JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Grambling's proud football program descended into further chaos Friday when the school canceled Saturday's game against Jackson State after disgruntled players refused to travel to Jackson.
Jackson State officials announced the cancellation Friday night. Athletic department spokesman Wesley Peterson told The Associated Press that Grambling officials contacted Jackson State to inform them of the decision.
Grambling spokesman Will Sutton said late Friday that the Southwestern Athletic Conference has labeled the game as a "no contest" and that university officials would have no further comment. He said players will not be available for interviews.
Grambling officials met throughout a chaotic Friday, trying to rectify the sour situation between players and administration. Apparently, nothing could be worked out so that the game could be played.
SWAC Commissioner Duer Sharp said according to league rules, Grambling will forfeit and the school will be fined.
"I've been in contact with the schools and they informed me the game is going to be canceled," Sharp said. "It's just a very disappointing situation when something like this happens. But we'll do everything we can with these schools to reach an understanding moving forward."
Friday's apparent player boycott was the latest in three days of upheaval for Grambling's program — which rose to prominence under coach Eddie Robinson. Several media outlets have reported that players did not attend practice Wednesday and Thursday because of issues with program and school leadership.
Grambling (0-7) has changed coaches twice in about two months. Doug Williams was fired two games into the season and replaced by George Ragsdale, who was reassigned Thursday and replaced by Dennis "Dirt" Winston.
The game is Jackson State's homecoming and could hurt the school financially. The Grambling-Jackson State matchup usually draws very well — an announced crowd of more than 21,000 attended the game in Jackson in 2011.
Jackson State's athletic budget is about $6 million and the school relies heavily on football revenue.
Jackson State spokeswoman Jean Cook said the school would still have homecoming festivities, including the homecoming parade, a football scrimmage and extended band performance. The school said it's working on a process to refund tickets.
"It's not ideal," Cook said. "But we're trying to make the best of things."
Louisiana State Sen. Rick Gallot, a Democrat from Ruston and a Grambling graduate, says he hopes a resolution can still be reached.
"I am still optimistic that not only will the situation with the scheduled game with Jackson State be resolved and the teams will play, but I am also optimistic that leadership issues and the concerns of the student-athletes will all be fleshed out and addressed and we'll be able to return to a semblance of normalcy on campus," Gallot said.
With the forfeit to Jackson State, Grambling has now lost 18 straight games against NCAA opponents.
The entire athletic program has struggled amid budget cuts and scholarship reductions. The men's basketball team was 0-28 last season.
____
Follow David Brandt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidbrandtAP
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama is frustrated by the problems with the rollout of his signature healthcare reform and the administration intends to fix them.
Fresh from the U.S. budget battles, Obama on Monday will turn his attention to convincing Americans that the healthcare program can be fixed, despite the initial problems.
Speaking on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said the administration was determined to repair the technical glitches in the online insurance exchanges that are a central part of the program known as "Obamacare," which launched on October 1.
"I think that there's no one more frustrated than the president at the difficulty in the website," Lew said. He said the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services "has got plans to fix this and it has to fix this. It has to be done right."
Obama told aides in a recent Oval Office meeting that the administration had to take responsibility for the fact that the website was not ready on time. He is expected to address that in his remarks on Monday.
Administration officials are expected to travel the country in the coming weeks to encourage people to sign up on the exchanges, targeting areas where there are high percentages of uninsured, according to one official.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is expected to provide private health coverage to an estimated 7 million uninsured Americans through the new online marketplaces that opened for enrollment in all 50 states on October 1.
But the website, healthcare.gov, the administration's online portal for consumers in 36 states, was hobbled by technical problems - including error messages, garbled text and delays loading pages.
Administration officials blame the problems partly on an unexpectedly high volume of visitors in its first 10 days. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, there were more than 19 million visits to the website.
"We are committed to doing better," the department said in a blog post on Sunday.
Despite the problems, it said, other parts of the system were function well.
"Individuals have been able to verify their eligibility for credits, enabling them to shop for, and enroll in, low- or even no-cost health plans," the department said.
"We have updated the site several times with new code that includes bug fixes. Our team has called in additional help to solve some of the more complex technical issues we are encountering."
DAMAGE CONTROL
Late on Saturday the White House reported nearly half a million Americans had applied for health insurance through the federal and state exchanges provided by Obamacare.
That step was part of a new damage control effort by the administration in the face of intensifying criticism from Republicans over the error-filled launch.
Republicans in Congress have chastised Obama's top health adviser, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, for declining their invitation to testify about the glitches to an oversight panel on October 24.
Many Republicans were criticizing the program long before its rocky launch. A 16-day partial government shutdown that ended last week was precipitated by Republican demands to delay or defund Obamacare.
Republican Senator Ted Cruz, who led that campaign, vowed on Sunday to step-up his opposition, even though his tactics have been called a mistake by members of his own party.
"I would do anything, and will continue to do anything, to stop the train wreck that is Obamacare," Cruz said on ABC's "This Week."
Lew said the program's test would be in January, when the actual coverage starts for people who have enrolled by December 15.
"I think that if we get that right, everyone will regret that the early weeks were choppy on the website. But the test is: are people getting coverage and are they getting the care that they need? And we're confident we're going to be on track to do that," Lew said on NBC.
Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic leader in the U.S. House of Representatives, acknowledged problems with the Obamacare launch, but said they should be understood in the context of the program's size.
"Any system that deals with that many millions of people frequently does have a glitch," Pelosi told ABC News' "This Week."
"It has to be fixed, but what doesn't have to be fixed is the fact that tens of millions more people had access to affordable quality health care and no longer will have a pre-existing condition bar you from getting affordable health care."
Obama said in an interview with National Public Radio on October 1 that he was prepared for some problems in the early months of Obamacare as healthcare exchanges were launched.
"There will be a six-month enrollment period. In the first week, first month, first three months, I would suspect that there will be glitches," the president told NPR. "This is 50 states, a lot of people signing up for something. And there are going to be problems."
(Reporting by Susan Cornwell, Margaret Chadbourn and Lucia Mutikani, additional reporting by Steve Holland and Jeff Mason,; editing by Jackie Frank and Stacey Joyce)
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are heading lower as lawmakers continue to work on a deal to avoid a U.S. default and reopen the government.
The Dow Jones industrial average fell 39 points, or 0.3 percent, to 15,261 as of noon Tuesday.
The Standard & Poor's 500 index was down three points, or 0.2 percent, at 1,707. The Nasdaq composite index fell four, or 0.1 percent, to 3,809.
The U.S. is expected to reach its borrowing limit on Thursday, jeopardizing its ability to pay its bills. Meanwhile a partial shutdown of the federal government is in its 15th day.
Eight of the 10 industry groups in the S&P 500 fell, with the biggest declines in utilities and consumer discretionary stocks, a category that includes retailers.
Nurses to focus on health needs of veterans, service members at JOINING FORCES conference
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:
17-Oct-2013
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Contact: Leslie Sabo lsabo@health.usf.edu 813-224-7857 University of South Florida (USF Health)
Veterans who faced challenges transitioning to civilian life among speakers
Tampa, FL (Oct. 17, 2013) Top nursing leaders and scientists from around the country will meet to discuss health needs for veterans, service members and their families Monday, Oct. 21, at a daylong conference hosted by the University of South Florida College of Nursing. A pre-conference will be held from Noon to 4 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 20.
The 2nd Annual JOINING FORCES TO RESTORE LIVES: Nursing Education and Research in Veterans Health conference will be held at the Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS) in downtown Tampa.
Keynote speaker, Lieutenant General Martin R. Steele, retired from the U.S Marine Corps, is associate vice president for USF Veterans Research and executive director for USF World Military Partnerships. As a combat veteran with more than 34 years of service, Lt. Gen. Steele is a nationally recognized expert on the integration of national power, cutting-edge policies and programs for veterans.
Additional conference guest speakers include Brian Anderson, a former Green Beret, 10-year Army veteran and director of the Pasco County Veteran Services and Stand Down program, and Peter Burch, a USF nurse practitioner student and retired major with 34 years of military service with the Air Force, Air Force Reserve, and Army Reserve. Both speakers will discuss their deployment experiences, and the challenges often faced by returning veterans in transitioning to civilian life.
The 2nd annual conference focuses on nursing education and research designed to meet the needs of veterans, service members and their families. It is part of USF's commitment to support the Joining Forces campaign, a comprehensive national initiative to mobilize all sectors of society to support and honor America's service members and their families. Attendees will include global nursing executives, scientists, faculty, researchers, educators, advanced practice nurses and registered nurses interested in supporting veterans' health education and research.
"The USF College of Nursing is a national leader in educational preparation and nursing research that addresses health care issues unique to service members, veterans and their families," said Dianne Morrison-Beedy, PhD, RN, WHNP-BC, FNAP, FAANP, FAAN, senior associate vice president of USF Health and dean of the College of Nursing.
The pre-conference course on Oct. 20 will focus on Transforming Tragedy: Finding Growth Following Life's Traumas. Internationally-known psychologist, author, and lecturer Edward J. Hickling, PsyD, will speak about causes and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder information applicable to the clinical care of veterans and civilians who have experienced traumatic events, community disasters, physical assaults, and other tragic events.
Dr. Hickling, a clinical psychologist for Capital Psychological Associate, is a master therapist who has practiced for more than 30 years. He has held positions at Veterans Administration medical centers and hospitals across the country.
Last month, USF was one of nine institutions nationwide awarded funding by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, to create a Veterans' Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing Program. USF Nursing has also extended its Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) research internationally after the behavioral technique for treating post-traumatic stress disorder demonstrated promising results in the United States.
Both projects are part of the USF College of Nursing's ongoing strategic priority known as RESTORE LIVES, which focuses on evidence-based research and education programs to train a nursing workforce that can help veterans and service members overcome psychological stress and other combat-related health problems.
###
For event and registration information, please visit the USF College of Nursing website: http://cme.hsc.usf.edu/joiningforces/
USF Health's mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the College of Pharmacy, the School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences; and the USF Physician's Group. The University of South Florida is a global research university ranked 50th in the nation by the National Science Foundation for both federal and total research expenditures among all U.S. universities. For more information, visit http://www.health.usf.edu.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Nurses to focus on health needs of veterans, service members at JOINING FORCES conference
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:
17-Oct-2013
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Contact: Leslie Sabo lsabo@health.usf.edu 813-224-7857 University of South Florida (USF Health)
Veterans who faced challenges transitioning to civilian life among speakers
Tampa, FL (Oct. 17, 2013) Top nursing leaders and scientists from around the country will meet to discuss health needs for veterans, service members and their families Monday, Oct. 21, at a daylong conference hosted by the University of South Florida College of Nursing. A pre-conference will be held from Noon to 4 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 20.
The 2nd Annual JOINING FORCES TO RESTORE LIVES: Nursing Education and Research in Veterans Health conference will be held at the Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS) in downtown Tampa.
Keynote speaker, Lieutenant General Martin R. Steele, retired from the U.S Marine Corps, is associate vice president for USF Veterans Research and executive director for USF World Military Partnerships. As a combat veteran with more than 34 years of service, Lt. Gen. Steele is a nationally recognized expert on the integration of national power, cutting-edge policies and programs for veterans.
Additional conference guest speakers include Brian Anderson, a former Green Beret, 10-year Army veteran and director of the Pasco County Veteran Services and Stand Down program, and Peter Burch, a USF nurse practitioner student and retired major with 34 years of military service with the Air Force, Air Force Reserve, and Army Reserve. Both speakers will discuss their deployment experiences, and the challenges often faced by returning veterans in transitioning to civilian life.
The 2nd annual conference focuses on nursing education and research designed to meet the needs of veterans, service members and their families. It is part of USF's commitment to support the Joining Forces campaign, a comprehensive national initiative to mobilize all sectors of society to support and honor America's service members and their families. Attendees will include global nursing executives, scientists, faculty, researchers, educators, advanced practice nurses and registered nurses interested in supporting veterans' health education and research.
"The USF College of Nursing is a national leader in educational preparation and nursing research that addresses health care issues unique to service members, veterans and their families," said Dianne Morrison-Beedy, PhD, RN, WHNP-BC, FNAP, FAANP, FAAN, senior associate vice president of USF Health and dean of the College of Nursing.
The pre-conference course on Oct. 20 will focus on Transforming Tragedy: Finding Growth Following Life's Traumas. Internationally-known psychologist, author, and lecturer Edward J. Hickling, PsyD, will speak about causes and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder information applicable to the clinical care of veterans and civilians who have experienced traumatic events, community disasters, physical assaults, and other tragic events.
Dr. Hickling, a clinical psychologist for Capital Psychological Associate, is a master therapist who has practiced for more than 30 years. He has held positions at Veterans Administration medical centers and hospitals across the country.
Last month, USF was one of nine institutions nationwide awarded funding by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, to create a Veterans' Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing Program. USF Nursing has also extended its Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) research internationally after the behavioral technique for treating post-traumatic stress disorder demonstrated promising results in the United States.
Both projects are part of the USF College of Nursing's ongoing strategic priority known as RESTORE LIVES, which focuses on evidence-based research and education programs to train a nursing workforce that can help veterans and service members overcome psychological stress and other combat-related health problems.
###
For event and registration information, please visit the USF College of Nursing website: http://cme.hsc.usf.edu/joiningforces/
USF Health's mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the College of Pharmacy, the School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences; and the USF Physician's Group. The University of South Florida is a global research university ranked 50th in the nation by the National Science Foundation for both federal and total research expenditures among all U.S. universities. For more information, visit http://www.health.usf.edu.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Watch the new red-band trailer of ‘Homefront,’ an action-thriller written by Sylvester Stallone and starring Jason Statham and James Franco, as an ex-DEA agent and meth-cooking drug lord respectively. The movie was directed by Gary Fleder (‘The Express,’ ‘Runaway Jury’) from Sylvester Stallone’s screen adaptation of the novel of the same title by Chuck Logan. Stallone, for those who may have forgotten got an Oscar nomination for his original screenplay of his iconic, breakthrough movie ‘Rocky.’ It leaves many curious to see what he has done with ‘Homefront’ and its Phil Broker character, who reoccurs in several Chuck Logan novels. It’s Jason Statham (‘The Expendables,’ ‘Fast & Furious 6′) who portrays the former DEA agent Phil Broker, a widower and father of a 10-year-old daughter whose peaceful, small-town titular homefront is disrupted. Alas, isn’t that always the case?! Retirement plans are often foiled when one’s path crosses with that of the local ruling meth kingpin. In this case his name is Gator Bodine and he is portrayed by James Falco (‘Oz the Great and Powerful,’ ‘Spring Breakers’). The actor removes all doubt in those who think he can’t fully inhabit the role of an extremely sadistic and violent character and [...]Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RightCelebrity/~3/9Ux7mdnRyYk/ Similar Articles: Scott Carpenterderek houghaaron hernandez
NEW YORK (AP) — Ronan Farrow, already known to the world as an activist, attorney, government official and the son of Mia Farrow, is set to become a published author.
The Penguin Press announced Tuesday that it had acquired Farrow's "Pandora's Box: How American Military Aid Creates America's Enemies." The book is scheduled to come out in 2015. Penguin is billing "Pandora's Box" as a "hard-hitting investigation" of a "surprising dark side" of U.S. foreign policy.
The 25-year-old Farrow was in the news recently when his mother suggested in an interview with Vanity Fair that he wasn't the son of Woody Allen, as was long assumed, but of Frank Sinatra. Mia Farrow and Sinatra were married briefly in the 1960s and remained friendly until his death, in 1998. Allen has called the claim "absurd."
OTTAWA — Canadian home sales posted a small month-over-month increase in September as the national average sale price rose but the number of new listings declined, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association.
Home sales were up just under 1% from August to September, while overall activity remained on par with the 10-year average in September, CREA said.
And while last month’s sales were up 18.2% compared with September 2012, CREA says that was because last year’s figures were unusually weak.
Sales improved on a month-over-month basis in just over half of all local markets, with gains in Greater Vancouver and Greater Toronto offsetting declines in Calgary and Montreal.
About 340,980 homes have traded hands across the country so far this year, or 1.8% below levels recorded in the first three quarters of 2012.
The national average price for homes sold in September 2013 was $385,906, an increase of 8.8% compared with a year ago.
CREA said year-over-year average price gains in recent months reflect the decline in sales activity recorded last year in some of Canada’s larger and more expensive markets, which caused the national average price to drop.
If Greater Toronto, Greater Vancouver and Calgary were removed from the national average price calculation, the year-over-year increase would be 4.3%.
“Year-over-year increases in the sales over the past couple of months highlights how activity softened across much of the country following the introduction of tighter mortgage rules last summer,” said Gregory Klump, CREA’s chief economist.
“While the momentum for sales activity began improving a few months ago, it may be losing steam after having only just climbed back in line with an average of the past 10 years,” he added.
There were 1.4% fewer newly listed homes in September compared with August, the association said, adding that while the Canadian housing market has tightened it continues to remain balanced.
Greater Vancouver, Fraser Valley, Calgary, Greater Toronto, London, St. Thomas, Ont., Ottawa and Montreal all saw listing declines.
The Canadian Real Estate Association is one of Canada’s largest single-industry trade associations, representing more than 106,000 realtors working through more than 90 real estate boards and associations.
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