Incyte (INCY) - Bio-Pharma Stock Explodes to 13-year High and Volatility Pops on Cancer Trial Results

Source:http://livevol.blogspot.com/2013/08/incyte-incy-bio-pharma-stock-explodes.html

Incyte (INCY) - Bio-Pharma Stock Explodes to 13-year High and Volatility Pops on Cancer Trial Results Images

SFL 20 to be Aired Today on Star Sports

India's premier MMA organization, SFL (Super Fight League) will now be available every Friday at 10PM on Star Sports. Starting with this week, Indian MMA fans will get to watch SFL 20 which features some of the best MMA talent in the Indian subcontinent.Tonight's SFL 20 features the main event bout between Bantamweights Narender "Dynamite" Grewal and Sri Lankan Tiran Thakshala. Besides this fight Amit Raj Kumar and Vishal Singh will face off in a Featherweight bout along with two Lightweight bouts between Jason Ramesh Solomon and Mukesh Gora, and Amitesh Chaubey and Nikhil Bhatt, respectively.This promises to be an evening of fast-paced action in the new SFL arena at Filmalaya Stuidos in Andheri, Mumbai. Here are a few pics from the official weigh-ins: Nikhil Bhatt vs. Amitesh ChaubeyJason Ramesh Solomon vs. Mukesh GoraTiran Thakshala vs. Narender Grewal For the rest of the weigh-in pics, check them out on SFL's Facebook page here. And do not forget to catch all the action tonight on Star Sports, 10 PM onwards.
Source:http://indianmma.blogspot.com/2013/08/sfl-20-to-be-aired-today-on-star-sports.html

SFL 20 to be Aired Today on Star Sports Images

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... : Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports | MLB All-Star paydays - Yahoo! Sports
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... Gray, left, and Ed Davis in Sunday's game at the Air Canada Centre
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MWC Football Divisions: Which One Will Be Stronger In 2013?
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Overkill adding 5 DLC packs to Payday 2, would 'love' to add mods

Overkill Software's Game Director, David Goldfarb, recently said the studio has "a year of DLC planned" for Payday 2, its multiplayer heist game that launched this week on PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 (August 23 for Xbox Games on Demand). Goldfarb tells Joystiq that five DLC packs in total are in the works."Payday 2 - just like its predecessor Payday: The Heist - is a living thing. We have 5 DLCs planned together with 505 Games for the coming year." Goldfarb went on to say that Overkill would continue to update the game with both paid and free content, "just like we did with the first game."In Payday 2, the same maps are recycled over many different types of jobs, suggesting a natural fit for modding support or Steamworks integration. "We would love to add support for creating community generated content," Goldfarb said, but in the meantime the team will "continue to look into this."Almir Listo, a producer at Overkill Software, posted a message on Steam yesterday about absent safe house customization options and Cloakers, special heavy-duty police units seen in the beta. Both will be added down the line: "The safe house is what we intended it to be at release," Goldfarb said. "Just like Bain says when you enter the safe house for the first time, it's not much at the moment, but give it some time. He's working on it and he'll let us do some decorating soon."Finally, Goldfarb addressed the idea of further franchise crossovers. The first Payday had a mission set in the No Mercy map of Left 4 Dead, serving as a non-canon prequel to Valve's co-op zombie shooting gallery. On this point Goldfarb said, "We can't discuss if we have any crossovers planned right now, but we will let you know when/if that should change."Overkill adding 5 DLC packs to Payday 2, would 'love' to add mods originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 15 Aug 2013 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source:http://besvideogames.blogspot.com/2013/08/overkill-adding-5-dlc-packs-to-payday-2_8788.html

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Your tax dollars at work: First dog Bo is airlifted to Obama vacation home

Rooms have to be found for dozens of Secret Service agents, someone has to carry a selection of presidential basketballs, and of course the family dog needs his own state-of-the-art aircraft.Bo, the president's Portuguese Water Dog, arrived separately on one of two MV-22 Ospreys, a hybrid aircraft which takes off like a helicopter but flies like a plane.It was the first time the Ospreys have been taken on holiday by a US president.More than 70 hotel rooms, each costing up to $345 (£220) a night, have been booked out for Secret Service agents, who took charge of luggage including two large mesh bags full of basketballs.The Obamas are staying in Chilmark on the western tip of the island, an area that is dotted with multi-million dollar homes. The neighbours include actor Ted Danson and the singer Carly Simon.On several previous visits the Obamas had stayed at the 28-acre Blue Heron Farm, but it has since been sold to Britain's most celebrated architect, Baron Foster of Thames Bank.The president has therefore had to downsize to a $7.6 million, 5,000-square foot retreat on nine acres which is owned by a businessman friend from Chicago. It includes a basketball court.As a result Mr Obama will be staying closer to public roads which will have to be closed as his motorcade heads for the golf course of bookshop.The Martha's Vineyard Times newspaper warned residents to expect "extraordinary and lengthy up-island detours". Local officials also emailed residents, saying: "Anyone aggrieved by this closing should email or call the White House."
Source:http://vaviper.blogspot.com/2013/08/your-tax-dollars-at-work-first-dog-bo.html

Your tax dollars at work: First dog Bo is airlifted to Obama vacation home Images

EDSITORIAL - NOBAMA '12 (Scroll down to see other entries.) The 2012 ...
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Des Wants to Go Home

The episode of The Bachelorette that we've been waiting for is over and the mystery of who dumped Des has been solved. Brooks is not in crazy love with Des and can't see himself proposing in two weeks. But first, Drew's date on Antigua, jewel of the Caribbean. Nestled in a convertible jeep, the two kissing fools drove, stopped to kiss, drove some more, kissed some more. They ended up at a party with a view, complete with drinks, souvenirs limbo, dancing, mid day picnic and loads more kissing. He's a cutie for sure and Des thinks he's hot. The dinner on the beach was cancelled due to rain and the kissers had to proceed directly to the fantasy suite to kiss and kick the cameras out.Next came Chris from Seattle but by this point we all knew the ding dong ditch guy was Brooks. They gave it away in the opener. Chris and Des got in a helicopter, flew around the islands in all the breathtaking beauty of teal, green and white fluffy clouds, and landed on Barbudo to have a picnic on the beach. If kissing is any indication, Chris has his work cut out for him in the Fantasy Suite. But, he and Des are very cute together and I think Chis might have the best sense of humor. At dinner he asked if she could live in Seattle, offering the tidbit that they could get a cute little house on the water. Okay, I live in the Seattle area and that's exactly how I got here but do I now live on the water. Nope. 15 years later, we are happy but not on any body of water. And it rains like crazy pants here from October to June. I was screaming at the T.V. to tell her this but she ended up saying she could live in Seattle. They had dinner on the beach as the most annoying birds (or an oil drill) squealed in the background for the entirety of their dinner and fantasy suite tour. After loads of locking lips in the hot tub, we left them alone for the night and traveled to Idaho where Brooks was consulting his mom and sis about not being crazy in love with Des. At that point it was written in stone and all that needed to be done was to get to Antigua and break up with the woman who was falling in love with him. He had no idea at this point and after a big ole heart to heart with ChrisBHarrison, he met with Des to break her heart in a twenty minute crying fest on the end of a picturesque dock. Was there any woman out there who didn't feel her pain? It brought back baaaaad memories of the same thing happening to me once and remembering that, I built a big wall around my body on the couch. metaphorically speaking. It took another 20 minutes for Brooks to walk down the road. He was so broken up too and didn't we all wonder what his idea of love is if he's missing her before he gets in the limo? Confession: I have the flu typing this so this breakup did not make me feel better.Next week she tells Chris she just wants to go home. If I was Mike Fleiss, I'd let her take a day or two and everyone could re-convene after that. I wish I was a fly on the hut when the producers talked about what to do. I wonder if DEs's contract came out and a lawyer was called. Poor Des. I'm sure by now she either hates Brooks and is in love with Drew or Chris but it was hard to watch and left me feeling more fluish. Off to bed.Now all we have to do is wait another excruciating week to find outIn the meantime, check out the 2 hour read The Husband Hunt, FREE on Smashwords for download on a reading device or phone. Click here The romance story is based on a reality show much like The Bachelor with roses, a mansion, fantasy dates and house drama.Kim Hornsby is the author of Amazon Best Selling Novels The Dream Jumper's Promise and Necessary Detour, both available on Amazon for download or print.
Source:http://kimhornsby.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-episode-of-bachelorette-that-weve.html

Des Wants to Go Home Images

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Robert Davis just wants to go home.
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Gunloons: Burn Your Money. It's More Effective Than Giving It To the NRA.

Sunlight Foundation:Though it spent nearly $11 million on the 2012 election, the National Rifle Association saw less than 1 percent of its money go toward its desired result, according to the Sunlight Foundation—a nonpartisan group that uses data to promote government transparency.While the NRA supported 27 winning candidates, it used the majority of its donated funds to target Democrats, many of whom wound up defeating their Republican rivals.According to the Sunlight's data, the gun rights group doled out nearly $9 million to oppose Democrats, spending nearly $7.5 million to run ads opposing Barack Obama alone.Elsewhere, the NRA earmarked nearly $500,000 to target Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and another $575,000 to defeat Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., and candidate Tim Kaine in Virginia. All three of them won.Though it spent far less money supporting Republicans, the NRA did pony up $1.8 million to back Mitt Romney's campaign and spent another $537,000 on Indiana senatorial hopeful Richard Mourdock, who lost.
Source:http://mikeb302000.blogspot.com/2013/07/gunloons-burn-your-money-its-more.html

Gunloons: Burn Your Money. It's More Effective Than Giving It To the NRA. Images

How to Attract Women

By Antonio Gabriel

Today, there are over a hundred books about dating and about how to attract women. Most of the websites that we browse or the articles that we read in magazines are also based on the subject of getting the best date. Basically, attracting women is not that hard. It only takes some simple maneuvers along with the right type of literature.

Of course, you can read and follow the advices coming from dating manuals yet you still need to get the right attitude that will fit your personality. To start learning on how to attract women,you need to first focus on yourself.

Remember, guys with muscles and a healthy physique are attractive. Therefore, you need to become a person who will have a healthy body. You do not need to be a musclehead or lift 500 lbs. You only need to have the body which is not only attractive but also healthy. Change the way you spend your day. Instead of sulking around in bed, you can go out and meet more people. You can also visit the gym regularly or you can play ball with your friends. As long as you stay active and fit, a lot of women will be attracted to you. The way you take care of yourself will be the way you take care of the women, they notice.

Once you feel that you are healthy enough, you can now start adding some knowledge. Go to your library and read some books. Look for journals about how to attract women and study the various things about current events. Even books about history or anatomy can be quite useful. As long as it adds to your knowledge, you need to study it. The reason for this is that you need to become an expert conversationalist.

This means that you need to know how to talk to women and know many types of topics, don't be boring. Some women are quite fond of historical literature while some women under the medical field will certainly be surprised when you know something about anatomy. That is why you need to learn many things when it comes to attracting women.

Finally, you now need to start the attraction process. You can start off by changing the way you look. Wear clean clothing and business casual attires. Look comfortable with what you wear and show the women that you are worth their praise.

Start your conversations with the women that you meet and talk with them. Let them help you get to know them better. Listen and try to find their likes. In time, you will be able to make an impact and they will certainly fall in love with you. Such are the ways on how to attract women.

Are you ready to date any woman you want? If you are check out http://www.datingsecretsblog.com for best dating tips for men. Don't let your dream girl become a dream.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Antonio_Gabriel http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Attract-Women&id=7874795

Source:http://readarticlesfree.blogspot.com/2013/07/how-to-attract-women.html

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Alex Rios: A Name to Remember

With the way the Yankees have been playing, most recently being swept by the Orioles this weekend, all options should and will be pursued. One that has not gotten as much play is Alex Rios, yes, I know he's an outfielder and once Granderson comes back, the outfield won't be the problem. Think of it this way though, he's another righty bat with power. He hit .304, 25 home runs and 91 RBI's last season, and is at that same pace this season, hitting .270, 11 home runs and 36 RBI's on a bad team. The other point I want to bring up is he still can run, he has 14 stolen bases and the league leader has 20. Brett Gardner only has 11. He brings an element the Yankees don't usually have even with Gardner. Now as for what you would have to give up is the question. I'm not exactly sure, he is on the books for two years after this season so if the Yankees take his contract and don't make the White Sox take any of it, they could give up less for him. Plus the White Sox are shopping everyone outside of Chris Sale and Paul Konerko, which could me a trade for Rios and SS Alexei Ramirez. No one knows how well Jeter, if he can even come back, will play at SS. So Ramirez is always an option as well. Stay Tuned for updates and other rumors I can think up.Follow me on Twitter @thedonnyfinkle 
Source:http://floriofacts.blogspot.com/2013/07/alex-rios-name-to-remember.html

Alex Rios: A Name to Remember Images

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Aga Radwanska rides chopper to receive Merit in Poland

Radwanska posted this photo on Facebook with the note "Thank You"Agnieszka Radwanska took a ride from an helicopter to get to Warsaw on Monday where she was awarded with the Gold Cross of Merit of the Republic of Poland."They let me fly it for a while. Awesome", said Agie on FacebookPoland's President Bronislaw Komorowski wanted to recognize the achievements of Radwanska, Jerzy Janowicz and Lukasz Kubot, who were also awarded with state honours (Silver Cross Medal) for their success at Wimbledon. "It was a Polish Wimbledon", said the chief of State.Photo by Anna KlepaczkoThe two fellow male Poles played against each other in the SW19 quarter-finals, with Janowicz getting to the semis only to lose to champion Andy Murray. Both players made history as they were the first Polish to get to the QF at Wimbledon since 1980. Janowicz became the first Polish male Grand Slam semi-finalist. But tennis fans will remember mostly their sportsmanship: Kubot and Janowicz hugged and exchanged shirts after their history-making Wimbledon QF.  You can watch that moment here.Radwanska got to the semis too, but was defeated by Sabine Lisicki, the losing finalist. Komorowski, who offered a small and elegant get-together with tea and champagne to the players, received a commemorative racquet from the hands of Agie. News story on Polish TV:Images via Radwanska's Facebook Page and sportowefakty.pl (gallery here)
Source:http://tennisboulevard.blogspot.com/2013/07/aga-radwanska-rides-chopper-to-receive.html

Aga Radwanska rides chopper to receive Merit in Poland Images

Wimbledon 2013: Roger Federer remembers journey from boy to man

When it comes to Roger Federer, Wimbledon is special.He loves its traditions, its knowledgeable crowd, the respectful hush of its packed Centre Court, and the words of Kipling over that door.Above all, he loves its grass, an affection that is played out most eloquently through his career at the All England Club.Fifteen years ago, Federer received his first trophy on the famed Centre Court. In fact, the 16-year-old picked up two trophies: the junior singles and doubles titles.Just three years later, he was back on the same stage with, as he put it in an interview this week with BBC Radio 5 Live, “the men”.“Just being able to play the boys junior Wimbledon was a huge deal,” he says. “You came in the second week, you’re watching the greats warm up—it honestly was quite inspiring for me to see these great players.”The great players that year, as he rightly remembered, were Goran Ivanisevic and Pete Sampras… and it sewed the seeds in the Swiss teenager’s head of what might come: “When I won [the junior title], that’s when the dream became bigger, to maybe one day win with the men. As we know, I was able to do that, too.”His first two forays with “the men” at Wimbledon, in 1999 and 2000, saw him exit in the first round, but also showed his promise. In the first, he took the 59-ranked Jiri Novak to five sets and in the second, he pushed No5 seed Yevgeny Kafelnikov through three tough sets, 5-7, 5-7, 6-7.But a dozen years ago, in 2001, chance determined that Federer would face one of those men he admired from afar in 1998, Sampras. It was the match that truly announced Federer’s arrival not just at Wimbledon but in the consciousness of tennis fans around the world.For the first time, he arrived at the All England Club with a senior title to his name, in Milan, having also reached the final of Rotterdam and, more pertinently, his first Grand Slam quarter-final at Roland Garros.Federer, who would not turn 20 for another six weeks, still looked very much the slender teenager he was: Oversize, baggy whites, a thick, unruly ponytail, stubble around the chin.Nevertheless, the essentials were firmly in place. He already possessed the brilliant forehand that could pierce down-the-line defences or angle past a net-bound opponent with assorted spins and disguise. Just like the serve-and-volley players he so admired form the previous decade, he boasted an elegant and flexible single-handed backhand, impressive serving skills, as well as touch and timing around the net. And with footwork and movement to die for, as well as a desire to play all-court offensive tactics, he was designed for Wimbledon success.So when he worked his way through the 2001 Wimbledon draw for a first—and what would be his only—meeting with the seven-time and defending champion Sampras, the world sat up. And when their fourth-round match unfolded through five long sets and almost four hours, the writing was on the wall for the current champion. The teenager won, 7-6, 5-7, 6-4, 6-7, 7-5, and Sampras would win only one more match at Wimbledon, losing in the second round in 2002 never to return.But the hype surrounding Federer, and the expectation that he would now go on to win his first Slam, proved quite a burden, and perhaps the reason he failed to get beyond the fourth round at a Slam for two full years. Indeed he lost in the first rounds of both the French Open and Wimbledon in 2002.He talked at length about the weight of expectation.“It was interesting because in Switzerland we had Martina Hingis just before I came along, and she was obviously this phenomenon at 16, 17 and 18, just winning everything… and I think we got used to it, plus I had this incredible talent people were talking about. It was quite challenging for me. And then I had to keep my mental side in check as well, try to stay strong, and physically keep on improving, because I knew I wasn’t there yet.”“I just needed more time to become stronger, and I think in particular the win over Sampras at Wimbledon in 2001 really gave many people the belief that I should or could win a Grand Slam—and it should be Wimbledon.“Look, I also faced a lot of pressure, a lot of criticism. People were starting to debate if I was ever going to win one. At the moment, it was very difficult to deal with. People comparing me to Pete Sampras, and he won 60-something titles and I had maybe barely five…basically that’s not fair, I don’t think. It was hard to accept, even though actually it was a compliment, in one way, it was also huge pressure on the other side.“So I came into Wimbledon with a lot of pressure, having lost in the 1st round the year before against [Mario] Ancic. I knew that I better make at least the quarter-finals or maybe my first semi-finals at a Grand Slam.“Then I played that amazing match against [Andy] Roddick in the semis: He had won Queen’s the week earlier, I won Halle. So I’m actually the favourite against Mark Philippoussis.“I felt extremely confident and strong. I can’t believe it’s been 10 years, but what a magical run it was. Because it wasn’t straightforward—I had a back issue during the tournament, and it was very complicated, but I made it, and it was a dream come true for me.”He was still only 21, still sported the baggy shirt, pony-tail and a broad unshaven smile that crumpled quickly into tears.The next year he would beat Roddick in the final. In 2005, now clean-shaven, hair short and loose, and with his signature tailored styling, he repeated against the American. He would beat Roddick in a third final, 16-14 in the fifth set, in 2009.In the three years from 2006 to 2008, he faced Nadal, the Spaniard bringing to an end Federer’s five-year run as champion in the last of them.However, as Federer prepares for the defence of the seventh title, won against the home nation’s Andy Murray, it is Sampras’s name that again comes to the fore. He and Federer are currently level with seven Wimbledon titles apiece, which means another Federer title this year gives the Swiss a record eighth—a decade after his first.He recognises the moment as he approaches his 15th consecutive Wimbledon and his 74th match, which he will, as defending champion, play on Centre Court.“With Wimbledon alone, you could write a book…there alone I have an amazing career. For me, it’s been so much better than I thought it would be. I always hoped one day to be playing at Wimbledon, like my heroes [Stefan] Edberg, Sampras and [Boris] Becker. And here I am talking about my 10-year anniversary already.“You have to appreciate [the wins], take time to enjoy, like I did last year. I had the chance to go on vacation, and while on vacation, I beat that unbelievable record of weeks at No1.“And having won being a dad, having won as a junior coming up, there are so many little bits and pieces that made every victory at Wimbledon so, so special. And the support team, my parents, everyone who’s been so supportive—I don’t know how I can ever thank them. I hope I’ll get that opportunity one day.”But on the 15th anniversary of his junior title, the 12th of that game-changing win over Sampras, and the 10th of his first title, it seems appropriate only to reverse those opening words: When it comes to Wimbledon, Roger Federer is special.Date: 21st June 2013, Source: The Sport Review
Source:http://rogerfedererthechamp.blogspot.com/2013/06/wimbledon-2013-roger-federer-remembers.html

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Kathleen Sebelius?s Thankless, Anonymous, and Partly Failed Effort to Insure More Poor People

The Supreme Court surprised everyone last year when it upheld the bulk of the Affordable Care Act, and the law?s authors and supporters rejoiced. But in a crucial caveat, the Court ruled that one of ?Obamacare?s? cornerstones, the expansion of state Medicaid programs, could not be mandatory. Suddenly, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius got a big promotion. She wouldn?t just be the chief health regulator; now she?d also be the administration?s top negotiator with states contemplating this new choice about whether to expand. A key part of her job became convincing them that extending Medicaid to more poor people was the right choice for their residents, their budgets, and the country.

This was a surprisingly good fit. President Obama had originally wanted former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle for the HHS job, thinking that his legislative skills would have helped shepherd the health reform bill to passage. (Dasch-le?s vetting revealed tax problems.) In his stead, the president chose Sebelius, a former elected insurance commissioner and governor of conservative Kansas. She knows the states. She knows their leaders through the National Governors Association, where she served on the executive committee. And Sebelius knows how hard it can be to foster acceptance of Washington policies among local politicians. ?It?s really helpful in the place I am now to have been on the other side of those conversations,? she tells NationalJournal.

After the Court?s decision, Sebelius went to work. She kept an ?open-door policy? for governors, she says, meeting with many regularly to advise and cajole them?and occasionally traveling to their states. Instead of laying out a raft of new, strict rules for states to take or leave, Sebelius tried to allow behind-the-scenes negotiations. And she kept the confidences of her ?former colleagues?; she declined to openly criticize recalcitrant state legislators or gloat when a GOP governor acceded. She adopted an unusually personal approach to the issue: Despite her many responsibilities running the sprawling department, she took the lead on expansion. Marilyn Tavenner, who heads the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (the lead agency on the expansion), notes that Sebelius herself has said she wants to be in the room with the governors. ?The secretary does a tremendous amount of that work.?

Yet the results have been disappointing. With most legislative sessions over, about half the states have committed to expanding their Medicaid programs, meaning that millions of low-income Americans, many in the country?s poorest states, will get no insurance next year when the law?s main provisions switch on. Designed to cover more than 30 million uninsured Americans, Obamacare will fall well short of its original goal, and that failure will undermine reform in other ways?disrupting the cash flow for hospitals that serve the poor, seeding confusion among those still eligible for benefits, and cementing deep divides in the health and wealth of states around the country.

The Sebelius strategy may not have unfurled perfectly at every turn. Critics say that HHS has been inflexible on certain rules and that the department has shaped too many others on the fly?unpredictably creating systems the law hadn?t considered and encouraging states to submit ?waiver? applications that will allow the department to work outside the confines of its on-paper regulations. But she still may have achieved the best possible outcome. The Supreme Court empowered states to say no, and an astonishing number of them did. Even the most well-equipped ambassador with the most pragmatic possible approach couldn?t overcome deep opposition to Obamacare.

SALESMANSHIP

Sebelius, Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe, and their aides were sitting at a conference table in Washington in late February when they finalized a Medicaid expansion deal they could all live with. Beebe and Sebelius, both Democrats, served as governors together; they go back years. But their agreement depended less on personal trust than on legal flexibility.Beebe always favored expansion, but he needed an approach that could pass his state?s GOP-controlled legislature.

The Affordable Care Act said that people earning below 133 percent of the federal poverty level?about $15,000 for a single person?should get insurance through expanded Medicaid. But Arkansas Republicans didn?t want a larger government program. So a team of consultants, HHS officials, and Beebe?s staffers unearthed a vague and decades-old provision in the Medicaid statute allowing its funds to sometimes be used to buy commercial health plans. In a handshake deal after that February meeting, the secretary agreed to let Arkansas use such a mechanism to cover all of its new Medicaid enrollees. Instead of offering poor Arkansans coverage under the state Medicaid program, as the law described, Beebe would let them buy private coverage at the federal government?s expense, a choice that could cost as much as 50 percent more than the conventional program, according to the Congressional Budget Office. It was an expensive solution, but at least it brought one more state on board.

At the time, Sebelius had enjoyed a series of high-profile successes. Not only had she secured promises to expand from nearly every state with a Democratic governor but she?d also recently persuaded seven Republican governors to come along, too. They included anti-Obamacare firebrand Rick Scott of Florida and Jan Brewer of Arizona (who had tangled with the administration on immigration policy). The same day that Beebe announced the Arkansas deal, New Jersey?s Chris Christie, who had his eyes on the 2016 presidential election, also threw his support behind expansion.

The administration thought it was playing a strong hand. Even though the Supreme Court had allowed states to opt out of the expansion, the incentives to opt in were enormous. The federal government will pay 100 percent of the bill for the first three years, and even in later years the contribution will never drop below 90 percent. (Currently, states receive on average 57 percent from Washington.) In a period when many state economies are still shaky, expansion means a huge infusion of federal cash into local economies. Hospitals, which have powerful lobbies, exhorted their state officials to sign up. A series of studies suggested that expansion would both stimulate economic growth and save governors money by allowing them to reduce spending on health care for the uninsured. An analysis by the nonpartisan Urban Institute suggested that many of the states most opposed to the law?the poor ones in the South and elsewhere?had the most to gain.

Yet Sebelius?s success rate was worst in exactly those states. And when a GOP governor capitulated, it was sometimes because Sebelius offered more than just Medicaid funding. She granted a generous waiver to let Arizona restructure its existing Medicaid system. She gave Florida permission to move nearly all of its existing Medicaid population into managed-care plans, answering a request her department had been considering for two years. Gov. John Kasich of Ohio said he received assurances from the White House that he?d be able to split the program in two: People below the poverty line would get traditional Medicaid, while those above would receive federal vouchers to buy private plans on the exchanges. Matt Salo, the executive director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors, said it was important that states felt they were able to negotiate. ?Politics 101 is: When your counterpart wants something, try to see what you can get in exchange for it,? he says, ?even if you want the same thing.?

Ron Pollack, the president of Families USA, which supports health reform, says he has been impressed by the way Sebelius has balanced the strictures of the law with an openness to state realities. He rates her performance as close to ideal, despite the poor results. ?Secretary Sebelius used to be a governor, she used to be an insurance commissioner, so she?s got real sensitivity to what states need,? he says. ?She is a bridge because people trust her and people have experience with her.?

Still, critics say the department could have done more to sweeten the deal for skeptical states. ?Their political strategy was based on, ?Here is a bunch of federal dollars, and we will just let the raw politics of the infusion of that money prevail, and that?s all we have to do,? ? says Dennis Smith, a managing director at McKenna Long & Aldridge, who was Wisconsin?s HHS director until February. ?I think that was a huge mistake.? Wisconsin opted against expansion. Smith argues that the department?s approach was too proscriptive?barring states from asking new beneficiaries to pay more for their care and requiring states to cover a broad array of expensive benefits that exceed the reach of most commercial insurance products.

The Arkansas option went further than Sebelius?s previous side deals. After that February meeting, Beebe announced a plan to voucherize Medicaid for the new beneficiaries. They would get the federal subsidy if they enrolled on the state exchange, purchasing the same plans available to higher-income purchasers. The agreement, as he described it, raised several questions. Would HHS really approve a plan that could cost so much more than traditional Medicaid? Would the new beneficiaries be exposed to the high deductibles and co-payments in the private plans (in apparent conflict with the Medicaid statute)? What legal authority enabled the department to permit a program mentioned nowhere in the Affordable Care Act?

The decision displeased Medicaid advocates (who worried that the Arkansas plan might rob new beneficiaries of key legal protections) and some budget hawks (who noted that Congress had used Medicaid to expand health coverage instead of private insurance specifically because it was so much cheaper). But Sebelius?s call also cheered many close to the process, who thought the ?Arkansas option,? and the flexibility it suggested, would be enough to entice many more states into expanding. National news reports, circulated in state capitals, described the plan as a sort of third option?not rejection, not expansion. ?Any state that has until now been saying ?no? can use this as a way to get to ?yes,? ? Salo said at the time. He guessed that it might lure 10 more states to expand.

For about a month during peak state-budget season, politicians across the country began thinking that everything was on the table. The Florida Senate began exploring its own private-expansion model, which would involve neither Medicaid nor the exchanges. Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam?s office contacted HHS and made a series of eleventh-hour demands that officials told the governor they couldn?t honor. Now, neither of those states looks likely to expand.

Finally, at the end of that month, HHS laid out clear rules about what would and wouldn?t be allowed by states pursuing an ?Arkansas option.? (For the most part, they gladdened Medicaid advocates and disappointed conservative would-be reformers.) Sebelius defends the delay, saying the month of uncertainty didn?t derail states committed to expansion but gave them an opportunity to present the department with their own ideas. ?Beyond what you saw as a month delay were probably daily conversation with not only Governor Beebe but others,? she says. ?To me, that was a better way to try to navigate this process than shipping out massive rules and regulations.?

Sebelius says her objective?as a former state official who knows how little local politicians like directives from on high?has been to give governors and legislators room to take ownership of the Medicaid expansion. ?What we?re trying to do, particularly in the Medicaid space, is not issue a lot of edicts: ?You absolutely cannot do x, y, and z.? ?You absolutely must do these four things,? ? she says. ?This is, frankly, driven by a lot of my sensitivity to states wanting to feel that it?s their program, it?s tailored for them?particularly in some of these more partisan legislative processes?that they are not being told by Washington to do something.?

Some states were never going to expand. Tony Keck, the director of health and human services in South Carolina, says an expansion didn?t fit with Republican Gov. Nikki Haley?s view of the best way to improve the health of the state?s poor. His state would have been open to new Medicaid financing schemes, Keck says, but not if these required them to cover new people. ?They want to get as many people health insurance as possible,? he says. ?We think that?s the wrong way to address the question.? Asked if he could think of a concession Sebelius could have made to induce the Palmetto State to join, he couldn?t name one.

POWERLESS

The Arkansas example may have showed Sebelius at her most flexible and conciliatory, but it also showed the limits of her power. She had made major sacrifices?cost, structure?to help Beebe, an unusually cooperative partner, win over the GOP-controlled Legislature that was reluctant to expand a government program. ?For whatever reason, philosophical or whatever, many of them preferred the private-insurance approach much better than the standard Medicaid approach,? Beebe tells National Journal.

And while Sebelius could at least devise a plan to win over those lawmakers, she had no such luck in certain other states where legislators were less interested in negotiating. The Republican governors of Florida and Ohio endorsed Medicaid expansion, but state legislators, often those aligned with the tea party, refused to follow suit. This was perhaps inevitable: They know less about health policy than their governors (who have expert advisers and entire health departments at their command) and worry more about primary-election challenges from the right. Many will simply never be persuaded to vote for an Obamacare program or an expansion of Medicaid, which they see as deeply flawed. In other states, impossible vote counts may have prevented governors from taking the political risk in the first place.

There?s not much Sebelius can do about that. ?Some of it was waiting for who was going to blink first, and I think we all thought that the states would blink because of the amount of money on the line. And that just isn?t how it worked out,? says Caroline Pearson a vice president at Avalere Health, who has been closely tracking state developments. Pearson estimated in February that only five states would be holding out by year?s end. Now she counts 23 in favor and only three still in play. ?Governors win elections by making the case, ?We improved the economy; we extended health care to our residents,? ? she says. ?The arguments that get legislators unelected is, ?They took the following vote in support of Obamacare.? ?

Sebelius may get another chance after Election Day. Next year, half the states will start their expansions, the rest of the law will roll out, and the secretary will keep talking to governors. The implementation won?t look like the one Congress or the Obama administration had anticipated, but decisions about Medicaid can keep coming. ?There is no timetable,? Sebelius says. ?The door is open.? At this point, she?s just hoping more governors will walk through it.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kathleen-sebelius-thankless-anonymous-partly-failed-effort-insure-085744416.html

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Source:http://bouchetadrianss.blogspot.com/2013/06/kathleen-sebeliuss-thankless-anonymous.html

Kathleen Sebelius?s Thankless, Anonymous, and Partly Failed Effort to Insure More Poor People Images

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Anybody Want To Ask A Question Thursday Night

It's relatively clear where the preponderance of the State Delegation representing Prince William County stand with regard to the Bi-County Parkway, particularly as has been evidenced by the attendance and statements at several meetings held locally and in Richmond.  What is not so clear is where the Loudoun delegation stands and given their votes on the Transportation Bill last session, I would suggest they may not be opposed to the Bi-County Parkway.  That being said, one has to wonder whether they will attend Thursday night's VDOT presentation at Creighton's Corner Elementary School and let their positions be known. Should they chose to attend perhaps one of the more hardy souls in the crowd should ask them about the campaign contributions they have reported in 2013 alone and how those contributions relate to their votes in favor of the Transportation Bill and whether or not those contributions will "influence" their position with regard to the Bi-County Parkway.  Here's some select data to look at.Joe May Campaign Contributions 2013$15,000 Majority Leader PAC $10,000 Commonwealth Transportation PAC $7,500 Nova Technology Council $5,000 Howell for Delegate - William $5,000 Va Transportation Construction Alliance $2,500 John T "Til" Hazel, Jr $2,000 Transurban USA Inc $1,250 Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce $1,250 Nova Building Industry Assn $1,000 Associated Builders & Contractors - Va Chapter $1,000 Associated General Contractors $1,000 Dewberry & Davis $1,000 Northern Virginia Assn of Realtors $1,000 Old Dominion Highway Contractors Assn $1,000 Parsons Brinckerhoff $1,000 Toll Road Investors Partnership II $1,000 Va Assn of Realtors $1,000 Va Trucking Assn Total $58,500Tom Rust Campaign Contributions 2013$10,000 Sidney O Dewberry $10,000 John T "Til" Hazel, Jr $5,000 Eleanor C Hazel $5,000 Majority Leader PAC $5,000 Nova Technology Council Herndon$2,000 Northern Virginia Assn of Realtors $2,000 Nova Building Industry Assn $1,000 Home Builders Assn of Va $1,000 MC Dean Building Intelligence Inc $1,000 Gary D Rappaport $1,000 Va Assn of Realtors Total $43,000Tag Greason Campaign Contributions 2013$10,000 Commonwealth Transportation PAC $4,472 Va Assn of Realtors $2,500 Majority Leader PAC $2,500 Nova Technology Council $2,300 Northern Virginia Assn of Realtors $2,000 Toll Road Investors Partnership II Total $23,772
Source:http://thederecho.blogspot.com/2013/06/anybody-want-to-ask-question-thursday.html

Anybody Want To Ask A Question Thursday Night Images

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