.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | 11/13/19
CONTACT: Holly Harvey | American Lung Association in Utah
P: 206-512-3292 E: Holly.Harvey@Lung.org
'State of Lung Cancer' 2019 Report Finds that Utah has the Lowest Number of New Lung Cancer Cases in the U.S.
New report from the American Lung Association explores how the national lung cancer survival rate continues to climb and how states can act to save more lives
SALT LAKE CITY (November 13, 2019) – An estimated 780 Utah residents will be diagnosed with lung cancer disease in 2019, but more Americans than ever are surviving the disease according to a new report from the American Lung Association.
This year’s “State of Lung Cancer” seeks to continue the positive trend of increased lung cancer survival, as the nationwide five-year lung cancer survival rate of 21.7 percent, up from 17.2 percent a decade ago, reflects a 26 percent improvement over the past 10 years. In Utah the survival rate is 21.4 percent, and Utah ranks first for overall lowest new cases of lung cancer. Utah does rank below average in lung cancer screening and early stage diagnosis.
“While we celebrate that more Americans than ever are surviving lung cancer, it remains the leading cause of cancer deaths among men and women, and much more must be done in Utah to prevent the disease and support families,” said JoAnna Strother, advocacy director for the American Lung Association in Utah.
Part of the reason that lung cancer is so deadly is because most lung cancer cases are diagnosed at a later stage, after the disease has spread. Lung cancer screening is the key to early detection, when the disease is most curable, but only 21.5 percent of lung cancer cases nationally are diagnosed at an early stage. While this simple screening test has been available since 2015, only 2.5 percent of those eligible in Utah have been screened.
“Screening is a powerful tool to save lives,” said Strother “Yet we’re only seeing a fraction of those who qualify actually getting screened, even though screening can reduce the lung cancer death rate by up to percent.”
The report finds that the burden of lung cancer varies by state. By better understanding the impact of lung cancer across the nation, efforts and policies can be focused where the needs are greatest, and this year’s report finds Utah must do more to protect residents from lung cancer. Below are the key findings for Utah:
Learn more about "State of Lung Cancer" at Lung.org/solc. For media interested in speaking with a medical expert about the "State of Lung Cancer" 2019 report or lung cancer survivor about their experience, contact Holly Harvey at Holly.Harvey@Lung.org or 206-512-3292.
###
About the American Lung Association
The American Lung Association is the leading organization working to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease, through research, education and advocacy. The work of the American Lung Association is focused on four strategic imperatives: to defeat lung cancer; to improve the air we breathe; to reduce the burden of lung disease on individuals and their families; and to eliminate tobacco use and tobacco-related diseases. For more information about the American Lung Association, a holder of the coveted 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and a Gold-Level GuideStar Member, or to support the work it does, call 1-800-LUNGUSA (1-800-586-4872) or visit: Lung.org.
===========================
Dear Dave,
Does the amount you advise saving for a beginner emergency fund in Baby Step 1 double for a couple, or does it stay the same?
Charlie
Dear Charlie,
Whether you’re single or married, Baby Step 1 of my plan is to save $1,000 as quickly as possible for a starter emergency fund. This may not sound like a lot of cash to have on-hand in the event of an emergency, but you need to remember the $1,000 figure is a temporary thing.
Baby Step 1 is saving up $1,000 for a beginner emergency fund. Baby Step 2 is paying off all debt, except your home. The vast majority of folks working my plan are debt-free, except for their mortgage, in two years or less. Then, you move to Baby Step 3, which is increasing your emergency fund from $1,000 to three-to-six months of household expenses.
In reality, we’re talking about a pretty short period of time where you’d have just $1,000 in emergency savings. Plus, it serves as an exercise in financial discipline. A lot of people have nothing saved before beginning the Baby Steps.
If that makes things seem a little scary at the start, it’s not necessarily a bad thing. A healthy level of fear can be a fantastic motivator. I don’t want anyone constantly living their lives in fear, but that added push—that sense of urgency—can make you work harder to get out of debt, and move on the Baby Step 3, as quickly as possible!
—Dave
(Baby Step for weddings?)
Word count: 218
Dear Dave,
We recently started following your plan, and it has made a huge difference in our financial outlook and our marriage. When it comes to the Baby Steps, when do you recommend setting aside money for a wedding? We have a daughter, and we want to be able to do as much as possible for her when the time comes.
Jim
Dear Jim,
That’s a good question. There’s not really a Baby Step specifically for weddings. In my mind, it should probably come after Baby Step 5—setting aside a college fund for your kids.
Maybe part of this is the dad in me, but in prioritizing these things I think a good education is more important than a big wedding. Don’t get me wrong, a wedding is a wonderful event and cause for lots of joy and celebration. But it’s also a one-day event. Plenty of people have inexpensive, beautiful weddings, and enjoy long, wonderful lives together!
—Dave
* Dave Ramsey is CEO of Ramsey Solutions. He has authored seven best-selling books, including The Total Money Makeover. The Dave Ramsey Show is heard by more than 16 million listeners each week on 600 radio stations and multiple digital platforms. Follow Dave on the web at daveramsey.com and on Twitter at @DaveRamsey.
=================
It's turkey time! Your Scout Elf will gobble this idea up. With Thanksgiving in the U.S. quickly approaching, your elf may dress as a turkey and appear as a centerpiece on the dinner table!
Your Scout Elf is showing off their piloting skills—or lack thereof—in this silly idea featuring paper airplanes!
To announce their arrival, your Scout Elf will roll out their own red carpet for a flashy entrance and strike their best pose!
Exciting Scout Elf ideas with instructions and helpful North Pole alerts are included in this free app.
------------------------
We have lost command of the Western Pacific to China, according to our Pacific Commander. Does anyone else in the current presidential field know how to reform the military to be more effective at less cost, by harnessing cyber and other new technologies?
In my op-ed in the Newark Star-Ledger (below), I wrote that while our military still ranks as the best in the world, it is losing that position because too many vested interests hold it back from responding to the challenges of tomorrow instead of those of yesteryear. The issue is not how much money we are spending, but how we are spending it. We need to transform our military forces by focusing on force posture, not force structure. Instead of measuring military readiness in terms of overall size and numbers, we must focus on metrics of capability, particularly in technology, and positioning.For example, rather than buying more submarines at $2 billion each, we can develop a netted sensor information system to track enemy submarines, and then direct an aircraft to drop a torpedo for the “kill.” This is even more germane as water becomes translucent, eventually transparent, by emerging technologies. Rather than double-down on less relevant, expensive units, we must invest in new technology that gives us better capability, not just more unnecessary capacity at more cost.
We need to realize that the key battlefield today is no longer necessarily on land, on air or on sea – it is in cyberspace. Some of the greatest national security threats we face cannot be defeated or defended by traditional military hardware, but only by greatly enhanced cyberspace warfare, including both offensive cyber-warfare and cyber-security.
Precisely how such technological capability affects traditional warfare is why numbers as the measure of our military might are obsolete. Take the most powerful Navy “unit" — the aircraft carrier. Today, one carrier can strike eight times the targets in 24 hours as it could two decades ago — giving us 80 carrier equivalents as compared to just 10 carriers a few years ago. An investment in the new domain of cyberspace from just 10 carrier equivalents (1 carrier “unit”) would provide an immense growth in warfare capability.
In fact, our Pacific commander now says that we have lost command of the Western Pacific — the first loss of command of the seas since World War II. He has said that we need to redirect our investment to put more into cyberspace.
We need smart defense reform that can allow us to do more with less – focusing on cyberspace, sensors, robotics, artificial intelligence and other new technologies that reflect what our military needs today. We must break out of the paradigm of the military–industrial–congressional complex. Without such reform, we will permit those innovative warriors of other nations such as China to command future warfare.
Who else in the field knows the Department of Defense and how to build a more effective, more efficient military for the 21st century? Please contribute to ensure I can be a voice for a smart national security policies in this presidential race.
Warmest regards,
Joe
Link to article: here
.
Hi Dawn,
With consumers expected to spend as much as $1.1 trillion this holiday season, despite near-record credit card debt levels, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released the following reports to help holiday shoppers save money and avoid a financial hangover in the new year.
Best Gift Cards (WalletHub Score)
1) Target Gift Card (70 points)
2) Walmart Gift Card (60 points)
3) Sephora Gift Card (60 points)
4) eBay Gift Card (55 points)
5) Ikea Gift Card (55 points)
Biggest Buyer Discount
1) Fandango Gift Card (13.47% discount)
2) Netflix Gift Card (12.34% discount)
3) H&M Gift Card (12.00% discount)
4) Ikea Gift Card (10.85% discount)
5) Old Navy Gift Card (10.22% discount)
Q&A with WalletHub CEO Odysseas Papadimitriou
How concerned are you about 35 million Americans still owing holiday debt from last year?
“It’s definitely very worrisome that 35 million Americans still have holiday credit card debt left over from last year, according to WalletHub’s 2019 Holiday Shopping Survey. That indicates people are just treading water financially and have been unable to use the past 12 months to prepare for the next recession, the arrival of which is just a matter of time,” said WalletHub CEO Odysseas Papadimitriou. “The fact that nearly one-third of consumers plan on spending less this holiday season than they did last year could be either good or bad news. It depends on whether people are recognizing the need to cut back and save before it’s too late or simply beginning to falter financially.”
Does it make sense to get a new credit card just for the holidays?
“Many people are rightfully hesitant to apply for new credit cards too often, but you definitely don’t want to let valuable savings opportunities pass you by, either. For example, credit card rewards bonuses are near record highs right now, and the winter holiday season may be the only time each year that you spend up to $3,000 within a three-month period, which is required to earn many of the best bonuses,” said WalletHub CEO Odysseas Papadimitriou. “In other words, if you’re going to spend a lot of money, anyway, an upgrade in rewards cards could save you hundreds of dollars. And if you’re not going to need the best possible credit score in the next six months, the temporary dip that occurs when you open a new account shouldn’t cost you. Just make sure to use the new account responsibly and not as an excuse to rack up debt.”
Why are credit card companies dropping secondary benefits like purchase protection and price protection?
“Several major credit card companies have dropped traditional secondary benefits in 2019. Citi and Discover dropped them entirely, cutting everything from rental car insurance to extended warranties. Barclays, Chase and USAA have also discontinued benefits recently, and American Express is in the process of making changes to its benefits programs. The issuers’ stated reasons have been that the benefits programs were too expensive to maintain, in light of an overall lack of customer interest,” said WalletHub CEO Odysseas Papadimitriou. “That is true. WalletHub surveys over the years have shown low consumer awareness about and usage of secondary benefits such as purchase protection and price protection. But there’s also a reason for that. These types of credit card benefits have never been easy to use. People had to wade through a lot of fine print and then jump through a few hoops to maybe get reimbursed. So, it seems like such benefits were useful as marketing tools for a while, until consumers began to catch on, and now issuers are moving on to new strategies.”
Do you have any tips for consumers thinking about buying gift cards over the holidays?
“A gift card can be a great holiday present, even though some people might see them as being less-than-thoughtful. If you decide to go the gift-card route, make sure to consider where you’re going to make your purchase. There are several places to buy gift cards at a discount, which could allow you to give a more valuable present without changing your budget. Or, you could score a great gift card without spending any money, by redeeming unused credit card rewards,” said WalletHub CEO Odysseas Papadimitriou.
Hello,
Please see below about a study done by the Utah Geological Survey about the groundwater in Ogden Valley and how the development in that area can affect the quality and quantity of the water. Attached is a picture of the study area.
For Immediate Release
November 13, 2019
Media Contact
Nathan Schwebach
801-440-9094
Ogden Valley’s groundwater is sensitive to human use, research reveals.
SALT LAKE CITY—Ogden Valley’s groundwater is healthy, but increased withdrawal could lead to groundwater contamination and stream depletion.
Urban and residential development in Ogden Valley prompted Utah Geological Survey (UGS) to study the quantity and quality of Ogden Valley’s surface water and groundwater.
The study provides a better understanding of the role of aquifers in this region. Aquifer storage is important during dry years since water users can draw from this resource. The research revealed that the valley fill in Ogden is deeper than previously thought and therefore can store more water.
Recharge and discharge of water into and out of the aquifer are critical to understanding. If the discharge is greater than recharge, resource depletion is taking place. Both are in balance in Ogden Valley, but more water use or less precipitation could tip that balance, allowing pollutants to reach the deep aquifer, an important drinking water source for Ogden City. The study revealed that the deep aquifer is already receiving recharge that started as precipitation less than 50 years ago.
About 158,000 acre-feet of water, which is over 50 billion gallons, interacts with the surface water and groundwater system of the drainage basin each year. Additionally, about 67,000 acre-feet of water, equaling over 20 billion gallons, annually flows through the valley-fill aquifers.
As Ogden Valley’s population booms, there is a greater demand for water. Understanding the surface water and groundwater resources can help government leaders and citizens make better choices in water use.
Utah Geological Survey’s report can be found on the agency’s website or at the Utah Department of Natural Resources Map and Bookstore.
