Parents Regret not Monitoring Teen Drivers

Research from The Allstate Foundation shows nearly half of parents express regret about not monitoring their teen driver after they get a license, and more than two-thirds wish they spent more time practicing driving with their teen in high-risk situations. To help educate parents on driving risks, The Allstate Foundation is helping the National Safety Councillaunch Drive it Home, a new program offering specially created resources to help parents keep their teens safer on the road.

Drive it Home, created by parents for parents, is specifically targeted at parents after their teen gets a driver's license; that is one of the deadliest years in a person's life. Drive it Home uses a variety of video and graphic styles, including humor to capture the attention of parents, educate them on the real dangers facing their teens and help them provide ongoing coaching tips for recently licensed teen drivers. 

"We know from our research that parents are the No.1 source of information for teen drivers, yet 40 percent don't know car crashes are the leading cause of death for teens," said Vicky Dinges , vice president of corporate social responsibility at Allstate. "Drive it Home can help protect teen drivers, educate parents on the crucial role they play in the driving process, and help ensure our sons and daughters return home each and every night."

Additional findings from The Allstate Foundation's research include:

• Parents don't understand the most deadly risks to their teen driver. Research shows that inexperience is the No. 1 cause of teen crashes, but 74 percent of parents inaccurately believe that risk-taking is the leading cause.
• Despite the fact that nine in 10 parents say it's very important for teens to learn to manage night driving and driving with passengers, one in three parents admit they have not adequately covered these items with their teen.
• Nearly 30 percent of parents are not setting rules around some of the most dangerous behaviors including nighttime driving and passengers in the car. Many parents also don't require their teen to get permission before driving somewhere.
• Sixty-four percent of parents are actively looking for resources to help manage their teens' driving experience.

"Parents are looking for information that can help them manage their teens' driving experience and need additional tools that take a variety of non-traditional approaches to capture their attention," said Janet Froetscher , chief executive officer at the National Safety Council. "The National Safety Council researched the behaviors and messages that appealed most with parents and used it to inform the Drive it Home program. We know different parents respond to different kinds of messages. One technique we use is humor, for instance.  While this is an extremely serious issue, we know that comedy can appeal to everyone and we were able to weave important tips, tools and statistics into the content for the program."

Tips for Parents.  The Allstate Foundation and National Safety Council urge parents to take these simple steps with their teen driver:

• Drive at least 30 minutes each week with a newly licensed teen.
• Practice specific skills together and provide teens with feedback in the following critical areas:
  • Scanning the road ahead to recognize and respond to hazards.
  • Controlling speed, stopping, turning and following distance.
  • Judging the gap between vehicles in traffic – such as exiting parking lots and left-hand turns.
  • Managing the highest risks, such as night driving and driving with young passengers.

Parents looking for practice tips they can use with their teen driver can sign up on the Drive it Home website (www.driveithome.org) for weekly driving practice lessons delivered to them via email.

Additionally, as a part of the program, Drive it Home is coming to cities across the country in a series of shows featuring Second City Communications. The shows take a comedic approach to the topic of teen safe driving and give local parents the chance to win a free Chevy Cruze and gas cards.  To get additional information on the dates of the tour, visitwww.driveithome.org.

The Drive it Home Show is coming to the following cities:

Greenville, South Carolina	East Islip, New York
Sacramento, California	Middletown, New Jersey
Virginia Beach, Virginia	Seattle, Washington
Phoenix, Arizona	Plano, Texas
Fort Myers, Florida	Nashville, Tennessee
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania	Rockford, Illinois
Grand Rapids, Michigan	Colorado Springs, Colorado

Funding for Drive it Home was provided by: the National Safety Council, The Allstate Foundation, General Motors Foundation, AT&T Foundation, Toyota Foundation.

Google Reader is Shutting Down -- But Why Should You Care?

SAN FRANCISCO, March 16, 2013 - Yesterday's announcement to shut down Google Reader in July sparked protests on the Internet, but why?

Since 2009 the industry has predicted the demise of RSS, and everyone's banking on social reading.  While there are other feed aggregators, it's clear that RSS – like dial-up – is headed into obscurity.  Internet users should not be asking "how do we save this?" , but instead, "what's next?"

In yesterday's New Yorker, Joshua Rothman waxed poetic about lost knowledge and noble pursuits with the decline of Reader, but pointed out how feeds can overwhelm users.  Reader's value was organizing web content, not having an endless stream of articles reminding you that your commitment to home gardening is not what you thought it was.

Content curation is unquestionably the next big thing, and personal collection, organization and publication is driving this movement.

RSS feeds deliver "push" content - a passive experience wherein subscribed or relevant content is automatically delivered.    However, "pull" content is what the user has gathered. It's collected, organized, and presented for utility or perspective - personal curation is personal power.

Some Reader users will opt for other news feeders such as NetVibes, NewsBlur, and Feedly. Others may kick it old school and use browser bookmarks.  But others are going to look outside the box for what's next.

Jenna Gavin, CEO of Surfdash.com, states, "Our online lives are becoming more complex. Information we access on a regular basis – email accounts, banking, social media, health providers, local services, and news -  is overwhelming, and the industry is rethinking content access and organization."

There are curation tools available for professional marketers, bloggers, or high octane "sharers": put together pictures to tell a story and you have Pinterest, or publish your ideas with content on GetPocket. These collect-and-publish tools serve the marketplace, and those with personal curation tools, such as Surfdash.com, belong to the other 80% of us who don't broadcast what we had for breakfast.

RSS feeds will still be there, reminding us that we are not as well read as we'd like to be, but with tools that let us collect, organize, and share our web in a meaningful way, why do you care?              

Members Of USW Local 8888 Ratify New Contract That Bucks National Trend On Workers' Health Care Costs

Long-term Pact with Owner of Newport News Shipbuilding Passes by 9 to 1 Margin PITTSBURGH, March 15, 2013- The United Steelworkers (USW) Local 8888 in Newport News, Va., overwhelmingly ratified a new collective bargaining agreement this morning. The 52-month contract with Huntington Ingalls Industries, the parent company of Newport News Shipbuilding, passed by an overwhelming 9 to 1 margin. It covers some 11,000 employees.The pact delivers wage increases of 14.2 percent on average; contains over $16,400 in new money per worker over the life of the agreement – not counting overtime and other wage additives; reduces employees' health care insurance premiums by 15 percent; increases the minimum monthly pension benefit from $1,350 to $1,450 on August 1, 2013 and then to $1,550 on August 1, 2015; and, bolsters promotional opportunities and increases personal leave time for employees. USW International Vice President Fred Redmond, who was Local 8888's chief negotiator, said what the union accomplished at the bargaining table was even more remarkable in the volatile political climate of sequester budget cuts and the pending expiration of the temporary measure that funds federal agencies, including the Department of Navy. "At times it got rough, but we stayed on course, stuck to our members' priorities and navigated to a place that created a win-win situation for our union and the company," said Redmond. At a time when more and more employers are demanding increases in deductibles, coinsurance and employee premium sharing, which shift costs to employees, the Steelworkers bucked that trend. Perhaps, the signature victory for USW Local 8888 was that the bargaining team demanded and won a 15 percent reduction in health care premiums. Moreover, future employee health care premiums will be adjusted to account for differences in premium payments and the contractual 25 percent employee share of health care costs. USW Local 8888 President Arnold Outlaw said, "Our members really like this. They wanted a real pay raise that wasn't going to be eaten up by higher health care costs. Fortunately, we found a way to accomplish that." USW Local 8888 members are proud to claim that they work in the only shipyard in the U.S. capable of building nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, and one of only two shipyards capable of building nuclear-powered submarines for the U.S. Navy. They also maintain, repair and refuel nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and subs for the Navy. The USW represents about 850,000 workers in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean in a wide variety of industries, ranging from glassmaking to mining, steel, oil, paper, tire and rubber to the public sector, service and health care industries.

Former MWAA Police Officer Sues Alleging Discrimination, Retaliation and Nepotism

WASHINGTON, March 14, 2013 - The following is being released by The Employment Law Group® Law Firm: Isabel Smeal, a former police officer, is suing the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) for alleged sexual harassment and discrimination based upon her sex, race and nation origin. The case is filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. During Smeal's over fourteen years of service with MWAA, the Authority continuously awarded her and recognized her excellent performance by consecutively raising her salary every year. Smeal was the first female MWAA police officer to be a Firearms Instructor and the first female M-4 Rifle Instructor. She also led lobbying efforts related to two bills in the Virginia Assembly that covered all MWAA Police Officers– the Heart & Lung and Infectious Disease Codes. From about 2002 to 2004, Smeal allegedly experienced continual and unwanted sexual advances from fellow police officer, Lieutenant John Balser. Smeal complained to her supervisor twice, to which MWAA responded that she was not the target of sexual harassment. Smeal later discovered that MWAA failed to conduct an EEO investigation regarding her complaint prior to issuing its determination. In 2011, Smeal reported to her supervisor that two female spouses were violating MWAA's anti-nepotism policy because one spouse was directly supervising the other. Smeal's superior simply responded that Virginia did not recognize their relationship, ignoring the true intent behind the Authority's anti-nepotism policy. Smeal later learned that the supervising officer in question was "out to get [her]" because of her complaint. After fourteen years of unblemished performance and raising concerns of internal violations of its own policies, MWAA terminated Smeal for an alleged breach of trust. This disciplinary action was unprecedented given MWAA previously failed to act in the face of more egregious misconduct, such as time card fraud and the negligent misplacement of a loaded gun in a public restroom. "This has been devastating for me and my family," says Smeal of the ordeal. "It has been extremely stressful for me emotionally, physically, and financially to have my whole career unjustly destroyed. I am a firm believer in the judicial system and I know that I will soon be able to move forward with my life and my career." "Smeal's allegations of fraud and harassment are supported by years of documentation and witness accounts," says Scott Oswald, managing principal at The Employment Law Group® law firm. "No individual should have to suffer as she has, especially someone who has served dutifully in her position for fourteen years. We are confident justice will be served for Isabel Smeal." Civil Action No. 1:12-cv-1330 TSE/TRJ About The Employment Law Group® Law Firm The Employment Law Group® law firm is one of the premier employment law firms representing individuals from all over the United States and around the world in EEOC, Sarbanes-Oxley and other whistleblower cases against the government and publicly held U.S. corporations. The firm's attorneys are seasoned trial lawyers litigating on behalf of individuals against employers who disregard federal and state whistleblower and employment laws.

Plans to Force Accident Victims Into Court "Will Penalise Injured People"

LONDON, March 15, 2013 - Government proposals to force thousands of injured motorists into small claims court will jeopardise victims' access to fair and appropriate compensation according to Karl Tonks, a partner with Fentons Personal Injury Solicitors LLP and president of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL). Karl was speaking following the publication of the consultation 'Reducing the number and cost of whiplash claims' which proposes that people injured in road traffic collisions should be made to pursue claims for compensation in a court which is designed for individuals to represent themselves rather than take legal advice. "Whilst the Government's effort to clamp down on the number of fraudulent claims is welcome and indeed supported by solicitors," said Karl, "it should be noted that there is a massive distinction between the person who makes a claim for whiplash after being injured in an accident through no fault of their own, and the fraudulent claimants who are out to make money at everyone else's expense. "But for some unknown reason, the term 'whiplash' is now used interchangeably with 'fraudulent' - which is simply very, very wrong." Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live today (Wednesday 13 March), Karl sought to explain why the number of personal injury claims had increased while the number of accidents on our roads had reduced. "People are more aware of their right to claim," he said, "and research has shown that 30% of people who bring claims have been encouraged to do so by the insurance industry - by their insurers - with one insurer effectively trying to 'do down' another. So the insurance industry has been part of this increase in the number of claims. "What's really important - as the insurers do actually agree - is that those people who are injured get the right amount, the fair amount of compensation, and these proposals unfortunately really do threaten that. "The problem is that the reforms proposed by the Government - and by the insurers - is that these claims should be dealt with in the small claims court, where injured people through no fault of their own will be on their own in court against an insurance lawyer," he said. "The problem is that Financial Services Authority has shown that when people deal with insurers direct they get less than half the amount of compensation they should do than when they are represented by lawyers." When asked about the number of spam calls and texts people receive inviting them to make a claim, Karl agreed that this was something everyone wanted to see ended - not least the lawyers who were being given a bad name by the practice. "We have all in the industry asked the government to properly stop that," he said. "But the problem is that it's not lawyers (using spam), that's claim management companies and the Government has failed to properly regulate them." Referring to the issue of fraudulent claims, Karl pointed out that the insurance industry actually has a database of 'known, repeat offenders', and that fraudulent claims could easily be rooted out at source - if that information was shared with claimant lawyers. "But the point is that there are people out there who are seriously injured through no fault of their own, and we need to make sure they get proper and fair compensation," he said. "The real issue is that insurers want to deal with claims but they want to deal with them on their own terms, and paying less than full and fair compensation." Speaking to BBC Radio Manchester later in the day, Karl said that the proposed reforms were 'a deliberate attempt to put victims off claiming'. "We all agree that there must be robust medical evidence," he said. "We want people to be medically examined. But it then begs the question why some insurers are still settling claims without first seeing a medical report." And in response to suggestions that victims could be compensated with 'care' rather than money, Karl pointed out that compensation valuations took any care needs into consideration and that compensation was not simply a way to make money. "My clients would much rather not be injured," he said. Speaking after the interviews, Karl said that if victims were forced to take their claim to the small claims court, the system was open to exploitation by claims management companies (CMCs) who have a reputation for marketing through intrusive and unwelcome calls and texts. "Rather than cut down on the spam texting and cold-calling, the proposals would in fact pave the way for them to become more prevalent, just as we've seen for mis-sold payment protection insurance claims," said Karl. "The Government's proposal effectively represents a business opportunity for CMCs to run claims for injured people in the same way they have taken on PPI claims. "The fact that CMCs involved in the PPI scandal account for the vast majority of consumer complaints received by the Ministry of Justice speaks for itself. If these proposals go ahead, an unintended consequence will surely be that claims management companies, who are not bound by the Solicitors' Code of Conduct, will do what they do best - openly tout for claimants and run very large numbers of what could be potentially dubious claims."

Teamsters Oppose Legislation That Will Damage Florida Retirement System

Working Families' Retirement Must be Protected TALLAHASSEE, Fla., March 15, 2013 - Public employees in Florida converged on the state Capitol today to protest proposed legislation that would harm the Florida Retirement System (FRS). More than 20,000 Teamsters who work as police officers, correctional officers, and public school employees would be affected by the drastic changes in the legislation, HB 7011. "Pensions were created as a way for working families to establish an income to live on when they retire," said Ken Wood, President of Teamsters Joint Council 75 and International Vice President. "The amendments to the FRS being considered by the Legislature will put many families at risk. It will turn retirement into a high-stakes game of chance with dire consequences for many hardworking Floridians and stop the state's economic recovery." Founded in 1903, the Teamsters Union represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico including more than 260,000 public service employees. For more information, go to www.teamster.org or follow us on Facebook and Twitter @Teamsters. SOURCE Teamsters Joint Council 75

Indian-origin lottery winner's death still unclear

Chicago, Mar 2 - Autopsy of Indian-origin businessman Urooj Khan, who died last year after winning a USD one million jack pot, found no trace of cyanide in his body apparently because it dissolves quickly, a medical examiner has said. ÒThe route of administration of cyanide cannot be confirmed in the autopsy,Ó Dr Stephen Cina, the Cook County Medical examiner, told reporters at a news conference here yesterday. Cina said the autopsy revealed nothing new to help Chicago police in the investigation of the million-dollar lottery winner's cyanide poisoning death in July last year. He said the body was badly decomposed and the autopsy could not confirm how the cyanide entered his body. The autopsy did reveal 75 per cent blockage in one of 46-year-old Khan's coronary arteries, but the medical examiner still ruled that Khan died of cyanide toxicity - with heart disease as a Òcontributing factor.Ó ÒOnce again, the manner of death is cyanide toxicity. Coronary artery disease is deemed a contributory condition, and the manner of death is homicide,Ó Cina said. ÒCyanide has a short half-life and may be lost over the postmortem period unless tissues are adequately preserved,Ó he said. ÒIn this case, due to advance putrefaction of the tissues, no cyanide was detectable in the tissues or small amounts of gastric content recovered following exhumation of the body.Ó When asked if Khan could have died of a heart attack, Cina said, ÒAs a pathologist you have to look at the totality of the evidence. And I don't see how I can ignore a lethal level of cyanide in the blood.Ó The autopsy of Khan's body was conducted after his body was exhumed in January from the Rose Hill Cemetery in Chicago. Khan had come to the US from his home in Hyderabad in 1989 and set up several dry-cleaning businesses in Chicago. Khan's death was originally attributed to natural causes. A relative later requested the Cook County Medical Examiner take another look. After examining fluid samples, a lethal level of cyanide was found and Khan's death was declared a homicide.

Saudi arrests 176 at demo for Islamist prisoners

Riyadh, Mar 2 - Saudi police have arrested 176 people, including 15 women, for holding an illegal protest to demand the release of Islamist prisoners, the official SPA news agency reported. The agency, quoting a police spokesman, said protesters were arrested Òafter refusing to break up a gathering outside the offices of the investigation bureau and the prosecution in Buraida,Ó in central Saudi Arabia yesterday. The spokesman accused the protesters of acting on behalf of Òdeviant groupsÓ -- a term the authorities usually use to refer to the Al-Qaeda jihadist network. Demonstrations are banned in Saudi Arabia, an ultra-conservative Muslim kingdom that has remained relatively untouched by the Arab Spring uprisings. Small groups of women have gathered almost daily in Buraida, north of Riyadh, to demand the release of imprisoned Islamist relatives, and dozens of protesters held a rare sit-in outside the Buraida prison in September. At the time police dispersed the protesters and authorities later warned they would deal ÒfirmlyÓ with demonstrations, sparking condemnation from Amnesty International which urged Riyadh to withdraw its threat. Yesterday the London-based human rights watchdog criticised the latest arrests. ÒThis cat and mouse game authorities in Saudi Arabia are playing is, simply, outrageous,Ó said Philip Luther, Amnesty's director for the Middle East and North Africa. ÒInstead of persecuting peaceful protesters, what the Saudi authorities should do is listen to their demands and release all those held solely for exercising their human rights.Ó Amnesty said yesterday's protesters were seeking the release of Òmore than 50 women and childrenÓ detained after a similar demonstration two days earlier. The women and children Òwere demanding the release of their relatives, incarcerated without charge or trial or beyond the end of their sentences,Ó said the watchdog. Some of the women also called for the sacking of the interior minister of the country where Òcriticism of the state is not tolerated,Ó it added. A wave of deadly Al-Qaeda attacks in the kingdom between 2003 and 2006 prompted a Saudi crackdown that drove out the local branch of the group that was founded by the late Saudi-born Osama bin Laden. An independent Saudi rights organization says there are about 30,000 political prisoners in the Gulf kingdom, a charge Riyadh denies, saying there are none.

TED Talks take wing online as enclave ends

Long Beach(California), Mar 2 - As a week of mind-bending TED Conference talks ranging from animal necrophilia to fighting poverty ended, inspiring presentations from the renowned gathering were spreading. Video of punk rock icon Amanda Palmer's on-stage pitch for making music free and trusting fans to step up as patrons logged more than 120,000 views at ted.com within hours of being posted that morning. An online clip of Sugata Mitra describing his million-dollar TED Prize winning vision for children learning at schools in the Internet cloud had topped 236,000 views at the non-profit organization's website. ÒThe energy and money that comes out of this conference is what makes the rest possible,Ó TED curator Chris Anderson said as the annual gathering of the brilliant, accomplished, and creative came to a close in Long Beach, California. ÒWhatever piece it is that captures your imagination, I hope you join us in taking it further.Ó What began in 1984 as an intimate gathering of influential figures from the worlds of technology, entertainment and design (TED), the annual event was turned into a global platform for Òideas worth spreadingÓ after being taken over by Anderson's nonprofit Sapling Foundation. Those taking the stage at TED gatherings are urged to pack the talk of their lives into 18 minutes, with video of presentations made available free online. The annual invitation-only conference has sold out every year, despite ticket prices rising to $7,500 each. The roster of longtime ÒTedstersÓ includes celebrities, rock stars, Nobel Prize winners, and Internet titans. Oscar-winning actor and film producer Ben Affleck joked of stepping into Òthe Academy Awards for smart peopleÓ when he stepped on stage at TED this week to introduce an orchestra from conflict-ravaged Congo. He noted a TED Talk that day about animal necrophilia and advised Òdon't let that one out if you want to hold on to the smart people Academy AwardsÓ before making a heart-felt plea for help improving conditions in the Congo. TED broadened its search for speakers at the conference, hosting auditions in more than a dozen cities around the world to find people with meaningful perspectives on issues of the day. Topics tackled at the gathering included robots taking on greater roles in society and taking on climate change with ideas such as the shrewd use of livestock grazing to revive desiccated grasslands. TED speakers in their teens told of tapping into knowledge on the Internet to come up with an inexpensive test for pancreatic cancer or find bacteria that dines on plastic pollution in waterways. Famed U2 band front man Bono embraced his inner nerd at TED as he made a case that extreme poverty could be eliminated by the year 2030 with the help of technology. ÒExit the rock star,Ó Bono said. ÒEnter the evidence-based activist. The factavist.Ó TED session themes ranged from disrupting ways we work or live to environmental perils, scientific marvels, stunning artistry, and the human mind. Tedster Peter Gabriel joined one of the Internet's founding fathers, Vint Cerf, to launch a project to build an ÒInterspecies InternetÓ for animals to communicate with us and each other. The Long Beach gathering could be TED's final bow in California, with next year's conference slated to take place in Vancouver. A TED Global event is being held in Scotland in June.