September 30, 2010

comScore, Inc. (Nasdaq: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released data from the comScore Video Metrix service showing that 178 million U.S. Internet users watched online video content in August for an average of 14.3 hours per viewer. The total U.S. Internet audience engaged in more than 5.2 billion viewing sessions during the course of the month.

Google Sites, driven primarily by video viewing at YouTube.com, ranked as the top online video content property with 146.3 million unique viewers. Facebook.com jumped one position to capture the #2 spot with 58.6 million viewers, for a total of 243 million viewing sessions. Full release

The AMA, along with medical societies representing 50 states and the District of Columbia and 65 national physician organizations, united to send a strong message to Congress - immediate action is needed to stop the drastic 30 percent Medicare payment cuts looming at the end of this year to protect seniors' access to health care.

Congress has repeatedly failed to fix the flawed Medicare physician payment formula, relying instead on temporary reprieves from scheduled cuts. The latest of these temporary delays stabilized Medicare physician payments only through the end of November. If action is not taken quickly by Congress, on December 1 Medicare payments for physician services will be slashed by more than 23 percent. An additional cut of 6.5 percent will follow on January 1. Full release

Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley's 21-year legacy of successful community building has earned him the prestigious Urban Land Institute (ULI) J.C. Nichols Prize for Visionaries in Urban Development. Daley, the 2010 laureate, is only the second mayor to receive the prize in its 11-year history. The announcement is being made today at a celebratory luncheon in Chicago.

Daley, who recently announced he will not seek reelection in 2011, is widely credited with transforming Chicago into a revitalized international metropolis, bringing together the built and natural environments to make the city more sustainable, livable, and dynamic. Unlike other Rustbelt cities in the past 20 years, Chicago has grown – in population, diversity, jobs and income. Full release

Thousands of walkers - including individuals with autism, their families and friends - will join together to raise much-needed funds for critical scientific research and to increase awareness about autism that now affects 1 in every 110 individuals. All proceeds from the event benefit Autism Speaks, the nation's leading autism advocacy organization. The 2010 Long Island Walk is expected to raise over $1,400,000.

WHEN: SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2010
Press Check In: 9 a.m.
9:30 a.m. Stage Program

Full release

Now that craigslist's "Adult Services" section has closed, advocates are closely monitoring the flow of demand to other popular outlets. Pressure is now being applied to Village Voice Media, which operates 14 publications throughout the U.S. in addition to Backpage.com, craigslist's closest competitor in terms of adult services. Village Voice Media is urged to take decisive action to effectively stop ads sex trafficking young girls on Backpage, according to Deborah Richardson, chief program officer for Women's Funding Network, a global movement for social justice.

"This is not an issue of censorship," Richardson says. "Unfortunately, Village Voice and its outlets -- like Backpage -- are using arguments about free speech as a distraction from the main issue, which is the illegal act of buying and selling adolescent girls for sex. Backpage and other Internet classified sites should invest their vast resources in as many efforts as possible to stop traffickers and buyers from using their pages to domestically traffick girls." Full release

Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement tonight after the House passed two veterans' bills: the Veterans' Benefits Act, which will improve job opportunities, benefits, and programs for homeless veterans; and the Securing America's Veterans Insurance Needs and Goals (SAVINGS) Act, which requires that insurance companies in the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance program be more forthright and transparent about their policies and requirements.

"Today, with the Veterans Benefits Act, Congress has made bipartisan progress for our nation's veterans on some of their most pressing issues, including job creation, benefits for those facing grievous injuries, and homelessness. It builds on our record of accomplishments: including advanced appropriations that provide the VA with timely and reliable funding, and the Post 9/11 GI Bill that restores the promise of a full, four-year scholarship for our Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. I'm proud that the last four years have resulted in more progress for our veterans and military families than has been made since the passage of the original GI Bill in 1944. Full release

This year, six million older Americans will go hungry. Between 2006 and 2008, the percentage of poor and near-poor elderly who were hungry more than doubled-from 4.7 percent to 10.1 percent, according to the AARP Public Policy Institute. Today at Orlando@50+, AARP's national event and expo, AARP and its affiliated charity, AARP Foundation, announced a multi-million dollar effort to help end hunger among older Americans.

"AARP believes no one of any age should go hungry," said Jo Ann Jenkins, AARP Foundation president. "Hunger among older Americans is a huge problem, but one that, if we all work together, is solvable. AARP and AARP Foundation are making a long-term commitment to helping older people get nutritious food on the table so that no one has to make the devastating choice between basic needs, like food, housing or utilities." Full release

The Immigration Equality Action Fund today hailed the introduction of a comprehensive immigration reform bill in the Senate, by Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), which includes the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA), a measure to end discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender immigrant families.

"The Immigration Equality Action Fund welcomes Senator Menendez's inclusive legislation, and calls on Congress to pass comprehensive reform, and fix our broken immigration system, immediately," said Rachel B. Tiven, the group's executive director. "This new bill includes numerous, positive developments for LGBT immigrants, including UAFA, the DREAM Act and a pathway to citizenship." Full release

Jersey Shore University Medical Center's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) was recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute. It is the first hospital in New Jersey and the largest on the east coast to receive the honor. LEED is the nation's preeminent program for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.

"While we are very proud to be the first New Jersey hospital to receive this recognition, we did not make our design decisions for the sake of obtaining LEED Gold," said Steven G. Littleson, FACHE, president of Jersey Shore University Medical Center. "We made sound, conscientious decisions for the wellness and experience of our patients and team, the environment, and our operations. That we are the largest East Coast LEED Gold hospital is the result of those choices." Full release

With 72 percent of businesses concerned about their country's level of public debt and 43 percent very or extremely concerned, a new survey from KPMG International shows that cutting public spending is the most popular method of managing the public debt.

According to research released today from KPMG International titled Paying the Bill, of the 538 business leaders surveyed from around the world seven out of 10 said that debt should be reduced primarily through cuts in public spending, rising to 77 percent among Europeans. Cutting public spending was also the top choice for the Americas (69 percent) and 54 percent for Asia- Pacific respondents. A copy of Paying the Bill is available at: http://www.kpmg.com/Global/en/IssuesAndInsights/ArticlesPublications/Pages/paying-the-bill.aspx

Full release

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