Former President George H.W. Bush to vote for Hillary Clinton: Politico

Dave Einsel | MLB | Getty Images Former President George H. W. Bush acknowledges the crowd before Game 3 of the ALDS between the Kansas City Royals and the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on Sunday, October 11, 2015 in Houston, Texas.
Bush, 92, had intended to stay silent on the White House race between Clinton and Donald Trump, a sign in and of itself of his distaste for the GOP nominee. But his preference for the wife of his own successor, President Bill Clinton, nonetheless became known to a wider audience thanks to Kathleen Hartington Kennedy Townsend, the former Maryland lieutenant governor and daughter of the late Robert F. Kennedy.
Former President George H.W. Bush, who lost his re-election campaign to Bill Clinton in 1992, plans to vote for Hillary Clinton, U.S. political news site Politico reported on Monday.

South Sudan Refugees In Uganda Sell Their Clothes Off To Buy Food

South Sudan refugees in Uganda are selling their clothes to raise money to buy food as a food rationing crisis bites due to influx of more refugees into the nation, which has strained World Food Program’s (WFP) food provision.
The high influx of refugees have forced WFP and the Ugandan government to reduce food rations by nearly a half, driving most of the refugees to get means of supplementing the sorghum and beans rations they receive in the camps.
In July, WFP approved a decision to give full food rations only to the elderly, chronically ill, malnourished which are vulnerable cases.
“I never thought I would be selling my clothes, but I did because I have nothing. It was my last option. Now we are waiting to see whether we will survive or die,” Mary Opia, a refugee told CBC News.

Crowdfunding Tackles Student Debt Crisis

(NewsUSA) – For college hopefuls and college grads alike, the reality of higher education is growing remarkably dim. Tuition rises every year, employment opportunities aren’t improving, and student loan debt has surpassed the $1 trillion mile marker.
As owner of NBA team the Dallas Mavericks and successful entrepreneur Mark Cuban noted on his blog, “We freak out about the trillions of dollars in debt our country faces. What about the trillion dollar plus debt college kids are facing?”
More than 37 million Americans are burdened with student debt, and they’re falling more behind on their student loans than ever before. Long-term delinquency rates for student loans are higher than delinquency rates of car loans, mortgages and home equity lines of credit.
This isn’t too surprising, though, given the sluggish job market. According to a recent labor analysis by the Associated Press, over half of bachelor’s degree-holders under 25 are underemployed or can’t find a job at all.
“Although the situation is growing worse, the federal government hasn’t been able to find a real solution to the student loan crisis,” says Amy Mintz, founder of Student Body of America Association (SBAA). SBAA is a nonprofit organization that provides resources and viable solutions to American students struggling with student loan debt and the skyrocketing cost of education.
SBAA is the fiscal sponsor of CrowdFundEDU, a social fundraising platform with tangible results and real-world applications. In short, it could be a critical piece in the student debt puzzle.
“CrowdFundEDU is basically KickStarter for education,” explains Mintz. “People hold an online fundraiser for any education-related goal. That includes tuition, student loans, seminars, equipment, study-abroad programs, activities, you name it.”
Like KickStarter, CrowdFundEDU capitalizes on social networks to rally supporters to donate to a worthwhile educational cause. People can either donate directly to fundraisers or make a donation to SBAA, which is tax-deductible and disbursed to students and school fundraisers.
While CrowdFundEDU can be used for all levels of education — from K-12 all the way to a PhD and trade schools and certifications — it has sparked particular interest for its valued potential to change the current unsustainable system that is caught in a debt trap between the unforgiving cost of higher education and a dismal job market. See how crowdfunding will provide help for student loans and overall support for higher education at www.crowdfundedu.com.

10 Questions to Ask About the Medicines You Take

(NewsUSA) – Sponsored News – How many times have you been prescribed medication by your healthcare provider, only to arrive home to find that you’re unsure about possible side effects? Or the correct dose? Or the risk of taking the new medication together with other medicines you already use? Have you ever felt too embarrassed — or too rushed — to clarify medication information or instructions with your provider?
If you’ve experienced this, you’re not alone. Nearly half of Americans take a prescription medicine, and more than 20 percent of Americans take at least three. However, according to a recent study conducted by the National Council on Patient Information and Education (NCPIE), more than 6 of every 10 patients are not aware of the risks associated with the medicines they take. Communication with your health care provider about your medications is critical. Yet too few patients speak up, or even know the right questions to ask.
In an effort to open the lines of communication between patients and providers, NCPIE, in collaboration with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)*, has created the Talk Before You Take campaign, a public education initiative to increase communication about medications between health care professionals and patients.
“Open and effective communication between patients and health care providers is important and helps to ensure patients make informed decisions about their health care and the medicines they take,” said Dr. Janet Woodcock, director of FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “The Talk Before You Take campaign provides a list of questions and other resources that can make it easier for patients to talk with their health care providers about medicines.”
Talk Before You Take urges you to ask your health care provider these 10 questions about your medicines:
1. What’s the name of the medicine, and what is it for?
2. How and when do I take it, and for how long?
3. What side effects should I expect, and what should I do about them?
4. Should I take this medicine on an empty stomach or with food?
5. Should I avoid any activities, foods, drinks, alcohol or other medicines while taking this prescription?
6. If it’s a once-a-day dose, is it best to take it in the morning or at night?
7. Will this medicine work safely with my other medications, including over-the-counter medicines, vitamins and other supplements?
8. When should I expect the medicine to begin to work, and how will I know if it’s working?
9. How should I store it?
10. Is there any additional written information I should read about?
Asking your doctor, nurse or pharmacist these 10 simple questions can help you stay healthy and safe. For more information, visit www.talkbeforeyoutake.org.
*This work was supported by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research under grant number 5U18FD004653-03. The content is solely the responsibility of NCPIE and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Food and Drug Administration.

Learn How to Set a Goal

NewsUSA) – To paraphrase Mark Twain, “Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I’ve done it thousands of times.” Setting a goal, whether it be to lose weight, earn a promotion or spend more time with your family, is easy — it’s carrying through that proves problematic.
And yet, the world’s most successful people are intensely goal-orientated. They know what they want, and they focus on achieving it every day. So what’s the difference between a top executive and everybody else?
“The fact is that successful people fail far more than unsuccessful people,” says Brian Tracy, a top management consultant, in a recent Q&A with SUCCESS Magazine. “Successful people try more things, fall down, pick themselves up and try again — over and over before they finally win.” So how can you learn to quit giving up on your goals? SUCCESS Magazine offers the following tips for more successful goal-setting:
– Write down a list of goals. Cynthia Kersey, author of “Unstoppable: 45 Powerful Stories of Perseverance and Triumph from People Just Like You,” suggests focusing on how you want to be remembered. “List the qualities, deeds and characteristics for which you would like to be remembered by your friends, spouse, children, co-workers, the community and even the world.”
– Set out a plan to accomplish your goals. Tracy suggests listing what little steps will take you to your goal, then organizing them by priority and sequence. Figure out how much time and money you will need to accomplish your goals, and revisit and revise your plan accordingly.
– Manage your mindset. Keep your focus by surrounding yourself with people who will help you accomplish your goals. Arrange your workspace and home so you’ll be reminded of your commitments. “When you form the habit of starting your productivity earlier in the day, associating with more positive people, managing the news and information you feed your mind, controlling the language you use — especially the ways in which you describe yourself — you will find it easier to succeed,” says Jim Cathcart, professional speaker and founder of the Cathcart Institute Inc. “Become the person who would achieve your goals and who would deserve them.”

Film Industry Will Thrive With E-Distribution, According to Analysts

(NewsUSA) – From backroom meetings in Hollywood to studio lots in Burbank, distribution has been the buzzword for entertainment executives.
Although it has been a long time coming, digital distribution — the downloading and streaming of movies and television shows to consumers’ computers, Internet-enabled televisions and mobile devices — film executives have turned a somewhat blind eye to the phenom.
And this, says Peter Hoffman, CEO of Los Angeles-based Seven Arts Pictures, may be Hollywood’s biggest downfall, if not undoing.
“Whether studios like it or not, consumers would now much rather stream their movies to their electronic devices than rent a DVD,” said Hoffman. “We have strategically positioned Seven Arts Entertainment, both in terms of motion pictures and musical content, to deliver entertainment directly to consumers,” he added.
Bolstering Hoffman’s assessment of the industry is a report released last year by accounting giant PwC, which remains bullish about growth in the film industry, projecting that electronic delivery of movies by various entities such as Apple and Netflix will grow from $4.8 billion last year to $7.6 billion in 2015.
One has only to point to Microsoft as the epitome of a company that has used technology to its advantage — and profited from it.
Even as music companies were battling piracy issues in court in the late 1990s and early 2000, Apple began slowly amassing an overwhelming presence in the digital music market via iTunes — and movie executives should use that as a teachable moment, said Hoffman.
“The film industry needs to take note of the lessons learned by the music industry and try to foster cross-platform competition, instead of focusing on one channel of distribution,” he said.
While some in Hollywood are still wrapping their heads around this new direction, others are looking at it as an opportunity and potential boon for growth, marketing and, yes, the almighty and important bottom line.
For more information, visit www.7artspictures.com.

5 Ways to Raise Capital and Start a Business

(NewsUSA) – Sponsored News – Raising capital to start a new business is not as easy as setting up a lemonade stand or selling Girl Scout cookies. A primary reason for the failure of start-ups is a lack of funding. There are plenty of great products and ideas that have never come close to making it to the public.
Without American entrepreneurship, and the drive to just go for it, we would not have Apple, Google, Facebook, Starbucks, or countless other companies that are a part of our everyday lives.
Here are five ways to generate capital for your business in today’s economy:
1. Friends and Family. A tried and true methodology, this has been a staple of start-up funding for hundreds of years. It is however, not without its risks, as a failed business could lead to strained relationships. or even the end of relationships.
2. SBA Express. The Small Business Association provides several avenues for borrowing money. SBA Express allows bank-qualified business owners to borrow up to $150,000 without filing the typical SBA loan application. Plus, owners will receive a loan decision within 36 hours.
3. Community banks. Community banks actually have the capacity to be flexible with lending terms whereas large corporate banks do not. Find local lenders by reaching out to the Independent Bankers Association of America, which has access to 5,000 community banks.
4. Crowdfunding. Crowdfunding networks like Kickstarter and Indiegogo have raised some serious cash from individual investors. If you have an innovative idea or project, develop a reasonable funding goal and timeline and see which investors support you and pledge funding. Remember, projects must meet their funding goals before the time runs out, or else no actual money is received. Also, be aware that a percentage of the money raised will be kept by the crowdfunding site as part of their fees.
5. DPOUSA. DPOUSA is an online financial platform providing client companies the opportunity to have 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year visibility of a direct public offering to a growing base of over 33,000 accredited investors and institutions representing over $500 billion in available capital. Unique to DPOUSA is the DPOUSA Special Council, a diverse cross-section of 50 professionals from various industries available to assist DPOUSA client companies. Visit www.DPOUSA.com for more information.
Whatever the state of the economy, there will be those willing to invest in new businesses. New businesses create jobs, and power growth. There are sources to help with capital. So, once you find the sources, be ready with a great plan to show what you are going to do with the capital, and how the investor will benefit.