Search
Displaying results 1591 - 1600 of 2062
More states to establish own health care exchanges, experts predict
As the health care reform law takes effect, states will want to run their own coverage programs, experts said at a Feb. 3 Newsmaker press conference at the National Press Club. “I think a lot of states will move (from the federally facilitated marketplaces) to state-based exchanges,” said Joel Ario, a managing director at Manatt Health Solutions. He predicts the transition will happen more frequently when more people acknowledge that the Affordable Care Act is a permanent fixture. Ario was one of the participants from the health care and health insurance industries in an event entitled "…
Type: News
Harkin unveils pension reform plan to wipe out 'dark cloud' of retirement savings crisis
Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, confronting what he sees as a dire shortfall in Americans’ retirement savings, proposed at a National Press Club Newsmaker Jan. 30 a new type of private pension system that would automatically enroll workers and help save them 6 percent of their pay each year. Reforming the current retirement system is essential, said Harkin, given the fact that half of Americans have less than $10,000 in savings. The gap between what Americans have saved for retirement and what they need to maintain their current standard of living once they stop working, he said, is a staggering $6.…
Type: News
World welcomes Belkind to Club presidency
Ambassadors and journalism luminaries came to the National Press Club for an international inaugural celebration of Myron Belkind as the organization’s 107th president. Standing before a crowd of 350 at a dinner in the Club ballroom on Saturday, Jan. 25, Belkind placed his hand on a globe to take a light-hearted oath of office that was followed by a serious message about extending the reach of the Club beyond U.S. borders. The National Press Club "is respected around the world as an essential global media center, and I hope we can enhance that reputation during 2014 in this, the city that is…
Type: News
IMF’s Lagarde predicts modest growth, but warns of deflation
Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), offered a mix of optimism and precaution in a speech at the National Press Club on Jan. 15. Lagarde said she hoped 2014 would mark the end of the recession that dogged the world economy for seven years and usher in seven years of economic strength. Such growth “requires a sustained and substantial policy effort, coordination, and the right policy mix," she said. Even as the global economy shows signs of improvement risks remain, Lagarde said. Deflation is a possibility that should be “fought decisively,” she said…
Type: News
Political Power Couple James Carville and Mary Matalin Speak at NPC Book Rap
Political power couple James Carville and Mary Matalin discussed their book, ``Love & War: 20 Years, Three Presidents, Two Daughters, and One Louisiana Home'' at a Club Book Rap Jan. 11. Carville, a Democratic political consultant who helped elect Bill Clinton as president, is now a professor at Tulane University. His wife Matalin is a Republican consultant who helped George H.W. Bush and his son, George W. Bush, reach the White House. This book traces their story from 1992 till now. Matlin told said Republicans should not waver from their beliefs. Carville offered something similar,…
Type: News
Amtrak president calls for national transportation vision
The president of Amtrak, the national passenger rail line, said the U.S. should be focused on connecting communities to each other, the way the interstate highway system did more than a half-century ago. ``America’s transportation problems are hurting small and midsized communities, making it difficult for them to grow or do business outside their area,'' Joseph H. Boardman, told a Club luncheon Jan. 10. ``Under these circumstances, you might think that strengthening national connectivity between our communities and our economic centers would be a national priority, but if thought that you…
Type: News
National Guard chief warns budget cuts may dull effectiveness
Budget cuts could dull the sharp edge that the National Guard's state-based units have developed since participating in deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, Gen. Frank J. Grass, Chief of the National Guard Bureau and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a National Press Club luncheon audience on Jan. 9. "We have the most battle-tested National Guard ever," he said. It can deploy personnel overseas within 72 hours, homeland fighter aircraft in six minutes and local emergency response teams immediately. "Our readiness is better than ever." He said the Pentagon is working on plans to…
Type: News
Chief of Staff Odierno says Army must be ready to perform its mission
The Army must be ready to perform its mission, U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno said at a National Press Club Luncheon. After a brief opening statement at the event on Jan. 7, he answered questions about the future of the Army and addressed the many challenges it faces. Odierno praised the valor of the soldiers, saying he was “extremely proud to represent the men and women of the United States Army.” The reduction in forces from Iraq and Afghanistan will be a significant change in 2014, he said. Just a few years ago, the Army had 250,000 soldiers in these areas, “so we will be in a…
Type: News
Skaggs serenades luncheon crowd, promotes support of wounded veterans
Grammy-winning country music and bluegrass singer Ricky Skaggs warmed up for a benefit concert later in the week by performing at a National Press Club luncheon on Dec. 19. The Club erupted with the sounds of Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder fiddler Andy Leftwich, a guest of Skaggs' at the head table and a member of the band that plays with Skaggs. It was a rich interlude for a few minutes, as the native Kentuckian and often-honored singer, songwriter, producer and author entertained an enthusiastic audience. Skaggs is in Washington to perform with the Medical Musical Chorale and Symphony on at 8…
Type: News
Union official debunks workplace wellness programs
There is no evidence that wellness programs work, yet they may increase health care costs for people who need it the most, according to John Borsos, secretary-treasurer of the National Union of Healthcare Workers. Borsos told an audience at a Dec. 17 National Press Club Newsmaker that wellness programs should be eliminated. “You can take people who are generally considered to be fairly fit, fairly healthy, and put them in a category of being overweight that requires some kind of address” based on arbitrary standards, Borsos said. He cited several studies that found no evidence that…
Type: News