text:
NEWSCAST - Monday July 9th, 2018
John Urban Mon Jul 9, 2018
-Zohaib Jailani, a 19-year-old student in Western University's Faculty of Social Science, was critically injured in an alleged hit-and-run on an early Friday morning before passing away in a hospital later that same day in late June
-Global News reported that Zohaib was awaiting a bus at the corner of Kipling and Steeles avenues in Toronto when a stolen vehicle struck and critically injured him after it collided with two other vehicles in the intersection
-The accused driver, Martin Hines, allegedly fled the scene after striking Zohaib. Police report Hines then carjacked a woman's vehicle before being arrested while attempting to steal a transit bus
-Zohaib was the second of two innocent victims to die through Hines' alleged actions. Eddie Chavez Alquinto, 60, was pronounced dead on scene after Hines allegedly struck his car earlier in the night
-Zohaib was laid to rest on last Tuesday after a gathering at a Mosque in Brampton
-Radio Western sends it's condolences to the Jailani family
-Fire in the EOA last night, as London police are investigating a Sunday night blaze around 11:30 p.m., as police were called to an active fire on King Street near Lyle Street
-Damage estimates have not been released yet. Both the front of units 13 and 14 in the Tol Puddle housing complex had been severely burned
-As many as 50 people in the complex were displaced by the fire and smoke
-A six-year-old was taken to hospital, treated for smoke inhalation and released
-Police say King Street is open, but it has been reduced to one lane from Adelaide Street to Lyle Street while they investigate
-Anyone with information in relation to this incident is asked to call the London Police Service at (519) 661-5670 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477)
-It was a winning weekend for both the Junior Varsity and Varsity London Jr. Mustangs football teams on the weekend
-As both hosted Conference Semi-Final matchups at City Wide Sports Park, with the JV teams playing the Essex Ravens and the Varsity team taking on the Niagara Spears
-In the JV game it was 0-0 after the 1st quarter of play, but that didn't stop London from putting up 36 points over the next two quarters in a 39-16 win over the Ravens
-London's #1 LJ Dyer would make a statement 37 seconds into the 3rd quarter with an 80+ yard TD run, followed exactly 3 minutes later with a 40-year TD catch to increase the lead to 28-2
-Later in the Varsity game, it was the Taz Vang Bell show, who had 3 rushing TDs and close to 200 yards rushing before halftime, to give London a 21-7 lead at the break
-In the 2nd half, London would get another TD from #21 Dylan Gallant and a couple Field Goals from Brian Garrity for a 34-15 victory
-Both teams now advance to the Conference Finals, which they both host at home against the Hamilton Jr. Tiger Cats on Friday or Saturday this week
-This afternoon will be sunny, as we reach our high of 29 degrees, overnight won't be as cool as last night as it goes down to 19 degrees
-The next four days have sun, mainly sun, more sun and a mix of sun and cloud, with highs of 26, 29, 29 and 29 respectively
LHSF to Open Pancreatic Cancer Centre with Donation
NEWSCAST - Wednesday, July 17th, 2019
NEWSCAST - Tuesday, July 16th, 2019
Western Researchers Discover Potential Key to PTSD in Cannabis
NEWSCAST - Monday, July 15th, 2019
Swapping Clothes for Sustainability
Show your support for independent arts, music & culture.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Wk 53: No Winter In FLA, Fashion submission featuring Paola Gonzalez and photographed by Kapplan Bryant.
If you've ever perused any type of modeling, acting, or singing media, you've no doubt noticed Paola Gonzalez. She's the fresh-faced model that has mastered the art of sporty dressing in this set submitted by photographer Kapplan Bryant. Paola mixes elegance, informal and sexiness in a unique mix. If you want to view more beautiful models like Paola or read articles about art, music and writing check out Elan Vital's magazine and website.
Paola Maria Gonzalez is an actress, singer and now model in Tampa, Florida. Paola has been focusing on modeling for a few months now. Her passion is singing and acting, so modeling was eventually going to be in her future and it is now! From Puero Rico, Paola brings an exotic and passion look and vibe. Paola is one semester away from graduating from college and is pursuring an acting and singing career afterwards. Acting and singing are not her biggest passion however. She loves going to Disney World and dressing up as disney princesses for children.
Kapplan Bryant is a photographer from Tampa, Florida. Coming from the film and motion pictures side, Kapplan picked up still photography one year ago. Since learning to do stills, Kapplan has already been published in two magazines, one Florida based magazine and one international magazine. Kapplan is known for his creativity which comes from his filmmaking and cinematography side. Kapplan is a graduate from the University of Tampa.


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Welcome to Barton & Blair Dental Center, your smile headquarters in Richland.
Richland dentists, Paul Barton, Dr. Blair and our team specialize in beautifying smiles, maintaining your dental health, and helping you improve your appearance. Our experienced and friendly staff takes great pride in keeping your smile beautiful. Our promise to you is that the veneers, fillings, crowns, and bridges we create will look as good as or better than the teeth nature gave you. And to make sure we keep that promise, the products we recommend and use are the highest quality and incredibly durable. You can trust your smile with us.


text:
import Ember from 'ember';
import ResetScrollMixin from '../mixins/reset-scroll';

export default Ember.Route.extend(ResetScrollMixin, {
  ajax: Ember.inject.service(),
  user: Ember.inject.service(),
  errorHandler: Ember.inject.service(),
  toast: Ember.inject.service(),

  actions:{
  	submitBadge() {
      var badgecode = Ember.$("#badgecode").val().trim();

      var hasError = false;
      if (badgecode === '') {
        this.get('toast').error("You didn't enter a badgecode!");
        hasError = true;
      }
      else if (badgecode.length !== 10) {
        this.get('toast').error("The badge code doesn't look valid.");
        hasError = true;
      }

      if (hasError) {
        return;
      }

      Ember.$("#badgeButton").hide();

      this.get('ajax').post('/game/badge', {
        data: {
          badgecode: badgecode,
          apikey: this.get('user').getApiKey()
        }
      }).then((result) => {
        this.get('toast').success('You have earned the <strong>' + result.badge + '</strong> badge!');
        Ember.$('#badgecode').val('');
        Ember.$('#badgeButton').show();
        this.refresh();
      }).catch((err) => {
        if (err.message && err.problems) {
          console.log(err);
          err.problems.forEach((problem) => {
            this.get('toast').error(problem);
          });
        }
        else {
          this.get('errorHandler').handleError(err, 'There was a problem processing the antivirus.');
        }

        Ember.$('#badgeButton').show();
      });
    }
  }
 });

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: php pdo: prepare() does not execute but query() does [foreach loop] I'm not sure if the issue is with the prepare() statement itself or with the bindValues, but I cannot figure out why this works as a query() and not as a prepared statement.
$dbh = new PDO("mysql:host=$dbhost", $dbuser, $dbpass, $options);
$dbh->beginTransaction();

$record_data = $dbh->prepare("UPDATE $db.$dbt SET :column = :value WHERE `key` = :key;");

foreach ( $qaPairs as $pair ) {
    list($question , $answer) = explode('=', $pair);

    echo "$key : $question $answer";
    $record_data->bindValue(':column', $question);
    $record_data->bindValue(':value', $answer);
    $record_data->bindValue(':key', $key);
    $record_data->execute();
}
$dbh->commit();

If I replace the $record_data->bindValue…s and the $record_data->execute() with
$dbh->query("UPDATE `$db`.`$dbt` SET `$question`='$answer' WHERE `key`='$key';");

it works.
For troubleshooting, I added the echo statement, and the values printed are just letters and digits and no quoting; also, the database and table names are not quoted/tick'd.
I read in another question that looping causes problems with prepare and bind_. I switched from bindParam to bindValue, but that didn't seem to help…
EDIT: results of var_dump($key,$question,$answer):
string(17) "m3dc78db1e8368428" string(3) "age" string(2) "23" age 23

A: You cannot bind a table field name. As much as you cannot bind a table name. You'll have to use this code instead:
$dbh = new PDO("mysql:host=$dbhost", $dbuser, $dbpass, $options);
$dbh->beginTransaction();

foreach ( $qaPairs as $pair ) {
    list($question , $answer) = explode('=', $pair);
    // Initialize $column here… remember to sanitize it!!!
    $record_data = $dbh->prepare("UPDATE $db.$dbt SET $question = :value WHERE `key` = :key;");
    echo "$key : $question $answer";
    $record_data->bindValue(':value', $answer);
    $record_data->bindValue(':key', $key);
    $record_data->execute();
}
$dbh->commit();

Reference:

*

*Comment on PHP pdo.prepare.php

A: Did you change the error mode to 'exception' and used try/catch to display possible errors?
Here is how you do it:
<?php
    $dbh = new PDO("mysql:host=$dbhost", $dbuser, $dbpass, $options);
    $dbh->setAttribute(PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE, PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION);
    try {
        $dbh->beginTransaction();
        $record_data = $dbh->prepare("UPDATE $db.$dbt SET :column = :value WHERE `key` = :key;");
        foreach ( $qaPairs as $pair ) {
            list($question , $answer) = explode('=', $pair);

            echo "$key : $question $answer";
            $record_data->bindParam(':column', $question);
            $record_data->bindParam(':value', $answer);
            $record_data->bindParam(':key', $key);
            $record_data->execute();
        }
        $dbh->commit();
    } catch(PDOException $e) {
        echo $e;
    }
?>

I hope this step provides you with more insight.
Furthermore you need to use bindParam(), because the values of the variables are changing on each iteration.

A: final code:
error_reporting(-1);

$dbh = new PDO("mysql:host=$dbhost", $dbuser, $dbpass, $options);
$dbh->beginTransaction();

foreach ( $qaPairs as $pair ) {
    list($question , $answer) = explode('=', $pair);
    //var_dump($key,$question,$answer);

    try {
    $record_data = $dbh->prepare("UPDATE $db.$dbt SET $question = :value WHERE `key` = :key;");
    //$record_data->bindParam(':column', $question);
    $record_data->bindParam(':value', $answer);
    $record_data->bindParam(':key', $key);
    //$dbh->query("UPDATE `$db`.`$dbt` SET `$question`='$answer' WHERE `key`='$key';");
    //$record_data->execute(array(1=>$question,2=>$answer,3=>$key));
    //$record_data->execute(array(':column'=>$question,':value'=>$answer,':key'=>$key));
    $record_data->execute();
    }
    catch(PDOException $e) {
        echo $e;
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Chapter 12 – Interlude: Ali
Sara Awakening November 6, 2019 November 7, 2019 18 Minutes
<-First Chapter
<-Previous Chapter
A/N: Another popular trope of anime is the infamous "Beach Episode." So of course I wrote my own. If you've followed the blog for a while, this chapter may seem familiar. I shared an excerpt of this for a prompt a ways back, but hey now you have more context! So much fun and backstory in this one.
Chapter 12: Interlude – Ali
A soft light warmed Ali's face and the smell of Kurama's roses greeted her when she awoke. There was a weight on her, but it comforted rather than restrained her. She tugged the blanket tightly to her chest and inhaled deeply, never happier to be in a bed. They had won. She knew they could do it.
Kurama stirred at the sound of her movement and she poked her head up to look down the length of the bed. He was seated on the chaise lounge far more comfortably than she had left him there what seemed a lifetime ago. She smiled. "Morning."
He stood and walked to the side of the bed. "Good morning," he greeted her. "Sleep well?"
She nodded, burrowing her head back into the fluffy pillow. She would never complain about a bed being too soft ever again. "How long was I out?" she asked.
"You slept all day yesterday." She bolted halfway up to her elbows and gaped at him. Kurama chuckled. "Given your excessive use of energy following your detainment, I'm more surprised you're already awake." His smile warmed her and she dropped herself back into the bed.
"I guess I owe you several breakfasts now," she grinned. He laughed and she swung her legs over the side of the bed, rejuvenated and ravenous. "I could use several breakfasts actually," she chuckled as she took his arm.
"I'm sure the staff will prepare you a buffet if you ask them," he teased.
She pondered that for a moment. How much could she impose on them? Her stomach yelled at her to ask for whatever she could get her hands on. She glanced down at her belly to tell it to be quiet when she realized she was not in her own clothes. She looked up at Kurama, her cheeks flushing. "Uh, this is not what I was wearing when I passed out," she stammered.
He laughed. "No, it's not," he confirmed. "Your clothes were dirty and battle worn when we brought you back so Botan and one of the other ferry girls changed you into something more comfortable while we were debriefing Koenma."
She sighed relief. She wasn't prudish, but there were certain expectations of propriety after all. She felt far less vulnerable knowing she was well taken care of while she had been unconscious. She smiled. "I'll be sure to thank her when I see her," she said.
He nodded and they continued downstairs for breakfast. He had been correct in his assumption that the staff would feed her as much as she required. She wasn't sure how much of it was Koenma informing them she would need to regain her energy and how much was simply them executing their duties, but after her fourth bowl of rice and salmon she stopped caring. They kept bringing out bowls of miso soup and rice and plates of fried eggs.
Kurama only had a standard helping, and regaled her with the tale of Hitokiri's demise as she continued to eat. She grinned smugly to hear how Hiei had evaporated the bastard and made a mental note to thank him personally. Kurama also told her of the debriefing and of Koenma's plans for her future.
"He said what?" Ali coughed as she inhaled an errant grain of rice and almost dropped her chopsticks.
Kurama nodded. "He knows you are unhappy here and thinks you should be allotted a measure of freedom."
She bit the inside of her cheek and stirred the remaining rice with her chopsticks. The estate was nice. It was luxury she'd never before experienced. It wasn't that she was unhappy. She'd barely had time to enjoy it, after all. Dark thoughts came with that realization and she shook them away.
"That will be nice," she said. Her stomach fluttered at the thought of going to school. A normal life. It was within reach. "When do I move?" she asked, shoveling another pile of rice into her mouth.
"We can go this morning, if you like," he answered. "Koenma's already made all the arrangements. The apartment, the school, it's all ready for you."
Her skin tingled. She fought the urge to leap from her seat and run upstairs to pack her paltry belongings. "Sounds great!" she exclaimed. Kurama chuckled as she inhaled the rest of her breakfast. She wasn't going to be able to sit still until she saw her new home. "Is it close enough we can walk there?" she inquired. She had too much energy to be cooped up in a car.
Kurama grinned. "It's quite a ways."
"But can we walk there?" she stressed. The two of them weren't ordinary humans. They could move much faster and she wanted to run.
He got her meaning. "I suppose the fresh air would do you some good," he laughed.
She beamed and leapt to her feet. "Excellent." She gathered his dishes as well as her own and took them into the kitchen. The maid fussed that she would have been happy to collect them after they'd gone upstairs, but Ali insisted it was no trouble. She gave the woman a small bow and raced up the stairs to get dressed and collect her scant things.
She'd lost her bag in the ambush in the woods, but it seemed someone had found it and brought it back to her room for her. It was a little dirty, but otherwise undamaged. She retrieved the remaining few articles of clothing from her dresser and stuffed them in with the other half, setting one outfit aside to wear for the day.
She changed out of the pajamas Botan had lent her and folded them neatly on the bed. Her body trembled. Her cheeks were going numb from smiling. Sparing one last glance about the room, she flew down the stairs to meet Kurama to embark on her new journey.
It only took them an hour to run from the relative safety of the estate to the small city of which she was soon to be a resident. Yusuke and Kuwabara were waiting for them when they got to the building. "Welcome to your new home!" the dark haired boy announced, passing over a key.
She unlocked the door and walked through, beckoning them to follow her in. It was quaint. A small kitchenette greeted her past the main entrance hall with an adjoining living room, the single bedroom beyond a sliding door with an attached bathroom. It was perfect.
Kurama helped her unpack her clothes and put them in her dresser. The other boys were lounging in the living room when they finished. "Well," said Kuwabara, "the day is still young. Whattya wanna do now?"
She shrugged her shoulders. "Is there a beach nearby? It's too nice to be inside."
The best friends looked at each other. Even without her telepathy she could read their faces. They would not pass on the opportunity to spend the afternoon with their ladies in swimsuits. She chuckled as Yusuke ran back to his place to call Keiko. Kuwabara used Ali's phone to call his sister and see if she had an old swimsuit for Ali to borrow. Kurama thought to invite Botan, who was very receptive of the idea. She promised to bring Yukina along, much to Kuwabara's delight, and to pack a lunch and snacks for the trip.
They all agreed to meet in the park not far from the complex. It just so happened that Hiei had chosen that particular park to nap in. Ali didn't want to pass up the opportunity to invite him along on their excursion, so when she sensed him drowsing in one of the sakura trees she called out to him.
Kurama grinned slyly as Hiei glared down at her. "What's going on here?" he demanded.
"We're going to the beach," Ali announced. "Wanna come?"
His eyes narrowed further. "And why would I want to do that?"
"Why wouldn't you want to have fun with your friends?" she persisted.
Hiei glared at Kurama as the redhead stifled a chuckle. Ali ignored it. He closed his eyes and leaned back against the trunk of the tree as he answered her. "I think you have me confused with someone who enjoys wasting time with others."
Ali was about to retort but Keiko and Yukina arrived with Botan. The shorter blue-haired woman greeted them and seemed surprised to find Hiei lounging up in the tree. "Oh, Hiei, are you coming out with us too?" she asked.
A strange thing happened, at least to Ali's eyes. Hiei stiffened and turned to look at the woman who spoke. His face softened and the tension left his shoulders. At least until Kuwabara ran to her side and explained that Hiei was just telling them how he had no desire to join them, but it was okay because he, Kuwabara, would keep her safe from the crabs and violent waves.
The dark haired man scowled and dropped from his perch in the tree. "Fine," he muttered. "Someone ought to take this job seriously."
Ali failed to contain her excitement as she grabbed his arm and half pulled, half dragged him toward the train station. "Yes! The whole gang is going to the beach!" she exclaimed. Hiei sputtered, but the others laughed and followed after them.
A short train ride later they were setting up mini camps in the sand. Botan divvied out sandwiches for lunch as they all settled in and basked in the afternoon sun. Hiei ventured off, overwhelmed with the crowd that had come. Ali felt a momentary pang of guilt for coercing him along before she turned back to enjoy the company of the rest of her friends.
After a while, the boys ran to the water, calling to the girls to join them. Ali swam for a bit, chatting with Kurama and Shizuru while Yusuke and Kuwabara showed off for Keiko and Yukina. The water was brisk, but refreshing. When Ali began to prune, she excused herself to go for a walk along the shore. There was a rocky overhang a short ways up the beach with a lighthouse atop, beckoning her to come explore. She could see a walking path from the beach up to the beacon, but she decided to climb straight up the small cliff face.
The sea breeze whipped her skirt around her legs as she climbed to the overlook. It carried with it the sounds of her friends laughing and splashing on the beach below. She was grateful no one insisted on coming along with her. Knowing they were within shouting distance put them all at ease. Besides, there had been no new threats on her life since Hitokiri had been defeated, despite Koenma's insistence that others would try.
With a small grunt, she pulled herself over the rocky top of the point. She smoothed her skirt as she turned around to admire the view. The vastness of the ocean always soothed her, waves glittering in the sun beckoning her to dance with them. She smiled as she watched Yusuke dunk Kuwabara under an oncoming wave, the girls laughing as he came sputtering up and flailed at Yusuke to return the favor. Shizuru shouted at them to stop drowning each other and come play some beach volleyball.
Ali giggled as she watched them argue over teams. Botan volunteered to umpire so they could do three on three. In the end they decided on guys versus girls and Ali had a sneaking suspicion the girls would win out.
Sighing, she settled on the grass near the lighthouse and closed her eyes. The waves crashing below, the shrieks and taunts of the competitive teens, and the late summer sun warming her face were enough to lull her to a sense of calm.
A sudden gust off the sea blew her skirt into her face and she laughed as she wrestled it back down over her legs. She wondered if it had caught the players as well; Keiko was giggling at Yusuke to get the ball out of the water. Kuwabara shouted at him that he was letting it get away and assured Yukina he would retrieve it.
Ali smiled to herself. They were all genuinely good people. She knew she was lucky to have met them and be able to call them friends. She could hardly believe there were others like her, who would want to be her allies and protect her. After the first attempt on her life that cost her father his, she had believed anyone with power like hers would be an enemy.
She wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her chin on her knees. Koenma must have realized that when he had sent Yusuke and Kurama after her. He claimed to know her from before, that he had sent others. Ali wondered if their bones lay scattered at the bottom of the sea with the others who had come attacking. She shivered at that thought. Maybe they had crossed paths with those and had never made it to her.
"If you're cold, you should head back down where it's warm," Hiei's silky voice startled her out of her thoughts. She nearly jumped out of her skin. She hadn't even noticed him approach.
Shaking her head she chuckled at herself. Let your guard down just a little and anyone can sneak up on you. Not that Hiei was just anyone. "I'm fine," she replied. "They were getting a little too loud for me and this looked like a nice perch to observe from afar."
He stared down his nose at her. He always looked at her so skeptically. Ali tried not to let it bother her, but she really wanted to know what his problem was. Ever since the fight at the fort he'd strengthened his mental barriers to keep her at bay. If she really wanted to, she could smash through them to find out what he was thinking, but she could respect a man's privacy.
Honestly she wished more people knew how to shield their thoughts. It would be less tiring for her if she wasn't constantly having to block out the noise. Ambient crowd chatter was bad enough. Coupled with the cacophony of their thoughts it was enough to drive anyone mad. She could filter it out, but it was exhausting. She hadn't been near so many people at one time in years. It was part of why she wanted to get away as soon as she had moved in.
Another breeze washed over her, blowing her hair off her shoulders and exposing them to the brisk air on the point. Hiei rolled his eyes and removed his cloak. He tossed it to her. "Put it on. We don't need you catching cold after all this."
"I'm really okay," she insisted, the goosebumps on her arms betraying her.
He narrowed his eyes at her. "Just put it on," he ordered. His voice was as cold as the ocean breeze and brooked no argument.
She bristled at being bossed around, but this was not the time to start a fight. He had voluntarily approached her. He had stuck around instead of running off to wherever he spent his days. Maybe he was starting to warm up to her. The last thing she wanted to do was push him away, so she draped the dark cloth over her shoulders. "What about you?" she asked hesitantly.
He blew air out his nose and smirked. "A little wind can't touch me." It was a statement of fact, not an act of bravado or boast to impress. If anything, it was a challenge to the wind to try to chill him. He caught her smiling at him and quickly looked away.
She turned her gaze to the sky and pulled the cloak tighter around her. He always turned away from her. She sighed. She wanted to ask him why, but she knew there was no point in pressing him. He probably wouldn't say anything anyway. "Thank you," she said.
He said nothing, unless "Hn" counted as speaking, and sat in the shade of the lighthouse. He rested his sword against his shoulder and watched the others down below. Ali couldn't be sure, but she thought he focused on Yukina more than the others. She felt her cheeks flush and looked away from him.
A sense of longing formed in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't explain it. She had the strangest feeling of déjà vu seeing him looking like that. She took a deep breath to still her rapidly beating heart. It worked, but not in the way she expected it to.
The smell of his cloak brought back memories of home. It soothed her at first. She closed her eyes and envisioned the little cabin in the mountains she had grown up in. She could almost hear her father behind the house chopping wood for the fire, his bulky muscles driving the axe through every log he placed on the stump.
He would smile at her and invite her to join him. It was a chore to be done; it had never occurred to her as a young girl that her strength was abnormal. Her father smiled whenever she worked alongside him, so Ali would work as hard as she could to draw it out. He tired faster than she did so she would often bring him ice cold lemonade or tea when he began to perspire too much and set herself to finishing the pile before he finished the pitcher.
Sometimes they would go hunting afterwards. He had guns, but he preferred the bow. She took to it quickly and he took pride in her ability to learn. She never missed and they never went hungry. They always left an offering from each kill on the small shrine they had erected in the backyard. Her mother had died shortly after Ali was born and the offerings were to thank the woman for giving her life.
She wanted so much to please her father. He never blamed her for his wife's death, but Ali had always felt guilty for being the reason he was alone. Never more so than the night he died protecting her. She could still hear him calling out her name.
"Ali! It's time to go home!"
She opened her eyes to an orange sky. She had been dozing most of the afternoon. She sat up and blinked to orient herself. She was still on the overlook and her friends were calling to her to help them pack up. She waved to them and hollered that she would be right down.
She took the walking path back down. Yusuke and Kuwabara had almost finished packing up the coolers while the girls were folding the beach towels and Kurama was packing up the chairs. They all stopped as she approached them.
Were they mad at her for not helping? For sleeping away the afternoon instead of playing games with them? Ali's cheeks flushed. "I'm sorry, I should have been down sooner."
The girls exchanged smirks and giggled. Her face must have revealed her confusion because Kurama cleared his throat and pointed to her attire. "We thought Hiei had left due to boredom," he stated in an even tone.
Ali glanced down at her arms to find herself still wearing Hiei's cloak. She hoped they would believe her cheeks were sunburned and not realize she was blushing furiously with embarrassment. "He was just watching from a distance like I was," she explained. "And the wind was colder up there."
Again Keiko and Yukina giggled. Kurama and Yusuke shook their heads and finished packing up. They weren't about to argue with her or press further. They might have been surprised that Hiei had offered her his cloak, but accepted it at face value. The alternative was too bizarre to consider. Kuwabara continued to gape until Shizuru slapped him upside the head and ordered him to start carrying his weight.
As they walked back to the train Ali wondered where Hiei had gone. She hadn't meant to fall asleep but it surprised her more that he didn't try to wake her before leaving. She would have given him his cloak back at the least. She pulled it tightly around her and grinned. It smelled familiar. Safe. Surrounded by her new friends, she felt empowered. She no longer feared her hunters.
After they got back to the city, the boys all escorted Ali back to her new home. She insisted she didn't need all three of them walking her home when Kuwabara mentioned they were staying the night at Yusuke's in case she had any issues during her first night on her own.
Yusuke rubbed the back of his neck. "Koenma didn't order it," he said, "but when my mom heard a young girl moved in alone next door she might have insisted Kuwabara and I keep an eye out for you." Ali laughed and he sighed. "Actually she also wanted you to have a spare key to our place in case you need anything."
"That's not really necessary," Ali said.
"Yeah, well, ever since I died the woman has become annoyingly motherly," Yusuke muttered and the other boys chuckled.
Ali stopped and raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you… not alive?"
Yusuke laughed. "No I'm alive alright," he said. "Thanks to Koenma and Keiko for that one."
"There's definitely a story there," she said with a grin.
He told her how he had surprised Spirit World by sacrificing himself to save the life of a young boy and explained the trial he had to endure in order to get his body back, how his emotions and actions nourished an egg that when it hatched would either guide him back to his body or judge him unworthy and devour his soul. He explained that, according to Koenma, his spirit beast would have devoured his soul if he hadn't sacrificed it to save Keiko's life while she protected his body from a fire.
Then it turned out there was another way to save him. His soul's frequency and his body's biorhythm were aligned for a brief time and someone who loved him could bring him back. Keiko's love had given him the life link he needed to be revived, given with a kiss, but he forbade Ali from ever repeating that to anyone.
She didn't know why it mattered. As far as she could tell, everyone close to them seemed to know of the mutual love between the two teenagers except for Yusuke and Keiko. She glanced at Kuwabara and Kurama and they both shook their heads slightly. Kuwabara made an offhand joke that he could have done it but figured Yusuke would prefer Keiko to him. The taunt devolved into bickering between the two boys. Ali hung back with Kurama, laughing at their arguments for the rest of the walk home.
They bid her goodnight in the hallway and continued to bicker as they entered Yusuke's apartment. Kurama stayed with her a moment longer. "Are you sure you'll be alright?" he asked.
Ali smiled up at him. "Knowing you guys are on the other side of the wall? I'll be just fine."
He returned her warm smile and took her hand, pressing something hard into it. "Yusuke wasn't lying. Atsuko wanted you to have a key to their apartment." Ali looked down at the key. "Don't hesitate to come over if you need anything."
She looked back up at him, her vision blurry. She couldn't believe how much kindness she was receiving since leaving her mountain. She wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her head in his chest. He placed one hand on her head and returned her embrace with the other. "Thanks, Kurama," she whispered.
"It's no problem at all," he replied, releasing her as he did so. "If you're really alright, you might wish to head in. You have a big day tomorrow after all."
Ali nodded. "Yes, you're right." She unlocked her apartment and waved him goodnight. "I'll see you tomorrow!" He waved goodbye to her and turned to head over to Yusuke's.
Ali shut the door of her apartment and locked it behind her. It was her place. This was her home now. Her cheeks hurt from grinning. She shed her clothes, and Hiei's cloak, and headed to the bath to clean up. It wasn't as lavish as the one at Koenma's estate, but it was hers and she reveled in her soak.
She was sitting on her bed brushing her hair an hour later when she heard a noise outside her window. Chuckling to herself she wondered why he didn't just knock on her door. She got up and leaned out the window. "Hi Hiei, would you like to come in?" She left the bedroom to retrieve his cloak. She wasn't surprised to find him waiting on the sill when she returned. "Thanks for this," she said again as she handed it to him. He accepted it without comment. "Can I get you anything? Something to eat maybe?" she asked.
He stared at her with eyebrow raised. "No thanks. I just came for this," he said, throwing the cloak back over his shoulders and leaping out of her window into the darkening night.
"Goodnight!" she called after him, still grinning to herself. She didn't know what his problem with her was, but she wasn't going to let it bother her. She would kill him with kindness if she had to, if it would keep him coming around. She nestled under her covers and turned out the light. As she drifted to sleep, she hoped her dreams would be peaceful.
Next Chapter: Interlude – Hiei ->
kuwabara
shizuru
yusuke
Published November 6, 2019 November 7, 2019
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Next Post Chapter 13 – Interlude: Hiei


text:
Written by ObamaCareFacts.com in
Published - August 8, 2014
Last Updated - July 27, 2019
An Overview of Medicaid Expansion Under the Affordable Care Act ("ObamaCare")
ObamaCare's Medicaid Expansion is one of the biggest milestones in health care reform. ObamaCare's Medicaid expansion expands Medicaid to our nation's poorest in order cover nearly half of uninsured Americans. However, a change to the law has left millions of working families without coverage.
ObamaCare's Medicaid Expansion was originally projected to provide health insurance to over 20 million uninsured Americans in its first decade. However, many states opted-out of Medicaid expansion leaving millions without health insurance options.
So, why did some states opt-out of expanding Medicaid? The short answer is politics and cost, the long answer is more complex.
Keep reading to find out on how Medicaid expansion works and why it is a complex issue.
TIP: Learn more about Medicaid and CHIP in your state by contacting your state Medicaid Department or Healthcare.gov. Some states have unique eligibility rules, so make sure to learn about all options available to you in your state.
TIP: "The American Health Care Act" (The New ObamaCare Replacement Plan) changes the way Medicaid expansion works and that could lead to less low-income Americans having access to coverage over time. Learn more about how the new Republican ObamaCare repeal and replace plan affects Medicaid or keep reading to learn more about how Medicaid expansion works.
Get Covered By Medicaid or CHIP Now
Medicaid and CHIP: You can sign up for Medicaid and CHIP 365 days a year. You may qualify for free or low-cost care for Medicaid based on income and family size if you make 138% of the poverty level or, for example, $17,236 individual or $35,535 for a family of four in 2019. Specifics may differ by state.
If you think you are eligible for Medicaid, you can sign up for Medicaid now (you can even get coverage retroactively if you qualified but didn't enroll in some cases).
If your state did not expand Medicaid and you have been denied Medicaid coverage, you are exempt from the mandate to obtain insurance and won't owe the fee. If you apply for a hardship exemption for being denied Medicaid due to low-income in a non-expansion state at HealthCare.Gov, you will likely qualify to shop for low-cost catastrophic coverage.
TIP: New states are expanding Medicaid each year, so make sure to check out the Current Status of State Medicaid Expansion Decisions. Also, CHIP is generally already expanded in most states, so even if adults don't qualify families with young children and children themselves might.
Map: Status of State Action on the Medicaid Expansion Decision. KFF.org. May, 2019.
Medicaid Expansion Updates and Waivers
As of 2019, 36 states and the District of Columbia have Expanded Medicaid, while 14 states have not.
NOTE: Make sure to check the up-to-date list of states expanding Medicaid and an interactive map with descriptions of states considering expansion to see if your state is on there, we try to keep this page up to date, but details are subject to change.
Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Washington D.C., Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and West Virginia started expanded Medicaid in 2014. Alaska, Indiana, and Pennsylvania expanded in 2015. Louisiana expanded in 2016. Montana also expanded in January 2016, but it will sunset on June 30, 2019 unless the state legislature acts to extend it. Maine adopted the Medicaid expansion through a ballot initiative in November 2017. Virginia expanded in 2018. Nebraska, Utah, and Idaho voters passed Medicaid expansion via ballot initiatives in November 2018. Then in 2019 even more states embraced Medicaid expansion like Montana.
Missouri and Wyoming were all seriously considering expansion in 2017 (although neither has expanded yet). Meanwhile, other states like Florida, which has 800,000 uninsured due to their current narrow Medicaid eligibility levels, are still discussing and debating expansion.
Most of these states enacted proposed Medicaid expansion alternatives that don't always cover all adults or don't cover them at the same cost sharing as other states, so know your state's Medicaid program if they are on the above list.
If your state hasn't expanded Medicaid yet, let your state representatives know that you deserve the same access to care that they have. Please note that specific facts and figures on this page are sometimes based on data from before these states expanded; the more states that expand, the fewer Americans go without coverage.
See an up-to-date list of states expanding Medicaid and their status (including those not currently offering coverage, but with expansion in the works).
See Recent Section 1115 Medicaid Demonstration Waivers (it's what states file to opt-in to funding for expanding Medicaid).
FACT: A 2019 study found that states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) saw a decrease in deaths compared to non-expansion states.
States Opting Out of Medicaid Expansion
The law previously required states to expand coverage to everyone making less than 138% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) or lose federal funding to Medicaid. However, that provision was changed during a supreme court ruling on ObamaCare.
States can now opt-out of Medicaid Expansion, leaving millions of poor working families in the "Medicaid coverage gap" between those who qualify for Medicaid (as low as 50% FPL in some states) and those who qualify for marketplace subsidies (between 100% – 400% FPL).
States opting out of the expansion of Medicaid under ObamaCare will most likely both drive up insurance costs and not save the States much money. Some states, like Minnesota, showed up to a billion in new revenue under the program.
Join the ObamaCare Facts mailing list to keep up to date on the Medicaid Expansion vote in your state.
The bottom line on Medicaid Expansion: Does the money the states will save by not expanding Medicaid outweigh the costs related to millions going uninsured?
ObamaCare Medicaid Expansion Overview
Let's take a quick look at ObamaCare's Medicaid expansion and how it affects American families.
• Medicaid is a joint federal and state funded program that provides health care for over 60 million low-income Americans.
• As of 2013, every State had different eligibility requirements for Medicaid based on income, age, gender, the number of dependents, and other specific requirements.
• Some states had or have very narrow eligibility requirements for Medicaid, which leave many working adults uninsured.
• Starting in 2014 states that participated in Medicaid expansion increased eligibility levels for everyone in their state to 138% of the Federal Poverty Level.
• Even if your state didn't expand Medicaid, you may be eligible for Marketplace subsidies if you make between 100% – 400% FPL.
• States that did not expand have unique eligibility requirements.
• Before expansion, many states covered those who had no income, given this expansion often extended coverage to the working poor and their families. As of April 2015, most of the states who have not expanded Medicaid have 0% eligibility for childless adults, but all states offer CHIP to parents with no income. See CHIP and Medicaid eligibility in non-expansion states.
• Poor working families are the most likely to not have insurance due to affordability. Medicaid expansion helps "cover the gap" between current Medicaid eligibility and families being able to afford private health insurance using marketplace subsidies.
• During open enrollment, you can sign up for Medicaid through your state's health insurance marketplace.
• About half of the uninsured in America would be covered by Medicaid Expansion if all states opted in and joined the program.
• More than 15 million men, women, and children will be eligible for Medicaid in States that participate in Medicaid Expansion.
• Because 24 States have not expanded Medicaid, 5.7 million people will be uninsured in 2016.
• Only 54% of potentially eligible adults are aware of Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act.
• Millions of Americans will be able to get care before they are forced to use costly, last-minute emergency services.
• The uninsured currently cost hospitals billions in unpaid hospitals bills – some of these costs are indirectly passed onto the average taxpayer with insurance.
• One of the leading causes of rising premium costs is unpaid hospital bills.
• The Federal Government pays 100% of expansion costs for the first three years and 90% after that until 2022.
• Many state's budgets have shown that expanding Medicaid raised money for the State.
• Cost is the most cited reason for not expanding Medicaid. While current Medicaid programs do cost state taxpayers a lot of money, that spending is balanced by unpaid hospital bills and the effect those bills have on the rising costs of premiums.
• Most states that opted out of expansion, Vermont and Montana aside, had a Republican governor when Medicaid expansion was originally rejected.
• In general, the states who opted out have the highest uninsured rates and would be the states which expansion would help the most.
• Of course, the higher number of uninsured who qualify for Medicaid, the more it costs the state to cover them.
• Some people say that opting out of Medicaid expansion is part of an ongoing effort to "break" ObamaCare regardless of the cost to the people. Other tactics include opting out of creating exchanges, funding expensive disinformation campaigns, threatening or causing a Government shutdown, suing the President, and attempting to repeal the law (50+ times).
• States had until January 2014 to decide if they would expand Medicaid. Many states are not moving forward with the program at this time. However, they can still decide to expand Medicaid later. For instance, PA decided to expand Medicaid in 2014. TE and IN are expanding as of 2015.
• States expanding Medicaid – AK, AZ, AR, CA, CO, DE, DC, HI, IL, IA, IN, KY, MD, MA, MN, MA, NH, NV, NJ, UT, NM, NY, ND, OH, OR, PA, RI, VT, VA, WA, WV. States not expanding Medicaid at this time – AL, FL, GA, ID, KS, LA, ME, MS, NE, NC, OK, SC, SD, TX, WI. States considering expanding Medicaid – MO, MT, TN, WY (see full list above, remember this is all subject to change)
Know the Law. The Affordable Care Act contains 10 titles. Each title addresses a different aspect of health care reform. Title II – The Role of Public Programs addresses Medicaid expansion. Check out our Summary of Provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act for a plain English summary of each provision pertaining to the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid expansion.
History of ObamaCare's Medicaid Expansion and the NFIB
When the NFIB took the Affordable Care Act to the Supreme Court in an attempt repeal it, the Medicaid expansion requirement was overturned leaving millions without access to health insurance.
Since the ruling, each state has been able to decide whether or not they want to opt out of expanding coverage to 138% of the federal poverty level without facing penalties in reduced federal funding. This has resulted in many states opting out of expansion and keeping their narrow eligibility guidelines.
The new ruling doesn't just hurt Medicaid and ObamaCare; it affects the tax-payer by forcing us to pay for states that choose not to help their poorest. Even though expanding Medicaid would have cost the federal tax-payer, states and tax-payers are still picking up the tab on those who fall into the "Medicaid gap" because these individuals will either use emergency services or purchase subsidized health insurance through the marketplace using federal tax credits. In other words, while it potentially saves the state money, it leaves millions without insurance and still shifts costs to federal tax-payers.
• National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) is an "independent" group that represents "small business." However, they historically follow the Republican party line and fight against "entitlement" programs like ObamaCare's Medicaid Expansion, which help the nations poorest working families and smaller businesses.
• About half of the uninsured are small business owners and employees. Many of these uninsured Americans would have qualified for coverage under Medicaid expansion had the NFIB not taken the ACA to court.
• Remember that the only businesses that pay more under ObamaCare are the top 3% of small businesses and big businesses. Learn more about small business and ObamaCare.
Nearly ONE HALF of uninsured Americans were going to get their health insurance under ObamaCare Medicaid reform by expanding coverage to the nation's poorest starting in 2014. Now states can opt-out without losing federal funding.
Medicaid is a joint federal and state funded program that provides health care for over 60 million low-income Americans–primarily children, pregnant women, people with disabilities, and senior citizens who need help or live in nursing homes.
Since Medicaid is a program that works partly on a state level with help from the federal government, the rules alter from state to state. The general rule of thumb is that most low-income adults under 65 cannot currently receive Medicaid.
What is CHIP Children's Health Insurance Program?
Medicaid works closely with the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Learn more about ObamaCare and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and see if your child qualifies.
How is Medicaid Funded?
Medicaid is jointly funded by the federal government and the states. The federal government pays states for a specified percentage of program expenditures, called the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP). FMAP varies by state based on criteria such as per-capita income. Under the Affordable Care Act, states that choose to expand get 90% of their expansion costs funded by the federal government helping to ensure states aren't overburdened by the cost. However, some states that opted out felt that they couldn't depend on the federal government to continue paying this percentage and that costs would be too high even with the federal funding.
This video explains how Medicaid is funded and how the ACA affects Medicaid funding.
Who Qualifies for Medicaid?
Medicaid works differently in every State. The Federal Government used to set the eligibility guidelines for Medicaid, and some States chose to expand the guidelines. This is how it worked before ObamaCare, and due to the Medicaid expansion opt-out, it still works this way today.
• To be eligible for coverage, a person must belong to an eligible group (generally: children, pregnant women, parents, blind or disabled persons, and the elderly) and meet the financial eligibility requirements for that group.
• Before the ACA, the federal government had mandated that eligibility levels for children and pregnant women be at least 100-133 percent (see table below), but eligibility levels for parents could be much lower, and states were not required to cover adults without dependent children at all.
• As of December 2009, eligibility levels for parents in 17 states were at or below 50 percent FPL (which is $11,725 for a family of four in 2012). Another 17 states set eligibility levels for parents at or below 100 percent FPL (which is $23,550 for a family of four in 2013).
• As of December 2009, only five states allowed adults without dependent children to enroll in Medicaid, although two of those states plus another 14 states offered some limited set of benefits to some childless adults.
• The eligibility requirements of Medicaid leave about 20 million people in the gap between being able to afford insurance and being eligible for Medicaid.
• Children who don't qualify for Medicaid may qualify for CHIP (Children's Health Insurance Program), which works closely with Medicaid.
• Medicaid can also help seniors. If you qualify for Medicaid in your state, you automatically qualify for extra help paying your Medicare prescription drug coverage (Part D). Medicaid also offers benefits not normally covered by Medicare, like nursing home care and personal care services.
You can find out if you qualify for Medicaid or CHIP on healthcare.gov.
What is Medicaid Expansion?
Medicaid expansion expands Medicaid eligibility to all individuals and families earning below 138% of the Federal Poverty Level. This includes many groups (like single men) who weren't previously eligible.
Medicaid Expansion Guidelines
The following guidelines will help you find out if you qualify for Medicaid. These guidelines only apply to states who expanded Medicaid. See additional guidelines below for eligibility levels that apply to states that did not expand Medicaid.
Medicaid Eligiblity Guidelines 2014 – for Continental U.S. that Expanded Medicaid
Persons in Household
2014 Federal Poverty Level (100% FPL)
Medicaid Eligibility* (138% of FPL)
*Medicaid eligibility is different in states that did not expand Medicaid. Federal Poverty Guidelines are different in Hawaii and Alaska.
Who Qualifies for Medicaid Expansion Under ObamaCare?
Eligibility for Medicaid expansion is decided by the state. In states that do expand Medicaid, all legal residents who earn less than $15,302 for individuals and $31,155 for families of four can receive Medicaid under Medicaid Expansion. In States that don't expand Medicaid, eligibility includes only a very limited cross-section of the population and may have income caps as low as 50% FPL. People covered under the expansion also include:
• Low-income adults (with or without dependent children).
• Low-income children who lose their Medicaid benefits when they are reclassified as adults 19 years.
• Low-income adults with disabilities who are not eligible for SSID or SSI.
The following table is an example of eligibility levels for different groups by % of Federal Poverty Level (FPL)
Categorical group U.S. minimum threshold pre-ACA, 2009* State thresholds, 2009: medians, (ranges) U.S. minimum thresholds under ACA, 2014**
Children 0-5 133% FPL 235% FPL
(133-300% FPL ) 133% FPL
Children 6-19 100% FPL 235% FPL
(100-300% FPL) 133% FPL (note traditional vs new)
Pregnant women 133% FPL 185% FPL
(133-300% FPL) 133% FPL
Working parents State's July 1996 AFDC eligibility level^ 64% FPL
(17-200% FPL) 133% FPL (note traditional vs new)
Non-working parents State's July 1996 AFDC eligibility level^ 38% FPL
Childless adults Eligibility not mandated. State must apply for waiver to cover this group. 0% FPL
(0% FPL in 46 states; 100-160% FPL in 5 states) 133% FPL (note traditional vs new
Elderly, blind, disabled Receipt of SSI^ 75% FPL
(65-133% FPL) Receipt of SSI
Has Expanding Medicaid Worked Before?
New York, Arizona, and Maine expanded Medicaid between 2000 and 2005. A Harvard study reports, "rates of uninsured residents dropped, access to care improved, and more people reported being in very good or excellent health." The coverage was estimated to save a total of 2,840 lives each year in these states.
Why the ObamaCare Medicaid Expansion Matters
Medicaid expansion would provide access to health insurance for almost half of our nation's uninsured.
Letting states opt out of ObamaCare's Medicaid expansion not only leaves millions without coverage, but it also costs taxpayers money.
Uninsured Americans cost taxpayers money because they use costly emergency services instead of getting the preventative care they need.
In states that don't set up a marketplace or expand Medicaid, federal tax dollars are used to subsidize many who would have been eligible for Medicaid under expansion. Medicaid costs are shared between the State and Federal Governments.
Medicaid Expansion 133% or 138%?
Sometimes we say Medicaid is expanded to 133% FPL, and sometimes we say 138%. Both are correct. The text of the ACA says 133%, but the law also calls for a new methodology of calculating income, which will make the effective minimum threshold 138%. Either way, remember that these are minimum thresholds; states can set eligibility thresholds higher, and many already have for certain populations, which means that more people qualify.
Selected federal poverty level (FPL) thresholds regarding annual income, 2014. Please note that ObamaCare uses the 2014 Federal Poverty Guidelines for 2015.
FPL Individual Family of four Relevance
50% $5,835 $11,925 Currently (prior to the ACA Medicaid expansion), parents in 17 states don't qualify for Medicaid unless their incomes are below this threshold. (Eligibility levels for children are higher, so in a given family, children may qualify while parents don't.) In nearly all states, childless adults are ineligible regardless of income.
100% $11,670 $23,850
This is the official poverty threshold, updated each year by the federal government. It varies by family size and composition.
As written in the ACA, persons with family incomes below this threshold are not eligible for subsidies to purchase insurance in the exchanges. In states that don't expand Medicaid, individuals with incomes above their state's current eligibility level, but below 100 percent FPL, will not qualify for anything.
133% $14,856 $30,675 As written in the ACA, this will be the new minimum eligibility threshold for nearly everyone under 65. However, the effective threshold will actually be 138%. See next line.
138% $16,105 $32,913 Even though the ACA states that the new threshold is 133%, it will effectively be 138%, because 5% of people's income will be "disregarded." See below for more information.
400% $46,680 $95,400 This will be the upper limit for eligibility for income-based subsidies for the purchase of private insurance through the new health insurance exchanges.
How to Apply for Medicaid
In the past, applying for Medicaid meant you needed to meet certain criteria – for example, being pregnant, having a child, or having a disability – in addition to meeting an income requirement. In states that have implemented expansion the only requirement is that you make less than 133% of the Federal poverty level.
Since the guidelines are so complicated, the easiest way to find out if you are eligible for Medicaid is to fill out an application at your state's health insurance marketplace. Read our guide to the Health Insurance Exchanges to find out more about using your State's online marketplace to sign up for insurance. The application process will notify you if you are eligible for Medicaid.
Sign Up for Medicaid Now
Each state has different rules regarding eligibility and the application process for Medicaid. You can use one of the two following methods to apply for Medicaid:
1. Visit your State's Health Insurance Marketplace by finding it on our list.
2. Call your state Medicaid program to see if you qualify and learn how to apply.
What is "Wrong" With Medicaid?
ObamaCare opponents use the downfalls of Medicaid as terms to reject Medicaid Expansion. Drawbacks of Medicaid include limited access to health care, low-end quality health care and coverage, and low doctor payouts. ObamaCare's reforms address many of the issues with the quality of Medicaid by increasing the quality of care for all types of insurance. The ACA also contains provisions to increase doctor payouts as well.
Historically, Medicaid doctor payouts have been low. Due to small payouts, many doctors don't take Medicaid patients, and the quality of care Medicaid patients do get tends to be low. However, ObamaCare's Medicaid Reforms do a lot to change this.
The ObamaCare Medicaid reforms that come with ObamaCare's Medicaid Expansion include raising the amount doctors get paid to the same level of Medicare (73%) and increasing payments to Medicaid programs that offer preventive services for free or at little cost. New free preventive services include tests for high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol; many cancer screenings, including colonoscopies and mammograms; counseling to help people lose weight, quit smoking or reduce alcohol use; routine vaccinations; flu and pneumonia shots; and other services.
ObamaCare Medicare Reforms
Aside from Medicaid expansion itself, the Affordable Care Act does a lot to improve Medicaid. You can check out the complete list of reforms here.
ObamaCare Medicaid Expansion Opt-Out: The Medicaid Gap
Since states have the right to opt-out of expanding Medicaid without losing any federal funding, many potentially eligible Americans are left in "the Medicaid gap." The gap refers to those who don't qualify for Medicaid and don't make enough to qualify for Marketplace Subsidies either.
ObamaCare Medicaid reform was meant to cover over 20 million Americans through Medicaid. Now up to 5.7 million are estimated to go without health insurance solely due to states rejecting expansion.
Expansion Fact: Texas opting out of Medicaid Expansion leaves 1.1 million Texans with no coverage due to the Medicaid coverage gap.
What if All States Moved Forward With Medicaid Expansion?
If all states move forward with ObamaCare's Medicaid Expansion, they would collectively pay $76 billion (a 3% increase) to insure up to 21.3 Million individuals who don't have access to health insurance (about half of the entire nation's uninsured) over the next decade. Obviously, those who have more to cover will have to spend more. Regardless of what a state spends, the Federal Government covers 93% of the State's costs. State spending increases are relatively small compared to both the amount the states would pay without ObamaCare and the 26% increase that the federal government will pay towards Medicaid.
More ObamaCare Medicaid Expansion Facts
Here are some detailed facts on Medicaid expansion:
• The federal government will pay a very high share of new Medicaid costs in all states. 100% of costs are covered for the first year. 90% of the spending is done by federal government moving forward.
•Increases in state spending are small both compared to increases in coverage and federal revenues and about what states would have spent if reform had not been enacted.
• ObamaCare Medicaid Expansion sets the eligibility level for Medicaid at 133% FLP, but there is a special deduction to income equal to five percentage points of the poverty level. This raises the effective eligibility level to 138% of poverty.
• The legislation maintains existing income counting rules for the elderly and groups eligible for another program like foster care, low-income Medicare beneficiaries, and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
• The NFIB helped to change the Affordable Care Act to include a "state opt-out" for Medicaid Expansion.
• the NFIB received $50,0000 of indirect Koch money via Free Enterprise America.
• In combination with ObamaCare's other provisions, if all states participated in Medicaid expansion, it would reduce the number of uninsured by 48% (about the number of uninsured without the ObamaCare). States with higher uninsured rates before ObamaCare would see larger increases in Medicaid and bigger reductions in the uninsured (compared to states with lower pre-ObamaCare uninsured rates).
• If all states implement the expansion, an additional 21.3 million individuals could gain Medicaid coverage by 2022 – a 41% increase compared to Medicaid without ObamaCare. With many States opting out, the number is expected to fall below 15 million.
• Medicaid Expansion covers those who are most likely to use emergency services that cost hospitals tens of billions in unpaid hospital bills.
• States will spend little to nothing expanding Medicaid. For example, it would cost the State of Florida about $5 each year per person to cover all uninsured below the 138% FPL.
• Low-income families and other Americans who would be eligible for Medicaid will fall between the cracks without expansion (as they do now). ObamaCare will most likely have to insure them in the ObamaCare health exchanges. This is projected to drive up the cost of insurance for all Americans by a significant amount.
•Big Business-backed groups like ALEC and the NFIB frequently suggest legislation that seeks to dismantle public programs at a state level. They tend to achieve this in Red states where they have the most pull. These states need Medicaid the most as they have the most low-income individuals falling through the cracks. They will also put a bigger burden on everyone else as it will cost more to insure their poorest on the marketplaces.
• If Medicaid Expansion is opted-out of by too many states, it will diminish the effectiveness and affordability of ObamaCare. Stop your state from opting out of Medicaid by helping to share the ObamaCare Facts.
• The federal government paid for most (90% – 100%) of the Medicaid expansion when it was implemented in 2014, but states will be required to pay for up to 10% percent of it by 2020.
• Some states are saying that paying 0% – 10% of the Medicaid expansion (as laid out under ObamaCare) will cost them too much. While some states will pay more, the increase is very small (3% average increase in Medicaid Spending) even for the States who will pay the most. Keep in mind that emergency room visits cost the State tax-payer millions, while the burden of Medicaid is split between the Federal Government and the State. Therefore most states would save money over the first 3 years of expansion if not sooner.
• A Harvard case study found that states who had expanded their Medicaid programs from 2000 to 2005 improved health care for the state and saved thousands of lives.
• Some states are expected to save Billions from ObamaCare's Medicaid Expansion.
Who Rejected Medicaid Expansion?
Many of the states that rejected Medicaid Expansion are those who need it the most. Uninsured rates tend to be higher in "red states." In Texas, for example, 25% of the population is uninsured. Texas opted out of Medicaid Expansion and chose not to create a health insurance marketplace.
Which States Expanded Medicaid under Medicaid Expansion?
Want to know which states will insure the 15 million Americans below the poverty line and which states will leave the rest of the 21.3 million uninsured behind? Find out which states support their poorest. Want more information on ObamaCare and Medicaid Expansion? Get the Full KFF Medicaid Expansion Report.
This list is kept up to date, but states can still choose to expand Medicaid. Even if you are not eligible for Medicaid, you may be able to get very low-cost health insurance through your state's health insurance marketplace through cost assistance subsidies.
Get a current update on where the states are at now and who has been covered by Health and Human Services HHS.
Update: PA initially rejected but decided to move forward with expansion in August of 2014. Expansion (Healthy PA Private Coverage Option) should begin in PA as soon as December 2015. Pennsylvania proved that we can still hope to see expansion in more states. Please note that other states have started moving forward with expansion. We will continue to update this list as they officially start expanding Medicaid.
Some other states have filed waivers or have created plans to expand since initial rejections of Medicaid.
States Expanding Medicaid as of March 6, 2015
Current Status of Medicaid Expansion Decision
United States Adopted the Medicaid Expansion: 29 states (including DC);
Adoption of the Medicaid Expansion Under Discussion: 6 states;
Not Adopting the Medicaid Expansion at this Time: 16 states
Alabama Not Adopting the Medicaid Expansion at this Time
Alaska Adoption of the Medicaid Expansion Under Discussion1
Arizona Adopted the Medicaid Expansion
Arkansas Adopted the Medicaid Expansion2
California Adopted the Medicaid Expansion
Colorado Adopted the Medicaid Expansion
Connecticut Adopted the Medicaid Expansion
Delaware Adopted the Medicaid Expansion
District of Columbia Adopted the Medicaid Expansion
Florida Adoption of the Medicaid Expansion Under Discussion3
Georgia Not Adopting the Medicaid Expansion at this Time
Hawaii Adopted the Medicaid Expansion
Idaho Not Adopting the Medicaid Expansion at this Time
Illinois Adopted the Medicaid Expansion
Indiana Adopted the Medicaid Expansion2, 4
Iowa Adopted the Medicaid Expansion2
Kansas Not Adopting the Medicaid Expansion at this Time
Kentucky Adopted the Medicaid Expansion
Louisiana Not Adopting the Medicaid Expansion at this Time
Maine Not Adopting the Medicaid Expansion at this Time
Maryland Adopted the Medicaid Expansion
Massachusetts Adopted the Medicaid Expansion
Michigan Adopted the Medicaid Expansion2, 4
Minnesota Adopted the Medicaid Expansion
Mississippi Not Adopting the Medicaid Expansion at this Time
Missouri Adoption of the Medicaid Expansion Under Discussion5
Montana Adoption of the Medicaid Expansion Under Discussion6
Nebraska Not Adopting the Medicaid Expansion at this Time
Nevada Adopted the Medicaid Expansion
New Hampshire Adopted the Medicaid Expansion2, 4
New Jersey Adopted the Medicaid Expansion
New Mexico Adopted the Medicaid Expansion
New York Adopted the Medicaid Expansion
North Carolina Not Adopting the Medicaid Expansion at this Time
North Dakota Adopted the Medicaid Expansion
Ohio Adopted the Medicaid Expansion
Oklahoma Not Adopting the Medicaid Expansion at this Time
Oregon Adopted the Medicaid Expansion
Pennsylvania Adopted the Medicaid Expansion2, 4
Rhode Island Adopted the Medicaid Expansion
South Carolina Not Adopting the Medicaid Expansion at this Time
South Dakota Not Adopting the Medicaid Expansion at this Time
Tennessee Adoption of the Medicaid Expansion Under Discussion7
Texas Not Adopting the Medicaid Expansion at this Time
Utah Adoption of the Medicaid Expansion Under Discussion8
Vermont Adopted the Medicaid Expansion
Virginia Not Adopting the Medicaid Expansion at this Time
Washington Adopted the Medicaid Expansion
West Virginia Adopted the Medicaid Expansion
Wisconsin Not Adopting the Medicaid Expansion at this Time9
Wyoming Not Adopting the Medicaid Expansion at this Time
Alaska's Governor Bill Walker, who took office on December 1, 2014, has announced the implementation of the Medicaid expansion as a top priority for his administration.
Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania have approved Section 1115 waivers for the Medicaid expansion. Coverage under the Pennsylvania waiver went into effect on 1/1/15, but the newly-elected governor has stated he will transition coverage to a state plan amendment.
The Governor has expressed support for the Medicaid expansion in the past, and the legislature is actively considering expansion.
Coverage under the Medicaid expansion became effective January 1, 2014, in all states that have adopted the Medicaid expansion except for the following: Michigan (4/1/2014), New Hampshire (8/15/2014), Pennsylvania (1/1/2015) and Indiana (2/1/2015).
Missouri's Governor Nixon has included the Medicaid expansion as part of his FY 2016 executive budget proposal.
Montana's Governor Steve Bullock has included the Medicaid expansion as part of his FY 2016 executive budget proposal.
Tennessee's Governor Bill Haslam published an alternative Medicaid expansion proposal in December 2014 called the Insure Tennessee plan.
Utah's Governor Gary Herbert has put forward an alternative Medicaid expansion proposal called the Healthy Utah plan; there has been no formal submission to CMS at this time, though the Governor has been in discussion with CMS about his proposal.
Wisconsin covered adults up to 100% FPL in Medicaid but did not adopt the ACA expansion.
Click to See List pre-2015 including the names of the Governors who rejected expansion
NOT PARTICIPATING (24 states)
Alabama*: Gov. Robert Bentley (R)
Alaska*: Gov. Sean Parnell (R)
Florida*: Gov. Rick Scott (R)
Georgia*: Gov. Nathan Deal (R)
Idaho*: Gov. C.L. Otter (R)
Indiana: Gov. Mike Pence (R)
Kansas: Gov. Sam Brownback (R)
Louisiana*: Gov. Bobby Jindal (R)
Maine*: Gov. Paul LePage (R)
Mississippi*: Gov. Phil Bryant (R) – Currently Steve Bullock (D) who supports expansion, although it hasn't been enacted by the state.
Montana: (R)
Nebraska*: Gov. Dave Heineman (R)
North Carolina: Gov. Pat McCrory (R)
Oklahoma: Gov. Mary Fallin (R)
Pennsylvania*: Gov. Tom Corbett (R) UPDATE: Congratulations Pennsylvania for agreeing to expand Medicaid under Pennsylvania's "Healthy PA" program. Once the program is in action, we will take their name off of the list.
South Carolina*: Gov. Nikki Haley (R)
South Dakota: Gov. Dennis Daugaard (R)
Tennessee: Gov. Bill Haslam (R)
Texas*: Gov. Rick Perry (R)
Utah: Gov. Gary Herbert (R)
Vermont: Gov. Peter Shumlin (D)
Virginia: Gov. Bob McDonnell (R)
Wisconsin*: Gov. Scott Walker (R)
Wyoming*: Gov. Matt Mead (R)
PARTICIPATING (26 states and the District of Columbia)
Arizona*: Gov. Jan Brewer (R)
Arkansas: Gov. Mike Beebe (D)
California: Gov. Jerry Brown (D)
Colorado*: Gov. John Hickenlooper (D)
Connecticut: Gov. Dannel Malloy (D)
Delaware: Gov. Jack Markell (D)
District of Columbia: D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray (D)
Hawaii: Gov. Neil Abercrombie (D)
Illinois: Gov. Pat Quinn (D)
Iowa*: Gov. Terry Branstad (R)
Kentucky: Gov. Steve Beshear (D)
Maryland: Gov. Martin O'Malley (D
Massachusetts: Gov. Deval Patrick (D)
Michigan*: Gov. Rick Snyder (R)
Minnesota: Gov. Mark Dayton (D)
Missouri: Gov. Jay Nixon (D)
Montana: Gov.-elect Steve Bullock (D)
Nevada*: Gov. Brian Sandoval (R)
New Jersey: Gov. Chris Christie (R)
New Hampshire: Gov. Maggie Hassan (D)
New York: Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D)
New Mexico: Gov. Susana Martinez (R)
North Dakota*: Gov. Jack Dalrymple (R)
Ohio*: Gov. John Kasich (R)
Oregon: Gov. John Kitzhaber (D)
Rhode Island: Gov. Lincoln Chaffee (I)
* indicates a state's participation in the multi-state lawsuit against ACA
Go Here For Governor's Statements on the Medicaid Expansion.
The Cost Of Medicaid Expansion
While states like Florida and Colorado say that a 3% increase in spending is too much, states like Michigan are showing that the states can save money by adopting the Medicaid expansion.
The nonprofit Center for Healthcare Research & Transformation projected the net costs of Michigan expanding Medicaid under the health system reform law. In all three scenarios of enrollment uptake assumed by the researchers, the state would reduce both overall spending and the numbers of uninsured residents. Figures represent the state's 10-year cost savings, in millions, under moderate projections for the enrollment of newly Medicaid-eligible residents in 2014 (the expansion's first year).
$1,861 million: Reduction in non-Medicaid mental health spending
$504 million: Reduction in prisoner inpatient medical spending
$444 million: Increase in tax revenues from health facilities and professionals
$395 million: Savings from elimination of Adult Benefit Waiver program
$23 million: Reduction in state employee health spending
$3,228 million: Total state budget savings
$2,245 million: Gross state expansion costs
$983 million: Net state budget savings
Note: Savings amounts do not add up to total savings due to rounding.
Source: "The ACA's Medicaid Expansion: Michigan Impact," Center for Healthcare Research & Transformation." See updated report.
Protect The Expansion of Medicaid at a State Level
If it moves forward in all 50 states, ObamaCare's Medicaid expansion will help half of the nation's uninsured get access to health care. If we don't support Medicaid Expansion on a state level, our nation's poorest will go without healthcare. Although many states have already decided to opt out of Expansion, it's not too late to show your support. If you believe in health care reform, support Obamacare's Medicaid Expansion in your state.
The Facts on ObamaCare's Medicaid Expansion


Ballet On Wheels Dance School is hosting its annual "Dream To Dance" Scholarship Auditions for aspiring youth dancers ages 12 and up. Auditioning students participate in various dance technique classes as a part of the overall audition process.
Full and partial scholarships awarded on the spot. Go to https://www.showclix.com/event/dreamtodance18 to register.
Free. Reservations required. Visit http://www.balletonwheels.org or call (901) 870-4348 for details. .


Every year in March, people from all over the world pretend to be Irish, wearing Leprechauns hats, drinking green beer and all those kind of stereotypes. Jaysus… the green beer?! Are you serious, lads? Have you ever seen it in a Dublin pub?
Could it be a better way to celebrate today?


BUTLERVILLE, Ind. - Despite rainy and chilly conditions during National Level Exercise 2011, members of the Indiana National Guard's 53rd Civilian Support Team and first responders from various Indiana Department of Homeland Security districts combined skills at Muscatatuck Urban Training Complex May 16-20 for emergency response training.
As part of their full-time mission set, the 53rd CST responds to chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear incidents and works in conjunction with local first-responders in determining the nature of an attack or incident; provides medical and technical counsel and the identification and arrival of follow-on state and federal military response resources. Each team consists of 22 full-time Army and Air National Guardsmen and is broken down into six smaller teams -- command, operations, communications, administration and logistics, medical, and survey teams. The 53rd CST is a full-time unit standing ready to support the state response, with 19 Soldiers and 3 Airmen, under the direction of the governor at a moment's notice.
As part of one scenario during the exercise, strike team members of the 53rd CST assisted first responders from the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, District 2, Tactical Rescue Team from South Bend as they dug through a rubble pile searching for mock victims. Other tasks that were included tested the team's ability to setup a communication dispatch center and detect hazardous materials in devastated affected areas.
According to Lt. Col. Eric Honaker, it takes a combined effort by all agencies to accomplish all the tasks in this exercise. When asked about the reaction of the first responders Honaker said, "We could see the relief in the faces of the first responders when our team arrived to assist in operations."
Honaker went on to explain that the 53rd CST duties were to provide initial advice on what the CBRN agent may be, assist first responders in that detection assessment process, and be the first military responders to the area.
First responders and Soldiers have to mesh together and protect individuals from possible threats, said Sgt. Neil Stone. "Cross training is beneficial to both sides."
53rd CST was also active in interfacing with outside task force organizations. CST strike team members assisted first responders in minor equipment shortages, such as phone, internet and radio systems. Sgt. 1st Class Michael Galloway was instrumental in the setup of a dispatch center for operation to enhance communications on ground.
When asked about cost of supplying first responders with a myriad of resources and equipment, Galloway replied that the resources provided by CST come at low or no cost to civilian first responders because of state funding.
Participation in the National Level Exercise 2011 provided realistic, hands on training needed to ensure proficiency during a catastrophic earthquake and added benefit to both the CST strike team and the civilian first responders they worked alongside.
While units of the Mississippi National Guard are dealing with floods threatening the western part of the state, more than 100 Georgia Army and Air Guard members have set up shop here at the Meridian-Lauderdale County Public Safety Training Center. They will spend the next five days participating in Operation Vigilant Guard 2011, along with some soldiers and airmen from the "cotton state� and Florida, and observers from West Virginia and Texas. It is expected that more than 500 Guard members, first responders and civilian role players will have converged on the center by the time the training ends. Here Georgia Army Guard Command Sgt. Maj. Mark Stacey (standing center in blue vest), non-commissioned officer-in-charge of safety for Kennesaw's Joint Task Force 781 and CBRNE Enhanced Response Force Package questions Travis Davis (right), operations branch chief and lead exercise planner from the Joint Interagency Training and Education Center in West Virginia, about possible hazards surrounding a simulated hotel that has collapsed because of an earth quake. "My job is to get as much information about what's going on at the incident site and determine what hazards are out there that could put our folks in as much danger," Stacey said. "It's to no one's advantage for us to become victims ourselves, and thereby lessen the survivability of the folks we come to help.� The National Guard Bureau in Washington, in conjunction with NORAD and U.S. Northern Command sponsors Vigilant Guard. This exercise in interagency cooperation provides an opportunity for State National Guard headquarters, State joint task forces like the 781st and its elements to improve command and control and operational relationships with local, state and federal emergency responders. Operation Vigilant Guard 2011 is multi-state exercise linked to the National Level Exercise Tier 11.
ARLINGTON, Va. – As of noon EST, about 9,000 National Guard members were activated in support of National Level Exercise 11, the National Guard Bureau's director of domestic operations and force development said here, May 17.
In the simulated environment of the NLE 11, National Guard members – along with U.S. Northern Command, Federal Emergency Management Agency and active-duty personnel – are working to develop command and control of state and federal assets in the affected regions.
A group of Soldiers from Kennesaw's Joint Task Force 781 and chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high-yield explosive, or CBRNE, Enhanced Response Force Package gather around Maj. Michael Collins (center), the Joint Task Force commander, and work out logistics and other possible issues before the 781st occupies the ground at a "disaster site" out on the Meridian-Lauderdale County Public Safety Training Center, Miss.
PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo., May 16, 2011 -- The National Guard, in cooperation with several federal agencies, including U.S. Northern Command, kicked off exercise ARDENT SENTRY 2011 today as part of the National Level Exercise 2011.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency and others federal authorities are responding to a simulated earthquake along the New Madrid Seismic Zone.
The exercise starting today and concluding on May 20, 2011, incorporates several military exercises with the National Guard from eight central U.S. States: Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee; and four FEMA regions.
As part of ARDENT SENTRY, U.S. Northern Command will exercise the Contingency Dual Status Command initiative, which allows for a commissioned officer of the active-duty Army or Air Force, or an Army or Air National Guard, to command and control state and federal military assets in a Defense Support of Civil Authorities environment.
National Level Exercise 2011 will validate existing plans, policies, and procedures, including the Federal Interagency Response Plan, state and regional New Madrid catastrophic plans.
There were 19 "victims� involved in a multiple-agency, multiple-situation first responder training exercise conducted Tuesday night at old Richmond on the dorm circle at Murray State University.
According to its designer, MSU public safety emergency coordinator Jeff Steen, the exercise was meant to challenge the Murray Fire Department with fires and structural damage caused by earthquake. Steen said that the exercise showed that command structure established at the scene met National Incident Management Standards (NIMS) by maintaining an appropriate span of control.
Simulated smoke created a dense wall in the entrance hallway to the dorm where there were designated fire centers in the middle of the building on the first and second floors. MFD responders were ten in number and called for assistance immediately, given the number of victims and the size of the building with stairwells only at the north and south ends of the structure. The design of the building delayed getting water to the fire.
In the local component of the National Level Exercise activated by FEMA, the Murray effort culminated with a debriefing led primarily by Steen and Murray Fire Department Chief Eric Pologruto, who was incident commander on site. Pologruto established a command post with the Calloway County Fire and Rescue Chief Earl Hicks working alongside. Murray State Police, Murray-Calloway County Hospital EMS and Calloway County DES Rescue Squad also coordinated at that site.
The first responders agreed that radio communications are a work in progress with the best result being agencies using separate channels while also communicating face to face, rather than trying to merge radio channels for multiple agency talk. Steen pointed out that the layout of the stairwells in old Richmond required the fire personnel to have to pull far too much hose and said that standpipes are needed in this kind of older structure. The building was completely sprinkled twelve years ago to improve life safety. For the exercise it was stipulated that the sprinkle system was disabled due to lack of water. The fire department pressurized the sprinkler system with one of their pumpers.
Calloway County Emergency Management Director Bill Call was among evaluators appointed to assess the responders' total efforts and said that there were some formalities missing, but that overall accountability was good. One problem occurred regarding the dispatch of the DES Rescue team, but that was also attributed to a radio issue.
The NLE local drill in Murray was part of a busy few days for emergency management personnel. FEMA damage assessors toured Calloway Monday as officials seek qualification for individual assistance. The county has received FEMA qualification for public assistance, or reimbursing responding governmental agencies for expenses. Call said that the tour resulted in FEMA logging ten residences destroyed or damaged in recent weather events (nine by strong winds and one by flooding). It remains to be seen whether the number of affected homes in Calloway will be added to the aggregate losses of the region to be considered.
Another component of the NLE today was the landing of two Blackhawk helicopters at the National Guard Armory, sent here as part of the State Exercise. Personnel with the Blackhawks, including an urban search and rescue team from Louisville, visited MSU and ran through its own drill situation at the old Richmond site used by local responders later in the day.
Fox Meadow Elementary School in Jonesboro looked like a war zone Monday morning. Emergency responders, police, firefighters and even the National Guard were on hand working to get injured people the help they needed and bring chaos to order; only there was no true disaster.
Around 15 state agencies put their skills to the test in a mock earthquake disaster drill. Director of the Craighead County Office of Emergency Management, David Moore, says this is the largest disaster drill FEMA has ever attempted. "National Level Exercise 2011, in itself, is the biggest drill nationwide. But going beyond that, Arkansas is the biggest player within NLE 11 and Craighead County, I'm proud to say, is the biggest player in Arkansas.
So, we are all trying to step up and do our best to show that we're prepared."
They simulated a building collapse at the elementary school with around eighty injured and seven fatalities.
Moore says anyone that would normally be involved in such a catastrophic event is participating in the drill. "We have cities involved. We have the county, state and federal. We have hospitals, health department. The list is truly unbelievable. Everything from radio operators to volunteer firemen. We have all these groups coming together and working together within their areas. And so, it helps build that relationship within them to make these things happen. Hopefully, we'll never have to use them. But if we do, we know we can do it."
J3 Director of Military Operations for the Arkansas National Guard, Colonel Greg Bacon, says what they're all learning from this weeks drill will be crucial in helping them all do their jobs better, "Some of the firemen are not familiar with our aircraft, so today they're becoming more familiar with the aircraft, how to load those patients onto the aircraft so in a disaster scenario they'll have that training. And by that more quickly and efficiently, we help save lives."
Superintendent of Nettleton Schools, James Dunivan, says he is thrilled his faculty and students were able to participate in the exercise, "This is a wonderful opportunity for everyone involved. With all the various agencies here from all over Craighed County and from all over the country, coming together, and working together, learning how to communicate together. It's also good for the adults to practice our skills for taking care of the kids. It's also good for our kids to see that when we practice a drill, we mean business."
Moore says drills like this are critical for them to discover what things are working and what isn't. "This is very important on multiple aspects.
First, you build a plan. Then you exercise it and see things that are open for improvement." "I'm tickled to death. Everyone is doing what their supposed to. Yes, in any event you're going to run into some problems. But that's what we're looking for. If we can fix those problems now then whenever we have to do it for real, you know those problems are taken care of. And that's what we're really looking for in these exercises, is to learn from them."
The drill will continue with a number of other events to occur at different locations through Friday. Day two will be a hazardous material spill at ASU, and day three will be an airlift in Monette where supplies will be dropped off due to a bridge collapse.
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Lighting & Visuals Design
Planetarium by Clara Diesen
Poetic story about relationships between people and between people and the world.
Idea, text, direction: Clara Diesen
Participants: Clara Diesen, Hanna Åhs and Lou Diesen
AliasTeater
Project description: How do you explain the strong love that existed - for the universe? How?
We're giving it a try.
Planetarium - a stage performance that can be both living poetry, and a sketch of the world, and a stage performance that asks questions about love in the anthropocene. As celestial bodies, we orbit, we humans, and how do you describe the world as it weathers?
A poet, a child and a dancer in a performance performance; it is a living sculpture - and a reading. Because we are alternately satellites, comets, superheroes - or small grains in the universe. You and I are Uranus' moons, a mother is a universe, a sound still echoes from the Big Bang, and images flicker past of memories of who we were while we were here: and space sees them.
Planetarium is a stage performance that plays with concepts and mixes phenomena such as sci-fi, dance, rituals, and creates a poetic and suggestive encounter between genres.
Work description: All the visual material that was worked on the project was the result of several talks I had with Clara. The idea was that everything that was seen in the scene had an important meaning in the lives of all of us who participated in the project. Each one of us contributed family photos, of places we had been, places where nature was present, thus creating parallel universes united by the poems that Clara wrote.
The lighting design was simple and made a reference to theatrical lighting designs of 50 years ago, where the performance zones on the stage were marked and the theatrical convention was created that they corresponded to different spaces within the presentation. And so it was that there was a special area from where Clara recited the poems while Lou and Hanna developed the performance that illustrated the meaning of the poems.
Trailer Planetarium: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TORx2Cq70Qw


Come and discover some of the amazing creatures we share the Earth with! From jaguars to oysters, whales to kiwis and eagles to earthworms, this book introduces a vast array of intriguing creatures.
The Animal Book from Lonely Planet Kids profiles over 100 animals with fantastic photographic images and illustrations. The book has a section for each continent as well as one for ocean creatures, enabling kids to explore the appearance and habitats of all sorts of creatures, as well as find out about their secrets and cheeky antics!
Would you like to learn how dung beetles help scientists track rare mammals on the savannah? Or marvel at the colours of the panther chameleon? Or perhaps you would like to know why a toucan has such a large beak, or how many times per second a hummingbird beats its wings? Then you had better start reading and not get distracted by how big a goliath bird-eating spider is (or the fact that people like to eat them).
Each page in the book profiles a single creature, with a short summary paragraph at the top and a key facts box at the bottom, containing information such as scientific name, size, diet and status (eg extinct). A range of facts are then scattered around each page, along with photos and illustrations of the creature.
Conservation messages are also interspersed throughout, noting efforts underway for endangered animals and drawing attention to the need to support protection and breeding programs for some of these wonderful creatures.
The book is well laid out with good use of colour and colour blocks for breaking up text as well as clever positioning of images to support facts and snippets of information.
This is a great resource book presented in a fun and interesting way. I went out and bought a copy for an eight-year-old's birthday a couple of weeks ago (I didn't want to give up my copy) and she has been enthusiastically reading a different creature profile every night since!


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Q: Angular2 online / offline event Is there a native Angular2 event to notify when the application loses / regains network connectivity?
Or a wrapper for window.navigator.online / offlinejs?

A: No, there is no such native api in angular2.


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