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Luigi Mangione ‘had so much to offer’ — now, he is a murder suspectHow Birmingham, Ala., Used Tech to Support Youngest LearnersIf Sad Beige Mom, Nattie Powell’s, latest Glinda-fied Step2 My First Christmas Tree makeover TikTok has you mourning the classic and very viral evergreen look , then you’re in luck. You can still find the Step2 My First Christmas Tree , along with other festive editions like the My First Snowman and My First Gingerbread House , available for purchase at retailers like Amazon, Walmart and the Step2 website itself. You may even find them on sale and deliverable ahead of the holiday, if you shop like Rudolph and run, run, run to cart as soon as you can. Unfortunately, the Step2 My First Advent Calendar that came back on the scene in July is either out of stock or not promised by Christmas anywhere that it’s sold. However, you can get notified on restocks from Step2 directly . The charm of these collectibles My First Christmas Tree : Designed with little hands in mind, this DIY Douglas Fir lets babies and toddlers take the lead in decorating their very own Christmas tree, complete with ornaments, a star and a miniature train set they can play with (while you’re putting up your own tree). You can get it in light green with a tan pedestal and multicolor ornaments or in dark green with a mahogany pedestal and multicolor baubles. My First Snowman : Your munchkins will have a blast dreaming up their own frosty pal with put-and-place style accessories and a magical top hat that plays yuletide tunes while they’re hard at work on his frozen, but still friendly facade. My First Gingerbread House : Fans of holiday baking competitions can step into pastry chef roles of their own with this sweet light up pièce de résistance, which comes with mix-and-match accessories that look just like real icing, peppermint candies and gumdrops. Plus, all the pieces fit neatly inside the house for tidy cleanups. My First Advent Calendar : With 25 secret compartments parents can fill with goodies/surprises as a way to celebrate each day in December and the month-long countdown to Christmas. However, this one make arrive after Christmas. Complete your ‘My First’ scene with these TikTok-famous Christmastime finds Amazon Step2 My First Christmas Tree in Light Green for $65, instead of $90 Step2 My First Snowman for $40, instead of $45 Walmart My First Christmas Tree in Light Green for $72 My First Christmas Tree in Dark Green for $89, instead of $99 My First Snowman for $45, instead of $56 Step2 My First Christmas Tree for $65 ($15 off with the code MYTREE15 ) My First Snowman for $40 ($8 off with the code MYSNOWMAN8 ) My First Gingerbread House for $55 Wayfair My First Christmas Tree in Light Green for $72 My First Snowman for $43 The Best Deals in December Amazon has this portable keychain charger for your Apple watch on sale for just $15 Nordstrom has Tory Burch bags, shoes and sunglasses up to 60% off, but the hottest looks are going fast Amazon, Walmart & Target have these PS5 deals still in stock with up to $126 off Amazon has this robot vacuum on sale for a whopping 57% off and it’ll make your life so much easier Amazon has this heated neck massager on sale for $20 off, just in time for holiday stress Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com . Danielle Halibey can be reached at dhalibey@njadvancemedia.com . Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips .
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — The New York Jets might be dealing with an opponent even tougher to overcome than their poor play, missed opportunities and ill-timed mistakes. Wide receiver Garrett Wilson suggested last Sunday a losing “gene” might be an explanation for the Jets’ inability to pull out victories after the team dropped to 3-10 with a loss at Miami. On Wednesday, Aaron Rodgers presented another perhaps more sinister reason. “I mean, it might be something like that," the quarterback said of Wilson's theory. "It might be some sort of curse we've got to snap as well.” Generations of frustrated Jets fans have half-jokingly insisted there have been negative forces at work against the franchise since Joe Namath delivered on his Super Bowl guarantee in January 1969. It remains the team's only appearance in the NFL's biggest game. Rodgers has been there once — and won — with Green Bay. The 41-year-old quarterback came to New York hoping to finally lead the Jets back to the Super Bowl. He even commented on how lonely the team's only Lombardi Trophy looked during his introductory news conference 20 months ago. Instead, Rodgers' first season in New York was cut short by a torn Achilles tendon just four snaps in, immediately resurrecting "curse” theories among jaded Jets fans. With its loss last Sunday, New York extended its playoff drought to 14 straight years, the longest active skid among the major North American sports leagues. And the team will be looking for a new general manager and coach after this season, and Rodgers' future in New York is very much up in the air. “Whatever the case, this team, this organization is going to figure out how to get over the hump at some point,” Rodgers said. “The culture is built by the players. There’s a framework set down by the organization, by the upper ups, by the staff. But in the end, it’s the players that make it come to life. "And at some point, everybody’s going to have to figure out what that special sauce is to turn those games that should be wins into wins.” The Jets have held the lead in the fourth quarter in five games this season. They've lost each of them, including the past three games. New York's inability to come away with wins in those prompted Wilson's “gene” theory. “I’m not exactly sure what he was talking about there,” Rodgers said with a smile. "I don’t know what the proper nomenclature is for the situation where we’ve lost some leads or haven’t been able to take the lead late in the game, but that’s the way it goes sometimes. We haven’t been great in situational football. “A lot of those games come down to the plays in the first and second, even third quarter, where if you make the play the game is not in that situation. But in those situations, we haven’t been very good on offense or defense or even (special) teams.” Rodgers said “it takes a conscious effort, it takes an intentional effort” to establish a winning culture, and it includes leadership, practice habits and setting standards inside and outside of the locker room. And this year's Jets, Rodgers said, are “on the edge” of that. “We just haven’t quite figured out how to get that special sauce worked out, mixed up,” he said. “It’s close and a lot of great guys are in the locker room. There’s some good mix of veterans and young guys, but we just haven’t quite put it all together.” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLA&E departments 'absolutely full to bursting', top medic says
US wholesale inflation accelerated in November in sign that some price pressures remain elevated WASHINGTON (AP) — Wholesale costs in the United States picked up sharply last month, signaling that price pressures are still evident in the economy even though inflation has tumbled from the peak levels it hit more than two years ago. The producer price index — which tracks inflation before it reaches consumers — rose 0.4% last month from October, up from 0.3% the month before. Measured from 12 months earlier, wholesale prices climbed 3% in November, the sharpest year-over-year rise since February 2023. Higher food prices helped fuel the November wholesale inflation reading, which was higher than economists had expected. Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is pushing toward a vote on legislation that would provide full Social Security benefits to millions of people. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer began the process on Thursday for a final vote on the bill, known as the Social Security Fairness Act. It would eliminate policies that currently limit Social Security payouts for roughly 2.8 million people. The legislation has passed the House. The bill would add more strain on the Social Security Trust funds, which are already estimated to be unable to pay out full benefits beginning in 2035. The measure would add an estimated $195 billion to federal deficits over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power WASHINGTON (AP) — IRS leadership on Thursday announced that the agency has recovered $4.7 billion in back taxes and proceeds from a variety of crimes. The announcement comes under the backdrop of a promised reckoning from Republicans who will hold a majority over both chambers of the next Congress and have long called for rescinding the tens of billions of dollars in funding provided to the agency by Democrats. IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said improvements made to the agency will help the incoming administration and new Republican majority congress achieve its goals of administering an extension of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. From a 10-year-old to a Muppet to a president-elect, NYSE bell-ringers range from famous to obscure The first guest invited to ring the bell at the New York Stock Exchange in 1956 wasn’t a company executive, a politician or a celebrity. It was a 10-year-old boy, Leonard Ross, who received the honor by winning a television quiz show. Since then, business titans, political giants and global film stars have all been among those ringing the opening bell at the NYSE. Ronald Reagan rang the bell as president in 1985. Billionaire businessman and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Hollywood star Robert Downey Jr. have also rung the bell. The even list includes famous Muppets: Miss Piggy was once a bell ringer. Trump is named Time's Person of the Year and rings the New York Stock Exchange's opening bell NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange after being recognized by Time magazine as its person of the year. The honors Thursday for the businessman-turned-politician are a measure of Trump’s remarkable comeback from an ostracized former president who refused to accept his election loss four years ago to a president-elect who won the White House decisively in November. At the stock exchange, Trump was accompanied by his wife, Melania Trump, daughters Ivanka and Tiffany and Vice President-elect JD Vance. Trump grinned as people chanted “USA” before he opened the trading day and raised his fist. Ontario to restrict electricity exports to US and bar American-made alcohol if Trump tariffs applied TORONTO (AP) — A senior official in Canada’s most populous province says that Ontario could bar American-made alcohol and restrict electricity to three U.S. states if President-elect Donald Trump imposes sweeping tariffs on all Canadian products. The states are Michigan, New York and Minnesota. An official in Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s government said Thursday that it's contemplating restricting Ontario's liquor control board from buying American-made alcohol. Ontario is also considering restricting exports of Canadian critical minerals required for electric vehicle batteries. Stock market today: Wall Street’s rally stalls as Nasdaq pulls back from its record NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes fell following some potentially discouraging data on the economy. The S&P 500 slipped 0.5% Thursday for its fourth loss in the last six days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.5%, and the Nasdaq composite sank 0.7% from its record set the day before. Reports in the morning showed more U.S. workers applied for unemployment benefits than expected, while inflation was hotter at the wholesale level than economists had forecast. Adobe helped drag the stock market lower after giving forecasts for profit and revenue in its upcoming fiscal year that fell a bit shy of analysts’. Average rate on 30-year mortgage hits 6.6%, its third straight weekly decline The average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the U.S. has eased for the third week in a row. That's a welcome trend for prospective homebuyers during what’s typically a less competitive time of the year for the housing market. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the rate dropped to 6.6% from 6.69% last week. A year ago, the rate averaged 6.95%. Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, including the moves in the yield on U.S. 10-year Treasury bonds, which lenders use as a guide to price home loans. YouTube TV is hiking its monthly price, again. Here's what to know NEW YORK (AP) — Are you a YouTube TV subscriber? Your monthly bills are about to get more expensive again. YouTube has announced that it’s upping the price of its streaming service’s base plan by $10 — citing rising content costs and other investments. The new $82.99 per month price tag will go into effect starting Jan. 13 for existing subscribers, and immediately for new customers who sign up going forward. YouTube TV has rolled out a series of price hikes over the years. When launched back in 2017, the going price of its streaming package was $35 a month. By 2019, that fee rose to $50 — and has climbed higher and higher since. The White House is cracking down on overdraft fees NEW YORK (AP) — The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said Thursday it's capping overdraft fees at $5 with a rule set to take effect in October 2025, if it isn't overturned by Congress or altered under a Trump administration. President Joe Biden had called the fees, which can be as high as $35, “exploitative,” while the banking industry has lobbied extensively to keep the existing fee structures in place.
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The Massachusetts Senate proposed an amendment on Monday December 2, 2024, that would delay implementation and enforcement of the 2021 Patients First Act addressing health care cost transparency. Section 31 of the amendment would replace the current implementation date of January 1, 2025, with January 1, 2027, providing an additional two years for providers to prepare for the additional notice requirements accompanying the law. Governor Charles Baker signed into law An Act Promoting a Resilient Health Care System that Puts Patients First (Patients First Act) on January 1, 2021, to address perceived concerns regarding out-of-network (OON) billing. Under the Patients First Act, health care providers will be required to notify patients if the provider is in or out of the patient’s health plan. The Patients First Act has been the Massachusetts legislative attempt to address the challenges in private insurance and health care coverage market — a compliment to the Federal No Surprises Act, discussed in prior blog posts here and here . Recognizing the challenges of implementing this law, the Commonwealth had already extended and re-extended the implementation and enforcement date for the Patients First Act. With the most recent extension, implementation and enforcement will now begin January 1, 2027, and health care providers will be required to notify patients about charges and payments for proposed admissions, procedures, services, and referrals that are specific to the patient’s health insurance carrier. Failing to comply with these requirements may lead to penalties of up to US$2,500 for each instance of noncompliance issued by the Department of Public Health (DPH). Impacted Health Care Providers The requirements of the Patients First Act apply to health care providers, defined to include doctors, dentists, registered nurses, social workers, pharmacists, chiropractors, psychologists, hospitals, clinics — including community health centers — and nursing homes. Notice Requirements The Patients First Act requires health care providers to notify patients or potential patients, verbally or in writing, of whether the provider participates in the patient’s health plan. This notice must be given upon scheduling an admission, procedure, or service that is related to a non-emergency medical condition or upon request by the patient. Once the initial notice is given, patients can waive this requirement for subsequent admissions, procedures, or services that are part of a continued course of treatment. The notification also varies based on whether a provider is in-network, meaning the provider does participate in the patient’s health plan, or out-of-network, in which case the provider does not participate in a patient’s health plan. If a provider is in-network, at the time of scheduling an admission, procedure or service that is not for an emergency medical condition, the health care provider must provide notice that the provider participates in the patient’s health insurance plan. The patient may request the following information from their provider: The allowed amount and any facility fees for the admission, procedure, or service, to be disclosed by the health care provider within two days of the patient’s request; and If a provider is unable to quote a specific amount due to the inability to predict specific treatment or diagnostic codes, the provider must disclose the estimated maximum amount and any facility fees. Patients may also obtain additional information in real time about applicable out-of-pocket costs from their insurance carrier’s toll-free number or website. If a provider is OON, and if the appointment was scheduled more than seven days in advance of the admission, procedure, or service: the health care provider must inform the patient that the health care provider does not participate in the patient’s health plan verbally and in writing at the time of scheduling (no less than seven days before the appointment). Providers who fail to provide this notice are prohibited from billing the insured beyond any applicable copayment, coinsurance, or deductible that would be payable if the insured received the service from a provider who participates in the patient’s health plan. If a provider is OON, and if the appointment was scheduled less than seven days in advance of the admission, procedure, or service: the health care provider must verbally inform the patient that the health care provider does not participate in the patient’s health plan, at the time of scheduling (no less than two days or as soon as practicable before the appointment). The provider must also give written notice upon the patient’s arrival for the appointment. Providers who fail to provide such notice are similarly prohibited from billing the insured beyond any applicable copayment, coinsurance, or deductible that would be payable if the insured received the service from a provider who participates in the patient’s health plan. Regardless of the timing of the appointment scheduling, if a provider is OON, the health care provider must give notice of the charge and amount of any facility fees for the admission, procedure, or service at the time of scheduling. The provider must also give the patient notice that the patient will be responsible for the charges not covered through the patient’s plan and notice that the patient may be able to obtain the admission, procedure or service at a lower cost from a health care provider who participates in the patient’s health plan. Referral Requests: In the case of referrals, requirements depend on whether a provider is referring the patient to another provider or whether the provider is directly scheduling, ordering, or otherwise arranging health care services for a patient with another provider. When a provider refers a patient to another provider, the referring provider must: Disclose if the referred provider is part of or represented by the same provider organization [1] as the referring provider; Inform the patient that the referred provider may not participate in the patient’s health plan, that there may be applicable out-of-network rates, and that the patient has an opportunity to verify whether the referred provider participates in their health plan prior to making an appointment or agreeing to use the provider’s services; and Provide the patient with sufficient information about the referred provider so that the patient may obtain additional information about whether the referred provider participates in their health plan and any applicable out-of-pocket costs should the patient use the referred provider’s services. If a provider is directly scheduling, ordering, or otherwise arranging health care services for a patient with another provider, before doing so, the referring provider must verify whether the referred provider is in-network and notify the patient if the referred provider is either OON or the referring provider cannot verify whether the referred provider is in-network. Penalties The law authorizes DPH to penalize health care providers who fail to comply with these requirements, with a penalty of up to US$2,500 in each instance. Effective January 1, 2027, the Department will accept and investigate complaints. The initial penalty amount will be US$0 to give providers time to come into compliance. Any patient who has not received the required notice may submit a complaint, in writing, to the health care provider’s professional licensing board, or in the case of a licensed facility, to the DPH Bureau of Health Care Safety and Quality. The board will notify the health care provider of the complaint and give the provider ten days to submit written documentation demonstrating compliance with the notice requirements. Moving Forward With increasing discourse about pricing transparency in health care costs nationwide, the Commonwealth’s choice to pass the Patients First Act supplements similar efforts made in the federal government. However, the recurring extensions of implementation and enforcement reflect the extraordinary complexities that come with proper application of this law to providers. Moving forward, these challenges may serve as a guide for other states — particularly in New England — for responding to conversations surrounding health care pricing and anticipating the difficulties that come with resolving such a complex matter. Providers and policymakers in other states should take the necessity of extending implementation of this new law by six years as evidence that even a well-intentioned transparency law such as this should be carefully considered and discussed with the provider community before being enacted. [1] G.L. c. 111, s. 228 specifically references G.L. c. 6D, s1, which defines “provider organization” as follows: “[A]ny corporation, partnership, business trust, association or organized group of persons, which is in the business of health care delivery or management, whether incorporated or not that represents 1 or more health care providers in contracting with carriers for the payments of heath care services; provided, that ”provider organization” shall include, but not be limited to, physician organizations, physician-hospital organizations, independent practice associations, provider networks, accountable care organizations and any other organization that contracts with carriers for payment for health care services.”Donald Trump set to be named Time's 'Person of the Year' Ringing bell signifies start or closing of trading day at world’s largest stock exchange, NYSE WASHINGTON: US President-elect Donald Trump is likely to be announced as Time magazine’s "Person of the Year" on Thursday, the day when he is set to appear at the New York Stock Exchange, where he will ring the opening bell, sources familiar with the matter have revealed. A spokesperson for Time declined to comment on the selection. The Republican president-elect built his fortune as a New York real estate investor before turning to politics. During his first term as president, he measured his success in part by the strength of the stock market, which has so far welcomed his re-election. The ringing of the bell signifies the start or closing of the trading day at the world’s largest stock exchange, and is considered an honour. The act has historically been reserved for company executives celebrating an initial public offering or other major corporate milestones, but celebrities and politicians like Ronald Reagan, Nelson Mandela and Arnold Schwarzenegger have also rung it. Politico first reported the news of Trump's selection and plans. Time bestowed the "Person of the Year" title to Trump once before, in 2016. It named Democratic President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris "Person of the Year" in 2020, after they defeated Trump. Pop star Taylor Swift received the title last year. Musk's net worth surpasses $400 billion after Trump's Nov victory Indian beauty start-up faces criticism over pretend emails sacking workers Woman sells 30-day-old baby to pay husband's loans in India Sara Sharif's father, step mother convicted of her murderIn the days following the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson , people online have discussed the state of American health care, particularly its high costs. In a handwritten document expressing his views, the suspected shooter, 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, claimed that the U.S. has the most expensive health care system in the world, but ranks number 42 in life expectancy, multiple media outlets reported. Some on social media repeated the claim or made posts comparing the high costs of the U.S. healthcare system to the nation’s lower life expectancy. THE QUESTION Does the U.S. have the most expensive health care system in the world? THE SOURCES World Health Organization (WHO) Global Health Expenditure data Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker THE ANSWER Yes, the U.S. has the most expensive health care system in the world. WHAT WE FOUND A country’s health care costs are typically measured by adding up all health care spending for people, governments, organizations and businesses, and dividing that by the total number of people in the country. The figure includes spending on personal health care, such as drugs and hospital visits, as well as collective care, such as public health services and health administration. The U.S. health care system is more expensive per person than any other country’s health care system, both in raw dollar amounts and when spending is adjusted to account for the cost of living in each country. This finding is consistent across data from multiple international organizations. In 2021, the most recent year for which the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Health Expenditure database published numbers for all countries, the U.S. spent just over $12,000 on health care per person. The only other country that spent more than $10,000 was Switzerland, which spent nearly $10,900 per person. However, when adjusted for the cost of goods in each country, the spending gap is even larger. Switzerland, which still spent the second most, spent about $9,000 on health care per person in 2021. The U.S., on the other hand, spent about $12,000 per person. Looking at another dataset, in 2022, the U.S. spent nearly $12,600 on health care per person, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) , an international organization made up of about 40 wealthy member countries. The OECD collects data on its member countries. The OECD country that spent the next most on health care per person, when adjusted for the cost of goods in that country, was still Switzerland. It spent just over $8,000 per person, according to the OECD’s data. Wealthy countries do tend to spend more money on health care per person than lower income countries, according to the Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker , a partnership between two public health non-profit organizations. But Denmark, Switzerland, Ireland, Luxembourg and Norway are all wealthier per person than the U.S. is and spend significantly less on health care per person, according to the Health System Tracker. Ireland spends less than half of what the U.S. does on health care per person. Life expectancy and health outcomes When it comes to how the U.S. ranks for life expectancy and health outcomes, it’s true that the U.S. is behind dozens of other countries, although several international organizations don’t place the U.S. exactly at number 42. A CIA World Factbook estimate for 2024 ranked the U.S. 35th in life expectancy once territories are excluded. The WHO ranked the U.S. 45th in the world, excluding territories, in life expectancy in 2021, the most recent year for which the WHO has data for all countries. WHO data from 2019 shows that the U.S. was 40th in life expectancy prior to the pandemic. The U.S. experienced a bigger drop in life expectancy than other similarly wealthy countries during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Health System Tracker , which is run by the nonprofits The Peterson Center on Healthcare and KFF. The Health System Tracker explains this is because the pandemic increased mortality and premature death rates in the U.S. by more than it did in most peer countries, making the U.S. fall further behind in life expectancy.