All items from USA news
(NewsUSA) - When you see "Get Your Flu Vaccine Here" signs and banners after November outside pharmacies and in doctor's offices, you might think, "Isn't it too late for that?"
The answer is "No!"
"Flu season typically peaks in January or February and can last as late as May," says Dr. Anne Schuchat, Assistant Surgeon General of the U.S. Public Health Service and Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. "We are encouraging people who have not yet been vaccinated to get vaccinated now."
For millions of people each year, the flu can bring a fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle aches, fatigue and miserable days spent in bed instead of at work or school. However, you may not realize that more than 200,000 people are hospitalized in the United States from flu complications each year. The flu also can be deadly. Between 1976 and 2007, CDC estimates that annual flu-associated deaths in the United States ranged from a low of about 3,000 people to a high of about 49,000 people.
An annual flu vaccine is recommended for everyone six months and older. It's available in two forms: shots and a nasal spray. The flu shot options include the regular flu shot, the new intradermal flu shot and a high-dose flu shot. While the regular flu shot can be given to just about everyone, the intradermal flu shot is approved for use in adults 18 through 64 years of age, and the high-dose flu shot is for people aged 65 years and older. The nasal spray vaccine is approved only for use in healthy people ages 2 to 49 years who aren't pregnant.
Anyone can get the flu, but some people are at greater risk for serious flu-related complications, like pneumonia, that can lead to hospitalization and even death. For those at greater risk for complications, getting the flu vaccine is especially important. People at greater risk include:
* Children younger than 5 years old, but especially children younger than 2 years old
* Pregnant women
* People with certain medical conditions like asthma, diabetes (type 1 and 2) or heart and lung disease
* People 65 years and older
It's also important to get the vaccine if you're a caretaker for anyone in one or more of these high-risk groups, or for babies younger than 6 months because they are too young to get the vaccine.
Children 6 months through 8 years of age getting vaccinated for the first time need two doses of flu vaccine to be fully protected. If a child has not received his/her first dose, get them vaccinated now. For children who are 6 months through 8 years of age and have been vaccinated with one dose, parents should check with the child's doctor to see if a second dose is needed.
"Getting the flu vaccine is simple, and it's the most important thing you can do to protect yourself and your family from the flu," says Schuchat.
Flu vaccines are offered in many locations, including doctor's offices, clinics, health departments, pharmacies and college health centers. They're offered by many employers and are even available in some schools. So next time you see a sign that says, "Get Your Flu Vaccine Here," stop in. Or, make an appointment with your doctor. Visit www.flu.gov and use the Flu Vaccine Finder to find the nearest location.
For more information about influenza or the flu vaccine, visit www.cdc.gov/flu, www.flu.gov or call CDC at 1-800-CDC-INFO.
(NewsUSA) - The winter weather trifecta of ice, snow and wind can leave a house full of new cracks and openings, rendering it defenseless when spring brings rain and unexpected pests. Unfortunately, the total damage left by winter's wrath may not be known until after pests have already invaded your home.
According to the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), more than half of homeowners are concerned about pest damage to their homes and property -- and rightfully so.
"Increased moisture from melting ice and snow can create cracks and holes in roofs and foundations, allowing pests easy access," said Missy Henriksen, vice president of public affairs for the National Pest Management Association. "Ice dams, which form on roofs and prevent snow from melting, are especially problematic as they can damage walls, ceilings, insulation and drywall, with resulting moisture attracting pests such as termites and carpenter ants."
If pests have already found their way indoors, immediate action is recommended. "Homeowners should deal with a pest problem right away since household pests breed relatively quickly. A small pest problem can result in a full-blown infestation in a matter of weeks, posing serious health risks to homeowners and their families," advised Henriksen.
The first step toward keeping spring pests outdoors is to repair any obvious damage. The NPMA recommends the following advice:
* Look for missing roof shingles, ripped window screens and clogged gutters, all of which are as inviting as a "Pests welcome" vacancy sign.
* Seal cracks and holes, including entry points for utilities and pipes.
* Replace weather-stripping, and repair loose mortar around basement foundations and windows.
* Keep basements, attics and crawl spaces well ventilated and dry.
* Vacuum around doors and windows, as these are key entry points for eager pests. Frequent vacuuming can catch invaders like spiders, silverfish, earwigs and beetles.
* Inspect garages and outbuildings for rodent tenants. Organize cluttered debris, boxes and random items along the walls where mice may hide or nest. Does spring cleaning call for a new shelving unit?
* Partner with a local pest professional to treat existing infestations, and consider a quarterly maintenance plan to keep pests out for good.
For more information about pest maintenance, tips on identifying an infestation and locating a qualified and licensed pest professional, visit www.pestworld.org.(NewsUSA) - You turn on the tap, and water comes out. Period. Safe, plentiful and affordable drinking water is one of our nation's most precious resources and something most of us take for granted.
But what if you turned the tap and nothing happened, or if the water you drank made you sick?
While pouring a glass of water may seem simple, before it arrives at your tap there is a complex process of collecting, storing, treating and distributing that helps ensure its availability and quality. In fact, water utilities implement comprehensive water management plans to ensure that adequate amounts of drinking water are available. These include conservation and reuse, reclamation and sourcing strategies.
Drinking water supplied by utilities is always treated to remove contaminants and harmful micro-organisms. That treatment process typically consists of clarification (to remove dirt and other particles), filtration (to remove even smaller particles) and disinfection (to kill bacteria and most viruses). The water is then delivered to residential and commercial customers via an extensive pipe network.
Drinking water utilities are committed to protecting public health and constantly monitoring and reassessing their methods for treating water to ensure its quality. In part, this is due to changing government regulations, which periodically alter water quality standards. In addition, they may undertake other forms of treatment not expressly required to comply with regulations in order to ensure that drinking water meets and often exceeds the standards and needs of local communities.
For example, they may seek to remove trace compounds that are not currently regulated, and to enhance the aesthetic quality of the water.
Drinking water utilities carry out these services while also managing costs and minimizing environmental impacts of their processes; they are committed to keeping drinking water affordable. Water utilities and other stakeholders invest more than $12 million each year in the Water Research Foundation to sponsor research that enables water utilities, public health agencies and other professionals to provide safe and affordable drinking water to the public.
So the next time you pour a glass of water from the tap, take a moment to honor the commitment and significant investment made to ensure the quality of that water.
For more information, visit www.waterrf.org.
(NewsUSA) - Here's a scary number to keep in mind if you're just getting your tax receipts together: $1 billion.
No, it's not the amount that Warren Buffet's secretary -- let alone Buffet personally -- paid the IRS in her lifetime. It's how much taxpayers approximately wind up forfeiting each year to the government because of self-inflicted tax errors like: failing to claim tax credits and deductions legally due them; choosing the wrong filing status; and not bothering to send in a return at all.
Well, guess what? A slew of recent changes in the tax law won't make things any easier this year.
"At a time when taxpayers are hurting, it really doesn't make sense to leave money on the table," says Elaine Smith, master tax advisor at H&R Block, the giant tax preparation firm (www.hrblock.com).
Here are some things -- good and bad -- to watch out for:
* Casualty losses. Hurricane Irene. Midwest tornadoes. Texas wildfires. Mother Nature went a little nutty last year, and -- if the president declared your area a disaster -- you could be able to claim your loss as an itemized deduction on your 2011 return or on an amended 2010 one.
* Reduction in the Energy Savings Home Improvement Credit. At its height, this was a 30-percent credit on the cost of high-efficiency windows, furnaces, central AC and the like. It's now 10 percent. Plus, the maximum lifetime credit went from $1,500 to $500. "That means if you spent a total of $5,000 on IRS-approved upgrades in 2011," says Smith, "you can claim a $500 credit. Unless, that is, you'd already maxed out in prior years."
* Expiration of the tax credit for hybrid cars. If you bought a Prius last year, you did so without the feds' help. However, the green cars du jour -- i.e., the electric-drive Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf -- will score you a $7,500 credit. And there are goodies for things like conversion kits, too.
* New cost-basis reporting requirements. Apparently, some of you were inflating the price you paid for stocks to reduce the taxes owed on capital gains. Or at least the government fears that was happening. So look out for a mandatory statement from your broker reporting your "cost basis" for stocks and securities held in taxable accounts -- as opposed to 401(k)s and IRAs -- that you sold in 2011.
Of course, with the April 17 filing deadline approaching, those worried about becoming a member of the $1 Billion Club might want to consult a professional like those at H&R Block, which offers in-person services at its retail offices nationwide as well as the only face-to-face online preparation through Block LiveSM.
(NewsUSA) - Each year, an average of 200,000 Americans are hospitalized because of flu complications, but people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes are three times more likely to face complications that may be fatal, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The best step is prevention, and anyone with diabetes should seriously consider getting a flu shot in the fall.
But for those who do get sick, it's important that people with diabetes be prepared. The following sick-day plan is designed to help diabetic patients suffering from a cough, a cold or the flu.
* Get plenty of sleep, and even when awake, do resting activities (reading, watching TV, online shopping) as long as you don't find it stressful.
* "Feed a cold, starve a fever" is not advice you should follow. Eat plenty of healthy items that are also easy to digest, like soups, sugar-free Jell-O and fruit juice mixed with water and yogurt. Dehydration will cause your blood sugar to drop, so drink one cup of sugar-free, caffeine-free liquid per hour.
* Medicine cabinets must go beyond a glucose meter and thermometer. You should also have
ketone-testing supplies and appropriate medications for cold and flu symptoms.
"When suffering from a cough, cold or flu, it's important for people with diabetes to treat their symptoms with medicine that doesn't have a negative effect on their diabetes," says Debra Spector, registered dietitian and certified nutritionist.
"Most people don't realize that cough syrups can contain up to 50 percent sugar, and cold and flu medicines may contain alcohol, both of which can raise one's glucose, possibly to dangerous levels. Diabetic Tussin has been trusted by the medical community for years because it is sugar and alcohol-free, so it's 100 percent safe for diabetics. It's even recommended for those on a sodium or gluten-free diet," says Spector.
* Take your insulin and diabetes medicine on schedule, even if you experience nausea or haven't eaten. Check your blood glucose at least four times a day.
* If your symptoms worsen, contact your doctor. Learn more about medicine for people with diabetes along with additional sick-day advice and nutritional recipes at www.diabeticproducts.com.
(NewsUSA) - For college students, the stress of exams is an anxiety-filled final hurdle to overcome before fully relaxing and enjoying the long-deserved break. These exams can be intimidating -- especially for freshmen with an advanced workload -- which is why stress management is key.
Use these five stress-relief tips to help ease exam-taking tensions as casual study time becomes cram time.
* Watch a funny movie. There's nothing like comic relief and laughter to get your mind off that chemistry final. Need an idea for a great college-aged comedy? Check out "The Pool Boys," available on DVD, Blu-Ray, streaming and digital download from Seven Arts.
The DVD and Blu-Ray include special features that you can save for further study breaks, including interviews and commentary. For a preview, check out the trailer (rated R) at www.ThePoolBoysMovie.com.
* Hit the gym. Try to schedule regular workouts around your blocks of exam studying time to help keep stress in check. If you are on a sports team, you may still have practices during exam time, but if not, make plans with teammates to do some conditioning. Go for a run, shoot hoops or lift some weights.
If you're on your own for exercise and the weather outside is frightful, try an indoor dance or yoga class, or an exercise video or DVD that you can do in your room.
* Have a snack. It's hard to concentrate if your stomach is growling, but hold off on the celebratory drinks until after exams are over. Instead, have some energy-boosting snacks on hand while studying, such as trail mix or energy bars. Stay hydrated, too.
* Get some air. Does your exam stress mean hours in the library or lab? Go out and walk around the building, or around the block. Clearing your head and getting your eyes away from the screen can work wonders.
* Avoid all-nighters. Sometimes an all-night study session is inevitable, but don't underestimate the value of sleep in keeping exam stress under control. If you have multiple exams in the same week, several days with little sleep will leave you even more stressed.
Don't overdo the caffeine, and try to plan your sleep as you plan your exam study schedule. If you are a night person who studies more effectively from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., make that work for you, but factor in a mid-morning nap the next day.
(NewsUSA) - Big Jake Music believes it has seen the future of the industry, and it comes in a unique package named Abie Flinstone -- a 19-year-old wunderkind from Europe who is currently making headlines with her distinct sound.
The New York-based indie music label recently signed Flinstone and has high hopes for the rising hip-hop and R&B star.
"Right now is the most exciting time ever for new labels and new artists," said Jake Shapiro, founder of Big Jake Music. "We have every confidence that Abie has the ability and makings to be a musical force to be reckoned with," he added.
Flinstone, who originally hails from Southern Davao in the Philippines -- she gives a shout-out to her country in a song titled "Love You Like Davao" -- now calls Lommel, Belgium, home. It's there that she writes and records songs such as "Have Dat" and "Aye."
After sending a demo to Absolute P Entertainment (Mostiko Records) late last year, Flinstone took the underground and club scene by storm with "Get Outta My Way," a single featuring Kaliq Scott.
With a 90s feel to her lyrics, but with a millenium twist, Big Jake Music thinks their new hip-hop artist is in a category all her own.
"In an industry that can make or break you," Shapiro said, "Abie has the potential and credentials to go far."
Even as the music industry grapples with less-than-stellar CD sales, indie labels are finding success by being choosier about whom they sign and more cost-conscious in their marketing and promoting strategies.
By controlling costs and targeting marketing, indie labels are able to give their artists the attention that larger labels cannot provide -- a creative, nurturing environment and the opportunity to be a very big fish in a much smaller pond.
Having recently been acquired by Seven Arts Entertainment Inc. (NASDAQ: SAPX), the indie music label now believes it has the backing and the ability to focus on up-and-coming artists like Flinstone.
For more info on Flinstone or Big Jake Music, visit www.bigjakemusic.com or www.7artspictures.com.
(NewsUSA) - Remember when it was sort of fun to talk about The Number?
The Number refers to the amount of money you'd need to retire comfortably, and it was borrowed from the title of a 2006 book by former Esquire editor Lee Eisenberg. Everywhere you went in those comparatively giddy pre-crash days, it seemed, people were tossing around figures -- $1 million, $5 million - and often acting like it'd be a cinch to get there if they just gave up one Grande Cafe Vanilla Frappuccino a week.
Needless to say, times have changed since then. But unless you like your 1-in-175 million odds of winning Power Ball, the need to soak away as much money as possible - as fast as possible, in the case of aging Baby Boomers - has only become more imperative.
"One of the best pieces of advice we give clients is to keep it simple," says Elaine Smith, master tax advisor at H&R Block, the giant tax preparation firm (www.hrblock.com).
How simple? Read on:
* Make automatic contributions to 401(k)s. We now know what can happen if you let market fluctuations spook your use of this convenient savings vehicle. According to a study by Fidelity Investments of millions of their accounts, investors who dumped all their allocations in stocks between October 1, 2008, and March 31, 2009 (the market crash), and stayed out of stocks through last June 30, 2011 (a big upswing), saw an average increase in account balances of only 2 percent. That compares to an average 50 percent increase for those who rode things out with a continuous allocation strategy that included stocks.
* Don't squander your raise. Consulting firm Hay Group says the average raise last year was 2.8 percent. Say your salary's $50,000. That's a $1,400 increase, or $26.92 a week. If you put that money into an IRA, in 10 years it would've grown to $3,108, based on an 8 percent average annual return. "It's all about delaying immediate rewards on things like your fifth pair of designer jeans," says Smith.
* Invest your tax refund. The average refund last year was $2,913. Even the interest rate on savings accounts beats the free loan you essentially gave the government.
* Take advantage of new fee disclosures. A new law is set to require much more transparency in most 401(k) plans. But why wait? Financial websites let you compare fund expense ratios, and the difference between an actively managed mutual fund charging 1.75 percent and an index fund charging only 0.07 percent -- especially if the former's performance is sub-par -- adds up.(NewsUSA) - College costs may have entered nosebleed territory, but at least Uncle Sam is there waving a hanky in the form of juicy tax credits and deductions for those smart enough to claim them.
If you've been footing those education bills, either for yourself or your child, the latest College Board statistics shouldn't be a shocker: In-state tuition and fees at four-year public colleges rose an average of 8.3 percent last year -- to $8,244 -- even as the economy sputtered.
"That's a terrible upfront burden for many families," says Elaine Smith, master tax advisor at H&R Block (www.hrblock.com), the giant tax preparation firm. "But at least there are several breaks built into the tax code that could even mean the difference between whether you owe taxes or are due a refund."
What breaks? Read on:
* American Opportunity Tax Credit. This is the Gold Standard for those who qualify. Meaning, it's a dollar-for-dollar tax offset of up to $2,500, per student year, for up to four years of undergraduate education. "One of the best things about it is that up to $1,000 of the credit is 'refundable,'" notes Smith. "So you could wind up getting a refund for that amount if no taxes are otherwise due."
Biggest cautions: You must be enrolled at least half-time in a degree program to claim it, and -- like all these breaks -- the benefit starts to phase out once you reach a certain adjusted gross income (AGI).
* Lifetime Learning Credit. Eligibility standards for this one are broader, even if it's less generous than the AOTC. Pursuers of both college and graduate degrees -- as well as those taking classes to improve job skills -- potentially stand to benefit from a tax credit up to $2,000. Biggest caution: The credit can only be claimed once per tax return, regardless of the number of students taking courses.
* Student-Loan Interest Deduction. If you're self-financing, congrats -- and skip this one. If not, we're talking up to $2,500 per year. Biggest caution: Only debt from graduate and undergraduate programs qualifies.
* Tuition and Fees Deduction. There's a built-in caution to this $4,000 deduction: You can't claim it and the Lifetime Learning Credit for the same student, so do the math to see which works best.
Of course, if the "M" word -- math -- scares you as much as the looming April 17 filing deadline, consult a professional like those at H&R Block, which offers in-person services at its retail offices nationwide as well as the only face-to-face online preparation through Block LiveSM.
One last tip: For those wondering whether scholarship income awarded for room and board is tax-exempt, the answer, alas, is no.
(NewsUSA) - It's time to stop worrying that your adult, out-of-work kid may never find a job that lets him move back out of your house, and instead think of him the way the IRS potentially does: as a big, fat tax deduction.
That's right, one consequence of the sputtering economy is that it's turned otherwise distressing family circumstances -- those "boomerang kids," for instance -- into windfalls for deduction hunters. Another bonanza, via the tax code? So many senior citizens have seen their nest eggs battered over the past few years that an estimated 9.7 million adults over age 50 are now providing some level of potentially deductible care for their own parents.
"In many cases, you're looking at three generations living under one roof," says Elaine Smith, master tax advisor at H&R Block. "And those caregivers -- the so-called 'sandwich generation' -- are seeing their expenses rise as a result of their increased responsibilities."
Just how much of a windfall are we talking? And who's eligible? Read on for some tips:
* The $3,700 exemption. That's the reduction to your taxable income you'll realize for each qualifying child or relative. The IRS is quite specific about the definition of "qualifying," but -- in the case of returning adult children -- one thing you definitely need to keep in mind is that their total annual income must be less than $3,700.
* Aging parents. Unlike your child, your mom and dad needn't live with you to qualify as dependents. If they're in a nursing home or assisted living facility, say, the IRS feels your pain if you're footing more than half their bills. In which case, the medical expenses you pay are deductible on your return. "You could easily be looking at about $40,000 in expenses racked up at one of those facilities," says Smith, "which translates into thousands of dollars in savings on your tax bill."
* Adult children. Staying on the subject of medical expenses, don't forget any extra after-tax premiums you may be paying to keep qualifying offspring on your insurance plan.
The IRS says the average taxpayer needed 23 hours to do their 2010 tax return. If that sounds too torturous, you might want to consider using a professional preparer like H&R Block (www.hrblock.com), which offers guaranteed in-person services at its retail offices nationwide as well as the only face-to-face online preparation through Block LiveSM.
Oh, and don't feel too smug if your adult kid hasn't boomeranged on you yet. According to a Twentysomething Inc. poll, 85 percent of 2011 college graduates surveyed said they planned on moving back home with their parents.
