STUDY: New Jersey One of the States Hit the Hardest by Robo Calls

It’s not just in your head: the number of robocalls has increased sharply over the last couple of years. Robocall blocking company YouMail estimates that between 60 and 75 billion robocalls will have been placed in 2019, up from 47

billion last year and 30 billion the year before. What’s more, scams increasingly account for the majority of robocalls—45% of them in 2019, compared to just 17.6% in 2016.

To investigate this issue further,

Let’s Talk

culled robocall complaint and call frequency data from Federal Trade Commission and YouMail, and assigned each state in the U.S. a score. Based on this methodology, Maryland, Nevada, Colorado, Delaware and New Jersey have been hit the hardest by robocalls in 2019. The average Maryland resident receives a whopping

18 robocalls a month

Alaskans have suffered the least from robocalls this year—residents receive an average of 3.3 of them a month—followed by North Dakota, Indiana, Hawaii, Mississippi. Here’s a full list of the state robocall rankings.

As mentioned, scams account for the largest percentage of robocalls (45.7%), followed by alerts and reminders (22.7%), payment reminders (20.3%), and perpetually annoying telemarketing calls (11.3%). The percentage of telemarketing robocalls has hovered around 11-13% over the past three years.

Fortunately, there’s help on the way. A new federal law raises the penalty for a single robocall to a whopping $10,000—which should make spammers think twice. The major carriers have already rolled out a new robocall fighting measure called STIR/SHAKEN, which promises to help to ameliorate the problem as well.

METHODOLOGY

To come up with our state robocall rankings, we calculated each state’s ranking by giving them a weighted score based on two data points: the monthly number of robocalls per person in each state (weighted at 40%) according to YouMail, and the number of monthly robocall complaints per person made to the Federal Trade Commission in each state (weighted at 60%). The states were then ordered and ranked according to this score.

SOURCE: LET\’S TALK

When to Consult the Best ENT Specialist Doctor in Singapore For Ear Nose Throat Treatments?

(Gloucestercitynews.net)(January 13, 2020)–Our nose, throat, and ear are vital and delicate parts of our body! It helps us to breathe, smell, speak, swallow, and hearing, respectively. However, keeping in mind our fast-paced lifestyle, we often overlook minor and major problems that might occur to these body parts. Minor discomforts like a nose allergy or throat infection can get cured with regular antibiotics or home remedies. However, things become dangerous when there\’s any severe or critical issue. If you want to know about health and treat the condition, it is necessary to get in touch with an expert ENT specialist.

Reasons to visit an expert ENT doctor

The ear, nose, and throat are sensitive body organs! Hence, when you\’re having a nose irritation or ear pain, you need to know what\’s wrong with the body part. Average doctors might give you generic medicine to suppress the symptoms. It might provide you with temporary relief, but will make the ailment recur back. So, you need to tap into the root cause of the disease right at the start. For this, you need to count on the

top ENT specialist doctors in Singapore

Signs that you shouldn’t ignore

The ear, nose, and throat function in different ways! While mild bacterial infections, pains, and discomforts go away in a few days, serious issues persist! So, if you witness the following,

make sure to get in touch with an expert ENT specialist at the earliest

The ear

It is common for our ear to produce ear wax! Also, the ear has its internal cleaning mechanism as well. Also, the ear passages get mildly blocked because of cold winter air or during a flight. However, if you find that your ears are paining excruciatingly suddenly and persisting, you need to take that seriously. Also, sudden hearing impairment and ear mucus are causes of worry that you shouldn\’t ignore.

The throat

The throat is yet another vital body part! It helps us to speak and is the channel through which food passes down to the stomach. Minor throat infections leading to coughs and a husky voice are common. However, if your cough persists for months and it affects your swallowing capacity, you should consult an expert ENT. You should also get worried if your voice quality changes suddenly, and you witness other throat irritation, like an allergic reaction or burning sensation as well.

The Nose

You need to get extra careful about your nose! Our breathing gets affected if there\’s any discomfort with your nose. Hence, you shouldn\’t be taking sudden nose-bleeds and strange colored nose mucus lightly. Also, sometimes pollutants can get into the nasal tract and create irritations. You can witness a burning sensation and a running nose as a reaction to that. Only an expert ENT specialist can determine whether the condition is severe or not.

Most often than not, an expert ENT specialist asks people to observe their symptoms for a while. Along with medicines, they recommend medical tests to determine the condition of the ailment. It helps them to make the correct diagnoses and also treat the disease accurately, back to normalcy.

The 10 Worst States for the Flu; NJ Number 9

This article originally appeared in

Apartment Guide

Flu season is ready to hit hard across the country and we’re just a couple months from its peak

While we think of flu season as part of life in cold-weather winter states, it hits the warm South just as hard, or harder

These are the 10 worst states for the flu in the U.S. and the flu-related cost-of-living expenses in each

Michael Hochman

For much of the U.S., it\’s the season for winter chill, slippery streets and snow days — which also means flu season. But even if, and maybe especially if, you live in a warm weather climate, you know flu season can hit you just as hard.

Flu season is no joke. Between October 2018 and February 2019, nearly

45 million Americans

came down with the virus. But from Maine to California, what are the historically worst states for the flu, and how is that a predictor of what might happen this year?

Determining the worst states for the flu

We took a look at flu season numbers over the past six years from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control during February — generally considered to be peak flu season — and assigned weighted scores for minimal, low, moderate and high flu outbreak weeks in every state and added up the numbers to determine the 10 worst states for the flu ahead of the 2019/2020 flu season.

Additionally, we analyzed two of the most important flu-related cost of living factors in each of the 10 worst states for the flu, the average cost of a visit to the doctor and the average price of a bottle of prescription Ibuprofen at a local pharmacy to get a bigger picture of where the flu hits hardest both your wallet and your immune system.

Here are the 10 worst states for the flu.

10.

New Mexico

Desert air, dry heat, lots of warm and sunny days. While that doesn\’t sound like a recipe for a flu outbreak, the comfortable and dry weather of New Mexico allows plenty of people to gather outside for concerts and games and gatherings where the flu virus, thriving in the gentle climate, can spread from face to face contact with a plethora of people.

Last flu season, New Mexico was one of the first states to be hardest hit, and it\’s possible for that to occur again. In fact, New Mexico has seen more “high\” peak flu level weeks since 2013 than all but five other states, and has rated “high\” for 17 of the past 18 peak flu season weeks — more than any other state.

In the desert Southwest, the cost of a visit to the doctor to check on your flu-related symptoms is higher than both the top 10 worst states\’ mean and median, at an average of $118.10. And if that doctor prescribes a few Ibuprofen to bring your symptoms under control, a bottle of the medicine will run an average of $8.37. And in individual population centers, prices only go up.

In the largest city of

Albuquerque

, a doctor visit averages just more than $106. But just north of ABQ, doctor visits in the large suburb of

Rio Rancho

jump up to an average of $138.

An entry-level one-bedroom apartment in New Mexico averages $847 a month.

New Jersey

From real life medical facilities like the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospitals to the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital from the television show “House,\” New Jersey has always had a reputation as a center for health services and medical care. But it\’s also the top state in the Mid-Atlantic for the flu, so it\’s a good thing there are a few doctors in the house.

While in past years, the flu had spread sporadically throughout the Garden State,

levels this season

seem to be affecting all regions of the state. So, whether you say “pork roll\” or “Taylor ham\” or you root for the Giants or the Eagles, it\’s likely that the flu has or will infiltrate your part of Jersey. A spike in flu symptom-related emergency room visits and admissions is proving the theory.

Considering how much population New Jersey has surrounding the metropolises of New York and Philadelphia, you\’d expect cost of living statistics like doctor visits to be through the roof. But across the state as a whole, the cost of an appointment with your doctor remains moderate at $98.26.

Likewise, the price of a bottle of Ibuprofen runs $8.74 on average. Looking deeper at some of Jersey\’s metro areas,

Middlesex

/Monmouth, not too far from several RWJ hospital campuses, has the lowest cost for a doctor\’s visit in the state at $93.75, while Bergen/

Passaic

, one of the wealthier regions of the state and closer to New York City, tops out at $102.47.

Rent prices in New Jersey vary greatly from the New York suburbs to the southern part of the state. A one-bedroom unit starts for an average of $1,828 a month.

Alabama

In the movies, flu-sufferers are often depicted as bed-ridden and covered in used tissues as snow falls outside and those of sound health are jauntily building snowmen and tobogganing and the like. But in the real world, most of the worst flu states in the country are in the southeast, far away from cold winters and whiteout conditions.

And this season seems to be no exception. “We are already at really high levels nationwide and especially in the South,\” says the Children\’s Medical Group\’s

Darren Scoggin

on this season so far.

The rule stays true down in Alabama. Last year, flu patients filled more than

90 percent

of hospital beds in seven of Alabama\’s eight public health districts. This year is starting out early and could be severe, as well. As of October,

every county

in north Alabama showed an uptick in flu-related illness, and cases are expanding down to the Gulf.

Fortunately, some of the lowest costs to see a doctor in Alabama are in the regions in the north end of the state. The average charge for a visit in

Florence

is just about $70 and comes in at about $75 in

Anniston

Meanwhile, down on the southern Gulf Coast, the most expensive metro area to see the doctor in Alabama is

Mobile

at about $120.50 on average. Statewide, the average cost to be seen by a doctor is $93 and a bottle of Ibuprofen to fight your symptoms will set you back $9.18. But if you happen to be in

Dothan

, you\’ll pay a lot more, as the average cost for Ibuprofen is the priciest of any city among the 10 worst flu states at $11.23.

You can find a one-bedroom apartment in Alabama for $870 a month on average.

Louisiana

Between 2013 and 2016, the flu danger level in Louisiana was rated at minimal, low or moderate 11 out of 12 weeks. But boy, times have changed. Since then, flu levels have jumped up to “high\” 15 of the last 16 peak flu season weeks. Down in the bayou, it may be a sign of a bad flu season.

This fall, Louisiana was already ranked with the

highest level

of flu cases in the U.S. and the season is barely underway. In fact, in mid-October, Louisiana was already in the red for number of people seeing a doctor with flu-like symptoms, while every other state was low or minimal for flu activity.

“We seem to be really at the forefront of the flu season this year,\” says Dr. Alex Billioux of the Louisiana Department of Health.

And if you need to go see the doctor to diagnose your fever and chills, you\’re going to pay up if you happen to be in

New Orleans

. At $144.17, a visit will cost you more than just about anywhere in the U.S. and the most of any city in the top 10 worst states. (And to add insult to injury, the cost of a bottle of Ibuprofen in the Crescent City is the second-most expensive of any city at a pricey $11.06.) Compare that to the southern Louisiana Acadiana town of

Houma

, where the cost of a doctor visit is well over half that of NOLA at just $65.75 on average.

An average one-bedroom apartment in Louisiana starts at around $970 a month.

Mississippi

With its heel jutting out into the Gulf of Mexico and a big, dirty, mighty eponymous river running aside the length of the state, Mississippi has historically been a state where viruses and diseases have traveled over long distances to infect a swath of the population. In fact, the historic flu pandemic of 1918 killed more than 50 million around the world at the end of World War I, and took the lives of 6,200 in Mississippi alone.

Last year, the peak of the flu season hit around the

end of February

, much later than in previous years in Mississippi. The year prior, peak struck around Christmas, a much more usual time for the state. That makes this season vulnerable for a late peak, early peak or any time in between.

Around the state, a doctor\’s visit to check on those flu symptoms will cost you nearly $90 on average. And if your doctor tells you to take two Ibuprofen and call him in the morning, $8.58 will snag you a bottle at the store.

The most expensive spot in the state to make that doctor\’s appointment is down on the Gulf Coast in

Gulfport

Biloxi

where it will run you an average of $99. But fear not, if you\’re self-medicating and happen to live in the state capital of

Jackson

, the average cost for Ibuprofen is just $6.86, one of the lowest in the nation and the cheapest of any city in the top 10 worst flu states.

One-bedroom rent in Mississippi is among some of the most affordable in our top 10 list. An average entry-level unit starts for just over $800.

Kansas

Ask any Kansan. When the wind rolls down the Rockies out west and across the plains country towards the Flint Hills, there\’s no stopping whatever is in the air. And dead in the center of the nation, Kansas experiences hot summer, cold winters and, you know, tornadoes and straightline winds throughout storm season. That wind and those conditions come flu season aren\’t ideal for keeping the flu virus from spreading. In fact, in 2018, Kansas was the

second-most “flu-ridden\” state

in the nation.

Since 2013, Kansas has experienced 20 “high\” condition flu season weeks, the fourth most of any state in the union. As well, the Wheat State has rated “high\” every single peak week since the start of the 2016 season, one of only three states that can make that unwanted claim. Statewide, a stop at the doctor\’s office will cost an average of $102.71, while picking up a bottle of Ibuprofen on the way home will knock you back $8.42.

The highest prices in Kansas for a doctor\’s visit are at the junction of I-135 and I-70 in

Salina

, at an average of $117.75. But way out in Western Kansas, you don\’t have to get out of Dodge to see the medicine man on the cheap, with an average of $86.88 in

Dodge City

for a doctor\’s visit.

Wichita

, the biggest city in the state, comes in around midway in pricing for the state. It will run an average of just more than $105 for a visit to the doctor in the Air Capital, with the price of medication running $8.23.

You can get into a one-bedroom apartment in Kansas for about $900 per month for an average entry-level unit.

Arkansas

Last flu season in 2018-2019, flu-related deaths in the state of Arkansas

were the highest

in nearly two decades and hit the state hard. And the state had an issue with false positives, sending infected people back to home and school thinking they were in the clear. Clinicians fought back by treating everyone that came in with symptoms regardless of their test during the worst flu season weeks.

\”A lot of clinicians don\’t even test in the middle of a heavy flu season because if they test positive, they\’re going to treat that patient for the flu, if they test negative, they\’re still going to treat that patient for the flu,\”

said Jennifer Dillaha

of the Arkansas Department of Health.

Across the state, the average cost of a doctor\’s visit ran $101 and Ibuprofen listed for just more than eight bucks. The

Little Rock

and

North Little Rock

areas were the most expensive in the state for doctor\’s visits at nearly $120, and

Hot Springs

had the most expensive medication, averaging $8.23.

Fayetteville

, and all its college students, had the lowest doctor\’s visit prices and the lowest cost for Ibuprofen, at $84.10 and $7.97 respectively.

Arkansas also has the lowest average rent prices for one-bedroom units at just over $750 a month.

Connecticut

Bitter cold, brutal winters and drifting snow. For centuries, the hard New England winter and red noses and sore throats are the stuff of turn-of-the-century novels. Flu outbreaks have been severe and deadly since the Mayflower days.

But there\’s only one New England state in the top 10, and it\’s probably not one of those one would first think. In Connecticut, the flu season has come in hard like the cold weather, with the first

flu-related deaths

in early November, one in Litchfield and one in Fairfield.

As an affluent state, one of the factors that makes the flu bad at times in Connecticut is the number of people that travel abroad and bring back the flu virus from places where the flu shot and other flu preventative measures are less common than in the U.S. Statewide, an average doctor visit runs over $124, unsurprisingly the highest figure among the 10 worst states, and $8.76 will get you an average bottle of Ibuprofen.

The

Stamford

area is among the highest in the nation for doctor visits, and the highest of any city among the top 10 states, with an average of $133.20, with a bottle of Ibuprofen retailing for an average of $8.57. Hartford County is where the

most cases

of the flu occurred last season, and the city of

Hartford

, despite being the lowest metro area price in the state, still averages $108.77 for a doctor\’s visit, and has a slightly higher price for Ibuprofen, at an even nine bucks.

New England living comes at a price. A one-bedroom apartment in Connecticut will start at an average of $1,520 a month.

Oklahoma

If you\’ve already sneaked a peek at the No. 1 state below, it\’s not hard to extrapolate why Oklahoma is No. 2 on this list. While Oklahoma is less urban and less spread out than its top ranked neighbor, it\’s still a warm flu season in the southern Plains, and people are outside spreading the virus whether it be in the crowd at an OU game or a crowd at the mall. Since 2013, 22 weeks of peak flu season have been rated as “high.\”

The flu season in OK is nothing to take lightly. Last season,

more than 60

Oklahomans died from the flu, with another 2,500 hospitalized in what was the

longest flu season

in a decade. Officials are saying that this season is going to be a severe one, as well, but the good news is a flu shot may be

more effective

this time around.

The price of an average doctor visit in Oklahoma is below midrange, at about $99. A dose of Ibuprofen averages $8.87. Costs around the state vary, with a high for a doctor visit of $125 in

Enid

and a low of $63 and change in

Ponca City

. In OK\’s capital and largest city,

Oklahoma City

, a doctor\’s visit runs just more than $100 on average and medication runs $9.61 per bottle.

Rent in Oklahoma is also second-most affordable of all states in the top 10. The average one-bedroom starts at an average of $759 a month.

Texas

While we tend to associate the flu with cold winter weather, it\’s warm weather Texas that takes the crown as ground zero for the worst state for flu sufferers. The CDC reported 23 widespread flu activity weeks in Texas out of the 30 peak flu season weeks tracked since 2013, with just one week rated as “low.\”

As the second most populated state in the Union, maybe it\’s not a surprise that Texas is the worst state for the flu in 2019/2020. A lot of people living in close proximity but also in a wide-open state, a lot of travel by car and plane, and warm temperatures that don\’t force people inside for the winter.

Texas is a diverse state, containing three of the biggest cities in the nation but also a lot of farm, ranch and open land, where the level of medical care can fluctuate pocket by pocket. Statewide, the cost for a trip to the doctor runs about $104 on average, and a bottle of Ibuprofen sells for $8.60.

Of all the large metro areas in Texas, it\’s the city of

Temple

, near Killeen\’s Fort Hood military base, that\’s the most expensive in the state for doctor visits at $189 on average, and

El Paso

, on the border, where Ibuprofen skyrockets to nearly $11. In the state\’s largest city of

Houston

, a visit to the doctor will cost $88.30 and a bottle of Ibuprofen sells for just more than $8.

Rent prices in Texas are slightly higher than some of the other southern states on this list, where an average entry-level one-bedroom apartment costs $1,115 a month.

Flu data in all 50 states

Still looking for data from your state or where your loved ones will need you to send them chicken soup? Here\’s the full list of flu severity data for all 50 states and D.C.

Rank

State

Weeks of High Flu Activity

Weeks of Moderate Flu Activity

Weeks of Low Flu Activity

Texas

Oklahoma

Connecticut

Arkansas

Kansas

Mississippi

Louisiana

Alabama

New Jersey

New Mexico

Virginia

North Carolina

South Carolina

New York

Georgia

Arizona

Missouri

Pennsylvania

Tennessee

Hawaii

Rhode Island

Kentucky

Indiana

Illinois

Wyoming

Colorado

Minnesota

California

Vermont

Maryland

Alaska

West Virginia

Utah

Nebraska

South Dakota

Massachusetts

Oregon

Nevada

Florida

Michigan

Wisconsin

North Dakota

Idaho

Iowa

New Hampshire

Ohio

Delaware

District of Columbia

Washington

Montana

Maine

Methodology

Flu data comes from the

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention\’s weekly flu reports

for February since 2013. February weeks were selected because this month is generally considered peak flu season. We counted the number of weeks during this time period for high, moderate, low and minimal flu activity and weighted the totals. States with the highest overall score were determined to be the worst for flu.

Average prices for physician visits and Ibuprofen come from the

Council for Community and Economic Research

\’s Q3 2019 Cost of Living report.

The rent information included in this article is based on December 2019 entry-level multifamily rental property inventory on Apartment Guide and Rent.com and is used for illustrative purposes only. The data contained herein do not constitute financial advice or a pricing guarantee for any apartment.

Nanning Food & Dining Guide: 10 Must-Try Top Restaurants & Cafes in Nanning

(Gloucestercitynews.net)(Jan. 13, 2020)–Nanning in China welcomes several tourists from across the globe annually! While the region has stunning tourist sites and attractions, the food options are attractive as well. If food is an essential part of your Nanning tour, you need to visit the following ten eateries.

Happy Link

It is the perfect place to taste Asian, Indian, and Pakistani cuisines. You will love the unique sweets and sauces. Make sure to try out the Peri-Peri and the tangy tamarind sauce. Their apricot dessert with walnuts and cheese pastry is also famous.

GanJia JiePai NingMengYa Dian

It is a Chinese restaurant that is clean and looks decent. The price of the platters is reasonable as well. The food quality is excellent. You can try out baby bok choy, pork, and lemon duck platters.

Babel

If you want to taste Western platter in Nanning, this is the place to be! The price is pocket-friendly, and the restaurant ambiance is good. Western food is not available in huge quantities in Nanning. This place offers the best platter, which tastes good and costs reasonable. To know more about such places, you can check out

Nanning Food & Dinning Guide: Top Restaurants, Street Food, Night Market Local Cuisine

The Queen’s Head English Style Pub

This pub is in business since April 2013. If you want a drink and grab finger food after a day\’s sightseeing, visit this pub. Here you get to choose from over 100 spirits and 30 global beer brands. There are also shooters, cocktails, and wines to select from. There\’s a big TV screen, live sports events and free pool table that adds to the ambiance.

Sihai Yijia

If you are visiting the Mixc Shopping Mall, walk into this restaurant. The ambiance is excellent, and the platters are South-east Asian. The food quality is good, and you can walk around the mall after your dinner or lunch.

KFC

It’s not hard to find a KFC wherever you go! And so, you have one at Nanning as well. The menu is the same as all KFC outlets.

Fuji Laoyoufen

When you think of rice noodles, this is the best place you can choose! The rice noodles here have pepper, garlic, and black beans and sour bamboo shoots as well. The place is known for its high-quality food and reasonable price as well.

Ban XianJu

If you love brunches, this is the ideal place to be! It would be best if you tried out the dim sums, which are a popular delicacy here. The ordering is easy, and food gets delivered fast. You can choose from multiple dim sum varieties. The BBQ pork puffs are also famous.

ZhongShan Road XiaoChiJie

It is a pedestrian street that provides you several snack stalls

. The best platters to taste here are the seafood platters, which are both tasty and reasonably priced. You can also try out other local food as well.

Ban Yi Sushi

If you love to taste Japanese and Sushi platters, this is the place to count on! You can select from the best dishes of the day. Both the restaurant ambiance and the cost are decent.

These are the best ten restaurants that you can opt-in to add to your Nanning food experience. Each place has something different to offer you.

2020 ELECTION: Alp Basaran Seeking NJ-09 Congressional District Seat

In the NJ-09 congressional district, Alp Basaran, a formerly undocumented Muslim immigrant and lawyer, is running to unseat Bill Pascrell, a 12-term incumbent who during his tenure (1)

tipped off the INS and oversaw an immigration raid

(

view here

) leading to the arrest of undocumented workers and (2) turned his congressional seat into a family business with his sons (more on that below). If elected, Alp would be:

The

1st Muslim from New Jersey

and

3rd formerly undocumented immigrant

in Congress;

One of the few candidates in the country

calling for amnesty

for undocumented immigrants; and

Representing a broader shift toward

experienced progressives

who seek to unseat

corporate Democrats.

THE AMERICAN DREAM: Alp arrived in New Jersey with his parents when he was four years old and became an undocumented immigrant after overstaying his visa.

Raised by two-parents who did not speak English

and worked minimum-wage jobs, Alp was a product of a fairer America where he was able to

attend public schools and become a lawyer

, working at some of the best law firms in the country for almost a decade. Alp is

uniquely qualified to write laws

in Congress.

ANTI-CORRUPTION: While Rep. Pascrell writes our tax laws on the Ways and Means Committee, two of his adult sons serve corporate interests as professional lobbyists and are actively involved in getting their father reelected. Rep. Pascrell has received

hundreds of thousands of dollars

from corporate lobbyists in the 2020 election cycle alone. Not surprisingly, Rep. Pascrell has found himself on the wrong side of many major issues that define corporate Democrats. Rep. Pascrell:

Foreign Policy:

voted to authorize the Iraq War;

Economy:

voted for TARP and other key bail-out legislation;

Border:

voted for the construction of a border fence, which was the Tea Party precursor to Trump’s border wall; and

Healthcare:

remains opposed to Medicare-for-All legislation.

Alp Basaran is a progressive who will vote in a way that benefits his constituents instead of his donors because Alp understands their experiences.

Clyde Lederman

Communications Director, Alp Basaran for Congress

web:

www.alpbasaran.com

DO YOU FEEL ALONE IN A CROWD?

Credit: Photo by Erik Jepson, UC San Diego Publications.

Dilip Jeste, MD, senior associate dean for the Center of Healthy Aging and Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Neurosciences at UC San Diego School of Medicine.

Newswise —

By nature, human beings are social creatures. Yet, as we age, personal dynamics and lifestyles change, which can result in loneliness and isolation. With older adults increasingly moving into senior living or retirement communities, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine sought to identify the common characteristics of residents who feel lonely in these environments.

“Loneliness rivals smoking and obesity in its impact on shortening longevity,” said senior author Dilip V. Jeste, MD, senior associate dean for the Center of Healthy Aging and Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Neurosciences at UC San Diego School of Medicine. “It is a growing public health concern, and it’s important that we identify the underlying causes of loneliness from the seniors’ own perspectives so we can help resolve it and improve the overall health, well-being and longevity of our aging population.”

Jeste noted that there are few published qualitative studies about loneliness among older adults in the independent living sector of senior housing communities, where shared common areas, planned social outings and communal activities are intended to promote socialization and reduce isolation. “So why are many older adults living in this type of housing still experiencing strong feelings of loneliness?” asked Jeste.

The new study, published online in the January 10, 2020 issue of

Aging and Mental Health

, found that people’s experience of living with loneliness is shaped by a number of personal and environmental factors.

Researchers conducted one-and-a-half-hour individual interviews of 30 adults ages 67 to 92, part of an overall study evaluating the physical, mental and cognitive functions of 100 older adults living in the independent living sector of a senior housing community in San Diego.

In this communal setting, 85 percent of the residents reported moderate to severe levels of loneliness. “Loneliness is subjective,” said Jeste. “Different people feel lonely for different reasons despite having opportunities and resources for socialization. This is not a one size fits all topic.”

Three main themes emerged from the study:

Age-associated losses and inadequate social skills were considered to be primary risk factors for loneliness. “Some residents talked about the loss of spouses, siblings and friends as the cause of their loneliness. Others mentioned how making new friends in a senior community cannot replace deceased friends they grew up with,” said first author Alejandra Paredes, PhD, a research fellow in the Department of Psychiatry at UC San Diego School of Medicine.

The feeling of loneliness was frequently associated with a lack of purpose in life. “We heard powerful comments like, ‘It’s kind of gray and incarcerating,’” said Jeste. “Others expressed a sense of ‘not being attached, not having very much meaning and not feeling very hopeful’ or ‘being lost and not having control.’”

The research team also found that wisdom, including compassion, seemed to be a factor that prevented loneliness. “One participant spoke of a technique she had used for years, saying ‘if you\’re feeling lonely, then go out and do something for somebody else.’ That\’s proactive,” said Jeste. Other protective factors were acceptance of aging and comfort with being alone. “One resident told us, ‘I’ve accepted the aging process. I’m not afraid of it. I used to climb mountains. I want to keep moving, even if I have to crawl. I have to be realistic about getting older, but I consider and accept life as a transition,’” Jeste noted. “Another resident responded, ‘I may feel alone, but that doesn\’t mean I’m lonely. I\’m proud I can live by myself.’”

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, by 2029, more than 20 percent of the United States population will be over the age of 65. “It is paramount that we address the well-being of our seniors — they are friends, parents and grandparents of the younger generations,” said Jeste. “Our study is relevant to better understand loneliness within senior housing and other settings to so we can develop effective interventions.”

Co-authors include: Ellen Lee, Lisa Chik, Saumya Gupta, Barton Palmer, Lawrence Palinkas, all at UC San Diego; and Ho-Cheol Kim, IBM Research-Almaden.

Funding for this research came, in part, from the NARSAD Young Investigator grant from the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH T32 Geriatric Mental Health Program MH019934 and R01MH094151-01), the Stein Institute for Research on Aging and the IBM Research AI through the AI Horizons Network.

Eckrich Donates $125K to Teachers at the College Football Playoff National Championship

Kirk Herbstreit attempts football throw to win donation to Extra Yard for Teachers

New Orleans, La. – (Jan., 2020) –

Kirk Herbstreit, ABC/ESPN College Football Analyst, Emmy-award winner and longtime Eckrich partner, attempted two football throws resulting in a $125K donation from

Eckrich

Extra Yard for Teachers

, the primary cause of the College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation.

Ahead of the College Football Playoff National Championship between LSU and Clemson, crowds and teachers gathered at the Eckrich activation in New Orleans’ historic French Quarter to watch Herbstreit and Marty Smith attempt to win $1 million. Despite missing two throw attempts, Eckrich was honored to donate $100K to Extra Yard for Teachers. In addition to Herbstreit’s throw, teachers of the year from across the country made their own throw attempts resulting in an additional $25K donation from Eckrich to Extra Yard for Teachers for a total of $125K.

“I’m thrilled to be able to support such a great cause,” Herbstreit said. “It feels great to be able to give back to the teachers who do so much in all of our communities. Eckrich is such a generous partner and I\’m proud to continue partnering and working with them.”

Eckrich has partnered with Extra Yard for Teachers since 2018, and, with this throw, has now donated $1.1 million to the organization dedicated to elevating the teaching profession by inspiring and empowering teachers in four focus areas: resources, recognition, recruitment and professional development.

“We’re really happy and proud to be able to donate $125K to Extra Yard for Teachers,” said Elizabeth Di John, senior marketing director at Smithfield Foods. “Teachers are so instrumental and impactful in all of our communities, so to be able to support them in this way is extremely special to the Eckrich brand.”

\”It has meant so much to us to work with a partner like Eckrich who believes in what the College Football Playoff Foundation is doing to uplift the teaching profession,” said Britton Banowsky, Executive Director of the College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation. “With their support, we have been able to make a greater impact and have been able to give so many different teachers all across the country the recognition they deserve.\”

Eckrich is completing its fourth year as the official smoked sausage and deli meat sponsor of the College Football Playoff. As part of the partnership, the brand also launched the fourth year of its Road to the National Championship $1 Million Challenge sweepstakes in the summer of 2019, where 23 lucky fans won the opportunity to throw for $1 million at some of the biggest college football games of the year.

For more information, please visit

www.Eckrich.com

or follow @EckrichMeats on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Caldwell University Agrees To Pay $4.8 Million Plus To Resolve False Claim Allegations

NEWARK, N.J. – Caldwell University has agreed to pay the United States more than $4.8 million to resolve allegations that it engaged in a fraudulent scheme to defraud a federal education benefit program, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

“Caldwell University tried to hoodwink the Department of Veterans Affairs and, worse, veterans themselves, by claiming to offer online classes developed and provided by Caldwell that were in fact marked-up offerings by an online correspondence school,” U.S. Attorney Carpenito said. “Our veterans should never be treated this way, and we will continue to work to ensure that they receive all of the benefits that they deserve as a result of their service to the country.”

“Caldwell University’s civil settlement, along with the previous criminal convictions, sends a clear message to other educational institutions that VA OIG is dedicated to holding those accountable who would take advantage of VA programs that are intended to assist veterans and their families,” Jeffrey K. Stachowiak, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, said. “Our veterans sacrificed to serve our country and they deserve to receive the full education benefits that they earned through their military service. VA OIG is committed to working closely with our fellow law enforcement partners and thanks the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of New Jersey, for its dedication to this investigation.”

According to the settlement agreement:

From Jan. 1, 2011, through Aug. 8, 2013, Caldwell University submitted false claims for payment to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in order to receive education benefits and funds pursuant to the Post-9/11 Veterans Education Assistance Act (Post 9/11 GI Bill) to which it was not entitled. The Post 9/11 GI bill was designed specifically to help veterans who served in the armed forces following the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

Three individuals previously pleaded guilty to separate informations charging them with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud related to this scheme to defraud the VA. Lisa DiBisceglie, the university’s former associate dean of the Office of External Partnership; David Alvey, founder and president of Ed4Mil LLC; and Helen Sechrist, a former employee of Ed4Mil, admitted their respective roles in the conspiracy to fraudulently obtain millions of dollars in tuition assistance and other education-related benefits from the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Alvey was sentenced on June 4, 2018, to five years in prison. DiBisceglie and Sechrist were each sentenced on June 5, 2018, to three years of probation. All three defendants were also ordered to pay $24 million in restitution.

According to documents in this case and statements made in court:

Caldwell contracted with Ed4Mil to recruit and enroll eligible military veterans in non-degree fully online classes that were purportedly provided by Caldwell. DiBisceglie helped get approval from Caldwell’s administration to develop and administer a series of non-credit online courses for veterans in Caldwell’s name. In order for the courses to be eligible for education benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, DiBisceglie, Alvey, and others prepared and submitted an application to the VA stating that the courses were developed, taught, and administered by Caldwell faculty and met Caldwell’s stringent educational standards. The VA approved the online courses for education benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill based upon the representations in Caldwell’s application.

However, Caldwell did not participate in developing or teaching the online courses. The courses were developed, taught, and administered by a sub-contractor of Ed4Mil, an online correspondence school in Pennsylvania that was not approved to receive education benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

Thousands of veterans were ultimately enrolled in the unapproved online correspondence courses without their knowledge while Caldwell and Ed4Mil profited. Even though Caldwell contributed no content or value to the courses, Caldwell charged the Post 9/11 GI Bill 10 to 30 times the prices charged by the online correspondence school for the same courses. As a result, the government paid over $24 million in tuition benefits to the university.

Allegations of fraud involving a separate government education benefit program were raised in a lawsuit filed under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act. The qui tam complaint alleges that Caldwell and Ed4Mil fraudulently obtained education benefits under the Department of Defense Tuition Assistance program. This settlement resolves federal allegations that Caldwell defrauded the Post-9/11 GI Bill administered by the VA, along with the qui tam action.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Criminal Investigation Division, Northeast Field Office, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Stachowiak; special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark; and the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Inspector General Eastern Regional Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Geoffrey Wood, with the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Eskew, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Health Care Fraud Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole F. Mastropieri of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit in Newark.

The claims settled by this agreement are allegations only, and there has been no admissions of liability.

Defense counsel: Henry E. Klingeman Esq., Newark

Relator’s counsel: Jesse Hoyer Esq., Tampa, Florida

Two Defendants Posing as Booking Agents for Famous Entertainers Arrested

Allegedly Claimed They Could Book Justin Timberlake and Bruno Mars To Perform at a Concert Benefitting the Sandy Hook Promise Foundation

A criminal complaint was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging Nancy Jean and Carissa Scott with a scheme to defraud concert investors by falsely claiming to act as booking agents for well-known entertainers, including Justin Timberlake and Bruno Mars. The defendants were arrested yesterday at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, New York, and their initial appearance is scheduled for this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Sanket J. Bulsara.

Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the arrests.

As alleged in the complaint, in September 2019, Jean and Scott were contacted by an investor who was organizing a concert at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, to benefit the Sandy Hook Promise Foundation. The defendants falsely represented that they could book top-tier musical acts to perform at the concert, and provided the investor with a contract for a total fee of $500,000 that purported to commit Timberlake to perform. One of the investors then wired a $100,000 deposit to the defendants. Subsequently, when Timberlake’s social media account failed to mention or promote the event, the investor requested confirmation that Timberlake was booked. In response, the investor received a telephone call from an unidentified individual who falsely claimed to be Timberlake’s manager. The unidentified individual stated that Timberlake would perform at the concert, but that the fee would have to be raised to between $800,000 and $1 million. In November 2019, the defendants sent the investor an agreement stating that Mars would perform at the concert as an alternative to Timberlake for a fee of $600,000. The investor agreed that Mars could be the headliner, but did not send an additional deposit to the defendants.

Within a month of receiving the original $100,000 deposit, approximately half of the money was used by the defendants for personal expenses or withdrawn as cash.

“As alleged, the defendants viewed a fundraiser for a charity formed to protect children from gun violence as an opportunity to commit fraud and line their own pockets,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “Simple stealing is bad enough, this is worse.”

“Nancy Jean and Carissa Scott may have been able to realize a quick profit as a result of their alleged fraudulent booking scheme, but not long after their illegal activity took off, they landed in New York to face federal criminal charges. It’s discouraging to think these defendants were willing to defraud an investor supporting a charity foundation. Fortunately, the FBI doesn’t entertain such activity,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Sweeney.

The charges in the complaint are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The government’s case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Business & Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Howard Elbert is in charge of the prosecution, and Assistant United States Attorney Brian Morris of the Office’s Civil Division is handling matters relating to forfeiture.

The Defendants

NANCY JEAN

Age: 51

Riverdale, Georgia

CARISSA SCOTT

Age: 41

Fayette, Mississippi

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-MJ-16

NRA-ILA: Bloomberg Dismisses Texas Hero

Insists It Wasn’t His “Job” to Have a Gun or Decide to Shoot

SUPPORT NRA-ILA

Jack Wilson – a 71-year-old congregant of the West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, Tex. – is a hero to most Americans. When a deranged man savagely murdered two of Mr. Wilson’s fellow worshippers during a service at the church on Dec. 30,

Wilson took swift action

. He exposed himself to danger to deliver a single shot from his lawfully carried handgun

that instantly ended what undoubtedly would have been even more terrible carnage among the hundreds present.

Other congregants were also seen producing lawfully carried handguns in response to the threat. Several closed in on the fallen assailant to ensure he was neutralized. None of them panicked or acted rashly and no errant shots were fired.

The entire episode was over in six seconds and was captured on the church’s livestream.

The evidence is inescapable and available to anyone who cares to view it. Anybody who has ever tried to justify a public policy proposal on the grounds that it could save “just one life” is now on notice that lawful concealed carry saved many lives in just that one episode.

Yet one person who did not bother to watch the video or acquaint himself with the facts is Democrat presidential contender Michael Bloomberg.

Commenting on the incident

at a campaign stop in Montgomery Ala., Bloomberg did not mention Jack Wilson’s name. Bloomberg did not even acknowledge that the events depicted in video and widely reported in the media – including on

Bloomberg’s self-named news site

– were authentic.

But if they were, he huffed, it didn’t change his mind that only the police (which apparently include the current and former officers on his own armed protection detail) should be able to carry firearms in public.

“It may true, I wasn’t there, I don’t know the facts, that somebody in the congregation had their own gun and killed the person who murdered two other people,” he said. “But it’s the job of law enforcement to, uh, have guns and to decide when to shoot.” He continued, “You just do not want the average citizen carrying a gun in a crowded place.”

In the best-case scenario, responding police would still have been minutes away from the violence breaking out in the West Freeway Church of Christ. The shotgun-wielding assailant could have killed many more people in that time had he not faced armed resistance of his own.

But Bloomberg’s own words indicate he would consider that an acceptable price to pay to vindicate his arch-statist and anti-constitutional view that the government should have a complete monopoly on the lawful use of lethal force.

What, in Bloomberg’s mind, make police the only people who can be trusted with firearms?

Does he feel that only law enforcement can effectively and safely use firearms?

Jack Wilson answered that question on Dec. 29, 2019, by delivering a single, precise shot at 15 yards that felled its target and only its target, saving innocent lives.

But somehow that’s still not good enough for Michael Bloomberg because Wilson is not an active-duty police officer.

What lesson are we supposed to learn from Bloomberg’s response to the White Settlement events, other than who shoots whom isn’t as important to him as who gets to decide who lawfully wields lethal force?

Are you willing to helplessly take one for Team Bloomberg’s scheme of law and order if you end up in the wrong place at the wrong time?

Note that Michael Bloomberg isn’t taking that risk himself; his payroll includes plenty of armed men to keep him safe.

The Second Amendment is your guarantee that you need not take the risk either, which is why Michael Bloomberg’s worldview cannot be reconciled with that fundamental liberty.

This stands in stark contrast to President Trump, who understands exactly what the right to keep and bear arms is all about and unabashedly respects that right.

“It was over in 6 seconds thanks to the brave parishioners who acted to protect 242 fellow worshippers,”

President Trump tweeted on Dec. 30

. “Lives were saved by these heroes, and Texas laws allowing them to carry guns!”