Girl Gossip Shopping

NEW YORK (AP) — Young New Yorkers who want to light up will soon have to wait for their 21st birthdays before they can buy a pack of smokes after lawmakers in the nation’s most populous city voted overwhelmingly to raise the tobacco-purchasing age from 18 to 21.

The City Council’s vote Wednesday makes New York the biggest city to bar cigarette sales to 19- and 20-year-olds, and one of only a few places throughout the United States that have tried to stymie smoking among young people by raising the purchasing age. The council also approved a bill that sets a minimum $ 10.50-a-pack price for tobacco cigarettes and steps up law enforcement on illegal tobacco sales.

“We know that tobacco dependence can begin very soon after a young person first tries smoking so it’s critical that we stop young people from smoking before they ever start,” Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a statement after the council’s vote.

Bloomberg, a strong supporter of tough smoking restrictions, has 30 days to sign the bills into law. The minimum age bill will take effect 180 days after enactment.

The city’s current age limit is 18, a federal minimum that’s standard in many places. Smoking in city parks and beaches already is prohibited as it is in restaurants.

Advocates say higher age limits help prevent, or at least delay, young people from taking up a habit that remains the leading cause of preventable deaths nationwide.

But cigarette manufacturers have suggested young adult smokers may just turn to black-market merchants. And some smokers say it’s unfair and patronizing to tell people considered mature enough to vote and serve in the military that they’re not old enough to decide whether to smoke.

“New York City already has the highest cigarette tax rate and the highest cigarette smuggling rate in the country,” said Bryan D. Hatchell , a spokesman for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, which makes Camel and other brands. “Those go hand in hand and this new law will only make the problem worse.”

Another anti-smoking initiative pushed by the Bloomberg administration was previously shelved ahead of Wednesday’s vote: forcing stores to keep cigarettes out of public view until a customer asks for them.

Newsstand clerk Ali Hassen, who sells cigarettes daily to a steady stream of customers from nearby office buildings, said he didn’t know if the new age restrictions would do any good.

While he wouldn’t stop vigilantly checking identification to verify customers’ age, Hassen doubted the new rules would thwart determined smokers.

“If somebody wants to smoke, they’re going to smoke,” he said.

Similar legislation to raise the purchasing age is expected to come to a vote in Hawaii this December. The tobacco-buying age is 21 in Needham, Mass., and is poised to rise to 21 in January in nearby Canton, Mass. The state of New Jersey also is considering a similar proposal.

“It just makes it harder for young people to smoke,” said smoker Stephen McGorry, 25, who started lighting up at 19. He added that had the age been 21 when he took up the habit, “I guarantee I wouldn’t be smoking today.”

• Politics & Government
• Health
• Michael Bloomberg

Chon Buri governor Khomsan Ekkachai had instructed Bang Lamung district to announce the new regulations and notify business operators earlier this month.

Bang Lamung district chief Sakchai Taeng-hor, Tuesday led 50 Territorial Defence officials, excise officials and Pattaya police to inspect service venues for the illegal selling of such items – prohibited in accordance with the Liquor Act BE 2493 and the Tobacco Act BE 2509.

Sakchai said they found most venues observed the regulations, while those who insisted on selling the prohibited items were warned and had their offence recorded.

The Nation

Social media is the great equalizer. It provides unprecedented access to the smallest of players and gives them the ability to sound off, connect and drive business. It turns anyone with a smartphone, computer and Internet access a marketer. The only question is the one that most can’t answer; how do I actually do it?

The answer isn’t complicated when you get down to the nuts and bolts of using social media. Take Twitter. I was interviewed by CNN two weeks ago and the producer for the segment asked me about my new book and some other things related to my background. He told me about his own current book project and I shared some insights into what he might do to be successful in launching it. “Sho,” which is his real name, tweeted me shortly after I left and thanked me for the advice I provided. He didn’t email me, but instead found my Twitter handle and sent me a direct message.

Since that encounter a couple of weeks ago, we have been having an ongoing conversation on Twitter. He doesn’t have my cell phone, yet we can text back and forth in real time just as you would do with a real text message on the phone — one on one, but also one on one to many. That’s the beauty of Twitter. My 3,000-plus followers are able to see the conversations I’m having, since they are public, but they can just as easily be private messages. I just choose to make them public.

That’s a one-on-one example from somebody who actually met me. What about someone whom I’ve never met? Use a hashtag (#) to find people based on information they have shared on Twitter. For instance, let’s say you are looking to connect with people who are well versed about Hanoi in Vietnam.  You could simply input #Hanoi on Twitter and the most recent posts from people who have used that hashtag show up. I did this myself on my last trip there a year and half ago. 

Indeed, I discovered many different individuals who knew about specific destinations and started to have one-on-one conversations with them. I was literally able to “find” people based on the conversations they were having about a place I was interested in. They were able to provide insights and ideas for a trip that was going to take place, and I had never even met them. That’s the power of Twitter and another reason why you should be on it.

At its roots, Twitter is a personalized search engine that returns results based on that # symbol. Instead of a web page, you get someone’s musings or thoughts or shared information. A lot of it is junk, but then again so is much of the web in general. By searching based on your criteria, you can bypass that junk and get to the conversations that matter.

Creating a conversation is what social media is all about.  My “aha” moment with Twitter came when I associated its platform with texting. It was like, “duh, now I get it.”

It used to cost tens of millions of dollars to build a brand or get noticed, but social media platforms have changed the game. You can now effectively build a brand with little to no investment, other than your time. Understanding only comes with experimentation. It’s time to step into the social media laboratory.   

By Carey Gillam

(Reuters) – A lobbying group for major U.S. food manufacturers continues to run afoul of campaign finance laws in the way that it has contributed funds to block a measure that would require labeling of genetically modified foods in Washington state, according to a statement issued Wednesday by the state’s attorney general.

State Attorney General Bob Ferguson said he will amend a lawsuit filed October 16 to raise the total amount he alleges the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) illegally concealed to $ 11 million, from the $ 7.2 million in the original complaint.

GMA represents some of the world’s largest food and beverage companies and is lobbying heavily against the measure known as I-522 that is set for a public vote in Washington state on November 5. GMA is the largest contributor to the “No on 522″ campaign.

The I-522 requires labeling of foods that are made with genetically altered crops as well as labeling of genetically engineered seeds and seed products sold in the state.

This measure would be the first of its kind in the United States and both the food industry and biotech seed companies, including Monsanto and DuPont, have poured roughly $ 22 million into a campaign to defeat it.

The attorney general earlier alleged that the GMA illegally collected and spent more than $ 7 million while shielding the identity of its contributors. After the suit was filed, the GMA registered its political committee on October 18 and produced information about a portion of its member contributions.

But the attorney general said Wednesday that $ 3.8 million in contributions appear to have been collected by the GMA from its members before it registered a political action committee, and the contributions were not reported when it submitted its disclosure documents on October 18.

“These contributions increase the total amount the GMA received and expended on electoral activity in Washington without timely registering as political committee and reporting the full amount of contributions collected,” the attorney general’s office said in a statement.

GMA officials said in a statement that it has provided “full transparency” to voters in regard to contributions made.

“Every single GMA contribution to the campaign and the original source of those funds (including detailed lists of companies and dollar amounts) has been reported to the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission,” the group said.

The Yes on 522 campaign, which is pushing for labeling of GMO foods, repeated allegations that the food and biotech seed industry is trying to unfairly “buy” the election.

“It is clear that the GMA … broke the law. Not once but multiple times now,” said Delana Jones, campaign manager for Yes on 522.

As of Tuesday, proponents of labeling had raised roughly $ 6.8 million, compared to about $ 22 million raised by opponents, according to the Washington Public Disclosure Commission.

(Editing by Himani Sarkar)

• Elections
• Politics & Government
• GMA

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Family of late soul singer Marvin Gaye sued R&B recording artists Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams for copyright infringement on Wednesday, accusing them of stealing from the Motown legend’s musical composition for the hit single “Blurred Lines.”

The suit was filed as a counter-claim to a case brought preemptively by Thicke and Williams in August seeking a court ruling to establish that “Blurred Lines” did not infringe on Gaye’s rights to his 1977 hit, “Got to Give it Up,” as members of his family had said publicly.

The suit by three of Gaye’s children cited excerpts of magazine interviews given by Thicke to support their contention that he had admitted to drawing on “Got to Give it Up” when producing and recording “Blurred Lines.”

Thicke sang the raunchy, percussive R&B song, which topped song charts around the world this year and ranked as the biggest U.S. pop hit of the summer, at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards in a provocative performance featuring pop singer Miley Cyrus.

Gaye’s daughter, Nona Marvisa Gaye, and his sons Frankie Christian Gaye and Marvin Gaye III also said in the suit that Thicke’s 2011 song “Love After War” amounted to “unlawful copying” of Gaye’s 1976 song “After the Dance.”

Their lawsuit also named Thicke’s wife, actress Paula Patton, who collaborated with her husband on “Love After War,” along with Interscope Records, Universal Music Group Recordings and Sony/ATV Music, among others.

The suit further accuses EMI, which also happens to manage the copyrights for Gaye’s music, of breach of contract and trust agreements.

The family is seeking damages of up to $ 150,000 per infringement as well as a portion of the profits from the success of “Blurred Lines” and “Love After War.”

(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Steve Gorman and Eric Walsh)

• Arts & Entertainment
• Celebrities
• Robin Thicke
• Pharrell Williams

By Susan Heavey

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Many young athletes still do not admit when they have suffered a head injury despite increased awareness about the risks of concussions in children and teenagers, U.S. health advisers said on Wednesday, urging sports leagues and government agencies to take more action.

Various groups have tried to raise awareness about the seriousness of brain injuries, and sports leagues have implemented rule changes aimed at preventing them. Professional leagues, including the National Football League, are also wrestling with the issue amid complaints from some players about long-term impacts on the brain.

But there is still not enough data on how to prevent and treat them, the experts said in an analysis of sports-related concussions in young athletes from the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council. (Report: http://r.reuters.com/xus34v)

“Despite the increased attention, however, confusion and controversy persist in many areas,” panelists said the report, which was sponsored by several government agencies along with $ 75,000 from the NFL.

Overall, studies show youth concussions occur at higher rates in certain sports, during competition rather than practice and among girls, the 17-member panel concluded.

Most recovery plans call for athletes with concussions to rest, but “current research does not indicate a standard or universal level and duration of rest needed,” panelists added.

In 2009, U.S. hospitals treated 250,000 youth for sports-related concussions and other brain injuries, up from 150,000 in 2001, according to the report, which analyzed all available studies and data on 5- to 21-year-olds.

It was unclear if concussions are on the rise or whether increased awareness had prompted greater diagnoses, the report added. Reporting differences and other factors may also help explain why data show higher rates among girls, it said.

Still, many cases go unreported.

For Hannah Steenhuysen, a high school soccer goalie in Rehoboth, Massachusetts, it was hard to admit she had been hit too hard with a ball and risk missing out on her favorite sport.

“You don’t tell anyone usually when you get a headache because you don’t want to be out of the game,” she said.

Severe headaches from her second concussion last year took her off the team and left her struggling for months to catch up on assignments.

“I couldn’t watch TV or text or even read – it was really tough,” said Steenhuysen. “When I tried to go back to school, I couldn’t keep up and everything got jumbled in my head.”

CURRENT EFFORTS INADEQUATE

Concussions are a mild form of traumatic brain injury that can cause memory problems, headaches, sensitivity to light, among other symptoms. Mood changes are also a worry, and concerns remain about a possible link to mental illness.

The report urged athletic groups and federal health agencies to gather more data overall, calling current efforts “inadequate.”

Some parents have already taken steps on their own.

Bill and Suzanne Watters of Oakland, New Jersey bought their then 14-year-old son a $ 350 helmet after he suffered a concussion last year during a football game.

They disagree over whether their son should return to the field, but he is playing again this season. “He loves the game, and that’s what he wants to do,” his mother said.

The report said it “found little evidence” that helmets, mouthguards or headbands reduce the risk of concussion.

While much of the attention has centered around American football with its fierce body blows and tackling, other sports also carry risks. Bicycle crashes were the leading cause of mild brain injuries among youth, data showed.

Overall, more male athletes in high schools and college report concussions in football, ice hockey, lacrosse, wrestling and soccer, the report said.

Among similarly aged young women, the highest rates of reported concussions were in soccer, lacrosse and basketball.

With the exception of cheerleading, head injuries were most likely to occur during competition, not practice, the report said.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Daniel Trotta)

• Sports & Recreation
• Health

By Roberta Rampton and David Morgan

BOSTON/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama said on Wednesday that “bad apple” insurance companies, not his signature healthcare law, are to blame for hundreds of thousands of people losing their coverage in the past few weeks.

As administration officials scrambled to fix technical problems on an online insurance marketplace that is central to the success of the Affordable Care Act, Obama blamed private insurers for a separate problem that has critics questioning his honesty.

The president has repeatedly promised that people who are happy with their health plans would not have to change coverage because of the law, known as Obamacare.

But the termination of individual policies has given his Republican opponents additional ammunition to criticize the program they have tried to stop since its inception in Obama’s first term.

Republicans’ assertion that Obama had broken a major promise to the electorate is potentially more damaging than the glitch-ridden website rollout on October 1.

Obama’s approval rating hit a new low in a NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll issued on Wednesday, a result the pollsters attributed to multiple setbacks including the Obamacare problems.

The law requires insurers to offer a higher level of minimum coverage that includes maternity care and mental health treatment, among other benefits. Individuals who do not have policies that meet the new standards may see their coverage canceled at the end of the year, or may find that the monthly payments are beyond what they can afford.

Speaking in Boston, Obama said those who are getting dropped will be able to find new options through the online insurance exchanges, or marketplaces, established under the 2010 law.

“Just shop around in the new marketplace,” he said. “You’re going to get a better deal.”

He also stressed that the law allows Americans to keep bare-bones plans created before the law was signed, as long as insurers did not change or cancel them.

“Remember, before the Affordable Care Act, these bad-apple insurers had free rein every single year to limit the care that you received, or used minor pre-existing conditions to jack up your premiums, or bill you into bankruptcy,” Obama said.

America’s Health Insurance Plans, the national trade group for health insurers, said the law requires coverage beyond what many people choose to purchase currently.

“Health plans want to keep customers,” said group spokesman Robert Zirkelbach in a statement. In notices to customers about changes to their policies, he said, health plans were educating consumers about their options and helping them enroll in coverage “that’s right for them.”

‘A BROKEN HEALTHCARE SYSTEM’

The law is the most sweeping new social program since the creation of Medicare and Medicaid in the 1960s.

It is intended to move the United States closer to the goal of universal care by using market-based mechanisms to deliver affordable insurance to less affluent families that have been priced out by decades of rising healthcare costs.

Obama said he would not allow the country to return to the previous system, which gave insurers wide latitude to refuse coverage to consumers that they did not deem profitable.

“I don’t think we should go back to the daily cruelties and indignities and constant insecurity of a broken healthcare system,” he said.

Technical woes, however, have prevented millions of Americans from exploring those options through the government’s HealthCare.gov portal since it was unveiled.

On Capitol Hill, Obama’s top health official called the debut a “debacle” as she sought to assure skeptical lawmakers at a congressional hearing that the administration would eventually get the portal to work smoothly.

HealthCare.gov was down over the course of the four-hour hearing.

“Hold me accountable for the debacle,” Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee.

“I told the president that we were ready to go. Clearly I was wrong,” she said.

The security of the site was at “high risk” because of a lack of testing before it opened for enrollment, according to a government memorandum reviewed by Reuters.

Sebelius said HHS is conducting weekly security tests to ensure visitors are protected.

She has drawn intense criticism from Republicans, who have called for her or other senior officials to resign. She seemed to survive the high-profile hearing without further damage. A White House spokesman said after the hearing that Obama has “complete confidence” in Sebelius.

Republicans have sought to derail the healthcare overhaul since Obama took office in 2009, culminating in a 16-day government shutdown this month that has cost the U.S. economy an estimated $ 24 billion, according to Standard & Poor’s ratings agency. Republicans say the program is an unwarranted expansion of the federal government.

The website’s woes and insurance plan terminations have given Republicans more ammunition.

“For those who lose the coverage they like, they may also be losing faith in their government,” said Michigan Representative Fred Upton, the Republican who oversaw the hearing.

Several Republican senators introduced legislation that would allow insurers to sell more plans that are not compliant with Obamacare. “One of two things is true here – either President Obama was being dishonest or he was disengaged once again,” Republican Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin said at a news conference.

Despite the drama, the public’s assessment of Obamacare has shifted little over the past months. Gallup reported that 36 percent of Americans believe it will make healthcare in the United States better, while 44 percent think it will make things worse – essentially the same as surveys found in August and June.

But the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll found Obama’s rating fell to just 42 percent of Americans approving of his job performance, down 5 percentage points from earlier this month.

The pollsters attributed the decline to an accumulation of setbacks including allegations of spying by the National Security Agency, the recent government shutdown and the healthcare problems.

GROWING CONCERNS

The growing crisis surrounding Obama’s signature legislative achievement could diminish his influence in Congress and threaten his other priorities like immigration reform signed into law in his remaining three years in office.

U.S. presidents have a limited time to enact their agenda in the second term before they start losing influence as lawmakers start worrying about re-election.

Obama spoke at Boston’s historic Faneuil Hall, where in 2006 then-Governor Mitt Romney, a Republican, signed a state law that served as a model for Obama’s health reforms.

Like Obamacare, that law had a rocky start – state officials delayed some aspects for several months, and the White House says only 123 people signed up in the first month it was available. By the end of the year-long enrollment period, 36,000 had signed up.

The Obama administration likewise expects “a very small number” of people to sign up initially for coverage, Sebelius said. Overall, U.S. officials hope 7 million people sign up in the first year.

The White House has declined to say how many Americans have enrolled so far. It also has asked states that run their own online healthcare exchanges to stop releasing their own data, according to Kevin Counihan, who runs Connecticut’s health site.

“The White House is coordinating this stuff and trying to get states to report when they report — once a month,” Counihan told reporters. “We’ll do it every two weeks.”

(Additional reporting by Susan Heavey, Anna Yukhananov, Steve Holland, Thomas Ferraro, Jim Finkle, Lewis Krauskopf, Caren Bohan, Karey Van Hall and Sharon Begley; Writing by Andy Sullivan; Editing by Ross Colvin, Grant McCool and Tim Dobbyn)

• Health Care Policy
• Politics & Government
• Barack Obama
• Kathleen Sebelius