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Amid the sharp political divides over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic and ongoing racial protests, the Trump administration continues its push to invalidate the Affordable Care Act (ACA) through the courts – a move that could prove to be one of the riskiest decisions in President Donald Trump’s reelection efforts and could also severely complicate who controls Congress. The decision to file its brief to undo the ACA at the U.S. Supreme Court before it hears the case for the third time in the fall, reveals a sharp dividing line in the...
"I look forward to the calls each week." This comment was typical of the feedback that Peggy Schmidt received when she offered a virtual Aging Mastery "book club" to her rural constituents in Wisconsin. As the Caregiver/Health Promotion Specialist for the Aging & Disability Resource Center there, she transformed in-person classes to virtual ones, but after a survey revealed a deep digital divide in her community, she conducted classes via telephone. These weekly sessions provided one means for...
One morning in August 2012 I answered the ringing phone and heard "Hi, this is Kim. Gary and I have been picking blueberries in Hatcher Pass and we have more than we need. Could we bring you some?" Several thoughts jumbled through my mind including, "no, we can't accept that generous of an offer two years in a row, and yes, that would be so wonderful." Because of my health issues and our move back to Palmer, I picked not one berry during the fall of 2011. Now feeling much better a year later, I...
Glowing reports, like the following excerpt from the Aug. 8, 1897, edition of the New York World newspaper, helped fuel the stampede for gold along the Yukon River. "Mr. J. O. Hestwod, one of the most successful argonauts of '97, has just returned from Klondike and furnishes by telegraph to the Sunday World a true picture of Alaska as it really is. He said: 'Modern or ancient history records nothing so rich in extent as the recent discoveries of gold on the tributaries of the Yukon River. 'The...
What could convince a 90-year-old actress – once a model for Disney animators creating the Tinker Bell character of 1953's "Peter Pan" – to abandon her West Coast home of nine decades and fly off to a new life in Florida, some 2,500 miles away? Perhaps a sprinkle of Disney magical fairy dust was involved when World War II veteran Robert Boeke, now 94, was visiting Amsterdam last summer with friends and stumbled on a store sign for "Tinker Bell Toys." "He told the people in the group he had act...
You know how nice it is when you get a toy you have been wanting? If you don’t remember that far back, think about how a child’s eyes light up when it sees a toy under the Christmas tree. Or if you like, a grown man’s reaction on his birthday when he unwraps that belt sander he has been asking for. Now imagine that you are given a toy you really want, but then told that you cannot play with it, you have to put it up on the shelf and just look at it. And you will know how I feel right now. (“Eno...
Q. Is there a way to view personal photos on my television? A. A living room TV is a perfect venue to share your family photo collection, and there are choices to fit every budget. Many televisions built in the last decade can already display photos. Older TVs may have a memory card slot. Simply load photos onto a card and enjoy! This is also the best choice if your house does not have a Wi-Fi network. The bundled software installed in SmartTVs often support photo sharing via home networking. If your set lacks any built-in features or if they...
As the nation moves into whatever "reopening" the next phase of the COVID-19 challenge means, the pandemic's mark on American health will be a permanent one in good ways and unfortunate ones too. The nation is nowhere close to a vaccine or a cure despite president Donald Trump's hyper-ambitious "plan" to develop, manufacture and distribute a vaccine by the end of 2020. Most scientists suggested that the most "optimistic" potential for a vaccine would be at the end of 2021 and more likely it...
COVID-19 is caused by something so small we cannot even see it, a virus known as SARS-CoV-2. This virus is causing illness and death throughout the world, and it seems to be targeting our elders especially hard. According to the CDC, 8 out of 10 deaths reported in the United States have been adults age 65 and older. This is a tenuous time for grandmothers, grandfathers, older siblings, loved ones and neighbors. Great concern, appropriately so, exists for our elders that live in residential care facilities as well as those that live in...
During our first summer of trying to be self sufficient and live off the land, my husband, Gary, decided to keep honeybees. The year was 1974 and we lived 23½ miles out of Fairbanks on the Chena Hot Springs Road. Once he got the bee hive box situated near the edge of the woods, they needed little attention. One evening in late July, upon returning from a day in town, we noticed the hive box had been toppled over. Gary walked over to investigate and decided from the signs that a bear had...
When the U. S. Army took over responsibility for administering Alaska in 1867, law enforcement found it had its hands full trying to stem the flow of liquor into the territory. Up until alcohol possession was legalized in 1899, smugglers brought their illegal brew into Alaska via whalers, fishing vessels, American and foreign ships and Indian canoes from both British Columbia and U.S. ports. Enforcement also had problems controlling the manufacture of "hootch," a name taken from the Tlingit...
Reassembling a dozen cast members from a popular 90s TV sitcom could pose a challenge for any network, much less an individual. But it was a task Fran Drescher relished. As the nasal-voiced star of the hit CBS series "The Nanny," Drescher co-created and co-produced the show along with then-husband Peter Marc Jacobson. "Peter came up with the reunion idea for fans stuck at home during isolation and I said right away let's do it if everyone in the cast is available," said Drescher from her home in...
I can sum up the premise of today’s column in two words: philosophy matters. I’m not talking about Plato and Sartre and Descartes. I’m talking about the philosophy each of us brings to our work. Everybody has a philosophy for what they do. When you go to the doctor, she may have a philosophy of treating most infections aggressively with antibiotics, or she may have a philosophy of avoiding antibiotics unless they are absolutely necessary. If you use a tax accountant, he may tend toward aggre...
Q. How do I disinfect a smartphone or tablet? A. Manufacturers usually publish guidelines for their products, and you should follow them. The most common advice is to avoid using too much liquid by applying it first to a clean, lint-free cloth. Use a disinfectant solution that contains at least 70% alcohol. Never use bleach or similar strong chemicals. Products intended for cleaning screens do not disinfect, even if they contain alcohol. I usually use a pre-moistened alcohol hand wipe and wait a couple of minutes for any liquid to evaporate,...
Editor’s note: This press statement was received on May 12, 2020. Social Security benefits have lost 30 percent of buying power since 2000, according to the latest “Social Security Loss of Buying Power” study released in May by The Senior Citizens League (TSCL). “This year’s study found a 3 percentage point gain in the buying power of Social Security benefits over 2019,” says study author Mary Johnson, a Social Security policy analyst for the League. “That should indicate that most retirees may have seen at least some prices come down on certai...
According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), there have been over 20,300 COVID-19 complaints carrying an estimated $15.6 million in losses since the start of 2020. U.S. service members and veterans should take particular notice because these fraudsters have tailored their fake pitches to mix the pandemic with top concerns of those who’ve worn a military uniform. AARP’s Fraud Watch Network and Operation Protect Veterans initiative have received reports of COVID-19 treatment scams, fake charity pitches claiming to help veteran and mil...
SAGE, the world's largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of LGBT elders, has recently launched SAGEConnect, a program that matches LGBT elders with volunteer community members and allies in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. For many of our LGBT pioneers, the heightened need for social isolation has left them homebound with severely limited support networks. The one-to-one contact offered through SAGEConnect will help combat feelings of loneliness and disconnection...
Getting older in America will never be the same, after the astonishing death toll in nursing homes and senior housing facilities has revealed just how flawed the nation’s system of care is. The fallout could completely collapse the nursing home and assisted living industries. No doubt, though, it will certainly change them and how we take care of our elders. The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed a defective system of caring for seniors, including severe understaffing at nearly all facilities, inconsistent regulations, economic challenges p...
I sat listening as Dad recited verse after verse of "The Shooting of Dan McGrew" by Robert Service. During my month long visit with him in October 2005, I had been surprised and amazed several times. I can't remember the poetry we were required to memorize back in high school, and yet Dad started quoting Robert Service out of the blue. Actually, not out of the blue. We were sitting in front of the open oven door of a wood cook stove drinking tea. It was his idea that we take some food to one of...
The remote islands of the Aleutian Chain, home to the Unangan people for more than 8,000 years, endured the first invasion on American soil since the War of 1812. On June 6, 1942, at around 10:30 p.m., 500 Japanese troops came ashore at Kiska. They captured a small American naval weather detachment of 10 men, along with a dog. One member of the detachment escaped, but surrendered after 50 days – thin, starving and cold. The enemy then invaded Attu at 3 a.m. on June 7. Villagers, who'd been e...
If you don't think Jimmy Stewart put the classic in 'classic movies,' consider these titles in which he starred: "It's a Wonderful Life," "The Philadelphia Story," "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," "Rear Window," "Vertigo," "Harvey," and the list goes on. No wonder Stewart appears near the top of just about every list of all-time most popular classic film actors. With such a resume, it's hard to imagine the man didn't develop an ego the size of the famous Hollywood Sign on Mount Lee in the Santa...
Covid-19 is some scary stuff. It’s even more so if medical procedures make you nervous. By now we’ve all seen videos of people having long swabs stuck far up their noses, or a tube stuck down their throats, or lying in a hospital bed gasping for air through an oxygen mask. So if you don’t like thinking about medical traumas … tough noogies. Read this anyway. The prospect of a looming medical crisis has a lot of people thinking about what kind of treatment they would want, if their circums...
Q. Which mobile phone is the best value? A. Although many options exist in the smartphone market, one choice stands above all the others: The 2020 iPhone SE. I am so impressed by the new iPhone SE that I believe it should be the first phone anyone considers, even current smartphone owners who want to upgrade. It is simply that good. Technology refinements over the last few years have created a revolutionary landscape for consumers. The iPhone SE capably matches top of the line phones from a few years ago for less than half the price. Even more...
Even in the best of times, social isolation is a significant problem. In Alaska, 42,898 people over the age of 50 live alone and are at higher risk of social isolation, which is now magnified by the “social distancing” requirements across the country. That’s worrisome. In fact, the World Health Organization was so concerned that the “social distancing” directive was contributing to isolation that it has modified the wording of its guidance: It now urges people to practice “physical distancing” to prevent the spread of the virus. Make no mista...
With social distancing, depression, isolation and loneliness hitting the nation’s seniors particularly hard as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the federal government has made big changes to Medicare to help doctors reach patients easier without visiting offices or hospitals. But while it appears well-intentioned, these policy changes also are going to have to be more carefully thought out over time. The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted Medicare to open access to telehealth, connecting patients to health care providers through videoconferenc...
