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Health October 26, 2017

Addiction Prevention Advocate On Trump's Public Health Emergency Declaration

Gary Mendell lost his son to addiction in 2011, and went on to form the group Shatterproof, which advocates for better prevention and treatment for addiction. He was at the White House today to hear President Trump’s announcement designating the nation’s opioid crisis a public health emergency, and he shares his reactions with NPR’s Robert Siegel.

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

Gary Mendell listened to the president’s remarks today with special interest. He lost his son to addiction in 2011 and went on to form the advocacy group Shatterproof. He has worked with President Trump’s opioid commission and was in the audience today at the White House. He spoke to me from the White House just as the event was letting out.

Gary Mendell told me he takes heart in the emphasis the president placed on curbing opioid prescriptions on the front lines in doctors’ offices. And now that he knows the will is there, I asked him what concrete steps he’d like to see the administration take from here.

GARY MENDELL: Well, ideally I would like for every prescriber in the country not only to have to be educated in proper prescribing but also to sign a document that they adopt the CDC guideline as a standard of care. And if every doctor in the country were to do that, it would be totally a sea change in prescribing practices.

SIEGEL: The CDC of course the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

MENDELL: Correct.

SIEGEL: What do you say to the observation that even if we got things right at the point of prescribing opioids, we would still have the situation on the streets with fentanyl and with heroin and that indeed a lot of the people in need of treatment are not taking prescription drugs; they’re taking street drugs?

MENDELL: Sure. I would give two responses to that. Number one, let’s have less people become addicted. That’s the best treatment – is prevention. And the best way to do that is prescribing practices. And reducing the number of pills being prescribed is going to reduce the number of people who use heroin or ultimately fentanyl because 80 percent of those who use heroin today started with prescription painkillers.

And then related to treatment, addiction is the only major disease in this country without a national standard of care for the treatment of addiction. You can go to 10 doctors for heart disease. Each of the doctors will treat you the same way. But for addiction, everyone is treated with all different methods. So what this country needs to have is a national standard of care for the treatment of addiction.

SIEGEL: Just one other question, if I might. And I ask this because I know that you’ve – because of the terrible situation with your own son losing his life to addiction. You’ve no doubt thought a lot about addiction and what it’s all about. Some years ago, I went to Kansas where there was an epidemic of methamphetamine abuse, a terrible drug that was really ruining lives. People were cooking it in garages. They were blowing up their homes by mistake in trying to cook this drug. And they were using it without doctors to prescribe, without foreign drug suppliers sending drugs yet into the country. When do we get to whatever the hunger is, whatever the need is for drugs?

MENDELL: Well, there’s no one simple answer. For opioids, it’s very simple in overprescribing. We are prescribing today three times the amount of pills that we prescribed 15 years ago, and we still prescribe four times the amount that they do in the United Kingdom – four times per person. So if we bring that down into balance, everything will improve. Fewer people will become addicted. Less treatment will be needed. Less people will move to heroin because they haven’t started with prescription painkillers. It’s really one simple fix related to the opiate situation. Related to all drugs, as a society, we’re too much about pills for solutions and less about resistance as a society to what we may feel emotionally or pain we may have externally.

SIEGEL: Mr. Mendell, thank you very much for talking with us about it today.

MENDELL: It’s my pleasure. And I really appreciate you bringing awareness to everything we’ve talked about. So thank you.

SIEGEL: That’s Gary Mendell of the advocacy group Shatterproof.

Copyright © 2017 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by Verb8tm, Inc., an NPR contractor, and produced using a proprietary transcription process developed with NPR. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

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Sports October 26, 2017

Winner Of High School Golf Tournament Denied Trophy, Because She's A Girl

Emily Nash, shown on Aug. 8 after winning the Massachusetts Golf Association’s WGAM Junior Amateur Championship. This month, in an unrelated high school tournament, Nash was denied a trophy despite her winning score.

Courtesy of the Massachusetts Golf Association

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Courtesy of the Massachusetts Golf Association

Updated at 4:15 p.m. ET.

Emily Nash was allowed to play. She just wasn’t allowed to win.

Nash, a junior at Lunenburg High School in Lunenburg, Mass., had the lowest score in the Central Mass Division 3 Boys’ Golf Tournament. But the first-place trophy was awarded to a boy who was four strokes behind her, because of the rules of the tournament.

According to the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association, girls can play in the boys’ golf tournament as part of a team, but they aren’t allowed to be entered as individuals.

That means Nash doesn’t get a trophy, or a spot in the boys state championship.

That was a surprise to her, although her coach was aware of the rule.

“I wasn’t aware that if I won I wouldn’t get the title or the trophy,” she told local TV station WPBF. “I feel like it’s a bit unfair.”

T.J. Auclair, a writer for the PGA, agreed. He called her 3-over-par score “impressive” and wrote that the rule that denied her a trophy is “so bad it makes a shank look good”:

“So, let’s get this straight. Nash’s score which was the best in the field by four strokes, was OK to count toward the team effort, but not OK to count individually?

“And for those wondering, yes, Nash did play from the same tees as the boys, which makes this situation all the more perplexing.

“It’s 2017. This rule sounds like it was created in 1917.”

One volunteer rules official who helped with the tournament told the Worcester Telegram & Gazette the situation is a “real injustice.”

Lunenberg High School doesn’t have a girls’ golf team, WPBF reports. And the boys’ team, despite the boost from Nash’s performance, didn’t qualify for a spot at states.

Nash does qualify to compete in the individual girls’ championship, which will be held in the spring, MIAA says in a statement.

“Female golfers have been welcomed to participate on a boys team in the fall if their school did not sponsor a girls golf team in the spring,” MIAA writes. “It has been clear to participants that female golfers playing in the fall boys team tournament are not participating in an individual capacity. “

“The individual tournament opportunity for female golfers takes place during the spring season,” the group said.

Nash’s father told the TV station, “It is what it is. Those are the rules of golf, and she plays by the rules.”

But pro golfer Brittany Altomare — who is from central Massachusetts, and played in the boys’ state tournament when she was in high school — said the rules should be changed, in this case.

Very disappointing. Gender does not matter she played the same tees a win is a win. She should be allowed to play as an individual in states as I did. https://t.co/jkcicYNC0a

— Brittany Altomare (@Britt_alto12) October 26, 2017

And David S. Cohen, a law professor at Drexel University, says the rule raises Title IX concerns. The law does does allow contact or skill-based sports to be separated by gender, he says — so MIAA could have kept girls out of the boys’ tournament completely.

“But … once they say, ‘We’re going to let girls participate,’ they’re required by Title IX to treat them equally,” he says. “And denying someone the trophy and the championship is far from treating them equally.”

He cited the case of a female Duke student who was allowed to try out for the football team. The courts ruled that once she joined the team, she had to be treated the same as the men.

Meanwhile, the male athlete who was awarded first place offered to give his trophy to Nash, saying she had earned it.

She declined but said she appreciated the gesture.

“He came over and said he didn’t win the tournament, that I did,” she told WPBF. “It was really nice of him and respectful.”

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Business October 25, 2017

Ex-Air Force Officer To Oversee Puerto Rico's Power Restoration

Whitefish Energy Holdings workers restore power lines damaged by Hurricane Maria in Barceloneta, Puerto Rico, on Wednesday.

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Ramon Espinosa/AP

Updated at 2:10 a.m. ET

A retired senior military officer has been appointed to oversee the rebuilding of Puerto Rico’s devastated power grid in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, as some three-quarters of the island’s residents remain without electricity.

In a written statement on Wednesday, the federal board that oversees Puerto Rico’s troubled finances announced its “intent to appoint” retired Air Force Colonel Noel Zamot “as chief transformation officer” of PREPA, the island’s power utility.

“I am fully committed to bringing the resources necessary to restore electricity to the people of Puerto Rico as quickly as possible, and to re-activate the economy and bring normalcy to the island,” Zamot said in a statement.

But Reuters reports, quoting a source familiar with [Puerto Rican] Gov. Ricardo Rosselló’s thinking, as saying that the territory’s government is not happy about Zamot’s appointment.

And in a public statement, Rosselló appeared to chafe at the board’s move, saying it had overstepped its authority in making the appointment.

The governor said management of island agencies “rests exclusively on democratically elected officials.”

“Puerto Rico will be zealous in defending the people from any action that seeks to undermine this process,” Rosselló said in a Spanish-language statement.

Zamot’s appointment would come amid concern over a $300 million contract issued by the island’s power utility, PREPA, to Whitefish Energy Holdings to lead the restoration effort. Whitefish Energy — a tiny firm with few resources and little experience — is based in Whitefish, Mont., the hometown of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke.

On Wednesday, Rosselló tweeted out a letter he wrote asking for an audit into how the company won its contract.

Addressed to the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general’s office, Rosselló wrote: “I request that your office complete its review of the Whitefish Contract so that a final determination can be made as to the Whitefish Contract and address any other issues regarding the same by Monday, October 30, 2017.”

I have asked the Office of the Inspector General to conduct a review of the contracting process of Whitefish Energy by @AEEONLINEpic.twitter.com/98ArnftIuL

— Ricardo Rossello (@ricardorossello) October 25, 2017

The controversy over Whitefish Energy continues to boil, with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday praising Zamot’s appointment, but expressing suspicion over the Whitefish contract.

“We are deeply concerned both about why and how a small, inexperienced firm was tasked with the massive job of rebuilding Puerto Rico’s devastated electrical grid, and why (Puerto Rico’s power company) failed to activate the mutual aid network, which effectively came to the aid of Texas and Florida after the devastation of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma,” the California Democrat said in a statement.

The company — which had only two full-time employees as recently as last month — engaged in a heated back-and-forth on Wednesday with San Juan’s outspoken Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz via Twitter. Cruz called for more transparency over the company’s contract and Whitefish Energy, in turn, issued an implied threat to pull its workforce.

In a tweet since deleted, Whitefish fired back: “We’ve got 44 linemen rebuilding power lines in your city & 40 more men just arrived. Do you want us to send them back or keep working?”

We share frustration with Mayor Cruz on the situation in Puerto Rico, but her comments are misplaced. pic.twitter.com/rIzxIjOcfQ

— Whitefish Energy (@WhitefishEnergy) October 25, 2017

Later, the company issued an apology, saying the comments “did not represent who we are and how important this work is to help Puerto Rico’s recovery.”

.@CarmenYulinCruz and everyone in Puerto Rico… pic.twitter.com/XHIwgQjYvh

— Whitefish Energy (@WhitefishEnergy) October 26, 2017

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Entertainment October 25, 2017

Today in Movie Culture: Andy Serkis Recaps the History of Motion Capture, a 'Silence of the Lambs' Parody and More

Here are a bunch of little bites to satisfy your hunger for movie culture:

Film History Lesson of the Day:

For Wired, Andy Serkis breaks down the history of motion capture performance, of which he’s the master:

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Movie Parody of the Day:

One of the iconic scenes from The Silence of the Lambs gets an extension in this parody from Cracked:

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Movie Comparison of the Day:

With Jigsaw out this week, Couch Tomato shows 24 reasons the original Saw is basically a remake of Se7en:

Alternate Movie Poster of the Day:

This isn’t just a great Gremlins poster by Kevin M. Wilson, but it’s also a fun game for movie geeks:

The Old Curiosity Shop. There are 84 different references in this GREMLINS poster designed by @ApeMeetsGirl, how many can you identify? pic.twitter.com/UhsLzguSQ5

— Spooking People ?? (@ShootingPeople) October 24, 2017

Remixed Movie of the Day:

Eclectic Method samples the sounds of Wonder Woman for their latest awesome dance track:

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Vintage Image of the Day:

Julia Roberts, who turns 50 this weekend, receives direction from Steven Spielberg on the set of Hook in 1991:

Actor in the Spotlight:

With a new season of The Walking Dead starting this week, Fandor looks at the movie and TV career of Danai Gurira:

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Filmmaker in Focus:

IMDb showcases the director trademarks of James Cameron’s movies in this original video:

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Cosplay of the Day:

We’ve seen some great It cosplay this year, but this dog is the best Pennywise yet:

it: a coisinea pic.twitter.com/po2QJ3ucYB

— DOUGRAS (@dougraz) October 24, 2017

Classic Trailer of the Day:

Today is the 15th anniversary of the release of Frida. Watch the original trailer for the classic artist biopic below.

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Sports October 25, 2017

Astros Beat Dodgers 7-6 To Tie The 2017 World Series

Houston Astros’ Marwin Gonzalez celebrates his ninth-inning home run that tied the score 3-3 with the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 2 of the World Series Wednesday.

David J. Phillip/AP

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David J. Phillip/AP

The Houston Astros won a wild 11-inning see-saw battle beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-6 in Game 2 of the World Series.

Astros center-fielder George Springer smacked a two-run homer in the top of the 11th inning silencing fans at Dodgers Stadium after their team had tied the game in the bottom of the 10th inning at 5-5.

The Dodgers struck back in the bottom of the 11th inning with a solo homer by pinch-hitter Charlie Culberson. But that was all the Dodgers could muster against Astros reliever Chris Devenski.

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ Corey Seager leaps for joy after his two-run home run, giving the Dodgers a 3-1 lead in Game 2 of the World Series in Los Angeles.

Mark J. Terrill/AP

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Mark J. Terrill/AP

The Astros’ victory ties the series at one game a piece with the action moving to Houston on Friday. The Astros have not lost a game at home in this post-season.

The Dodgers tied the score 1-1 with Joc Pederson’s fifth-inning home run .

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

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Christian Petersen/Getty Images

“We’re never out of it and we have a lineup that’s really scary when it’s on,” said Astros shortstop Carlos Correa, who had three hits and two RBI’s.

The Dodgers looked like they were headed to victory after seven innings when they led the game 3-1. Those three runs came off of Astros ace Justin Verlander who had appeared to be in control of the game giving up only two hits: a solo homer by the Dodgers Joc Pederson in the 5th inning and a two-run shot by Corey Seager in the 6th.

But Houston began clawing back in the 8th inning against Dodger closer Kenley Jansen. They scored one run on a ground-rule double by Alex Bregman and a single by Carlos Correa, making the game 3-2. That run ended a string of 28 scoreless innings by Los Angeles’ vaunted bullpen.

Houston tied the game at 3-3 when Marwin Gonzalez hit a solo homer in the top of the 9th inning. The Dodgers went quietly in their half of the 9th, sending the game into extra innings.

That’s when Houston, the most potent offense in baseball this year, showed signs of life with back-to-back homeruns by Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa in the top of the 10th inning, making the game 5-3.

It was the Dodgers turn to get back in the game when right-fielder Yasiel Puig launched a solo shot in the bottom of the 10th inning. A walk, a wild pitch and then a single by pinch-hitter Enrique Hernandez off of Astros closer Ken Giles tied the game at 5-5.

Astros starter Verlander pitched six innings. The Dodger’s starter, Rich Hill, was pulled after four innings, despite striking out seven batters. But Dodgers manager Dave Roberts elected to go to his bullpen early, a strategy that had worked well until tonight.

The game featured eight homeruns. It will likely be remembered for the fact that the Dodgers bullpen—a team strength all year—couldn’t hold a lead when it mattered most.

Updated at 12:41 a.m. ET

In a dramatic, 11-inning contest, the Astros even the series at one game a piece. It’s Houston’s first-ever World Series game win.

Updated at 12:32 a.m. ET

The Dodgers’ Charlie Cuberson hit a home run in the bottom of the 11th inning.

Updated at 12:15 a.m. ET

After the Dodgers rallied to tie the game 5-5 in the 11th inning, the Astros answered back with a two-run homer.

Updated at 11: 35 p.m. ET

Houston has a 5-3 lead over Los Angeles in the tenth inning of Game 2 of the World Series.

Our previous post:

Los Angeles Dodgers have taken a 3-1 lead in Game 2 of the World Series with a two-run home run by shortstop Corey Seager off Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander in the bottom of the 6th inning.

Verlander had appeared in command of the game, retiring the first two batters he faced in the sixth, before walking Chris Taylor and then watching Seager drive a pitch out of Dodger Stadium.

In the fifth, Dodgers left fielder Joc Pederson broke up a no-hit bid by Verlander with a solo home run, tying the game at 1-1.

The Astros had taken a one-run lead over the Dodgers, scoring on a series of singles in the top of third. After an infield single by Josh Reddick, a bunt by Verlander, and another single by George Springer, first baseman Alex Bregman roped yet another single to center field, scoring Reddick.

Verlander then retired the Dodgers in the bottom of the third, and held the Angelenos hitless over four innings.

Dodgers starter Rich Hill recovered from the Astros’ single run by striking out the dangerous Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa.

Neither starting pitcher made it through the whole game.

The Dodgers took the first game of the Series 3-1 Tuesday, with starter Clayton Kershaw handcuffing the Astros. Kershaw needed only 83 pitches to strike out 11 batters and hold them to one run on three hits.

This story will be updated during the game.

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Entertainment October 24, 2017

Today in Movie Culture: 'Wonder Woman' VFX Breakdown, a History of Japanese Horror and More

Here are a bunch of little bites to satisfy your hunger for movie culture:

Fan-made Poster of the Day:

Michael Bay is producing a Dora the Explorer movie, so BossLogic shows us what its poster will probably look like:

Can’t wait for the action packed @michaelbay#DoraTheExplorer starring @iambeckygpic.twitter.com/W9oVyesoKQ

— BossLogic (@Bosslogic) October 24, 2017

FX Breakdown of the Day:

See how Platige Image created the opening prologue for Wonder Woman, bringing a painting to life (via Heroic Hollywood):

See how we brought a painting to life for the prologue of #WonderWoman! #MakingOf#VFXpic.twitter.com/rxiSKXR9Te

— Platige Image (@PlatigeImage) October 23, 2017

Film History Lesson of the Day:

With Halloween coming up in a week, One Hundred Years of Cinema chronicles the history of Japanese horror:

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Prank of the Day:

Can you spot the Pennywise inserted into these engagement photos before the bride does? Hopefully the photographer still has the originals (via Geek Tyrant):

My sister asked me to shoot her engagement pics so I hid Pennywise the Clown in every photo. Countdown until she notices. pic.twitter.com/Z7QZPsq2ym

— Jesse McLaren (@McJesse) October 22, 2017

Vintage Image of the Day:

Kevin Kline, who turns 70 today, with co-stars William Hurt, Jeff Goldblum and Tom Berenger and director Lawrence Kasdan on the set of The Big Chill in 1982:

Actor in the Spotlight:

Carrie Fisher’s career is defined mostly by Star Wars, but here’s Fandor with a look at her legacy in comedy:

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Filmmaker in Focus:

This video essay from Tim Nicholas highlights dance, movement, freedom and intimacy in the work of Yorgos Lanthimos, whose latest, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, is now in theaters:

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Fan Art of the Day:

Sometimes it’s fun to just make a poster of the literal meaning of a movie title, as in the case of this Baby Driver art shared by director Edgar Wright:

Art by @scottbuonscott#BabyDriverMoviepic.twitter.com/qLOSCbZcX8

— edgarwright (@edgarwright) October 23, 2017

Cosplay of the Day:

When you’ve got the best cosplay representing the top-grossing movie of the year, Beauty and the Beast:

Beauty And The Beast Most Amazing Cosplay https://t.co/kbzQp3AKIW

— Acer (@khapra21) October 5, 2017

Classic Trailer of the Day:

Today is the 20th anniversary of the release of Gattaca. Watch the original trailer for the sci-fi classic below.

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and

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Business October 24, 2017

Senate Kills Rule On Class-Action Suits Against Financial Companies

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray, listens to comments during a panel discussion in Richmond, Va. in Oct. 2016.

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Steve Helber/AP

The Senate has voted to get rid of a banking rule that allows consumers to bring class-action lawsuits against banks and credit card companies to resolve financial disputes.

With Vice President Mike Pence casting the tie-breaking vote, the roll-back of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule banning restrictive mandatory arbitration clauses found in the fine print of credit card and checking account agreements passed 51-50, with Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and John Kennedy of Louisiana voting against repeal.

The Republican-controlled House had already voted to rescind the rule and President Trump is expected to quickly sign the measure, which also bars similar rules in the future.

The CFPB rule, released in July, was aimed at giving consumers more power. Prior to the rule, the CFPB said companies could “sidestep the court system” by “forcing consumers to give up or go it alone.”

This allowed companies to “avoid big refunds, and continue harmful practices,” the CFPB wrote in July in announcing the changes.

CFPB said it was redressing a situation in which consumers were forced “to give up or go it alone – usually over small amounts,” while companies were able to “sidestep the court system, avoid big refunds, and continue harmful practices.”

In a statement released shortly after the vote, CFPB Director Richard Cordray said it represented “a giant setback for every consumer in this country. Wall Street won and ordinary people lost.”

In July, The Washington Post wrote that the rule “came about because of the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial reform legislation, which the Trump administration and Republicans have been trying to dismantle. The legislation required the CFPB to study the use of arbitration agreements and report back to Congress. The rule is a result of that report.”

The move is part of a larger push by Republicans to roll back regulations that they believe hurt the free market.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said President Trump supported the move because: “The rule would harm our community banks and credit unions by opening the door to frivolous lawsuits by special interest trial lawyers,” she said.

Democrats, however, argue that such rules give consumers more power to stop abusive practices, citing “the sales practices at Wells Fargo and the security breach at credit company Equifax as examples of misdeeds protected through forced arbitration,” The Associated Press writes.

“So who does forced arbitration help? Wall Street banks and other huge corporations that never pay the price for cheating working people,” said Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio.

As Chris Arnold, of NPR’s Planet Money team, wrote last year, “in recent years, and especially after a Supreme Court decision in 2011, mandatory arbitration clauses have become widespread across all kinds of industries. So consumers in many instances have signed away their right to seek restitution through a class action.”

The financial industry, however, says the rule would encourage lawyers to “unfairly shake down companies to line their own pockets … [and] raise legal costs for companies, which in turn would increase prices for consumers,” Chris reported.

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Sports October 24, 2017

Dodgers Beat Astros 3-1 In Game 1 of The 2017 World Series

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Justin Turner (left) celebrates his two-run home run in the sixth inning of Game 1 of the World Series Tuesday in Los Angeles.

Matt Slocum/AP

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Matt Slocum/AP

Updated 11:50 p.m. ET

The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Houston Astros 3-1 in Game 1 of the 2017 World Series in Los Angeles on the strength of superior pitching and timely home runs.

The Dodgers got a strong performance by their ace, Clayton Kershaw, who struck out 11 batters over seven innings, surrendering only one run on three hits. He walked none.

“It was a special night for Clayton,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said about his three-time Cy Young Award winner.

Kershaw said he really couldn’t tell the difference between any other post-season start and a World Series start.

“But it definitely feels good to say it was the World Series and feels good to say we’re 1 and 0,” he said.

The Astros’ starter, Dallas Keuchel, pitched almost as well. But the Dodgers’ three runs came on pitches Keuchel would probably like to pull back.

Winning Dodgers’ pitcher Clayton Kershaw held the Astros to one run over seven innings in Game 1. He had relief help from Brandon Morrow and Kenley Jansen in the eighth and ninth innings.

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

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Christian Petersen/Getty Images

The Dodgers drew blood in the bottom of the first inning when center fielder Chris Taylor smacked Keuchel’s first pitch deep into the left field seats.

Down by a single run, the Astros’ starting pitcher kept the Dodgers at bay with his own efficient pitching and the help of three double plays by his teammates. Houston’s third baseman Alex Bregman silenced the Los Angeles crowd when he opened the fourth inning with a solo homer off of Kershaw to tie the game 1-1.

The game was looking like a classic pitchers’ duel until the bottom of the sixth inning when Keuchel, with two outs, walked Taylor. Dodger third baseman Justin Turner broke the tie with a two-run homer to left field.

Houston’s Alex Bregman gets the Astros on the board with a home run during the fourth inning.

Alex Gallardo/AP

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Alex Gallardo/AP

Keuchel gave up three runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out three and surrendered one walk — to Taylor, setting up the Turner home run.

That made the score 3-1 Dodgers and their highly touted bullpen held that lead. LA reliever Brandon Morrow retired the Astros in the eighth inning and closer Kenley Jansen wrapped it up in the ninth.

In addition to outstanding pitching, Game 1 of the 2017 World Series will likely be remembered for the heat. The recorded temperature at Dodger Stadium at game time was a toasty 103 degrees.

In fact, Turner gave credit to the heat for his game-winning homer.

“When it’s that hot here the ball does travel a lot better,” he said in a post-game press conference. “If it’s ten degrees cooler that’s probably a routine fly ball to left field.”

Game 2 will be played Wednesday evening In Los Angeles. The scheduled starting pitchers are Rich Hill for the Dodgers and Justin Verlander for the Astros.

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Health October 24, 2017

Administration Denies More States' Plans To Customize Insurance Markets

“Obamacare gives states very little flexibility for innovation,” said Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, after withdrawing the state’s insurance waiver request.

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Charlie Neibergall/AP

Two states looking for approval to customize their health insurance systems under the Affordable Care Act reversed course after the Trump administration said their applications couldn’t be approved in time for next year.

Iowa withdrew its proposal to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for a waiver to alter its Affordable Care Act markets. Massachusetts’ proposal was effectively denied by the administration.

Both states sought to use some of the money that would have gone toward subsidies for consumers to instead create reinsurance programs that would protect insurers from major losses. Reinsurance often lowers premiums.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, blamed the rules of the Affordable Care Act for the failure of her state’s proposal. “Obamacare gives states very little flexibility for innovation,” Reynolds said at a news conference.

She gave credit to CMS Administrator Seema Verma for trying to get the waiver approved. “Unfortunately Obamacare is an unworkable law,” Reynolds said. She then urged Congress to pass a law to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

But there’s another way of looking at it. CMS took a “hard line” on its interpretation of the law, said Larry Levitt, a senior vice president at the Kaiser Family Foundation. In a letter to Iowa, the agency said the state’s proposal doesn’t meet the law’s requirements that the alternative plan not add to the federal deficit.

“The question is how sharp the pencils have to be that reviewers in HHS are using” Levitt said. “They could be a little looser in their analysis, but would risk a negative report down the road.”

On the same day that Iowa withdrew its waiver, CMS told Massachusetts that the agency couldn’t approve the state’s waiver in time for open enrollment, which begins Nov. 1. The Affordable Care Act requires all proposals to allow 90 days for public comment. CMS said Massachusetts’ application came too late.

The failures of the two states’ waiver applications follow a trend. Several states have seen their proposals delayed, denied or only partly approved, after administration officials actively encouraged states to apply.

Some critics say the denials are part of an administration effort to force the ACA marketplaces to fail. But Levitt says the agency is on solid legal ground in its strict interpretation of the rules.

Still , there appears to be a switch, given the administration’s previous invitation to states to seek permission for insurance market changes.

Former HHS Secretary Tom Price, who resigned last month, encouraged states to apply for the waivers. Just weeks after he was sworn in in February, Price wrote a letter to every governor in the country urging them to consider creating reinsurance programs and high-risk pools.

HHS “invites states to pursue approval of waiver proposals that include high-risk pool/state-operated reinsurance programs,” the letter says. “The Departments will work with states to review all applications within the timeframe provided … and do our best to work with states to review their applications on an expedited basis.”

Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., has sought to relax the waiver process. A bipartisan bill he co-authored with Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., would cut the wait time for waivers to be approved and allow states to go ahead with just the approval of the governor rather than a vote from the legislature. The bill would also make it easier for states to get copycat waivers once a program has been approved elsewhere.

Alexander said his bill would fix the problems that doomed the Massachusetts proposal. “Under the Alexander-Murray bill, states can get waivers approved in 45 days if the situation requires urgent action,” he said in a statement. “So Massachusetts could have had its waiver approved by now to help reduce chaos when open enrollment begins next week. This is further evidence that the Affordable Care Act needs changes and that states need our bill to get flexibility from the law.”

The Alexander-Murray bill, which was co-sponsored by 24 senators, has yet to be scheduled for a vote, and President Trump has wavered on whether he supports the plan.

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Entertainment October 23, 2017

Today in Movie Culture: The Philosophy of the 'Saw' Movies, How Thanos May Be Defeated in 'Avengers: Infinity War' and More

Here are a bunch of little bites to satisfy your hunger for movie culture:

Franchise Analysis of the Day:

With the sequel Jigsaw out this Friday, Wisecrack explores the philosophy of the Saw movies:

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Fan Theory of the Day:

Cracked takes a guess that Thanos will wind up defeating himself in Avengers: Infinity War in this video about the villain’s big weakness:

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Reworked Movie of the Day:

Is Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice better with sports commentators talking over the superhero fight? See Auralnauts’s new video below:

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Musical Number Redo of the Day:

Here’s a great alternative version of the opening musical number from La La Land by foreign language school students in China (via Filmbrain):

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Vintage Image of the Day:

The very tall author-turned-filmmaker Michael Crichton, who was born on this day in 1942, towers over stars Michael Douglas and Genevieve Bujold while directing a scene for Coma in 1977:

Filmmaker in Focus:

Fandor answers the question of who is Spike Jonze in this video highlighting his work as an actor, director, Oscar-winning screenwriter, skateboarder and more:

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Filmmaking Lesson of the Day:

In the first part of a new series, video essayist Patrick Willems uses a Wallace and Gromit short to show how to make a perfect action scene:

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Cosplay of the Day:

Cosplayers go bowling in this Mineralblu video of a New York Comic Con after party featuring fans of It, Deadpool and more:

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Alternative Poster of the Day:

Speaking of It, here’s one of the latest entries in artist Matt Talbot’s 31 horror posters project for this month:

My poster for today’s #31DaysOfHorror is IT! The 2017 version. Which I loved. #31daysofhalloween#ITpic.twitter.com/Oxz4ZDSSpY

— Matt Talbot (@mattrobot) October 20, 2017

Classic Trailer of the Day:

Today is the 25th anniversary of the limited release of Quentin Tarantino’s feature debut, Reservoir Dogs. Watch the original trailer for the classic crime film below.

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