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Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
A Bowdoin podcast on how government works is headed to Maine classrooms to boost civic learning
Bowdoin students and podcast hosts Natalie Emmerson and Larsen Van Horn whose "Pine State Politics: In Session" podcast will be turned into civics lessons for high schoolers. (Courtesy of Natalie Emmerson) In January 2024, Bowdoin freshman Natalie Emmerson collected signatures for U.S. Sen. Angus King's re-election campaign. Frequently, she was asked by voters, 'isn't he already on the ballot?' That's when she realized that by working on the campaign she was learning information about how elections and democracy work that most people didn't know. That lesson prompted Emmerson and classmate Larsen Van Horn one year later to create a podcast called 'Pine State Politics: In Session,' where they learn and educate listeners about basic civic processes, like how a bill becomes a law, the difference between state and federal government, the role of lobbyists and much more from some of the biggest names in Maine politics: former Congressman and U.S. Secretary of Defense Bill Cohen, current Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, and King himself. 'A lot of young people want to get involved, but don't know how,' Emmerson said of the political process. 'That's exactly what the point of the podcast is. We're digging into the mechanics of how everything works.' Van Horn, who is from out of state, said the podcast is a way for her to learn more about how Maine's government and elections work, for instance, concepts like ranked-choice voting and clean elections funding. He said this is especially important because, like other college students, he is able to vote in Maine elections. Next year, the podcast could be played in high school classrooms across Maine as part of a newly offered curriculum that Emmerson and Van Horn are partnering with the Maine Department of Education to develop. For example, in the first episode, the hosts asked Bellows and Washington, D.C. lobbyist and University of Maine adjunct professor Peter Madigan which issues are handled locally and which are federal: Who do you call about a road that needs paving? Which office handles disability payments? That segment will help prompt classroom discussion questions, Emmerson said, such as 'What issues can your congressperson help you with? What is a district office and what do the people who work there do?' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX 'Some of these questions will require the student to look some information up for a complete answer,' she added. 'The conversation in the snippet will help point them in the right direction. That way students stay engaged and are required to ask questions and think critically about the systems they're learning about ' The department hopes the collaboration will make the democratic process more accessible and engaging for young people, particularly because it's a resource developed by other young people. 'They're a great example of youth voice in civic education, which is something we want to be promoting because … there is very low youth engagement nationwide in civic life,' said Beth Lambert, chief teaching and learning officer at the Maine Department of Education. The podcast breaks down complex government processes in a non-partisan, approachable manner, Lambert said, which was another reason the partnership appealed to the department. 'They're not diving into polarizing policy debates in these podcasts,' she said. 'It really emphasizes how democracy works and encourages understanding across the political divides, which is key in our classrooms.' The lesson plans, which will be available this fall, will allow high school teachers to use specific segments in civics, U.S. history, and current events classes. Since Maine allows local districts to control curriculum, teachers in each district will be able to decide whether to use the lesson plans. But the initiative reflects the department's broader commitment to promoting youth-driven learning experiences that encourage students to understand and actively participate in democratic processes. Next year, the department will be rolling out another learning opportunity for elementary students — interactive town halls. These day-long events, developed in partnership with the Secretary of State and local municipalities, will immerse young students in democratic processes such as town council meetings. Students will participate in various roles, such as reporters, candidates, and voters, learning about local government, the role of the media and policy through hands-on activities. These new initiatives are part of 'broader efforts to support interdisciplinary, inclusive and relevant learning experiences,' Lambert said, which are a department priority. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Health insurance companies have a problem — people are using their plans more
When medical insurance provider Centene (CNC) opened its books to investors on Friday, the company reported a surprising loss and an uptick in usage. The latter is a broader problem for the industry. In the second quarter, Centene reported an adjusted loss of $79 million and a "health benefits ratio" of 93%. Its benefits ratio, or the amount of its revenue derived from premiums that it pays out for medical care, jumped from 87.6% in the same quarter last year. Moves in that figure can have outsized effects on health insurers' financial performance. "Because of the narrow margins of our health plan business, relatively small changes in our HBR can create significant changes in our financial results," Centene wrote in its Q2 earnings report. And the problem is not isolated to Centene. Elevance Health (ELV), which offers plans including Blue Cross and Blue Shield, reported a similar jump in its "benefit expense ratio" to 88.9% in the second quarter, up from 86.3% in the same quarter last year. Both Centene and Elevance attributed the jump especially to their government-subsidized offerings under the Medicaid and Medicare programs. Molina Healthcare (MOH), which reported Q2 earnings earlier this month, reported a similar outlook, attributing its lowered earnings guidance to the same trend facing other medical insurers. "The short-term earnings pressure we are experiencing results from what we believe to be a temporary dislocation between premium rates and medical cost trend which has recently accelerated,' Molina CEO Joseph Zubretsky said in a statement. Elevance stock dropped by roughly 12% after its report earlier this month, while Molina stock dropped by roughly 8%. Both stocks have remained depressed since. Health Care (XLV) is the worst-performing sector in the S&P 500 this year. Centene stock dropped by roughly 15% in premarket trading after its earnings release before recovering to a positive gain of roughly 6% by the closing bell on Friday. The buoy was led by CEO Sarah London's announcement that Centene was reinstating earnings guidance after pulling this forecast earlier in the month. The company also reported revenue of $48.7 billion, which topped estimates for $44.2 billion, and said it expects to be able to raise the payments it gets from states for Medicaid plans, which would improve its margins. UnitedHealth's MCR challenge The premium-to-cost ratio will be closely watched at UnitedHealth Group (UNH), which refers to this measure as its "medical care ratio" (MCR) and is slated to release Q2 earnings next week. After seeing its medical care ratio rise to 85.1% in the second quarter last year, UnitedHealth is expected to see its ratio jump to 89.3% this year, according to Bloomberg consensus estimates. An increase like that would mean tighter margins and less overhead for a company that already slashed its forecast earlier this year. That news sent its stock price down by 22%, its biggest drop in a single day since 1998. "Management noted care activity trends continue to run ahead of its previous expectations driven by a greater than expected impact at UHC from new members, further acceleration of [Medicare Advantage] utilization and indications of potential broadening trend among adjacent, complex populations," Truist Securities analysts wrote in a May analyst note about UnitedHealth. Closely watched by investors and analysts will also be how UnitedHealth leadership addresses its disclosure Thursday morning that the insurer is facing and complying with a criminal and civil investigation by the Department of Justice over potential fraudulent billing practices in the insurer's Medicare Advantage program. The stock dropped 4.7% through Thursday trading after the disclosure. The probe comes after reporting by the Wall Street Journal earlier this year that documented the potentially fraudulent activity by UnitedHealth, among other medical insurers, which included insurers' staff doctors and nurses adding diagnoses to patients' profiles on top of those documented by the patients' doctors. UnitedHealth may have to answer investor inquiries about the investigation on its earnings call on Tuesday, though these are far from the only challenges facing the insurance giant. According to former federal prosecutor Scott Hogan, the DOJ's Medicare probe will be looking to establish a prolonged pattern of wrongdoing by the insurer. "If everything comes back good for the company, if the department [closes its investigation], I think the company will be able to reassure the marketplace," Hogan, who specialized in fraud investigations, told Yahoo Finance on Friday. Even if UnitedHealth is eventually cleared of wrongdoing, he said, "If the investigation takes next steps, whether it's a lawsuit or prolonged investigation, I don't think there are many companies that desire those kinds of headlines." Jake Conley is a breaking news reporter covering US equities for Yahoo Finance. Follow him on X at @byjakeconley or email him at Click here for in-depth analysis of the latest stock market news and events moving stock prices Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Who's speaking at Fancy Farm 2025? See the list of who will and won't be there
Fancy Farm and its zingers are almost here. Kentucky's annual political picnic is set to take place Saturday, Aug. 2, in Western Kentucky at St. Jerome's Catholic Church, with political speeches beginning at 2 p.m. Central/3 p.m. Eastern. While it isn't an election year in Kentucky, the political speaking portion is still expected to bring entertainment, with primary candidates allowed to speak ahead of the 2026 election. Here's what to know about who will — and won't — be there: Who is speaking at the 2025 Fancy Farm picnic? Ashli Watts, president and CEO of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, will emcee the 2025 picnic. All three high-profile Republican U.S. Senate candidates — Andy Barr, Daniel Cameron and Nate Morris — will give speeches. Steve Elder, Fancy Farm's political chairperson, previously said event organizers decided to invite primary candidates to speak because "the political landscape is constantly evolving, and we too must adapt to the times." Event organizers typically limit invited speakers to those holding state office or running in a general election. "Campaigns are launching earlier than in years past, and we want to ensure the picnic continues its tradition of strong participation from across the political spectrum in the Commonwealth," Elder said in a press release. More: Is Kentucky's Fancy Farm picnic still relevant in a changing political climate? Other speakers who have confirmed their attendance so far are: Republican state. Rep. Kim Holloway Republican state Sen. Jason Howell Republican U.S. Rep. James Comer Democratic candidate John "Drew" Williams, running for Kentucky's 1st Congressional District Republican state Agriculture Commissioner Jonathan Shell Republican state Treasurer Mark Metcalf Who is not speaking at Fancy Farm 2025? Democratic Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman declined her invitation to speak. In a statement, spokesperson JT Henderson said while Coleman appreciated the invite, she believes "it should be reserved for candidates who are currently on the ballot so they can share their vision for the commonwealth with our neighbors in West Kentucky." Democratic state Rep. Pamela Stevenson, who is running for U.S. Senate, also declined to give a speech. Who hasn't confirmed or declined their Fancy Farm invitation? The following politicians have not yet responded to their invitations to speak at the event: Republican U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell Republican U.S. Sen. Rand Paul Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear Republican state Auditor Allison Ball Republican Secretary of State Michael Adams Reach reporter Hannah Pinski at @hpinski@ or follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @hannahpinski. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Fancy Farm 2025 speakers: See who will and won't be there
