Nurses at Berkshire Medical Center have voted to authorize a one-day strike. The vote, which took place in recent days, doesn’t mean a strike will occur, but gives the bargaining committee the authority to call one if they can't negotiate a new contract. The sides have been negotiating a contract since September 2016, but despite 20 negotiating sessions held to date, still disagree on health insurance and staffing. Approximately 83 percent of the 532 nurses that voted were in favor of the strike,… Reported by bizjournals 9 hours ago.

NEW YORK, July 27, 2017 : From 2007 to 2016, private insurance claim lines with diagnoses of Lyme disease increased 185 percent in rural areas and 40 percent in urban areas, according to data from FAIR Health, a national, independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing transparency to healthcare costs and health insurance information. Reported by newKerala.com 9 hours ago.

Val J. Halamandaris, well-known leader in ensuring that elderly and infirmed Americans had access to quality care both in nursing facilities and home health has died.

Washington, D.C. (PRWEB) July 27, 2017

National Association for Home Care & Hospice Announces Passing of Val J. Halamandaris

It is with great sadness that the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) announces the passing of its president, Val J. Halamandaris, after a long illness.

Often referred to as the “leader of the last great civil rights movement”, Val worked tirelessly for 50 years to improve the lives and secure the rights of America’s elderly and infirm. A self-described “small-town boy who came to Washington, D.C. many years ago, full of ideals,” Val responded to President John F. Kennedy’s call to public service by joining the staff of Senator Frank E. Moss (D-UT) and enrolling in George Washington University and then Catholic University Law School.

Val was quickly drawn to the issues facing senior citizens with the U.S. Senate Committee on Aging and was instrumental in crafting the landmark Medicare and Medicaid programs, including the home health benefit. In 1967, Val and Senator Moss created the “Moss Amendments,” which set minimum federal standards for nursing homes.

In 1969, Val led an eight-year investigation of nursing homes around the United States, culminating in a 12-volume report, the first of 25 major reports Val wrote for Congress. In 1972, Val produced the first hearings on hospice and wrote the original legislation to provide Medicare coverage for hospice. Val’s investigation into Medicare and Medicaid fraud made such abuse a felony and led to the creation of state and federal oversight of the problem.

Working with Rep. Claude Pepper (D-FL) in the House of Representatives, Val continued his fight for the aged by helping create the Medicare hospice benefit and reforming the sale of health insurance to senior citizens.

Distressed by the conditions he found in America’s nursing homes, Val left Congress to find what he called “a better way” – health care in the home. When Val founded NAHC institutionalization of the elderly was the rule and home care was unknown to many. Due in no small part to Val’s hard work, leadership and unflagging advocacy, NAHC now represents the nation’s 33,000 home care and hospice organizations, two million nurses, therapists and other caregivers and the 12 million infirm, ill, and disabled Americans who receive health care in their homes.

Inspired by an encounter with Mother Theresa, Val founded the Caring Institute in 1985 to promote the values of caring and public service and grant scholarship money to young persons.
President Bill Clinton called Val “a remarkable human being and one of the most exceptional people that I have ever known” and Claude Pepper said Val was “the best, brightest, and most talented person to have worked for him in 50 years of public service.”

To the end of his days, Val was guided by these words from President Kennedy:
“What we need to do is take care of people till the end of their days, we have the resources, and we have the money. What is at stake is the very future of American democracy and how we are going to be viewed through the prism of history because all great civilizations can be measured by a common yard stick- how did they take care of our vulnerable populations.”

One of the most impactful Americans of the last 50 years, Val cannot be replaced and will never be forgotten. He is survived by his wife Kathleen M. Brennan, three sons, their wives and six grandchildren, and one brother.

A funeral mass for Val will be held at 10:00 am on Saturday at St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

About NAHC
The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) is the largest and most respected organization representing the interests of the nation's more than 35,000 home care and hospice organizations, their more than 2 million nurses, aides and therapists and the14 million patients they serve annually. Founded in 1982, as the unified voice for home care and hospice industry, NAHC represents community, municipal, state owned, church and hospital affiliated entities, and visiting nurse nonprofit organizations as well as for-profit corporations from small to large corporate chains. NAHC provides its members with up-to-minute information, advice, education, networking, business opportunities, legal services (including, when necessary, lawsuits filed in federal courts), and legendary legislative advocacy. The list of NAHC’s legislative and judicial victories is long and deep with members of Congress from both parties calling NAHC the most effective organization in Washington. Management experts Stephen Covey, Tom Peters, John Naisbitt, and Mike Vance have also praised NAHC as being one of the best run organizations. To learn more about NAHC, visit http://www.nahc.org.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Ed Cowling
202-486-4422            
ecowling(at)gcjpr(dot)com        

Joe Hinkley
202-547-7424
jch(at)nahc(dot)org Reported by PRWeb 8 hours ago.

The war in Congress over repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act has brought anxiety to the people whose health insurance is at risk. Reported by NYTimes.com 6 hours ago.

Authored by Scott Rasmussen via Ballotpedia.org,

If the individual mandate were to be repealed and Americans were no longer required to purchase the Obamacare-mandated levels of health insurance coverage, *the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) believes that 15 million Americans would no longer purchase such coverage.*

*
*

*Some, including Jonathan Gruber, believe that the CBO is overestimating the impact of repealing the mandate*. Gruber was one of the architects of the healthcare law.

Politically, the impact of these projections is significant since the individual mandate has long been the most unpopular part of Obamacare. *Recent polling shows that two-thirds of Americans would like to see it repealed*. For many, the idea of the government forcing anybody to buy anything is in conflict with America’s commitment to individual freedom.

*Additionally, if the CBO projections are correct, there are 15 million Americans who would directly benefit from the repeal. *Typically, when people are directly impacted by a law, their support or opposition is more intense than that of more casual observers.

On the other hand,* if Gruber is correct, the Republican plans to repeal and replace Obamacare would have a much smaller impact than the CBO expects.*

*If the individual mandate were to be repealed, many Americans might be interested in purchasing less comprehensive and less expensive coverage. *The CBO has offered no estimates of how many might take advantage of such alternatives. It is currently illegal for insurance companies to offer less expensive plans offering less comprehensive coverage. Reported by Zero Hedge 5 hours ago.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--eHealth, Inc. (NASDAQ:EHTH), a leading private online health insurance exchange, announced today its financial results for the second quarter of 2017. Scott Flanders, chief executive officer of eHealth, stated, "We have indicated that 2017 is a transition year for eHealth and our second quarter results reflect this. At the same time, we are making significant headway in executing on our strategic plan, including early success in developing high-value, str Reported by Business Wire 5 hours ago.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Getting rid of the Affordable Care Act’s highly unpopular penalty for not having health insurance could backfire on Republicans, prompting significant premium increases if it were actually to pass. Experts say premiums would go up because insurers fear that without a legal requirement to carry insurance, some healthy people would drop their […] Reported by Seattle Times 5 hours ago.

Republicans are working on a so-called “skinny plan,” which repeals parts of Obamacare, including a tax on medical devices, and eliminates mandates for individuals and large employers to buy health insurance. Reported by CBS 2 4 hours ago.

The trimmed down version of efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act known as “skinny repeal” is likely to come up for a vote in the U.S. Senate tomorrow. And while passage of the bill wouldn't affect residents in Massachusetts, which has state laws that would keep protections in place, health care experts say it would open the door to other likely changes that could. Senate Republicans have said that skinny repeal would involve repealing mandates that penalize those who don't get health insurance,… Reported by bizjournals 2 hours ago.

With the Senate healthcare vote expected sometime between midnight and 2am, moments ago the full text of the Senate "Skinny" bill which may or may not pass, has been released. Here is the summary version of what is hereby known as the "*The Health Care Freedom Act*":

· *REPEAL THE INDIVIDUAL MANDATE *— Obamacare's individual mandate forced the American people to purchase insurance they frequently didn't want, couldn't afford or actually use. This plan permanently protects Americans from this onerous mandate.
· *REPEAL THE EMPLOYER MANDATE *— Obamacare's employer mandate too often forced job creators to forgo hiring new workers or keep an employee's hours low. This anti-jobs mandate is repealed for eight years, which provides employers a greater incentive to hire more employees.
· *PROVIDE FLEXIBILITY TO STATES (1332 WAIVERS)— *States can access additional flexibility to use waivers that exist in current law to provide more options for consumers to buy the health insurance they want. It also allows the Department of Health and Human Services to approve waivers faster.
· *INCREASE HSA CONTRIBUTIONS *— Increase contribution limits to tax-free Health Savings Accounts for three years to help pay for out-of-pocket health costs and expensive prescription medications.
· *REPEAL THE MEDICAL DEVICE TAX *— Both Democrats and Republicans have opposed this tax on medical innovation. The legislation repeals this tax for three years.
· *FUND COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS *— Prioritize health funding for Community Health Centers across the country.

The full bill also includes a provision for defunding Planned Parenthood, which is the reason for the community health center language.

As the NYT reports, after three days of debate, Republican leaders had little to show for it and were struggling to devise even a stripped-down plan on which at least 50 of the 52 Senate Republicans could agree. The Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, was doing whatever he could to secure votes and win Senate approval on Friday for a bill that would repeal at least a few provisions of the Affordable Care Act. That raised the spectacle of senators pressed by their leaders to vote on legislation that some of them despise, with a promise that a “yes” would not really be approval, just a vote to start House-Senate negotiations on something better.

Senators Lindsey Graham South Carolina, John McCain of Arizona and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, all Republicans, simply demanded ironclad assurances from House leaders that the bill would not be enacted.

“I’m not going to vote for a bill that is terrible policy and horrible politics just because we have to get something done,” Mr. Graham said, calling the stripped-down bill a “disaster” and a “fraud” as a replacement for the health law.

Five GOP senators,  Sens. Lindsey Graham (S.C.), David Perdue (Ga.), Ron Johnson (Wis.), Mike Rounds (S.D.) and Ted Cruz (Texas), spoke with Ryan via phone in Sen. John Cornyn's leadership office outside of the Senate floor. 

"Yes, he said, listen why would we want to own a bill that increases premiums and doesn't fix ObamaCare — that's all I wanted to hear from him," Graham told reporters when asked if Ryan guaranteed the House wouldn't pass a paired down Senate repeal bill.



Pressed if he would vote "yes" on the Senate GOP healthcare bill after his conversation with Ryan, Graham said he would. Johnson added that "of course" the talk with Ryan was enough to assuage his concerns.  "We just wanted to hear it right from Paul. ... We got that assurance. He said we could tell you — this is going to go to conference," the conservative GOP senator said.

 

Johnson added that any bill that passes the Senate "will not pass the House. This will go to conference. ... That's what we got." Johnson and Graham, as well as GOP Sens. Bill Cassidy (La.) and John McCain (Ariz.),  warned earlier Thursday that they could not support moving forward with a "skinny" repeal bill until they got a guarantee that the House would not leapfrog a conference with Senate and pass the bill.

 

Paul issued a statement saying the House was "willing" to go to conference on the healthcare bills, but that it was up to Senate Republicans to first show they could pass a bill. 

 

McCain told reporters while heading into the Senate chamber for a pair of votes that Ryan's statement wasn't sufficient. He then appeared to walk that back slightly, telling Bloomberg that he declined to say how he would vote, saying he wanted to talk to his state's governor.



Earlier, Sen, Shelley Moore Capito told reporters while leaving the GOP caucus room that she "didn't know how to interpret" Ryan's statement.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) will need 50 of 52 GOP senators to support the "skinny" repeal proposal, which he unveiled on the Senate floor on Thursday night

Some further observations on the bill from Politico's Burgess Everett (via Twitter):

· McConnell says the bill "restores freedom to Americans, that Obamacare took away."
· McConnell is selling the skinny bill as good policy and also as a path to conference.
· This bill was not designed for Collins and Murkowski, so GOP looking for everyone that voted to open debate to support the skinny bill.
· Murphy: "This is nuclear grade bonkers what is happening here"

Some more from NBC's Frank Thorp (via Twitter):

· Sen Rounds on mtg with @SpeakerRyan: "He acknowledged that this particular bill was designed to get us to conference..."
· More Rounds: "(@SpeakerRyan) said we will bring it to conference. And we asked, can we say that publicly, and he said, yes."
· Sen Rounds: "(Speaker Ryan) has given us about as good of an assurance as you can get that he intends to send this to conference."
· The vote series including the vote on the 'skinny repeal' bill is expected to happen around midnight tonight.

Having been written off earlier, it increasingly looks as if the bill may just have enough support to pass, with the tie-breaking vote from Mike Pence who is expected to be present for a potential vote later.

The full text of the pared-down "skinny bill" is below (link): Reported by Zero Hedge 23 hours ago.

More than 100 parents along with their children went to Vidhan Bhavan yesterday, to meet Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and state education minister Vinod Tawde regarding the fee hike, and to demand action against some minority schools which they say are taking advantage of the 'minority' title despite not fulfilling all criteria for it. However, as the session is on, only 2-3 parents were allowed to enter the premises.

"We didn't intend to create any ruckus. We only came in large numbers with our children to show the intensity of our issue. But only few parents were allowed to enter and most of us were sent to Azad Maidan by police in their vans," said a parent at Azad Maidan.

"When we came to know that a large number of parents want to meet the State Education Minister, which is not allowed when the Assembly is in session, we dropped them off at Azad Maidan. We only allowed 2-3 parents to meet him," said Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone 1.

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Despite the dangers of speeding, some people continue to indulge in it. A speeding car fell from the Bandra flyover yesterday when the driver lost control, killing a man and injuring two others who were placing hoardings. After the incident, the driver fled the spot, but the police identified him as Ehtesham Kapadiya (26), a resident of Dongri, and arrested him late yesterday. He and his girlfriend were in the car and managed to run away after the accident.*Fire Brigade cordoned off the area around the car after oil from it leaked*

*First hit a tempo*
As per the information provided by Bandra police station, the driver of the Chevrolet lost control when it hit a tempo and toppled on the bridge, and then fell off it.

Senior Police Inspector Pandit Thackeray of Bandra police station said, "The accident happened around 3pm when the Chevrolet was speeding towards Kalanagar. One person died, the body was taken to Bhabha hospital."

While the accident caused a traffic jam, later, the Fire Brigade cordoned off the road due to the oil that leaked from the car.

*Also read: Bikers throw Nashik businessman off bridge to his death during scuffle*

Thackeray told mid-day, "A case under Sections 304 (A) (Causing death by negligence), 338 (Causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the IPC and under the Motor Vehicle Act has been registered against the driver of the car." The injured have been identified as Lala Bansi and Mohammad Shakeel. They were placing advertisement hoardings on the bridge when the speeding car crashed into them, killing co-worker Sandeep Gawda on the spot.

*Driver arrested*
The Bandra police traced the driver of the car to South Mumbai and arrested him late yesterday. He will be produced before a court today.

*Also read: Driver critical after ramming car into electric pole on WEH*

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"I will urge Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis that Maharashtra should adopt a policy on the lines of the Madras High Court judgement making singing of 'Vande Mataram' compulsory," Purohit told media persons here.

Immediately reacting, state Samajwadi Party President and MLA Abu Asim Azmi said that though he had great respect for 'Vande Mataram', he would not sing it under any circumstances, come what may.

"When India was partitioned, nowhere it was said that if we (Muslims) stayed back in India, we would be forced to sing it. You may shoot me or throw me out of the country, but we will not sing it," he said.

Joining him, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) legislator Waris Pathan declared he would not comply to sing 'Vande Mataram' even at gun-point or if a knife was put to his throat.

He said the AIMIM has always opposed it and will continue so if it raised in the legislature.

The two said nobody should be forced to prove their "nationalism" by singing the song and no true Muslim will sing it as Islam does not permit it.

Transport Minister Diwakar Raote, of the Shiv Sena, joined the issue by terming the duo "traitors."

"They are traitors. They should be aware that 'Vande Mataram' symbolises nationalism and our soldiers are laying down their lives for the country. If they feel so ashamed and don't want to sing, they better go to Pakistan," Raote said.

In his interactions with media, Purohit said that he would urge the Chief Minister to make a rule making it compulsory to sing 'Vande Mataram' in schools, colleges, government offices and other places on the lines of the Madras HC judgement, and even raise the matter in the legislature, if required.

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A still photographer was arrested here today for allegedly raping and cheating an aspiring actress on the pretext of getting her a lead role in a movie, police said.

Jinson Lonappan was arrested based on a complaint by the woman, a dentist in her early 20s, that he had raped her and had also taken Rs 33 lakh for ensuring a role in the film, they added.

Lonappan, who has worked as an assistant still photographer for a Malayalam movie, has been charged under IPC sections related to rape, criminal breach of trust and cheating.

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*Representational picture*

*New Delhi:* A 17-year-old boy was forced to drink acid by a group of people, a day after a scuffle over selling paneer here, family members said.

A police officer privy to the case identified the victim as Yogesh Sagar and said the incident took place in Sangam Vihar area of south Delhi late on Tuesday.

The officer said that a case has been registered but no one has been arrested yet.

Sagar is recuperating at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) but hasn't yet begun talking, his father Babulal, 43, told IANS.

Babulal said that they ran a dairy on Ratiya Marg of Sangam Vihar and lived on the first floor of the same building.

"On Monday, around 9 p.m., two people came to our shop and asked for paneer. When he (Sagar) said that paneer is out of stock, they came inside the shop and searched the fridge," Babulal said.

This led to a verbal altercation followed by a scuffle between Sagar and the two persons, who left after threatening him.

Around 11 p.m. on Tuesday as Sagar was closing the shop, some nine persons ganged up on him, according to his family.

"Two of them held him at gun point while another forced acid down his throat," Baburaj said.

As the family came downstairs on hearing Sagar's screams, they found him lying on the floor, the acid bottle next to him.

He was taken to a nearby hospital which referred him to AIIMS.

The family said the accused live nearby and used to frequent the shop and added that there were several cases registered against them.

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A week after an ex-Doordarshan employee's death due to tree, two junior kg students were injured after coconut tree fell on their class at JoyMax school in Ghatkopar in Mumbai.

Last week, a former Doordarshan anchor and yoga teacher was knocked down by a coconut tree that fell straight on her head while she was on a morning walk in Chembur. She later succumbed to her injuries. Her husband has blamed the BMC for not permitting the tree to be cut. The incident took place at 8 am on Thursday, when Kanchan Nath (58) was walking near her home. As she walked past Chandroday Society, a coconut tree there came crashing down on her head, knocking her down on the road. Passers-by pulled her out from under the tree and rushed her to hospital. The entire incident was captured by a CCTV camera installed at a nearby shop.

According to a report in *Hindustan Times*, the tree which fell on the school was recently pruned by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). All these incidents have put the BMC’s tree pruning exercise under the scanner.

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In a heroic move, Vasai Sun City resident Rinku Mishra, 23, jumped into the Tungareshwar waterfall this week to rescue an unidentified youth who was drowning. According to Rinku, the place was filled with tourists, but instead of lending a helping hand, most people were busy capturing the tragedy on their phones.

According to local sources, eight deaths due to drowning have been reported at this waterfall since the start of this monsoon.
The incident took place on Tuesday evening, when the unidentified person, who was on a picnic with his friends, ventured into the waters. Speaking to mid-day, Rinku said, "I came to Tungareshwar temple along with my friends for a darshan. While returning, we saw some people enjoying the falls. Suddenly, we heard screams of 'koi doob raha hai'. I saw a head bobbing inside the water and, without wasting more time, I jumped into the stream to rescue the person who was drowning."

Rinku said the water current was so strong that at one point, he too seemed to be drowning. "I was having a tough time pulling out the drowning person. But I put all my energy into remaining afloat, pulling the drowning person by his hair. Then, my friends swam down to help me pull the person out. It's shocking that instead of helping everyone was recording the incident on their phones," said Rinku, who owns a pan shop in Vasai.

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Baby Veronica died not due to injuries, but because of the sheer weight of the debris, which left her unable to breathe, said doctors who conducted the post-mortems yesterday. The three-month-old infant was among three victims who died to suffocation, while the rest died due to multiple injuries.

The autopsies were performed by forensic surgeons Dr Shivaji Patil, Dr Pramod Ingle, Dr Amit Chavan, and Dr Girish Tarte, under the supervision of Dr Shivaji Kachare and police surgeon Dr S M Patil. The entire procedure was captured on still camera. Dr Patil said, "Baby Veronica, Mikul Kanchanchandani (20) and Rutvi Shah (14) had sustained very minimal injuries to their body and head, which by themselves would not have been fatal. But these three were deprived of oxygen due to chest compression by the debris, which restricted their respiration and led to their death."

*Also read: Ghatkopar building collapse: How a mobile phone, oxygen line kept man alive for 14 hours*

The surgeons concluded that cause of death for the trio was 'shock due to polytrauma'.

The remaining victims had suffered both internal and external injuries to the face, chest and lower abdomen. "We have concluded that the cause of death in all the remaining cases was due to traumatic asphyxia with polytrauma," said another surgeon.

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When Aparupa Hazarika reached platform no. 3 of Kandivli station on Tuesday morning, little did she realise that she'd be rescuing three people on the first day of her new job. Hazarika, 35, was on her way to Lower Parel to start work as music content editor, when she saw a young woman try to commit suicide along with her two children. She did not only alert the RPF, but also stopped and convinced the woman against killing herself.

According to police sources, Kalpana Yadav, 23, was trying to commit suicide by jumping in front of a local train, along her two kids, Shivkumar, 1, and Vivek, 2. "I saw a woman carrying two small children crying on the edge of the platform. After watching her for a while, I approached her. She then told me that she was waiting to jump in front of a fast train. I immediately pulled her back and counselled her," recalled Hazarika.

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Jaydev Divecha, 82, uses a walker to negotiate his spacious home opposite the Oval Maidan. The retired architect's unsteady gait belies his firm resolve and determination.

Divecha has just had the satisfaction of witnessing the arrest of a man, Bernard Carrasco, who allegedly cheated his late wife of Rs 1.14 crore after getting hold of her power of attorney.

"It happened on July 11 at 3 am. The police went to his Kalbadevi home and swooped down on him. The Azad Maidan police where I had filed the complaint nearly two years ago, called me to tell me of the arrest the next evening. I simply though to myself – mission accomplished," Divecha said.

According to Divecha, Carrasco, 40, first met his late wife Jasmine Divecha, 89, who passed away in January this year, at the Holy Name Cathedral, Colaba in 2013. "He was waiting at the gate and happened to see her. They struck up a conversation. He was soon helping her in matters like banking and taking care of her accounts. My wife's vision was failing and her memory too, was suspect. She was also gullible and believed that a Christian church-going man could do no wrong," Divecha alleged.

*

Bernard Carrasco*

*'I want my money back'
*Divecha, who retired in 2014, had no clue about the pilfering that was going on, until two years ago. "In 2015, I realised that Carrasco had made my wife give him the power of attorney, signed cheques, transferred money to his name, liquidated fixed deposits and sold shares. This was a massive fraud, which amounted to R1.14 crore. By the time I asked my wife, she had lost her memory. She did not even realise her mistake. She used to weep and say, 'I want my money back'," he recalled. When Divecha reached out to Carrasco, he told him, "your wife wanted to give me the money." Divecha said, "That is a lie."

*Also Read: Fiery 81-year-old woman fights off mugger, gets him arrested*

*No trivial pursuit*
Divecha first filed a police complaint at Azad Maidan police station on December 9, 2015. However, it was converted to an FIR only six months later on June 9, 2016. "I made so many trips to the police station. It took one-and-a-half years for the police to arrest him," says Divecha.

"He was in police custody immediately after his arrest, but now he is in judicial custody. He may get bail, but I have put him behind bars. The police told me that Carrasco has bought three flats, two in Goa and one in Borivli, with this money. After his arrest, his family did visit me, pleading with me to withdraw my complaint, but I said that I would think about it," he said.

When contacted, an Azad Maidan police station spokesperson confirmed the arrest. "He is now in judicial custody," the police officer said.

Calls to Carrasco's family elicited no response. His brother, who refused to be identified except as 'Mr Carrasco' said, "I am unwell and will talk about this later."

*A copy of the FIR*

*Determined husband*
Speaking to mid-day, Divecha's Pune-based son Amresh said, "That is my determined father for you. I did have misgivings about Carrasco, but since I live in Pune, I was not completely involved with the case." He added, "In this story lies a message for senior citizens that you should never trust blindly and double check credentials of the person offering to help you."

Divecha echoed similar sentiments. "I have enough money of my own.

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In an attempt to impress his friends, an 18-year-old Worli resident on Wednesday dived into the sea to show-off his swimming skills. But, the stunt proved to be fatal after the boy, identified as Yogesh Gawli, was pulled into the sea by heavy water currents and drowned. His friends' attempts to rescue him also went in vain.

The fire brigade fished out the teenager's body last night.

"Gawli had just returned from his uncle's Ambernath home to his residence in Worli after six months and planned to meet up with his friends at Worli Seaface," a friend of Gawli friends told the police.

*Also Read: Marine Drive trip turns fatal for teen as wave pulls her in causing her to drown*

An officer from Dadar police station said, "He told his friends he was a good swimmer and jumped into the sea, but struggled to swim back and later, drowned."

Gawli's friend Vinayak Pawar told mid-day, "I reached the spot a bit late where my friends (including Gawli) were clicking pictures and taking selfie's. We were a group of 10 friends -- eight boys and two girls -- and had decided to meet at Worli Koliwada.

Suddenly, Yogesh jumped into the sea at the time of a high tide. He said that he is a swimmer and he will come out. But, the choppy waters kept pulling him deeper into the sea, and he started to drown. We then got hold of a rope threw at him, but it didn't help. My friend, Ganesh Kamble, and I jumped into the water to rescue him, but we could not pull him out. In the meantime, the locals had informed the police and the fire brigade reached the spot, but could not locate his body until the sunset."

An officer at Dadar police said, "The search operation went on till 8pm. He was immediately rushed to Sion hospital, where he was declared dead. An Accidental death report has been registered."

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Even as it recovers from octroi losses of up to R7,000 crore annually as a fallout of GST's implementation, the BMC is staring at an estimated loss of R500 crore owing to the tax-sop resolution passed by the ruling Shiv Sena. The farm loan waiver granted by the BJP-led government is also adding to the worries of the administrative wing of the BMC, which is mulling ways to generate revenue.

Apart from Octroi, the BMC also generated a major chunk of its revenue from property taxes. But, the Sena recently passed a resolution abolishing the same for houses with less than 500 sqft area. It also proposed a 60 per cent waiver for houses between 500 and 600 sqft area. This move has not gone down well with the BMC administration because nearly 14.98 lakh houses in the city fall under the below 500 sqft area category.

A senior civic official said, "In order to waive off property tax, the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (MMC) Act would need to be amended. We are completely against this move, but as it was promised by the ruling party during the BMC elections, and since it was approved before the monsoon session, we are awaiting the government's decision. There could be losses of up to R500 crore."

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A newborn from Mumbra has entered the annals of medical history. He is one of the 100-odd known babies worldwide who carried a partially developed twin -- an anomaly known as foetus-in-foetu — within themselves. In this condition, an abnormal monozygotic twin (derived from a single ovum) develops inside the body of its host. The parasitic twin battles the host for resources, and poses a life threat.

To prevent this, the Mumbra baby was operated upon on July 21 – just a day after birth – and the foetus removed. The anomaly was spotted only when the boy's mother arrived at a private hospital in Mumbra for a routine ultrasound test towards the end of her term. The doctors found a calcified mass inside the foetus' stomach.

"A woman goes through two to three ultrasound scans during her pregnancy. This patient had undergone two," said Dr Bhavna Thorat, consulting radiologist at Bilal Hospital in Mumbra.

*
The foetus seen in ultrasound images*

*'Never seen before'*
During a third scan on July 11, Dr Thorat saw in the foetus' stomach a sack that resembled another foetus. "I had never seen such a thing. I was confused," she admitted.

The scan couldn't provide a clearer image of the mass; just the formation of a few bones was visible. Dr Thorat advised the family to get an ultrasound of the baby performed immediately after birth. The baby was born at Bilal Hospital on July 20, following which a scan was ordered.

The ultrasound shocked the medical staff. The partially formed foetus was consuming most of his nutrition. Battling for resources with the foetus, the baby developed respiratory problems and was shifted to the neonatal intensive care unit. "His stomach also started swelling. The foetus was feeding on his blood supply and nutrition, while also suppressing his organs," said Dr Thorat.

The baby was transferred to Titan Hospital in Thane, where a surgery was performed to remove the foetus. "The hands, the brain and the legs of the foetus had formed. It weighed about 100 gm. The baby is now stable and his health problems have been resolved," said Dr Thorat.

*Rare condition*
Dr Paras Kothari, senior paediatric surgeon at Sion Hospital, said the foetus-in-foetu anomaly seen at Mumbra was an extremely rare form of deformed conjoined twins. It affects one in 5 lakh live births. The reason for it is still unknown.

According to the Journal of Surgical Technique and Case Report, only 100 such cases have been reported to date.

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A Chevrolet car was involved in a horrific accident on the flyover leading to Bandra-Worli sealink. The car is said to have fallen from the bridge on to the road below at around 2.55 pm on Thursday. 

The car, which is reported to have been speeding hit a tempo before toppling over the bridge onto the road below.

As per initial reports, two people who were on the road died on the spot.

*Pic/Rupeshkumar Gupta*

*Pic/Rupeshkumar Gupta*

The traffic from Mahim (onward) was affected as the Fire Brigade cordoned off the portion because of the oil spilt from the car after the accident.

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The Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) has estimated that there are over 20,000 projects that are ongoing in the city, but with the July 31 deadline looming, mid-day has found that not even 10 per cent of the projects have been registered with the authority. With the government stating that there would be no time extensions, the city builders’ association has decided to request state authorities to be lenient with them.

Nearly 4,000 real estate agents have become RERA compliant since yesterday, but only 1,300 projects have been registered and over 1,000 registrations are pending.

RERA, which came into effect on May 1, has given 90 days to developers to register their ongoing projects and brokers have been told to sign up with the body by July 31, after paying Rs 10,000 as registration fees. In the meantime, agents have been barred from marketing any project that does not possess a RERA certificate.

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An employee of Air India was today apprehended by the Aviation Security Group of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) for allegedly trying to smuggle 400 grams of gold biscuits out of the city international airport, officials said. According to the CISF, its staff apprehended Khan Mohammed Arif and his search resulted in the recovery of 400 grams gold worth around Rs 11 lakh kept in the battery slot of his mobile phone.

"When he was questioned, Khan told the officials that he got the gold biscuits from a passenger, who had arrived from Dubai and handed over the gold to him in order to clear the Customs check," sources said. Arif was later handed over to the Customs department. His mobile phone and the seized gold were also handed over. Sources said that they are in the process of finding out if Khan had indulged in similar crimes in the past.

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Printing of the new rupees 200 notes has fuelled rumors that the government may be gearing up for another round of demonetisation and may do away with the rupees 2000 notes.

According to reports by the Economic Times, a large number of people believe that the 2000 rupee note is likely to be scrapped. In a session at the parliament, the Rajya Sabha asked the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley if there was any truth to the matter, but he chose not to reply even as many opposition members demanded a clarification.

*Also read: Indian Government begins printing 200 rupee notes*

The rumors of this ‘impending’ second spell of demonetisation were fuelled when the supply of rupees 2000 notes fell. While it might be considered as a method to curb the supply of these notes that the RBI rushed to print immediately after the demonetization in November last year, it couls also be a conscious strategy to slow down the flow of high-value notes and introduce new, low value notes in the market.

What further fuelled the rumors of demonetisation was the announcement that the government was going to launch rupees 200 notes – making it easier to use and prevents hoarding. It is also being looked at as a way to reduce the burden on the common man, who will not be too severely impacted if the rupees 2000 note is demonetised.

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Do you know google has all the details of your bike? Google knows about the colour of your bike? It has all the registration details of your bike? It knows the exact date when your two wheeler insurance was purchased. Further, it also knows about the renewal date of your two wheeler.

*Wondering how? Then here I'll tell you how!*

With technology guarding our lives today, Google with its fine features lets you sell and buy everything that you ever wanted to. The concept of buying and selling on google has become a phenomena. With everything available on a click, the Internet master has been doing the business of selling insurance too.

*Yes, Insurance!*

Now we all know how google helps you connect with your loved ones; and just like this, it also helps you secure your life and your favourite products too.

So Google is evolving with Coverfox, which helps to keep all your two wheeler track record & also helps you ensure buying insurance online without any hassle & 100% claim support.

*How google is creating database to make things easier*

Google is maintaining the database store of all the customer policy details online. So right from the colour of your bike to its number to its year of purchase to damages caused by you or caused to your bike, Google knows it all. The Internet marketing giant is letting the insurance broker store all its data online and notify the customer about the renewal details. Thus, with this Google has now become a transparent system to help you buy and manage insurance.

*Don’t believe me? Try it out yourself!*
Here’s how you can buy or renew your two wheeler insurance policy from Google
First, search for two wheeler insurance on Google
Then click on the link below (on 4th Position of Google).

 

Entering your bike number details will load all details of your bike i.e. the date of buying the policy, make and model number of the bike and RTO details.

*But how does this help you?*
What if tomorrow you lose your bike due to theft? How will you lodge an FIR? How will you describe the details of your bike?
Wait, I have a solution!
Just enter your bike number and all your details are available.
Amazed? I am too, as all your details can be sourced by just entering your policy number.
So just think how beneficial would it be to buying a two wheeler policy online!

*Benefits of buying a two wheeler insurance policy online from Google Coverfox*
*>> Cost-effective:*
Buying a two wheeler insurance with Coverfox.com is cost-effective as you directly buy the insurance policy from the broker. This proves to be beneficial as there is no agent involved and hence, you don’t have to pay any commissions. Also, insurance companies offer you additional discounts, if you purchase policy online.

*>> Paperless documentation:*
One of the major benefits of buying a two wheeler insurance policy online is that it saves you from the hassles of safeguarding the policy documents. The process of buying a two wheeler insurance policy online is paperless. All you need to do is fill the forms online and submit the scanned copies of your documents and your policy is ready. This becomes easy for you and you don’t have to always bear the burden of carrying physical copies of the policy documents.

*>> Compare premium rates:*
Looking for insurance policy online gives you a plethora of options to choose the best policy as per your budget and need. Buying a health insurance policy with Google lets you make an informed choice as with the premium rates you can also compare the benefits offered by various insurers.

*>> Saves time:*
Google helps you buy a health insurance policy in an easy way, thus saving your time and effort of visiting the company or an insurance agent’s office. With Google, buying insurance is easy, fast and convenient.

*>> 100% claims support:*
This is one of the best benefits of buying two wheeler insurance from Google Coverfox. If you buy a two wheeler insurance policy online, then you receive 100% claims support. This is helpful when you register the claim as the company does the job of follow ups on your claim and helps you settle them quickly.

With the insurance industry having become an important part of the ecommerce business, it’s imperative you buy a two wheeler policy online to avail maximum benefits. So now just google “two wheeler insurance” click on Coverfox link and start keeping track of your bike. Reported by Mid-Day 12 hours ago.

Republicans fail by single vote to pass legislation scrapping health insurance for millions Reported by FT.com 19 hours ago.

The Senate has rejected a measure to repeal parts of former President Barack Obama's health law, dealing a serious blow to President Donald Trump and the GOP agenda. Three Republicans joined with all Democrats to reject the amendment, which would have repealed mandates that most individuals get health insurance and that large companies provide it to their employees. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has released the text of his pared-down bill to repeal parts of the Affordable Care Act. McConnell's "skinny repeal" bill would end an unpopular requirement that individuals get coverage or risk fines, as well as a similar obligation imposed on larger employers. Two Republican senators say House Speaker Paul Ryan's statement that the House is willing to negotiate a final health care bill with the Senate is insufficient. Ryan's announcement Thursday evening is meant to ease doubts among Senate Republicans about voting for a minimal repeal bill. Three Republican senators say they will not vote for a new health care plan being crafted by GOP leaders — unless they get a guarantee from Speaker Paul Ryan that it will not pass the House as-is. John McCain of Arizona, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin say they can't support the so-called "skinny repeal" taking shape in the Senate because it would wreak havoc on health insurance markets. The country's biggest organization of health plans is opposing the Senate Republicans' latest approach to scrapping the Obama health care law. America's Health Insurance Plans wrote to Senate leaders, saying that ending the requirement for people to buy insurance, without strengthening insurance markets, would produce "higher premiums, fewer choices for consumers and fewer people covered next year." Reported by SeattlePI.com 19 hours ago.

Julian Senn-Raemont isn't convinced he needs to buy health insurance when he loses coverage under his dad's plan in a couple of years — no matter what happens in the policy debate in Washington, or how cheap the plans are.

The 24-year-old musician hasn't known a world without a health care safety... Reported by ChicagoTribune 18 hours ago.

Omega Family Global commemorates one year of providing the entire spectrum of insurance needs for surrogates via Omega Family Services.

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) July 28, 2017

Omega Family Global, which provides surrogacy solutions, marks one year of offering Omega Family Services (OFS) to surrogates. OFS products and services encompass the entire spectrum of insurance needs, including life insurance, health insurance, donor egg/IVF insurance and travel health insurance, as well as legacy planning, wealth management and more.

“It has always been a fundamental principle of Omega Family Global to provide the most comprehensive and highest level of service,” said Frederick W. Gaston, founder and chief counsel of Omega Family Global. “In pursuit of this new high standard in the industry, OFS was created to address the frustration and confusion caused by the insurance process. This was essential, as insurance plays a critical role in the surrogacy journey and process.”

OFS, in fact, provides a comprehensive insurance capability that removes any confusion and simplifies the process of a dynamically changing insurance environment. The goal of OFS is to take care of the surrogate and the newborn with the best insurance available in the United States.

“OFS’ sole focus is protection; therefore, in many cases, OFS continues to take care of the surrogate and their families well after the surrogacy journey has ended,” concluded Gaston, a member of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine and the Society for Ethics in Egg Donation and Surrogacy.

About Omega Family Global
Omega Family Global is a comprehensive Southern California agency that provides guidance, services, experience and knowledge to intended parents, originating from any state or country. Omega Family Global exists to make new family creation as simple as it can be, while being legally correct. For more information, please call (619) 800-6505, or visit http://www.omegafamilyglobal.com.

About the NALA™
The NALA offers small and medium-sized businesses effective ways to reach customers through new media. As a single-agency source, the NALA helps businesses flourish in their local community. The NALA’s mission is to promote a business’ relevant and newsworthy events and achievements, both online and through traditional media. The information and content in this article are not in conjunction with the views of the NALA. For media inquiries, please call 805.650.6121, ext. 361. Reported by PRWeb 18 hours ago.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Dealing a serious blow to President Donald Trump's agenda, the Senate early Friday rejected a measure to repeal parts of former President Barack Obama's health care law after a night of high suspense in the U.S. Capitol. A key vote to defeat the measure was cast by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who returned to the Senate this week after receiving a diagnosis of brain cancer. Three Republicans joined with all Democrats to reject the amendment, which would have repealed a mandate that most individuals get health insurance and would have suspended a requirement that large companies provide coverage to their employees. On Twitter, McCain said the repeal bill "fell short of our promise to repeal & replace Obamacare w/ meaningful reform," adding, "I hope we can rely on humility, cooperation & dependence on each other to better serve the people who elected us." Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price said in a statement that the Trump administration would pursue its health care goals through regulation. [...] insurers, hospitals, doctors, and consumer groups are pressing the administration to guarantee billions of dollars in disputed subsidies to help stabilize insurance markets around the country. Buoyed by a signal from House Speaker Paul Ryan, McConnell had introduced a pared-down health care bill late Thursday that he hoped would keep alive Republican ambitions to repeal "Obamacare." The insurance company lobby group, America's Health Insurance Plans, wrote to Senate leaders Thursday saying that ending Obama's requirement that people buy insurance without strengthening insurance markets would produce "higher premiums, fewer choices for consumers and fewer people covered next year." [...] the misgivings of a few Republican senators derailed the GOP's seven-year quest to roll back "Obamacare." Reported by SeattlePI.com 17 hours ago.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told the Lok Sabha that the defined health packages under the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) and Senior Citizen Health Insurance Scheme (SCHIS) do not cover AYUSH treatment or medication. Reported by DNA 17 hours ago.

Content originally published at iBankCoin.com



Dianne Feinstein just hugged John McCain

— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) July 28, 2017



Chuck Schumer and John McCain shared fist pumps of victory after the 'Skinny' repeal of Obamacare narrowly failed with a vote of 49-51. McCain - the maverick who heroically flew back to Washington D.C. after immediately recovering from brain cancer surgery, teamed up with Republicans Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski to join Democrats in opposing the latest attempt to triage the actively imploding Obamacare debacle.



Collins voted no first, then Murkowski, *followed by McCain, who came to the well of the Senate and gave a thumbs down, dooming the repeal bill to loud gasps*, mostly from the Democratic side of the aisle. Republican leaders stood together looking grim as their back-up repeal plan appeared to collapse. -Bloomberg



Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell described the bill's failure as a "disappointing moment," while top Democrat Chuck Schumer said he and the rest of the his party were relieved that millions of people would get to keep their healthcare.

President Trump weighed in, reminding people of the impending implosion of the illegally propped-up Obamacare scheme.



3 Republicans and 48 Democrats let the American people down. As I said from the beginning, let ObamaCare implode, then deal. Watch!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 28, 2017



Mitch McConnell's 'stripped down' compromise sought to strike a balance between a total repeal of Obamacare sought by conservatives, and concerns by liberals over a projected 16 million Americans who would lose their health insurance or see premiums rise 20% by 2026.



Correction: It's not that they would "lose it." It's that they wouldn't be forced to buy it, and would then choose not to. https://t.co/NuHzAhvfcs

— Mark Dice (@MarkDice) July 28, 2017



*McConnell miffed*

Mitch McConnell gave a sullen concession speech - tossing the ball in the Democrats' court, and adding that a public bailout of insurance companies wasn't a tenable solution:



Now, I imagine many of our colleagues on the other side are celebrating. Probably pretty happy about all this. But the American people are hurting and they need relief. Our friends on the other side decided early on they didn't want to engage with us, in a serious way,* to help those suffering under Obamacare. *

*So now I think it's appropriate to ask, what are their ideas? *

*Bailing out insurance companies with no thought of any kind of reform is not something I want to be a part of. *





Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) reacts to the stunning defeat of GOP plan for #SkinnyRepeal of Obamacare pic.twitter.com/NWEJKkBMbC

— NBC News (@NBCNews) July 28, 2017



*Schumer gloats*

After going only so far as to say Obamacare 'needs improvement,' Chuck Schumer - who suppressed a laugh as he gave a nod to John McCain and Orrin Hatch (who shared a moment after the vote), and suggested that the bill could be passed if certain conditions are met.



"We are relieved," Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) reacts to overnight vote that resulted in GOP failing plans for Obamacare #SkinnyRepeal pic.twitter.com/2Lzpjp8Gdg

— NBC News (@NBCNews) July 28, 2017



*Just RINO stuff... *



I have no clue what it means but here's an interaction between McCain and Schumer that just happened on the floor. pic.twitter.com/6fcLkcgQTr

— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) July 28, 2017



*What's Trump's healthcare endgame?*

At the end of March, Trump let people know what he was going to do when Obamacare inevitably implodes; a total reboot.



ObamaCare will explode and we will all get together and piece together a great healthcare plan for THE PEOPLE. Do not worry!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 25, 2017



Last but not least on this rollercoaster of a charade - Senator Tom Scott was the victim a vicious notebook attack by the violent media:



On the Senate floor, @SenatorTimScott gets hit by a reporters notebook that feel from the gallery above: pic.twitter.com/qmpyX4ZEdA

— Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) July 28, 2017



Get the popcorn, the swamp just claimed a win in what's going to be a long and interesting cleanup when Obamacare implodes.Follow on Twitter *@ZeroPointNow* § Subscribe to our You*Tube channel* Reported by Zero Hedge 16 hours ago.

The Civilian Corps of the U.S. Army Medical Command (MEDCOM) is highlighting involvement at several August conferences and career fairs.

Fort Sam Houston, TX (PRWEB) July 28, 2017

Contact: Colin Gerrity
colin(at)agencymabu(dot)com | (443) 330-5497

U.S. Army Medicine Civilian Corps Highlights Involvement at Upcoming Career Fairs

The Civilian Corps of the U.S. Army Medical Command (MEDCOM) is highlighting involvement at several August conferences and career fairs.

In the coming weeks, the Civilian Corps will send career consultants to the Amputee Coalition National Conference in Louisville, KY on 3-5 August; the APA Psychological Convention in Washington, D.C on 3-6 August; the AOA’s Regional Osteopathic Medical Education conference in Cambridge, MA on 17-20 August; and the Paralyzed Veterans of America Annual Summit & Expo in National Harbor, MD on 29-31 August.

The variety of these events demonstrates the scope of talent that Civilian Corps recruiters seek out on behalf of the U.S. Army Medical Command. Civilian careers in U.S. Army Medicine appeal to medical professionals, behavioral health specialists, and individuals with disabilities.

“By filling health care positions with qualified candidates, the Civilian Corps will continue the Army’s medical readiness mission to provide the best quality of care to U.S. Army uniformed service members, the retired service members, their families and other eligible beneficiaries,” says Rosalinda Jenkins, Chief, Recruitment and Retention, Headquarters U.S. Army Medical Command, Civilian Human Resources Division.

U.S. Army Medicine Civilian Corps employees work closely alongside their military counterparts within the United States Army Medical Command (MEDCOM), a division of U.S. Army Medicine.

Civilian Corps employees are not subject to military requirements, such as enlistment or deployment. Army Medicine civilians receive excellent benefits, including flexible work schedules, competitive salaries, and extensive health insurance coverage options.

To learn more about the Civilian Corps and its mission to hire the best health care professionals for the U.S. Army, please visit https://www.civilianmedicaljobs.com.

### Reported by PRWeb 14 hours ago.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Wages and benefits paid to U.S. civilian workers grew more slowly in the second quarter. The Labor Department says total compensation was up 0.5 percent in the April-June period, compared to 0.8 percent growth in the first quarter. Wages and salaries, which account for 70 percent of compensation costs, also rose 0.5 percent. Benefit costs, which cover pensions and health insurance, increased 0.6 percent. The slight slowdown in the second quarter likely means the Federal Reserve won't be worrying about wage growth rising too quickly. Indeed, the Fed has expressed concern recently that inflation has fallen farther from its 2 percent annual target. Reported by SeattlePI.com 13 hours ago.