BUSINESS: Alex Hogan Assigned as General Assignment Reporter for FoxNews

NEW YORK–(

BUSINESS WIRE

)–FOX News Channel (FNC) has signed WFMZ-TV, an independent television station, reporter Alex Hogan as a general assignment reporter. She begins her new role today.

Since 2017, Hogan has served as a morning news reporter and fill-in anchor for WFMZ-TV in Allentown, Pennsylvania. In this capacity, Hogan covered various breaking news stories, including the trial of Bill Cosby, the 2017 Cosmo Dinardo murders and the 2018 Allentown car bombing. Previously, Hogan worked as a general assignment reporter for CBS affiliate WTAJ-TV covering the Altoona, State College and Johnston, Pennsylvania areas.

Hogan got her start in the industry interning for Bloomberg TV where she field produced and contributed to the weekend version of Bloomberg Intelligence’s

Equity Market Minute

. She also interned at NBC O&O WRC-TV in Washington, D.C., where she assisted with coverage of local debates, hearings and the 2014 Navy Yard Shooting Remembrance.

A graduate of Pennsylvania State University, Hogan holds a Bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism and was awarded a regional Emmy award for her work at the school’s Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications. Born and raised in Switzerland, Hogan is multilingual and has lived in Spain, Israel and seven states across the United States.

FOX News Channel (FNC) is a 24-hour all-encompassing news service delivering breaking news as well as political and business news. The number one network in cable, FNC has been the most watched television news channel for more than 17 consecutive years. According to a 2019 Suffolk University poll, FOX News is the most trusted source for television news or commentary in the country, while a 2019 Brand Keys Emotion Engagement Brand Analysis survey found that FOX News was the most trusted cable news brand. A 2017 Gallup/Knight Foundation survey also found that among Americans who could name an objective news source, FOX News is the top-cited outlet. Owned by FOX Corporation, FNC is available in nearly 90 million homes and dominates the cable news landscape, routinely notching the top ten programs in the genre.

MyMedicalShopper Provides Response to DHHS Request for Public Comments

Portsmouth, NH –

January

13, 20

–

MMS Analytics, Inc. dba MyMedicalShopper, the leading provider of healthcare price transparency solutions, submitted a detailed response to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regarding proposed rule making to “give consumers personalized, real-time access to cost-sharing information,” shedding light on the secret world of healthcare pricing and empowering consumers to make more informed care decisions.

The “Transparency in Coverage CMS-9915-P” rule requires most group health plans and issuers to give participants personalized access to provider pricing, including an estimate of negotiated in- and out-of-network cost-sharing liability, via an online tool or paper, upon consumer request. The proposed rule would make consumers fully aware of their insurance issuer’s negotiated prices before receiving care to compare provider costs, include pricing in their decision-making, and promote more competition in the healthcare industry to lower cost.

“This rule would finally put an end to the secret pricing in healthcare and create a fair marketplace for consumers,” said Mark Galvin, President and CEO of MMS Analytics, Inc., the creator of MyMedicalShopper.

“For the past six years MyMedicalShopper has provided users with unparalleled access to negotiated pricing information via its responsive web design (RWD) and mobile application—exactly like those proposed in the new rules. We’re excited to share our expertise with these agencies to ensure consumers have access to the tools and information needed to make better-informed healthcare decisions.”

MyMedicalShopper’s public comments are available on its

website

. (update when published on the web and provide link). To review the full rule and public comments, please visit

Regulations.gov

MyMedicalShopper is a comprehensive platform for employers designed to drive down the cost of healthcare while improving employee benefits. The platform includes the nation’s leading medical price transparency tools for employees, dynamic rewards programs, and robust analytics packages for employers.

MyMedicalShopper is available through benefit brokers and consultants serving both the fully insured and self-funded employer markets. The platform integrates with over 120 health plan member portals providing real-time deductible tracking, in- and out-of-network facility information, and other personalized plan details to help employees manage out-of-pocket expenses and plan for future procedures.

MyMedicalShopper empowers employers and their employees to take control of their healthcare costs on over 10,000 medical tests and procedures tests by making it easy to shop for low-cost, high-quality medical care.

About MMS Analytics, Inc. (

www.MyMedicalShopper.com

)

MMS Analytics, Inc. dba MyMedicalShopper™ is a big data company on a mission to build technology, products, and services to drive meaningful savings from the cost of healthcare in the United States. The company was founded on the belief that fixing the broken healthcare marketplace required a focus on the alignment of financial incentives, medical price transparency, and the reduction of administrative overhead. The company empowers employers and their employees with the ability to choose care based on price, quality, and convenience with unprecedented access to the previously secretive prices negotiated between insurance carriers and providers. Experts document that as much as $1 trillion could be slashed annually from the cost of healthcare in the United States. MyMedicalShopper aims to help transform the healthcare industry into a fair market for consumers.

Human Trafficking, a World Wide Problem

Every day, HSI agents around the globe work to uncover, dismantle and disrupt human trafficking. They come face to face with the worst of humanity – traffickers profiting off the forced labor and commercial sex of their victims using physical and sexual abuse, threats of harm and deportation, false promises, economic and psychological manipulation, and cruelty.

Human trafficking victims have been found in communities nationwide in the agriculture, hospitality, restaurant, domestic work and other industries, as well as in prostitution that is facilitated online, on the street, or in businesses fronting for prostitution such as massage parlors. Overseas forced labor can be used to produce the consumer goods that are in our homes and workplaces. The victims are men, women and children of all ages and may include U.S. citizens and foreign nationals. Many of them may have thought they had found a good paying job or a better life, only to have their hopes and dreams dashed and placed into modern day slavery.

In fiscal year 2019, HSI initiated 1,024 investigations with a nexus to human trafficking and recorded 2,197 arrests,1,113 indictments, and 691 convictions; 428 victims were identified and assisted. HSI continues to make human trafficking cases a top investigative priority by connecting victims to resources to help restore their lives and bringing traffickers to justice.

If you notice suspicious activity in your community, call the ICE Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or

report tips online

How to Make Your New Jersey Home Sell Faster

(Gloucestercitynews.net)(January 14, 2020)–If you are thinking of selling your home in New Jersey, there are a number of steps that you can take to ensure that your home appeals to the typical New Jersey buyer, regardless of the estate agent that you choose or the time that you choose to sell your home. By following these interior design tips, you will soon be able to ensure that your home only stays on the market for as little time as possible.

Paint Your Walls

Due to the fact that

more people are looking at leaving New Jersey

than staying within the state, it is important that your home is able to stand out from the crowd of houses on the market and ensure that it grabs the attention of potential home buyers. To allow your home to do this, you need to make sure that you are able to present your house to its maximum potential, and you can do this by sprucing up your home’s walls. Although you might not want to completely revitalize your home before moving out, painting your walls can help to cover any chips, cracks, or stains which can mar the modernity and attractiveness of your home. Then, to prevent your home from looking dated, you should invest in the right

painting tools

to enable you to perfect your home’s new finish yourself without having to call in professional help.

Declutter and Depersonalize

Even if your house has the best of décor and interior design, if your home is cluttered or unclean, this can decrease the viewer’s likelihood to buy your home. Instead, your home should be both clean and tidy so that viewers can see all of the features which your home provides, as well as the potential space offered by your home. Not only this, but there is evidence to suggest that depersonalizing your home is the perfect option to get your home in New Jersey sold quickly, as this will enable viewers to envision their own possessions within your home, helping them to imagine what it would be like for them to live within the property.

Make a Great First Impression

However, the interior of your home is not what makes the first impression on guests to your property. Instead, the front garden will be the first view that potential buyers have of your home, and so it is important to maximize the impact of this first impression. You can do this by creating a lavish and decorative outdoor space, ensuring that weeds are eradicated and that your garden is filled with bright and budding flowers and plants. You can also add to this sight by ensuring that your fences are strong and painted well. You can also have benches and other forms of outdoor equipment in your garden to transform it into a relaxing and peaceful space that can instantly appeal to potential buyers.

Conduct Repairs

With

house prices in New Jersey

reaching over a high $360,000 on average, potential buyers in Jersey City and beyond want to know that they are getting a good property for their money and that they will not have to spend extortionate amounts on repairs within the first six months of their tenure. You should make sure that any issues with your home are fixed efficiently before you have any viewings, and these include issues such as blocked drains, which can lead to nasty smells, leaks in the roof, and poor electrics, for instance.

Add Finishing Touches

With there being a lot of competition in

the best locations to buy houses in NJ

, it is important that you are able to add finishing touches that can wow your viewers and make them want to immediately buy your property. Your finishing touches can be added on the day of the viewing to ensure that everything goes smoothly, and these can include adding simple items such as plants and increasing natural lighting to allow your home to appeal to viewers. You may also consider adding incense burners or candles around your home to give off great smells that can influence the ambiance of the interior of your property and stun viewers into instantly loving your home.

Modernize Your Home

New Jersey is infamous for its

inspired home design trends

, and keeping up with the latest fashions is important if you want to appeal to homeowners in the state. In order to modernize your home, you should consider applying rules and trends such as neutral or feature walls, as well as minimalism to help your home look like an up-to-date and fashionable space that will appeal to all ages.

Summary

There are many reasons why you might need to sell your home fast, such as if you are part of a chain or if you need to take on a job in a new area. Although the New Jersey housing market can be competitive, with a few home improvements, as well as a good estate agent and selling platform, it is easy to sell your home fast and move as soon as possible.

image courtesy of unsplash.com

GUEST OPINION: LIKE OR NOT, HE\’S OUR PRESIDENT

by George Roof, Chief Master Sergeant, USAF (Retired)

Because I am a \”lifer\” in the military, I\’ve seen the impact of a president more than many of you can imagine. I enlisted with LBJ and saw just what a Democrat cluster flock was all about. I went to Vietnam and saw how we were constantly and incessantly bombarded with micromanagement from Washington that got thousands of military people killed. I sometimes wonder if I\’ll get to heaven, but if I go to hell, I\’m sure I\’ll still be a few hundred floors above that bastard Robert McNamara, LB Johnson, John Kerry, Jane Fonda, and yes, even the \”hero\” John McCain.

After Johnson \”abdicated\” rather than having his a** waxed, I lived through Nixon who was hawkish but allowed the generals (and there WERE a few real generals back then versus now) run the show. Nixon was so out of touch that he never knew North Vietnam was about to surrender when the Paris Accord was presented. .

Only God could help us after Gerald Ford was beaten by Jimmy \’Peanuts\’ Carter who\’d been funded by Saudi money. The military was turned into Section 8 and even the White House suffered the austerity.

Then the light began to shine and Ronald Reagan swept into the fray. He not only loved the country and the military, they l loved him back. Esprit d\’corps was off the scale during his presidency. The Liberals were slowly turning into socialists, however, and about this time all the draft dodgers of the 1960\’s who\’d been given amnesty by Jimmy \’Peanuts\’ were turning out college graduates with degrees in socialism. Bush 1 was an enigma from the CIA and though he never did much either way, he NEVER DID MUCH EITHER WAY.

Welcome to Bill Clinton. Clinton spent most of his two terms wagging the dog and creating the \’Oral\’ Office, sending a bomber to blow up Quaddafi\’s tent and killing a goat or two, while allowing the UN to set up the infamous Black Hawk Down situation He made history by becoming only the second president to be impeached.

I actually felt sorry for Bush 2. He was doomed to infamy from the start. He thought most of America was still the rah rah patriots of WWII when they were \’simply socialists\’ waiting to feed him to the sharks.

Then there came the Manchurian Candidate Obama with a faked (OK Democrats, let\’s say \”of questionable origin\” to assuage your PC brains) birth certificate, who\’d gotten a free ride through college under a foreign student exemption, and whose college records and complete life history had been \’sealed.\’ (We know more about Thomas Jefferson\’s bastard children than we do about Obama, Michelle , OR their two faked kids.)

From his inaugural address, he slandered America and within days had begun to encourage dissension of the races as well as slandering police who \”acted stupidly.\” That was mild to the crap that would come in doubling the national debt from what had been built by ALL THE PREVIOUS PRESIDENTS COMBINED, feeding us bullshit about how Muslims built this country, and nationalizing American industries.

Paragraph 9: Fueled by George Soros\’ money and using the Air Force fleet as his personal charters, he appointed malcontents and traitors into positions of authority. He trashed the Constitution by installing \”czars\” (interesting he chose a title like that) to bypass Congressional authority. By that time, Congress was completely corrupt on both sides of the aisle. No one had balls to impeach this charlatan Obama.

Mysteriously, the lone outspoken conservative Supreme Court Justice Scalia suddenly dies in his sleep at an Obama pal\’s hunting lodge and the Supreme Court is evenly split. Finally, Congress shows some balls and rejects Obama\’s Supreme Court, Justice nomination. The Libertards aren\’t worried because the fix is in. Soros \’has paid\’ demonstrators to cause turmoil at all the Republican gatherings.\’ Obama concedes that illegal aliens should vote as they won\’t be prosecuted, and Soros-manufactured voting machines are caught switching votes in certain precincts Hillary has cheated her way to the nomination and her lies are completely ignored by the brainwashed minions of sycophants who follow her.

But a shocking thing happened on the way to the forum.

Middle America had had enough and although the pollsters and the pipers tried to convince middle America not even to bother to vote, they were fed up with the denizens of the swamp. It was time. Florida was designated a \”swing\” state ignoring that all those old retirees living in St. Petersburg, and the fed up Cuban Americans of Miami weren\’t interested in their platform. Ohio and Pennsylvania, where coal production was blacklisted and where Obama had ridiculed them for \”clinging to their Bibles and their guns,\” lay awaiting this supposed \”landslide\” Hillary vote,…. and creamed it.

The Socialist world of the Democratic Party disintegrated. An American who expressed unbridled love of country and respect for police, firemen, and military steamrolled across the heartland and the liberals realized their scheme was trashed. A CONSTITUTIONALIST would be nominated to the Supreme Court and if the old hag Ginsburg who\’d claimed to retire if Trump were elected would actually retire and leave, the Supreme Court would have a massive majority of CONSTITUTIONALISTS for the next 40-50 years.

Now, the same party who\’d ridiculed Trump on his comments about the election being rigged, started screaming that the election \’was\’ rigged. They even advocated having the election repeated. They created mobs that burned and pillaged, stopped traffic, threatened murder, battery and rape of Trump supporters, and became the anarchists that the socialist dream thrives upon. They run like castrated pigs for safe zones and use diaper pins as their national symbol.

This is exactly what happens when political correctness takes over and participation trophies are awarded to everyone. They can\’t conceive how disgusting and subservient they have become.

Donald Trump may NOT be the best person for the job, but he\’s such a welcome respite from the candy-assed wimps who\’ve been running the swamp that it\’s refreshing to see. At the very least, Donald Trump derailed the Socialist train and bought us precious time. If he only does half of what he\’s promised, we\’ll still be legions ahead of where Obama has dragged us. Already countries who held us in contempt are lining up to be found in the favor of America. Donald Trump has done more in his short time in the public eye..he prevented Hillary Clinton from becoming president!

So for you liberal lurkers and you half-assed fence-sitters, Tough shit! You had your big hurray and now your party is over. For you staunch Republicans in office, don\’t gloat so much yourselves. You\’ve been put on notice by the American people that we\’re fed up with

ALL YOU BASTARDS

and if you don\’t start putting America first, you do so at your own peril. You might want to buy a copy of George McGovern\’s autobiography and see how shocking and humbling it can be for a professional politician to have to try to find legitimate work once he falls from grace.

This election was pure, unadulterated AMERICAN!!! Hillary was beaten and AMERICA WON THE ELECTION. You can claim he\’s not \”your president\” all you want, but unless you \’forfeit\’ your American citizenship, ….

HE IS YOUR PRESIDENT!!!

Go cry a river some place they need water.

EDITOR\’S NOTE: This article was first published in 2016. It was submitted last week to CNBNews for publication by Frank K.

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!”

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

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.

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.

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.