GOP congressman urges Republicans to back Mike Johnson ahead of House speaker voteSan Antonio Family Law Attorney Linda Leeser Highlights Understanding Types of Cases in Texas Family Court 12-04-2024 10:56 PM CET | Politics, Law & Society Press release from: ABNewswire Family law involves various legal matters that significantly impact individuals and their families. In Texas, family courts address issues such as divorce, child custody, child support, paternity, adoption, spousal maintenance, and more. San Antonio family law attorney Linda Leeser ( https://myfamilymatterslaw.com/types-of-cases-in-texas-family-court/ ) of Family Matters Law Firm PLLC provides representation in these matters to help clients navigate the challenges of family court proceedings. Texas family courts aim to resolve disputes while prioritizing the well-being of all parties involved, particularly children. Unlike other civil courts that focus on compensation or fault, family courts work to create outcomes that preserve family relationships and promote stability. A San Antonio family law attorney such as Linda Leeser offers critical guidance to individuals navigating these complex legal processes. San Antonio family law attorney Linda Leeser and her team at Family Matters Law Firm PLLC offer legal services to those dealing with various family law cases, including divorce, child custody disputes, and matters involving paternity or adoption. "Each family's situation is unique," stated Leeser. "Legal solutions must be tailored to the specific needs of each case to protect the rights and interests of all involved." Texas family courts operate under the Texas Family Code, which governs divorce, child support, property division, and other family-related matters. Divorce cases, both fault-based and no-fault, require careful legal representation to ensure fair outcomes. While no-fault divorce allows for quicker resolution without proving wrongdoing, fault-based divorce may impact spousal maintenance or property division. Linda Leeser works to secure equitable outcomes in these proceedings. Custody, or conservatorship, often becomes a central issue in family court. Decisions regarding joint or sole conservatorship aim to serve the child's best interests. Joint managing conservatorship allows both parents to share responsibilities, while sole conservatorship assigns decision-making authority to one parent, often in cases involving neglect or abuse. Legal representation ensures that these arrangements support the child's welfare and protect parental rights. Child support is another critical area addressed by family courts. The Texas Family Code establishes guidelines for calculating support based on the noncustodial parent's income and the child's needs. Support payments are essential for maintaining the child's standard of living and ensuring access to necessities such as education and healthcare. Modification of support agreements may be pursued if circumstances change significantly. Paternity cases determine the biological father of a child, establishing legal rights and obligations. These cases may involve court-ordered paternity tests or voluntary acknowledgment through an Acknowledgment of Paternity (AOP). Establishing paternity ensures the child's rights to financial support, inheritance, and access to medical information, while granting the father legal recognition and participation in important decisions. Adoption cases finalize the legal transfer of parental rights from biological parents to adoptive parents. Adoption proceedings aim to provide stable, permanent homes for children, granting adoptive parents the same rights and responsibilities as biological parents. These cases often involve careful legal processes to protect the interests of the child and ensure compliance with state laws. Spousal maintenance, or alimony, involves court-ordered financial support to a spouse following a divorce. Factors influencing the duration and amount of spousal maintenance include the length of the marriage, financial need, and circumstances such as family violence. Negotiating or contesting spousal maintenance requires detailed understanding of Texas law. Property division in Texas follows community property principles, treating most assets acquired during marriage as jointly owned. Equitable division of marital property and debts is a key focus in divorce cases. Complex cases may involve disputes over business assets, retirement accounts, or property acquired before the marriage, requiring skilled legal advocacy. Visitation rights for grandparents arise in situations such as the incarceration or death of a parent, or when the child is placed with someone other than a parent. Courts evaluate whether visitation serves the child's best interests, considering factors like the grandparent-grandchild relationship and the wishes of the child when appropriate. Legal guidance helps grandparents navigate these proceedings. The termination of parental rights, whether voluntary or involuntary, represents a significant legal action. Grounds for involuntary termination include abuse, neglect, abandonment, or criminal behavior. Courts carefully evaluate these cases to ensure decisions reflect the child's best interests, often using established factors such as emotional and physical needs and home stability. The Texas family court system handles a diverse range of legal matters, often requiring detailed knowledge of the law and careful attention to the emotional needs of those involved. Seeking the support of a skilled family law attorney helps individuals and families address these challenges with confidence. For those facing family law issues in Texas, reaching out to a knowledgeable attorney can make a critical difference. Consulting Linda Leeser of Family Matters Law Firm PLLC offers access to guidance and representation in matters such as divorce, child custody, paternity, and more. About Family Matters Law Firm PLLC: Family Matters Law Firm PLLC is a San Antonio-based legal practice dedicated to providing comprehensive representation in family law cases. Led by Linda Leeser, the firm assists clients with divorce, custody disputes, child support, adoption, and other family-related legal matters. With a client-centered approach, the firm is committed to guiding individuals and families through challenging legal processes with clarity and compassion. Embeds: Youtube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mA4qUhGebvs GMB: https://www.google.com/maps?cid=1486853059394308163 Email and website Email: schedule@attytx.com Website: https://myfamilymatterslaw.com/ Media Contact Company Name: Family Matters Law Firm PLLC Contact Person: Linda Leeser Email:Send Email [ https://www.abnewswire.com/email_contact_us.php?pr=san-antonio-family-law-attorney-linda-leeser-highlights-understanding-types-of-cases-in-texas-family-court ] Phone: (210) 997-2914 Address:926 Chulie Dr City: San Antonio State: Texas 78216 Country: United States Website: https://myfamilymatterslaw.com/ This release was published on openPR.Google CEO Sundar Pichai Reveals Why 2025 Is Critical For The CompanyThousands of US communities forgo federal flood insurance
UConn head coach Dan Hurley insists he's not overvaluing Wednesday night's game between his 25th-ranked Huskies and No. 15 Baylor in Storrs, Conn. Sure, it comes on the heels of the two-time reigning national champion Huskies (5-3) responding to losing all three games during the Maui Invitational with a blowout victory over Maryland Eastern Shore on Saturday. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Clubs Casino compiled a ranking of the 10 biggest tournament cash prizes in poker history (adjusted for inflation) using data from The Hendon Mob. Click for more. The 10 biggest tournament cash prizes recorded in poker historyRams finally ran the ball well in New Orleans, and it kept them in the playoff raceIn the 1997 sci-fi horror film , about six people trapped in a giant mechanical cube, one character asks of the titular shape, “why put people in it?” The response from another, who unknowingly helped to build it, applies to technological adoption in general: “Because it’s here.” If a technology is available to use, people will find ways to use it to their advantage, particularly in formal structures of power. Between that and the volume of irregular migrants at the southern border, it should come as no surprise that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency has found its way to expanding the use of . That could be good news for the agency’s long-time iris biometrics provider, Iris ID. A report in FedScoop calls CBP’s adoption of “a notable move given the somewhat limited use of the technology compared with more widespread applications like fingerprint and facial recognition.” Yet it follows by noting how the U.S. Border Patrol has “significantly ramped up use of iris scanning over the past decade.” Iris biometrics are in use at forty checkpoints across four regional sectors. The percent of CBP’s apprehensions that involved an iris scan currently stands at around 70 percent. Now, through an upcoming software update and other measures, it wants to get that to 100. Matthew Lightner of the U.S. Border Patrol highlighted the importance of iris biometrics to the , and its reliability advantages for border ID checks, during a panel discussion at Identity Week in September. As biometric identifiers, irises are more stable throughout a person’s life than fingerprints or faces. FedScoop quotes the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)’s Patrick Grother, who says “ is built on learning from massive amounts of data. Iris recognition, originally, wasn’t done that way.” Rather, the original algorithm was created by the late Cambridge Professor . “The original research looked at images of the iris and wrote down a set of algorithms – as a set of procedures in mathematics – that would promise good recognition. That turned out to be true and an industry was built upon that.” NIST is growing the size of its for IREX X 1:N evaluations and planning to launch a new IREX XI to evaluate 1:1 comparisons, which will provide a lower barrier to entry for academics looking to study challenges like noise or low-resolution images. It is also working on a metric to evaluate the speed and accuracy of together. Specific iris technology is proprietary to vendors. CBP uses tech from – per its website, “the world’s most deployed iris recognition platform.” CBP has used it for about ten years, and it has won its advocates elsewhere; Iris ID counts , India’s , Pakistan’s and Clear among its clients. Iris ID’s technology uses a frame grabber to capture still frames from the video file, which an algorithm analyzes for patterns visible between the pupil and the white of the eye, and converts them into a 512-byte digital template. Voila: a value corresponding to an individual, which can be replicated with further submissions of video (in other words, scans). The company has noted that its technology is , and delivering up to 99 percent accuracy on even across large databases. It is even used in Canadian airports. Because close-up images of irises are not found all over the internet, there is an argument that it poses fewer than facial recognition. But, as tends to happen in the cycle of technological innovation, some can already see how mass adoption might end up sending iris recognition off the rails, privacy-wise. FedScoop quotes Jake Wiener, an attorney with the Electronic Privacy Information Center, who says “what we don’t want to happen with iris is what happened with Social Security numbers. It got used for everything. Now everyone’s Social Security number is purchasable on the dark web. I think iris is the last that has not been broken in that way.” Yet, that is. | | | | | |
BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) — Florida Atlantic is finalizing the hiring of Texas Tech offensive coordinator Zach Kittley as its new head coach, a person with knowledge of the decision said Monday. Kittley and the school were working through the remaining details Monday, said the person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the school has yet to announce that the hiring is complete. The Owls are replacing Tom Herman, who was fired two weeks ago with two games left in his second year at the school. Kittley had stints as offensive coordinator at Houston Baptist and Western Kentucky before returning to Texas Tech — his alma mater — in 2022 in the same role. The Red Raiders have averaged 435 yards per game over the last three seasons under Kittley, 22nd best among all FBS teams. This season saw the Red Raiders rank among the nation's best offenses: They were eighth in yards per play, eighth in points per game, 10th in yards per game and did all that at a pace nearly unmatched nationally. Texas Tech averaged 78.25 plays per game this season, just behind Syracuse's 78.33 for the national lead. As a student assistant, then graduate assistant and assistant quarterbacks coach at Texas Tech, Kittley helped coach Patrick Mahomes — the Kansas City Chiefs star, NFL MVP and Super Bowl champion — during his collegiate career. The Owls went 3-9 this season, their fourth consecutive losing record. Lane Kiffin went 27-13 with two bowl wins in his three seasons at FAU; the Owls are 22-35 in five seasons since Kiffin left for Ole Miss after the 2019 campaign. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
Academy Sports + Outdoors Announces New $700 Million Share Repurchase Program and Quarterly Cash DividendThe Melville, New York-based company said it had profit of 39 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for one-time gains and costs, came to 54 cents per share. The results surpassed Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of three analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 43 cents per share. The maker of software for analyzing intercepted communications posted revenue of $224.2 million in the period, also surpassing Street forecasts. Four analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $210.2 million. Verint expects full-year earnings to be $2.90 per share. This story was generated by Automated Insights ( http://automatedinsights.com/ap ) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on VRNT at https://www.zacks.com/ap/VRNT
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Tuesday, December 3, 2024 Japan, like Spain, Italy, Indonesia, Thailand, and Greece, has become a hotspot for mass tourism due to its rich cultural heritage, stunning landscapes, world-class infrastructure, and global appeal as a unique travel destination. Several factors contribute to this surge in tourism. First, Japan’s iconic attractions such as Mount Fuji, Kyoto’s ancient temples, Tokyo’s bustling cityscapes, and the cherry blossom season draw millions of visitors annually. Its successful branding as a harmonious blend of traditional culture and modern innovation has captivated international tourists, making it a bucket-list destination. Second, the rise of social media and travel influencers has spotlighted Japan’s beauty, inspiring more travelers to visit. Destinations like Arashiyama Bamboo Grove and Fushimi Inari Shrine frequently appear in viral content, contributing to over-tourism as crowds flock to these picturesque sites. Third, accessibility plays a crucial role. Japan boasts an excellent transportation network, including bullet trains and international flights, making travel seamless for both domestic and foreign visitors. Its visa policies, including visa-free travel for several countries, have also facilitated easier entry for tourists. Lastly, Japan’s hosting of global events, such as the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and the upcoming Osaka 2025 Expo, has significantly boosted its visibility on the international stage. These events attract millions of visitors, but they also strain infrastructure and lead to overcrowding at popular sites. Like Spain, Italy, and others, Japan faces challenges in balancing mass tourism with sustainable practices, necessitating strategic solutions to preserve its cultural and natural treasures while accommodating global travelers. Japan ’s tourism industry has experienced a significant resurgence in 2024 as the world reopens after the pandemic, but the return of foreign visitors has also reignited concerns over overtourism. According to a recent survey by the Development Bank of Japan and the Japan Travel Bureau Foundation, over 30% of foreign tourists reported overtourism-related issues during their trips. At the same time, the survey reveals a growing awareness of sustainable tourism among visitors, with more than 60% expressing willingness to pay higher charges to ease congestion and protect natural and cultural resources. The survey, conducted in July 2024 among 7,796 foreign travelers aged 20 to 79 from Asia, Britain, France, the United States, and Australia, sheds light on pressing challenges and opportunities in Japan’s tourism landscape. The primary concern for visitors was overcrowding at popular tourist destinations, cited by 32% of respondents. This figure is a slight increase from the 30% reported in a similar survey conducted in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic. Bad manners, such as littering and entering restricted areas, emerged as the second-most common issue reported by visitors. These behaviors not only disrupt the experience for other tourists but also pose risks to the preservation of Japan’s cultural and natural heritage. Interestingly, the survey also highlighted a shift in visitor attitudes toward sustainable tourism practices. A significant 63% of respondents said they would be willing to accept higher charges at tourist destinations and other facilities if these measures would help reduce congestion and safeguard Japan’s cultural and natural assets. This marks a notable increase from 43% in 2019, signaling growing awareness and support for sustainable tourism practices. Also Read: C hina’s New Trial Visa-Free Policy for Japan Sparks Increased Demand for Business and Family Travel While Japan’s urban centers like Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka remain magnets for international travelers, the survey revealed strong interest in rural tourism. An overwhelming 97% of respondents who have visited or plan to visit Japan expressed a desire to explore the country’s regional areas. However, less than 10% of these travelers have actually ventured into Japan’s rural landscapes. This gap between interest and actual visits underscores the untapped potential of rural tourism in Japan. Expanding tourism into regional areas could alleviate the pressure on overcrowded urban destinations while offering visitors unique experiences, such as traditional crafts, local cuisine, and scenic natural beauty. Promoting rural tourism could also contribute to regional revitalization by creating jobs and supporting local economies. The survey also pointed to the upcoming 2025 World Expo in Osaka as a major draw for international travelers. Among respondents planning trips to Japan, 72% expressed interest in attending the expo, and for 42% of these travelers, the event is the main reason for their visit. The Osaka Expo is expected to attract millions of visitors and serve as a platform for showcasing Japan’s innovation, culture, and hospitality. However, managing the influx of tourists while ensuring a positive experience for both visitors and locals will be critical. Organizers and tourism authorities must prioritize sustainable practices, including crowd control measures, efficient transportation systems, and eco-friendly initiatives, to make the event a success. Also Read: Dominican Republic tourism industry is surging with visa free travel for 107 countries including Brazil. Japan, UK, US, Thailand and Germany Japan’s tourism industry is at a crossroads, with overtourism presenting both challenges and opportunities. The willingness of international visitors to pay higher charges for sustainable tourism measures offers a path forward. By implementing strategies to reduce overcrowding, protect cultural landmarks, and promote rural tourism, Japan can strike a balance between welcoming visitors and preserving its heritage. One potential solution is the introduction of destination-specific fees, such as entrance charges for popular landmarks or city-wide tourism taxes. These funds could be reinvested in infrastructure, preservation efforts, and marketing campaigns to promote lesser-known destinations. Additionally, digital tools like visitor management apps and real-time crowd monitoring systems could help distribute tourist traffic more evenly across regions. Expanding access to rural areas is another critical component of sustainable tourism in Japan. Investments in transportation networks, such as regional train routes and bus services, can make rural destinations more accessible. Collaborations with local communities to develop authentic experiences, from farm stays to cultural workshops, can also attract visitors while preserving traditional lifestyles. Also Read: Japan’s Overtourism Strain 30% of International Arrivals Experiencing Congestion this festive season Technology will play an essential role in managing the resurgence of tourism in Japan. From AI-powered translation apps to digital ticketing systems, technological solutions can enhance the visitor experience while addressing issues like overcrowding. Virtual tours and augmented reality experiences could also offer alternatives for exploring Japan’s iconic destinations without contributing to congestion. Additionally, data analytics can provide valuable insights into visitor behaviors and preferences, enabling tourism authorities to tailor their strategies. By leveraging these tools, Japan can create a more personalized and sustainable tourism experience that meets the expectations of modern travelers. As Japan prepares for the influx of visitors in 2025 and beyond, the focus must remain on balancing growth with sustainability. The survey results indicate that travelers are not only aware of the challenges posed by overtourism but are also willing to contribute to solutions. This shift in mindset represents an opportunity for Japan to lead by example in sustainable tourism practices. Also Read: Japan Faces Overtourism Challenges: New Survey Highlights Traveller Preferences and Interest in Rural Areas Ahead of 2025 World Expo in Osaka The success of Japan’s tourism industry will depend on collaboration among stakeholders, including government agencies, local communities, and private businesses. By prioritizing sustainability, innovation, and regional development, Japan can ensure a thriving tourism sector that benefits both visitors and residents. Read Travel Industry News in 104 different regional platforms . To know more about Asia Travel Industry, click here: Asia Get our daily dose of news, by subscribing to our newsletters. Subscribe here . Watch Travel And Tour World Interviews here . Read more Travel News , Daily Travel Alert , and Travel Industry News on Travel And Tour World only.
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Judith Graham | (TNS) KFF Health News Carolyn Dickens, 76, was sitting at her dining room table, struggling to catch her breath as her physician looked on with concern. “What’s going on with your breathing?” asked Peter Gliatto, director of Mount Sinai’s Visiting Doctors Program. “I don’t know,” she answered, so softly it was hard to hear. “Going from here to the bathroom or the door, I get really winded. I don’t know when it’s going to be my last breath.” Dickens, a lung cancer survivor, lives in central Harlem, barely getting by. She has serious lung disease and high blood pressure and suffers regular fainting spells. In the past year, she’s fallen several times and dropped to 85 pounds, a dangerously low weight. And she lives alone, without any help — a highly perilous situation. This is almost surely an undercount, since the data is from more than a dozen years ago. It’s a population whose numbers far exceed those living in nursing homes — about 1.2 million — and yet it receives much less attention from policymakers, legislators, and academics who study aging. Consider some eye-opening statistics about completely homebound seniors from a study published in 2020 in JAMA Internal Medicine : Nearly 40% have five or more chronic medical conditions, such as heart or lung disease. Almost 30% are believed to have “probable dementia.” Seventy-seven percent have difficulty with at least one daily task such as bathing or dressing. Almost 40% live by themselves. That “on my own” status magnifies these individuals’ already considerable vulnerability, something that became acutely obvious during the covid-19 outbreak, when the number of sick and disabled seniors confined to their homes doubled. “People who are homebound, like other individuals who are seriously ill, rely on other people for so much,” said Katherine Ornstein, director of the Center for Equity in Aging at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. “If they don’t have someone there with them, they’re at risk of not having food, not having access to health care, not living in a safe environment.” Related Articles Health | Weight loss drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy are all the rage. Are they safe for kids? Health | US life expectancy gap widens to 20 years among groups, researchers found Health | Biden says healthy women help US prosperity as he highlights White House initiative on their health Health | Rural governments often fail to communicate with residents who aren’t proficient in English Health | Who gets obesity drugs covered by insurance? In North Carolina, it helps if you’re on Medicaid Research has shown that older homebound adults are less likely to receive regular primary care than other seniors. They’re also more likely to end up in the hospital with medical crises that might have been prevented if someone had been checking on them. To better understand the experiences of these seniors, I accompanied Gliatto on some home visits in New York City. Mount Sinai’s Visiting Doctors Program, established in 1995, is one of the oldest in the nation. Only 12% of older U.S. adults who rarely or never leave home have access to this kind of home-based primary care. Gliatto and his staff — seven part-time doctors, three nurse practitioners, two nurses, two social workers, and three administrative staffers — serve about 1,000 patients in Manhattan each year. These patients have complicated needs and require high levels of assistance. In recent years, Gliatto has had to cut staff as Mount Sinai has reduced its financial contribution to the program. It doesn’t turn a profit, because reimbursement for services is low and expenses are high. First, Gliatto stopped in to see Sandra Pettway, 79, who never married or had children and has lived by herself in a two-bedroom Harlem apartment for 30 years. Pettway has severe spinal problems and back pain, as well as Type 2 diabetes and depression. She has difficulty moving around and rarely leaves her apartment. “Since the pandemic, it’s been awfully lonely,” she told me. When I asked who checks in on her, Pettway mentioned her next-door neighbor. There’s no one else she sees regularly. Pettway told the doctor she was increasingly apprehensive about an upcoming spinal surgery. He reassured her that Medicare would cover in-home nursing care, aides, and physical therapy services. “Someone will be with you, at least for six weeks,” he said. Left unsaid: Afterward, she would be on her own. (The surgery in April went well, Gliatto reported later.) The doctor listened carefully as Pettway talked about her memory lapses. “I can remember when I was a year old, but I can’t remember 10 minutes ago,” she said. He told her that he thought she was managing well but that he would arrange testing if there was further evidence of cognitive decline. For now, he said, he’s not particularly worried about her ability to manage on her own. Several blocks away, Gliatto visited Dickens, who has lived in her one-bedroom Harlem apartment for 31 years. Dickens told me she hasn’t seen other people regularly since her sister, who used to help her out, had a stroke. Most of the neighbors she knew well have died. Her only other close relative is a niece in the Bronx whom she sees about once a month. Dickens worked with special-education students for decades in New York City’s public schools. Now she lives on a small pension and Social Security — too much to qualify for Medicaid. (Medicaid, the program for low-income people, will pay for aides in the home. Medicare, which covers people over age 65, does not.) Like Pettway, she has only a small fixed income, so she can’t afford in-home help. Every Friday, God’s Love We Deliver, an organization that prepares medically tailored meals for sick people, delivers a week’s worth of frozen breakfasts and dinners that Dickens reheats in the microwave. She almost never goes out. When she has energy, she tries to do a bit of cleaning. Without the ongoing attention from Gliatto, Dickens doesn’t know what she’d do. “Having to get up and go out, you know, putting on your clothes, it’s a task,” she said. “And I have the fear of falling.” The next day, Gliatto visited Marianne Gluck Morrison, 73, a former survey researcher for New York City’s personnel department, in her cluttered Greenwich Village apartment. Morrison, who doesn’t have any siblings or children, was widowed in 2010 and has lived alone since. Morrison said she’d been feeling dizzy over the past few weeks, and Gliatto gave her a basic neurological exam, asking her to follow his fingers with her eyes and touch her fingers to her nose. “I think your problem is with your ear, not your brain,” he told her, describing symptoms of vertigo. Because she had severe wounds on her feet related to Type 2 diabetes, Morrison had been getting home health care for several weeks through Medicare. But those services — help from aides, nurses, and physical therapists — were due to expire in two weeks. “I don’t know what I’ll do then, probably just spend a lot of time in bed,” Morrison told me. Among her other medical conditions: congestive heart failure, osteoarthritis, an irregular heartbeat, chronic kidney disease, and depression. Morrison hasn’t left her apartment since November 2023, when she returned home after a hospitalization and several months at a rehabilitation center. Climbing the three steps that lead up into her apartment building is simply too hard. “It’s hard to be by myself so much of the time. It’s lonely,” she told me. “I would love to have people see me in the house. But at this point, because of the clutter, I can’t do it.” When I asked Morrison who she feels she can count on, she listed Gliatto and a mental health therapist from Henry Street Settlement, a social services organization. She has one close friend she speaks with on the phone most nights. “The problem is I’ve lost eight to nine friends in the last 15 years,” she said, sighing heavily. “They’ve died or moved away.” Bruce Leff, director of the Center for Transformative Geriatric Research at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, is a leading advocate of home-based medical care. “It’s kind of amazing how people find ways to get by,” he said when I asked him about homebound older adults who live alone. “There’s a significant degree of frailty and vulnerability, but there is also substantial resilience.” With the rapid expansion of the aging population in the years ahead, Leff is convinced that more kinds of care will move into the home, everything from rehab services to palliative care to hospital-level services. “It will simply be impossible to build enough hospitals and health facilities to meet the demand from an aging population,” he said. But that will be challenging for homebound older adults who are on their own. Without on-site family caregivers, there may be no one around to help manage this home-based care. ©2024 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Habitat for Humanity Reacts to Jimmy Carter's Death
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Companies tighten security after a health care CEO's killing leads to a surge of threats“Wanted” posters with the names and faces of health care executives have been popping up on the streets of New York. Hit lists with images of bullets are circulating online with warnings that industry leaders should be afraid. The apparent targeted killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and the menacing threats that followed have sent a shudder through corporate America and the health care industry in particular, leading to increased security for executives and some workers. In the week since the brazen shooting , health insurers have removed information about their top executives from company websites, canceled in-person meetings with shareholders and advised all employees to work from home temporarily. An internal New York Police Department bulletin warned this week that the online vitriol that followed the shooting could signal an immediate “elevated threat.” Police fear that the Dec. 4 shooting could "inspire a variety of extremists and grievance-driven malicious actors to violence," according to the bulletin, which was obtained by The Associated Press. “Wanted” posters pasted to parking meters and construction site fences in Manhattan included photos of health care executives and the words “Deny, defend, depose” — similar to a phrase scrawled on bullets found near Thompson’s body and echoing those used by insurance industry critics . Thompson's wife, Paulette, told NBC News last week that he told her some people had been threatening him and suggested the threats may have involved issues with insurance coverage. Investigators believe the shooting suspect, Luigi Mangione , may have been motivated by hostility toward health insurers. They are studying his writings about a previous back injury, and his disdain for corporate America and the U.S. health care system. Mangione’s lawyer has cautioned against prejudging the case. Mangione, 26, has remained jailed in Pennsylvania, where he was arrested Monday . Manhattan prosecutors are working to bring him to New York to face a murder charge. UnitedHealthcare’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group, said this week it was working with law enforcement to ensure a safe work environment and to reinforce security guidelines and building access policies, a spokesperson said. The company has taken down photos, names and biographies for its top executives from its websites, a spokesperson said. Other organizations, including CVS, the parent company for insurance giant Aetna, have taken similar actions. Government health insurance provider Centene Corp. has announced that its investor day will be held online, rather than in-person as originally planned. Medica, a Minnesota-based nonprofit health care firm, said last week it was temporarily closing its six offices for security reasons and would have its employees work from home. Heightened security measures likely will make health care companies and their leaders more inaccessible to their policyholders, said former Cigna executive Wendell Potter. “And understandably so, with this act of violence. There’s no assurance that this won’t happen again,” said Potter, who’s now an advocate for health care reform. Private security firms and consultants have been in high demand, fielding calls almost immediately after the shooting from companies across a range of industries, including manufacturing and finance. Companies have long faced security risks and grappled with how far to take precautions for high-profile executives. But these recent threats sparked by Thompson's killing should not be ignored, said Dave Komendat, a former security chief for Boeing who now heads his own risk-management company. “The tone and tenor is different. The social reaction to this tragedy is different. And so I think that people need to take this seriously,” Komendat said. Just over a quarter of the companies in the Fortune 500 reported spending money to protect their CEOs and top executives. Of those, the median payment for personal security doubled over the last three years to just under $100,000. Hours after the shooting, Komendat was on a call with dozens of chief security officers from big corporations, and there have been many similar meetings since, hosted by security groups or law enforcement agencies assessing the threats, he said. “It just takes one person who is motivated by a poster — who may have experienced something in their life through one of these companies that was harmful," Komendat said. Associated Press reporters Wyatte Grantham-Philips in New York and Barbara Ortutay in San Francisco, contributed to this report. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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US Vice President Kamala Harris waves at supporters at the end of her concession speech at Howard University in Washington, DC, on November 6, 2024. —Agence France-Presse DALLAS, Texas — Vice President Kamala Harris and breakout pop star Chappell Roan were among the year’s most talked-about people. Their names were also among the most mispronounced. On Wednesday, the language-learning company Babbel and closed-captioning company The Captioning Group released a list of the words that news anchors, politicians and other public figures in the United States struggled with the most in 2024. The list also provides a retrospective of the year’s most discussed topics and people, from pop culture to politics. “It’s a nice way to kind of look back into the year and see everything that has happened,” said Esteban Touma, a linguistic and cultural expert at Babbel. Roan—whose hits include “Good Luck, Babe!”—shot to fame this year and is nominated for six Grammy awards. According to the list, her name is pronounced CHAP-uhl ROHN, not SHA-pel ROW-an. During Harris’ unsuccessful run for president this year, her great-nieces took to the stage at the Democratic National Convention to clear up how to say her first name, pronounced COM-a-la. Also making the list was US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, whose last name still leaves people tongue-tied. During his 2020 presidential run, his campaign made posters and T-shirts with the pronunciation “Boot-Edge-Edge” to help. Other words on the list include: • Dutch Kooikerhondje, pronounced COY-ker-HUND-che, is a breed of dog that made it’s way into the lexicon this year. This is largely because Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani has a Kooikerhondje called Decoy who won the hearts of fans while delivering a ceremonial first pitch. • The name of the actress Zendaya, who starred in “Challengers,” is often mispronounced as zen-DIE-uh, but it should be zen-DAY-a. • Online fast-fashion giant Shein is SHE-in, not SHEEN. • Newly discovered exoplanet Speculoos-3b is pronounced SPEK-yuh-lohss three bee. • Phryge, the mascot of the Paris Olympics, is pronounced FREE-je. It was a nod to the Phrygian cap, an emblematic accessory of the French revolutionaries. • Semaglutide, the drug in weight-loss medications Ozempic and Wegovy, is pronounced sem-ah-GLOO-tide, not SEE-mah-gloo-tide. • The last name of Irish actor Barry Keoghan, who starred in “Saltburn,” is pronounced key-OH-gin. Nancy Niedzielski, chair of the linguistics department at Rice University in Houston, points out that most of the words on the list are not English, so it’s not surprising that they would be mispronounced in the United States. The key to pronouncing them correctly, she said, would probably just be hearing them spoken, she said. “There aren’t really tricks short of knowing how orthology works in that language,” she said. Several of the words on the US list, including Keoghan, Phryge and Shein, also made the list for the UK, which Babbel compiled with the help of the British Institute of Verbatim Reporters, an organization for subtitling professionals. Other words on the UK list include flygskam, a Swedish term pronounced FLEEG-skam, popularized by climate activist Greta Thunberg, which translates as “flight shame,” and the Chagos Islands, pronounced CHAY-goss, which made the list after the British government this year returned sovereignty of the long-contested Indian Ocean archipelago to Mauritius. Touma, a native Spanish speaker, said if you can’t pronounce a word, it’s important to just keep trying. “One of the problems we have is our mouths are not trained to do these sounds that come from different languages,” he said. Touma admitted even he struggles with some words, including Harris’ first name. Even though he knows the correct pronunciation, he said, it’s hard to get it correct in the moment when he’s in a conversation. As Roan’s music gained popularity over the year, it was interesting cultural moment to watch as people learned to pronounce her first and last name, he said. Subscribe to our daily newsletter By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . “The way we create understanding with each other is just trying to do these things,” Touma said.
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