Friday, March 29, 2024

Mealtime Magic - Spring Easter Eats


 

Healthy Habits - New Rule Simplifies Medicaid Enrollment and Aims to Help Eligible People Stay Enrolled







The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced the publication of a final rule aimed at simplifying the Medicaid, Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Basic Health Program (BHP) application and renewal processes. Published on March 27, 2024, this rule marks a significant effort to enhance enrollment efficiency and ensure eligible individuals enroll in and maintain access to vital health care coverage.


"The rule finalizes sensible reforms that will help reduce administrative burdens and ensure children, low-income older adults, and people with disabilities stay enrolled,” said Alicia Emanuel, Senior Attorney with the National Health Law Program.

“Requiring states to look at trustworthy available data to verify eligibility, rather than asking for duplicative information, simplifies complex and fragmented processes that currently cause harmful churn,” said Charly Gilfoil, Special Projects Attorney with the National Health Law Program.

The finalized rule seeks to streamline eligibility and enrollment processes across Medicaid, CHIP, and BHP. The rule also guarantees timely access to Medicaid coverage for “medically needy” individuals, those who have high monthly medical expenses that reduce their countable income to make them Medicaid eligible. States would have a formal option to include projected spending on Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) and consistent medical expenses in determining these individuals’ Medicaid eligibility. By considering these predictable expenses, CMS aims to expedite enrollment and reduce disruptions that disproportionately affect people with disabilities and chronic conditions.

Additionally, the final rule requires states to take proactive measures to contact applicants and enrollees, resolve information discrepancies, and minimize automatic terminations, ensuring continued enrollment for all eligible populations. States must promptly verify eligibility changes in response to updated information on individuals' insurance affordability program status. The final rule also establishes clear processing timelines for changes in circumstances, transfers between insurance affordability programs, redeterminations of eligibility, and new applications, providing greater accuracy in eligibility determinations and transparency and efficiency in the application process. The rule also removes limitations on CHIP that result in eligible children losing coverage.

This rule follows up a final rule from September 2023 that aims to simplify successful enrollment in Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs). MSPs help eligible low-income individuals and older adults cover premium and cost sharing expenses in Medicare. The September 2023 rule requires states to proactively initiate applications for individuals who are likely eligible and to simplify complicated income and asset verification requirements.

The final rule goes into effect 60 days following publication in the Federal Register, approximately June 3, 2024.



About NHeLP

Founded in 1969, the National Health Law Program (NHeLP) protects and advances the health rights of low-income and underserved individuals and families. NHeLP advocates, educates and litigates at the federal and state levels.

Our lawyers and policy analysts stand up for the rights of the millions of people who struggle to access affordable, quality health care. We are guided by the belief—a challenge—that each generation should live better than the last.




Enriching Education - PJ Library Presents

 This March, PJ Library Presents, the award-winning podcast network for kids, has crossed the one million download milestone. Started three years ago as an audio extension of the family-oriented Jewish non-profit – one of the largest free book programs in the world – the network has captured awards, accolades and ears with their kid-oriented podcasts that connects families to Jewish traditions, culture, holidays, and values.

 

“We’re thrilled to cross this incredible podcast benchmark with PJ Library Presents,” says Alex Zablotsky, Executive Director of PJ Library. “We hear over and over how families love complementing their treasured print books with audio stories, and the PJ Library Presents podcasts give us another creative, screen-free way of connecting with kids and sharing stories that celebrate Jewish values and culture. We’re excited for the future of PJ Library Presents!”

 

Produced by a PJ Library creative team headed by PJ Library Director of Digital Content Alli Thresher, PJ Library Presents -- the only Jewish storytelling-themed podcasts -- celebrates their audio milestone by launching Passover episodes of their top two podcasts: the pre-school focused AFTERNOONS WITH MIMI, and BEYOND THE BOOKCASE, featuring stories for older kids ages 6 to 12. Both winners of prestigious Parents Choice and NAPPA Awards, the series have just wrapped their 10-episode third seasons, which included BEYOND THE BOOKCASE’S “Chasing Joha Through Passover” where kids will learn about Passover traditions from around the world and “Story for Another Time Passover in Mashal” which follows Auntie PJ and Elijah as they seder-hop through the enchanting and fictional land of Mashal. Shortly, AFTERNOONS WITH MIMI will launch a Passover-themed playlist full of stories for young children, including a re-air of the original “The Passover Pirate.”

 

PJ Library Presents has also recently launched RADIO CHITAIKA, a new series featuring classic Jewish stories presented in Russian and Ukrainian. Featuring acclaimed actors such as Gera Sandler, Masha Pruss, PJ Library’s Jane Tuv and Zhenya Ponomarenko and others, the series brings to life captivating tales in Russian (with bonus episodes in Ukrainian) including the picture book-based “The Suitcase,” “The Fabulous Tale of Fish and Chips,” “The Sabbath Lion” and “Until the Blueberries Grow”, adapted and translated folk tales “The Miracle Bread” and The Lost Chickens” and more. With over one million people in the US speaking Russian and Ukrainian, RADIO CHITAIKA seeks to serve families speaking their native languages at home. 

 

About PJ Library

PJ Library, a global program available in 40 countries, provides Jewish families with free high-quality children's books and other resources that foster a deeper connection with Jewish life. Over 18 years, PJ Library has provided 50 million books to kids ages 0-12 worldwide. It is a program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation who partners with local Jewish organizations to fund PJ Library and make it available in their community. Learn more and sign up at pjlibrary.org.

House & Home - Most Expensive Cities for Lawn Maintenance

 

Where do Americans spend the most to keep the grass greener on their side of the fence?

To mark National Lawn Care Month, Lawn Love ranked 2024’s Most Expensive Metro Areas for Lawn Maintenance.

We compared nearly 120 of the biggest U.S. metro areas based on 3 categories. We looked at household spending on lawn care and gardening services, lawn watering costs, and average yard sizes. We also considered mowing frequencies during peak grass season, between March and October.

See the 10 most expensive (and 10 most affordable) cities for lawn maintenance below, followed by key takeaways. (Don’t see your city below? Check out the full ranking.)
Most Expensive Metro Areas for Lawn MaintenanceMost Affordable Metro Areas for Lawn Maintenance
RankCityRankCity
1Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA1New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
2Visalia, CA2Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE
3Bakersfield, CA3Flint, MI
4Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX4Reading, PA
5Lafayette, LA5San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA
6McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX6Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
7Shreveport-Bossier City, LA7Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY
8Mobile, AL8St. Louis, MO-IL
9Oklahoma City, OK9Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY
10Chattanooga, TN-GA10Rochester, NY

Key Insights:

  • 9 California metros land among the 50 most expensive for lawn maintenance due to high watering costs and frequent mowing needs, despite having smaller-than-average lawns

  • Southern states like LouisianaNorth Carolina, and Texas score among the most expensive half of our ranking with spacious yards, more frequent mows, and higher spending on lawn care services and wateringNorth Carolina metros claim some of the biggest lawns on average, with Asheville (No. 17) boasting the largest in our ranking, 0.62 acres

  • Residents of Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, Nevada (No. 58), have their grass cut least often and claim the smallest yards0.12 acres. However, homeowners in this region are spending a higher share of their income on yard care, likely for converting grass to low-maintenance xeriscapes.
     

Read the full story here: https://lawnlove.com/blog/most-expensive-metro-areas-lawn-maintenance/ 

 

Other helpful links:


Hire a Lawn Love crew to handle all your landscaping and lawn maintenance needs to keep your property looking beautiful.
 

More from Lawn Love: 

Mealtime Magic - Triple Berry Gluten Free Pie

 If you are looking for the perfect and most delicious cookies for your MOM – but need something Gluten-free and allergy friendly -  check out award-winning Mightylicious Gluten Free Cookie Co. 

 

This gourmet artisanal brand was the Top Pick in Food & Beverage Magazine’s 2023 Editor’s Top Products of Fall. Best of all, save 20% sitewide with code 4MOM20 (APR 1- MAY 31).

Choose from 7  varieties including 4 vegan options: New Double Dutch Chocolate Chip and Oatmeal Raisin Vegan, Chocolate Chip and Grandma Arline’s Oatmeal Coconut.

Also available are Brown Butter Chocolate Chip and Brown Butter Shortbread (both dairy), and Salted Peanut Butter (grain and dairy-free).

 

Mightylicious cookies are hand-crafted treats that are 100% free of gluten, wheat, rye, barley, and RBST, and are made from all-natural, non-GMO ingredients. Every satisfying bite is packed with awesome flavor, perfect texture, and clean ingredients anyone can enjoy — not just people with celiac disease and allergies, but anyone who loves a good cookie.

 

Mightylicious is the brainchild of Carolyn Haeler, a cookie-loving entrepreneur, mom, and member of the LGBTQ community who lives with celiac disease.

She offers this delicious MOMS DAY Gluten Free Recipe,  Easy-to-Bake Mightylicious Triple Berry Gluten Free Pie:

 

Equipment

9" pie plate

Stand or hand-mixer

Wooden spoon

Food processor or rolling pin 

Brown Butter Shortbread Cookie Pie Crust

10 ounces Mightylicious Brown Butter Shortbread Cookies

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

¼ cup granulated sugar

Triple Berry Filling

One-pint blueberries

6 oz. blackberries

6 oz Raspberries

½ cup white sugar

1 heaping Tablespoon Gluten Free Flour

 

INSTRUCTIONS

PREPARE THE PIE CRUST.

1.         Preheat oven to 350°.

2.         Add cookies and sugar to a food processor. Pulse food processor until cookies are crushed into a sandy texture. (You can also crush the cookies by hand by placing them in a zip lock back and crushing them with a rolling pin.)

3.         In a large mixing bowl combine the cookie crumb mixture and melted butter.  Stir with a large spoon until incorporated. (SET ASIDE a few handfuls uncooked cookie crumb mixture for the berry topping)

4.         Add the cookie mixture to 9” pie plate. Use the back of your spoon to push cookies into the pan, creating an even and packed layer on the bottom and the sides of the plate.

5.         Bake for 8 minutes at 350° and allow to cool.

 

PREPARE THE BERRIES

  1. Add the berries to a bowl then gently stir together with 1/2 cup white sugar and 1 heaping Tablespoon gluten-free flour

BAKE THE PIE

Spread the berry mixture on top of the baked Mightylicious GF cookie crumb pie, then squeeze handfuls of the remaining crumb mixture in your hands and crumble evenly over the berries. Last stop – oven! Bake for 38-40 minutes at 375 degrees, or until the topping is light golden brown.

And check out these 7 tips for a happy, healthy, and gluten-free MOMS Day, whether eating at home or in a restaurant:

 

  1. Store gluten-free and gluten-containing foods in different places.
  2. Keep cooking surfaces and food storage areas clean.
  3. Wash dishes and cooking equipment thoroughly.
  4. Toast bread in the oven — or consider separate toasters — to avoid cross-contamination.
  5. Consider keeping dedicated serving pieces, cutting boards, cookware, etc. for gluten-free food prep.
  6. Check food labels for gluten-free certification.
  7. Opt for restaurants with a gluten-free menu or use a gluten-free restaurant app.

 

All Mightylicious cookies (6.5 oz bag, MSRP: $7.99) are certified gluten-free, Kosher, and non-GMO.

Find Mightylicious online and in retail outlets including Walmart (231 outlets nationwide), Whole Foods, Costco, King’s, Price Chopper, and more.

Follow MIGHTYLICIOUS on social media: https://www.instagram.com/mightyliciousfoods/  https://www.facebook.com/mightyliciousfoods, and www.tiktok.com/mightyliciousfoods

 

Going Green - Italian High-Speed Trains

 Trenitalia, the lead company of the FS Group’s Passenger Division, is taking concrete steps every day to make transport increasingly sustainable and drive sustainable development in the mobility sector. According to an SWG survey commissioned by Trenitalia, 8 Italians out of 10 think the train is the most sustainable means of transport. The finding is confirmed by the numbers: in 2023, 45 million people chose Frecciarossa trains instead of travelling by air or road. Weekly travel between Milan and Rome by train rather than by air generates an annual 9 tonne reduction in CO2 emissions, while choosing the train rather than the car brings a CO2 saving of 4 tonnes. In the business world, a Bloomberg analysis processed by McKinsey reveals that the 47,000 companies that have already chosen to travel with Trenitalia rather than by car prevented emissions of 100,000 tonnes of CO2 in 2023. In investment terms, besides allocating more than one billion euro for the purchase of 40 new Frecciarossa trains, Trenitalia is developing projects to reduce its own carbon footprint through action to boost energy efficiency. Today, it already has 10 maintenance facilities equipped with photovoltaic technology, but by 2032 the number will have risen to 24. In the interview, Pietro Diamantini, Director of the Trenitalia High Speed business, talks about the projects the Group and its business units are planning for the next few years.

 

Transcript of the interview to Pietro Diamantini, Director of Trenitalia High Speed Business:

 

As regards sustainability, we have invested in the purchase of 40 new ETR1000 trains, which, in engineering terms, certainly deliver a much higher return than their predecessors. This fact alone means that a journey consumes less for the same level of service, speed and comfort. Indeed, the level may actually be better. On overall sustainability, our attention is focused not only on train travel, but also on all our maintenance facilities, where we have installed solar panels so that services are powered directly by the sun. This way we save on energy for maintenance. Meanwhile, the recyclability of our trains is very high. So, when we have to retire trains, or parts of them, the job of disposal is less onerous. We have a broad vision of our presence in the sustainability project and in guaranteeing what I would call the green positioning of our company. I could give you more examples: all the automobiles in our high-speed maintenance facilities are electric. We no longer use combustion engine cars. So, we have a variety of initiatives that, put together, produce a very significant benefit.

Then there’s the question of digitalisation, advances in low-visibility services. Digitalisation of maintenance services, for example. Thanks to preventive maintenance, the number of trains with small defects in their fittings or on-board malfunctions will be fewer. So, the likelihood of problems arising during a journey will continue to decrease. With advanced digitalisation, including use of artificial intelligence, we are also able to guarantee improved on-board communication with passengers.

 

Book Nook - The New York Pigeon

 Humans have always bred, farmed, raced, and lived alongside pigeons. Some of us shoo them away as “rats with wings” and others care for them as the city’s most famous wildlife. The New York Pigeon, now in its second edition with spectacular new images and an additional essay by Catherine Quayle, is a one-of-a-kind, intimate study of this worldwide neighbor.

The New York Pigeon reveals the unexpected beauty of the omnipresent pigeon as if Vogue devoted its pages to birds, not fashion models. In spite of pigeons’ ubiquity in New York and other cities, we never really see them closely and know very little about their function in the urban ecosystem. This book brings to light the intriguing history, behavior, and splendor of a bird so often overlooked.

While The New York Pigeon is primarily a photography book, it also tells the five-thousand-year story of the feral pigeon. Why are pigeons so successful in cities and not in the countryside? Why do they have such diverse plumage? How have pigeons adapted to survive on almost any food? Why are pigeons able to fly up to 500 miles per day but rarely do? How did Harvard psychologist B.F. Skinner teach pigeons to do complicated tasks, from tracking missile targets to recognizing individual human faces? Why can pigeons see in the ultraviolet light spectrum, and why is half of their brain used for visual perception?

The second edition of The New York Pigeon, with its fresh portraiture and new essay from Catherine Quayle of the Wild Bird Fund, presents dramatic, hyper-real studio portraits capturing the personalities, expressiveness, glorious feather iridescence, and deeply hued eyes of the New York pigeon.


Andrew Garn is a native New Yorker who grew up surrounded by pigeons and has photographed, rehabilitated, and observed Columba Livia since 2008, when he first exhibited photographs, video installations, and sculptures of pigeons at A.M. Richard Fine Art in Brooklyn, NY. Documenting the entire spectrum of development, including full-grown pigeons, newborns, babies and “squeakers,” he has grown to love these birds.

Garn is a fine art and editorial photographer whose work has been widely exhibited and appeared in the pages of numerous magazines including the New York Times magazine, Fortune, Forbes, Interview, Vogue, Vibe, Time, Newsweek, Der Spiegel, French Photo, Elle Décor, New York, and Bloomberg. He is also the recipient of grants from the New York State Council on the Arts, the Graham Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the J.M. Kaplan Fund, among others.

Book Nook - Daniel Juventus and The Stonehenge – Gate of Magic

 With literary star quality and cross-generational appeal bursting from every page, readers will find themselves enthralled by the adventures of Daniel Juventus.

Published on 28th March 2024,Daniel Juventus and The Stonehenge – Gate of Magic is a story that finds the slightly unconventional Daniel transported to Havillars - the Kingdom of Light, and educated in an academy that has Leonardo da Vinci as principal, Isaac Newton as vice principal and professors including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Alfred Nobel and many other famous people.

Fantastical and absorbing, J.A. Thinky also proves himself to be an expert when it comes to original worldbuilding and plausible magic systems. However, it is his character development (especially in the hugely compelling and unconventional Daniel) and introduction of history’s real-life heroes from science and the arts that gives this first volume a thumbs up from all that pick up a copy.

With a whole new generation awaiting a literary hero worthy of their adoration – the future could be looking very rosy for Daniel Juventus, and his creator. 

 

Synopsis:

Daniel Juventus has always been the brunt of teasing and bullying from his classmates; his peculiar nature and a slight deformity in his hand earns him his classmates' mocking. It does not help that Daniel has never known his parents and only lives with his grandfather, which leaves a gaping hole in his heart. When Daniel begins having strange dreams, his grandfather finally admits to the truth of his parents' disappearance. In one dream, Daniel is given a powerful key - an Ankh - and is told he is the Chosen One to free the soul of EV; the King of the Kingdom of Light, who is imprisoned alongside Dzărum; the Lord of Darkness. When one night, a strange woman appears in his bedroom and guides him to a parallel world, Daniel thinks his mission to save both his parents and EV has finally begun. Little does he know, what lies beyond is a continuing stream of dark forces preventing him from fulfilling his mission. These forces are after the Ankh as it can unlock the gate to Hell. Daniel must do what he can to save those he holds dear and thwart all attempts of the minions of darkness to take over the goodness of the world.

 

Daniel Juventus and The Stonehenge – Gate of Magic is available at https://tinyurl.com/3y8fc2s8

It is also available to purchase at WaterstonesWH Smith and Uk.bookshop.org

 

About the author: 
Vo Quang Thinh is better known by his pen name; J. A. Thinky. He was born in Da Nang, Vietnam, and studied interior design for many years and played the piano for the church where his father was a pastor. He is now working for the church as a songwriter as well as the choir conductor. He is passionate about Renaissance paintings and is a freelance artist. He likes to study European languages, including Latin and Greek; and enjoys studying history and medieval literature.


With William Shakespeare, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S.Lewis, and J.K. Rowling the role models who inspired him to embark on his writing career, the author loves fantasy literature and the way the British tell their stories.

Book Nook - Paint by Sticker Kids: Rainforest Animals

 My kids love art, especially my older one, so she was thrilled to see a copy of Paint by Sticker Kids: Rainforest Animals.

Like the other paint by sticker books, this is a no-mess way for kids to create fun images. My older one loves to use these to give her hands something to do while watching TV, or to take on road trips. I like that they're easy to follow, and you can be productive even if you aren't terribly artistic. If you have kids who like stickers, this is a fun gift!

Book Nook - The Devil's Grip: A Novel

 

Wickedly dark with a mystical edge, The Devil's Grip: A Novel (Other Press Trade Paperback Original; On Sale: 4/2/24) offers a story of a love affair gone bad capturing the pull of toxic relationships.”
Set against the romantic backdrop of Florence, this story unravels a haunting Italian love affair gone awry. A woman, lured by the city’s charm, finds an unexpected and consuming love amidst the Renaissance architecture. Her unconventional partner, with his dark, ugly looks, becomes her magnetic counterpart, their bond seemingly instantaneously inseparable. Ignoring any concerning signs, they think they can fix each other. She feels bound to him, body and soul. Yet, beneath the façade of passion sits a web of lies and infidelity, driving both into a down spiral of paranoia and mutual deception. Their connection, warped by codependency, takes on a darker, inexplicable quality, leading her to believe that there’s a demon inside him, and inside her too.  Attempting to break free, she flees to New Orleans behind another man. But the haunting pull of the past lingers, and their shared demons are just below the surface. The Devil's Grip is a bewitching narrative that delves into the disturbing intricacies of abusive relationships, crafting a storyline both unsettling and darkly humorous. This enthralling new novel touches on the difficulty in freeing oneself from toxicity, through the unhinged twists of one woman’s story. 
​​

About the Author: Lina Wolff was born in Lund, Sweden, and lived for several years in Spain and Italy, where she worked as a translator. She arrived on the literary stage in 2009 with the publication of Many People Die Like You, a collection of short stories set in Spain and in the south of Sweden. In 2012 her debut novel, Bret Easton Ellis and the Other Dogs, won the Vi Magazine Literature Prize. Her second novel, The Polyglot Lovers, won Sweden’s highest literary award, the August Prize for Fiction, in 2016, and has been translated into seventeen languages. Carnality (Other Press, 2022) was awarded the prestigious Aftonbladet Literature Prize in 2019. 

About the Translator: Saskia Vogel is from Los Angeles and lives in Berlin, where she works as a writer and Swedish-to-English literary translator. Her 2019 debut novel, Permission, has been translated into four languages. She has written on themes of gender, power and the art of translation for publications such as GrantaThe White ReviewThe Offing, and The Paris Review Daily. Her translations include works by Lina Wolff, Katrine Marçal, Karolina Ramqvist, Johannes Anyuru and the modernist eroticist Rut Hillarp.