President Obama Forgives Student Loans -- How This Affects Parents (ContributorNetwork)

"Forgive Student Loans" is one of Occupy Wall Street's strongest demands. Today, President Barack Obama unveiled a plan to consolidate college student debt totaling around $1 trillion. Repayment will be income-based. What does this mean for parents and students?

Student college costs

Completing the first two years at a community college and transferring to a four-year school reduces costs. But community college costs are escalating. At most four-year schools, tuition is based on state residency. Community college students must also figure in commuter costs. Muskegon Community College in Michigan estimates out-of-county student costs at about $30,000 for 60 credit hours, plus books, supplies and transportation. The average bachelor's degree costs about $60,000 to $100,000.

Federal Pell grants down

President Obama staved off cuts in the federal Pell grant program. The maximum Pell grant amount is $5,500 per year. But the average student gets about $2,300 per year. That's the amount for parents who gross $50,000 per year, with two kids in college, regardless of their grades. Based on that income, parents are expected to contribute $4,000 per year, per college.

Tuition tax deductions capped

Parents can claim most tuition and fees on their federal income taxes. Some items are deductible under the American Opportunity and Lifetime Learning credit. Room and board or transportation for commuter students are not. The credit is capped at $2,500 and $2,000. Even with grants and tax deductions, about 50 percent to 80 percent of college expenses is pay-as-you-go.

Student loans require cosigner

To get student loans, undergraduate students generally apply for Parent PLUS loan, which requires a parent cosigner. Even students who have taken out vehicle loans need someone to guarantee college loans because the debt incurred is generally large. To protect privacy, parents cannot access student financial aid information without the student, but they are expected to pay any defaulted loans they cosign for.

Parents refuse to cosign

Occupy Wall Street says families shouldn't have to drown in debt or declare financial bankruptcy to help their kids get an education. That's what prevents many parents from cosigning for student loans. Experian says parent credit rating is affected by assumed student debt.

Majority opposes canceling student loans

Rasmussen Reports said 66 percent polled oppose the president's plan. They think federal funds should be spent to assist those who have not gone to college. Some parents, like Chris Tulgestke, of Grand Haven, Mich., believe there are better ways. "Student loans should not be forgiven based on income. Payments should be lowered and stretched out based on income, but not forgiven," Tulgestke says. Twenty-one percent favored forgiving the debt. Kay Wittenhauer of Rochester, N.Y., says, "I feel people who received government funds to pay for college have an advantage over those who had to pay for college themselves, so I'm in favor of the government leveling that playing field."

Marilisa Kinney Sachteleben writes about parenting from 23 years raising four children and 25 years teaching K-8, special needs, adult education and home-school.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20111028/us_ac/10293649_president_obama_forgives_student_loans__how_this_affects_parents

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Earth-observing satellite blasts off (AP)

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. ? An Earth-observing satellite has been launched on a dual mission to improve weather forecasts and monitor climate change.

A Delta 2 rocket carrying the NASA satellite blasted off shortly before 3 a.m. Friday from the central California coast. The space agency invited a small group of Twitter followers to watch the liftoff up close.

The path to the launch pad has been bumpy. The satellite was supposed to fly in 2006, but problems developing the instruments forced a five-year delay.

The $1.5 billion mission is intended to be a bridge between the current aging satellites and a new generation to be launched in a few years.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/science/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111028/ap_on_sc/us_sci_earth_satellite

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Fans to be checked by metal detectors at NFL games (AP)

NEW YORK ? Security personnel at NFL games will begin using hand-held metal detectors as part of the screening process before fans enter the stadiums.

Beginning Nov. 20, the detectors will be used at stadium gates because "we are always striving for ways to improve our security procedures at all of our stadiums," an NFL spokesman says.

The Green Bay Packers and Cleveland Browns already have used them this season. The league has done so at every Super Bowl since 2002 in New Orleans.

In addition to fans, media and working personnel will be subject to the screenings, which will be phased in "so they will not necessarily be immediately used at every gate," the spokesman adds.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111028/ap_on_sp_fo_ne/fbn_metal_detectors

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[OOC] Winter's Edge

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Friendship makes a difference in stress regulation

[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 26-Oct-2011
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Contact: Sarah Hutcheon
shutcheon@srcd.org
202-289-7905
Society for Research in Child Development

Social rejection can cause stress in preschoolers, adolescents, and adults. But what happens in middle childhood, a time when peer rejection can be particularly stressful and friendships are key? A new study has found that friendships serve as a buffer against the negative effects of classmates' rejection.

The study, conducted by researchers at Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands, appears in the journal Child Development.

Cortisol, a human stress hormone, mobilizes energy and helps us respond to potential threat when we're under stress. Increased levels of cortisol are adaptivethey help us adapt how we function to changing circumstances and cope with stressors when they occurbut chronically high levels can have negative effects on how we function, especially on our immune system.

This study looked at almost 100 fourth gradersan age that's been understudied in this regardto determine whether victimization and exclusion by peers were related to increases in cortisol, and whether friendships moderated this association. The children were part of a longitudinal study on infant and child development that was carried out in the Netherlands and designed to be representative of the Dutch population.

Researchers asked children to nominate classroom peers who were often bullied, picked on, or excluded by other children. They also asked children about the number of friends they had within the classroom, and the quality of their best friendships. In addition, they questioned the children's parents about behavior problems, and they measured children's cortisol levels through saliva collections five times on each of two consecutive school days.

Children who were excluded by their classmates had elevated levels of cortisol at school, the study found. And they had a smaller decline in cortisol over the course of the day. Both of these findings may indicate that exclusion is stressful. This was even more pronounced for excluded kids who had few friends or had friendships that were characterized as low in quality.

Victimization by classmates wasn't associated with increased cortisol levels, suggesting that victimization is not as stressful as exclusion.

"Together, the results demonstrate that although friends cannot completely eliminate the stress of exclusion at school, they do reduce it," according to Marianne Riksen-Walraven, professor of developmental psychology at Radboud University Nijmegen. "And the number and quality of children's friendships can serve as a buffer against being rejected."

###

The study was funded by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research.


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[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 26-Oct-2011
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Sarah Hutcheon
shutcheon@srcd.org
202-289-7905
Society for Research in Child Development

Social rejection can cause stress in preschoolers, adolescents, and adults. But what happens in middle childhood, a time when peer rejection can be particularly stressful and friendships are key? A new study has found that friendships serve as a buffer against the negative effects of classmates' rejection.

The study, conducted by researchers at Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands, appears in the journal Child Development.

Cortisol, a human stress hormone, mobilizes energy and helps us respond to potential threat when we're under stress. Increased levels of cortisol are adaptivethey help us adapt how we function to changing circumstances and cope with stressors when they occurbut chronically high levels can have negative effects on how we function, especially on our immune system.

This study looked at almost 100 fourth gradersan age that's been understudied in this regardto determine whether victimization and exclusion by peers were related to increases in cortisol, and whether friendships moderated this association. The children were part of a longitudinal study on infant and child development that was carried out in the Netherlands and designed to be representative of the Dutch population.

Researchers asked children to nominate classroom peers who were often bullied, picked on, or excluded by other children. They also asked children about the number of friends they had within the classroom, and the quality of their best friendships. In addition, they questioned the children's parents about behavior problems, and they measured children's cortisol levels through saliva collections five times on each of two consecutive school days.

Children who were excluded by their classmates had elevated levels of cortisol at school, the study found. And they had a smaller decline in cortisol over the course of the day. Both of these findings may indicate that exclusion is stressful. This was even more pronounced for excluded kids who had few friends or had friendships that were characterized as low in quality.

Victimization by classmates wasn't associated with increased cortisol levels, suggesting that victimization is not as stressful as exclusion.

"Together, the results demonstrate that although friends cannot completely eliminate the stress of exclusion at school, they do reduce it," according to Marianne Riksen-Walraven, professor of developmental psychology at Radboud University Nijmegen. "And the number and quality of children's friendships can serve as a buffer against being rejected."

###

The study was funded by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-10/sfri-fma101911.php

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Sprint posts smallest quarterly loss in 4 years

A Samsung Galaxy Tab tablet is displayed at the Sprint store in Stoneham, Mass., Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2011. Sprint is reporting its smallest quarterly loss in four years, as it's continuing a turnaround and getting better at keeping and attracting customers. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

A Samsung Galaxy Tab tablet is displayed at the Sprint store in Stoneham, Mass., Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2011. Sprint is reporting its smallest quarterly loss in four years, as it's continuing a turnaround and getting better at keeping and attracting customers. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

An HTC Evo Shift smartphone is displayed at the Sprint store in Stoneham, Mass., Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2011. Sprint is reporting its smallest quarterly loss in four years, as it's continuing a turnaround and getting better at keeping and attracting customers. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

(AP) ? Sprint Nextel Corp. on Wednesday reported its smallest quarterly loss in four years, as it continued a turnaround and kept getting better at keeping and attracting customers.

Sprint also provided important updates on the iPhone, its financing needs and planned network upgrades, undoing some of the damage caused by an investor day presentation three weeks ago that had investors fuming and sent its stock plunging.

Its stock edged lower Wednesday as investors continued to focus on finances that look precarious for the next two years.

The country's No. 3 wireless carrier said it added a net 1.3 million subscribers in the July to September period, the best result since 2006. Sprint continued to lose subscribers from its lucrative contract-based plans, but at a relatively low rate: 44,000 in the quarter.

Sprint's total customer count, 53.4 million, is now back at where it was in 2007, before the exodus of Nextel customers turned into a torrent.

The Overland Park, Kan.-based company has made steady gains in the last year and a half. Unfortunately for the company, most of the new customers are low-paying ones. They buy service from Sprint's low-cost Virgin Mobile, Boost Mobile or Assurance Wireless brands, or from non-Sprint brands that use the company's network.

The latest subscriber results don't include the effect of the iPhone, which Sprint started selling Oct. 14. The phone is expected to further improve the carrier's ability to keep customers, but at a high price. Apple charges about $600 for a phone that Sprint sells for $200.

Chief Financial Officer Joe Euteneuer said each iPhone will cost the company about $200 more than another smartphone. All the same, the company expects its four-year purchasing agreement with Apple to add $7 billion to $8 billion to its own bottom line.

CEO Dan Hesse compared getting the iPhone to signing a star baseball player to the "Sprint team."

"He has an expensive contract, but he's worth every penny," said Hesse, who often draws on sports analogies.

The problem for Sprint is that the cost of selling the iPhone comes up front, while the benefits, like higher service fees and lower service costs, accrue over time. Sprint doesn't expect the iPhone to be a moneymaker until 2014.

The added cost of the iPhone comes as Sprint is also starting to revamp its network for higher speeds. That adds up to financing needs of $5 billion to $7 billion in the next few years, Euteneuer said.

Sprint hopes to cover the gap by refinancing $4 billion debt coming due, Hesse said. The remaining $1 billion to $3 billion could be raised in the form of financing from the companies Sprint buying its new network equipment from: Samsung Electronics Co., Alcatel-Lucent and LM Ericsson AB.

Euteneuer said the terms of the deal with Apple are confidential, but said there's a minimum commitment to buy $15.5 billion in iPhones over four years. That works out to about 25 million phones, a figure in line with a report in The Wall Street Journal early this month that the company had committed to buying 30 million iPhones over four years.

Figures on the effect of the iPhone on Sprint's finances were missing from the presentation on Oct. 7, contributing to investor consternation. On Wednesday, Euteneuer apologized for not providing more information then.

Also Wednesday, Sprint said it had raised the limit on its credit line by $150 million and amended the terms so that an increase in the total amount of phone discounts doesn't affect its creditworthiness. It said it had $1 billion undrawn on the line.

Sprint's net loss was $301 million, or 10 cents per share, for the third quarter. That's down from $911 million, or 28 cents per share, a year ago. It was the best performance by Sprint since it reported a profit of $64 million in the third quarter of 2007.

Revenue rose 2.2 percent to $8.3 billion.

Analysts polled by FactSet expected a loss of 22 cents per share on $8.4 billion in revenue.

Sprint shares slipped 25 cents, or 9.3 percent, to $2.45 in midday trading. Two weeks ago, they hit a three-year low of $2.10.

Hesse also said the company has started discussions with Clearwire Corp. on how to make Sprint phones compatible with Clearwire's planned new wireless data network, and a discussions on commercial arrangements are ongoing. That sent Clearwire shares up 41 cents, or 25 percent, to $2.05 in pre-market trading.

Sprint owns 54 percent of Clearwire and uses its current data network for "Sprint 4G" service. But it doesn't control Clearwire's board, and the relationship between the two management teams has been cool.

Earlier this month, Sprint said it would stop selling phones compatible with Clearwire's current data network at the end of next year, with no mention of plans to use the planned "LTE" or "Long-Term Evolution" network. That sent Clearwire shares into a dive.

Sanford Bernstein analyst Craig Moffett said Sprint third-quarter results were "fairly good." If the company can straighten out its network strategy and its Clearwire relationship, investors might start to look past the financing needs of the next two years and toward the benefits that should kick in in 2014, he said.

"For the first time in a year, expectations are appropriately low, and there are now at least a few glimmers of hope," Moffett said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2011-10-26-US-Earns-Sprint-Nextel/id-1947233d254a4cdb9a8cc243437bd764

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Boku signs carrier billing deal with online gaming specialist ...

Having sealed its base on Android ? and wrapped up the French mobile market in the process ? mobile payments firm Boku has put pen to paper on a new deal, this time with an online gaming outfit.

The agreement with the US arm of Chinese gaming portal ChangYou.com will see Boku's billing solution integrated into the firm's library of online games, allowing users to pay for play with their mobile phone bills if they don't have a credit card to hand.

An eye on online

"ChangYou is enjoying tremendous success in China, and we look forward to partnering with them to help monetise their business as they expand globally," said Boku's VP of business development, Kurt Davis.

"ChangYou will be a great partner for BOKU as they grow the free to play MMORPG market here in the United States.

"They provide gamers with a world of excellent gameplay, and we give their players around the world the easiest and safest way to pay for ChangYou virtual tokens via mobile payments."

Billing with Boku

The first games wrapped up in the deal include Zentia and Dragon Oath.

Further online releases will see Boku's carrier billing solution integrated into their set up at a later date.

"Boku clearly understands the gaming market," added VP of publishing at ChangYou.com US arm, Dirk Metzger.

"It's important to us that transactions for virtual goods be as seamless and as safe as possible for our customers, and as such Boku's system is a great fit for our needs."

Source: http://www.pocketgamer.biz/r/PG.Biz/Boku+news/news.asp?c=34669

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US-North Korea nuclear talks start in Geneva (AP)

GENEVA ? The top U.S. envoy on North Korea has reported some progress after the first day of talks over Pyongyang's nuclear program, the second direct encounter between both sides in less than three months.

Speaking to reporters and TV cameras Monday night as he re-entered his lakeside hotel after their first meeting at the United States' U.N. mission in Geneva, Stephen Bosworth called himself "neither optimistic nor pessimistic."

"We have had a good day of talks. I think we're moving in a positive direction. We have narrowed some differences, but we still have differences that we have to resolve," he said in brief remarks in the lobby of the hotel where the two sides are staying, either by design or coincidence.

He was accompanied by Glyn Davies, the U.S. ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency, who is taking over the negotiating brief in future talks.

Bosworth said the United States and North Korea were "conducting very intensive discussions" and would continue to try to narrow their differences, but did not provide more specifics.

Asked by The Associated Press whether they had touched on other long-standing issues ? such as food aid to the chronically impoverished North, reuniting separated families on the Korean peninsula, and recovering the remains of troops missing in action ? Bosworth replied affirmatively.

"Everything," he answered, without elaborating.

The parties met for two hours Monday morning before breaking to have lunch separately. After a three-hour halt the talks resumed for a few hours in the afternoon. The Koreans then returned at night for dinner at the U.S. mission.

"As you know, our goal is to try to find a solid foundation on which to launch a resumption of discussions both bilateral and multilateral, and we will continue to work hard to bring that about," Bosworth said. "We have made some progress, we have issues still to resolve and we will work hard to do that."

Their opposite on North Korea's delegation is First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan.

The two sides are scheduled to reconvene at North Korea's mission on Tuesday.

U.S. diplomats have previously said they want North Korea to adhere to a 2005 agreement it reneged on requiring verifiable denuclearization in exchange for better relations with its Asian neighbors.

China, North Korea's closest ally, urged Pyongyang to improve its strained ties with United States and South Korea, China's official Xinhua News Agency reported Monday.

Beijing wants to revive the stalled six-nation disarmament negotiations, which also include South Korea, Japan and Russia. North Korea walked out on the talks in 2009 ? and exploded a second nuclear-test device ? but now wants to re-engage. Last year, Pyongyang also was blamed for two military attacks on South Korea that heightened tensions on the peninsula.

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta lashed out at North Korea on Monday for "reckless and provocative" acts, in an opinion piece published by Japan's Yomiuri newspaper.

He wrote that Washington and Tokyo share common challenges in the Asia-Pacific. "These include North Korea, which continues to engage in reckless and provocative behavior and is developing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, which pose a threat not just to Japan but to the entire region," he said.

Separately, the U.N.'s top relief official said Monday that the nuclear talks in Switzerland should avoid discussing humanitarian assistance to the chronically hungry Asian country.

Valerie Amos, who visited North Korea last week for 5 days, said it was "not appropriate" for the two sides to discuss humanitarian aid which "must be kept separate from a political agenda."

The U.N. is calling on countries to provide $218 million in emergency aid to North Korea.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111024/ap_on_re_eu/eu_koreas_nuclear

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Doctors happily cite alcohol as cause of death, but not smoking, for fear of stigmatization, UK study finds

ScienceDaily (Oct. 24, 2011) ? UK doctors are willing to cite alcohol as a cause of death on death certificates, but not smoking, for fear of stigmatising the deceased, shows research published online in the Journal of Clinical Pathology.

This has implications for the true extent of the impact of smoking on health, say the researchers, who point out that the current statistical estimates of the death toll from smoking are potentially flawed.

They looked at just over 2,000 death certificates and 236 post mortem reports, issued at a large London teaching hospital between 2003 and 2009, to see what cause of death doctors had cited.

Doctors have been allowed to cite smoking and alcohol as a direct or underlying cause of death without the need to refer the case to a coroner since 1992.

Smoking was identified as the cause of death in only two certificates (0.1% of the total) and included in part II of the death certificate, which outlines other contributory conditions, in only 10 cases (0.5% of the total).

The two cases in which smoking was cited were lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Yet 279 deaths included these diagnoses, and in most cases the deceased was a current (over 45%) or former (over 23%) smoker. It is well known that smoking is the primary cause of both lung cancer and COPD.

In all, 407 deaths were caused by conditions in which smoking is thought to have a substantial role. Yet smoking was cited as the cause of death in only two of these certificates and as a contributory factor in six.

The post mortem reports were no better: not a single case cited smoking as causing or contributing to death, which the authors describe as "surprising."

Yet doctors willingly cited alcohol as a direct or contributory cause of death. This was cited in over half (57.4%) of the 54 death certificates, which included diagnoses linked to alcohol use.

"Death certification is an important source of mortality data and directly captures 99.79% of all deaths in the UK," say the authors, who point out that the doctors in this study are not unique in their reluctance to cite smoking as a cause of death.

"There are many reasons why smoking is not cited as a [cause of death] by doctors in the UK," they write. "The first and frequently debated reason relates to doctors' desire not to cause relatives distress by stigmatising the deceased and their smoking habit."

They continue: "While the results of this study would support this assumption, it is interesting that the same clinicians frequently cited alcohol use as an underlying cause of death."

This may be because alcohol use is generally more accepted culturally, suggest the authors, adding that the stigma associated with smoking is well documented, and may be worsening as a result of the recent legislation, banning smoking in public places.

"Given the overwhelming evidence showing a causal link between smoking and certain terminal conditions, more effort should be made to record smoking on the death certificate. It is clear that the current arrangements fail to achieve this," they conclude.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by BMJ-British Medical Journal.

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Journal Reference:

  1. Ian Proctor, Vijay Sharma, Mohammad Khoshzaban, Alison Winstanley. Does smoking kill? A study of death certification and smoking. Journal of Clinical Pathology, 2011; DOI: 10.1136/jclinpath-2011-200299

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/Wae0bTvlPJs/111024213403.htm

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