Survey of Success Factors for Cross-selling Investment and Insurance Products at Financial Institutions in the United States
Source: Bank Insurance & Securities Association (BISA)

The Bank Insurance & Securities Association (BISA), in conjunction with Truebridge has conducted a survey which studied cross selling investment and insurance products at financial institutions in the United States. This research probed several dimensions of the cross selling environment across different areas within financial institutions including managers and investment / insurance sales people.

The results reveal what participants feel are the most important factors to successful cross selling and how their institution is delivering on those factors. It also identifies the differences in how these success factors are ranked between managers and sales people and what action steps would most improve cross selling.

+ Survey Results
Free registration required.

Entering the Home Stretch: Media Bureau Releases Report on the Status of TV Broadcasters at the Final Six Months of the Digital Television Transition (PDF; 121 KB)
Source: Federal Communications Commission

A report on the status of the digital build out byfull power television broadcasters by the FCC’s Media Bureau shows that over 96 percent of active full power television stations are either fully operational with digital service or are on track to have their full digital service operational by February17, 2009. In summarystations have reported the following:

• 1,002 stations (56 percent of a current total of 1,798 active television stations) reported in their Form 387s that they have fully constructed their post-transition DTV facilities and are ready for the DTV transition. The onlystep remaining for these stations is to terminate analog operations before February 18, 2009.
• 41 percent of stations (736) have not completed construction yet butreport making appropriate progress and expect to be operating their full digital service before February 18.
• Approximatelythree percent (56 stations) will take advantage of the flexibilityoffered by the Commission in the Third DTV Periodic Review Report and Orderand will be serving at least 85 percent of their service population on February17, 2009, with final digital operations beginning sometime thereafter. The flexibilityis available for stations needing additional time due to “unique technical challenges,” such as top mount/side mount, weather-related issues, or coordination with other stations.
• One station forecasts that it will not be able to complete construction of its full digital facilityuntil a few days after February17, 2009 and will be dark for this brief time.
• Three stations have not submitted their Form 387s but have unofficiallyreported that theyintend to be ready for the DTV transition.

+ Full Report (PDF; 1.2 MB)

An HIV Vaccine — Challenges and Prospects
Source: New England Journal of Medicine

Selected Obstacles to HIV-Vaccine Development and Their Implications.
+ Obstacles

• The window of opportunity for the immune system to clear the initial infection is narrow, since HIV integrates and establishes latent infection within days or weeks.
• Destruction of CD4+ T cells begins early after infection.
• Enormous genetic diversity and mutations that occur with replication enable HIV to avoid immune surveillance.
• Conserved antibody targets on the outer envelope protein are “hidden” from immune recognition.

+ Implications

• Rational, empirical approaches to vaccine development have not been successful to date.
• Fundamental questions regarding HIV disease and the host response to the virus need to be answered.
• Fresh new ideas beyond the scope of classic vaccinology are urgently needed.

See also: The AIDS Epidemic — A Progress Report from Mexico City

Medicare providers remain satisfied with fee-for-service contractors
Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (HHS)

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reported today that Medicare health care providers continue to be satisfied with services provided by Medicare fee-for-service contractors showing a relatively smooth transition to the new Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs).

The average score based on a satisfaction survey across all contractors was 4.51 on a scale of 1 to 6. This year’s average score was comparable to last year’s average score of 4.56.

The Medicare Contractor Provider Satisfaction Survey (MCPSS), conducted by CMS for the third year, is designed to gather and report objective, quantifiable data on provider satisfaction with the fee-for-service contractors who process and pay Medicare claims.

In 2007, more than one billion claims were processed and paid to approximately one million health care providers who provided medically necessary items and services to 44 million beneficiaries.

+ 2008 Fact Sheet - August 2008 (PDF; 25 KB)
+ 2008 Survey Results Report - August 2008 (PDF; 417 KB)
+ 2008 MCPSS Questionnaire – Sample (PDF; 200 KB)

Bankruptcy Filings Near Million Mark for 12-Month Period Ending June 30, 2008
Source: U.S. Courts

In the 12-month period ending June 30, 2008, there were 967,831 bankruptcy cases filed, according to statistics released today by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. That is a 28.9 percent increase compared to filings for the 12-month period ending June 30, 2007, when cases totaled 751,056.
…
Additional statistics released today include business and non-business filings for the 12-month period ending June 30, 2008, a comparison of June 2007 and 2008 filings, 3rd quarter filings, monthly filings for the 12-month period ending June 30, and filings per capita.

Tables in PDF or xls.

Obama’s No Joke to Late-Nite TV Comics; Trails McCain, Bush and Hillary in Humor Race But Obama Rules on Comedy Central
Source: Center for Media and Public Affairs

Barack Obama still lags far behind Hillary Clinton and John McCain as the most joked-about presidential candidate in opening monologues by hosts on the late-night TV talk shows, according to a new study by the Center for Media and Public Affairs. However, the study finds that Obama attracted the most jokes on Comedy Central’s “fake news” shows. (The study period does not include recent revelations about Senator John Edwards’ sexual indiscretions.)

Police Chiefs Call on Next President to Do More to Protect America’s Hometowns
Source: International Association of Chiefs of Police

Because every 22.2 seconds, an American is a victim of a violent crime, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) is calling on the next president of the United States to establish immediately—during his first 100 days in office—a National Commission on criminal justice and homeland security. The Commission, the first of its kind since 1965, would be charged with conducting a comprehensive review of the criminal justice system, and would be required to provide the nation with a strategic plan to guide public safety and homeland security efforts in the years ahead. This Commission, along with other recommendations, is outlined in the IACP’s new report titled To Protect and Defend: The Public Safety and Homeland Security Challenges Facing the Next President.
…
To Protect and Defend identifies several key areas that the nation’s law enforcement executives believe are most in need of immediate action. These include:

• Reducing Violent Crime
• Addressing Gang Violence and Gang Migration
• Reducing Firearms Violence
• Combating Illegal Narcotics
• Securing the Borders/Enhancing Federal Immigration Enforcement
• Focusing on Terrorism Prevention
• Promoting Intelligence and Information Sharing
• Adopting a Broad-Based Homeland Security Strategy
• Protecting Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

+ Full Document (PDF; 106 KB)

Prevention and Control of Influenza: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), 2008
Source: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (CDC)

This report updates the 2007 recommendations by CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) regarding the use of influenza vaccine and antiviral agents (CDC. Prevention and control of influenza: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices [ACIP]. MMWR 2007;56[No. RR-6]). The 2008 recommendations include new and updated information. Principal updates and changes include 1) a new recommendation that annual vaccination be administered to all children aged 5–18 years, beginning in the 2008–09 influenza season, if feasible, but no later than the 2009–10 influenza season; 2) a recommendation that annual vaccination of all children aged 6 months through 4 years (59 months) continue to be a primary focus of vaccination efforts because these children are at higher risk for influenza complications compared with older children; 3) a new recommendation that either trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine or live, attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) be used when vaccinating healthy persons aged 2 through 49 years (the previous recommendation was to administer LAIV to person aged 5–49 years); 4) a recommendation that vaccines containing the 2008–09 trivalent vaccine virus strains A/Brisbane/59/2007 (H1N1)-like, A/Brisbane/10/2007 (H3N2)-like, and B/Florida/4/2006-like antigens be used; and, 5) new information on antiviral resistance among influenza viruses in the United States. Persons for whom vaccination is recommended are listed in boxes 1 and 2. These recommendations also include a summary of safety data for U.S. licensed influenza vaccines. This report and other information are available at CDC’s influenza website (http://www.cdc.gov/flu), including any updates or supplements to these recommendations that might be required during the 2008–09 influenza season. Vaccination and health-care providers should be alert to announcements of recommendation updates and should check the CDC influenza website periodically for additional information.

New Report on Eve of Katrina Anniversary Details Roadblocks to Gulf Coast Recovery
Source: Oxfam America

Three years after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast a new report from international relief and development organization Oxfam America launched at a round table at the Democratic National Convention reveals the low pace of “getting back to normal” in the region and urges the next Administration to make the region’s recovery a national priority.

Oxfam’s report, “Mirror on America: How the state of Gulf Coast recovery reflects on us all,” comes just days before the anniversary of one of the most devastating natural disasters in American history and a week before a September 5 deadline for Louisiana residents to apply to the state’s Road Home program for assistance. With the passing of this deadline, thousands of residents in that state will no longer be able to receive needed assistance so that they can return home.

+ Full Report (PDF; 1.1 MB)

Study Links California Hospitalizations to Hotter Weather
Source: Natural Resources Defense Council

Rising temperatures have already impacted the health of thousands of Californians, according to a paper in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP), written by scientists at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). “The 2006 California Heat Wave: Impacts on Hospitalizations and Emergency Department Visits,” describes the enormous health impacts of California’s severe heat wave in 2006. According to a separate analysis by NRDC, these impacts were estimated to have cost California $133 million in health-related costs. More intense, more frequent and longer duration heat waves are projected for California in the coming decades due to global warming.
…
Researchers found that hospital and emergency room visits skyrocketed during a severe heat wave in July 15 – August 1, 2006, resulting in more than 140 confirmed heat-related deaths. During the heat wave, more than 16,000 additional emergency department (ED) visits and nearly 1,200 additional hospitalizations occurred statewide. The majority of people visiting the hospital during the heat wave reported heat-related illness, fluid imbalance, and kidney ailments.

All across California, people suffered because of the heat wave. The San Francisco area reported a 23-fold increase in ED visits for heat-related illness during the heat wave. The Los Angeles region experienced 5,500 additional ED visits and 200 additional hospitalizations. ED visits for heat-related illnesses increased seven-fold in the Central Valley region (including Sacramento) and heat-related hospitalizations increased 17-fold.

Heat waves can be especially harmful to health among the most vulnerable, including children and people age 65 and older. For example, among older California residents, a more than 14-fold increase in the number of heat-related hospitalizations occurred. ED visits also increased for a wide range of other illnesses – including diabetes, kidney and cardiovascular disease – and put many Californians at heightened risk.

+ Cost of excess hospitalizations and emergency department visits for the 2006 California heat wave (PDF; 170 KB)

Voices of Alzheimer’s Disease: Summary Report on the Nationwide Town Hall Meetings for People with Early Stage Dementia (PDF: 1.8 MB)
Source: Alzheimer’s Association

Hundreds of people living in the early stage of Alzheimer’s stated that the stigma associated with the disease is one of their top concerns during town hall meetings that the Alzheimer’s Association held across the nation. The Alzheimer’s Association released “Voices of Alzheimer’s Disease: Summary Report on the Nationwide Town Hall Meetings for People with Early Stage Dementia” at the 16th annual Dementia Care Conference.

Troubling New Data On U.S. Household Incomes, Health Care Coverage, And Poverty Indicate Families Continue To Experience Tough Economic Times
Source: U.S. Congress, Joint Economic Committee

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer and Representative Carolyn B. Maloney, Chairman and Vice-Chair of the Joint Economic Committee (JEC) released statements in reaction to today’s troubling new data from the U.S. Census Bureau on household incomes, health care coverage, and poverty. While wages have risen slightly from 2006 to 2007 and fewer families are without health insurance coverage, over 30 million Americans are still living in poverty. More importantly, in the last seven years, the vast majority of Americans’ incomes are down, more families are going without health insurance, and millions more are living in poverty.

Recent Trends in Home Prices: Differences across Mortgage and Borrower Characteristics (PDF; 252 KB)
Source: Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO)

This Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO) research paper analyzes differences in recent price trends for homes with different types of financing and borrower characteristics. The work follows preliminary research published in January that uncovered relative price weakness for homes not purchased with Enterprise-financed mortgages. This paper is part of OFHEO’s ongoing effort to enhance public understanding of the nation’s housing finance system. The paper was prepared by Andrew Leventis of the Office of Policy Analysis and Research. Patrick J. Lawler, Robert S. Seiler Jr., Jesse Weiher, and Bob Collender provided helpful comments.

Opium cultivation in Afghanistan down by a fifth
Source: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

Released today, UNODC’s Afghanistan Opium Survey 2008 shows a 19% decrease in opium cultivation to 157,000 hectares, compared to the record harvest of 193,000 in 2007. Owing to a higher yield of 48.8 kg/ha (up from 42.5 kg in 2007), opium production has dropped less dramatically, down 6% from 8,200 to 7,700.

According to the report, the number of opium-free provinces has increased by almost 50% since last year, from 13 to 18. Indeed, 98% of the opium is grown in just seven provinces in the south-west (Hilmand, Kandahar, Uruzgan, Farah, Nimroz, and to a lesser extent Daykundi and Zabul), where there are permanent Taliban settlements and organized crime groups profit from insecurity.

The distinct geographical overlap between regions of opium production and zones of insurgency shows the inextricable link between drugs and conflict.

The report attributes the decrease in cultivation to good local leadership assisted by bad weather.

+ Full Report (PDF; 2.1 MB)
+ Map (PDF; 681 KB)

Parents in Prison and Their Minor Children
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics

Presents data from the 2004 Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities about inmates who were parents and their minor children. This report compares estimates of the number of incarcerated parents and their children under the age of 18, by gender, age, race, and Hispanic origin in state and federal prisons in 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, and 2007. It presents the total number of children who were minors at some time during their parent’s incarceration. The report describes selected background characteristics of parents in prisons, including marital status, citizenship, education, offense type, criminal history, employment, prior experiences of homelessness, drug and alcohol involvement, mental health, and physical and sexual abuse. It provides family background of inmate parents including household makeup, public assistance received by household, drug and alcohol use, and incarceration of family members. It includes information on the children’s daily care, financial support, current caregivers, and frequency and type of contact with incarcerated parents.

+ Full Report (PDF; 175 KB)