That theory is now being tested on a much larger scale in companies across the nation. In an effort to rein in mounting health-care costs (employer health insurance premiums increased an average of 6.1 percent last year, more than twice the rate of inflation), hundreds of employers are using financial rewards and, increasingly, penalties, too, to persuade employees to take demonstrable steps to improve their health and reduce their health insurance costs, and absenteeism in the bargain....

The action star is perhaps best known for his role as John McClane in the Die Hard film franchise. “This is a really challenging time for our family and we are so appreciative of your continued love, compassion and support,” Rumer wrote. Willis’ diagnosis appears to have prompted Google searches for the difference between aphasia and dementia. Speaking to Newsweek, several experts have explained the two conditions. Aphasia is a language disorder that’s caused by damage to the brain....

As you plan for your procedure, it’s helpful to get acquainted with the various surgical specialties, from general to cardiac and beyond, and to learn more about what you should consider when deciding on the right surgical specialist for you. Who Should Perform Your Surgery? In the United States, a surgeon has a minimum of five years of surgical residency training. In addition, some specialty and subspecialty surgeons must have many more years of training before practicing independently....

There are five types of materials commonly used to fill in space where a cavity has been removed. You may not always have a choice in the type of filling you need, but it’s helpful to know the pros and cons of each. Silver Amalgam Fillings This is the most widely known type of filling. Silver amalgam isn’t just silver—it’s a mixture of minerals that’s 50 percent silver, tin, zinc, and copper, and 50 percent mercury....

A disturbingly familiar pattern seems to be emerging. Ever since some 500 armed Islamic guerrillas crossed into Dagestan from Chechnya early last month and seized two villages, Russia has found itself embroiled in an escalating armed conflict in the Caucasus–evoking memories of Chechnya’s own bloody two-year war. The rebels’ stated aim is to create a fundamentalist Islamic republic encompassing Dagestan and Chechnya; the latter is now effectively independent from Moscow....

Dillian Whyte could turn to a familiar foe this winter. “The Body Snatcher’” (24-1, 17 KOs) has said he would love a rematch against Dereck Chisora as he looks for an opponent for December to get him prepared for a potential showdown with heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua. “I’d love to fight Derek Chisora, as this time I’d stop him," Whyte said via Sky Sports. “That fight was funny — it was my first 12-rounder and Derek was already British champion....

But he’ll need to win the Ford 300 if he wants to prevent critics from questioning his second major NASCAR championship and wanting to place an asterik next to his name. Dillon has not won a Nationwide race this year. Every champion in the three national series has won at least one race on the way to the championship. Dillon could be the first driver to win a major NASCAR championship without having a victory....

The researchers say that an asteroid impact caused the extinction, but volcanoes may have shaped the life that followed. “Our evidence strongly suggests that volcanic activity does not contribute to the extinction,” lead author Pincelli Hull, an assistant professor in geology and geophysics at Yale University, told Newsweek. The asteroid impact was certainly big enough to cause the extinction event on its own, she added. Hull’s research adds more weight to the shifting consensus that an asteroid (not volcanic activity or a combination of the two) was responsible for the Cretaceous-Tertiary (or K-Pg) extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs and ushered in the era of mammals....

Take North Korea. You might be forgiven for thinking that it would be relatively easy to find agreement within President George Bush’s administration on how to deal with the weird world of Kim Jong Il, one of the planet’s last Stalinist leaders. After all, the administration managed to hold itself together in the buildup to war in Iraq–a conflict that most of the rest of the world found unpalatable....

During an appearance on the NBA Insiders podcast on ESPN, Nowitzki talked about his friend’s retirement, adding in a little fun. MORE: Howard takes ‘big step’ toward return | Westbrook’s 10th triple-double | Aldridge bothers injured hand Nowitzki added Nash’s retirement didn’t come as a surprise to him. He had known Nash was leaning that way since October. He knew Nash’s body couldn’t compete at the highest level anymore, and that it was ready for him to call it quits....

Example: One step in teaching disease management to a diabetes patient is to show her how to keep her blood sugar levels within a healthy range. The concept of teaching patients disease management grew from a desire to improve the quality of a patient’s care. In 2005, health insurance companies turned their focus on disease management in an effort to control healthcare costs. The theory was that if patients learned to take better care of their health problems, it would save the insurance company money....

The Newberg Education Association union and the Newberg school board are sparring about a ban that prevents teachers from displaying Black Lives Matter and gay pride symbols at the Oregon school. Morelock’s dismissal deeply upset board members that were against his removal. Rebecca Piros, one of three board members who opposed firing Morelock, told him she was sorry. “Just remember that from the darkest dark comes the brightest light, so everything will work out eventually,” Morelock stated, causing Piros to cry....

Shortly afterward, she became a national club champion in The Woodlands and then a two-time NCAA champion at the University of Texas. She won the 2000 Olympic gold medal on the 10-meter platform despite having three broken bones in her right foot, and she eventually retired in 2008 to start a family. “When I retired in 2008, I was tired and felt beat up and needed a break,” Wilkinson said in 2017....

Evacuation orders in several small mountain communities along the west shore of Lake Almanor were prompted as a result of the fire, officials said. The fire charred more than 301 square miles of timber and brush in Plumas and Butte counties, though an official, updated damage estimate was not available Sunday. For more reporting from the Associated Press, see below. The Dixie Fire had already leveled over a dozen houses and other structures in Northern California when it combined with the Fly Fire and tore through the tiny community of Indian Falls after dark Saturday....

Oh, man, it is not. It is, in a variety of ways, quite nearly a miracle. Dixon has been the Panthers’ head coach since 2003, not the original choice of the administration (who wanted Skip Prosser), or the big boosters (who wanted John Calipari) or the Pittsburgh media (one prominent columnist excoriated Pitt for the hire). Dixon became the head coach almost by default, and yet somehow he surpassed even the brilliant work of the man who brought him to the Panthers — and everyone else who has coached the program in the modern era....

Novak Djokovic, the 5-to-4 favorite on the men’s side, has remained steady at that price, but he’s joined closely by Roger Federer at 5-to-2, down from last week’s 9-to-2 price. The chances of Wimbledon final rematch increased once Rafael Nadal withdrew from the season’s final major due to a wrist injury. Additionally, Andy Murray has been struggling this season following last year’s back surgery. His odds have lengthened to 6-to-1, up from last week’s 9-to-2 number....

Felda United are a team in great form as they go into the first leg of the Malaysia Cup semi-final against Kedah on Sunday. With five wins from seven matches and 18 goals from those matches since the start of August, The Fighters will definitely not be short on confidence as they attempt to reach the final of the oldest cup competition in Malaysia. One of the bedrocks of B....

It’s probably too early to say definitively which of the eight wide receivers drafted ahead of Metcalf in the 2019 NFL Draft shouldn’t have been, but the last pick of the second round (64th overall) looks like a steal for Metcalf, a physical specimen who’s shown he has real receiving ability, too. Come on, though: eight wide receivers ahead of Metcalf? At the time, there were bust concerns, but two years in to Metcalf’s NFL career, it seems ridiculous....

But the 21st Century Cures Act opened the door for small employers to start reimbursing employees for individual market health insurance premiums as of 2017. And the Trump administration finalized new regulations in 2019 that allow employers of any size to reimburse employees for the cost of individual market coverage, starting in 2020. We’ll explain both of these provisions in this article. Small Groups: Employer Reimbursement Was Not Allowed in 2015/2016 The Affordable Care Act only requires employers to offer health insurance benefits—to employees who work at least 30 hours per week—if they have 50 or more employees....

The evidence indicates that a person who regularly sleeps less than seven hours a night functions as badly as someone who hasn’t slept for one to three days, according to a research review published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine last year. Furthermore, the largest current longitudinal studies (one involving 21,268 people and another 10,308) showed that sleep-deprivation increased mortality: the chance of dying younger than people of the same age, gender and health-risk factors....