NFL official: 'Grandmoms' could've made right call

Officials signal a touchdown by Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Golden Tate, obscured, on the last play of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers, Monday, Sept. 24, 2012, in Seattle. The Seahawks won 14-12. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)

Officials signal a touchdown by Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Golden Tate, obscured, on the last play of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers, Monday, Sept. 24, 2012, in Seattle. The Seahawks won 14-12. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)

Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll celebrates a last-second touchdown by wide receiver Golden Tate to defeat the Green Bay Packers 14-12 in an NFL football game, Monday, Sept. 24, 2012, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)

Officials signal after Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Golden Tate pulled in a last-second pass from quarterback Russell Wilson to defeat the Green Bay Packers 14-12 in an NFL football game, Monday, Sept. 24, 2012, in Seattle. The touchdown call stood after review. (AP Photo/The Seattle Times, John Lok) MAGS OUT; NO SALES; SEATTLEPI.COM OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT; USA TODAY OUT; TV OUT

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) ? NFL field judge Boris Cheek said while the league and the regular officials are meeting, he doesn't know if the latest controversial call Monday night in the Green Bay-Seattle game will expedite the end of the lockout.

He said it wasn't a tough call, "our grandmoms sitting at home can probably make that call."

Cheek, an NFL official for 17 years, says the ruling on the game-winning touchdown by Golden Tate was the result of a breakdown in mechanics and communication by the replacement officials.

The call has raised hopes the regular officials will be back soon.

Cheek said the lockout is not "good for the game of football" and the regular officials "want to go to back to work, but it has to be the right deal for 121 guys."

"I've not heard anything at this point," Cheek said when asked if the lockout was nearing an end. "We all want to get back to work and do what we love doing. We're taking it minute by minute and day by day and we're trying to be professionals. ... All I've heard is that they're meeting."

The sense of urgency to get the regular officials back on the field seems to have increased after the replacement crew ruled Tate's touchdown catch as a simultaneous possession, which resulted in the game-winning score.

Replays appeared to show Tate not only got away with offensive pass interference, but also didn't have possession of the football.

"I'm a wide receiver and I've always rooted for a wide receiver, but that wasn't a catch," Carolina's Steve Smith said. "I will just be honest. If he had two hands on the ball, great. But he had one hand slightly on the ball and his left hand is hugging the guy who actually has possession of the ball."

When Cheek was asked about the bad call in Monday night's game, he laughed and said, "Which one?"

Then Cheek addressed the final play, saying he believes the call was the result of a communication breakdown between the officials.

"As a referee we are trained to find out what happened first and then have replays to find out if (what we called) is accurate," Cheek said. "I think it was a lack of communication."

Cheek said the calls are an indication of how valuable regular officials ? who have proven experience working NFL games ? are to the integrity of the league.

"Honestly, those (replacement officials) are in a tough situation out there," Cheek said. "There's no way. ... I mean, it's tough to keep up with the speed of this game with such short training. That is tough. I mean really tough. And that was a big play. But that is why we get paid. We get paid to make those calls. When you are in that arena you have to make that call and make it right.

"That is what distinguishes guys who work Division III, Division I and the NFL."

He hopes that soon all of this talk of a lockout will be a thing of the past and that negotiators can work out the details and he can get back to work.

As of Wednesday afternoon, however, he had not received any word on the possibility of working an NFL game this weekend.

"I don't know what is motivating everyone," Cheek said of the negotiations. "I don't know. I'm not privy to that information. But it's not good for the game of football and the NFL."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-09-26-FBN-NFL-Replacement-Furor-Field-Judge/id-1b9478fc1c934e1991840b9a4a96587b

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Report: Americans feel more confident in economy

In this Monday, Sept. 10, 2012, photo, a woman talks to a clerk at a watch repair kiosk in Salem, N.H. U.S. consumer confidence jumped this month to the highest level since February, bolstered by a brighter hiring outlook. The Conference Board said Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012, that its Consumer Confidence Index rose to 70.3. That's up from 61.3 in August, which was revised higher. And it's the highest reading since February, when the economy added 259,000 jobs. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

In this Monday, Sept. 10, 2012, photo, a woman talks to a clerk at a watch repair kiosk in Salem, N.H. U.S. consumer confidence jumped this month to the highest level since February, bolstered by a brighter hiring outlook. The Conference Board said Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012, that its Consumer Confidence Index rose to 70.3. That's up from 61.3 in August, which was revised higher. And it's the highest reading since February, when the economy added 259,000 jobs. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

In this Monday, Sept. 10, 2012, photo, a clerk straightens out her display at a shoe store in Salem, N.H. U.S. consumer confidence jumped this month to the highest level since February, bolstered by a brighter hiring outlook. The Conference Board said Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012, that its Consumer Confidence Index rose to 70.3. That's up from 61.3 in August, which was revised higher. And it's the highest reading since February, when the economy added 259,000 jobs. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

In this Monday, Sept. 24, 2012, photo, shoppers walk by stores at the Loop in Methuen, Mass. U.S. consumer confidence jumped this month to the highest level since February, bolstered by a brighter hiring outlook. The Conference Board said Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012, that its Consumer Confidence Index rose to 70.3. That's up from 61.3 in August, which was revised higher. And it's the highest reading since February, when the economy added 259,000 jobs. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

In this Monday, Sept. 24, 2012, photo, shoppers walk by stores at the Loop in Methuen, Mass. U.S. consumer confidence jumped this month to the highest level since February, bolstered by a brighter hiring outlook. The Conference Board said Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012, that its Consumer Confidence Index rose to 70.3. That's up from 61.3 in August, which was revised higher. And it's the highest reading since February, when the economy added 259,000 jobs. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Americans are more confident in the economy than they have been in seven months, an encouraging sign for President Barack Obama with six weeks left in the presidential race.

A new survey of consumer confidence rose Tuesday to its highest level since February on expectations that hiring will soon pick up. And a separate report showed home values rising steadily, signaling sustained improvement in housing.

"This is like an opinion poll on the economy without the political parties attached," said John Ryding, chief economist at RDQ Economics, a consulting firm. The confidence survey "says people are feeling better. If so, they are less likely to vote for change."

The Conference Board's index of consumer confidence shot up in September. The jump surprised many economists because the most recent hiring and retail sales figures have been sluggish.

The increased confidence could help explain recent polls that show Obama with a widening lead over Mitt Romney in some battleground states.

The consumer confidence index is closely watched because consumer spending drives nearly 70 percent of economic activity. The index jumped from 61.3 for August to 70.3 for September. It remains well below 90, the level that is thought to signify a healthy economy.

Among those feeling more optimistic about the economy is Darlene Johnson of Silver Spring, Md., who works for the National Institutes of Health. The value of Johnson's 401(k) account has risen. Home sales in her neighborhood have ticked up, too, and are commanding higher prices.

"I feel like things are stabilizing," she said. "I don't feel as uneasy as I did a few months ago."

But Johnson, who voted for Obama in 2008, remains undecided on which candidate to back. And she's still a bit nervous about the future.

"It will depend on how my pockets are looking," she says. "Everyday circumstances will drive my decision on how I am going to vote."

Economists point to some key reasons why consumers have grown more confident.

Stocks are up: The Standard & Poor's 500 stock index has surged nearly 15 percent this year. Gas prices have leveled off after rising for several months. And the broad increase in home prices is likely giving would-be buyers more confidence. When prices rise, buyers don't worry so much that a home might lose value after they bought it.

National home prices rose 1.2 percent in July compared with a year ago, according to the Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller index released Tuesday. That was the second straight month in which year-over-year home prices have increased.

Some economists question whether the higher level of confidence is sustainable. They've seen the index spike briefly before since the Great Recession ended more than three years ago. Some say confidence could be affected by negative campaign ads that focus on the economy.

But others note that even a weak economy doesn't feel so bad to many consumers once it begins to make steady improvement.

"The economy is perceived in relative rather than absolute terms," noted St. Louis University political scientist and pollster Ken Warren.

Mark Vitner, a senior economist at Wells Fargo, suggests that former President Bill Clinton might have helped boost confidence with his rousing speech on Obama's behalf at the Democratic National Convention in early September. The Conference Board's consumer confidence survey was conducted Sept. 1-13.

Clinton "rekindled memories of better economic times" and assured voters that the U.S. economy was on the right track, Vitner said.

The consumer confidence survey polled 500 people. The part of the survey that gauges consumers' confidence in the economy now and the part that gauges their outlook for the next six months both rose. Consumers were much more optimistic about the short-term outlook for business conditions, employment and their financial situation.

The rising home prices could also help Obama's prospects. Prices are rising in many large cities in swing states such as Florida, Colorado, Michigan and North Carolina. Prices have risen 3.6 percent in Tampa, Fla., in the past year, for example. And they're up 5.4 percent in Denver, 6.2 percent in Detroit and 2.2 percent in Charlotte, N.C.

A Washington Post poll out Tuesday showed Obama leading Romney among likely voters in Ohio, 52 to 44 percent. The president also had a slight edge in Florida, 51 to 47 percent among those most likely to vote.

Obama is also gaining the upper hand on which candidate is better able to handle the economy. Registered voters in Ohio preferred Obama on the economy by 50 percent to 43 percent, and in Florida by 49 percent to 45 percent.

___

D'Innocenzio contributed from New York. Associated Press Writer Jim Kuhnhenn in Washington contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-09-25-Economy/id-d1b24e4f3ffb4648a11865894f4e91ce

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Teen on homecoming prank: I felt like 'trash'

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Sophomore student Whitney Kropp never saw herself as part of the "in" crowd at her high school, so she was surprised to find out she was voted to homecoming court. It turned out to be a prank, but now the community is rallying behind Whitney to show their support for her. NBC's Kevin Tibbles reports.

By Sevil Omer and Kevin Tibbles, NBC News

Dale G. Young / The Detroit News

Whitney Kropp was named to the homecoming court as a joke by her classmates, but the tiny farm town of West Branch, Mich. has rallied around her.

Whitney Kropp, a sophomore at Ogemaw Heights High School in West Branch, Mich., said she was surprised to learn that she was picked by her classmates to be in the running for her school?s homecoming queen.

?I never thought I would be part of it because, really, it?s just for, like, the big popular people,? Kropp, 16, told NBC News' Kevin Tibbles on TODAY.

But she was soon humiliated when she learned Sept. 13 that her selection to the homecoming court had been part of a prank by other students. She said students pointed at her in the hallways and laughed, and the boy who was picked with her withdrew.

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?Some kids thought it would be funny just to put me in there as a joke to make fun of me,? Kropp said.?

But Whitney?s ridicule didn?t stop didn?t there. Her mother, Bernice Kropp, told NBC News on Monday that the bullying continued on Facebook.

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Kropp said her daughter, a sophomore, had been picked on before at school, but not to the extent of the peer vote that selects students to the court, which traditionally names a queen, king and?princes and princesses from each class. The high school has about 800 students.

?I felt like I wasn?t worthy. Why even be a part of this community, this world if I?m just going to be tossed around like basically a piece of trash?? Whitney Kropp said.

But then,?her mother said, ?other kids started coming up to her and saying, ?Whitney, don?t let them stop you from going to homecoming. You need to go ahead, you need to do it.'?

Bernice Kropp described her daughter as quiet, polite and kind, rarely finding fault with peers and people. She said Whitney has decided to attend the dance despite the prank as businesses and neighbors in the tiny farming town have rallied around Whitney.?

Kropp said Whitney even has a date for the dance this Saturday, "and it?s her boyfriend who has been very quiet and supportive through all of this."?

"You want to protect your kid, and you feel angry and mad at what has happened, but at the same time the outpouring to help her has been beyond expected," she said.?

Watch the most-viewed videos on NBCNews.com

Word spread quickly through the community of about 2,100 residents in West Branch.?Resident Jamie Kline started a?Facebook support page, gaining more than 4,000 likes?in Michigan and nationwide. Personal stories of bullying and messages of encouragement filled the page, among them:

"You go, girl! From here in California, it looks like you won the vote legitimately but some of your "friends" got jealous and nasty about it. Their "joke" never really happened! Hold your head high and have a good time," Raymond Puffer.

"Whitney YOU are a beautiful gal inside and out and dont ever let anyone tell you any different,? Karen Morrison Gross.

"I am so proud of this young lady ((((You GO, Girl))))), her family and the awesome community we share! It's high time we ALL take a stand against bullies. They come in all sizes, ages and social arenas. Be Kind ALWAYS,? Ginger Warren.

Jen Case, who is with Whit?s End Salon in West Branch,?said the salon owner donated services?to cut, color and style Kropp?s hair. "Bullying is a big thing and we wanted to turn this into a positive moment," Case said.

Other local businesses are paying for Whitney?s dinner, gown, shoes and a tiara for the dance.

"We live in this community and we?re about the community and giving back," Case told NBC News. "We wanted to help this young lady have a special night."

?I?m excited to go because I can prove everyone wrong and say, you know, I?m not this joke that you guys thought of. You guys doing this has made me stronger and I?ve got more self-esteem than what I had," Whitney Kropp said.

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Being Healthy Despite the U.S. Health Care System - Darien, CT Patch

Virtually every hospital has a doctor on staff that is known for practicing bad medicine but his peers don't call him on it. And the body count from medical mistakes made in American hospitals would fill four jumbo jets a week, according to an essay by noted surgeon Martin Makary that appeared this past weekend in the Wall Street Journal.

Makary is on staff at Johns Hopkins Hospital and previously wrote the groundbreaking book "The Checklist Manifesto," which contained a series of simple guidelines aimed at stopping surgical mistakes and which were later adopted by the World Health Organization. His new book is "Unaccountable: What Hospitals Won't Tell You and How Transparency Can Revolutionize Health Care."

In his essay this weekend in the Journal Makary says there is a "disturbing closed door culture" in American medicine and that doctors in hospitals routinely cover up or ignore the mistakes of colleagues. As often as 40 times a week across the country a surgeon operates on the wrong body part, he writes.

"Roughly a quarter of all hospitalized patients will be harmed by a medical error of some kind. If medical errors were a disease, they would be the sixth leading cause of death in America?just behind accidents and ahead of Alzheimer's," Makary says in his essay. "The human toll aside, medical errors cost the U.S. health-care system tens of billions a year. Some 20% to 30% of all medications, tests and procedures are unnecessary, according to research done by medical specialists, surveying their own fields. What other industry misses the mark this often?"

The solution he writes, is for health care consumers to become better at checking into the background of their doctors and for the medical community itself to hold each accountable.

In Connecticut there has a been a decline in the number of uninsured people. From 2010 to 2011 the number of people with health insurance rose from 256.6 million to 260.2 million.?

Source: http://darien.patch.com/articles/being-healthy-despite-the-us-health-care-system-a49a63f6

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