Subject: Daily News Clips 3/7/14
From: "Sam Losow" <[email-masked]>
To: "undisclosed-recipients:"
Date: Fri, 7 Mar 2014 10:03:13 -0500

*National News:*

*Obama calls Crimea's referendum on leaving Ukraine illegal*
President Obama said Thursday that Crimean lawmakers' decision to hold a
referendum on breaking away from Ukraine to join
Russia<http://theweek.com/article/index/257534/russias-ukraine-invasion-is-a-moral-crisis>
violated
their country's constitution as well as international law. Crimea's
legislature defiantly pressed ahead with the plan, and Russia made a show
of force by starting what it said were already scheduled military drills.
Earlier in the day, the U.S. announced sanctions against some Russian and
Ukrainian officials. [*The New York
Times*<http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/07/world/europe/ukraine.html?hp&_r=0>
]
..........................................................................................

*Massachusetts lawmakers ban upskirting*
The Massachusetts legislature passed a law Thursday banning "upskirting,"
or secretly snapping photos up a woman's skirt. The vote came a day after
the state's highest court ruled that a law criminalizing voyeurism did not
apply to upskirting. Gov. Deval Patrick has publicly promised to sign the
bill. "We must make sure that the law protects women from these kind of
frightening and degrading acts," House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo said.
[CNN<http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/06/us/massachusetts-upskirt-ban/>
]
..........................................................................................

*Military sexual assault bill fails to clear the Senate*
The Senate on Thursday rejected a bill proposed by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand
(D-N.Y.) that would have removed commanders from decisions on prosecuting
cases of sexual assault in the
military<http://theweek.com/article/index/244169/can-the-military-solve-its-sexual-assault-crisis>.
The measure fell five votes short of the 60 needed to overcome a
filibuster. Ten Republicans, including Sens. Ted Cruz and Rand Paul, backed
the bill, but ten Democrats, including defense hawks Carl Levin and Claire
McCaskill, opposed it.
[*Politico*<http://www.politico.com/story/2014/03/senate-military-sexual-assault-vote-104372.html>
]
..........................................................................................

*Grocery chains merge in $9 billion deal*
Cerberus Capital Management agreed to buy Safeway, the nation's second
largest grocer, for $9 billion on Thursday. Cerberus plans to merge the
chain with Albertson's, which it bought from SuperValu last year. The deal
faces one remaining hurdle, though. Kroger, the country's biggest grocery
chain, is considering making a competing bid for Safeway. Kroger outbid
Cerberus for Harris Teeter last year.
[*Forbes*<http://www.forbes.com/sites/briansolomon/2014/03/06/cerberus-buys-safeway-merges-it-with-albertsons-for-over-9-billion/>
]
..........................................................................................

*Texas abortion clinics close due to new restrictions*
Two more abortion clinics closed in Texas on Thursday evening, the latest
in a wave that began after the legislature passed tough restrictions last
year. Forty-four Texas facilities performed abortions in 2011. Now there
are 24, and the number could fall to as low as six. The closings have left
women in the poorest part of the state without access to legal abortion.
Abortion opponents said the shuttered facilities offered sub-standard care.
[*The New York Times*<http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/07/us/citing-new-texas-rules-abortion-provider-is-shutting-last-clinics-in-2-regions.html>
]
..........................................................................................

*Apple loses a round in smartphone legal war*
Samsung won the latest skirmish in its feud with Apple, when a judge on
Thursday rejected Apple's request for a ban on U.S. sales of some older
Samsung smartphone models. U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh said Apple had not
produced enough evidence to support its argument that its patented
features, such as

..........................................................................................
E-Cigarettes Don't Discourage Smoking Among
Teens<http://time.com/14260/e-cigarettes-dont-discourage-smoking-among-teens/>
Adolescents who use e-cigarettes are more likely to smoke other tobacco
products and regular cigarettes. The researchers surveyed 17,353 middle and
high school students in 2011, and 22,529 young people in 2012 as part of
the National Youth Tobacco Survey.

Youth who reported ever using e-cigarettes or currently using them had a
greater likelihood of experimenting with regular cigarettes, smoking on a
regular basis, or being a current cigarette smoker. Among young people who
had used tobacco cigarettes, trying an e-cigarette was linked to being an
established smoker. The researchers also found that teens who used
e-cigarettes were more likely to want to quit smoking the next year, but
they were also less likely to abstain from cigarettes all together.

..........................................................................................
Half of Millennials are
Independents<http://politicalwire.com/archives/2014/03/07/half_of_millennials_are_independents.html>Pew
Research<http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2014/03/07/millennials-in-adulthood/>:
"The Millennial generation is forging a distinctive path into adulthood.
Now ranging in age from 18 to 33, they are relatively unattached to
organized politics and religion, linked by social media, burdened by debt,
distrustful of people, in no rush to marry-- and optimistic about the
future."

Most interesting: 50% of Millennials now describe themselves as political
independents and 29% say they are not affiliated with any religion.

..........................................................................................
U.S. Economy Adds 175,000 Jobs, and Unemployment Rate Rises to
6.7%<http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/08/business/us-releases-february-jobs-data.html?ref=business>
The American economy added 175,000 jobs last month, a pace that was better
than economists had expected and well above the anemic job gains recorded
in December and January.

Still, the latest figures for hiring were down from the average of 189,000
over the past 12 months and fell a bit short of what policy makers had been
hoping to see at this stage of the recovery. The unemployment rate rose 0.1
percentage point to 6.7 percent.

The February report by the Labor Department had been eagerly awaited and
was viewed as a wild card, with economists struggling to estimate the
impact of wintry weather in many parts of the country as well as seasonal
adjustments by government statisticians.

*2016 Presidential News:*

Half of Millennials are
Independents<http://politicalwire.com/archives/2014/03/07/half_of_millennials_are_independents.html>Pew
Research<http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2014/03/07/millennials-in-adulthood/>:
"The Millennial generation is forging a distinctive path into adulthood.
Now ranging in age from 18 to 33, they are relatively unattached to
organized politics and religion, linked by social media, burdened by debt,
distrustful of people, in no rush to marry-- and optimistic about the
future."

Most interesting: 50% of Millennials now describe themselves as political
independents and 29% say they are not affiliated with any religion.

*Opinion:*

Natural Gas as a Diplomatic
Tool<http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/07/opinion/natural-gas-as-a-diplomatic-tool.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss>

The Obama administration should use exports as a component of a broader
energy strategy to undercut Russia's influence over Ukraine.

..........................................................................................
Keeping Your Insurance
Policy<http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/07/opinion/keeping-your-insurance-policy.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss>

A political maneuver allows people to renew their plans, but will they want
to?

*DE News:*

*Delaware health insurance sign-ups rose in Feb.*

6,994 Delawareans had signed up since enrollment started Oct. 1, a 38
percent increase from January.

21 percent of enrollees are between the ages of 18-34. The national average
is about 25 percent.

DOVER - A top representative of Delaware's business community said Thursday
some employers will stop offering health insurance to workers because of
ongoing problems they encounter as they try to plan for requirements of the
Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

And, he predicted, the national fallout from that turbulence will be felt
increasingly as the 2014 election season unfolds.

Rich Heffron, acting president of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce,
said the chamber's insurance broker is advising it to drop insurance
coverage for its employees, offering them a lump sum instead to help them
pay for coverage elsewhere.

That will save the chamber money, but in the long run it could mean a steep
increase in costs for his employees, he said. Other business owners are
exploring similar options for 2015, he said.

"And if that happens, I wouldn't want to be a Democrat running for
re-election," he said.

Employers are taxed for each person covered by policies they provide to
their employees and, after next year, could face tax penalties if they
offer insurance their employees can't afford, forcing them into a
government plan.

Many business owners aren't sure how to plan, provide competitive benefits
for their employees or make ends meet with the new costs they expect.

Heffron made his observations during Thursday's meeting of the Delaware
Health Care Commission, where state Secretary of Health and Social Services
Rita Landgraf revealed the most recent enrollment figures for the new
insurance plans known as Obamacare.

Through February, 6,994 Delawareans had signed up for one of the new plans
since enrollment started Oct. 1, she said, a 38 percent increase from
January.

And overall, 9,162 people have new coverage, when you include those now
added to the Medicaid rolls under expanded eligibility guidelines.

The Affordable Care Act was inspired by efforts to make health care
accessible to millions who could not afford it or qualify for it because of
a pre-existing medical condition.

"It's too early to say that it did not work," Landgraf said after the
commission meeting. "We continue to see positive momentum between Medicaid
expansion and purchasing off the marketplace," she said.

She expects a surge as the March 31 enrollment deadline approaches.

"We know there are some significant challenges not only for individuals but
also our business community," she said. "Some employers are very much
concerned. We want to do a deeper dive into that and work with our
congressional delegation relative to the challenges facing the employer
market."

Nick Moriello, an independent broker with Health Insurance Associates,
agreed that small businesses are looking at discontinuing their insurance
plans. He said Delaware has some issues that may be contributing to that
trend - with small group plan rates that are higher for employers than what
their employees would pay if they bought individual policies on their own.

The state's initial enrollment goal for the new plans was 35,000 of an
estimated 90,000 uninsured residents, a target that was reduced to about
8,000 to align with federal expectations. No one knows how many of the
9,162 new enrollees were uninsured before they found coverage during the
enrollment period.

The enrollment process was crippled by profound technical difficulties in
the first two months.

State officials are working to draw more young Delawareans into plans, in
an effort to build financial support. But so far, just 21 percent of
enrollees are between the ages of 18-34. The national average is about 25
percent, according to figures released by Landgraf.

Heffron said the program can't be sustained without young subscribers who
don't need to draw on its resources as often as older Delawareans. Insurers
will have to bump up premiums.

"Is the government already looking for subsidies for the insurers?" he said.

And companies who drop insurance only to have their employees apply for
Medicaid or a marketplace plan are adding new pressures to the
government-backed system.

"It needs more than a tweak," Heffron said. "Nothing is going to happen
before the election, but it will be an issue - and it will be an issue in
Delaware."

..........................................................................................

*Treasurer Flowers announces re-election bid*
Embattled state Treasurer Chip Flowers formally announced his bid for
re-election on Thursday.

"Without question, the State Treasurer's primary responsibility is to
manage and protect our state's $2 billion portfolio," Flowers said in a
written statement. "By standing up for change, the Treasury made over $44
million for Delaware, took major actions to protect our portfolio in a
tough economic climate and showed that by rewarding merit and encouraging
high performance, we can make a positive difference in the lives of the
people of Delaware."

Flowers, a Democrat, filed paperwork to seek a second term with Delaware's
Election Commissioner on Wednesday. Flowers was first elected in 2010 and
his first term has been marked by controversy.

Since last year, Flowers been under fire by his own party over questions
about inappropriate credit card and travel spending out of his office, and
clashes between himself, Gov. Jack Markell and the volunteer board tasked
with managing a $2 billion taxpayer portfolio.

His troubled relationship with the state's Cash Management Policy Board
came to fore last month after Markell signed legislation that limits
Flowers' ability to manage the state's cash portfolio.

House Democrat leadership slammed Flowers during committee hearings on the
legislation, criticizing Flowers' dealings with the board. He shot back at
leadership, saying he trying to watch out for the state's taxpayers and is
wading through "uncomfortable" situations with the board.

"Our ideas have made millions for the state while maintaining the safety of
our funds and I will continue standing up for a brighter future for all
Delawareans," Flowers said in the release.

Flowers has invested heavily in his bid for reelection, having relied on
more than $650,000 in personal loans since 2009 to campaign for a state
office that paid him a salary of $113,374 last year. He raised only $38,000
from supporters last year, but insisted that his reliance on self-funding
is not an indication of a lack of political support.

Flowers faces a challenge in the primary from Sean Barney, a former adviser
to Markell and U.S. Sen. Tom Carper. He also has a Republican challenger in
Ken Simpler, a former hedge manager.

-- 
Sam Losow
*Finance Assistant*
Beau Biden, DE Attorney General
Office: (302) 295-8340
Cell: (202) 821-3399
[email-masked]