Making the Right Choice for Fiscal Stability

Balancing the Budget, Growing the Economy, and Cutting Poverty Is the Best Path

SOURCE: AP/J Pat Carter

Faye McWilliams Pearson, a volunteer at Miami's Pass-It-On Ministries, left, works with Douglas Willock, center and Stephen Smith, both unemployed, giving them information about job fairs and a box of food that will last a week. CAP proposes stimulative, longer-term investments that boost U.S. competitiveness and are essential ingredients in strengthening the middle class and reducing poverty.

See also: Interactive: Cutting Poverty and the Federal Deficit Is Possible by Sophie Feldman and Melissa Boteach

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Our nation?s federal budget is the most tangible expression of our national priorities. At its root it?s a moral document. Unfortunately, the degree to which the federal budget is meeting its core moral obligations?to provide for the national defense, boost economic output, ensure equal opportunity, and where necessary, alleviate suffering?is in serious doubt.

In the coming months, Congress and the Obama administration are expected to make tough budget choices in an effort to rein in the federal deficit. This issue brief summarizes the key elements of a Center for American Progress budget plan for long-term deficit reduction that provides sufficient resources to substantially spur economic growth and simultaneously cut poverty.

investing in economic growth

A key tenant of the CAP budget plan is to spur economic growth by funding new investments in all levels of education, renewable and clean energy technologies, transportation and infrastructure, and basic scientific research and development even while balancing the budget?investing an annual average of about $70 billion above current levels starting in 2017. Some of these targeted investments will also have the benefit of reducing the number of families in poverty over time, including the expansion of early childhood education and the expansion of job training and grants for college. (see Table 1)

The CAP budget plan also employs a strategy to increase wages among the lowest income earners and reduce poverty. The plan lowers the tax burden on low-income working families in 2017 so they keep more of their earnings. In addition, it helps low-income families reduce child-care expenses, the cost of food, school meal costs, and housing costs. Moreover, additional federal funds ensure that the incomes of blind and disabled households are above the poverty line. (see Table 2)

The sum total impact of these investments beginning in 2017 are projected to relatively quickly reduce the ranks of the poor by at least 8 million households due to the minimum wage increase combined with the number of households impacted by the increase in the Supplemental Security Income increase and the expansion in federal subsidized housing. Many more families are likely to be lifted out of poverty by these changes, as well. So let?s look at the details.

The CAP plan to grow the economy, balance the budget, and cut poverty

The CAP plan, as detailed in Budgeting for Growth and Prosperity, achieves ?primary balance? by 2015, with the federal budget in the black except for payments on the national debt. The budget is fully and permanently balanced by 2030, and reduces the debt to just over 40 percent of gross domestic product by 2035. The plan delivers two-thirds of the deficit reduction from spending cuts, and one-third from revenue increases.

The plan is unique because it makes room for crucial investments, protects middle-class services, and fights poverty. It does so beginning in 2017 by funding substantial new investments in all levels of education, renewable and clean energy technologies, transportation and infrastructure, and basic scientific research and development even while balancing the budget?investing an annual average of about $70 billion above current levels. The plan also includes substantial, targeted boosts to successful antipoverty programs funded as of 2017 that cut the poverty rate significantly in short term.

investing in an opportunity society

The plan controls health care costs for everyone, not just those in the public programs. It strengthens existing cost-containment measures in the Affordable Care Act and fully pays for a reasonable and predictable reimbursement rate increase for doctors who accept Medicare patients. The plan builds in a cost-containment ?failsafe? to slow the growth of health care costs across the entire economy while ensuring the quality of care.

Our plan sets ?discretionary? spending at responsible levels. It brings defense, homeland security, and the State Department into one unified budget to better meet our 21st century national security needs and delivers strategic cuts to defense to bring spending down to peak Cold War levels, adjusted for inflation. The plan also sets limits to nonsecurity discretionary spending that, over time, contribute to deficit reduction, but also make room for necessary investments.

The plan addresses taxes as well as spending. The plan delivers comprehensive income tax reform so the tax code is simpler, fairer, and raises enough revenue. It creates a single 15 percent income tax bracket for 80 percent of Americans. It turns tax deductions into flat credits so that every taxpayer gets the same benefit. It returns the top ordinary income tax rate to levels under President Bill Clinton. It also includes a temporary 5 percent surtax for millionaires that expires in 2030 when the budget balances and caps the top capital gains rate on realized investment income at the level signed into law by President Ronald Reagan.

The plan eliminates or reforms dozens of ?tax entitlements? such as oil-and-gas indus- try subsidies and special benefits for hedge fund managers. The benefits of the plan?s approach is that 90 percent of taxpayers get an income tax cut or no change at all in their income tax bill. Our plan improves the stability of U.S. financial markets by enacting a modest financial transactions tax to discourage short-term speculation and encourage long-term investment.

Our plan also combats climate change and reduces our dependence on foreign oil. It establishes a price on carbon emissions, with any higher costs for lower- and middle- income families more than offset, on average, by our income tax cuts and rebate pro- gram. It levies a $5-per-barrel fee on foreign oil imports.

The CAP plan proposes additional strategic investments that start to roll out in 2017 in infrastructure and research and other activities that stimulate private-sector job growth. (see Table 1) In addition, it provides added spending for job training and education programs to boost the skills of our workforce, which will enable more workers to improve their employment opportunities.

Under the CAP plan some of these growth-oriented investments reach the desired level of funding quickly. For instance, a 20 percent increase in infrastructure spending is achieved from 2017 through 2020. Other investments are stretched out over longer periods of time, such as the CAP proposal to triple federal education spending over 15 years from 2017 and 2032 so that the investments can be calibrated to the capacity of the school systems to effectively direct the new funds for optimal results. Among the many positive benefits of this approach, an estimated 3 million individuals are expected to get the skills needed to command a good paying job and as a result leave the ranks of the poor.

More immediate strategies to address poverty

These stimulative, longer-term investments that boost U.S. competitiveness and workforce capacity are essential ingredients in strengthening the middle class and reducing poverty. Likewise, the CAP plan recognizes that more immediate measures are needed to increase household incomes, especially for those families struggling to pay the bills and keep food on the table and a roof over their heads. The CAP plan boosts wages, lowers taxes on low-income households, and increases household income for low-income families by targeted increases in government spending. The purpose: to give these families an opportunity to join the ranks of the middle class.

These tax and spending changes proposed take effect in 2017. Our plan assumes a minimum wage increase to $10.25 per hour and it lowers the tax burden on low-income families so they keep more of their earnings. In addition the plan provides for strategic increases in federal spending so that significantly more low-income households can find their feet and begin working toward a better future. Included in these spending boosts are funds to help millions of low-income families cover the costs of child-care expenses, food, school meals, and housing. These proposals also deliver immediate gains to the broader economy. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the economic benefits of direct income transfers helped families make ends meet during the Great Recession via the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 while increasing economic activity by $2 for every $1 in public spending.

The importance of the CAP plan for those individual Americans and their families struggling to escape poverty cannot be overstated. In addition the CAP plan boosts the income of blind and disabled households above the poverty line. (see Table 3)

extending a hand up to Americans in poverty

Let?s review the rational and impact of this approach in greater detail.

Minimum wage

The CAP plan assumes the minimum wage equivalent of the average hourly wage, which was $10.25 in 2011. We suggest that along with boosting the wage rate, increases should be automatic and indexed to either increases in productivity or the average hourly wage. The Economic Policy Institute estimates that an increase in the minimum wage of nearly $10 an hour rolled out from 2012 through 2014 would boost the earnings of at least 28 million individuals.

Not all of these individuals who will benefit from a minimum wage currently have a total household income below the federal poverty level and not every person who receives the boost in their wage will earn enough to be living above the poverty level. To estimate the impact on poverty, CAP relies on the 2007 Center for American Progress report ?From Poverty to Prosperity,? which detailed the impact on poverty of four major changes in federal policy, including a minimum wage increase. That report found that increasing the minimum wage at that time would have lifted approximately 1.3 million of the 2.2 million workers earning at or below the minimum wage out of poverty.

Today, with 3.8 million workers earning at or below the minimum wage, based on the ratio of workers found to be moved above the poverty level by a minimum wage increase in 2007, as many as 2.2 million workers may be lifted out of poverty by boosting the federal minimum wage to $10.25 an hour. Although the model used at that time to estimate the poverty impact of a minimum wage increase accounted for some for projected job losses due to the increase, other rigorous studies find no job losses associated with increasing the minimum wage, even during weak economic periods.

Tax benefits for working families

In addition to increasing annual direct spending to boost the incomes of poor households, the CAP plan decreases the tax burden on low-income and middle-class families by providing for an expanded earned income tax credit and a new child and dependent tax credit. The earned income tax credit was expanded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment. As a result of this expansion by the end of 2010 the expanded tax credit is estimated to have boosted the incomes of 500,000 Americans, moving them above the poverty line and reducing the severity of poverty for another approximately 7.3 million people, according to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities.

This expansion of the earned income tax credit, however, will expire at the end of 2012 unless Congress acts. The CAP budget proposal assumes the expanded earned income tax credit remains in place and as result sustains the poverty reductions currently provided by the credit. The revenues foregone by maintaining these provisions are approximately $4.9 billion a year, according to the Joint Tax Commission of the U.S. Congress.

In addition, the CAP plan improves on the child tax credit. Currently when calculating a family?s personal income tax liability, the child exemption offers up to a $1,000 refundable credit for families with earnings above $3,000, with the full amount incrementally kicking in as a family?s income rises. The CAP plan broadens this credit to help families caring for a child or another dependent such as an aging parent.

This new child and dependent refundable credit is a more generous $1,250 and is indexed to inflation and available to all households, even those with earnings under $3,000 per year. While all households that qualify for this tax credit would benefit under the CAP plan, an estimated 5.2 million low-income taxpayers with earnings under $30,000 caring for a child or another qualifying dependent would receive a credit, with many of them receiving a larger tax credit than they currently receive.

Direct spending

The CAP plan includes in this category child care funding, school lunch programs, supplemental nutrition assistance, and supplemental security assistance via Social Security. Here?s how the plan would work in each of these categories.

Child care

The CAP plan provides for a 50 percent increase in the Child Care Development Block Grant funding. In doing so, using the estimated cost of the existing program (approximately $5 billion), which serves 1.7 million children, CAP estimates its plan can expand child care to at least 600,000 additional children.

Because access to affordable, reliable child care increases the likelihood of employment, we anticipate more low-income parents will find work or will be able to work more hours. Expanded child care subsidies can also help low-income parents by freeing income for parents who are paying for child care services out-of-pocket to meet other basic household expenses.

School lunch programs

Only 66 percent of eligible children participated in the federally subsidized school lunch programs in 2011, and far fewer children are enrolled in the school breakfast program despite being eligible for this important healthy meal to start the day. There is real need for improvement.

Participation in both school meal programs can be increased by removing program barriers that make enrollment and continued qualification for these meals difficult. The CAP proposal makes all children in families under 185 percent of the federal poverty line?about $42,000 for a family of four?eligible for free meals, and assumes that at least 85 percent of all children are likely to enroll due to the streamlined enrollment made possible by removing the reduced price category of program participation. Although increased participation in school meal programs was found to have a limited impact on reducing household poverty, rigorous studies find that poor children who have two healthy meals a day are more likely to succeed in school. Consequently, child nutrition programs are an important element of any long-term poverty reduction strategy.

Supplemental nutrition assistance

As of March 2012, 22 million American families were relying on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to put food on the table. CAP?s proposed budget provides for sufficient funds to boost the participation rate in this program from where it currently stands at approximately 72 percent to 85 percent of all eligible families, about 8 million more individuals assisted.

The most recent U.S. Census Bureau data, shows that in 2010 about 13 percent of these families receiving supplemental nutrition assistance were elevated above the poverty level once their supplemental nutrition assistance benefits are factored into the their household income. If the same proportion of families are lifted out of poverty by expanding enrollment in this program as CAP proposes, 1 million fewer Americans could be living in poverty.

Supplemental Security Income

The Supplemental Security Income program is the only cash payment specifically intended to help blind or severely disabled children and adults. The program helps nearly 8 million Americans, including 3 million children. Supplemental Security Income significantly reduces the prevalence of poverty among recipients. Yet even after adding Supplement Security Income payments about 40 percent of recipients remain in poverty. One way to ensure that all recipients have incomes above the poverty level is to boost the monthly benefit payment to these households. CAP?s proposed budget makes that possible and by doing so could move approximately 6 million blind and disabled adults and children out of the ranks of the poor.

Housing

The CAP plan boosts funding for subsidized housing by $10 billion. To put this increase in context, the CAP plan increases housing funds by 30 percent over the level proposed by President Obama?s proposed budget for 2013, which spends about $34 billion for rental housing subsidies. Although the supply of federal rental subsidies is very limited, with only 4 million poor families able to rely on federal rent support, the impact of the available subsidies is impressive. About two-thirds of households receiving federal rental subsidies were lifted out of poverty, according to a 2009 study released by the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities.

The CAP plan proposes an increase large enough to expand rental housing support to 1.4 million additional households. Although the rental housing market is much tighter today and poverty is worse than it was in 2009, if the same proportion of families are lifted out of poverty by this federal support, then approximately 900,000 families will be helped to rise above the poverty line.

CAP?s plan cuts poverty dramatically and responsibly

In 2007 CAP released the estimated the antipoverty effects of making just four of changes in federal policy?increases in the minimum wage, enhancements in the earned income tax credit, universal access to subsidized child care for working poor families, and a fully refundable child care tax credit would cut poverty by 26 percent over 10 years.23 The report found that adding in and expanding housing subsidies and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program gets us even closer to the goal of cutting poverty by 50 percent in 10 years.

The CAP balanced budget proposal relies on many of the same expanded supports found to have cut poverty in half in 2007. But this new plan adjusted the scale of the proposed changes.

As a result, the sum total impact of these investments is projected to reduce the ranks of the poor by at least 8 million households due to the minimum wage increase combined with the number of households impacted by the increase in the Supplemental Security Income increase and the expansion in federal subsidized housing. The foundational investments and policies of our plan are estimated to help nearly 3 million more Americans obtain the skills needed to compete for jobs that pay well above the poverty level over time.

The other critical federal investments in direct benefits for low-income families will push many more families out of poverty as well. But we cannot estimate with precision exactly how the proposed expansions will interact.

Conclusion

Escalating rates of poverty rob our nation of one of our fundamental values?the belief that one can achieve success through hard work. In contrast, providing economic opportunities to all Americans reduces poverty and inequality in our country and creates the wherewithal to grow our middle class and future broad-based prosperity. Dramatically cutting poverty?the goal of the Half in Ten campaign of our sister Center for American Progress Action Fund?is not only within reach but achievable within the strictures of responsible fiscal policy. CAP?s budget plan embodies the essential elements necessary to achieve fiscal stability, economic growth, and shared prosperity.

Donna Cooper is a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress.

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See also:

Source: http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2012/08/fiscal_stability_right_choice.html

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The Basics Of Stress Tests ? Important Tips And Facts : : Critical ...

It is important to know about stress tests, which are given to millions of Americans every year in the US. You should always talk to your doctor and ask all the questions you can think of. Whatever test you are given, it usually has to do with the problem that they suspect you of having. So when a doctor gives you this test, it is to help them make the right decision in regard to the condition you may have.

Any time your doctor suspects possible heart-related trouble, he or she will want to confirm it. It really depends on the situation and the method that they choose to treat you with. A catheter is usually inserted into the person to view the artery if a person is having a heart attack. Performing exercises in what is called a cardiac stress test is often used by doctors. A not so serious symptom, angina, is experienced by many people. More than likely, if your doctor suspects anything is going on, imagery of your heart, arteries and veins will be taken. The potential of having a heart condition will be confirmed with a stress test that your doctor will order. The results will tell you everything.Did you ever think about or believe you?d discover as much information on home page as you have? Sure, we know this really is just one post, but take it from us when we tell you there is a lot more to know. As you go via this, some issues will standout more than others, but don?t throw the infant out using the bathwater, either. That can occasionally be a mistake because on closer observation you?ll frequently change your thoughts. It is hardly ever a great idea to preserve a closed thoughts about something, and that has served us very nicely. But there is much more to come, today, and also you will see that it?ll come with each other quite nicely. That is never a poor thing even though it can appear like a great deal to take in. A stress test can only work if your heart is under some type of stress or strain to get the readings. EKGs can only work with a stressed heart. If you are relaxed, then there will not be any usable readings. Anytime you hear the phrase "loading it down" associated with the heart, causing it to work harder than ever. Putting your heart under a load can be done by walking fast or running for not too long at all. Abnormalities can be revealed when the heart is loaded down. Although situations may arise, it?s not always going to show up the same way. Feeling fine, and having no symptoms, will not help in discovering if you have problems with your heart.

The stress test for your heart implies a number of things. For example, this is the kind of test that a person can perform, so that says something about how serious the condition is. Your physician would probably not order a stress test for you if there was the possibility that a heart attack would actually occur. People that are high risk will probably be given another type of test that is less likely to cause any problems. Typically, catheters are inserted into the leg or groin area into a major artery instead. They get a video feed of what is actually going on inside the artery feeding the catheter up to the heart. Some risks are involved, though most people are not aware of what they are.Each of the particular issues and sub-topical paragraphs can be greatly expanded when you are talking about read this post here. So if it suits your fancy, or need, then you are at your leisure to delve into it and know all about it.

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In the end, although, this really is clearly your option to pursue or not.

The bright side of needing a stress test means your doctor feels you are in good enough condition to take one. If this is what is happening, then you should feel positive in some way. Once you get the results of your test, then you can work with your doctor to improve your health.

Source: http://www.criticalcare2011.org/the-basics-of-stress-tests-important-tips-and-facts

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Chris Collins, GOP Candidate, Dodges Questions About Paul Ryan Medicare Plan

Mitt Romney's selection of running mate Paul Ryan has launched the Wisconsin congressman's controversial budget plan to the forefront of political contests across the country -- sometimes to the chagrin of more moderate Republican candidates.

The latest example: In New York's 27th district, House hopeful Chris Collins declined Tuesday to say whether he supports the Medicare overhaul proposed by his party's presumptive vice presidential nominee.

Collins is challenging Rep. Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.) in what had been one of that state's most conservative districts until Hochul's unexpected election two years ago.

"I'm saying I'm going to be part of one of 435 members of the Congress that's going to debate the next budget that's going to be put forth by President Romney," Collins told a WGRZ reporter who pressed him about whether he would support significant changes to Medicare.

Under Ryan's Medicare outline, the program would offer a fixed amount of money to senior citizens in the future, an approach that the Congressional Budget Office says will hike out-of-pocket contributions from those same recipients down the road.

Collins' reluctance to embrace Ryan's budget plan is not without political foresight.

In 2010, Hochul pulled off an upset victory over Republican opponent Jane Corwin after attacking Corwin for her support of the Ryan plan.

The surprising outcome of the special election was widely viewed as a warning sign that Ryan's Medicare proposals could be more of a political liability than an asset heading into the next round of congressional races in 2012.

Democrats have not been shy about their intention to make Medicare a central issue of this year's contests, especially with Ryan on the ticket. On Tuesday, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced that it will begin calling up the constituents of 50 GOP lawmakers who voted for the Ryan budget.

10 more election stories from beyond the presidential field:

U.S. House Candidate Announces Plan To Ensure FEMA Funding [Vermont Public Radio]

Republican Candidates Push For Term Limits In Washington [GoLocalProv]

Gay Candidate Wins Democratic Primary In Wis. Congressional Bid [Washington Blade]

Angus King Vows To Help New Balance By Halting Talks To Eliminate Duties On Imported Shoes [Kennebec Journal]

Kaine Uses Ryan To Attack Allen On Entitlements [Washington Examiner]

McAleer Hails Dem Stance On Gay Marriage [Salt Lake Tribune]

Candidate Smith Stands With Gatsas On Civil Rights Issue [Union Leader]

Gregg Releases Campaign's First TV Commercial [Statehouse File]

Eric Stewart Creates Website Calling For 4th District Debate [Nooga.com]

Tarkanian Seeks Court Help In Fight Against $17 Million Judgment [Las Vegas Review-Journal]

Related on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/15/chris-collins-paul-ryan_n_1783187.html

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IT Venture Capital Investment News Round Up ? 14 August 2012 ...

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North America

August 07, 2012 ? Waltham, MA

Care.Com Raises $50 Million In Fifth Round Of VC Funding

Care.com Inc., a website that helps consumers find local care providers for children, seniors and pets, raised $50 million in a new funding round led by Institutional Venture Partners.
The investment brings the total funding for Care.com to $111 million, said Sheila Lirio Marcelo, chief executive officer. Funds will mainly be used for international expansion and potential acquisitions, she said. The website has been expanding as more people look online to find caregivers along with tutoring and housekeeping services.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-08-07/care-com-raises-50-million-in-fifth-...

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August 07, 2012 ? San Mateo, CA

FreeMonee Network Raises $34 Million

FreeMonee Network, the world?s first and only provider of consumer gift incentives, today announced $34 million in investment funding led by Charles E. Ryan, current Chairman of UFG Asset Management and former Chief Country Officer and CEO of Deutsche Bank Group in Russia. Returning investors, including Opus Capital Ventures, Redpoint Ventures, Sutter Hill Ventures, and Pinnacle Ventures also participated. This round is more than triple the initial $11 million 2010 Series A round and brings the company?s total raise to $45 million. The new funding will fuel FreeMonee?s rapid expansion.

http://www.freemonee.com/index.php/?

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August 09, 2012 ? San Francisco, CA

Starbucks embraces mobile payments with start-up Square

Starbucks Corp?s deal to use Square Inc to process payments at its U.S. coffee shops is a big win for a 2-year-old startup that is beginning to threaten established payment processors and shake up retailing.

As part of the deal announced on Wednesday, the world?s biggest coffee chain will also invest $25 million in Square, the San Francisco-based company led by Jack Dorsey, co-founder of social media company Twitter Inc. Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz will also join Square?s board.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/09/uk-starbucks-square-idUSLNE87800P20...

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August 06, 2012 ? Palo Alto, CA

TuneIn Hits 40 Million Monthly Active Listeners; Raises $16 Million in Funding

TuneIn, the leading service for listening to music, sports and news streams from around the world, today announced that it raised $16 million in a round of funding, led by General Catalyst Partners, with participation from Jafco Ventures, Google Ventures and existing business partner Sequoia Capital. TuneIn will use the new funding to scale the company?s technical and business?
operations worldwide.

http://d11im0xz45jykv.cloudfront.net/press/TuneIn%20Hits%2040%20Million%20Mon...

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August 07, 2012 ? Waltham, MA

Affectiva Raises $12 million

Affectiva, the global leader in emotion measurement technologies, announced today that the company has secured $12 million in Series C financing, backed by Hong Kong businessman Li Ka-shing?s Horizons Ventures and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB) Digital Growth Fund, with participation from existing investors. As a part of the financing, Frank Meehan at Horizons Ventures will join Affectiva?s board of directors and Mary Meeker, a partner at KPCB, will join as an Affectiva board observer.

http://www.affectiva.com/news-article/affectiva-raises-12-million-to-extend-e...

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August 07, 2012 ? San Francisco, CA

DocuSign Raises $8.2M in Series D Funding from Google Ventures

DocuSign, the Global Standard for eSignature?, announced today that Google Ventures has joined in the company?s most recent financing round, bringing the total Series D funding to $55.7 million. Google Ventures joins investment lead Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, along with Accel Partners, Comcast Ventures, SAP Ventures, and a large global institutional investor in this round. The company will use the funds to accelerate growth of the DocuSign Global Network via increased customer-focused R&D, deeper vertical industry solutions, and faster international expansion.

http://www.docusign.com/europe/company/press_room

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Europe

August 08, 2012 ? London, UK

OpenGamma Secures $15 Million in Series C?

OpenGamma, creators of the first open-source analytics and risk management platform for the financial services industry, today announced that it has completed a $15 million Series C round of equity financing led by new investor ICAP plc, the world?s leading interdealer broker and provider of post trade risk and information services, joined by Euclid Opportunities. The round also includes follow-on investments from previous investors Accel Partners and FirstMark Capital.

http://www.opengamma.com/about/press-releases/2012/08/08/opengamma-secures-15...

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August 08, 2012 ? Naples, Italy

De Revolutione Raises ?1.25M in Funding

De Revolutione, a Naples, Italy-based startup that operates a social platform that helps users power their campaigns, has raised ?1.25m in funding. The round was led by Vertis SGR, with participation from a angel investors Giulio Valiante, and Michele Casucci. The company intends to use the capital to continue to grow, in Italy ? where it will launch in October 2012- and abroad.

http://www.finsmes.com/2012/08/de-revolutione-raises-e1-25m-funding.html

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August 08, 2012 ? UK

MarketMeSuite Raises $1.1m Funding

MarketMeSuite, a UK-based provider of an end-to-end social media marketing platform for small and medium businesses (SMBs) to engage, manage, curate and measure the ROI of their social media activity, has raised a $1.1m funding.

The round was led Jeff McCormick, Managing Partner of Saturn Partners.

http://www.finsmes.com/2012/08/marketmesuite-raises-1-1m-funding.html

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News

Vodafone to Open East London Based Incubation Centre

Building on the success of xone, which opened in Silicon Valley a year ago, Vodafone will open a East London, UK-based incubation centre to help innovative start-up businesses.

Drawing on the expertise of Vodafone Ventures, the new centre will provide innovative businesses in the mobile internet and creative media industries with technical expertise, potential financial assistance, logistical support and access to more than 400m (Vodafone) customers across more than 30 countries worldwide.

http://www.finsmes.com/2012/08/vodafone-open-east-london-based-incubation-cen...

This Week In Venture Capital is brought to you by?VM Index from Venture Market Intelligence ? Venture Capital made easier

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Source: http://thisweekinventurecapital.com/it-venture-capital-investment-news-round-up-%E2%80%93-14-august-2012/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=it-venture-capital-investment-news-round-up-%25e2%2580%2593-14-august-2012

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Arkansas, NC ask EPA to waive ethanol mandate on high corn

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two U.S. governors asked the United States government on Tuesday to waive this year's mandate for making ethanol from corn, adding pressure on it to relieve meat producers from high corn prices spurred by the worst drought in more than 50 years.

Governors Mike Beebe from Arkansas and Beverly Purdue from North Carolina sent the requests to the EPA administrator

(Reporting by Timothy Gardner, Charles Abbott; Editing by Gary Hill)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/arkansas-nc-ask-epa-waive-ethanol-mandate-high-223128812.html

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eatthisdrinkthatgo ? Schedule with Restaurants/Chefs Announced

Through a unique partnership with the Dolphins and former wide receiver and current radio voice of the team, as well as NewsRadio 610 WIOD South Florida?s First News Host, Jimmy Cefalo, and his business partner, Brenda Bassett, the Cefalo?s Legends Suite will feature a different prominent restaurant and different fine wines and spirits throughout the 2012 season and will be highlighted weekly on their radio show ? Eat This Drink That Go! Participating restaurateurs include:

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  • Friday, August 10 (Dolphins vs. Tampa Bay) ? Ana Capri Italian Cuisine & Market features fine dining at two locations in Pinecrest and Coral Gables offering traditional home cooking and one of South Florida?s best and unique wine lists since 1990.? www.anicaprifood.com
  • Friday, August 24 (Dolphins vs. Atlanta) ? Perricone? s Marketplace & Caf? ? Downtown Miami?s best Italian restaurant, Perricone? s Market Place and Cafe sits in a quiet park nestled in the shadows of the skyscrapers lining Brickell Avenue.? www.perricones.com
  • Sunday, September 16 (Dolphins vs. Oakland) ? Ziggie?s & Mad Dog?s Steaks Chops and Seafood ? For decades Ziggie?s has been a landmark for food and a lively rendezvous for colorful Keys? characters and celebrities.? In 2006, the late great Jim ?Mad Dog? Mandich and partner, Randy Kassewitz, restored this famous keys landmark and its legend continues today with its highly acclaimed menu, international wine list and orchid garnished cocktails.? Join us for great time and good memories.? Located in Islamorada at Mile Marker 83.? www.ziggieandmaddogs.com
  • Sunday, September 23 (Dolphins vs. NY Jets) ? TBD
  • Sunday, October 14 (Dolphins vs. St. Louis) ? Joe?s Stone Crab ? For 100 years, no visit to Miami has been complete without stopping in at Joe?s Stone Crab. From the beginning, it has always been the love of food, family, and friends that has brought in customers and kept them coming.? Celebrating their 100th year in South Florida ? go to www.Joesmemories.com and share your favorite Joe?s Stone Crab story. www.joesstonecrab.com
  • Sunday, November 11 (Dolphins vs. Tennessee) ? Grazie Italian Restaurant is an unforgettable experience of authentic Italian cooking. With a varied wine list for the casual diner or the serious wine connoisseur, this Miami Beach dining hot-spot also mixes classic and specialty cocktails. For more than 20 years, founders Moshe and Solomon have earned wide recognition and fame for delicious food, great wine, and superior customer service! You?ll discover why, Grazie is on the top of every concierge?s recommended list in South Beach, Florida. www.grazieitaliancuisine.com
  • Sunday, November 25 (Dolphins vs. Seattle) ? Chef Allen Susser, Chef Allen?s Consulting -?? Born in New York; Chef Allen has synthesized the essence of his adopted region. Chef Allen?s dramatic translation of the bounty of South Florida?s foodstuffs became known as New World Cuisine, an innovative signature and important contribution to American culinary craftsmanship. In addition to the restaurant, Allen has written several books, and publishes a monthly newsletter and created a number of gourmet products. www.chefallens.com/consulting.cfm
  • Sunday, December 2 (Dolphins vs. New England) ? Johnson & Wales University (JWU), founded in 1914, is a nonprofit, private, accredited institution with campuses in Providence, R.I.; North Miami, Fla.; Denver, Colo.; and Charlotte, N.C. An innovative educational leader, JWU offers a broad range of undergraduate and graduate degree programs that inspire professional success and lifelong personal and intellectual growth by integrating arts and sciences, industry-focused education and work experience with leadership and personal development opportunities. Founded in 1992, the North Miami Campus is home to 2,000 students majoring in business, culinary arts and hospitality. www.jwu.edu
  • Sunday, December 16 (Dolphins vs. Jacksonville) ? TBD
  • Sunday, December 23 (Dolphins vs. Buffalo) ? TBD
  • Martini ? Next year, Martini will celebrate its 150th Anniversary.? Owned by Bacardi USA, Martini is the world?s largest wine company and was awarded the 2012 International Gold Medal for its Asti at the International Wine Competition in San Francisco.? www.martini.com
  • Dreyfus Ashby & Co.? is a national importer and marketer of a carefully chosen portfolio of fine wines and spirits from around the globe.? Dreyfus Ashby represents primarily quality oriented family wine producers as exemplified by its owners, Maison Joseph Drouhin and Miguel Torres.? www.dreyfusashby.com
  • Mandarin Oriental Miami offers it all from its own private beach, a world class spa to high energy restaurants and waterfront views.? One of the area?s AAA Five Diamond Hotels, Mandarin?s Spa is Florida?s only Five Star Spa. ?www.mandarinoriental.com/miami/
  • Casa Dragones - Casa Dragones is 100% Blue Agave Joven Tequila, handcrafted in small batches in Tequila, Mexico. Our Maestro Tequilero hand finishes each bottle by gently balancing platinum tequila with a hint of extra a?ejo. Our entire process is designed with a singular purpose: to deliver tequila so smooth, it can only be called sipping tequila.? www.casadragones.com

Source: http://www.eatthisdrinkthatgo.com/?p=764

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Usana health sciences scam - HEALTH, BEAUTY & FITNESS

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Source: http://curryrecipe-jp.net/health-2/usana-health-sciences-scam/

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A Look at Niche Profit Classroom 2 | Dave In China ? Dave In China

Each new method and technique changes the field of internet marketing. In order to stay ahead of your competition, you need to stay up-to-date with the changes. Continually setting new goals allows you to take your business higher. Niche Profit Classroom 2 fills in the information gaps left by other internet marketing courses. You can see immediate results because the tools it gives you can be put to use right away. The site divides the information into sections and updates the content regularly.

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So what is Niche Profit Classroom 2 exactly made up of? The course is based on videos that are uniquely high quality, and they are presented in a manner and flow path that makes it all easy to grasp. If you have ever wondered what market to work in, you?ll be delighted to learn that because it is a natural part of what you?ll learn in this course. Naturally, the course comes with support that is ongoing should you have any problems with anything. So here are just a few areas covered in the course.

Researching Your Market is where you will get help finding and choosing a niche market for a successful internet marketing campaign.

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Source: http://daveinchina.com/a-look-at-niche-profit-classroom-2

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It's Paul Ryan's Week, But It's Still Mitt Romney's Race

By MICHAEL FALCONE ( @michaelpfalcone ) and AMY WALTER ( @amyewalter )

NOTABLES:

CHRIS CHRISTIE TO KEYNOTE GOP CONVENTION. After the New York Post reported in July that he would fill the keynote slot at the GOP convention in Tampa, the plan is now official. The New Jersey governor tells USA Today: "I'll try to tell some very direct and hard truths to people in the country about the trouble that we're in and the fact that fixing those problems is not going to be easy for any of them." Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus announced Christie's keynote slot Tuesday morning, saying, "He is a leader of principle and conviction, and I am excited to hear him address the Republican National Convention as our keynote speaker." http://usat.ly/QZIJTB

RUBIO TO INTRODUCE ROMNEY AT RNC. Tampa Bay Times' Richard Danielson reports: "In a showcase role on his party's biggest stage, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio will introduce Mitt Romney for his speech to accept the nomination for president on the last night of the Republican National Convention. It is an introduction aimed at giving Romney a boost from a rising star in a must-win state, but it will almost certainly further enhance Rubio's standing, too. ? On Monday in Miami, he introduced Romney, who in turn mentioned Rubio as much as Ryan, getting big cheers when he did. On Wednesday, Rubio will go to Texas to help raise money for Romney." http://bit.ly/Pgxwgn

DIANE SAWYER SITS DOWN WITH BOB WOODWARD. ABC's Diane Sawyer will speak with Bob Woodward in an exclusive interview about his much anticipated book, "The Price of Politics." Woodward's reporting provides a sweeping you-are-there account of how President Obama and the highest profile Republican and Democratic leaders in the United States Congress attempted to restore the American economy and improve the federal government's fiscal condition. Sawyer's interview will begin airing on "World News" on Sept. 10 and the extended interview will air later that night on "Nightline." Portions of the interview will be released Monday afternoon as part of the ABC News-Yahoo! News "Newsmakers" video series. On Sept. 11 , Woodward will sit down with George Stephanopoulos for his first live television interview on "Good Morning America." Woodward's "The Price of Politics" will be published by Simon & Schuster on Sept. 11.

THE NOTE:

This week was always going to be all about Paul Ryan - and the Romney campaign knew that.

So, it's telling that the presumptive Republican nominee avoided specifics when asked - not once, not twice, but three times - whether there are parts of Ryan's Medicare plan he disagrees with.

"Well, the items that we agree on I think outweigh any differences there may be," Romney said at a news conference in Miami. "We haven't gone through piece by piece and said, 'Oh, here's a place where there's a difference.'" http://abcn.ws/RaY99S

And Ryan, in his first solo appearance as the vice presidential candidate in Iowa yesterday did not mention the word "Medicare" once, as the Washington Examiner's Byron York notes.

"Ryan's speech was an early indicator that the Romney campaign will not go out of its way to showcase the project to which Ryan has devoted the last few years of his professional life," York writes. "[We] might see a campaign in which both Republican candidates seek to downplay their signature achievements - Romney downplaying his Massachusetts universal health care program, and Ryan downplaying the Ryan budget." http://bit.ly/QZQY1Z

But, at the end of the day, Mitt Romney's biggest challenge remains defining himself.

His unfavorable ratings are uncomfortably high for August, and even GOP strategists concede that the summer pounding by Team Obama has taken a toll on his standing in battleground states like Ohio, Florida and Virginia.

The Republican National Convention gives him his big opportunity for that reset. But, his latest assault on Obama's welfare policy has also struck a nerve. Witness the very forceful pushback from Team Obama about the ads.

As ABC's Devin Dwyer reports, the Obama campaign is out with new web video this morning pushing back on Romney's welfare attack and his "high-road lip service" in recent interviews. Fact-checkers have called Romney's claims that President Obama is ending the work requirement for welfare "pants on fire" false.

In the battle for white, working class women (a.k.a. "waitress moms") this issue has serious resonance. And, it could be a potent rejoinder to the "Mediscare" attacks by Democrats.

NOTE IT!

ABC's AMY WALTER: Remember when we all said that once the VP was picked it would limit Romney's opportunities to use these potential running mates as surrogates? Well, maybe not. Sen. Marco Rubio joined Romney on the trail in Florida yesterday (and will introduce him at the RNC in two weeks). Sen. Rob Portman is with Romney in Ohio. And, of course, Gov. Chris Christie will keynote his convention. It's also another reminder of the deep bench Republicans have in 2016.

ABC's RICK KLEIN: Among those worried about the political potency of Paul Ryan's Medicare plans - and not in a good way: Mitt Romney. By saying "there may be" differences between his plan and Ryan's, and leading with an attack on President Obama for daring to cut Medicare, Romney is intentionally muddling the entitlement message for voters. But with that goes hopes of the adult conversation about the future of government spending - the arguments that Ryan rose to national prominence making. Why have Ryan on the ticket if not for the plans he's been out front on?

ABC's JAKE TAPPER: P AUL RYAN, OBAMA'S IDEOLOGICAL NEMESIS. ABC's Jake Tapper reports for 'World News': In no small way, Mitt Romney has selected as his running mate President Obama's ideological nemesis. Now President Obama has never directly, person to person, squabbled with Mitt Romney, but he sure has with Paul Ryan. President Obama's real feelings about his ideological foe ? were caught by a hot microphone at a fundraiser last year. The president privately sneered at Ryan claiming the mantle of fiscal responsibility ? their public back and forth hasn't been much nicer. http://abcn.ws/TBHEkH

CAUTION: BEWARE POLLS. Stuart Rothenberg warns about sampling in recent Fox News and New York Times/Quinnipiac state polls on the presidential race: "A sample that seems disproportionately Democratic based on recent elections, as was the case with the Quinnipiac's Florida poll, or disproportionately Republican, as with Quinnipiac's Colorado poll, will produce results that should raise eyebrows ? The weighted Quinnipiac sample in Florida was 36 percent Democrat and only 27 percent Republican-a dramatic shift from the unweighted numbers and a partisan mix that doesn't come close to resembling the '08 and '10 Florida electorates, and, I would argue, is unlikely to reflect the electorate in November." http://bit.ly/ShtaUt

FIRST PAID HIT ON RYAN AND MEDICARE. The labor group Workers' Voice will be running a paid campaign hitting Paul Ryan's Medicare reforms, in a series of Web ads in Nevada targeted at seniors. The group will spend $50,000 on them and will send protesters to demonstrate outside Ryan events. And as Mitt Romney campaigns on coal in Ohio today, the group will send out a mailer in which AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka accuses Romney and congressional Republicans of letting coal miners die of black lung.

THE BUZZ:

with ABC's Chris Good ( @c_good)

ABC VIDEO: RYAN HECKLED WHILE CAMPAIGNING SOLO. ABC's Jonathan Karl reports: At the Iowa State Fair today, he found excited supporters and a few loud and persistent hecklers. We were right in the middle of it all. The hecklers had come disguised as Romney supporters, complete with Romney signs. http://abcn.ws/NwhTPY

TIM PAWLENTY SAT ON THE SECRET. ABC's Shushannah Walshe reports: Tim Pawlenty was passed over as a presidential running mate twice. But to a reporter sitting on his front lawn during what must have been a difficult time - getting passed over to be Mitt Romney's running mate and not being able to tell anyone about it - he was a nice guy and a gentleman. I spent 11 days on a veepstakes watch with the former Minnesota governor. From the front seat of my rental car, I watched him walk his dog, encountered a dance team practicing on his front lawn and was even offered an ice cold beer from the man known as T-Paw. http://abcn.ws/MtZ7uZ

WISCONSIN PRIMARY TODAY. In yet another vote for Paul Ryan's election-weary home state, Wisconsinites will choose between four Republican candidates for Senate, the winner of which will run against Democratic U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin in November. Polls have shown former governor and Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson and financial businessman Eric Hovde in the lead.

WI-SEN: RYAN'S BUDGET ORTHODOXY ON DISPLAY. When Paul Ryan released his 2011 budget, some Republicans kept it at arm's length. How do they feel about his budget now? Look no further than the Wisconsin primary, where the top candidates have lavished praise on it and, in one case, aired radio ads celebrating its passage through the House-reminding us that in primaries and competitive races across the country, Republicans like Ryan's plan. http://abcn.ws/P9MJ3e

MEET MRS. RYAN. From The Washington Post's Krissah Thompson: "Paul Ryan's wife - a former tax attorney, lobbyist and congressional staffer with degrees from Wellesley College and George Washington University Law School - is taking careful first steps into the harsh spotlight that comes with a run for the White House. ? 'You know, he's pretty low-maintenance,' said Janna Ryan [in an interview with People magazine], who is now a stay-at-home mom. "Paul is someone who goes with the flow and has one of the sunniest demeanors and most positive outlooks of anyone I've ever met. So I'd say Mitt'll probably have a lot of fun with him.'" http://wapo.st/Ph40bR

ROMNEY WON'T SAY WHERE HE AND RYAN DIFFER ON MEDICARE. ABC's Emily Friedman reports from Miami: Asked three times today whether there are parts of Rep. Paul Ryan's Medicare plan with which he disagrees, Mitt Romney offered no specifics, saying only that "there may be." "Well, the items that we agree on I think outweigh any differences there may be," Romney said of his running mate's Medicare overhaul plan at a news conference on the tarmac of the Miami airport. "We haven't gone through piece by piece and said, 'Oh, here's a place where there's a difference.'" http://abcn.ws/OW9B3w

RYAN'S PLAN: SAME CUTS AS 'OBAMCARE.' Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan have blasted President Obama for trimming $700 billion from projected Medicare spending over 10 years to fund other parts of his health care legislation. But Boston Globe health columnist John E. McDonough points out that Ryan's budget includes the same savings: "Nearly every House and Senate Republican votes for the Ryan proposal. In the spring of 2012, Ryan again releases the plan, and includes the same repeal of the ACA, minus the Medicare reductions, now approaching $700B. And, again, nearly every House Republican votes for the plan." http://bo.st/QxzoOO

DOWN-TICKET TROUBLE? The Hill's Cameron Joseph and Alexandra Jaffe report: "Republicans strategists are worried that Rep. Paul Ryan's (R-Wis.) addition to the presidential ticket will cost their party House and Senate seats this fall. Their concern: Democrats will successfully demonize Ryan's budget plan, which contains controversial spending cuts and changes to Medicare. 'There are a lot races that are close to the line we're not going to win now because they're going to battle out who's going to kill grandma first, ObamaCare or Paul Ryan's budget,' said one Republican strategist who works on congressional races." http://bit.ly/OqEX6h

GOP TICKET BROMANCE. The New York Times' Michael Barbaro reports: "The most intriguing dimension of the Romney-Ryan partnership is the unmistakable sense that the two men thoroughly enjoy each other's company. During the first 48 hours as the Republican ticket, they often seemed like a pair of long-lost, hyper-earnest, spreadsheet-loving cousins. They rarely left each other's sight, exchanging hugs, backslaps and knowing smiles, as if they knew their time together might be short-lived." http://nyti.ms/RQ3F0Q

RYAN'S JOURNEY FROM BIG SPENDER TO FISCAL HAWK. The Washington Post's David A. Farenthold reports: "For more than half his career, Ryan was a dutiful GOP foot soldier, which meant he voted for many of the budget-busting, Bush-era measures that tea partiers have come to hate. Ryan was a "yes" for expanding Medicare prescription-drug coverage, as well as bailing out the financial sector and automakers. Then, in recent years, Ryan recast himself as a GOP visionary: instead of seeking compromises with Democrats, he sketched out uncompromised GOP ideals on Medicare and Social Security. During more than 13 years in Congress, Ryan has passed just two of his bills into law." http://wapo.st/MtYmlu

PAUL RYAN BOOK CLUB: SHRUGGING OFF AYN RAND? ABC's Gregory Krieg reports: Ryan, you see, is the country's most powerful Randian. At least, he used to be. ? "I grew up reading Ayn Rand and it taught me quite a bit about who I am and what my value systems are," he told [The Atlas Society]. "It's inspired me so much that it's required reading in my office for all my interns and my staff." Ryan has since denied making his staff read the books. ? And in an interview with the National Review this April, he did a pretty firm about-face: "'I reject her philosophy,' Ryan says firmly. 'It's an atheist philosophy.'" http://abcn.ws/PgRpFx

ERSKINE BOWLES HEARTS PAUL RYAN. ABC's Jake Tapper reports on a video clip of Erskine Bowles, the former chief of staff to president Bill Clinton who co-chaired President Obama's fiscal commission, speaking in 2011: " ? [Paul Ryan] is honest, he is straightforward, he is sincere. And the budget that he came forward with is just like Paul Ryan. It is a sensible, straightforward, serious budget and it cut the budget deficit just like we did, by $4 trillion ? "The President came out with his own plan and the President as you remember, came out with a budget and I don't think anybody took that budget very seriously. The Senate voted against it 97 to nothing." http://abcn.ws/NxLPxb

ROMNEY'S NEW AIDE CRITICIZED RYAN'S SOCIAL SECURITY PLAN. BuzzFeed's Andrew Kaczynski reports: "Peter Wehner, a former aide to President George W. Bush announced he was joining the Romney campaign as a senior adviser today in an email obtained by BuzzFeed. Complicating Wehner's new role could be his past critique of entitlement reform proposals from Romney's running mate Paul Ryan. ? In a leaked White House memo taking issues with Ryan's [2005 Social Security] plan, Wehner blasted the plan as irresponsible for not providing a significant enough overhaul to fix the program, but merely provided 'personal retirement accounts' alone." http://bit.ly/P9R06V

REP. JESSE JACKSON, JR. TREATED FOR BIPOLAR DISORDER. ABC's Matthew Jaffe reports: Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. is undergoing treatment for bipolar disorder, doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota announced Monday. According to a statement from the clinic, Jackson "is responding well to the treatment and regaining his strength." The announcement by the clinic comes two months after Jackson, the son of civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, abruptly left Congress. http://abcn.ws/PgxJA6

OBAMA AT IOWA STATE FAIR: FOUR MORE BEERS! ABC's Mary Bruce and Devin Dwyer report from Oskaloosa, Iowa: Hours after Rep. Paul Ryan received a rowdy reception at the State Fair, President Obama stopped by for pork on a stick, beer and the chance to reclaim some of the Iowa support that propelled him to the presidency in 2008. ? When he made it to the beer stand, Obama pronounced "Bud Lights all around on me," to cheers and laughter from the crowd. After checking his wallet, he offered to buy 10 beers for 10 people and chants of "Four More Years" quickly morphed into a chorus of "Four More Beers." http://abcn.ws/Qxxbmp

OBAMA HIGHLIGHTS DROUGHT AID. ABC's Mary Bruce reports from Boone, Iowa: Touring drought-stricken Iowa, President Obama today showcased the power of incumbency as he touted his administration's response to the drought and announced new federal aid to help farmers and ranchers. The federal government is buying up to $170 million worth of meat, poultry and farm-raised fish, the Obama administration announced this morning. "Because of the drought, there are a lot of folks out there that are trying to sell meat right now," Obama later told reporters while visiting the parched McIntosh family farm in Missouri Valley. http://abcn.ws/PTDW19

MICHELLE'S SIDE OF THE KISS-CAM STORY. ABC's Mary Bruce reports: In an interview with NBC's "The Tonight Show," the first lady told Jay Leno that she did not realize they had missed the chance to smooch. ? Her daughter was quick to point out their error. "Malia came over after we got booed for not kissing. And she was she was just disgusted with us," the first lady said laughing. "She said, 'Why didn't you kiss?' And I was like, 'Kiss what? What are you talking about?' She's like, 'You were on the kiss cam. You were supposed to kiss.' And I was- we were like-we were not paying attention," she recounted. http://abcn.ws/NAeIFu

WHO'S TWEETING?

@jimgeraghty: Michael Gerson reminds us the Democrats thought the Ryan plan's "radicalism" was going to save them in 2010, too.

@stephenfhayes: So serious people are urging Mitt Romney to run away from Paul Ryan and his ideas? #absurd

JakeSherman: Boehner is doing an eye-popping 47 events in 13 states between Aug 4 and GOP convention in Tampa. 2 events each day. http://politi.co/Mu1cXU

@jestei: Good @adamnagourney piece explains Medicare issue, has voters not just pols & demonstrates the race turned to substance http://nyti.ms/RQ9oDZ

POLITICAL RADAR

-Mitt Romney campaigns in Ohio.

-President Obama campaigns in Iowa.

ABC's Josh Haskell ( @HaskellBuzz)

Check out The Note's Futures Calendar : http://abcn.ws/ZI9gV

Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/paul-ryans-week-still-mitt-romneys-race-124125717--abc-news-politics.html

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