And results will vary geographically as some states are choosing to opt-out of the Medicaid expansion. Regardless, the ACA will be on a much bigger scale than the Tennessee Medicaid contraction and will affect a greater proportion of the population.
"There is little doubt that the ACA will affect the employment picture," concludes Dr. Gross. "Historically, health insurance in the United States has been tightly linked to employment, and the ACA weakens that link."
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Affordable Care Act could cause people to leave their jobsPublic release date: 15-Jul-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Timothy S. Paul tp2111@columbia.edu 212-305-2676 Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health
New study makes predictions using insights from 2005 Medicaid cuts in Tennessee
As a consequence of the Affordable Care Act, between 500,000 and 900,000 Americans may choose to stop working. That possibility is predicted in a new analysis of an analogous situation in reverse: the abrupt end of Tennessee's Medicaid expansion in 2005. That year, Tennessee dropped 170,000 of its citizens from Medicaid. It was the largest Medicaid disenrollment in the history of the program.
Economists from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, and the University of Chicago Booth School of Business have released a full analysis online as a working paper distributed by the National Bureau of Economic Research.
In 1994, Tennessee expanded its Medicaid public health insurance program, called TennCare, to provide for uninsured and uninsurable adults regardless of age, income or family status. As a result, Tennessee's Medicaid program became one of the most generous in the country. But nine years later, largely due to budgetary constraints the program was ended in 2005. Approximately 170,000 residents lost coverage.
Those who lost coverage were disproportionately single, childless adults with incomes slightly higher than the federal poverty line. That population is very similar to uninsured Americans who are likely to gain coverage under the Affordable Care Act.
Perk Over Paycheck
In an analysis of employment records in Tennessee, the researchers determined that close to half of those who lost TennCare coverage in 2005 went on to find insurance through an employer. Moreover, the researchers found that as soon as TennCare coverage ended, there was a spike in Google searches for "job openings" in the state of Tennessee.
"This shows that there are many people out there who look for work simply because they need health insurance. For them, the perk matters more than the paycheck," says Tal Gross, PhD, co-author of the paper and assistant professor of Health Policy and Management at the Mailman School.
The authors call this phenomenon "employment lock," the idea that people must keep working so they can keep their health insurance. They believe it happens because the individual market for health insurance is flawedif you're a single person on your own, health insurance can be really expensive and you're worried about being denied coverage or an insurer dropping you due to health reasons. So you opt to find a job instead.
"The fact that people are working solely to get health insurance signals a failure of the private health insurance market," explains Dr. Matthew J. Notowidigdo, PhD, assistant professor at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a study co-author. "That's one of the reasons why the Affordable Care Act was created."
With Medicaid rapidly expanding under the Affordable Care Act, the researchers foresee that such a progression could happen in reverse: the option of public health insurance may lead some Americans to retire or to leave their jobs. This doesn't make the Affordable Care Act a "job killer," as some have suggested; it just provides an alternative way to procure health insurance that doesn't require people to work for the "perk."
"When the Affordable Care Act is enacted, it's possible that hundreds of thousands of people may choose to leave the labor force or retire earlier than they otherwise would have because they now have access to health insurance outside of their jobs," explains Craig Garthwaite, PhD, assistant professor at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management and a study co-author. "It's giving people important options that otherwise wouldn't exist without the ACA."
What's Next
The full impact of the ACA on the jobs picture will only be apparent after it is put in place. And results will vary geographically as some states are choosing to opt-out of the Medicaid expansion. Regardless, the ACA will be on a much bigger scale than the Tennessee Medicaid contraction and will affect a greater proportion of the population.
"There is little doubt that the ACA will affect the employment picture," concludes Dr. Gross. "Historically, health insurance in the United States has been tightly linked to employment, and the ACA weakens that link."
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will salute volunteer efforts by former President George H.W. Bush on Monday and launch a task force to expand national service, a White House official said.
At a White House event, Obama and first lady Michelle Obama will honor the 5,000th "Daily Point of Light" award recognizing a volunteer or nonprofit service providing organization. Bush, who will attend, established the award in 1989 as part of his efforts to recognize and promote volunteer work and will be at the event.
The two presidents were last together at the dedication of the presidential library of Bush's son, former President George W. Bush, in April. Bush, 89, was confined to a wheelchair at that event.
The award is going to an Iowa couple, Floyd Hammer and Kathy Hamilton, who are the founders of a nonprofit that delivers free meals to children in the United States and around the world.
Former first lady Barbara Bush will also be attend the event. Afterward, the Bushes and the Obamas will have lunch together, a White House official said.
The meeting with the Bushes comes two weeks after the president participated at a event in Tanzania with former President George W. Bush.
Obama is expected to announce the creation of a new task force that will identify ways to enlist private sector support for national voluntary service, the White House official said.
In the past year, the government has created volunteer groups that work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency on disaster response and with the Education Department to improve school performance, the White House said.
(Reporting By Mark Felsenthal; Editing by Stacey Joyce)
Vodafone India has introduced an 'Innovative Design' retail concept at its store in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The retail concept is located at its corporate office premises at Lower Parel, Mumbai and it is in line with Vodafone's 'Retail of Tomorrow' initiative. Vodafone 'Innovative Design' retail concept is designed and equipped to be 'future ready'. The store offers live retail experience of Vodafone's wide range of products and services. This store has been specifically adapted and customised after testing and validating a suite of customer insights, which are relevant to customer needs in India. Vodafone store will be a showcase for many new 'proof of concepts' and will be used as a retail laboratory for any new retail initiatives from Vodafone India.
Eastern China was Sunday bracing for torrential downpours from Typhoon Soulik which forced the evacuation of half a million people after killing two in Taiwan.
Soulik lashed coastal Fujian province with winds of 118 kilometers per hour (73 mph) when it made landfall but had weakened to a tropical depression as it moved inland, the China Meteorological Administration said.
More than half a million people were evacuated from Fujian and neighboring Zhejiang as the typhoon approached, with 5,500 soldiers deployed to carry out relief work if needed.
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Xinhua news agency said almost 31,000 ships were called back to port and 20 flights cancelled.
Soulik brought torrential rain to Xiamen, with 24 centimeters of rain falling on the port city from Saturday to Sunday.
Rivers swelled beyond warning levels in some areas, and waves up to 10 meters (33 feet) high pounded sea defenses in Ningde city.
In Taiwan, two people were killed, one was missing and 104 were injured by the storm, with one town reporting widespread landslides and floodwaters a storey high.
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The northern village of Bailan saw the heaviest rain, with 90 centimeters (35 inches) falling in 48 hours, with winds gusting up to 220 kilometers per hour.
While Soulik wrought havoc in Taiwan, tearing roofs from homes and causing landslides that blocked roads, eastern China escaped its full force.
"Billboards have been shattered and trees have been uprooted" but no deaths or injuries were reported, Xinhua said.
The storm was set to dump up to 18 centimeters of rain on parts of eastern China over 24 hours as it moved further inland, forecasters said.
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Downpours have already hit wide swathes of China over the past week, leaving dozens dead in rain-triggered landslides.
Officials were calculating the cost of the storm, with the Zhejiang city of Wenzhou alone facing a direct economic loss of 210 million yuan ($34 million), the agency said.
In Taiwan thousands of soldiers and workers spent Sunday cleaning up , with hundreds of fallen trees being removed in the capital Taipei.
In Puli, a small township in the central Nantou county, dozens of soldiers equipped with trucks and buckets helped residents whose homes were flooded when river banks burst.
Wu Yuan-ming, a township government official, told AFP: "The most difficult part of the work is the removal of the thick mud in the houses and roads. It may take three days to finish the work."
Damage to the agricultural sector was estimated to be Tw$250 million ($8.5 million), according to the government.
Troops from 13 African countries who backed France in a war against al-Qaida-linked extremists in Mali marched with the French military during the Bastille Day parade in Paris on Sunday to honor their role in the conflict.
U.N. troops in blue berets who are helping to stabilize the west African nation of Mali also paraded with thousands of other soldiers down the Champs-Elysees Avenue in France?s annual tribute to military might. It marks the storming of the Bastille prison July 14, 1789, by angry Paris crowds that helped spark the French Revolution.
Despite the triumphal display, which included flyovers by fighter jets, tanks and giant trucks mounted with land-to-air defense systems, the realities in Mali suggest that President Francois Hollande?s military intervention has had mixed results.
The mission he launched in January helped the Malian government retake control of much of the country from al-Qaida-linked extremists who had seized northern Mali and threatened the capital. The nation is to hold elections July 28, but tensions involving rebel Tuaregs in the north linger, along with political instability.
Sunday?s events, however, focused on the positive.
?Their presence is a tribute to those who actively helped to banish terrorism of the Malian territory,? Hollande said earlier of the African troops marching in Paris.
Hollande oversaw the display of military might that France rolls out each year on Bastille Day with Mali interim President Dioncounda Traore and U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon at his sides. Defense ministers from the African countries represented in the parade also were present.
French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said before the parade that the display is ?the mark of a solidarity that concretely expressed itself in Mali, and of a common destiny, even beyond the limits of continents, of which we have every reason to be proud.?
But some critics say the Mali operation and African presence in the parade reflect France?s ambiguous and sometimes patronizing relations with the continent - especially with former colonies such as Mali - often referred to as ?Francafrique.?
The French non-governmental organization Survie, which is fighting against neocolonialism, condemned ?the self-proclaimed role of gendarme of Africa that France claimed in Mali.?
?This parade gives a scent of victory to a military operation which is far from being reasonably presented like that, given the numerous shadows that surround it and the remaining uncertainties concerning its outcome,? said Fabrice Tarrit, the president of the association.
The critics also include Africans.
?Knowing the history of France, especially French armies with Africa, it doesn?t sound good,? said Senegalese rapper Keyti, whose real name is Cheikh Sene, 40.
?This last decade we?ve been trying to be really independent from the French army, especially since they had camps in certain countries around Africa,? he said. ?And now with what happened in Mali, what?s still happening there, it?s like they found another way to come in.?
Around 50 Malian troops marched in formation Sunday followed by soldiers from Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Chad and Togo.
They were followed by troops from the U.N. stabilization mission in Mali, which took over the French-led military operation on July 1. Some French soldiers who participated in the Mali operation, called Serval, also marched, and aircraft used in Mali, notably to provide cover for ground troops, were featured in the air display.
France had more than 4,000 troops at the height of the campaign, and is now gradually reducing that. France will keep about 1,000 soldiers in Mali after the end of 2013.
In all, 4,800 troops marched in front of the presidential stage Sunday, along with 241 horses, 265 vehicles and 58 planes.
Bringing up the rear was an array of 35 helicopters, used in wartime and for civilian missions. Precision parachutists landed in front of the presidential stand to close the parade.
No Justice for Trayvon Martin: Twitter Reactions to George Zimmerman Not Guilty Verdict
On Saturday, July 13, George Zimmerman was found not guilty of second-degree murder in the killing of Trayvon Martin, even though he blatantly said he shot the unarmed teen, albeit in self-defense.
America expressed their shock on Twitter. Celebrities from Rihanna to A-Trak to Mac Miller to Ice Cube to Jennifer Hudson shared their feelings on the social media site as hashtags like #NoJustice and #RipTrayvonMartin began trending.
Rev. Al Sharpton called Zimmerman's acquittal "a slap in the face to the American people," while others sent their prayers to Martin's family. Check out reactions to Zimmerman being a free man in the gallery that follows.
WOFX-AM (980) is associated with FOX Sports Radio, but it's adding more programming from NBC Sports Radio.
Thursday night marked the debut of the "Amani and Eytan" show. The program, which runs from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., replaces "FOX Sports Tonight."
Also, WOFX is adding some weekend programming from NBC Sports Radio. Saturday shows will run from 7:30 a.m. until noon, while the Sunday lineup goes from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. The Saturday shows are "Safety Blitz with Rodney Harrison" (7:30 to 9 a.m.), and "The Clay Travis Show" (9 a.m. to noon).
The Sunday program is "The Jason Page Show."
WOFX has been carrying "The Dan Schwartzman Show" from 1 to 6 a.m. for several months. It also has been airing NBC Sports Radio updates during "Big Board Sportstalk with Rodger Wyland."
WOFX program director Josh Everett said the station has added NBC Sports Radio programming as part of its deal to carry the NFL and NCAA basketball tournament package through Dial Global, which is affiliated with NBC Sports Radio.
Follow @slapschotts on Twitter. Follow @dgazettesports on Twitter.
Obviously there are flowers you can eat. But be careful about digging around your garden to find some yourself. You could chomp on something poisonous and then?oops! You're dead! But if you've ever wanted to deck a cake out with some beautiful blooms, this Edible Flower Seed Kit from Sarah Rainwater is a safer bet.
For $50, each kit comes with four different types of seeds, soil, and a pretty wood and glass planter, along with instructions if your thumb is more brown than green. And assuming that's probably the case, the types of flowers were specially selected because they're easy to grow. In case you've ever wanted to dabble in fancy cake decorating, this is a good start. [Etsy via 2Modern]
RALEIGH, N.C. ? Peter Hall?s adaptation of George Orwell?s novel, Animal Farm, opens on July 19th for a two-week run in the Gaddy-Goodwin Teaching Theatre at Raleigh Little Theatre. Presented by RLT?s Teens on Stage (TOS) and Teens Backstage (TBS), Animal Farm tells the story of the animals of Manor Farm?s revolution gone wrong as power-hungry pigs corrupt the societal system of justice and equality.
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Public release date: 15-Jul-2013
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On Saturday, July 13, George Zimmerman was found not guilty of second-degree murder in the killing of Trayvon Martin, even though he blatantly said he shot the unarmed teen, albeit in self-defense. 