text:
Bill would lift Stark barriers to APMs
New legislation to modify the Stark antitrust law to remove barriers so independent physicians can take advantage of advanced payment model opportunities provided to accountable care organizations in the Affordable Care Act has been introduced with the backing of the major organizations representing urology.
Bob GattyNew legislation to modify the Stark antitrust law to remove barriers so independent physicians can take advantage of advanced payment model (APM) opportunities provided to accountable care organizations (ACOs) in the Affordable Care Act has been introduced with the backing of the major organizations representing urology.
Sponsored by Reps. Larry Bucshon, MD (R-IN), Raul Ruiz, MD (D-CA), Kenny Marchant (R-TX), and Ron Kind (D-WI) in the House of Representatives, the Medicare Care Coordination Improvement Act also was introduced in the Senate in early November by Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Michael F. Bennet (D-CO).
Also by Bob Gatty: MedPAC advocates for MIPS termination
According to Dr. Bucshon, the legislation would reduce legal barriers for physicians to enter into agreements with other health care providers "to better coordinate patient care and more efficiently use Medicare dollars." The measure would give the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) the regulatory authority to modernize the Stark Law by creating exceptions for APMs and removing barriers to the development and operation of those arrangements.
"As a physician, I know first-hand that patients can have medical issues requiring a coordinated team of physicians and other health care professionals to be on the case for effective treatment," Dr. Bucshon said. "The Medicare Care Coordination Improvement Act would remove legal barriers that currently prevent physicians from entering into innovative payment models that can lead to better outcomes for patients, while also saving Medicare money."
The legislation has the support of the AUA, LUGPA, and the AACU.
Next: 'A critical milestone'
'A critical milestone'
"The introduction of Stark modernization legislation is a critical milestone in our efforts to improve the ability of independent practices to deliver quality, accessible care," said LUGPA President Neal D. Shore, MD.
"Large health systems were granted waivers from Stark laws to establish ACOs years ago, but those protections were not extended to physicians in independent practice, which excluded the most cost-effective site of service from participating in value-based care models," Dr. Shore said. "This legislation is an important step in the right direction to leveling the playing field and allowing patients the ability to access high-quality care at the location of their choosing."
Read: Senate takes aim at pharmacy benefit managers' role in rising drug costs
Key provisions of the legislation would:
provide CMS the same authority to waive prohibitions in the Stark Law and anti-kickback statute for physicians seeking to develop and operate APMs as was provided to ACOs in the ACA
remove the "volume or value" prohibition in the Stark Law for physician practices that are developing or operating APMs, allowing them to align incentives for their physicians to abide by best practices and succeed in the new value-based APMs
ensure that CMS's use of its current administrative authority promotes care coordination, quality improvement, and resource conservation.
LUGPA Health Policy Chair Deepak A. Kapoor, MD, said the 30-year-old Stark Law self-referral prohibitions effectively block coordination of care by physicians.
"I've been working closely with the bill's sponsors in both the House and Senate," he told Urology Times. "Stark was designed for fee-for-service, not value-based care. If I am assuming risk for performance of a service and not paid on a fee-for-service basis, there is no incentive for me because the law prohibits us from gainsharing arrangements when it comes to volume or value."
Further, Dr. Kapoor said Stark prohibitions "stifle care delivery innovation by inhibiting practices from incentivizing their physicians to deliver patient care more effectively and efficiently because they cannot use resources from designated health services, such as pathology, advanced imaging, radiation therapy, and physical therapy in rewarding or penalizing adherence to clinical guidelines and treatment pathways."
Also see: Statewide tests on the role of MOC multiply
Introduction of the legislation-particularly with bipartisan sponsorship in both chambers of Congress-is an important step, but the road to final passage is a long and bumpy one. However, the new bill is now before lawmakers for consideration and perhaps could find its way to passage as an amendment to broader health-related legislation.
Next: House approves IPAB repeal
House approves IPAB repeal
Meanwhile, urology organizations experienced a significant victory in November when the House of Representatives approved legislation to eliminate the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) by a vote of 307-111.
Authored by Reps. Phil Roe (R-TN) and Raul Ruiz (D-CA), the bill, if passed by the Senate and signed by President Trump, would repeal the provision of the ACA that created the IPAB as an effort to identifying Medicare savings. Physician organizations, such as those representing urology, argued that the IPAB would target Medicare reimbursement and that they would have little recourse to combat those cuts.
Read: PCa active surveillance trends revealed in 'real-world' study
Nearly 800 organizations representing patients, health care providers, seniors, veterans, and others-including the AUA, LUGPA, and the AACU-fought to convince Congress to repeal the IPAB.
"Today, the House acted yet again to repeal this board and its unconstitutional relinquishment of Congressional authority," said House Health Subcommittee Chairman Michael C. Burgess, MD (R-TX). "I urge the Senate to follow suit so we can return oversight of the future of the Medicare program where it belongs. We must prevent potential cuts from being implemented by this unelected board once and for all."
While the IPAB was created by the ACA, its members have never been appointed because the trigger for it to be implemented was never reached.
More from Urology Times:
LUGPA advocacy targets self-referral laws, USPSTF reform
LUGPA puts resources behind key policy initiatives, future leaders
Urology-specific APMs to encompass PCa, BPH, OAB
Subscribe to Urology Times to get monthly news from the leading news source for urologists.
Health Law & Policy | News


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#ifdef XML_BACKEND

#include <vector>
#include <stdarg.h>
#include <memory>

#include "XMLRef.h"

namespace Oak {
namespace XML {

class RefGroup;
typedef std::unique_ptr<RefGroup> RefGroupUPtr;

// =============================================================================
// Class definition
// =============================================================================
class RefGroup : public Ref
{
public:
    RefGroup(RefUPtr eRef1 = RefUPtr(), RefUPtr eRef2 = RefUPtr(), RefUPtr eRef3 = RefUPtr(), RefUPtr eRef4 = RefUPtr());
    RefGroup(const RefGroup& copy);
    RefGroup(RefGroup &&move);

    RefGroup& operator=(const RefGroup& copy);
    RefGroup& operator=(RefGroup&& move);

    virtual RefUPtr copy() const override;
    RefGroupUPtr copyGroup() const;

    virtual Element getTarget(Element source, bool create = false) const override;
    virtual void clearTarget(Element source, bool onlyIfEmpty = true) const override;

    virtual Element getSource(Element target) const override;

    virtual bool isNull() const override { return false; }

    bool empty() const { return m_references.empty(); }
    int count() const { return static_cast<int>(m_references.size()); }
    Ref* at(int index) { return m_references[static_cast<vSize>(index)].get(); }
    template<typename T>
    T* at(int index) { return dynamic_cast<T*>(m_references.at(index).get()); }
    RefUPtr take(int index) { return std::move(m_references[static_cast<vSize>(index)]); }

    void add(RefUPtr eRef);
    void clear();

    virtual const std::string& firstTagName() const override { return m_references.front()->firstTagName(); }
    virtual const std::string& lastTagName() const override { return m_references.back()->lastTagName(); }

    template<class... _Types> inline
    static RefGroupUPtr MakeUPtr(_Types&&... _Args)
    {
        return (RefGroupUPtr(new RefGroup(_STD forward<_Types>(_Args)...)));
    }

protected:
    std::vector<RefUPtr> m_references;

};

} // namespace XML
} // namespace Oak

#endif // XML_BACKEND

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The $150 "Back to School" Target Giveaway!
From preschool to grad school, RetailMeNot has the hottest back-to-school bargains for all your shopping needs. You can grab their coupons for school uniforms, books, laptops and more – they've got discounts on pretty much everything. And for those non-school people out there (like me, *tear*), they've got tons of other great clearance sales too, as well as a handy RetailMeNot Mobile Coupons App for the next time you're shopping at the mall (it'll send you deal alerts right to your phone).
Want a Chance to Win one of the THREE $50 Cards?
What will you pick up with this $50 card?
Anyone can enter whether you'll use it for school stuff or not, but you do have to be a resident of the U.S. to win (sorry rest of the world!). We'll run the giveaway until this Sunday, July 21st, at noon EST, and then pick the winner shortly thereafter using Random.org.
GOOD LUCK EVERYONE! Excited to pass them out to y'all!
My $50 winner card will be used to buy groceries. This is so it will immediately translate to my bottom line and increase my net worth. I am all about increasing net worth at this point in my life. The larger I can grow that egg, the more it will grow on it's own sooner rather than later. Send it my way J Money!
I'll probably go for the groceries too. Student loan payments just kicked in, and this would help me direct a little more their way!
Good luck with the loans!! I just paid off Sallie Mae last week, and only have federal now. It feels so good to be free from one of them! Kick those loans a$$es!
Great giveaway! Im not one to shill for companies, but I love TARGET and I love RETAIL ME NOT! I never buy anything online before seeing if there is a promo code and retail me not is it nicest looking one out there with the most up to date information.
As for what I would buy: I am a huge fan of their decorative / cool looking office supplies, the colorful patterned ones, magazine holders, recipe boxes anything to be organized.
I totally pick up way too many goodies there. Sometimes I do my grocery shopping there just so I can see what bargains are on clearance.
I'm in the groceries boat too! Great prices and awesome clearance! I'm a huge fan of Target for everything, and of course I have the debit card (NOT credit card!) for extra 5% off. If the card comes early enough I might end up getting a dress for 1 of 2 weddings I have to go to soon.
No groceries here….Just school supplies for DD …a struggling college student who is trying to come out of school with no student loans….no small feat!
I'd pick up some clothes and classroom items…is it sort of sad that a teacher buys her wardrobe at Target?!
I would use it for school supplies. My wife is a teacher and this will go a long way to stocking her shelves.
Hmm $50 gift card for school get this would actually be used for school. I have two boys in their teens so I need all the school supplies I can buy. They go through paper like the are writing a book. And I swear they eat pencils!
I would buy back to school supplies and clothing for my kids. My son needs new jeans for back to school so they would definitely be on my list.
I'll use the $50 for groceries. I graduate in August so hopefully no more school supplies for me (until kids come along anyway).
I don't need any school supplies…but I could spend 5o bucks on all kinds of things~ Thanks for the giveaway!
I would spend the $50 on… dog toys for my dog for a year. That'd make her the happiest dog ever!
I'd spend it on school supplies and take some of them into the daycare that the munchkin goes to.
She does her "homework" a couple of times a week already. She's 4, it consists of her announcing that she is doing her homework and coloring.
I'd get groceries to restock the pantry!
We're actually trying out Target diapers right now actually – so far so good!
Love it! I like plain tees too but usually only white. Gotta keep it crisp!
I would get some back to school clothes. Always in need of those!
Summer clothes! And a journal.
No school supplies here, but I would pick up office supplies. Up, my wife just blurted out swimsuit. Yeah, I'd probably buy her a swimsuit.
I'd use it towards the stand mixer that I've had my eyes on for awhile.
Ideally I'd use it to buy a couple pieces for a minimalist, mix-and-match wardrobe. But, if I can't find what I'm looking for, it would be great to pass on to my little sister who is headed off to college in the fall and needs lots of back-to-school stuff.
I would use it for puppy food and toys for our new little puppy!
Well I need to actually use it for my daughter's back to school supplies, clothes, etc.
Target has these great $20 running shorts that have a back pocket in the waistband that I haven't been able to find anywhere else for less than $50 so I'd get those and $30 worth of marshmallows (The Target nearest me is slowly becoming a Super-Target).
Some maternity clothes or nursing tank tops for myself. This next kid is gonna be here in a few months!
The gift card would go towards school supplies for my new-to-school 4yo son. Backpack and uniforms… That's $50 that I would be able to then add to savings from my regular cash flow. Just have to keep building the foundation brick by brick to get that house next year!
With the $50 gift card I would get a small food-processor.
I'm moving on August 1, so I'd use the gift card for some new house needs! Probably some new towels, and cleaning supplies.
I will buy the $100 Brother DS600 Portable Scanner.
I would buy back to school supplies (notebooks, pens, etc.).
I'm starting a Teaching Job this fall and need to upgrade my post-college wardrobe into that of a professional. With $50 Gift Card I would buy myself a couple of nice dress shirts. It's very important to look professional in front of the kids and co-workers and even for myself as I will feel better prepared for a position.
I live on a sailboat, currently cruising up and down the East Coast and I'm in need of some new throw pillows for the boat. Target is the perfect place for these!
Thanks!! It's a new blog so not too much to read yet, but I am totally hooked on all of these awesome finance blogs such as yours!!
We would use it for school supplies and whatever is left would buy groceries.
My two girls are not old enough for school yet so I would use the money to buy them craft supplies maybe a couple new books.
I think I'd grab a couple of dresses for work. I'm a grown up now. It's time to get more fancy!
I would use it to buy containers to organize!
I would use it for new clothes and shoes. My work wardrobe (which is also my back to school for my Master's wardrobe) is looking a bit run down.
I would put that bad boy towards a new graphing calculator! Thank, J. Money, my man.
I would take the $50 gift card and buy some clothes for my pregnant wife and toys for my future son that will make his appearance in November. Thanks!
Backpacks for my 2 step-kids! I loved back to school shopping as a kids and I am stoked to go with them this year!
I would buy school supplies for my children and also for my students at school. I'm an instructional aide.
I would put it towards groceries. My fiancé is a runner so our cupboards and fridge constantly need to be restocked. I swear it sometimes seems as if a small group of teenage boys empties our kitchen overnight..
A semester's-worth of non-perishable snacks like granola bars and trail mix to get me through long days of teaching and research! Much cheaper than hitting the student café for a energy pick-me-up!
1. Pick up a variety of decorative items to help me in my new place. I'm a first-time homebuyer in the middle of a major renovation – so everything I pick up at Target makes it that much more special, and a little more like home!
I'm a single mom trying to help my son go to college. No doubt about–I'd purchase as many dorm room necessities as I could.
Tons of school supplies. We have 3 kids homeschooling this year!
I would use the money on the great deals they have in the clearance sections. I love to stop by Target just to browse those clearance shelves.
If I won, I would probably buy kitty litter and cat food.
Not that that I wouldn't buy those anyways, but the Target near me has the kinds I buy, and I need to stock up soon. And having Retail Me Not pay for the next few months worth of cat-having-expenses would be pretty sweet.
Baby stuff totally! diapers, wipes, pacifiers to replace the ones that mysteriously disappear . . . this is where *all* my money goes these days.
I would give the gift card to my wife. We decided to not get each other anything for our birthdays this year (trying to live the frugal life!) but if I could give her a GC to her favorite store, and I got it for free, I would score major brownie points!
New sheets and towels. My current ones need replacing.
Lots and lots and lots of caffeine, the staple diet of any college student!
The home office is up and running, at least for me and my wife, the planned kids section is not completed yet. So with the $50 gift card we can begin that project so that our soon to be kindergartner (5-year old) and our 3-year old bilingual VPK candidate can have a creative space for homework and learning time.
Dog treats. My dogs love the retriever rolls that Targets sell and two bags will last a couple weeks.
I would use the $50 giftcard to purchase baby food and or/Christmas presents for my niece and combine it with their coupons to attempt to double my savings. Due to unforeseen circumstances, I have now helping raise my 8 month old niece as both her mom and dad are out of the picture. Needless to say as a young twenty-something with no children, baby expenses were not exactly on my horizen 8 months ago and it has been a financial adjustment for everyone. Other than the awesomeness of getting to experience being a mother figure to my niece the other good thing that has come out has been a complete oberhaul of my money skills. Thank you J Money! So now I have a budget, pay myself first, have started a college fund for my niece, and am working on my retirement fund through work since they give me free money to do so!!!!! I also bought a life insurance policy–let me tell you–parenthood sure opens your eyes!
Wowwww what a big change indeed!! So good of you to take care of your 8 mo old niece like that!! Man, I can't even imagine what the story is behind the parents :( So sad though… You have a little angel in your care – you will be blessed!!
I would get school supplies for kids.
Diapers and baby formula; one never has enough.
I will purchase some new gym clothes to get back in shape.
Back to school clothes shopping for my kids!
My daughter really needs a new backpack this year so I would buy that and school supplies with whatever is left over.
They need school items such as backpacks and pens and crayons and notepads.
Then there is the food for the school lunch that need to be bought as well.
No kids, but I'm a school psychologist, so I'll be going back to school soon :) I'd use this a new lunch bag for myself and maybe some games/treats for the kids that I work with.
baby food making pouches … my daughter is 7 months… I need an easier way to store all my homemade baby food!!
$50.00 divided 3 ways( kindergartener, 2nd grader & 5th grader) roughly $16.66 per child.
With 5 kiddos, I'm sure I would pick up school supplies and/or clothing items for the kids.
I would use the card to buy a backpack and stuff it full of school supplies to donate to the group that collects them for needy kids. Given how the economy is pinching my family, I can only imagine how bad it is for so many others out there.
This coming school year I am working at an elementary school four days a week- while finishing up my undergrad. I need some more dress clothes to match the work I'm doing. I would probably use it all for clothing, and maybe to cover the partial cost of a pair of shoes.
Back to School period always comes sooner every year. I would go for school supplies for the kids!
I would probably buy items needed for my new office space. Decor, storage, file folders, etc. Always need things at the last minute when trying to organize a space!
I will use the $50 to stock up on groceries :) Trying to pay off these student loans!
I will use the $50 to buy a spare key for my car, since I locked my only key in there last night and it cost me $100 to get it out.
Household items and personal care stuff most likely. I don't generally buy my groceries at Target. There's no Super Target round here unfortunately.
Yeah thanks for holding this! Thank you to RetailMeNot also. I use that site all the time.
Definitely diapers. I've lost count of how many I change every day.
I would buy…. sharpies in every rainbow color!
I'd definitely buy groceries… Every bit of saving helps!
I'd get some clothes for the summer.
It would probably go towards kids clothes!
I would put the money toward school clothes for my grandchildren. Momma is unemployed and her resources are limited.
I would give it my daughter's teacher for school supplies.
I need to jump start my workout routines this summer. I was going to drop by Target soon for a new workout outfit, and maybe even a better pair of tennis shoes. $50 would go a long way there!
I would buy school supplies. I have a daughter that is a senior in high school this year, the most expensive year of high school, and a son in college. Money has been especially tight since I lost my job several months ago and am a single mom, so every little bit helps toward those school expenses.
I need to buy supplies for my classroom this fall and $50 at Target will help start that process.
I'd get a nice case for my iPad mini — making my commute enjoyable helps me save a lot of money by living in the suburbs!
School supplies and clothes for the kids and Anything interesting from the clearance racks for me–love the target clearance racks.
school supplies and preschool activities.
If I were lucky enough to win, I would use it to buy groceries. I've recently graduated with my Bachelors and money's been tight as finding a job is much more difficult than I had anticipated. Every little bit helps!
I'd pick up some new sheets for my bed, as my current sheets have holes in them! Ah!
Use it towards my son's school supply list.
My wife and I would use it on new stuff for daycare. Babies been out for the summer but will need a supply of diapers, wipes, etc.
I would use it to supplement our back to school clothing budget for our three kids. Even with help from our parents with clothes and school supplies, my budget for shoes, backpacks, school fees, undergarments, and sweatshirts is over $800! Hopefully I'll find some deals and get a free gift card to bring that number down!
I've got two kids who need amazing amounts of school supplies and who both need new shoes. Thanks!
I would probably use the money to buy some basic office supplies we've been holding off on. New stapler, some stuff to help keep us organized, something along those lines.
I'll probably used it for clothes for my kids, or maybe I'll splurge on something for myself.
school supplies for my kiddos of course!
I will get a new book bag for my son and some new school supplies too. I know his class room will need glue sticks, zip lock bags, and wipes as they were repeatedly asked for last year too.
I would get school supplies for my Nephew since my sister Is on a tight budget and this would definitely help get him equipped with everything he would need for the school year ahead.
Back to school time is always a great time to stock up on office supplies if you're not in school. I'd load up on notebooks (I'm a list maker & doodler!), paper, pens, and some coloring stuff for the kid.
I've been waiting on back to school sales to pick up some organizational stuff for new house!
My husband and I just got married 2 weeks ago! But he's moving 4 hours away next month for the next two years to finish his Engineering degree. Therefore, this gift card would be spent on school supplies for him and a sappy movie and a box of candy for me.
woahhhh, that's a hard way to start out your marriage together :( you guys will surely be strong after all that though! Good luck!
I would pick up uniform essentials from Target.
It will go to school supplies. :-) As a teacher, I buy many of my own supplies to have on hand in addition to my own children's needs.
I'd use it for school supplies and then buy snacks/frozen food with the leftover money.
My practical choice would be groceries. My non-practical choice would be another Roku box for the house (we ditched cable this year). However, back to school clothes for our 3 kids would be a help. They either destroy or grow out of everything in a few months. So I'll go with keeping my kids from looking like hobos (at least on the first day of school).
The $50 will go towards the expensive calculator my son will need for his pre-cal class this year.
buy new stuff for my new house!!! and I LOVE Target!
I would buy some items for my new home I just purchased!
uniforms…..probably 500$ for a fifth and sixth grader….ouch!
I'll be using the gift card for baby gear for our 7 week old baby!
Glue sticks, paper, pencils, markers. But mostly I want to get my kids new backpacks and new lunchboxes.
I would use it for some new towels!
I'd buy some gas to drive my oldest to Purdue.
I'd buy my groceries, as well!
I would buy binders to put the student learning materials that I have created for them. There is simply no money for textbooks in our school district's budget. I had to get creative and come up with my own teaching materials. My students are so worth it!
Honestly, I would get some baby formula and diapers with $50 card. My wife and I just had our first baby a month ago and just came to realize how expansive they are!
I'm planning on going back to school soon and saved some of my beer money for textbooks. But seems like I have to use that money to buy my daughter some new clothes…. newborns don't fit her anymore….
I would get some sweet new socks – I broke my leg a few months ago and have been wearing socks and sneakers all summer (big time summer bummer!) and I am in desparate need of new socks. I'd probably pick up a nice pair of sandals too for when I'm finally off of the crutches!
I would use the $50 gift card to buy frames and a mirror or two to furnish the home.
I would use the gift card towards groceries. My boyfriend is on temporary disability right now so our household income got cut. He's home all the time now so $50 can go quite a bit in food…at least the way I would use it.
Target is on the bi-weekly repertoire and we usually drop $150 a pop on groceries and toiletries so it would definitely come in handy!
I'd use it for grad school and home office supplies!
Thanks for the giveaway. I would spend it on scout camp related items and school stuff for the kids.
i'd buy some clothes or things to furnish my new apt!
Or to a new microwave….I'm trying to see how long I can last without a micro since my last one died….
I'd probably buy some clothes and some food.
I think I would use half to buy my kids school supplies, and the other half I would buy diapers for a local charity. Thanks for the chance!
I wish I'd treat myself to something nice since I'm way too cheap, but in all honesty I'd probably spend it on exciting home improvement gear like Frog Tape and insulation tape.
I'd use the $50 GC to buy 2 lunchboxes for my kid and an outfit or two for his first year of preschool.
I teach high school in a rural economically disadvantaged school, so $50 would go straight towards school supplies for my students. I pay for a lot of the supplies out of my pocket so any extra money would really help!
I would use the $50.00 to buy some items for the teachers who sponsor a program in my school district.
Love those Target cards! Would stock up on bar soap, liquid dispenser soap, and select from household, office, kitchen items and accessories.
I would definitely stock up on dog supplies – food, leashes, treats, and toys for our 2 fur babies!
This will go to help pay for my school supplies! I'm in graduate school and every bit of money to buy pens, paper, and binders helps!
I would use it for school clothes for my high school son or for a new corner desk I saw at target the other night so I can set it up to start a new blog!!
I would use the $50 gift card to buy school supplies!
I would use the $50 Target to buy school shoes for my soon to be 5th grader.
I would use the gift card for groceries and cleaning supplies. Time to clean the bathrooms again.
Love Target. Definitely buy clothes for the soon to be high school sophomore.
I would get groceries and other household essentials (toothpaste, toilet paper, etc.), because that's $50 of my own money I wouldn't have to spend on such things and could put toward paying off debt!
I think I would put it towards an ipad or an ipad wannabe..
I would use the $50 Target gift card to buy new clothes. I've lost over 25 pounds in the past 3 months and I can't keep my pants up. I still need to lose another 30 pounds so I suspect I'll be needing new jeans before school starts up again this fall.
I would use it toward some cleaning supplies and some blackout curtains to keep my living room cooler during this heat.
I'd pick up something for our new apartment; I love all the great modern designs Target has!
I'd load up on summer stuff like cheap pool floats and rafts, water guns and super soakers. It's a great time to buy and hold for next year.
I don't need school supplies, but I would probably spend it on groceries! I love shopping at Target.
I'd get some transition into fall clothes!
I will pick up some new outfits and school supplies.
I would (or will, regardless) buy school supplies, including many boxes of crayons as they're perfect for gifts throughout the year and awesomely cheap right now!
As I am (sadly) no longer in school either, I would spend my $50 on regular household items and groceries. This would free up $50 in cash in my budget, which I would then send in to help pay down my $150,000 in student loans! That way I will save (=earn, right?) 6.8% interest on that $50.
I'm with a lot of others on this–I'd use the $50 toward groceries.
I'm a new canner and I would use the $50 to buy something to can. My next project is canning some soup.
I have two high school students. I would definitely use the gift card for school supplies and/or school clothes. Where do all those socks and underwear go?
I'd buy groceries! Thanks for a fun giveaway!
I'd give it to my daughter. She's a first year dental school student. Dental school is ridiculously expensive. So she could use it to buy things for her new apartment or groceries. She saw a desk she wants at Target.com, $50 off would be great!
Would give it to my nieces and nephews to help them buy their school supplies!
I would use it to buy gas for my car so I can get to school.
As much as I can of the kids school supplies list – pencils, pens, paper, notebooks, etc. Thanks for the giveaway!
Hmm what would I buy with this $50 gift card?
Stuff for my wife's classroom! The common knowledge that teacher's are woefully undersupplied and have to supplement with their own pay is becoming painfully real for us again this year :) $50 can buy quite a bit of paper and pencils so those kids can learn!
I will use the $50.00 gift card to buy all of my son's back to school supplies and if there is anything left over I can supplement for back to school clothes for him also.
Cute sandals! And maybe some awesome, cheap stuff on clearance.
Shoes for my daughter, she has been flying through them this summer! AND I am just going to buy them and she is stuck with them. Ugh shopping with a picky tween is enough to drive the most patient person to tears!
I'll be getting some iTunes gift cards.
I would use this cool $50 card to get clothing and a gift for my daughter who will be turning 2 next month. Yes, we are calculating her 529 as part of our net worth, just like you!
A new City Target is opening up this summer — walking distance! Mister's bday is coming up — so a walk to check out the new Target diggs and then a surprise "mad money" moment so he can pick an indulgence.
I'd pick up some new clothes and school supplies for the kids!!! School will be starting before we know it!
I would buy baby items like clothes and other little things my daughter will need as she grows.
Well my student days are long over..but my home office is begging for a mini makeover!
Wooooo I love me some school supplies.
I'd spend it all on Sticky post-it notes. Crazy? Not exactly. Post-its are insanely expensive! And I would love to use them much more when teaching, but as I said, waaay too expensive.
I'd help my sister buy school supplies for my niece (and my nephew who goes to preschool and needs 2 of everything – one for home and one for preschool)… my niece is OBSESSED with One Direction so I imagine there will be a lot of that included in her "dream" shopping basket.
Purchase some apartment furniture and decor for an upcoming move!
I would love to say I would buy clothes, but I should probably be good and purchase necessities.
Hmmmmm since my little one isn't in school yet, we would use it for in home schooling and art supplies!
I would get school supplies and clothes for my daughter who will be entering first grade.
I'd use the gift card to buy groceries and household stuff (which we normally get at Target anyway) so I could free up $50 in our budget for our 5 year wedding anniversary next month!
I would use to buy snacks for the house!
I'll use it to stock up on fruit cups. I go through like 3 or 4 a day while I'm at school.
I'd probably some pens, notebooks, and clothes for next year.
My son already eyed a bookbag at Target and is checking the ad every week to see when it goes on sale. Teaching him young! This would also help fill it with some school supplies.
I would wait until my school kids come back to school, and help out those that didnt have their essential supplies.
We are all about the school supplies right now, with a fourth grader and new freshman. Viva la Target!
I've already picked up all my son's school supplies, but he decided to put on two inches over the summer so for me I would spend it on some new clothes where his arms and legs won't stick out!
I'll use it for *drumroll* school supplies. Haha The new semester starts in September, and this would help a lot!
I buy household cleaning supplies and groceries. I graduated last year and am working hard to pay down that nagging student loan debt!
I would use it to purchase school supplies to donate for children whose parents cant buy school supplies.
I need some new staples in my wardrobe, so I think I'll pick up some new basics like tees and jeans.
I would buy backpacks and lunch boxes for my 2 girls!
I always help my kids out every year by buying the backpacks and a couple of outfits for the grandkids to start school with. This would be a great way to do that!
I'd buy some groceries, cash is a little tight at the moment.
I just saw that their summer clothes are starting to go on sale/clearance and it's still boiling hot around here so I'll probably pick up some clothes while I can get good deals!!
Put it towardsa new netbook …..
Back to school clothes shopping and supplies!
With a $50 gift card, I'd buy half of our Christmas presents – the half that is new underwear for everyone. Underclothes go on sale with the rest of the 'back to school' supplies, so I get that part of our Christmas gifts now anyway.
On a related topic (to getting new underwear), we just cut a lot of my husband's old, fraying t-shirts into clothes for cleaning. It's the Circle of Life (cue the song from The Lion King)!
hahaha…. this totally made my day.
Buy groceries and school supplies for my 6 year old. 1st grade this year! Help with the expenses of the 3 month old…….
I would use the $50 towards buying back to school clothing for my kids.


Welcome to my place on the web. I hope you find some of the information provided here useful. I have a blog now, so look there for more dynamic information.
© Copyright 2004-2011 Robert Creager. All Rights Reserved.


Tanzanian students join America in Obama election celebration.
My beautiful friend Fo currently serving in Tanzania for the Peace Corps, uploaded the above photo of her students reaction to the 2012 Presidential election which was featured on CNN.
The day following the election her students asked, "Madam, can we have President Obama's phone number?" She almost said no, but then thought, Why not? And gave them the number to the White House. Awesome.


SUNDAY AT THE MOVIES: Voter Suppression, Is it Undermining Democracy?
Join us for LWVMC's major fund-raiser of the year - Sunday at the Movies.
Doors open at 2:00 pm, with time for a beer, or a glass of wine, and some snacks.
Movie starts at 3:00 pm.
This year's movie, "The Best Democracy that Money Can Buy: The Case of the Stolen Election," documents how a program called "Crosscheck" was used during the 2016 election to promote claims of widespread voter fraud – supposedly identifying 7.2 million voters who voted twice, a felony crime. The data, based on spurious claims of duplicate names on electoral rolls, was used to suppress the vote of millions of mostly minority voters in many states.
This provocative film will be followed by a panel discussion on "Voter Suppression, Is it Undermining Democracy?"– not to be missed.
We will again be raffling off a basket of wonderful treats. Raffle tickets are $5 each, or five for $20. You can buy them at the event or contact the LWVMC office to purchase in advance or if you can't attend, but want to participate in the raffle.


text:
Donna Amo
By Donna Amo
Video Game Maker Take-Two To Acquire Zynga For $12.7 Billion
Zynga, the developers behind popular games like FarmVille and Zynga Poker have been acquired by a company called Take-Two Interactive Software Inc for $12.7 billion. This acquisition will see Take-Two pay a 64.4% premium on Zynga's last closing.
The company will now have access to Zynga's entire gaming portfolio that includes FarmVille, CSR Racing, Empires & Puzzles, Golf Rival, Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells, Toon Blast, Words with Friends, Hair Challenge, Merge Dragons!, High Heels!, and Zynga Poker.
According to Take-Two, the acquisition is viewed as complementary to its already existing console and PC game business. This deal also turns Take-Two into one of the largest mobile publishers. Strauss Zelnick, Chairman and CEO of Take-Two said, "I believe the acquisition to bring $100 million of annual cost synergies within the first two years post-closing and at least $500 million of annual net bookings opportunities over time."
ALSO READ: The Rise And Fall of Zynga Poker
Take-Two is known for publishing the famous Grand Theft Auto series and also offers games like BioShock, NBA 2K, PGA Tour 2K, Red Dead, Borderlands, Civilization, WWE 2K, and XCOM. With its acquisition of a social-focused gaming company like Zynga, Take-Two can also utilise the popular games on mobile and online platforms.
The deal signed by Take-Two also allows Zynga to look out for other deals till 24th February. This leaves the door open for another company to make Zynga a better offer. However, with Take-Two already offering the company a premium share price, it seems unlikely that an alternative deal will take its place.
For more news and updates, keep reading Gutshot Magazine. If you're on social media then follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Telegram.
Donna Amo was a writer at Gutshot Magazine. She is a graduate from Sophia College of Women, Mumbai with a degree in English Literature. When this October born foodie is not writing content or poetry, she spends her time laughing at memes or watching series. Based out of Mizoram, she is drawn to all things nature and has a soft spot for puppies.
Tagged : Take-Two, Zynga, Zynga Poker
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Your personal data has always been the key to Facebook's business — and Facebook executives, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg, have used access to that personal data to strengthen strategic partnerships and hurt competitors over the years. At one point, Zuckerberg even considered selling users' personal data to outside app developers.
That much was clear from a new trove of internal Facebook emails and other documents released by British lawmakers Wednesday. The documents had previously been sealed as part of an ongoing lawsuit filed against Facebook in California, but were made public by Britain's Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, which collected the documents last week.
The emails, which mostly date from 2012 to 2015, include conversations from Facebook's top executives about the company's developer tools and data-sharing practices before widespread changes were made to limit access to some user data in early 2015.
Facebook was fully aware of inaccuracies in the way it measured how many users viewed video on its platform for a much longer than it has previously admitted, new court documents have claimed.
In September 2016, Facebook confessed that it had overestimated how much video its users had watched for the previous two years. But newly released papers that are part of a US legal action against the social media giant, claim that it knew about the problems as far back as 2013.
The error affected a Facebook metric called "average duration of video viewed", which was supposed to tell publishers for how long, on average, people had watched a video. However, the metric did not include viewers who had watched for less than three seconds in the count. Discounting the shorter views – including people who had ignored a video in their news feed – boosted the average viewing times for each video. It was also criticised for counting a video as being viewed after three seconds.
Now, a number of advertisers are suing Facebook for unfair business conduct and fraud. As part of their case, they have viewed thousands of internal Facebook records and claim these show the company knew about the issue in 2015.
The plaintiffs case hinges on the fact that the numbers provided by Facebook meant advertisers put more money into its video ads than those on other platforms.
Facebook now has a dedicated metrics team in palce, and allows third parties and experts to review its measurements regularly.
Will Interactive Video Right Facebook's Ship?
With billions of dollars at stake, Facebook is betting its long-term success on content that consumers find more meaningful and engaging. In the short term, that has resulted in sagging consumption rates, slowing revenue growth, and soaring overhead costs.
Yet CEO Mark Zuckerberg insists that Facebook and its billions of users will ultimately be better off. "By focusing on meaningful connections, our community and business will be stronger over the long term," he promised earlier this year.
Key to Zuckerberg's grand plan is video that users find worthy of their time and attention.
Enter the seven-person team behind Vidpresso, an interactive video firm that Facebook just agreed to "aqui-hire" for an undisclosed sum.
Likely boding well for Facebook, Vidpresso's client list is impressive. On the brand side, partners have included BMW, Burger King, and Nasdaq, while publishing partners include NBC News, TED, Fox Sports, Buzzfeed, The Washington Post, MTV, Turner Sports, and Reuters.
Along with the Vidpresso deal, Facebook recently began giving content creators tools to turn their videos into game shows.
It's time to shift those budgets from YouTube to Facebook, a report suggests. According to a study by Slidely, maker of the Promo video creation platform, 47 percent of viewers say they watch more videos on Facebook now while 41 percent watch more on YouTube (only 8 percent say they watch more on Instagram). It looks like Facebook's efforts to become the leading video destination are a huge success.
But people don't simply watch more videos on Facebook now; they also prefer the video ad experience there, as well. While YouTube is known for its easily skipped ads, 71 percent of those surveyed said they find the sponsored videos in their Facebook feed to be relevant or highly relevant to their interests.
All that video ad viewing is turning into consumer action, as the report finds 70 percent say they sometimes or very often visit the company's website after watching a video. Also, 60 percent say they sometimes or very often visit the company's social page after watching a video.
The survey looks at the popular Stories format on Facebook and Instagram, and finds viewing high. While 68 percent say they watch Facebook or Instagram Stories either sometimes or all the time, that number zooms up to 81 percent for those under 34.
view the full report for free online (no registration required).
Americans' appetite for video just keeps rising. Measurement specialist Nielsen released its Q1 2018 Total Audience Report today, finding that U.S. adults now consume 5 hours 57 minutes of video per day. That's an increase of 11 minutes per day just in the last quarter.
Of that 5 hours 57 minutes, 4 hours 46 minutes goes to live and time-shifted TV viewing, up 2 minutes this quarter. The biggest gain is with TV-connected devices (including internet-connected devices, game consoles, and DVDs) which average 46 minutes per day, up from 40 minutes last quarter.
Video on a computer gets 10 minutes, video on a phone (either through an app or browser) gets 10 minutes, and tablets get 5 minutes, all of which are fairly flat.
Looking at Americans' total media diet, Nielsen finds we spend 11 hours 6 minutes each day connected to some kind of media. This figure includes all internet, phone, and radio use. That's up from 10 hours 47 minutes in the previous quarter.
Two-thirds of U.S. homes own devices that let them stream video to the television set, and 2.7 percent subscribe to a skinny bundle (vMVPD) while 64 percent subscribe to a subscription service (SVOD). Even cord-cutters and cord-nevers find plenty to watch, as over 80 percent of non-TV homes still watch video.
For more, download the full Nielsen report (registration required).
According to the 360 Deep Dive: Alternative Content Consumption report, content such as livestreaming, user-generated content, short-form videos and web video series that are available via social networking, video-sharing or similar apps or sites is gaining traction.
For instance, nearly one-half of US broadband households watch user-generated content on a monthly basis, and more than 10% watch livestreamed content. Almost one-quarter of broadband households have posted videos to some type of content site or app within the last 30 days.
Parks Associates data about alternative content consumption shows that adoption of pay-TV declines as the frequency of user-generated content consumption increases. This correlation poses a future threat to pay-TV providers, the report found, as younger respondents are far more likely to watch user-generated content, which could potentially impact their future pay-TV habits and perspectives.
The research also found that, at present, only 7% of US broadband households watch sporting events via livestream. And, consumers who view user-generated content are much more likely than those who never watch it to have an OTT service.
Almost 60% of the digital ad budgets of marketers are allocated to video, and more than half of buyers plan to increase digital and mobile video spending over the next year, according to a new study from the Interactive Ad Bureau.
Per the "Digital Content New Fronts: 2018 Video Ad Spend Study", advertisers are poised to raise spending on digital video and mobile by 53% compared to two years ago, to an average of more than $10 million annually.
Of that spend, there's a growing emphasis on original digital video programming, with the vast majority (more than 8 in 10) agreeing that the category is an essential part of their media buy. The biggest drivers there are quality of programming (45%), attractive costs/CPMs (40%), and effective audience reach and quality of environment (38% each).
About half of buyers plan to spend more on social video advertising in the next 12 months.
The study's findings are based on an online survey of 353 marketer and agency execs conducted from March 6-16. To qualify, those execs had to be involved in digital video ad decision-making at a company responsible for $1 million-plus total ad spend in 2017.
Is Facebook's Latest Algo Change A Paid-Media Apocalypse?
When Facebook said it would change its news feed algorithm to prioritize users' families' and friends' posts, advertisers worried it would also affect how paid placements are bought and sold.
Would this reduce the amount of available inventory? Would it drive up costs?
Facebook's VP of global marketing solutions, Carolyn Everson, sought to assuage the marketers and publishers attending AdExchanger's Industry Preview conference Wednesday.
As always, she said, the more relevant the creative is to its target audience, the lower the price an advertiser will pay.
Facebook defines meaningful interactions as content that elicits a positive reaction from people, and while that typically entails content from friends and family, it could also include brand messaging.
"A meaningful interaction could be and often is a new product or service you want to buy," Everson said.
So, brands must do a better job figuring out how to create content that resonates.
The initiative is part and parcel with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's public 2018 resolution to "fix" Facebook.
Everson also outlined Facebook's focus on other issues heading into 2018. She anticipated that cross-platform measurement will be a top advertiser request.
"Last year was about getting the third-party verification and getting [accreditation from] the MRC," she said. With much of that infrastructure work completed, Facebook can focus on building cross-platform measurement and attribution.
The problem is that there isn't a common system of measurement running across platforms, and that's an issue Facebook hopes to further address in 2018.
As for other KPIs, such as viewability, Everson noted that traditional companies tend to focus on it more than digital natives.
Those opportunities, she said, include providing enough data so advertisers can measure reach and frequency across campaigns and assess what they are getting for their ad spend on Facebook versus on other platforms or television.
Heeding his word, Facebook ramped up the investment it was making in video throughout the year. Even more so than it did in 2016, when Facebook first started paying publishers and other video makers to create content, Facebook poured a lot of money into becoming a video destination that could rival existing giants such as YouTube and Netflix. In a wave that was reminiscent of how Verizon started cutting checks for its Go90 streaming service, Facebook bought a lot of original content to populate its new YouTube-esque video-viewing section Watch.
But as Verizon has learned with Go90 and Facebook itself learned with its failed efforts to make Facebook Live happen, just because you build something, it doesn't mean viewers will come in droves. Plenty of Watch shows have the high view counts that the industry has become accustomed to thanks to Facebook's three-second view metric, but a significant majority of these views are still happening within the news feed, according to multiple publishing sources. As much as Facebook wants users to go to Watch, users haven't obliged — which has prompted Facebook to push for even bigger projects with bigger budgets for Watch.
But while Facebook has the money to spend — and reportedly plans to spend a billion dollars through 2018 to make its video dreams a reality — the checkbook alone doesn't build a video-streaming platform. Zuckerberg might envision Facebook as a video-first company in the future, but how Facebook's video efforts fare in 2018 will do a lot to decide what type of video company Facebook becomes.
Is Facebook trying to be YouTube? Or Netflix?
When Facebook first started licensing shows for Watch, it was primarily seeking short-form series — something Zuckerberg himself acknowledged during the same February earnings call. Facebook declined to specify how many shows it has funded, but it's safe to say Facebook has commissioned well over a hundred shows from partners that include Attn, BuzzFeed, Group Nine Media, Mashable and Vox Media. A large majority of these shows broadly fit within the unscripted and lifestyle genres — formats that are cheap to produce and appear all over YouTube.
That approach hasn't panned out for Facebook, which is now telling video sellers it wants bigger shows with bigger budgets in 2018.
More so than getting users to regularly go to the Watch section on their computers or smartphones, Facebook's success in this area hinges on convincing people to fire up the Facebook app for connected TV devices. People still want to watch TV shows on TV-sized screens, and that is something they simply do not expect from Facebook right now.


text:
La Créature du lagon : Le Retour ou Le Retour de la Créature du Lagon au Québec () est un film fantastique réalisé par Jim Wynorski, sorti en 1989.

Synopsis
Le  Arcane est déterminé à se fabriquer un sérum de jeunesse éternelle et pour cela, il est prêt à tuer. Même sa belle-fille Abby, venue dans sa demeure pour en apprendre plus sur la disparition mystérieuse de sa mère. Mais une autre victime d'Arcane, la Créature du marais, veille...

Fiche technique

 Titre original :
 Titre français : La Créature du lagon : Le Retour
 Titre québécois : Le Retour de la Créature du Lagon
 Réalisation : Jim Wynorski
 Scénario : Neil Cuthbert et Grant Morrisson, d'après la bande dessinée Swamp Thing créée  de Len Wein et Bernie Wrightson
 Musique : Chuck Cirino
 Décors : Robb Wilson King
 Costumes : Vicki Graef
 Photographie : Zoran Hochstätter
 Son : John Wilkinson, Robert Fitzgerald, Hari Ryatt, Doug E. Turner, Blake Wilcox
 Montage : Leslie Rosenthal
 Production : Benjamin Melniker et Michael E. Uslan
 Production déléguée : Tom Kuhn et Charles Mitchell
 Production associée : Robert E. Warner
 Coproduction : Annette Cirillo
 Sociétés de production : Lightyear Entertainment
 Sociétés de distribution : Millimeter Films (États-Unis) ; Cineplex Odeon Films (Canada) ; Sidéral Films (France)
 Budget :  (estimation)
 Pays de production :
 Langue originale : anglais
 Format : couleur (DeLuxe) -  - 1,85:1 (Panavision) - son Ultra Stéréo
 Genre : fantastique, action, aventure, comédie
 Durée :
 Dates de sortie :
 États-Unis :
 France :
 Classification :
 États-Unis : accord parental recommandé, film déconseillé aux moins de  ()
 France : tous publics

Distribution
 Louis Jourdan :  Anton Arcane
 Heather Locklear : Abby Arcane
 Dick Durock (VF : Bruno Dubernat) : Swamp Thing (la Créature)
 Sarah Douglas :  Lana Zurell
 Joey Sagal : Gunn
 Ace Mask :  Rochelle
 Monique Gabrielle : Miss Poinsettia

Distinctions

Récompenses
 Prix Razzie 1990 : Prix Razzie de la Pire actrice pour Heather Locklear.

Autour du film
 Louis Jourdan et Dick Durock sont les deux seuls rescapés du premier film de 1982.
 En 1989, Heather Locklear est dans le creux de la vague en raison de l'arrêt de la série télévisée Dynastie. Il faudra attendre Melrose Place en 1993 pour qu'elle refasse surface. Sa prestation dans ce film lui vaut le Razzie Award de la pire actrice de l'année.
 Une suite sous forme de remake : le film est la suite d'un premier film signé Wes Craven, La Créature du marais (Swamp Thing, 1982). Cette suite inattendue fait de nombreuses références au premier volet, notamment avec un flash-back et la scène finale dans laquelle Heather Locklear a dû reproduire tous les faits et gestes d'Adrienne Barbeau dans le 1.

Notes et références

Notes

Références

Liens externes

Film américain sorti en 1989
Comédie horrifique américaine
Comédie américaine de science-fiction
Swamp Thing
Film d'après DC Comics

Film réalisé par Jim Wynorski
Film nommé aux Razzie Awards
Suite de film américain

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Company tax cut, super changes lead budget
http://www.skynews.com.au/news/top-stories/2016/05/04/company-tax-cut–super-changes-lead-budget.html
Treasurer Scott Morrison insists his budget isn't about winners and losers, but setting out a plan to grow the economy and boost jobs over the next decade.
Labor says despite spinning the mantra of fixing the budget to win the 2013 election, the government is now in a worse position with a deficit of almost $40 billion this financial year.
Mr Morrison's first budget – which came just days before Malcolm Turnbull is set to seek a July 2 election – contained tax cuts for the wealthy and businesses, but a clawback of tax breaks on high-end retirement nest eggs.
'The Liberals say this is a plan for jobs and growth – but it's really a plan to deliver tax cuts for multinationals at the expense of Australian families,' shadow treasurer Chris Bowen said.
Central to the government's plans, ahead of a July 2 election, is a 10-year plan to gradually trim company tax, at a cost to the budget of $5.3 billion over the next four years.
The budget papers show over the long term, lower company tax is expected to add one per cent to GDP.
The small business tax rate, which was lowered in Joe Hockey's 2015 budget, will go down a further point to 27.5 per cent with the turnover threshold increased from $2 million to $10 million.
From July 1, the upper limit for the middle-income tax bracket will rise from $80,000 to $87,000 a year – stopping around half a million workers from tumbling into the second-top marginal rate of 37 per cent.
Mr Morrison said a decision from the Reserve Bank to cut the cash rate to a new historic low of 1.75 per cent worked hand-in-glove with the government's plan to reduce the company tax rate to 25 per cent over the next decade, adding an estimated $16 billion a year to the economy over the long term.
Treasurer Scott Morrison will also introduce a $1.6 million cap on the total amount of superannuation an individual can transfer into retirement-phase accounts.
People with combined incomes and superannuation contributions greater than $250,000 will pay 30 per cent on their concessional contributions, up from the current 15 per cent.
Also, the concessional contributions cap will be lowered to $25,000 a year.
And a new lifetime cap of $500,000 will be introduced for non-concessional contributions – to stem the use of super for tax minimisation and estate planning.
Mr Morrison said the superannuation system needed to be better targeted to support people to save and not be dependent on the age pension.
Labor immediately seized on it as putting big business ahead of families and doing little to restore funding for schools and hospitals.
'This is a budget that develops a very dangerous trifecta – underfunds schools and hospitals but also sees the budget deficit blow out yet again,' Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen says.
A person earning $1 million a year will get a $16,715 tax cut, but three-quarters of taxpayers would get nothing, Mr Bowen said.
A couple on a single income of $65,000 with three children in primary school would be $3034 worse off a year.
A single mother on an income of $87,000 with two children in high school would be $4463 worse off.
Mr Morrison is also banking on a program offering training, internships and wage subsidies for business to boost youth employment.
The budget includes $840 million for a new youth employment package that links businesses with 120,000 young people on the dole who are eligible for a government internship program.
But first jobless youth must undertake six weeks of job-readiness training, including classes on presentation and how to work in a team.
A four- to 12-week internship could follow at a business such as a newsagent or supermarket.
Middle-income earners will get a tax break of up to $315 a year, while the highest earners won't pay the two per cent deficit levy from 2017.
The budget also revealed vastly boosted firepower against multinational tax avoidance with the government looking to ramp up revenues to fund tax cut promises.
Canberra hopes to raise up to $4.35 billion over the next four years through measures that include a new taskforce led by the ATO, steep penalties for tax dodgers and tighter rules to close loopholes that multinational companies have been exploiting.
The announcements will also come in handy politically, as tax avoidance turns into a hot button topic ahead of the federal election.
The government will also beef up its Multinational Tax Avoidance Law, which came into effect on January 1, with a new diverted profits tax to impose a 40 per cent penalty tax rate on multinationals attempting to shift their Australian profits offshore.
The new tax is based on Britain's 'Google tax' which targets multinationals that avoid paying tax by shifting profits to lower taxing countries.
In Australia, corporate giants including BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Apple and Google have been identified as using so-called marketing hubs in Singapore to help reduce their tax bill in the country.
Higher taxes will lift the price of a packet of cigarettes to $40 within four years.
The plan to whack four annual increases of 12.5 per cent on the tobacco excise from September next year will help lift the states' entitlements by more than $700 million over those years.
The other change supporting GST proceeds is the application of the consumption tax to all goods bought online from overseas from 2017.
Overall, the states and territories are looking at a total GST pool of $60.7 billion in the coming year, with NSW again getting the lion's share – $17.6 billion – and ACT the least at $1.2 billion.
Posted in: Australia, Tobacco Tax.
← Australia hails plain packaging on tobacco Doubts rise over TTIP as France threatens to block EU-US deal →


From the ultimate high ground for a squad of archers to a land barge that can quickly move a catapult across a battlefield, vehicles of all shapes and sizes are essential components of warfare. Now you can bring the awesome power of siege engines and transports to your game.
Make your Battles and Your Games Extraordinary!


text:
Q: How to publish (file system) Visual Studio project through TeamCity's MS build? I am trying to publish a VS project through TeamCity's MS build. I am not sure how to configure the command line parameters (or other configurations) to be able to publish the project and then move the published project to a server.
Current configuration in the MS Build build step:
Runner Type: MSBuild
Execute step: if all prev. steps finished successfully
Build file path: points to .csproj
Working directory: none
MSBuild version: MS Build Tools 2013
MSBuild ToolsVersion: 12.0
Targets: Publish
Command Line params: /t:Package /p:_PackageTempDir="\path to output\output" /p:Configuration="Release" /p:OutputPath=bin\Debug
.NET Coverage tool: none

A: Change your Command Line params to look like this: /t:Package /p:_PackageTempDir="\path to output\output" /p:Configuration="Release" /p:OutputPath=bin\Debug /p:DeployOnBuild=true
Note the addition of: /p:DeployOnBuild=true

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Added on September 25, 2018 by Miguel Sopena.
Anthony Cragg: Human Nature (23/05 – 11/11/2018, by far my favourite of the three) shows sculptures by this British artist (b Liverpool 1949, now based in Germany). Experimental, playful and with a real knack for the form, Cragg presents a diverse selection of modernist sculptures and assemblages in different sizes and materials (from bronze, aluminium and steel to glass and wood). Abstraction with the occasional hint of figuration. Very enjoyable.
Points of View (23/05 – 11/11/2018) presents 25 works from the Istanbul Modern photography collection dating from the 1960s onwards, including by Soviet-born Boris Mikhailov. Very wide range of techniques and approaches.
In Pursuit of the Present is a permanent display of works from the museum collection. Check out the artspeak: ('[The Exhibition] establishes various intersecting and interrelating thematic strands, and, through the works in the exhibition, branches off into side paths such as identity, the body, gender politics, processes of construction and destruction, and the relationship between nature and humans.') The pompous rhetoric accompanies mostly shallow and derivative work. This seems to be the trend in contemporary art.
All in all, well worth a visit if you're in the area.


N.O.R.E. and his Good Belt Gang crew release a New York inspired visual as the team heads to the streets to shoot a visual for "FuckWitUsUKnowWeGotIt." Watch as N.O.R.E. explains that after running through two tours and traveling across the states, it was impossible not to hear JAY Z's standout track off his Magna Carta Holy Grail LP so he decided to round the troops and put together an official remix.
This entry was posted in Music, Video and tagged fuckwitusuknowwegotit, good belt gang, hip hop, jay-z, N.O.R.E., new york, rap. Bookmark the permalink.


It occurs to me that we visit a lot of interesting places. In the 100-mile radius or so surrounding our town here in inland Southern California, we are quite well-traveled. We live in one of those boomtowns of new suburbia where hardly anyone is a native (we're practically old timers ourselves, closing in on our sixth year), and there's just not a helluva lot to do and see around here on weekends. Mall: check! Old Town: check! Parks with no trees: check! check! check!
ANYWAY.....My point here is that most weekends, we spend at least one day on the road to somewhere else. (Please, Lord, just somewhere, anywhere else...) Sometimes it's to visit my mom in L.A. county. Sometimes it's just to shop at some other mall or "shoppertainment" destination besides our local one. In any case, we do see us some sights. I'd like to start sharing them with you, in a weekly photo feature called "Weekend Recap" (for want of a catchier title.) Hopefully they won't always take a full week later to show up here. Sheesh.
Here's where we went last Sunday, January 10: the Deer Park Winery & Car Museum. It's about 25 minutes south of us, on the northern edge of Escondido. Originally collected by Robert Knapp, it's now run by his son. The museum boasts a wide range of classic convertibles, some pre-1940, and most from the '50s & '60s.
There was also an extensive collection of old electronics and appliances. I really need this beauty in living room.
Don't you agree? I sort of forget to broadcast it much here on the blog, but I'm quite the aficionado of things vintage, retro and just plain old.
It was quiet and mostly empty of visitors on this beautiful and warm winter day. Here are The Monkeys and Myk out in the vineyard area between the two main buildings.
"Quiet and mostly empty" will not apply to this weekends outing: the Monster Jam monster truck show at Anaheim Stadium. "VRRROOOM."


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UCHealth launches second COVID-19 vaccine trial
Phase 3 clinical trial of COVID-19 vaccine aims to enroll 1,500 participants in northern Colorado.
By: Kelly Tracer, UCHealth
UCHealth researchers in northern Colorado are recruiting participants for a COVID-19 trial that will test a new vaccine candidate developed by Oxford University and pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca. Photo courtesy of UCHealth.
Editor's note: For the most up-to-date COVID-19 vaccine information, please click here.
UCHealth researchers in northern Colorado are now recruiting participants for a study that will test a COVID-19 vaccine candidate.
UCHealth registered nurse and research coordinator Stacie Kenny administers a shot to the first participant of UCHealth's COVID-19 vaccine trial being conducted in northern Colorado. Participants in the study receive either a placebo vaccine or a vaccine developed by Oxford University and pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca. Photo courtesy of UCHealth.
The study, which is the second COVID-19 vaccine trial to launch at UCHealth, will include approximately 1,500 participants ages 18 and older who are at higher risk for exposure due to their work environments or habits. This includes occupations such as health care worker, teacher, first responder or grocery store worker. Qualified participants also may have a stable health condition that puts them at risk of contracting COVID-19 or developing serious illness from the disease.
"This will give us a large group of people who will receive the vaccine – or a placebo vaccine – to see if it's truly effective over a few weeks, a few months and up to two years," said Dr. Gary Luckasen, the principal investigator of the trial and medical director of UCHealth's clinical research program in northern Colorado. "The size of the group is of major importance because we can get a lot of information about the virus, the vaccine and how they interact."
The vaccine was developed by Oxford University and pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca. Results from initial phases of the study on this particular vaccine were recently released and indicate the vaccine generates an antibody response. According to the report, most participants had neutralizing antibodies after one dose, and all participants had the antibodies after two doses.
Dr. Gary Luckasen, MD, is a cardiologist and medical director of UCHealth's clinical research program in northern Colorado. He is the principal investigator of UCHealth's Phase 3 study of a new COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed by Oxford University and pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca. Photo by Kelly Tracer, UCHealth.
Unlike traditional vaccines, which expose someone to a small amount of virus, this vaccine is an inactive cold virus – adenovirus – combined with a protein that is seen on the outside of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. The protein is an essential element that enables the coronavirus to infect a person. If the vaccine works as intended, the body will identify the protein as foreign and develop an immunity to it. Then, when the person is exposed to the new coronavirus in the community, the person will already have the ability to attack the virus and prevent infection.
"Theoretically, it sounds good," Luckasen said. "The question is how much resistance does it cause, and is that enough to stop the virus in the future?"
Some of the 1,500 Colorado participants for this Phase 3 study will be identified through UCHealth patient records and invited to participate. Others who are interested in participating can answer pre-screening questions online to see if they qualify. Enrollment for the COVID-19 vaccine trial in northern Colorado will occur over an eight-week period with all of the enrollment activities taking place by appointment only at the official study site, which will be in the McKee Pavilion at The Ranch in Loveland.
UCHealth registered nurse and research coordinator Stacie Kenny prepares a shot to be administered to the first participant of UCHealth's COVID-19 vaccine trial being conducted in northern Colorado. Participants in the study will receive either a placebo vaccine or a vaccine developed by Oxford University and pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca. Photo courtesy of UCHealth.
UCHealth researchers held off on launching the northern Colorado COVID-19 vaccine study last month when the sponsor voluntarily and temporarily paused the trial worldwide to allow for a thorough evaluation and review of a single event of an unexplained illness that occurred in the United Kingdom. Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration confirmed it was safe to resume the clinical trial in the United States. According to Luckasen, this pause was a good example of the lengths that physicians, researchers and companies will go during a clinical trial to ensure patients and study participants are safe.
Nationally, more than 30,000 volunteers will be participating in the trial. Once enrolled, study participants will be randomized to receive either the vaccine or a placebo. They will be monitored for up to two years to determine the vaccine's safety and whether they contract COVID-19. There is no compensation for participants of this study.
A number of potential participants will be contacted through UCHealth's My Health Connection patient portal and invited to enroll in UCHealth's vaccine trial in northern Colorado. Others who are interested in participating should go here for more information and to see if they qualify.
Dr. Thomas Campbell, chief clinical research officer of UCHealth, said this is one of about 40 COVID-19 clinical trials in which UCHealth locations are participating. In July, UCHealth announced it was partnering with CU School of Medicine to recruit participants for another vaccine trial at University of Colorado Hospital on the Anschutz Medical Campus. That trial, which wrapped up enrollment last week, is testing a COVID-19 vaccine candidate manufactured by Moderna.
Both of the COVID-19 vaccine trials at UCHealth focus on vaccines that are supported by Operation Warp Speed, the U.S. government program that aims to accelerate the development, production and distribution of a safe and effective vaccine for COVID-19 and other therapeutics.
UCHealth community health specialist Joanna Friedt, right, prepares to conduct a blood draw from Carrie Hintzman of Fort Collins as part of the medical screenings process for a COVID-19 vaccine trial in northern Colorado at a Loveland study site. Photo courtesy of UCHealth.
"All of the vaccines are a little different than each other, so the trials that are being conducted around the world right now are key to determining what approach is going to work best in the fight against COVID-19," said Dr. Diana Breyer, chief quality officer for UCHealth's northern Colorado facilities. "To be selected to conduct this type of groundbreaking research is a true testament to the expertise of our research programs and our experience collaborating as a system and with our partners to push the boundaries of innovation to improve care and outcomes."
UCHealth's robust clinical research program in northern Colorado has been on the forefront of numerous medical trials in recent years, from assessing the latest devices created to repair ailing hearts to developing more efficient and effective ways to treat trauma patients to collaborating globally on efforts to better target and attack cancer.
"We do major clinical trials that affect heart valves and patients who have experienced severe trauma or are battling cancer. It's all very impressive and important research, especially to those people who are affected or may someday be affected," Luckasen said. "This COVID vaccine study is a bit different. COVID-19 is affecting absolutely everyone right now, and everyone wants to get back to a more normal life. If we are able to develop a successful vaccine, the quicker we do it is going to be better for everyone."
Clinical trials coronavirus COVID-19 covid-19 vaccine UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies
Kelly Tracer, UCHealth
Kelly Tracer is a media relations specialist at UCHealth, based in northern Colorado. For nearly 20 years, she worked as a newspaper reporter, editor and designer before diving into the world of health care communications.
She believes there is an amazing story inside everyone and considers it an honor to get to meet and work with so many extraordinary people – patients, families, providers, volunteers and staff – every day. She is also fascinated by health care innovation and programs that empower and inspire people and families to live healthier lives.
A native of Nebraska, Kelly received a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. She and her husband have two children and enjoy paddle boarding all summer and skiing all winter.
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Politicians, officials react to Florida school shooting
ByS.K.
Feb 14, 2018 Florida high school shooting, school shooting
The Broward County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday that the gunman in a Florida high school shooting was in police custody, but warned the scene remains active.
Officials have described the scene at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland as a mass casualty incident, and say at least 20 people are injured.
President Trump tweeted that his "prayers and condolences" are with the families of those affected by the shooting, and said: "No child, teacher or anyone else should ever feel unsafe in an American school."
My prayers and condolences to the families of the victims of the terrible Florida shooting. No child, teacher or anyone else should ever feel unsafe in an American school.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 14, 2018
Trump confirmed he's spoken to Florida Gov. Rick Scott, and said the White House is "working closely with law enforcement" regarding the shooting.
Just spoke to Governor Rick Scott. We are working closely with law enforcement on the terrible Florida school shooting.
Politicians, lawmakers, and local officials have responded to the incident.
Republican Florida Gov. Rick Scott tweeted that he's spoken with Trump, county officials and the superintendent of Broward schools about the reported shooting, and said he'll continue to monitor the situation.
I've spoken with @BrowardSheriff Scott Israel, @browardschools Superintendent Robert Runcie and FDLE Commissioner Rick Swearingen regarding Stoneman Douglas High School. We'll continue to receive updates from law enforcement.
— Rick Scott (@FLGovScott) February 14, 2018
Just spoke with @POTUS about shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. My thoughts and prayers are with the students, their families and the entire community. We will continue to receive briefings from law enforcement and issue updates.
My heart is heavy over the school shooting in Florida. Keeping all affected in my thoughts & prayers.
— Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) February 14, 2018
First Lady Melania Trump said her "heart is heavy" following reports of the shooting.
Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., tweeted that her "thoughts and prayers are with the victims," and added it's "heartbreaking that these violent incidents continue to take place in schools, a place where our children should feel and be the most safe!"
My thoughts and prayers are with the victims of the horrific shooting taking place at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. It is heartbreaking that these violent incidents continue to take place in schools, a place where our children should feel and be the most safe!
— Rep Frederica Wilson (@RepWilson) February 14, 2018
"Today is that terrible day you pray never comes," Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., tweeted. He said he's spoken with the Broward School Superintendent and is monitoring the situation.
We are monitoring the horrible unfolding situation in Broward County, Florida with reports of a shooting at a local high school. #Sayfie
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) February 14, 2018
Just spoke to Broward School Superintendent. Today is that terrible day you pray never comes.
Democrat Ted Deutch, who represents Broward County in U.S. Congress, tweeted that he's on his way "ASAP" to the scene of the shooting, and noted he's spoken with the Broward County Superintendent.
Spoke with Broward Superintendent Runcie. Local, state and federal law enforcement agencies all on the ground. Governor on his way. On my way ASAP.
— Rep. Ted Deutch (@RepTedDeutch) February 14, 2018
Deutch added that the city of Parkland "is an idyllic community," and said Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School is "incredible," with wonderful teachers, staff and students.
Incredible school in my district – great teachers and staff, involved parents and amazing kids. Spoke with the kids there just a few weeks back.
Parkland is an idyllic community. Tragedies like this occur everywhere. School shootings occur everywhere. This is horrific. https://t.co/ygR6Z5gmgN
Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., told Fox News that "there are many deaths" in the school shooting, and tweeted that he's spoken with officials "to ensure they have everything they need."
Praying for everyone at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Just spoke with Broward Undersheriff to ensure they have everything they need. And just spoke to FBI to make sure all federal resources are being made available to help. Will continue to monitor closely.
— Bill Nelson (@SenBillNelson) February 14, 2018
Surce:foxnews.com
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