Current Events in February 2011

The Medicare Fraud Strike Force today charged 111 defendants in nine cities, including doctors, nurses, health care company owners and executives, and others, for their alleged participation in Medicare fraud schemes involving more than $225 million in false billing.

Also today, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and HHS announced the expansion of Medicare Fraud Strike Force operations to two additional cities—Dallas and Chicago. Today’s operation is the largest-ever federal health care fraud takedown.

“With this takedown, we have identified and shut down large-scale fraud schemes operating throughout the country. We have safeguarded precious taxpayer dollars. And we have helped to protect our nation’s most essential health care programs, Medicare and Medicaid,” said Attorney GeneralEricHolder. “As today’s arrests prove, we are waging an aggressive fight against health care fraud.”

The defendants charged today are accused of various health care fraud-related crimes, including conspiracy to defraud the Medicare program, criminal false claims, violations of the anti-kickback statutes, money laundering, and aggravated identity theft.

The charges are based on a variety of alleged fraud schemes involving various medical treatments and services such as home health care, physical and occupational therapy, nerve conduction tests, and durable medical equipment.

According to court documents, the defendants charged today participated in schemes to submit claims to Medicare for treatments that were medically unnecessary and oftentimes never provided. In many cases, indictments and complaints allege that patient recruiters, Medicare beneficiaries, and other co-conspirators were paid cash kickbacks in return for supplying beneficiary information to providers so that the providers could submit fraudulent billing to Medicare for services that were medically unnecessary or never provided.

Collectively, the doctors, nurses, health care company owners, executives, and others charged in the indictments and complaints are accused of conspiring to submit a total of more than $225 million in fraudulent billing.

“Every American bears the burden of health care fraud, and the FBI, in conjunction with our inter-agency partners, will continue to dismantle criminal networks that bilk the system,” said Shawn Henry, Executive Assistant Director of the FBI’s Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch. “Our agents and analysts use task forces and undercover operations to identify individuals who treat the health care system as a vehicle to line their pockets.”

• In Miami, 32 defendants, including two doctors and eight nurses, were charged for their participation in various fraud schemes involving a total of $55 million in false billings for home health care, durable medical equipment, and prescription drugs.

• Twenty-one defendants, including three doctors, three physical therapists, and one occupational therapist, were charged in Detroit for schemes to defraud Medicare of more than $23 million. The Detroit cases involve false claims for home health care, nerve conduction tests, psychotherapy, physical therapy, and podiatry.

• In Brooklyn, New York, 10 individuals, including three doctors and one physical therapist, were charged with fraud schemes involving $90 million in false billings for physical therapy, proctology services, and nerve conduction tests.

• Ten defendants were charged in Tampa for participating in schemes involving more than $5 million related to false claims for physical therapy, durable medical equipment, and pharmaceuticals.

• Nine individuals were charged in Houston for schemes involving $8 million in fraudulent Medicare claims for physical therapy, durable medical equipment, home health care, and chiropractor services.

• In Dallas, seven defendants were indicted for conspiring to submit $2.8 million in false billing to Medicare related to durable medical equipment and home health care.

• Five defendants were charged in Los Angeles for their roles in schemes to defraud Medicare of more than $28 million. The cases in Los Angeles involve false claims for durable medical equipment and home health care.

• In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, six individuals were charged for a durable medical equipment fraud scheme involving more than $9 million in false claims.

• In Chicago, charges were filed against 11 individuals associated with businesses that have billed Medicare more than $6 million for home health, diagnostic testing, and prescription drugs.

The joint DOJ-HHS Medicare Fraud Strike Force is a multi-agency team of federal, state, and local investigators designed to combat Medicare fraud through the use of Medicare data analysis techniques and an increased focus on community policing.

More than 700 law enforcement agents from the FBI, HHS-Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), multiple Medicaid Fraud Control Units, and other state and local law enforcement agencies participated in today’s operation. In addition to making arrests, agents also executed 16 search warrants across the country in connection with ongoing strike force investigations.

“Over the last two years our joint efforts have more than quadrupled the number of anti-fraud strike force teams operating in fraud hot spots around the country from two to nine—with the latest additions in Chicago and Dallas—bringing hundreds of charges against criminals who had billed Medicare for hundreds of millions of dollars. Last year alone, our partnership recovered a record $4 billion on behalf of taxpayers. From 2008-2010, every dollar the federal government spent under its health care fraud and abuse control programs averaged a return on investment of $6.80,” said HHS SecretaryKathleenSebelius.

How fast is your Internet connection? Really? Now you can find out, thanks to something called the National Broadband Map, a creation of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), part of the Commerce Department, says the National Broadband Map is the first public, searchable nationwide map of broadband Internet availability.

The idea behind the map is to highlight areas that need to expand broadband access and adoption.

"A state-of-the-art communications infrastructure is essential to America's competitiveness in the global digital economy," said Acting Commerce Deputy Secretary Rebecca Blank. "But as Congress recognized, we need better data on America's broadband Internet capabilities in order to improve them. The National Broadband Map, along with today's broadband Internet usage study, will inform efforts to enhance broadband Internet access and adoption -- spurring greater innovation, economic opportunities, and advancements in health care, education, and public safety."

Searchable records

The website includes more than 25 million searchable records showing where broadband Internet service is available, the technology used to provide the service, the maximum advertised speeds of the service, and the names of the service providers.

Users can search by address to find the broadband providers and services available in the corresponding census block or road segment, view the data on a map, or use other interactive tools to compare broadband across various geographies, such as states, counties or congressional districts. The map also allows visitors to enter information about their current Internet provider.

"The release of the National Broadband Map, the first of its kind in the nation, is a significant milestone," said Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Julius Genachowski. "This cutting-edge tool will continue to evolve with the help of new data and user feedback. It will provide consumers, companies and policymakers with a wealth of information about broadband availability, speeds, competition and technology, and help Americans make better informed choices about their broadband services."

Underserved

The map shows that between 5 - 10 percent of Americans lack access to broadband at speeds that support a basic set of applications, including downloading Web pages, photos and video, and using simple video conferencing. The FCC last July set a benchmark of 4 Mbps actual speed downstream and 1 Mbps upstream to support these applications.

NTIA collected data in ranges between 3 - 6 Mbps and 6 - 10 Mbps maximum advertised download speeds, which are the closest measurements to the speed benchmark for broadband that the FCC set.

The data show that community anchor institutions are largely underserved. For example, based on studies by state education technology directors, most schools need a connection of 50 to 100 Mbps per 1,000 students. The data show that two-thirds of surveyed schools subscribe to speeds lower than 25 Mbps, however. In addition, only four percent of libraries reported subscribing to speeds greater than 25 Mbps.

Approximately 36 percent of Americans have access to wireless (fixed, mobile, licensed, and unlicensed) Internet service at maximum advertised download speeds of 6 Mbps or greater, which some consider the minimum speed associated with "4G" wireless broadband service. Ninety-five percent of Americans have access to wireless Internet service speeds of at least 768 kbps, which corresponds roughly to "3G" wireless service.

Reason for the map

Why create the map? NTIA says the map will serve a variety of uses. For example, Federal, state, and local policymakers can compare broadband availability among geographic areas and across demographic groups, which can inform policies to support private sector investments in deploying broadband.

The data can assist broadband providers in assessing new business opportunities and economic developers as they work to attract businesses to, or address barriers to investment in, their communities. The map is also designed to help consumers and small businesses learn about the broadband service options in their neighborhood or where they may relocate.

Redbox, the DVD rental kiosk company, says it's preparing to challenge Netflix in the streaming video arena. Redbox subscribers will pay a single monthly fee to get access to movies, both as streaming video and on DVDs through kiosks.

Netflix took the early lead in the online streaming business and now has more than 20 million subscribers who get DVDs by mail and movies and TV shows via streaming Internet video.

Amazon.com also offers movies and TV shows but charges a per-show price, although there are reports that Amazon will soon off streaming video through a partnership with a so-far undisclosed company, possibly Redbox.

Consumers are steadily shifting away from pay-per-view videos in favor of subscription plans, just as they previously began shifting away from DVDs when Internet streaming became reliable and inexpensive.

The biggest problem all of the new competitors have is getting their hands on the product. Movie studios and the television networks and syndicators are reluctant to let new releases go to streaming video before they're confident they've milked DVD sales for all they're worth.

There was some good news today about consumers' economic situation, in a report showing the number of homeowners who have fallen behind of mortgage payments actually declined in the last month of 2010.

The Mortgage Bankers Association released its report for the fourth quarter, showing the delinquency rate for mortgage loans on one-to-four-unit residential properties decreased to a seasonally adjusted rate of 8.22 percent of all loans outstanding as of the end of the fourth quarter of 2010. That's a decline of 91 basis points from the third quarter of 2010, and a decrease of 125 basis points from one year ago.

The non-seasonally adjusted delinquency rate decreased 46 basis points to 8.93 percent this quarter from 9.39 percent last quarter.

Across the board decrease

"These latest delinquency numbers represent significant, across the board decreases in mortgage delinquency rates in the U.S.," said Jay Brinkmann, MBA's chief economist.  "Total delinquencies, which exclude loans in the process of foreclosure, are now at their lowest level since the end of 2008."

Mortgages only one payment past due are now at the lowest level since the end of 2007, the very beginning of the recession.  Perhaps most importantly, loans three payments (90 days) or more past due have fallen from an all-time high delinquency rate of 5.02 percent at the end of the first quarter of 2010 to 3.63 percent at the end of the fourth quarter of 2010, a drop of 139 basis points or almost 28 percent over the course of the year.  Every state but two saw a drop in the 90-plus day delinquency rate and the two increases were negligible.

Foreclosures still working through the system

The percentage of loans on which foreclosure actions were started during the fourth quarter was 1.27 percent, down seven basis points from last quarter and up seven basis points from one year ago. The delinquency rate includes loans that are at least one payment past due but does not include loans in the process of foreclosure. 

The percentage of loans in the foreclosure process at the end of the fourth quarter was 4.63 percent, up 24 basis points from the third quarter of 2010 and up five basis points from one year ago. The serious delinquency rate, the percentage of loans that are 90 days or more past due or in the process of foreclosure, was 8.57 percent, a decrease of 13 basis points from last quarter, and a decrease of 110 basis points from the fourth quarter of last year.

The report suggests, at the very least, that current homeowners, those who haven't already lost their homes due to foreclosure, are better able to make their payments, despite stubbornly high unemployment .

"While delinquency and foreclosure rates are still well above historical norms, we have clearly turned the corner," Brinkman said.  "Despite continued high levels of unemployment, the economy did add over 1.2 million private sector jobs during 2010 and, after remaining stubbornly high during the first half of 2010, first time claims for unemployment insurance fell during the second half of the year.  Absent a significant economic reversal, the delinquency picture should continue to improve during 2011."

Alaska

Anchorage, AK Kmart Shopping Center #7569 1100 E Dimond Blvd

Arkansas

Rogers, AR Pinnacle Hills Promenade 2203 South 45th St, Ste 12100

Arizona

Avondale, AZ Gateway Pavilions 10100 W. McDowell Road

Chandler, AZ Chandler Pavilions 870 N. 54th Street

Mesa, AZ Mesa Fiesta Shopping Center 1361 S Alma School Road

Phoenix, AZ Biltmore Fashion Park 2402 E Camelback Road, Suite 200

Phoenix, AZ Paradise Village Shopping Center 4555 East Cactus Rd

Scottsdale, AZ Scottsdale/101 7000 E. Mayo Blvd. Suite 1050

Scottsdale, AZ Scottsdale Waterfront 7135 East Camelback Rd, Space 140

Tucson, AZ Tucson Fiesta 4235 N Oracle Rd.

California

Alameda, CA Alameda Towne Centre 2245 South Shore Center

Cerritos, CA Cerritos Towne Center 12741 Towne Center Drive

Chino, CA Chino Spectrum Town Center 3833 Grand Avenue

El Cajon, CA Parkway Plaza East 159 Fletcher Parkway

Fremont, CA The Fremont Hub 39210 Fremont Hub, Suite 211

Glendale, CA Glendale Marketplace 100 S Brand Blvd

La Habra, CA Lahabra Westridge Plaza 1310 S. Beach Blvd.

Long Beach, CA Los Altos Market Center 2110 Bellflower Blvd

Long Beach, CA The Pike At Rainbow Harbor 101 South Pine Avenue

Los Angeles, CA Westfield Century City 10250 Santa Monica Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA Howard Hughes Center 6081 Center Dr, Suite 118

Los Gatos, CA Old Town Center 50 University Avenue, Ste 280

Mira Loma, CA Eastvale Gateway 12423 Limonite Ave.

Modesto, CA Vintage Commons 3900 Sisk Rd

Montclair, CA Perimeter Plaza 5055 S Plaza Lane

Orange, CA The Block At Orange 20 City Boulevard, W.

Oxnard, CA Esplanade Shopping Center 241 W. Esplanade Drive

Pasadena, CA South Lake Avenue 475 S. Lake Avenue

Pico Rivera, CA Pico Rivera Town Center 8852 Washington Blvd.

Pleasanton, CA Metro 580 Shopping Center 4575 Rosewood Drive

Rolling Hills Estates, CA The Promenade on the Peninsula 550 Deep Valley Drive, Suite 261

San Diego, CA Gaslamp District 668 6th Avenue

San Francisco, CA San Francisco Centre 845 Market St.

San Francisco, CA Union Square 400 Post Street

City Shopping Center/Mall (if applicable) Address

San Jose, CA Santana Row 356 Santana Row, Suite 1030

San Jose, CA Westfield Shoppingtown Oakridge 925 Blossom Hill Road, Suite 1741

San Mateo, CA El Camino Real 2925 El Camino Real

San Ramon, CA The Shops At Bishop Ranch 120 Sunset Dr

Santa Cruz, CA 1200 Pacific Ave 1200 Pacific Ave, Suite 100

Sherman Oaks, CA Ventura Boulevard 14651 Ventura Blvd.

Stockton, CA Park West Place 10776 Trinity Parkway

Tustin, CA The District at Tustin Legacy 2493 Park Ave

Union City, CA Union Landing 32111 Union Landing Blvd

Valencia, CA Valencia Town Center 24445 Town Center Dr.

Yorba Linda, CA Yorba Linda, Ca 22401 Old Canal Rd

Colorado

Aurora, CO Arapahoe Crossings 6606 South Parker Road

Boulder, CO Twenty Ninth Street Mall 1750 Twenty Ninth Street, Suite 1052

Dillon, CO Dillon Ridge Marketplace 264 Dillion Ridge Way

Grand Junction, CO Grand Mesa Center 2464 U.S. Highway 6 & 50 , Suite 132

Greeley, CO The Elk Lakes 2863 35th Ave

Littleton, CO Southwest Plaza 8501 West Bowles Ave

Connecticut

Danbury, CT 110 Federal Road

Manchester, CT The Crossroads At Buckland Hills 59 Pavilions Drive

Milford, CT Westfield Shoppingtown Connecticut Post 1201 Boston Post Rd.

Simsbury, CT Farmington Valley Mall 500 Bushy Hill Road

Southbury, CT Southbury Plaza 100 Main Street North, Spc 17

Wilton, CT Gateway Plaza 14 Danbury Road (Gateway Center)

District of Columbia

Washington, DC 1801 K Street NW

Washington, DC Friendship Centre Shopping Center 5333 Wisconsin Avenue NW

Florida

Altamonte Springs, FL Altamonte Crossing 880 W. State Road 436

Brandon, FL Brandon Crossroads 2020 Town Center Blvd.

Clearwater, FL Clearwater Mall 2683 Gulf to Bay Blvd.

Fort Myers, FL Gulf Coast Town Center 10037 Gulf Center Drive

Ft Lauderdale, FL Sunrise Center 2240 E Sunrise Blvd

Gainesville, FL Oak Square 6837 Newberry Road

Jacksonville, FL Timberlin Village 8801 Southside Blvd., Ste. 10

Jensen Beach, FL Treasure Coast Square Mall 3066 NW Federal Hwy

Naples, FL Granada Shoppes 10600 Tamiami Trail North, Suite 600

Ocoee, FL West Oaks Mall 9441 W. Colonial Drive

Orlando, FL Sand Lake 1051 W. Sand Lake Road

Oviedo, FL Oviedo Crossing 8285 Red Bug Lake Road

Plantation, FL Sunrise Boulevard 12171 W. Sunrise Blvd.

Sarasota, FL Paradise Plaza 3800 S. Tamiami Trail

Tampa, FL 909 Dale Mabry

Tampa, FL 12500 N Dale Mabry

Georgia

Atlanta, GA Parkway Pointe Center 3101 Cobb Parkway

Austell, GA East West Commons Shopping Center 1605 East-West Connector Road

Buford, GA The Market Place At Mill Creek 1705 Mall of Georgia Blvd - Suite 200

Kennesaw, GA Ernest W. Barrett Parkway 605 Ernest W Barrett Parkway, Bldg 400

Suwanee, GA Johns Creek Towne Center 3630 Peachtree Parkway, Suite 100

Hawaii

City Shopping Center/Mall (if applicable) Address

Kailua-Kona, HI Crossroads Center 75-1000 Henry Street

Lihue, HI Kmart Kukui Center 4303 Nawiliwili

Illinois

Bolingbrook, IL Bolingbrook Retail Center 161 N. Webber

Chicago, IL 2817 North Clark Street

Chicago, IL 2210 W. 95th Street

Chicago, IL Lincoln Village 6103 N. Lincoln Avenue

Chicago, IL Uptown Chicago 4718 N. Broadway Ave

Chicago, IL Lincoln Park Centre 755 W. North Avenue

Crystal Lake, IL Crystal Point Shopping Center 6000 Northwestern Highway

Deerfield, IL 49 S Waukegan Road

DeKalb, IL Northland Plaza 2520 Sycamore Road

Evanston, IL 1700 Maple Avenue

Matteson, IL Matteson Plaza 4824 West 211th Street

McHenry, IL Village of McHenry 2221 Richmond Road

Mt Prospect, IL Randhurst Mall 909 North Elmhurst Rd

Normal, IL 200 A North Greenbriar Drive

Norridge, IL Norridge Commons 7100 W. Forest Preserve Drive

St. Charles, IL Main Street Commons 3539 E Main

Indiana

Carmel, IN 2381 Pointe Parkway

Evansville, IN Evansville Pavilion 6401 E. Lloyds Expressway, Suite 1

Indianapolis, IN South Meridian 11 S. Meridian Street, Suite 110

Merrillville, IN Westfield Southlake 2074 Southlake Mall

Mishawaka, IN Princess City Shopping Center 4230 Grape Road

West Lafayette, IN Wabash Landing 348 E. State Street

Kansas

Lawrence, KS 700 New Hampshire Street

Wichita, KS 1715 Rock Rd & 13th Street

Kentucky

Louisville, KY Fourth Street Live 400 S. 4th Street

Louisville, KY 2520 S. Hurstborne Gem Lane

Louisiana

Metarie, LA Veterans Memorial Boulevard 3131 Veterans Memorial Blvd.

New Orleans, LA St. Charles Avenue 3338 St. Charles Ave

Massachusetts

Boston, MA The 501 Boylston Street Condominiums 511 Boylston Street

Burlington, MA Wayside Commons 6 Wayside Road, Space U

Holyoke, MA Holyoke Mall 50 Holyoke St., Space J312

Hyannis, MA 990 Iyannough Road

Peabody, MA 151 Andover Street

Wareham, MA Wareham Crossing 2421 Cranberry Highway, Ste 460

Maryland

Bowie, MD Bowie Gateway Center 4420 Mitchellville Rd.

Kensington, MD White Flint Mall 11301 Rockville Pike

Largo, MD Capital Centre 931 Capital Centre Blvd.

Michigan

Ann Arbor, MI Arborland Mall 3527 Washtenaw Ave.

Dearborn, MI Fairlane Town Center 5601 Mercury Drive

Grosse Point, MI 17141 Kercheval Avenue

Utica, MI Utica Park Place 45290 Utica Park Boulevard

Minnesota

Maple Grove, MN The Shoppes at Arbor Lakes Phase II 12059 Elm Creek Blvd.

City Shopping Center/Mall (if applicable) Address

Minnetonka, MN Bonaventure Shopping Center 1501 Plymouth Road

Richfield, MN Shops at Lyndale 800 W. 78th Street

St. Paul, MN Midway Marketplace 1390 W. University Avenue

Missouri

Ballwin, MO Central Plaza 15355-A Manchester Road

Chesterfield, MO Chesterfield Mall 2040 Chesterfield Mall

Kansas City, MO Shops at Boardwalk 8628 North Boardwalk Avenue

Springfield, MO Primrose Marketplace 3300 S. Glenstone Avenue

St. Peters, MO Mid Rivers Mall 1320 Mid Rivers Mall

St. Joseph, MO The Shoppes At North Village 5201 North Belt Highway, Suite 127

Montana

Bozeman, MT Gallatin Center 2855 North 19th Avenue, Suite C

North Carolina

Apex, NC Beaver Creek Crossings South S/C 1541 Beaver Creek Commons Dr., Ste 220

Cary, NC 1751 Walnut Street

Chapel Hill, NC 1807 Fordham Blvd.

Greensboro, NC Oakwood Plaza 3605 High Point Rd

Raleigh, NC Creekside Crossing Shopping Center 404-101 East Six Forks Rd

New Hampshire

Nashua, NH Daniel Webster Highway 281 Daniel Webster Hwy.

New Jersey

Freehold, NJ Raceway Mall 3710 Route 9, Ste 2318

Ft. Lee, NJ Fort Lee Town Centre 1642 Schlosser Street

Paramus, NJ Westfield Garden State Plaza Garden State Plaza Suite 2200

Watchung, NJ Watchung Square 1515 Route 22 West, Suite 02

New Mexico

Albuquerque, NM Cottonwood Corners Phase III 10420 Coors Bypass NW, Suite B

Santa Fe, NM 500 Montezuma, Suite 108

Nevada

Las Vegas, NV Sahara Pavilion 2323 S Decatur Boulevard

New York

Commack, NY King Kullen Plaza 68 Veterans Memorial Highway

Ithaca, NY Pyramid Mall 40 Catherwood Road

Manhattan, NY Kips Bay Plaza 576 Second Avenue

New York, NY Park Avenue 461 Park Ave.

New York, NY 100 Broadway 100 Broadway

Saratoga Springs, NY Saratoga Springs 395 Broadway

Scarsdale, NY Vernon Hills Shopping Center 680 White Plains Road

Wappingers Falls, NY Nine Mall Plaza 1820 South Road, Suite 110

Westbury, NY Price Club Plaza 1260 Old Country Road

Ohio

Cincinnati, OH Northgate Mall 9459 Colerain Avenue

Columbus, OH Kenny Road 4545 Kenny Road

Columbus, OH Northwest Square 6670 Sawmill Road

Dayton, OH Dayton Mall 2700 Miamisburg Centerville Rd, Ste 870

Mason, OH Deerfield Towne Center 5105 Deerfield Blvd

Medina, OH Medina Grande Shops 4927 Grande Shops Ave.

Mentor, OH Creekside Commons 9565 Mentor Avenue

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City, OK 3209 Northwest Expressway

Tulsa, OK South Yale 8015 S. Yale

Pennsylvania

City Shopping Center/Mall (if applicable) Address

Camp Hill, PA Capital City Commons 3515 Gettysburg Road

Erie, PA Millcreek Pavilion 2088A Interchange Rd

King of Prussia, PA The Pavilion at King of Prussia 650 Mall Blvd.

Langhome, PA Marketplace at Oxford Valley 2343 E. Lincoln Highway

Monroeville, PA 200 Mall Blvd

Pittsburgh, PA Crossgates Shopping Center 1775 North Highland Road

Pittsburgh, PA Eastside Shopping Center 5986 Penn Circles South, Ste 101

Reading, PA Woodmill Commons 1075 Woodland Rd

Whitehall, PA Whitehall Mall 1937 Whitehall Mall

Puerto Rico

Carolina, PR Plaza Escorial 5891 Plaza Escorial

Mayaguez, PR Mayaguez Mall Shopping Center Avenida Hostos 975, Suite 765

Tennessee

Franklin, TN Thoroughbred Village at Cool Springs 545 Cool Springs Blvd, Suite 190

Texas

Austin, TX The Domain 3309 Esperanza Crossing

Austin, TX Southpark Meadows Shopping Center Southpark Meadows, Suite F

Austin, TX Westgate Marketplace 4477 S. Lamar

Burleson, TX Gateway Station 1131 N. Burleson Blvd.

Colleyville, TX Colleyville Town Center 5615 Colleyville Blvd, Ste 100

Dallas, TX Preston Oaks Shopping Center 10720 Preston Road, Suite 1018

Dallas, TX 3600 McKinney Avenue

Lewisville, TX Vista Ridge Center 2403 S Stemmons, Suite 100

Mesquite, TX Town Centre Plaza 2709 N.Mesquite Drive

Plano, TX Preston Shepard Place 1601 Preston Road, Suite J

Utah

Logan, UT Cache Valley Plaza 1050 North Main Street

Murray, UT West Winchester 132 E. Winchester

Virginia

Glen Allen, VA 9750 W Broad St

Newport News, VA Patrick Henry Mall 12300 Jefferson Ave, Suite 100

Stafford, VA Stafford Market Place Shopping Center 1240 Stafford Market Place

Vienna, VA Tyson's Corner 8027 Leesburg Pike, Ste 100

Winchester, VA Winchester Station 2420 S. Pleasant Valley Road

Washington

Gig Harbor, WA Uptown Gig Harbor 4601 Point Fosdick Dr. NW

Lynnwood, WA Alderwood Mall 3000 184th St. SW, Suite 910

Wisconsin

Fox Point, WI Riverpoint Village Shopping Center 8705 N. Port Washington

Greendale, WI Southridge Mall 5250 S. 76th Street

Madison, WI Village of Shorewood Hills 3750 University Ave

Milwaukee, WI ASQ Center 101 West Wisconsin Avenue

Surveys consistently suggest consumers, especially young consumers, could benefit from enhanced financial literacy. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has stepped into that void with the release of an updated and enhanced version of its instructor-led Money Smart financial education curriculum for young adults.

The enhanced curriculum incorporates changes in the law and industry practices that have occurred since Money Smart for Young Adults was launched in 2008. The updated curriculum reflects recent amendments to the rules pertaining to credit cards, the overdraft opt-in rule, and information on financing higher education.

New quizzes

The revised curriculum also includes other instructional enhancements, many suggested by instructors who use Money Smart, such as expanded pre- and post-tests that teachers can use to measure changes in student knowledge or use as quiz questions.

"We are pleased with the public's response to Money Smart for Young Adults in the last two years since its release," said FDIC Chairman Sheila C. Bair. "In November, FDIC began a partnership with the U.S. Department of Education and the National Credit Union Administration, as part of a broad national effort to promote financial education for low- and moderate-income students. Our enhanced Money Smart for Young Adults curriculum is an excellent tool not just for educators but also to facilitate collaborations between banks and schools."

Money Smart for Young Adults is the FDIC's financial education curriculum designed to help young consumers understand basic financial services, develop money-management skills and learn how to use banking services effectively. To learn more about the program, review success stories, and to obtain free copies, visit the Money Smart page on the FDIC's Websites listed above.

For those with little or no banking experience

The program aims to promote financial education, particularly for those with little or no banking experience. The FDIC said it has reached over 2.5 million consumers since 2001.

Financial education fosters financial stability for individuals, families, and entire communities. The more people know about credit and banking services, the more likely they are to increase savings, buy homes, and improve their financial health and well being, the agency said.

The Money Smart curriculum is available free of charge in four primary formats:

• An instructor-led curriculum for adults on CD-ROM available in seven languages and print versions for the visually impaired
• An instructor-led curriculum for young adults between the ages of 12-20 on CD-ROM, Money Smart for Young Adults
• A self-paced Computer-Based Instruction (CBI) format online for ages 13 and over in English and Spanish
• A portable audio (MP3) version, Money Smart Podcast Network

 The Money Smart program may be used by financial institutions and other organizations interested in sponsoring financial education workshops.  Collaboration is important to the success of any education effort. The FDIC encourages banks to work with others in their communities to deliver financial education and appropriate financial services, including to individuals who may not have a relationship with an insured depository institution.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine has filed a class action lawsuit against BP on behalf of his state’s public pension fund, alleging that the oil giant was unprepared for the massive Deepwater Horizon spill last April. DeWine says the company misled investors with statements suggesting that it was vigilantly monitoring possible safety issues. 

According to the suit, BP made several statements assuring investors that strict safety standards had been put in place following other incidents prior to the Deepwater Horizon spill on April 20, 2010. The suit says that those statements provided false comfort to investors, inflating the company’s stock price and lowering its so-called “risk profile.” 

The suit also claims that BP was overly optimistic after the spill occurred, misleading investors as to its ability to contain the spill. (For those that have forgotten, the well was finally sealed in late September -- five months after the initial explosion -- after several false starts.) 

Plummeting stock 

The suit says that BP’s allegedly misleading statements failed to warn investors of the risks that the company faced. In the wake of the spill, the value of BP stock fell by up to 48 percent. 

“In the wake of the BP Deepwater Horizon spill, in addition to the tragic loss of life and environmental damage, pension systems providing retirement benefits for current and future retirees who invested in BP in good faith were adversely affected when stock prices plummeted,” DeWine said in a statement announcing the suit. 

The suit is brought on behalf of the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System, State Teachers Retirement System, School Employees Retirement System, and Ohio Police & Fire Pension Fund. 

Similar suit in NY 

Last June, New York State comptroller Thomas DiNapoli brought a lawsuit in his role as trustee of the state’s $132.8 billion pension fund. 

“It's my duty to protect the interests of the fund and the retirees and employees who rely on it,” DiNapoli said at the time. “BP misled investors about its safety procedures and its ability to respond to events like the ongoing oil spill and we're going to hold it accountable.” 

Mississippi action 

DeWine’s suit comes several weeks after Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood announced that he is asking the federal judge in charge of the multi-district class action against BP to take over his state’s Gulf Coast Claims Facility (GCCF) claims process. 

Hood said that costs associated with the spill have been “improperly shifted to the State as a result of BP's failure to fulfill its obligations to compensate the individual and business claimants injured as a result of the oil spill.”

The caramel coloring used in Coke, Pepsi and other foods is contaminated with two cancer-causing chemicals and should be banned, according to a regulatory petition filed by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). 

In contrast to the caramel one might make at home by melting sugar in a saucepan, the artificial brown coloring in colas and some other products is made by reacting sugars with ammonia and sulfites under high pressure and temperatures. 

Cancer-causer

Chemical reactions result in the formation of 2-methylimidazole and 4-methylimidazole, which in government-conducted studies caused lung, liver, or thyroid cancer or leukemia in laboratory mice or rats. 

The National Toxicology Program, a division of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences that conducted the animal studies, said there is “clear evidence” that both 2-MI and 4-MI are animal carcinogens. Chemicals that cause cancer in animals are considered to pose cancer threats to humans. 

Researchers at the University of California, Davis found significant levels of 4-MI in five brands of cola. 

“Carcinogenic colorings have no place in the food supply, especially considering that their only function is a cosmetic one,” said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. “The FDA should act quickly to revoke its approval of caramel colorings made with ammonia.” 

Federal regulations distinguish among four types of caramel coloring, two of which are produced with ammonia and two without it. CSPI wants the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to prohibit the two made with ammonia. 

The type used in colas and other dark soft drinks is known as Caramel IV, or ammonia sulfite process caramel. Caramel III, which is produced with ammonia but not sulfites, is sometimes used in beer, soy sauce, and other foods. 

Experts join in

Five prominent experts on animal carcinogenesis, including several who have worked at the National Toxicology Program, joined CSPI in calling on FDA to bar the use of caramel colorings made with an ammonia process. 

“The American public should not be exposed to any cancer risk whatsoever as a result of consuming such chemicals, especially when they serve a non-essential, cosmetic purpose,” the scientists wrote in a letter to FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg. 

Confusion

CSPI also says the phrase “caramel coloring” is misleading when used to describe colorings made with ammonia or sulfite. The terms “ammonia process caramel” or “ammonia sulfite process caramel” would be more accurate, and companies should not be allowed to label any products that contain such colorings as “natural,” according to the group. 

“Most people would interpret ‘caramel coloring’ to mean ‘colored with caramel,’ but this particular ingredient has little in common with ordinary caramel or caramel candy,” Jacobson said. “It’s a concentrated dark brown mixture of chemicals that simply does not occur in nature. Regular caramel isn’t healthful, but at least it is not tainted with carcinogens.” 

California acts

In a little-noticed regulatory proceeding in California, state health officials have added 4-MI to the state’s list of “chemicals known to the state to cause cancer.” Under that state’s Proposition 65, foods or other products containing more than certain levels of cancer-causing chemicals must carry warning labels. 

For 4-MI, that level is 16 micrograms per person per day from an individual product. Popular brands of cola contain about 200 micrograms of 4-MI per 20-ounce bottle—and many people, especially teenaged boys, consume more than that each day. If California’s regulation is finalized, Coke, Pepsi and other soft drinks would be required to bear a cancer warning label. 

Coloring vs. sugar

To put the risk from caramel coloring in context, CSPI says the ten teaspoons of obesity-causing sugars in a non-diet can of soda presents a greater health risk than the ammonia sulfite process caramel. But the levels of 4-MI in the tested colas still may be causing thousands of cancers in the U.S. population. 

Separate from the risk due to caramel coloring, CSPI has been urging the FDA to ban synthetic food colorings, such as Yellow 5 and Red 40. Those dyes cause hyperactivity and other behavioral problems in children, and Red 3 and Yellows 5 and 6 pose cancer risks, according to CSPI. The FDA is holding a Food Advisory Committee review of that issue on March 30–31.

Children of working mothers are significantly more likely to experience health problems -- including asthma and accidents -- than children of mothers who don’t work, according to new research from North Carolina State University.

But Dr. Melinda Morrill, research assistant professor of economics at NC State and author of the study, said these findings should not prompt a mass exodus of moms from the workforce.

“I don’t think anyone should make sweeping value judgments based on a mother’s decision to work or not work,” said Morrill. “But, it is important that we are aware of the costs and benefits associated with a mother’s decision to work.”

The study examined 20 years’ worth of data covering approximately 89,000 children from the CDC’s National Health Interview Survey collected between 1985 and 2004. The children studied were all school-aged and had at least one younger sibling.

Greater risk found

The researchers found when a mother works, it leads to a 200 percent increase in the child’s risk of having each of three different adverse health events: overnight hospitalizations, asthma episodes, and injuries or poisonings.

Previous studies have shown, on average, children have better health outcomes when the mother works. But those findings have been attributed to factors such as increased income for the family, availability of health insurance and an increase in the mother’s self-esteem.

However, Morrill found these positives didn’t have an impact on many kids’ physical health. She used advanced statistical techniques to focus specifically on the causal relationship between mothers working and children’s health.

Confounding factors

Her approach accounts for a number of confounding factors, such as how a child’s health affects the mother’s ability to work. For example, if a child is very sick, the mother may be more likely to stay at home.

“I wanted to look at mothers whose decision to work was not based on their children’s health,” Morrill says, explaining that a woman’s youngest child’s eligibility for kindergarten can influence her ability to return to the workforce.

In assessing health outcomes, Morrill looked solely at older children already enrolled in school, between the ages of seven and 17, whose youngest sibling was around kindergarten age.

This study is not the first to find negative outcomes to moms working outside the home. In January, a study revealed the more years mothers worked over their children’s lifetimes, the more their children’s body mass index (BMI) rose.

Morrill’s paper is forthcoming from the Journal of Health Economics.

A class action lawsuit against Verizon Wireless charges the company improperly charges consumers $9.99 per month for its “Get It Now' download service. The suit, filed by Sarah Groggin of Brooklyn, NY, alleges the charges are “unidentified, unwarranted and recurring” and seeks refunds and damages for all affected consumers in the United States.

It charges that Verizon imposes the charges, which appear on monthly bills under headings including “Get It Now,” “Get It Now Downloads” and “Data Usage Charges” without explanation and without reference to any particular subscription and no identification of the purported download.

“Verizon Wireless is no stranger to improper billing practices,” the suit alleges. It notes that on Oct. 28, 2010, the company agreed to pay $25 million to settle a federal investigation of “mystery fees” it charges millions of customers for data sessions they never intended to launch.

As part of that settlement, Verizon Wireless agreed to establish a “Data Charge Task Force” that would resolve data charge complaints and ensure that customer service employees were aware of any widespread data billing issues.

It also agreed to provide its customers with plain-language information about data charges through bill inserts, welcome letters, online bill messages and an online bill tutorial.

Nevertheless, the suit charges, Verizon Wireless improperly charges many of its customers for the “Get It Now” downloads, including those who have repeatedly asked to cancel the purported service and demanded refunds.

But instead, the suit alleges, Verizon Wireless “intentionally instituted billing and customer service practices designed to prevent customers from understanding what they are being charged for and avoiding such charges.”

$9.99 x 2

Groggin said she subscribes to Verizon's “Nationwide Talk 450” plan for $39.99 per month. In addition, she subscribers to a data plan entitled her to 25 megabytes of data download per billing cycle for $9.99 per month.

Groggin said she is also charged $9.99 per month for “Get It Now” downloads even though she has twice contacted Verizon Wireless and complained about the billing. On each occasion, she said she was refunded the $9.99, only to have it appear on subsequent bills.

So just what is “Get It Now?”

According to the company's website, “Get It Now is a technology and service that allows you to download and use applications on your Verizon Wireless Get It Now-enabled phone. For example, you can quickly and easily download ringtones, games, emails, directions, instant messages and more to your phone and use them right on your handset. It is a new enhancement to wireless technology.”

To download the various applications, Verizon Wireless customers use either airtime or megabyte usage charges. Most applications take about a minute or .24 megabytes to download.

The company says there is no monthly fee to use Get It Now. Instead, customers pay per application when they download it.

But the suit charges that it is exceedingly difficult for consumers to identity Get It Now charges. Downloads are billed as a data call to the number 777-000-0000. The only way to differentiate between a Get It Now session and a mobile web session, the company's website says, it to match the date of the airtime charge to the date of the download.

The suit charges that Groggin and others are routinely charged $9.99 per month without any explanation and without reference to any particular subscription or application purchase. It alleges that complaints about the practice appear on numerous consumer websites and social media and even on Verizon Wireless' own website.

“I just got the bill and charged $9.99 since last month. What's this?” said one complaint on the Verizon site. “I paid last month for no reason and it keeps charging me. What is that for? I never downloaded something.”

The suit charges that Verizon's action violates several laws and regulations, including the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Truth-in-Billing Act, which provides that “charges contained on phone bills must be accompanies by a brief, clear, non-misleading description of the service or services rendered.”

The suit was filed by attorney Mark C. Rifkin of the New York City law firm Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz LLP.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW)hasreleaseda report that it says demonstratesthat the dietary supplement industry spent millions of dollars on well-connected lobbyists and made numerous campaign contributions to successfully thwart increased regulatory oversight of supplements.

"This is yet again another disturbing example of pay-to-play in Washington, D.C.," said CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan.  "The old Schoolhouse Rock cartoon about how a bill becomes a law is sadly outdated - in today's world, legislative results are bought and paid for." 

Far and away the largest recipient of campaign contributions from the supplement industry in the 2010 election cycle was Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) who took in $45,780, 59% more than the lawmaker in second place, freshman Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI).   Sen. Hatch wasn't up for reelection, making campaign funds unnecessary. 

Further, the supplement industry paid the lobbying firm of Walker, Martin and Hatch - in which Sen. Hatch's son, Scott Hatch, is a partner -- $125,600 in 2010 alone.  Scott Hatch cannot lobby his father directly, but records indicate Jack Martin, a former aide to Sen. Hatch, lobbied for supplement industry clients.

"Washington is an incestuous place. It can hardly be a coincidence that of all the lobbying firms in town, the supplement industry picked that of Sen. Hatch's son and former aide to lobby on its behalf," said Ms. Sloan. 

86% increase

Lobbying spending by the industry has increased 86% since the 109^th Congress.  Further, the political action committees (PACs) linked to the supplement industry have increased donations to federal candidates.  

In addition to Sen. Hatch and Rep. Amash, CREW found major recipients of supplement industry cash during the 2010 election cycle included Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), all of whom either sit on committees considering legislation affecting the industry or have an industry presence in their home states.  The supplement industry is the third-largest industry in Utah, with revenues estimated at up to $4 billion a year.

"Americans' health and safety is endangered by unregulated dietary supplements, but the money the industry is spending serves to dampen congressional concern over the issue," said Ms. Sloan.  "Sadly, this sort of spending is not unusual because it is effective. 

“Industries facing potential congressional action routinely spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to keep regulation at bay.  More often than not, it is corporate interests, not the people's interests that carry the day," she said.

Parents worried their kids may get desensitized to negative situations or events due to playing games like “Grand Theft Auto” and “Call of Duty” can rest a little easier based on results from a new study by psychology researchers from Ryerson University.

Lead study author Holly Bowen, a PhD candidate in psychology, and co-author Julia Spaniol, a psychology professor, looked at chronic exposure to violent video games (VVG) and its impact on emotional long-term memory.

They found exposure was not associated with differences in players’ emotional memory or their responses to negative stimuli.

Their findings refute previous research showing the opposite: playing violent video games in lab settings cause people to exhibit more aggressive behavior, or become less emotionally responsive to violent images.

“Emotional long-term memory helps us avoid negative situations,” Bowen said. “This has significant implications for public health. For example, if you remember the negative experience of being involved in a bar fight, you will avoid future situations that may lead to an altercation.”

The study involved 122 male and female undergraduate students who fell into two categories: 45 participants who had some video game experience within the last six months and 77 students who reported no video game exposure.

Among both male and female video game players, “Grand Theft Auto,” “Final Fantasy” and “NHL” were the most commonly listed video games.

Male video game players also listed “Call of Duty” and “Tekken” among their top five game preferences, while female video game players preferred “Mario Kart,” “Guitar Hero,” and “Rock Band.”

150 images

Participants were shown 150 images representing negative, positive and neutral scenes. One hour later, the students viewed those same images again along with a new set of 150 “distractor” images, shown in random order.

With each image, participants had to respond whether or not they had seen it before. Finally, at the end of the experiment, the students completed a self-assessment test regarding their state of emotional arousal.

The researchers hypothesized that video game players would be less sensitive to the negative images and therefore show reduced memory for these materials.

The results, however, showed no difference in the memory of video game players and non-players. Moreover, exposure to video games was not associated with differences in self-reported arousal to emotional stimuli.

“The findings indicate that long-term emotional memory is not affected by chronic exposure violent video games,” said Bowen.

The researchers caution, however, that further study is needed to see if these results would apply to all age groups, specifically children, and not just young adults.

“While we are working with young adults, there may be still differences among kids who play VVGs,” said Spaniol.

Looking to the future, the researchers are undertaking a new study that looks at the brain activity of VVG players while they view emotional images. They will also explore what impact chronic exposure to violent video games has on players outside of a lab setting.

The research paper, "Chronic Exposure to Violent Video Games is Not Associated with Alterations of Emotional Memory," was published online in January 2010 in the journal Applied Cognitive Psychology.

Many adult children have struggled with the thorny issue of taking the car keys from an aging parent or grandparent. But how do you know when to take away the checkbook?

When an older person begins to show confusion in managing their financial affairs, it can be a warning that the person is suffering from Alzheimer's disease and its pre-cursor, mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Physicians need to help patients and families recognize when an older patient is losing the ability to manage their own financial affairs, say researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the University of California at San Francisco. Their study appears in the  Journal of the American Medical Association.

Financial abilities decline

"Financial capacity is essential for an individual to function independently in our society," said study co-author Daniel Marson, J.D., Ph.D., professor of neurology and director of the UAB Alzheimer's Disease Center. "Diagnosis of cognitive impairment generally, and MCI and Alzheimer's disease specifically, should signal likely financial impairment and prompt physicians to encourage patients and families to seek financial and legal advance planning."

The commentary from Marson and colleagues is part of JAMA's "Care of the Aging Patient: From Evidence to Action" series that provides evidence-based clinical guidance to physicians. Patients with MCI typically still are functioning in the community with focal memory or other cognitive impairments but are beginning to show initial signs of functional decline.

New tool

In 2009, Marson and his group published a major paper on declining financial capacity in MCI and progression to Alzheimer's, which involved a tool developed at UAB called the Financial Capacity Instrument. The FCI measures capacity across 20 tasks, including understanding a bank statement, balancing a checkbook, paying bills, preparing bills for mailing and counting coins and currency.

"Declining financial capacity is a good barometer for progression of both MCI and Alzheimer's disease," said Marson, "Our previous research has shown that a decline in checkbook-management skills can be a harbinger of a patient's progression from MCI to early Alzheimer's dementia. Emerging impairments in financial skills and judgment often are the first functional changes demonstrated by patients with incipient dementia."

In the past 40 years, the number of obese children has increased four-fold, according to the National Institutes of Health -- now reaching 17 percent of children and adolescents two through 19 years old.

Much of the current research done by health officials has focused on why kids are gaining so much weight. Is it TV? Lack of sleep? Something in their genes?

Depression considered

Christine Calamaro, PhD, CRNP, assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing thinks the problem could be depression.

 “My interest in this is not just about the weight of our kids anymore. It is about all the problems associated with obesity. When you start talking about adolescents [emerging] into adulthood, you have to consider co-morbidities, such as depression and diabetes,” said Calamaro.

Recent research on obese children has focused on a link between lack of sleep duration or quality of sleep. Calamaro agrees sleep quality plays a role in weight gain.

“It only makes sense to me that if they are not sleeping well, or have fragmented sleep, then their endocrine balance is screwed up, all their hormones are screw up, their cortisone levels are higher because they are tired and stressed, they are hungry, they eat more, they get carbohydrate-rich foods to get the instant glucose increase, they can get insulin resistance because of weight gain, then eat more carbs to stay awake. It’s a vicious cycle.”

Yet lack of sleep is not the lone culprit. Calamaro led a recent study of 13,568 adolescents from 12 to 18 years old. Those sleeping six or fewer hours a day were no more obese than adolescents sleeping longer.

The finding, part of a study published in the Journal of Sleep Research runs counter to a hypothesis common in adolescent health research, according to Calamaro.

The researchers at first were disappointed, having expected “a slam dunk” relationship between lack of sleep and obesity, she said.

Other factors

But the study did reveal other negative factors were at work.

“In light of other recent analyses that demonstrated a consistent increase in obesity among short sleepers in children and adults, the results of this study raise more questions about the causal pathways that may lead to increased adiposity in adolescents.”

The study showed an association between sleep duration and depression.

Depressed adolescents tended to sleep less than non-depressed adolescents, both in a 12-to-14 age group and in a 15-to-18 age group. Depressed adolescents were almost twice as likely to be obese whereas adolescents who watched television excessively were 37 percent more likely to be obese.

Calamaro and the study coauthors also found that early adolescents who watched more than two hours of TV were 36 percent fatter in later adolescence than those watching less TV.

“Television viewing may lead to increased risk of obesity because watching television has been associated with increased dietary intake, leading to an imbalance in energy expenditure,” the authors said.

Television watching for about two hours per day at the younger age of 12 to 14 was predictive of obesity when they were 15 to 18.

“Childhood obesity is a very complex problem we must address,” says Jay A. Perman, MD, pediatrician and president of the University of Maryland in Baltimore.

According to Perman, fixing the problem will take more than healthcare providers to fix; doctors, nurses, social workers, attorneys, pharmacists and others need to help, too.

Fighting the epidemic

Last year, NIH launched a major effort of $72.5 million in new research funding to examine ways to curtail the nation’s growing childhood obesity epidemic.

According to the NIH Website: “Factors behind this increase are believed to include increased consumption of high-calorie food and drinks and less physical activity during and after school. Overweight and obese children are at higher risk of chronic diseases during childhood and adulthood, including heart disease, stroke, asthma, type 2 diabetes, and several cancers.”

Despite more funding, experts are not catching up with the problem, says Calamaro.

“Preventative care is just not reimbursable (from insurance providers) as much as it should be. In health care we need to focus more on children. By 2043, half the adult population will be obese in the United States” if trends continue and changes are not made, she says.

Change in attitude

Calamaro said preventative care may have to start in infancy now since it could be too late for the current generation.

But getting parents to realize a chubby baby is not a healthy baby is “difficult.”

“We in the primary care setting need to be reinforcing this message about healthy eating/healthy sleep every time parents and children come into the doctor’s office. The hardest thing with obesity is to start the minute that baby first comes into your office and to talk about what healthy eating is for that child: Are you feeding that baby properly with that bottle? When does it look like they are finished drinking from the bottle? Are they warm? Are they dry? Are they crying because they are hungry, or are they crying because babies cry? Basic baby knowledge reinforced over and over again.”

It's an old scam, with an updated hook. With millions of consumers now subscribing to Netflix, scammers are playing the odds to get access to credit cards.

The scam works like this: millions of spam emails go out informing the recipient that the credit card used to pay for their Netflix subscription has expired. For all appearances, the email looks like it is from the video provider.

Those who don't have a Netflix account disregard it. But those who do subscribe to the service might think it is legitimate. The email contains a link and tells recipients to click on it to update their billing information.

Those who do, go -- not to Netflix -- but to a site that looks like the video provider's site, but one operated by the scammer. Any billing information they enter goes straight to the scammer.

Fairly common

"This is an example of the types of phishing scams our office sees on a regular basis," said Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood. "Consumers are urged not to comply with this or similar email requests and to use caution when opening emails or downloading documents from unfamiliar sources. Make it a practice to  never  respond to emails or pop-ups that ask for your personal or financial information."

Phishing is the term used for computer-related scams that use email, pop-up messages or cell phone text messages to deceive the consumer into revealing their credit card numbers, bank or credit union account numbers, social security numbers, passwords or other personal information.  Scammers will often impersonate legitimate companies, banks, credit unions and other financial institutions in hopes that consumers will fall for the scam and provide their personal information and account numbers. A few years ago, scammers often impersonated Paypal for their phishing scams.

Tips

Here's some good advice for avoiding these online traps:

• Never reply to an email, pop-up, telephone or text message that asks for personal or financial information. Legitimate companies will not ask for this information.
• Always contact the organization using a telephone number you know to be correct if you are concerned about your account. Do not call or text the number left in the message, and never follow an Internet link to a site.
• Never email personal or financial information. Review credit card and bank statements as soon as you receive them to determine whether there are any unauthorized charges
• Always keep your anti-virus software up to date. In addition, use a firewall, which helps to make you invisible on the Internet and blocks communication from unauthorized sources.
• Be cautious about opening attachments or downloading files from emails you receive, regardless of the sender.

Valentine’s Day is normally a time to celebrate happy couples, but Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan used the holiday to remind young couples in Chicago, and nationwide, about the importance of healthy relationships in recognition of Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month.

In a statement released Monday, Madigan pointed to reports showing an increase in dating violence in the Chicago area and its prevalence around Illinois.

“When people think of domestic violence, they usually think of it as a crime between adults. But in reality, domestic violence doesn’t have a minimum age requirement. It affects people of all ages, including teenagers,” said Madigan. “We need to educate young men and women that abusive behavior in a dating relationship is always wrong.”

High rate

An estimated 19 percent of Chicago area high school students reported being hit, slapped or physically hurt by their significant other, according to a 2009 study by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

That rate is more than double the national average (9.8%) and an increase since 2007 from 13 percent of Chicago students reporting violence in their relationship.

Statewide, almost 14 percent of teens reported violent dating behavior, according to the CDC.

Interestingly, there was little in the way of a double standard -- boys and girls reported experiencing teen dating violence in similar numbers to girls.

Warning signs

For parents unsure if their teen is the currently the victim of dating violence, Madigan provides these warning signs:

• Does your teen exhibit unusual or extreme moodiness or withdraw from the family?
• Has your teen stopped seeing friends or given up favorite activities?
• Is your teen spending all her time with her boyfriend or girlfriend?
• Does your teen’s boyfriend or girlfriend call very often?
• Is your teen falling behind in school?
• Is your teen afraid to break up with her boyfriend or girlfriend?
• Does your teen have unexplained injuries?

Madigan also provides helpful questions for teens who are worried their friend might be in an abusive relationship:

Does your friend’s significant other

• call them names or put them down?
• act extremely jealous when they talk to other people?
• always check up on them, calling or paging all the time?
• lose their temper, throw or break things when they’re mad?

Does your friend

• always apologize for their behavior?
• always worry about making their significant other angry?
• cancel plans at the last minute?
• give up things that used to be important to them, like friends or activities?
• have injuries they can’t explain?

Madigan encourages teens, parents and educators who witness or experience teen dating violence to reach out for help, starting with resources available on the Attorney General’s Website. The site includes warning signs, strategies and tips, as well as links to Websites created to work with youth to end the culture of violence and encourage activism to stop teen dating violence.

Any hope teens will self-police their fast food eating habits might be dashed with the results of a new study led by an NYU School of Medicine investigator that found labeling foods with their calorie content has little effect on the purchasing behavior of young people.

The study also revealed calorie labeling has little effect on what parents purchase for their children.

That’s not to say teens don’t notice calorie labeling on their favorite foods; they do. They just respond at a lower rate than adults.

Analyzing receipts

Brian Elbel, Ph.D., MPH, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Health Policy at the NYU School of Medicine and the NYU Wagner School of Public Service, along with his colleagues, gathered receipts and surveys from 427 parents and teenagers at fast-food restaurants both before and after mandatory labeling began in New York City in July 2008.

New York became the first city in the nation to enforce mandatory calorie labeling in fast-food restaurants throughout the five boroughs.

Elbel and his team focused on lower income communities in New York City and used Newark, New Jersey, (which did not have mandatory labeling) as a comparison city. Data were collected before labeling began, and one month after labels were present in restaurants.

As parents and teens were leaving fast-food restaurants, their receipts were collected and the foods they purchased were confirmed, along with a brief survey.

Do labels matter?

Before mandatory labeling began, none of the teens in the study said they noticed calorie information in the restaurant. After labeling began, 57 percent in New York and 18 percent in Newark said they noticed the calorie information.

A total of nine percent said the information influenced their choices, and all of the teens said they used the information to purchase fewer calories.

This number is considerably smaller than the percentage of adults who said the information influenced their choice (28 percent).

"While the same percentage of adolescents and adults noticed calorie information, fewer adolescents report actually using the information in their food choice," said Elbel.

However, noticing the posted calories didn’t sway patrons from purchasing high-calorie foods. Teens purchased about 725 calories and parents purchased about 600 calories for their children.

Additional findings

The study results revealed other significant findings.

The way food tastes was considered the most important reason why teens bought it, while price was a consideration for slightly over 50 percent.

Just over a quarter of the group said that they often or always limited the amount of food they ate in an effort to control their weight. The study also reported that most teenagers underestimated the amount of calories they had purchased, some by up to 466 calories.

These conclusions are similar to a previous study about adult eating behavior by Elbel and his colleagues, which showed that although labels did increase awareness of calories, they did not alter food choices.

Parental influence in food choice and childhood obesity is not well understood.

Almost 60 percent of parents said they decided what food their child ate. However, even with greater involvement from parents there was no evidence of less consumption of fast-food calories.

Obesity in the United States is an enormous public health problem and children and teenagers are increasingly becoming overweight or obese.

The case for labeling

Calorie labeling is the first significant policy effort to address obesity that has been implemented. Calorie menu labeling is now mandated to begin soon across the nation by the new health reform law called the "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010" (ACA).

Among the claims supporting this policy is that menu labeling will help people make better informed and healthier food choices.

New York enforcing mandatory calorie labeling in fast-food restaurants throughout the five boroughs is the first attempt of its kind to influence the obesity epidemic by altering the environment in which individuals are actually making their food choices.

The goal is to encourage consumers to think twice before purchasing high calorie foods from restaurants, and to increase awareness of the calorie contents of the food they were purchasing.

In much the same way that adults responded in the few studies that have been conducted regarding this issue to date, the eating habits of children and teens in this study, a group of racial and ethnic minorities from low income areas, were barely influenced by the presence of calorie labeling.

Easy access and the convenience of restaurant locations were the greatest drivers for teens and then taste influenced where they chose to eat.

"It is important to further examine the influence of labeling, as it rolls out across the country as a result of the new federal law," said Elbel. "At the same time, it is important to understand that labeling is not likely to be enough to influence obesity in a large scale way. Other public policy approaches, as well as the efforts of food companies as other actors, will be needed."

The study was published in the February 15, 2011, Advance Online Publication, International Journal of Obesity. Additional investigators were Rogan Kersh, Ph.D., NYU Wagner School of Public Service and Joyce Gyamfi, MA, Program Manager at the NYU School of Medicine.

If Facebook was at the center of the Egyptian Revolution, it should be no surprise that a leading smartphone manufacturer has decided to build a couple of new devices around the social network site.

HTC Corporation has unveiled two new phones built entirely around social networking. Part of a portfolio of six new HTC Sense-based devices being unveiled at Mobile World Congress,  the two phones, the HTC ChaCha and HTC Salsa, feature a dedicated Facebook button for one-touch access to the key functions of the Facebook site and are integrated throughout the HTC Sense system.

"HTC has always understood that different people want different things and the new HTC ChaCha and Salsa offer special new ways to experience Facebook on a mobile device," said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation. "With more than 500 million active users worldwide, Facebook has become synonymous with the social web and we wanted to create the ultimate socially connected phones with mass market appeal." 

"We have worked closely with HTC for several years on bringing Facebook to their devices and HTC ChaCha and HTC Salsa are the next stage," said Henri Moissinac, Head of Mobile Business for Facebook. "HTC has brought Facebook to these two new devices in an innovative way enabling people to connect and share easily whenever they want, wherever they are."

Built-in Facebook button

The Facebook button on HTC ChaCha and HTC Salsa is context-aware, gently pulsing with light whenever there is an opportunity to share content or updates through Facebook. With a single press of the button, you can update your status, upload a photo, share a Website, post what song you are listening to, 'check in' to a location and more.

For example, you can take a photograph of friends on your phone and upload it instantly to Facebook by simply pressing the button. Or let your friends know what song you're listening to by pressing the button while listening to music on the phone. The track is automatically identified and shared on Facebook.

The new devices feature Android Gingerbread 2.3.3, and use the latest iteration of HTC Sense to integrate Facebook throughout the HTC Sense experience, HTC says. When you make a phone call, the dialer screen displays your friend's latest status and photos, and even tells you if their birthday is approaching.

The same updates are also displayed when you receive a call from a Facebook friend. You can also use your phone's existing contacts to help you connect with them on Facebook or personalize your handset further with a number of new, Facebook-branded widgets.

Video calling

The HTC ChaCha features a QWERTY keyboard and video chat capability. It includes a 5-megapixel color camera with auto focus and LED flash and a VGA front-facing camera. For Web browsing, it has  a 2.6-inch, 480 x 320 resolution landscape touch screen.

The HTC Salsa also has a 5-megapixel camera for capturing stills, video or for face to face conversations. For face-to-face conversations on the move, the company says the VGA forward-facing camera enables high-quality video calling.

The HTC ChaCha and HTC Salsa smartphones will be available to customers across major European and Asian markets during the second quarter of 2011. In the United States, HTC says it plans to release both phones later this year exclusively with AT&T.