Healthy Living - The U.S. Navy Just Made An Incredible Update To Its Maternity Leave Policy

On July 2, Ray Mabus, the Secretary of the Navy, announced that, effective immediately, women serving in the Navy and Marine Corps will receive 18 weeks of maternity leave -- tripling the previous policy which allowed for six weeks. "When the women in our Navy and Marine Corps answer the call to serve, they are making the difficult choice to be away from their children -- sometimes for prolonged periods of time -- so that they can do the demanding jobs that we ask them to do," the Secretary said in a press release from the Navy. "With increased maternity leave, we can demonstrate the commitment of the Navy and Marine Corps to the women who are committed to serve." The press release also states that the 18 weeks is a combination of paid maternity leave and convalescent leave and that a mother does not have to take all of her leave at once but may only use it within one year of her child's birth. "We have incredibly talented women who want to serve, and they also want to be mothers and have the time to fulfill that important role the right way," Mabus added. "Meaningful maternity leave when it matters most is one of the best ways that we can support the women who serve our country. This flexibility is an investment in our people and our Services, and a safeguard against losing skilled service members." Based on Navy estimates, roughly 5,000 service women -- including 500 officers -- would be eligible for this leave each year. The leave will retroactively apply to any mom who has had a baby since Jan. 1, 2015. As for dads, they only receive 10 days of leave, and according to CNN, Mabus will need to get approval from Congress if he wants to increase that time. Hopefully this new maternity leave policy is a harbinger of good things to come on the paternity front, as well.

Healthy Living - 3 Ways To Attack Bad Medical Debt

Medical debt is damaging the credit of around 30 million people, according to the latest figures I've seen. You would expect damaged credit from medical bills to be a problem for the uninsured. But the untold story here is that people with insurance get their credit trashed both because of billing mix-ups and high debt-to-income ratios. If bad medical debt is harming you, consider the following options: 1. Know what bad marks are in your credit file You can't talk about medical debt without first knowing what's in your credit report. You can learn what's contained in your file for free by going to AnnualCreditReport.com. Errors on credit reports are common. Maybe your credit file is "married" to somebody else's who has a same or similar name, or maybe there's a false lien supposedly filed against you. It could be anything; those are just two of the most common examples. When there's something wrong on your credit file, you need to file a dispute with both the credit issuer and the credit bureau simultaneously. Send all of your documents by certified mail, return receipt requested, which means you have to use the manual form, not the automated system. If the problem is not fixed, re-dispute it with the bureau. If that fails, you must sue both the credit issuer and the credit bureau in small claims court. Most of the time, both parties will cave before the court date and remove the black mark from your report. Should all of this fail to get the job done, there's a new cop on the beat overseeing the credit reporting industry. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is now accepting complaints if you've been put on ignore by Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion over errors on your credit report. Make a visit to ConsumerFinance.gov/Complaint your last resort; you want to give the bureaus a chance to mend their ways first! 2. Consider small claims court if all else fails If challenging an error on your credit report doesn't work, you might have to consider small claims court. File a suit in the county where the adversary lives or does business. Call the clerk of court in the county where you'll be filing to learn that court's procedure. You'll pay a filing fee of generally less than $100 that is recoverable if you win. Small claims court is really best used as a tactic to call the errant party's bluff and get them to remove the bad mark on your credit. That's what you really want. But if you don't get your desired result once the medical provider is served notice of the suit, you want to show up well organized with strong documentation that shows how you've been harmed, why the person or company is responsible, and how much you're seeking in damages. 3. Find the right buttons to push I recently heard from a caller to my show who was involved in a fee dispute with a dentist over the cost of services that had been rendered. She resolved her beef by appealing to the state insurance department. There's a teaching lesson here for everyone. You've got to push as many buttons as you can until you find the right one. The insurance commissioner's office in her state had no real jurisdiction over the dentist, but they use moral suasion to make things right for this consumer. If you have a fee dispute with a medical provider, you have options. If it's a dentist, the local chapter of the American Dental Association (ADA) usually will have some form of panel where you can file a fee dispute administratively just as the caller did with state insurance department. For a doctor, check with the local affiliate of the American Medical Association for the same procedure. Visit ADA.org and AMA-ASSN.org, respectively, for more info. BONUS: Never give up hope! Many of us face health difficulties in our life. But I want to quote Winston Churchill here: "If you're going through hell, keep going."

Healthy Living - Genetic Counseling: Making Genetics Real

With the dramatic growth of genetic technology in the last few years and with a little help from celebrities telling their stories about genetic testing, genetic counseling is accessible to a whole new audience. Genetic counseling is on the precipice of becoming part of mainstream, everyday conversation. But for the average American, how do they know if they need genetic counseling and genetic testing? We, in the field of genetic counseling believe our message is reaching the public and making a difference. But is it? I have been a genetic counselor for over 30 years. For most of my career, almost everyone I met in social situations had never heard of genetic counseling. It's only in the past few years that when I tell people I'm a Genetic Counselor, I'm not met with quizzical stares or a confused, "What's that"? In a recent career workshop I participated in, most undergraduate students were aware of the genetic counseling field as high school students. It is often a big life event that leads people to genetic counseling and testing. A marriage, a pregnancy, a diagnosis are all reasons that prompt people to seek genetic counseling and brings them into our offices. Often a doctor will suggest you speak with a genetic counselor to discuss genetic screening options if you are newly pregnant or considering a pregnancy. After birth, every baby has a newborn screening test done to detect genetic disorders. Most babies are screened at birth for hearing loss with the over half of the confirmed cases due to genetic causes. Similarly, a genetic counselor can be a tremendous support system for not only the patient, but the entire family when a diagnosis is about to change all of their lives. However, I still believe that many people are "afraid" of genetic counseling. There is a stigma surrounding the field. But why? Do they think genetic counselors will tell them what to do, and force them into a decision they don't want to make? Are they wary of the knowledge that comes with having a complete picture? Is it easier to accept the old adage, 'ignorance is bliss'? Does genetics immediately bring them back to that 'C' in Biology? While any of these are possible and it's likely a combination of these factors, the fact is, it's our responsibility and our calling to make genetics and genetic counseling more user friendly. Along with unawareness or fear of the unknown, psychological issues can lead people not to seek help. One common reason is denial. Denial is a psychological mechanism that protects us from information that we don't want to know. Denial works great until it doesn't. In the case of a family history of a neurologic condition like Huntington Disease, you may be aware that something is wrong, yet nobody talks about it and no one is sure why some people in the family have these symptoms and others do not. This also happens with more common hereditary conditions, even those that most people don't think of as a genetic disorder such as cancer. When there are multiple individuals in the same family that have cancer at young ages, it is often suspected there is a cancer family syndrome. When a new diagnosis of cancer is made in a family member, the family goes into crisis mode - Finding the right doctor, the best surgeon, the cutting edge clinical trial. Genetic counseling and genetic testing may not be the first thing that comes to mind. We are starting to bridge the gap between diagnosis and treatment for genetic diseases and cancer. Increasingly, treatment options are tailored to the person with a particular variant in a cancer gene. Now is the time for individuals in families to have cancer genetic testing so the best treatment options can be considered and implemented as soon as possible. When a genetic disorder has been diagnosed in a family, at risk individuals are often motivated to seek genetic counseling because for them "not knowing is worse than knowing". They need to know whether they have inherited a particular gene or not to make life decisions. Uncertainty has taken over their life, compromising their decision making, affecting their quality of life, not being able to make choices and failing to see their future clearly. As Marianna states in the film, The Lion's Mouth Opens, not knowing her Huntington Disease gene status, is driving her decision to take the test. Genetic counseling can be the answer. Individuals who seek genetic counseling learn about genetic testing options. They have no obligation to take the test when they have genetic counseling. These individuals are seeking information and enabling themselves to make educated decisions. This is the essence of genetic counseling. One of the first things I learned as a genetic counseling student was to start where the patient "is at". (Thank you, Joan Marks.) This means that as the genetic counselor I ask questions, try to establish rapport, and get to know what has motivated the person in front of me to seek genetic counseling. This is essential to effective genetic counseling. Although in each session I have to convey vital technical information to the patients, the key to successful counseling is establishing that connection. The counselor must become a trusted advisor as well as a confidant when asked to do so. Talking with a genetic counselor is a two-way street, sharing family health information, how the family handles medical problems, learning something about a person's coping style, support system, all lead to effective genetic counseling. As with any encounter with a medical professional, some genetic counselors are better communicators than others. But our field is based on effective communication about the complex field of genetics. We are here to promote knowledge and understanding of genetics. We are always seeking to answer the 'what ifs?' and the 'now what's?' With current advancements , everyone should be asking themselves if they need a genetic test, what the test is going to show, what will I do with the information I learn from the genetic test, how will it help me, how will it help my family members? What difference will it make? Who will explain my test results? How will I deal with the results? Some of us may say that there are not enough genetic counselors and they are too hard to find. But have that many of us really looked? Genetic counselors want to help people get the most accurate information about genetic diseases and genetic testing. Ask your doctor for a referral. Find a genetic counselor on the National Society of Genetic Counselor website, NSGC.org. Genetic counselors are experts in explaining everything you want to know about genetics but are afraid to ask. This op-ed is a part of a Huntington's Disease Awareness Month collection and in collaboration with The Lion's Mouth Opens, which premiered on HBO this June 1st and is available on HBO Go and HBO Now.

Healthy Living - 'Highly-Sensitive' Mom Is Mean to Me

Black Sheep writes: My mom and siblings have "self-diagnosed" themselves as Highly-Sensitive People (HSPs), so they expect everyone to treat them as such. And what I mean by treat them as such is that no one is allowed to discuss anything that contradicts their feelings or beliefs, and if anyone does then they get severely punished in passive aggressive ways. Their favorite punishment is the silent treatment, which can last from days to months. Now that being said, they have no problem being extremely severe and outright mean to other people (my father and myself mostly, as we're not HSP). Is this a normal trait for those that are HSP? Or is it possible that they are using the term HSP to justify their behavior? I am at my wits end with them and am about ready to cut ties with them altogether, and my dad is in the middle of a very nasty divorce from my mother. Any advice or tips would be really appreciated!  Dear Black Sheep, No!  This is not normal for HSPs! HSPs are more like this article.  When people get into conflicts with them, it's usually because the HSPs don't want to hang out as often as others do, because they get easily stressed.  HSPs are in fact usually very stressed by confrontation, so they are unlikely to be confrontational, punishing and passive aggressive.  It is certainly possible for an HSP to have these traits, but it would speak to a different issue than being highly sensitive. Your mother and siblings sound more like they have personality-level issues, tendencies toward either Borderline Personality Disorder or Narcissistic Personality Disorder. The mother in this article acts similarly to yours.  Individuals with BPD or NPD are frequently passive aggressive, controlling, and rigid in their beliefs.  Many, many people (1 in 4) have a serious mental disorder, and this is a lot more likely in the situation you're describing than just high sensitivity. To learn more about how to deal with your mother and siblings, you can read Emotional Vampires: Dealing with People Who Drain You Dry, Revised and Expanded 2nd Edition, or any of these books.  Also, keep in mind that your mother and siblings have allied together just as you have with your dad.  Tempers are flaring on all sides because of the stress of the divorce.  It would be best to hold off on any major decisions about whether to cut off contact with your mother and siblings until after the divorce.  Everyone is acting their worst right now. It would be a good idea to see a counselor as well, because if your mom is acting this way now, it's likely she was also acting similarly when you were young, and dealing with her shaped your worldview and ability to deal with others.  I would not be surprised if you are very conflict avoidant or almost "allergic" to anything that smacks of "drama," from having been manipulated in this way when you were a child.  This may impact your ability to assert yourself and to engage in healthy conflict resolution (healthy means neither avoiding conflict entirely, such as by cutting people off, or engaging in dramatic and volatile fights). Thanks for writing in and giving me a chance to clear the HSP name!  And keep me updated with your situation.  Till we meet again, I remain, The Blogapist Who Says HSPs Are Not Personality Disordered! This post was originally published here on Dr. Psych Mom. Follow Dr. Rodman on Dr. Psych Mom, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Pre-order her book, How to Talk to Your Kids about Your Divorce: Healthy, Effective Communication Techniques for Your Changing Family. --

Healthy Living - Got Insurance but Can't Afford the Coverage? Here Are 4 Options To Consider

So you've got insurance, but you still can't afford your medical care. What's a person to do? Here are 4 options you might want to consider... 1. Check online for drug coupons Some major pharmaceutical companies are now offering coupons to retain customers when their key brands start getting competition from generics. The drug makers typically post links announcing the coupons on their websites. Once you sign up, you get a downloadable coupon that offers a greatly reduced co-payment at your favorite pharmacy. This is not for every brand name, just for those that face generic competition. Lipitor, Plavix, and Diovan are among the popular big-name drugs offering coupons at their sites as I write this. Note that these coupons won't work if you get your health care from the government or if you participate in a pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) program at work. 2. Pay cash for non-emergency medical needs If you're looking to save money on medical bills, you might consider being a cash payer and shopping around for the lowest price on non-emergency medical procedures, completely circumventing your insurer in the process. The key is to make a deal upfront with the billing department, rather than after services have been rendered. I read an article in The Los Angeles Times that gave some concrete examples of how much money doing it like this can save you. In one case, a blood test that would have cost an insured patient $415 could be paid for in cash--after negotiating--for $95. In another case, one major insurer was charging a negotiated rate of $2,400 for a CAT scan at a Los Angeles-area hospital. But that was reduced down to $250 when the reporter called to inquire about a cash price at the hospital. Every fee is negotiable. It can't hurt to ask. Of course, the key is to do it before you receive medical services, not after. 3. Look for charitable alternatives What do you do if you have an illness that requires special medicine and you can't afford it despite having insurance? One pharmaceutical executive turned philanthropist has set up a charity called TheAssistanceFund.org to provide co-pay assistance that can make the difference between life and death for some patients. This non-profit helps pay for some medications by footing a significant amount of the out-of-pocket for insured patients. Best of all, TheAssistanceFund.org tries to approve people for assistance within 24 hours because they know time is of the essence. 4. Shop the lowest prescription prices from your smartphone With an app like Lowest Med, you just pop in the name of the medication you need and it will shop the marketplace for you to tell you who's got the best price in your area. Visit LowestMed.com for more details. The thing is, a pharmaceutical company may have a deal with a particular pharmacy based on volume that could make your prescription a lot cheaper at one place versus the pharmacy where you normally go. This app gives you the opportunity to see the best deal on your medication. For more money-saving tips on health care, visit my blog at ClarkHoward.com.

Healthy Living - Why Twitter Should Be Your New Weight Loss Coach

You might think Twitter is just a place to complain about the news and impress your friends with pithy jokes, but if you're looking to lose weight, it could also be a source of support and drive. According to the analytics team at Twitter, an average of 15,000 tweets about weight loss alone are posted each day. And the majority of these tweets focus on support delivered via information like tips and tricks and inspiration like mantras, according to Brie Turner-McGrievy, a health researcher at the University of South Carolina. While posts regarding health and weight loss peak at the new year and drop off in March, the online fitness fire ignites again in June as everyone looks forward to spend increasing amounts of time outdoors -- typically in more revealing clothing. These sunny summer months prompt us to prioritize our health, and it turns out Twitter can help us do so. To see if there was a connection between tweeting about weight loss and actually losing weight, in 2013 Turner-McGrievy and her colleagues studied 96 overweight and obese people who were interested in losing weight and used Twitter as one of their social networks. What they found was pretty remarkable: For every 10 tweets about weight loss, the study's participants lost an average of about a pound within a six month period, Turner-McGrievy said. "I think there's that accountability -- that's a lot of what group support provides," she said. "It also is something that keeps weight loss at the forefront of your mind. And we chose Twitter because of how in the moment it is -- it allows you to have instant support when, for example, you go to a new restaurant and don't know what to order." As folks take to Twitter to talk about their latest fitness activities, some workouts are noticeably more popular than others: This word cloud, based on data from Twitter's list of the top 15 fitness activities discussed by their users, reveals that running and jogging (in the largest typeface) consistently hold the top spot as the most-tweeted-about workouts. Yoga took second place, followed by spinning and cycling in third place. Aerobics and circuit training (displayed in the smallest fonts) rounded out the bottom of the list. The new Twitter statistics also revealed that the time of day at which people most commonly exercise fluctuates depending on their locations. On the west coast, users in San Francisco and Los Angeles typically log their sweat sessions between 6 and 7 a.m., while those in Dallas and Chicago finish their days with exercise between 8 and 9 p.m.. The majority of New Yorkers squeeze it in between 4 and 5 p.m. When it comes to the day of the week that people are most excited and vocal about getting their sweat on, Tuesday surprisingly came out on top, especially in January and February, followed by Wednesday and Monday. Courtesy of Giphy The consensus seems to be that few people are excited to work out on the weekends, despite the fact that it's when we have the most down time to enjoy such things. January, unsurprisingly, was the month with the highest fitness-based tweeting, according to another study conducted by Turner-McGrievy in 2014. And many Twitter users maintained that momentum through February and March. Courtesy of Giphy So if you're looking for an extra boost of motivation and support to achieve your fitness goals -- whether it be toning a little for those summer shorts, training for your next race, or striving for a heart-healthy body fat percentage -- don't underestimate the ability of social media in helping you get there. Those tweets can be a pretty powerful thing.

Healthy Living - 7 Secrets to Stronger Bones

Osteoporosis, a disease in which the bones become brittle or fragile, affects approximately 10 million Americans. This problem is most common in post-menopausal women, but it can affect men as well. Because osteoporosis can bring with it a host of unwanted health problems, avoidance is key. The good news is there are preventive measures you can take to reduce or even eliminate your chances of contracting this debilitating disease. Below, I've listed seven tips for ways to prevent bone loss as you age. Secret 1: Taking Calcium Supplements Is Not the Only Answer For starters, it is possible to ingest too much calcium. This can lead to health problems such as kidney stones, milk-alkali syndrome, and constipation. It can also interfere with iron absorption. Additionally, according to a report that appeared in JAMA in 2000, many calcium supplements contain a measurable amount of lead. Taking daily supplements can cause your lead level to rise, which brings with it a number of other health problems. Instead of exchanging the risk of one health problem for another, consider other healthy alternatives. Secret 2: Engage in Weight Bearing Exercise While cardiovascular exercise is good for your heart health, weight-bearing exercise is necessary for maintaining strong bones. Engaging in exercise that utilizes weight resistance promotes calcium absorption and prevents bone degeneration. Engage in Weight Bearing Exercise A study published by the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research concluded that, "regular vigorous weighxercise of 1 hour or more per week is associated with an increase in BMD [bone mineral density] within a normal population. This study confirms long-term weight-bearing exercise is an important factor in the regulation of bone mass and fracture prevention." You do not have to be in great physical shape to do this type of exercise. Even low-intensity exercises using lighter weights can have a positive impact on your bone density. As you gain strength and endurance, you can increase the resistance. As an added benefit, you will build strength and balance that can help you prevent injuries due to falls as you age. Secret 3: Get Sufficient Vitamin D Vitamin D enables your body to absorb calcium and other important minerals from the healthy foods you eat. If you are Vitamin D deficient, your body will not absorb enough calcium to support your bone health. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports, "Vitamin D promotes calcium absorption in the gut and maintains adequate serum calcium and phosphate concentrations to enable normal mineralization of bone and to prevent hypocalcemic tetany. It is also needed for bone growth and bone remodeling by osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Without sufficient vitamin D, bones can become thin, brittle or misshapen." Your body gets Vitamin D through exposure to sunlight. Those who spend most of their time indoors tend to have deficiencies of Vitamin D. Protective sunscreens, which are important for the prevention of skin cancer, can also inhibit your body's absorption of this important vitamin. A 2009 study found that a whopping three-quarters of Americans are vitamin D deficient. I recommend that you take supplements of this vitamin. Secret 4: Vitamin K Is Also Necessary Another very important vitamin for your bone health is vitamin K. Although vitamin K deficiencies have a significant negative impact on bone density in women vs. men, it is a vital nutrient for both sexes. An adequate amount of vitamin K2 is necessary for the production of osteocalcin proteins within your bones. These proteins ensure that calcium collects in the bones instead of staying in your bloodstream where it can harden in your arteries. You can find this vitamin naturally in such healthy foods like broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, and Brussels sprouts. Secret 5: Include Healthy Omega-3s in Your Diet Omega-3s are a specific type of unsaturated fatty acids. Inherent in many types of fish, they have a host of healthy side effects. Their most attractive benefit is to combat elevated triglyceride levels, thereby promoting heart health. Another way that Omega-3s have a positive health impact is by promoting higher bone mineral density levels. The best fish to eat to get the maximum Omega 3 benefits are fatty fish like sardines, salmon, and herring. Less beneficial are whitefish, canned light tuna, and shrimp. Fish oil supplements, once considered to be equally helpful, have now come into question resulting from a series of recent studies. Secret 6: Consider Testing for Gluten Intolerance Gluten is a protein found in a number of foods made with grains such as wheat, rye, and barley. People who suffer from celiac disease are gluten intolerant and must follow gluten-free diets. The University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center reports that approximately 1 in 133 people has celiac disease, though 60 percent of children and 41 percent of adults are asymptomatic. This means that many people with this disease are unaware that they have it. If you are among them, your bone density health may be at risk. This is because celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that affects the small intestine, which is responsible for absorbing nutrients such as calcium. Many people with celiac disease are dangerously deficient in this nutrient. Your doctor can diagnose celiac disease through a simple blood test. If you frequently experience bloating, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, or excessive gas, it is particularly important that you get tested for this disease. Removing gluten from your diet may improve your bone health and prevent osteoporosis. Secret 7: Eat More Onions In a study conducted by the Department of Family Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, researchers looked at the effects of onion consumption on overall bone density for non-Hispanic white women over the age of 50. Women who included onions in their diet daily had the highest bone density while those who ate them infrequently had the lowest. Researchers believe that onions contain a powerful peptide compound, gamma-glutamyl-propenyl-cysteine sulfoxide, or GPCS. A 2005 study on mice showed that this compound had a significant effect on bone resorption and that cells exposed to GPSC experienced less loss of calcium and other minerals. The secret to healthier, stronger bones is not to choose to follow only one of these tips. You must instead try to incorporate as many healthy behaviors as possible into your lifestyle. The more you do for your health today, the more it will pay off tomorrow.

Can Greece's New Finance Minister Succeed Where Varoufakis Couldn't?

ATHENS, Greece -- Greece's controversial finance minister Yanis Varoufakis stepped down in a surprise move on Monday, one day after Greeks rejected a European bailout proposal in a national referendum. Varoufakis handed in his resignation to help negotiations and facilitate Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' efforts to reach an agreement with Greece's lenders during crucial talks with the Eurogroup this week. But who will be fit to fill Varoufakis' shoes? After all, even though he might have been a serious contestant for "most hated man among European officials", the flamboyant minister was very popular at home, and many Greeks greeted his intransigence in negotiations with pride. Enter Euclid Tsakalotos, who until Monday was in charge of international economic relations as the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. By all accounts, Tsakolotos is very different from his predecessor: While Varoufakis is essentially a Keynesian economist, whose views are generally in line with socialist ideals, Tsakalotos has been more radical in his views -- at least in terms of economic theory. But on a personal level, he's also more reserved and contained than Varoufakis, which may make it more difficult for him to connect with a Greek audience. Tsakalotos is by no means new to either economics or politics. The new finance minister is an accomplished economist with a remarkable resume and has been a member of Syriza for at least a decade. Since 2012, he has served as a member of parliament for his party, and became deputy minister of foreign affairs after Syriza's election victory in January 2015. Born in 1960 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, Tsakalotos comes from a family that included a Greek general who held a prominent position during World War II and Greece's civil war. In his early years, Tsakalotos' family moved to England, where he attended the prestigious St. Paul's school. He went on to read Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Oxford, where he also completed his PhD in economics in 1989, and later taught at the University of Kent. Outgoing Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis places his hand on the shoulder of newly appointed Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos during a handover ceremony at the Finance Ministry in Athens on July 6, 2015. (ANGELOS TZORTZINIS/AFP/Getty Images) When Tsakalotos came back to Greece in the early 1990s, along with his wife, the Scottish economist Heather Denise Gibson, he taught at the Athens Economic University. He has published several books and articles on the subject of the Greek crisis and why it happened. His writing has followed communist and liberal traditions, promoting the idea of contemporary societies' liberation in the latest crisis of capitalism. Tsakalotos' interests as an economist lie within the post-Marxist tradition. This brand of Marxism, also generally known as the New Left, is a popular current of thought that tries to reconcile basic social needs with the contemporary realities of capitalism, all while keeping a focus on social justice. Post-Marxism is represented by important theorists such as David Harvey and John Holloway, both of whom have been very popular in radical academic circles since the 1970s. It remains to be seen whether Europeans will be able to digest even this level of Marxism, or whether Tsakalotos will have to make bitter concessions against his fundamental beliefs. Most Greeks would like to believe that he will stick to his previous calls for an end to austerity. One young member of Syriza told The Huffington Post that Tsakalotos has been a "beacon and inspiration" for the party's youth when it comes to economic thought. He's known for entertaining the idea of an "alternative economy," which envisions an alternative to capitalism that includes structures promoting social justice and wealth redistribution. The concept seems to be very appealing to many Greeks on the left, especially young people, in light of the country's recent economic and social crash. Newly appointed Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos attends a handover ceremony at the Finance Ministry in Athens on July 6, 2015. (ANGELOS TZORTZINIS/AFP/Getty Images) Tsakalotos recently argued that the current Greek crisis not only bears the characteristics of an awful economic collapse, but also constitutes "a crisis of democracy" in Europe. At the same time, though, he has stood by Greece's Eurozone membership, choosing the "international road" against the failed idea of a "national strategy," as he puts it. But can he hold his ground faced with the harsh realities of European economic policies? Wasn't he, in fact, chosen to deliver what Varoufakis couldn't? It's quite likely that Tsakalotos will have to make adjustments to his radical ideas, as they are bound to be received poorly by his European counterparts. And it may also be that, despite the change of guard, it is ultimately not the messenger who will matter, but rather, the content of the message itself. Greece has to make sure its message is one that's taken well by its lenders, or risk facing the outcome feared by many -- a "Grexit."

Greece Brings No New Proposals To Eurozone Emergency Meeting

BRUSSELS (AP) — Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras strode into a summit of eurozone leaders with a beaming smile Tuesday, but was met with anger when it became clear he had no written proposal on how to save his country from financial ruin. With Greece's banks just days away from a potential collapse that could drag the country out of the euro, Tsipras had been expected to offer up economic reforms in exchange for loans. Instead, his government said it would only present a plan on Wednesday. "You know, there was a promise for today. Then, they're promising for tomorrow," said Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite. "For the Greek government it's every time 'manana.'" Tsipras came buoyed by a triumph in Sunday's referendum, where an overwhelming majority of Greeks backed his call to reject the reforms that creditors had last proposed. But that domestic victory did not appear to give him much leverage in talks with foreign creditors, who know Tsipras needs a deal soon to keep his country afloat. Banks have been shut for seven working days and will not reopen before Thursday, cash withdrawals have been limited for just as long, and daily business throughout the country has come to a near standstill. So it was with some surprise that European leaders learned Tsipras did not yet have a written proposal for new rescue aid. "I'm extremely somber about this summit. I'm also somber about the question of whether Greece really wants to come up with proposals, with a solution," Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said. Greek Prime minister Alexis Tsipras, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and French President Francois Hollande meet at the European Union headquarters in Brussels on July 7, 2015 (PHILIPPE WOJAZER/AFP/Getty Images) Greece's 18 eurozone partners have steadfastly said they want to help Greece stay in the currency club but have just as often complained about Greece dragging its feet during months of negotiations. Even German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned Tsipras he was dancing close to the financial abyss. "We are no longer talking about weeks but very few days," she said. An official from a eurozone nation said that Greece's failure to bring clear proposals to an earlier meeting of finance ministers caused widespread frustration. Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos instead made a presentation and discussed key issues. "Everybody was angry," said the official, who asked not to be identified because he was commenting on a closed meeting. The eurozone's top official, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, said he hoped the Greek government would make a written request as soon as Tuesday night or Wednesday morning to tap Europe's bailout fund. Once that is in, the eurozone finance ministers would hold a teleconference to discuss the proposals and decide whether they can give Greece more loans. A woman walks past a slogan written on a wall in Athens on July 7, 2015. (LOUISA GOULIAMAKI/AFP/Getty Images) One big sticking point in the talks is Greece's demand that the terms of its bailout loans be made easier. European officials are split on the issue, with lead eurozone lender Germany still reluctant. The International Monetary Fund last week called for European states to accept longer repayment rates and lower interest rates on their loans to Greece. Many economists say that Greece's debt burden, at almost 180 percent of annual GDP, is unsustainable for a country its size. Getting a new rescue deal for Greece is urgent and becoming more so by the day. Greek banks are running out of cash even after the government shut them last week and placed limits on how much depositors can withdraw or transfer. Normal commerce is now impossible in Greece. Small businesses, lacking use of credit cards or money from bank accounts, were left to rely on cash coming from diminishing purchases from customers. But Greeks are holding on tight to what they have. And suppliers are demanding that businesses pay cash up front. Giorgos Kafkaris, a 77-year-old pensioner, was among Greeks standing in line to withdraw cash at an Athens ATM on Tuesday. "I came to get the 120 euros, I can't take more. The good thing is we had sorted things out earlier and we had 200-300 euros set aside," he said. "I'm waiting for something better for all of us. I believe something better will happen." Tsipras's appointment of Tsakalotos as the new finance minister to lead talks with creditors was interpreted as a sign he may be willing to compromise. Tsakalotos, a 55-year-old economist, replaced Yanis Varoufakis, who constantly clashed with his peers. The lack of progress on Greece worried stock markets in Europe, where the Stoxx 50 index of top companies was down 2.1 percent on Tuesday. The euro also fell, while Greece's stock market remained shut since last week amid the bank closures. Greece has been granted two bailout programs worth a total of 240 billion euros ($266 billion) in loans from other eurozone countries and the International Monetary Fund. But the spending cuts and tax increases demanded as a condition for the loans have hit growth, causing an economic depression and pushing unemployment to 25 percent. The government, meanwhile, has been slower than hoped in making the economy more competitive and selling state assets to raise money. ___ Costas Kantouris in Athens, Menelaos Hadjicostis and John Thor Dahlburg in Brussels contributed to this report.

App Fights Female Genital Mutilation By Arming Girls With Information

While the U.K. government has made grand statements about ending female genital mutilation, advocates are concerned about a lack of action, so they've taken matters into their own smartphone-using hands. Researchers at the University of Coventry unveiled "Petals" on Tuesday, an app that aims to inform at-risk girls about FGM and about how they can seek help if they need it. The developers intentionally coincided the app's release with summer break, a period when parents are more inclined to get their girls cut. FGM, a practice that involves the partial or total removal of the female genitalia, has been illegal in the U.K. since 1985 and Prime Minister David Cameron has vowed to pursue parents who still carry out the act, but the procedure has shown little sign of slowing down. So, with support from Women's Minister Nicky Morgan and donations totaling 8,000 British pounds (about $12,000), Petals' developers devised a simple app that they hope will help difficult-to-reach girls, according to the Telegraph. The app, which doesn't feature any gruesome images, offers basic facts about FGM and contacts for nonprofits, and law enforcement officials that cater to this specific demographic. Such basic information is often crucial for these girls who often have no idea what FGM entails up until the moment they are put under the knife, the news outlet noted. The app has also taken privacy issues into consideration so that users can take advantage of the app without fear of getting caught. For example, the app will disappear if a user shakes her smartphone, according to the Telegraph. It has no pop-up windows, so it can be shut down quickly and the site explains how to use it in "private" mode. Getting the app into girls' hands is of crucial importance at this point in the year when parents often transport their daughters to their native countries where the practice is still legal. Families are more likely to cut their girls during the summer when they have time off and their daughters can "heal" before school starts again. In the U.K. alone, 100,000 women are living with the effects of FGM and 60,000 are at risk, according Forward, a nonprofit that works to protect African girls. Though advocates are concerned about the perceived inaction on the part of the government to end the issue, Cameron continues to press forward with his expanding initiatives. Last summer, the government pledged 1.4 million British pounds (about $2.37 million) for an FGM prevention program. The prime minister also recently announced new legislation that would penalize those who take girls abroad to get cut. Those suspected of transporting girls will be asked to surrender their passports or travel documents, and people who actually go through with it could face up to five years in prison, Reuters reported. "Everyone has the right to live their life free from the fear of violence and abuse, and without experiencing the lasting trauma of female genital mutilation," Morgan said, according to Reuters. "We need to raise awareness of this barbaric practice and ensure people know it is unacceptable and illegal."