Chattanooga Mayor reflects on second meeting with POTUS

CHATTANOOGA, TN (WRCB) -

While protestors and supporters hoped President Barack Obama would notice them along the Tuesday's motorcade route, it was Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke who had the President's ear on the ride from the airport to Amazon.

Berke was the first to welcome President Obama to the Scenic City.

"I simply welcomed him to Chattanooga," Berke told Channel 3.

"I also let him know that I had met him years before when I was in law school and he was a professor there, but I hadn't taken his class," Berke laughed. "So we talked through that a little bit."

That talk happened on the short ride to the Amazon Fulfillment Center in the presidential state car, known as "The Beast".

Two American flags marked the armor-plated limo that has bulletproof windows, kevlar-reinforced run flats, and other James Bond- style options.

But it wasn't the fancy ride keeping Berke's attention.

"You could see him looking out and seeing the people," Berke explained.

"I think it was even more surreal when we got to Amazon," said Berke.

"I was standing there looking at the crowd and I was thinking the President is here," he continued, "the feelings of patriotism are hard to beat."

Channel 3 asked Berke if he sent the President back to the White House with any gifts. Maybe a Moon Pie or other Chattanooga-made favor?

"One of the things that you're told is that you don't hand the President anything for obvious security reasons," he chuckled.

"So I had wondered about if I should take something to him and I think in the long run the best decision was don't do that," he smiled.

Parting gifts aside, Berke says President Obama did leave with a better understanding of what Chattanooga is all about.

"It's fine that people disagree with him, I know that he understands that," said Berke,? "but ultimately he's the President of the United States."

"This is a fantastic opportunity to show what Chattanooga is all about."

Source: http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/22973161/chattanooga-mayor-reflects-on-second-meeting-with-potus

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Florida says health insurance prices will spike; feds disagree

Florida insurance regulators unveiled for the first time Wednesday the prices proposed by private insurers for individual health plans to be sold on the state?s federally-run exchange, which is scheduled to launch Oct. 1.

But the proposed health plans and prices ? and the state?s analysis that federal healthcare reform would cause premiums to rise ? were hardly definitive of the actual costs that Floridians are likely to pay for health insurance next year.

That?s because the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has yet to approve the proposed health plans for Florida?s exchange, and those plans, including the prices, may change as they have in other states.

And while Florida insurance regulators said this week that the Affordable Care Act will cause the price of individual health plans sold in 2014 to rise 30 to 40 percent higher than similar plans sold today, and small group plan premiums could rise by 15 to 20 percent, they also conceded that those projections were based on a ?hypothetical? health plan that does not exist anywhere in the state.

What?s more, the price projections released by the state do not factor in substantial government subsidies that will be available to many consumers based on household income, which will offset their actual out-of-pocket expenses.

Speaking to the Florida Health Insurance Advisory Board on Tuesday, Florida?s insurance commissioner Kevin McCarty said that the federal mandate for insurers to provide coverage to everyone regardless of pre-existing conditions was ?the most profound reason? for the projected dramatic increase.

Echoing his remarks, Wences Troncoso, the state?s deputy commissioner for health and life insurance, said the fact that insurers must cover everyone regardless of pre-existing health conditions ? a provision called ?guarantee issue?? ? ?will by far have the most effect on rates.?

Troncoso also attributed rate hikes to the federal requirement that insurers no longer charge women of child-bearing age higher premiums than men. Nor will they be able to charge older policy holders more than three times the price of their least expensive plan.

But federal officials balked at Florida?s projections late Wednesday, and said that the state?s experience should reflect what has occurred in other states.

Citing an HHS study of 11 states where insurance plans have won federal approval for sale on the government exchanges, an Obama administration official said premiums were on average almost 20 percent lower in those states than what the Congressional Budget Office had projected.

?We are confident that Florida?s premiums will be affordable, and that consumers will have multiple options in a competitive and transparent marketplace,?? a senior administration official said. ?When the marketplaces open Oct. 1, consumers will be able to shop for the plan that best fits their budget and needs. Without releasing the premiums, the statistics released Tuesday don?t provide consumers with any information on what they will actually pay in the marketplace.?

Yet there?s also a limit to the federal government?s power to affect health insurance pricing.

Federal officials do not have authority to approve a plan based on rates. They can only evaluate plans to determine whether they meet the standards of the Affordable Care Act, not whether the premiums are reasonable.

Source: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/07/31/3534931/florida-says-health-insurance.html

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Inside peek at Accenture Labs: Google Glass, Big Oil, augmented reality

Vicki Thompson

Accenture CTO Paul Daugherty models Google Glass at Accenture Technology Labs in San Jose.

Click above to see inside the lab.

Accenture Technology Labs is located just down the street from our newsroom here in downtown San Jose, and I recently got the chance to take an inside look at some of its projects in the works.

I saw how the R&D unit of management consulting and outsourcing company Accenture is testing and researching two very buzz-worthy technologies: Google Glass and augmented reality.

Aside from getting to try on Google Glass for myself (read my thoughts here), the folks at Accenture explained how they are testing the wearable computing device?s use in several verticals. I watched Paul Daugherty, Accenture?s Chief Technology Officer, demo how Google Glass might be used in the oil and gas industry.

He and Brent Blum, manager of Digital Experiences at Accenture Technology Labs, explained that an oil and gas worker wearing Google Glass could be handsfree when performing a repair task, and the heads up display could show him what part would need replacing, for example.

Blum also demonstrated Accenture?s augemented reality shopping project, which would help brick-and mortar-retailers attract and retain customers who are otherwise doing most of their shopping on their smartphones.

Click through the slideshow (above, right) to learn more about my tour of Accenture Technology Labs.

---

Related: An inside look at Space Systems/Loral

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bizj_sanjose/~3/hbbhoAKTUQ4/inside-peek-at-accenture-labs-google.html

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Will PG&E Corp. (PCG) Beat Earnings?

PG&E Corp. (PCG) is set to report its second quarter 2013 results on Jul 31, 2013. Last quarter, the company posted a 10% negative surprise. Let?s see how things are shaping up for this announcement.

Factors to Consider This Quarter

PG&E Corporation has a solid portfolio of regulated utility assets that offer a stable earnings base and substantial long-term growth potential. The company strives to optimize generation margins by improving its cost structure, performance and reliability of its nuclear as well as fossil units.

Going forward, we expect the company?s earnings growth to be driven by favorable decisions from California Public Utilities Commission (:CPUC) and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, as well as long-term supply agreements, diversification into alternative power sources and infrastructure improvement programs resulting in rate base growth.

PG&E Corporation operates in the regulatory progressive state of California. The CPUC provides the company with ample regulatory support through progressive mechanisms like decoupling that insulates the top line of the company from risks arising out of lower customer usage, weather vagaries and volatility in prices to some extent.

However, the present unfavorable macro backdrop, tepid demand for electricity, any accidental charges or any severe fluctuation in prices keep us concerned.

Earnings Whispers?

Our proven model does not conclusively show that PG&E Corp. is likely to beat earnings this quarter. That is because a stock needs to have both a positive Zacks earnings Expected Surprise Prediction or ESP (Read: Zacks Earnings ESP: A Better Method) and a Zacks Rank of #1, 2 or 3 for this to happen. That is not the case here, as you will see below.

Zacks ESP: The Zacks ESP is 0.0%.

Zacks Rank #3 (Hold): PG&E Corp. carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). However, the Zacks Rank #3 when combined with a 0.0% ESP makes surprise prediction difficult. We caution against stocks with Zacks Ranks #4 and 5 (Sell-rated stocks) going into the earnings announcement.

Other Stocks to Consider

Here are some other companies you may want to consider, as our model shows they have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter:

IdaCorp, Inc. (IDA), with Earnings ESP of +17.65% and a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

UIL Holdings Corporation (UIL), with Earnings ESP of +3.70% and a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

FirstEnergy Corp. (FE), with Earnings ESP of +5.66% and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Read the Full Research Report on FE

Read the Full Research Report on PCG

Read the Full Research Report on IDA

Read the Full Research Report on UIL

Zacks Investment Research

More From Zacks.com

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pg-e-corp-pcg-beat-202003931.html

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S. Texas jailer accused of groping female inmate

ROCKPORT ? A South Texas jailer has been fired and charged with groping a female inmate while she was on kitchen duty.

KRIS-TV in Corpus Christi reported on Monday that Paul Noel has been charged with violating the civil rights of a person in custody and improper sexual activity with a person in custody.

Noel worked at the Aransas County Detention Center in Rockport when an inmate in May filed a complaint about improper touching. The criminal complaint says the 65-year-old jailer supervised the woman, who alleges she was groped by him more than once.

Noel told KRIS-TV that the incidents were consensual.

Noel was put on leave after the complaint, fired in early June and arrested ?on June 17. He's free on $2,500 bond.

Further details on the inmate weren't available.

Source: http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/S-Texas-jailer-accused-of-groping-female-inmate-4696779.php

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Poland's first face transplant patient goes home

Poland's first face transplant patient, identified only by his first name Grzegorz, speaks at a press conference after he was discharged from the hospital, in Gliwice, Poland, Tuesday, July 30, 2013. The 33-year-old man said he owes his doctor "everything" following a skin-and-bone transplant on May 15, three weeks after losing his nose, upper jaw and cheeks in an accident at the brick factory where he worked. (AP Photo/Tomasz Griessgraber) POLAND OUT

Poland's first face transplant patient, identified only by his first name Grzegorz, speaks at a press conference after he was discharged from the hospital, in Gliwice, Poland, Tuesday, July 30, 2013. The 33-year-old man said he owes his doctor "everything" following a skin-and-bone transplant on May 15, three weeks after losing his nose, upper jaw and cheeks in an accident at the brick factory where he worked. (AP Photo/Tomasz Griessgraber) POLAND OUT

Poland's first face transplant patient, identified only by his first name Grzegorz, attends a press conference after he was discharged from the hospital, in Gliwice, Poland, Tuesday, July 30, 2013. The 33-year-old man said he owes his doctor "everything" following a skin-and-bone transplant on May 15, three weeks after losing his nose, upper jaw and cheeks in an accident at the brick factory where he worked. (AP Photo/Tomasz Griessgraber) POLAND OUT

WARSAW, Poland (AP) ? Poland's first face transplant patient was discharged from the hospital Tuesday, speaking with some effort at a press conference just 11 weeks after the extensive surgery that saved his life.

The 33-year-old man said he owes his doctors "everything" following a skin-and-bone transplant on May 15, three weeks after losing his nose, upper jaw and cheeks in an accident at the brick factory where he worked. Doctors say it was the world's fastest time frame for such an operation.

Doctors who performed the transplant at the Cancer Center and Institute of Oncology in Gliwice, in southern Poland, said the rehabilitation is proceeding faster than expected thanks to the "courage and determination" of the patient, identified only as Grzegorz.

He can breathe on his own, see, eat, taste and speak, although his speech is hard to understand because the face muscles still need to regain mobility. When that is achieved, through intensive exercise, he will need surgery on his right eyelid, which remains motionless. At the news conference, his eyes were hidden behind sunglasses.

The surgery reconstructed the area around the eyes, nose, jaw and palate and other facial areas, with the transplant running from above his right eye, under his left eye and around his face to his neck.

He will need to avoid large gatherings and sick people to protect against infection. He will take medication for the rest of his life, the anesthesiologist, Dr. Sebastian Giebel, told the news conference. Potted plants, rugs and the man's dog had to be removed from his home because they were potential sources of infection, he said.

Grzegorz will be able to resume work, though he will have to avoid working in agriculture, where he could catch fungi infection from the soil, according to Dr. Adam Maciejewski, who led the 27-hour operation

His mother was making roast duck for his homecoming, said his sister, who identified herself only as Barbara.

"We will see what comes next, but we are and will be with him," she said.

The patient took the microphone to thank his doctors. "My speech isn't clear, but it's really important that it is there," he said. "I know it's still a long way." His words were transcribed in a broadcast by TVN24 after the press conference.

He was injured in an April 23 accident at his job at a concrete brick factory near the southwestern city of Wroclaw when a packaging machine tore off most of his face, including the upper jaw.

He received intensive treatment at a hospital in Wroclaw that saved his life and eyesight. But an attempt to reattach his own face failed, leaving an area close to the brain exposed to infections.

The damage was too extensive for doctors to temporarily seal the wound, and an urgent transplant was the only way to save the man's life. Face transplants are extraordinarily complicated and relatively rare procedures that usually require extensive preparation of the recipient over a period of months or years, but the Polish patient's condition was deteriorating so rapidly that the doctors had to act fast.

The donor, a 34-year-old man, was chosen from a national registry of potential donors after his age, gender, blood group and body features were determined to be a good match for the injured man.

More than two dozen transplants of the face or parts of the face have been performed around the world. The first one was a partial face transplant on a woman maimed by her dog in France in 2005.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/bbd825583c8542898e6fa7d440b9febc/Article_2013-07-30-EU-Poland-Face-Transplant/id-6bfb28622fed472a82c82076cac47fb0

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Red, white and blue night at swimming worlds

Katie Ledecky of the United States celebrates after winning the gold medal in the Women's 1500m freestyle final at the FINA Swimming World Championships in Barcelona, Spain, Tuesday, July 30, 2013. Ledecky set a new word record of 15:36.53. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

Katie Ledecky of the United States celebrates after winning the gold medal in the Women's 1500m freestyle final at the FINA Swimming World Championships in Barcelona, Spain, Tuesday, July 30, 2013. Ledecky set a new word record of 15:36.53. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

Missy Franklin of the United States waves after receiving the gold medal she won in the Women's 100m backstroke final at the FINA Swimming World Championships in Barcelona, Spain, Tuesday, July 30, 2013 . (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

Matt Grevers of the United States, the gold medalist and at left David Plummer of the United States, silver, smile during the presentation ceremony for the Men's 100m backstroke final at the FINA Swimming World Championships in Barcelona, Spain, Tuesday, July 30, 2013. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

Denmark's Lotte Friis, left, and Katie Ledecky of the United States, rest on lane markers after finishing the Women's 1500m freestyle final at the FINA Swimming World Championships in Barcelona, Spain, Tuesday, July 30, 2013. Ledecky won in a new word record of 15:36.53 and Friis was second. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Katie Ledecky of the United States smiles as she holds her gold medal during the presentation ceremony for the Women's 1500m freestyle final at the FINA Swimming World Championships in Barcelona, Spain, Tuesday, July 30, 2013. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) ? Missy Franklin got the Americans rolling. Then Katie Ledecky really fired 'em up.

By the end of the night, the U.S. team was awash in medals at the world swimming championships.

Franklin and Ledecky each won her second gold medal of the meet, Matt Grevers led a 1-2 American finish in the backstroke, and there was plenty of reason to celebrate for the red, white and blue on Tuesday.

"We've had an absolutely incredible evening," Franklin said. "I'm so proud of all my teammates."

In all, the Americans claimed three golds, two silvers and a bronze ? a strong meet for most nations, certainly quite a haul in a mere two hours.

"A big night for us," said Bob Bowman, head coach of the U.S. men's team.

Everyone was raving about Ledecky, only 16 but already well on her way to becoming one of the country's great distance swimmers. She obliterated the world record in the 1,500-meter freestyle, which may be a non-Olympic event for the women but did nothing to diminish the magnitude of her accomplishment.

After going stroke for stroke with Denmark's Lotte Friis most of the race, with both well under world-record pace, Ledecky really turned it on over the final 200 and beat the mark by more than 6 seconds. Friis also went under the old record, and all it got her was silver.

"It was motivating watching Katie destroy the world record from the ready room," Grevers said. "That really got us psyched."

Franklin cruised through a demanding double, easily winning the 100 backstroke before returning about an hour later to post the second-fastest time in the semifinals of the 200 free.

"It's tough, but it's fun," the 18-year-old said. "I'm super happy with my 100 back. It really got me pumped up for the 200 free."

Grevers touched ahead of teammate David Plummer in the 100 backstroke, and there were Americans on the podium in all five finals. Conor Dwyer picked up a silver behind France's Yannick Agnel in the 200 free, and Jessica Hardy chipped in with a bronze in the 100 breaststroke won by Lithuania's Ruta Meilutyte.

The only disappointment for the U.S. was Ryan Lochte, who labored to a fourth-place finish in the 200 free.

"It wasn't my night," the three-time Olympian said. "But I have to put it behind me because I still have many races to swim."

He hopes to compete in seven events in Barcelona, despite not being able to train as much as usual this year while taking part in his reality television show, "What Would Ryan Lochte Do?"

"It was kind of a tough swim for him," Bowman said. "He has obviously not had a season with his characteristic preparation. But he's racing tough. He'll be back tomorrow. He'll be fine."

Ledecky is clearly in top form. She nearly broke the world record in winning the 400 free before leaving no doubt about the 1,500, touching in a time 15 minutes, 36.53 seconds ? nearly a half-lap ahead of the line superimposed on the video screen marking the pace of Kate Ziegler's mark from six years ago, 15:42.54.

"She's probably made in the same factory as Michael Phelps," marveled Mereia Belmonte of Spain, who finished far back in fourth.

Friis took silver in 15:38.88, with New Zealand's Lauren Boyle grabbing the bronze.

"I knew that world record was going down tonight, but 6 seconds!" Franklin said. "All of us were totally in awe."

Ledecky looks even stronger than she did last year while winning Olympic gold in the 800 free, a stunning breakthrough for someone barely known on the international stage.

Naturally, after that performance, she arrived in Barcelona dealing with the weight of hefty expectations. Plus, she decided to take on an exhausting program that also includes the 800 free.

No problem.

"I knew we were going pretty fast, and I figured that whoever was going to come out on top was probably going to get the world record," said Ledecky, who's going into her junior year of high school. "So I just had to be careful not to push it too early or push it too late and just touch the wall first."

Franklin breezed to victory in the 100 back in 58.42 seconds. After capturing four golds and a bronze at the London Olympics, the recent high school graduate is trying to join Phelps as the only swimmers to win eight events at a major championship. She is now 2 for 2 at the Palau Sant Jordi, adding to her gold in the 4x100 free relay.

Australia's Emily Seebohm won silver and Japan's Aya Terakawa bronze.

After the medal ceremony, Franklin hustled off to get ready for the 200 free semifinals. She barely qualified for the final of that event in London and was edged out for a bronze medal by one-hundredth of a second.

Franklin has spent much of the past year working to improve her freestyle, and the results showed. Franklin easily qualified for the final in 1:56.05, trailing only world-record holder Federica Pellegrini of Italy.

"Hopefully, I will keep the momentum going," Franklin said. "Hopefully, Team USA will, too."

Agnel pushed the pace right from the start and never let up. He touched in 1:44.20, a full body length ahead of the field, setting off another wild celebration from the large French contingent in the crowd.

Instead of Lochte, the American winning a medal was Dwyer, a friend and former training partner of Phelps. Danila Izotov of Russia took bronze. Lochte missed a spot on the podium by 0.05.

Agnel is now a training partner of Dwyer's, having moved recently to the North Baltimore Aquatic Club to work with Bowman, who was Phelps' longtime coach.

"I am so surprised," said Agnel, the reigning Olympic champion. "I did not expect such a result."

Grevers showed he's still the man to beat in the 100 back after winning gold at London. The American was second at the turn but overtook France's Jeremy Stravius to win in 52.93. Plummer also got past Stravius for the silver, while the Frenchman settled for bronze.

Meilutyte just missed the world record she set the previous night in the semifinals of the 100 breast, winning in 1:04.42. Russia's Yuliya Efimova was next, while Hardy ? the former world-record holder ? pulled out a bronze.

"Maybe the excitement and wanting to win altered my stroke," Meilutyte said. "I was dying toward the end of it. There's still things to improve, which is great."

It certainly would've been hard for the American team to improve on this night.

___

Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-07-30-SWM-Swim-Worlds/id-8629e7887a5442a09dddba208974be75

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