Today is the last day to sign up for D.C.'s health marketplace — and they ...

Officials swear this is it. After today, the first open enrollment period for health coverage through D.C.'s marketplace will be over.

Done. Finished. Finito.

Those who can't sign up by April 30 will need to wait until Nov. 15. The exchange has major system upgrades to get to, the D.C. Health Benefit Exchange Authority officials have said.

But through today, individuals can still sign up for health care coverage if they haven't already.

The next enrollment period for health insurance through marketplaces under the Affordable Care Act is Nov. 15. The D.C. Health Benefit Exchange Authority said earlier this month it would extend the health insurance special open enrollment period a second time to April 30 from its original extension of April 15.

But it saw a surge of calls and requests for help before the second extension. The exchange had 699 people enroll for coverage in the two weeks after open enrollment was originally supposed to close, with 22 percent of those signups coming on what was the final day of the first extended deadline.

In-person assisters and brokers will be located from 10 a.m. to 8 a.m. at the Dorothy I. Height/Benning Library at 3935 Benning Road N.E. today. At the library, which officials are calling a 'One-Touch Enrollment' center, residents looking to get coverage will be able to get help with the selection of their health insurance plan, identity proofing and Medicaid determinations in a single place. Help over the phone at 855-532-5465 and at DCHealthLink.com will be available throughout the day as well.

As of April 16, the total number of private health coverage enrollments in D.C. totaled 10,630. There were 19,217 Medicaid sign-ups, while small business enrollments were at 13,118. Earlier this month, President Barack Obama announced sign-ups under the Affordable Care Act surpassed 8 million, 1 million more than original projections.

For some, the April 30 deadline does not apply. That includes small businesses, individuals or families who lose other coverage, and people who qualify for Medicaid.

Tina Reed covers health care.

Who Really Pays For Health Care Might Surprise You

Apr 30, 2014

This KHN story was produced in collaboration with

Eight million people have signed up for subsidized private health insurance under Affordable Care Act, President Obama said this month. Millions more obtained new coverage through the Medicaid program for the poor.

Full implementation of the health law, and its wider coverage, new taxes and shifting subsidies, has renewed discussions of winners and losers, makers and moochers.

Here's a corrective to common misconceptions about who pays for health care.

Before Obamacare we had a free-market health-care system.

Government has been part of the business of medicine at least since the 1940s, when Washington began appropriating billions to build private and government hospitals. The drug industry and its customers owe much to federally funded research.

Of course Medicare for seniors and Medicaid for the poor, which both began in the 1960s, represent direct government transfers from some taxpayers to others. States have set rules for health insurance for decades.

If you're insured through an employer that files an income-tax return your coverage is heavily subsidized by the feds. Tax deductions for private medical coverage cost the Treasury $250 billion a year.

Some would argue that private health insurance is own kind of subsidy. What the healthy pay in premiums finances care for the sick. Few patients except foreign potentates have paid their own medical bills for a long time.

I fully paid for Medicare through taxes deducted from my salary.

Scholars at the Urban Institute have calculated that the typical Medicare beneficiary who retired in 2010 will cost the system more than twice as much in health costs than she and her employer paid in Medicare taxes.

It's another subsidy. If Congress had designed Medicare to pay for itself rather than add to the budget deficit every year, payroll taxes would be far higher and your take-home pay would have been far lower.

Premiums from my paycheck fund my company health plan.

Probably not entirely. Or even mostly.

For family coverage, which costs an average of $16,351 last year, the average worker paid only 29 percent of the premium. For single-person coverage, workers paid only 18 percent of the (lower) total cost.

Although premiums and out-of-pocket costs have been soaring for consumers, costs have been rising for employers, too - up by nearly 80 percent in a decade. Business spends more than half a trillion dollars annually on employee health care.

Government and employers pay for almost all health care.

But give workers and consumers credit. In 2012 households still paid the largest single share of health costs, according to federal actuaries. Part was premiums paid through employers and directly to insurers. Part was out-of-pocket expense.

The household portion of the health-spending pie shrank from 37 percent in 1987 to 28 percent in 2012. But it's still larger than the federal government's 26 percent share or business's 21 percent.

The insurance company is always the bad guy.

Human resources pros like to trash-talk the company's insurance plan when they tell employees the doctor network shrank, the deductible rose or certain procedures aren't covered.

But more than half of all workers with health coverage are enrolled in 'self-insured' plans where the employer pays medical bills directly. The insurance company only processes claims.

If your company has at least 500 workers it is probably self-insured

In such plans the employer is the insurance company. And it's the employer calling the shots.

Kanye West: 10 reasons not to fear his spoken

Kanye West ... gathering his thoughts before speaking for three hours straight. Photograph: Andy Sheppard/Redferns

Rumours circulated this week that Kanye West is to release a spoken-word album later in the year. There is obviously much in this story to concern us, specifically the words 'Kanye West' and 'spoken-word album'. Yet need a Kanye West spoken-word album be nothing more than an instrument of evil? We say no. Here, then, are 10 reasons to look forward to Kanye's career diversion with joy in your hearts.

1. Any time Kanye spends on the spoken word is time Kanye cannot spend making rap records, jumping on stage to disrupt awards ceremonies, comparing himself to Jesus, making anti-Semitic remarks and giving babies stupid names. That has to be applauded.

2. Actually, that's being unkind about his records. When he's on top of his game, as on tracks like School Spirit and Diamonds from Sierra Leone, Kanye can be a supremely talented MC. It's just that he just often chooses to rather fax it in. Even so, there are little twinkles in his body of work that suggest a spoken-word album could be good if he puts his mind to it. We say this with more than a hint of caution.

3. There's just the tiniest chance that Kanye's effort could open people's ears to the outpourings of those who are actually good at spoken word. And if that leads to an interest in the works of UK artists such as Kate Tempest, Dead Poets, Adam Kammerling, Harry Baker and Dekay, to name but a few, that can only be a good thing. However, given that the stories hold the album is to feature Kanye offering his opinions about the state of the world, rather than constructing pieces, it may serve only to warn people away from spoken word for ever.

4. If the album is going to last for three hours, as has been mooted, then the simple law of averages states that there has to be something half decent on there. Doesn't it?

Reading on a mobile? Click here to watch

5. In dipping a toe into the waters of the spoken word, Kanye continues a proud American artistic lineage that includes the Last Poets, Gil Scott-Heron, the Watts Prophets and William Shatner.

6. Fatherhood may well have unlocked a more mature and reflective side that will reveal itself through Kanye's lyrics. That, or an ever-deeper journey into the swirling vortex of his own backside.

7. Kanye actually has decent form when it comes to the spoken word. He has made some lauded appearances on the Def Poetry Jam show, and that's not to be sniffed at. Credit where it's due and all that.

Reading on a mobile? Click here to watch

8. You just know that, somewhere in proceedings, there is going to be a paean to Kim that will redefine the boundaries of toe-curlingness in pop, and will provide unintentional amusement to millions for years to come. We'd bet the farm on it.

9. Whatever happens, the results cannot be as hilarious as the funniest - unintentionally - spoken-word track in the history of pop music, the actor Richard Harris's There Are Too Many Saviours on My Cross. Track it down on his Man of Words anthology. It's preposterous.

10. Preposterousness in pop music is to be encouraged at all points. If there were no preposterousness in pop, then we'd have no - totally random examples - Abba, Sparks, Sleaford Mods or Oasis. So if one of the biggest hip-hop stars on the planet wants to take a three-hour journey into the spoken-word ether, a commercial move that defies all logic, then we should applaud the decision. If not necessarily the final product.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West to Have Civil Ceremony Before Wedding in ...

Splash News

Kim Kardashian will already be Mrs. Kim Kardashian-West when she arrives in France to say 'I do' to Mr. .

E! News has learned that the couple will obtain a marriage license and have a civil ceremony in the United States before they jet off to tie the knot in a lavish ceremony in France.

'They will have a civil ceremony to acquire their marriage license here,' a source tells E! News.

Earlier this month, the couple was spotted scoping out potential wedding locations, including the Château Louis XIV, a castle located in Louveciennes, in the Yvelines department just west of the French capital.

VIDEO: Check out Kim's OMG-worthy bikini pics

The stunning manse is a reconstruction of a classic 17th century palace, built from scratch between 2008 and 2011, which features many odes to the Palace of Versailles such as a reproduction of the Chariot of Apollo fountain sculpture and the grounds' impressive gardens.

While the couple has been making arrangements for their nuptials, the Kimye wedding rumors have been circulating the tabloids as of late.

Recent reports claim that the couple's wedding plans have 'come to a halt,' however, a source told E! news that the rumor is 'completely false.'

PHOTOS: Kim and Kanye's magical engagement

Radar Online first reported that the lovebird's marriage plan is in 'crisis,' due to fact that French law requires a 40-day residency prior to any wedding.

According to the French Embassy, 'All marriages must be performed by a French civil authority before any religious ceremony takes place. The mayor can authorize the deputy mayor or a city councilor to perform the ceremony in the town in which one of the parties to be married has resided for at least 40 days preceding the marriage. These requirements can not be waived.'

But considering the couple will already be husband and wife when they arrive in France, it looks like the ceremony is going to be smooth sailing.

Let the countdown begin!

-Reporting by Melanie Bromley PHOTOS: Keeping Up With Kimye RELATED VIDEOS:

Kim Kardashian Attending Met Gala 2014 With Kanye West

Although the Met Gala is mere weeks before Kim is set to walk down the aisle, the superstar couple is still attending the annual affair in NYC on May 5 - and we can't wait to see what the hot mama wears as she emerges on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art!

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's social calendar for the month of May is filling up faster than we can keep track! The fabulous couple may be set to tie the knot in Paris on May 24, but before we get a glimpse of Kim in her wedding gown, we'll get to see her get glam for yet another fabulous affair - at the Met Gala in NYC on May 5! At the 2013 fundraiser a very pregnant Kimye stole the spotlight on the red carpet - and we're so excited that HollywoodLife.com can exclusively confirm that they're attending this year, (although considering that the engaged couple found themselves on the cover of the April 2014 issue of Vogue, we must admit that we aren't surprised at all that they're planning on attending).

Kim Kardashian Met Gala 2014 Attending Met Ball With Kanye West:

'Kim and Kanye are going to the Met Gala next week,' a source revealed. Although Kim and Kanye are very busy prepping for their Parisian wedding, they'll still make an appearance at the Costume Institute Benefit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 5 to celebrate the opening of the Charles James: Beyond Fashion exhibit and the new Anna Wintour Costume Center - but will Kim be the only member of the Kardashian/Jenner family in attendance? 'I'm not sure if Kendall [Jenner] is attending,' our source admitted.

Kendall Jenner Attending Met Gala 2014?

Considering that Kendall has also gotten the Vogue stamp of approval, appearing in a shoot for the magazine's website and sitting pretty next to the magazine's editrix, Anna Wintour, at the front row of the Topshop show during London Fashion Week, we wouldn't be surprised if the model made an appearance at the fashionable affair. After all, she was the new darling on the runway for a slew of designers as she made the rounds during Fashion Week - including Marc Jacobs!

Although we can't confirm what designer Kim will be wearing at the glam gala, our best guess is that she'll turn up in either Lanvin or Givenchy. Riccardo Tisci, a bestie of Kimye, outfitted a pregnant Kim in her floral Givenchy gown for the 2013 Gala, however, she has also cozied up to Lanvin's Alber Elbaz, visiting him in the Lanvin showroom in Paris and suiting up in one of the fashion house's wedding gowns for her Vogue cover - I guess we'll just have to wait and see!

Who do you think Kim should wear to the Met Ball?

Katrina Mitzeliotis

More Kim Kardashian News: Kim Kardashian's Sexy Smokey Eye: Beautiful For 'Vogue' Cover North West's Adorable 'Vogue' Debut Inside Kimye's Cover Issue - Video Kim Kardashian & Kanye West 'Vogue' Video: Best Super-Racy Moments

Kim Kardashian, Kanye West Set To Marry Privately This Week (REPORT)

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Wedding bells could be ringing much sooner than May 24 for Kim Kardashian and Kanye West -- legally speaking, anyway.

TMZ reported that the couple is set to marry privately this week before their ceremony next month in Paris. Sources told the website that the couple already obtained a confidential marriage license, which protects all the personal information on the license from the public.

According to the website, Kardashian and West won't even have to appear publicly at a court house to exchange vows; an official from the court will perform a private ceremony at their home.

Kardashian's rep declined to comment when asked about the couple's wedding plans, however, if the couple were to privately marry in advance, that would solve any legal issues they were rumored to be facing. Allegedly, their plans to wed in Paris were not in accordance with French law, which requires a strict 40-day residency prior to the occasion.

Meanwhile, the big event, thought to be set for May 24, will include multiple costume changes for Kardashian and a guest list that really shouldn't be described as intimate.

'People are probably assuming we're going to have this massive wedding, and I think it will be -- but intimate,' Kardashian told Vogue. 'Two hundred people -- just all of our closest friends -- a special night for us and all the people that really love us and that have supported us.'

Would Your Rather Pay for Health Insurance or... ?

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I'm a pretty risk-averse person. When I went to Las Vegas, the most I was willing to gamble was a roll of quarters at the slot machines. I've always had car insurance, just in case. I buy AAA coverage too, 'cause you never know. And I've always had health insurance. My friend Joe, on the other hand, is far more comfortable with risk. He's young and healthy, and argues, 'Why pay for something you're never going to use?' He feels comfortable about not having health insurance.

Indeed, there are quite a few Americans who are uninsured. For young people in particular, insurance may seem like an unnecessary expense. But for most people, the cost of health insurance is the major obstacle.

However, it's not just about how much health insurance costs. For most people, it comes down to a choice between health insurance and 'X,' where 'X' is some other monthly expense. As a result, the cost/benefit of health insurance is inevitably compared to the cost/benefit of X, and health insurance often loses because it might feel like money being spent with no immediate or apparent benefit. After all, most people can't afford to pay for everything and have to choose what they will be spending money on every month.

It is this notion of having to choose between health insurance and something else that led me to conduct a survey in January at the Georgetown Institute for Consumer Research. I asked consumers a fairly simple question:

Many people have to make choices when it comes to their monthly expenses. If you had to choose between spending money every month on paying for health insurance versus each of the following monthly expenses, which would you pick?

I then gave a series of common monthly expense categories such as paying down debt, internet/data plans, eating out, gym memberships, etc. The goal was to determine whether health insurance would beat out any of the categories. Would consumers choose health insurance over paying for their internet? Would health insurance be preferred over Cable TV? How would it fare against paying for a gym membership?

Let's first take a look at what consumers said in general. The chart below shows the percentage of consumers who would rather pay for health insurance (shown in red) every month than the corresponding other expense category. For instance, only 19 percent of consumers would rather pay for health insurance than use the money to pay down debt. In contrast, 59 percent of consumers would rather pay for health insurance than spend money on buying organic groceries every month.

What About Gender Differences?

These data clearly indicate that paying for health insurance ranks fairly low on our list of monthly expense priorities. Financial concerns (like paying down debt), and connecting with others (by paying for Internet access or cell phone plans) are far more important than health insurance. Of course, given the day and age we live in, this makes sense.

However, I was surprised by the relatively low numbers for the other expense categories as well. For instance, about half of the respondents said they would rather spend money eating out or paying for cable than paying for health insurance. Moreover, even though paying for health insurance beat out paying for a gym membership or buying organic groceries, it did so by a fairly small margin.

I was curious about whether this data pattern may be different for men compared to women. After all, the Affordable Care Act has been described as being beneficial to women. Moreover, the law provides women access to various forms of preventive care, including contraception, without a copay. Consequently, it seems plausible that women may be more willing to pay for health insurance than men. The two charts below show the percentage of women and men who said they would rather pay for health care versus the competing expense category.

If You Picked Health Insurance, What Are You Going to Cut?

So did women and men differ in terms of whether they would rather pay for health care? The data show that women were somewhat more likely to pick health insurance than men in almost every category (the exception being that both men and women were similarly likely to choose health insurance over organic groceries). Moreover, women picked health insurance over the competing category the majority of the time (four out of the seven categories). In comparison, the only categories that men did not prefer over health insurance were gym memberships and organic groceries.

Despite these differences, it seems that both women and men would prefer to spend money on things other than health insurance. As in the overall chart above, the percentage of women and men who would choose health insurance over one of the expense categories is never really high. This suggests that when it comes to making a choice between spending on health insurance versus spending on something else, the something else often wins.

For many Americans who purchased health insurance in the last few months, the premiums will be a significant monthly expense. Moreover, this expense will likely have to be balanced by reducing other expenses. In fact, the typical consumer's strategy will probably involve cutting out some expense category altogether.

So the big question is, what are consumers going to cut down on in the coming months? Our data suggest that spending on Internet and cell phone plans is not going to suffer. Rather, consumers may be more likely to reduce their spending on cable TV, eating out, gym memberships, and organic groceries.

If you've recently purchased health insurance, are you planning to cut down expenses in some other area? If so, what's going to be cut from your budget?

Have a question about consumer behavior that you'd like answered? Click here to submit your question. The Georgetown Institute for Consumer Research receives funding from KPMG. However, research activities are determined by the interests of the Institute's researchers and trending topics.

Kim Kardashian, Kanye West to marry in small civil ceremony: report

Marc Piasecki/GC Images

Kimye may be husband and wife sooner than later.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West reportedly will say 'I do' in a civil ceremony in the United States ahead of their already scheduled lavish affair in France at the end of May.

'They will have a civil ceremony to acquire their marriage license here,' a source told E! News.

Another source revealed to TMZ that the famous duo already have their marriage license and plan to exchange vows by week's end.

The gossip site added that the license is so 'confidential' that West and Kardashian don't even have to show up at the courthouse to wed.

An official can allegedly come to them and perform the ceremony in the privacy of their own home.

West, 36, popped the question to the mother of his child on her 33rd birthday at the AT&T Park in San Francisco in October.

The couple's daughter, North West, will turn 1-years-old in June shortly after her parents are officially Mr. and Mrs.

Fact or fiction: Kanye West 3

Rapper Kanye West, shown in 2013 at the Hollywood Film Awards, is working on a new album, which some have rumored will be a spoken-word project. (Frank Micelotta / Frank Micelotta/Invision/AP)

The absurd genius of the Kanye West universe is that even the wackiest rumors about him carry a shred of potential credibility.

Like the one circulating now-that West is planning to release a spoken-word album. A three-hour spoken-word album. On vinyl. And that he's also planning a deluxe digital version that will carry on a full 24 hours with his thoughts, rants and ramblings on all manner of topics.

No matter that the report that has generated a flurry of online stories originates with the notorious UK tabloid The Sun, or that the Sun's report is built on quotes from an anonymous source said to be close to West.

Even so, Idolator, Vibe, Complex.com and numerous other sites are speculating on whether there could be an ounce of truth to the story, or whether it's a piece from the Onion that somehow landed in The Sun.

The idea doesn't seem utterly out of the realm of possibility because, as the Sun's anonymous source says, 'Kanye loves the sound of his own voice, and this will be the ultimate in self-indulgence.'

The rapper 'has very strong views on everything from music and art to politics and the environment,' the source is quoted as saying. 'He's forever recording his opinions on tape.'

It seems unlikely West would limit himself to a 24-hour release, given that the Flaming Lips did put out a 24-hour digital recording session back in 2011. You'd expect Kanye at least to let his run 25 hours so he wouldn't be tied with anyone for anything.

Having canceled upcoming tour dates to continue working on his next album, West has many people guessing as to what that album ulltimately will hold.

Just one question: Aren't all of Kanye West's albums spoken-word albums?

ALSO: Beyonce, Jay Z announce summer stadium tour Album review: Damon Albarn's 'Everyday Robots' is full of surprises Stagecoach 2014: John Prine and Michael Nesmith's smart country

Follow Randy Lewis on Twitter: @RandyLewis2

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Kim Kardashian Takes The Plunge In A Simple Black Tee

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Kim Kardashian is known for her skintight dresses, body-hugging skirts and slinky tops, but, as it turns out, the reality star can make everyday basics look just as sexy.

The 33-year-old stepped out in Los Angeles on Monday, April 28, wearing all black -- ripped black jeans, black pumps, a simple black v-neck tee and a black blazer. Though it's considered the official uniform for denizens of New York City, Kim made her west coast version incredibly appealing, and somewhat revealing. The Daily Mail went so far as to suggest that the mother-of-one went braless.

Meanwhile, Kim and fiance Kanye West's upscale Vogue cover -- on which she's wearing anything but everyday basics -- is set to shatter records. A magazine insider allegedly told RadarOnline that Kimye's issue 'will likely sell almost 500,000 copies.'

Kanye West: Three

Kanye West has always pushed the boundaries of hip hop music, but for his next project Yeezus has decided to drop the 'music' part altogether.

Yes, if you're a fan of beats, melodies or other things that make Kanye's obnoxious boasting tolerable, you may want to skip his as-yet untitled eighth studio album, which will reportedly consist of three hours of Kanye talking.

Three. Hours. Of Kanye. Just talking.

What will 'Ye talk about, you ask? Everything, of course!

'He has very strong views on everything from music and art to politics and the environment,' says a source close to the production, adding, 'Kanye loves the sound of his own voice.'

In other news, water has been found to be wet and the Pope is apparently a Catholic.

Evidently, Kanye's three weddings aren't enough of an annoying statement of self-importance.

So, if when you're at a party, you like to seek out the most arrogant, opinionated loudmouth in the room and listen to him babble on for hours, you're sure to love Kanye's new album!

It's all of the ego you can possible fit in one album with none of that pesky music getting in the way. If we're really lucky, maybe he'll throw in a nasally cameo from his fiancee.

After all, the latest Kim Kardashian music video has been a huge hit online.

View As List

Kim Kardashian Wears Cleavage

Krazy kleavage! Kim Kardashian revealed her ( other!) busty assets in a low-cut sheer top on Monday, April 28, while making her way into a Los Angeles studio.

PHOTOS: Crazy cleavage

Kanye West's fiancee, 33, kept it classy, though, with a tailored black tuxedo blazer and distressed denim. Not wanting to detract from her sexy plunging neckline, the star swept her long brunette tresses to the side in loose waves.

PHOTOS: Stars without underwear

Kardashian's sexy look was considerably cleaner than her Mud Run experience, which took place on Sunday, April 26. There, the reality standout -- who concealed her face with a Coachella-style bandana -- got dirty in muddy terrain with her younger sister Khloe Kardashian. 'Most relaxing weekend,' North West's mommy tweeted Monday, while further explaining, 'sleeping in with my babies, cooking, movies & hikes! Hope you all had a great weekend!'

PHOTOS: Kardashian vacation album!

Kim has been participating in grueling fitness routines ahead of her wedding to West, which is set to take place on May 24. Though the details have largely been kept a secret (even from guests!) it's clear Kim will make a bombshell bride based on her latest look.

PHOTOS: Kim's best booty moments

Tell Us: What do you think of her low-cut look?

Kanye West just really loves Kim Kardashian. | Getty

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Kimye has officially been together since that fateful night in April 2012, when they left Scott Disick's New York City restaurant holding hands. Following that crucial milestone, they have created a human life, gotten engaged and -- most important -- appeared on the cover of Vogue. And despite all that, Kanye continues to be no less than really, really excited about the fact that he gets to be in a relationship with Kim Kardashian. Now, in honor of the two-year anniversary of the pillar of culture that is the #WorldsMostTalkedAboutCouple, we bring you a brief history of Kanye explaining why Kim is the greatest partner of all time.

' Stop everything you're doing now / Because baby, you're awesome, Don't let nobody get you down / Because you're awesome / You don't need to listen to your manager / You must be tired of running through my mind / Can I come inside? ... I'm also awesome ... / I'd rather do nothing with you / than something with somebody new/ Because baby you're awesome.' -- singing at the Met Gala, May 2013

' It's an unfair level of awesomeness in one person to be that smart, to be that nice to be ... blatantly fine as hell. Like, one of the most beautiful people of all time.' -- radio interview with Ryan Seacrest, October 2013

'In my industry, beauty is a talent. You know, 'What is she talented at?' She's talented at being beautiful.' -- radio interview with Power 106, October 2013

On Kim's Extensive Influence:

' Okay, ladies and gentlemen, all barber shops, fashion designers, architects, corner stores, Wall Street, all over the world: y'all acting like this ain't the most beautiful woman of all time! I'm talkin', like, arguably of human existence -- the top 10 of human existence.' -- radio interview with Angie Martinez on Hot 97, November 2013

' Nobody can tell my girl what to do. She just needed to be given some platforms of information to work from. One beautiful thing is that as she discovers it, the world discovers it. For her to take that risk in front of the world, it just shows you how much she loves me. And how much she actually loves the opportunity to learn. You got, like, a million companies saying, 'This is impacting your brand! This is impacting your fans! And blah blah blah.' But she still sees this light of beauty.' -- W magazine, June 2013

' There's no way a Kim Kardashian shouldn't have a star on the [Hollywood] Walk of Fame. Everyone is so dated and old-fashioned.' -- 'Jimmy Kimmel Live,' October 2013

' There's no way Kim Kardashian shouldn't be on the cover of Vogue. She's like the most intriguing woman right now. She's got Barbara Walters calling her like every day ... and collectively we're the most influential with clothing. No one is looking at what [President] Obama is wearing. Michelle Obama cannot Instagram a pic like what my girl Instagrammed the other day.' -- radio interview with Ryan Seacrest, October 2013

' Kate Upton ain't Marilyn Monroe. Kim is Marilyn Monroe, you know that. She was controversial. She is controversial.' -- radio interview with New York Power 105.1, referencing the most recent issue of Vanity Fair, November 2013

' There's times when I wasn't with [Kim], I wanted to be with her so bad I thought about taking up sports.' -- interview with Kris Jenner on 'Kris,' August 2013

' And I fell in love with Kim / Around the same time she fell in love with him / Well that's cool baby girl, do your thing / Lucky I ain't had Jay drop him from the team.' -- lyrics from 'Cold,' released April, 2012

On Love As It Develops After First Sight:

' I was in love with her before I was ever able to talk with her.' -- interview with Kris Jenner on 'Kris,' August 2013

' I loved her from the first day I saw her, which I said on 'Bound' ... I remember seeing pictures of her and Paris Hilton in Australia, and I came to Don C., and I was like, 'Man, have you ever seen Kim Kardishawn? What's up with Kim Kardishawn?'' -- radio interview with Angie Martinez on Hot 97, deliberately mispronouncing 'Kardashian,' November 2013

On Kim's General Wife-ability:

'I felt like our love story is like, a love story for the ages. I felt like when we first got together, it was like a Romeo and Juliet kind of thing, where it's like ... she's a reality star, and I'm a rapper.' -- radio interview with Angie Martinez on Hot 97, November 2013

' Kim is like a fantasy, period. She's like a dream girl. And I think a dream girl should live in a dream world.' -- Vogue, March 2014

' She gave me everything. She gave me a family. She gave me a support system. She was in a powerful enough situation where she could love me without asking me for money, which is really hard for me to find.' - BBC, September 2013

'Hey, you remember where we first met? / Okay, I don't remember where we first met / But hey, admitting is the first step / Maybe we could still make it to the church steps.' -- lyrics from 'Bound 2,' released August 2013

' You the number one trophy wife / So it's only right to live the trophy life / You grew up on J. Lo, Timberlands by Manolo now / Till one day I put an angel in your ultra sound / I wanna dip that ass in gold, I wanna dip that ass in gold.' -- lyrics from a verse in Future's 'I Won,' released April 2014

Pia Mia: Did She Tweet That She Can't 'Resist' Kanye West?

Pia Mia and Kanye may not have anything going on - but her Twitter feed sounds like it's not impossible. In a new message, she wrote about not being able to 'resist.' Is she talking about 'Ye?

Kim Kardashian is not going to be happy if Pia Mia's most recent tweets are about Kanye West. After calling the movie The Other Woman, the 'story of her life,' speculation ran that she was the other woman to Kanye.

Pia Mia Can't 'Resist' Kanye West?

Here at HollywoodLife.com, we still doubt the initial cheating report. Pia is just 17, and Kanye, 36, is engaged to Kim. We couldn't see him dating such a young woman.

However, she is talking about someone:

Who knows how long I can resist.

- Pia Mia (@princesspiamia) April 29, 2014

Pia, who became famous after covering Drake 's hit 'We're Coming Home,' reportedly has been getting closer to Kanye.

'Kanye is producing some tracks for her and he's quite involved, a source told RadarOnline in March. 'Kanye has made it clear to everyone that their relationship is strictly creative,' but then 'called her and the conversation sounded kind of flirty and romantic. It could be that they are just good friends but it was definitely more than just a professional call.'

Take Our Poll

Pia & Kim Kardashian: Were They Friends?

Oddly enough, Kim does know Pia - and they were actually friends. She was invited to the Kardashian home a few months ago and Kim helped her out!

'I had no idea Drake was going to be there,' Pia told MTV News about a dinner party she attended at Kylie Jenner's house. 'I sit down and we're eating our salad and in the middle of eating, Kanye just, like, calls me out and says, 'Drake, you see Pia's got some cool fashion, she's a singer.''

Kanye then talked to her into performing a cover of his song - and Kim posted it on her Keek channel, naturally gaining a ton of new fans. Before you know it, she had a music video out of her own.

So she kind of has Kim to thank for her career, right? Well, we're hoping that the reports of she and Kanye hooking up are completely false, since we know he's crazy in love with Kim. What do you think, HollywoodLifers - was Pia talking about Kanye in her tweet?

-Emily Longeretta More Pia Mia News:

Obamacare Co

Health Care

Photograph by Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

A 30-year-old New York City resident can buy coverage from Health Republic, a startup nonprofit insurer, for $307 per month. A similar policy from costs $528 per month-71 percent more. Both are 'bronze'-level plans with $3,000 deductibles and similar cost-sharing rules. Why are the price tags so far apart?

Health Republic is one of 23 'consumer operated and oriented plans,' or co-ops, created through the Affordable Care Act via $2 billion in low-interest federal loans. To some big insurance carriers, premiums such as Health Republic's look too low-that is, the fees collected won't be sufficient to cover the medical claims of members plus the cost of running an insurance business.

Talking to analysts last week, Aetna Chief Executive Officer Mark Bertolini described some co-op prices as 'irrational.' He noted that Aetna 'actually withdrew from those markets as we were asked to meet co-op rating.' CEO Stephen Hemsley made a similar observation earlier this month about the small group market in New York. 'We believe several carriers there, including new entrants, are pricing well below cost, and what we would view as unsustainable pricing levels,' he told analysts.

Co-op proponents make the opposite argument. While Health Republic declined to comment Monday, Martin Hickey, chairman of the trade group for co-ops, says they can offer better prices because they don't have to build profits into their prices. Large national insurers 'have shareholders, and they have to generate a return,' says Hickey, who is also chief executive of the co-op New Mexico Health Connections. 'The problem that traditional insurers are having right now is they don't know how to compete.'

A little history: Back when the Affordable Care Act was being drafted in 2009, there was a big debate over whether the law would include a 'public option'-a government insurance plan, like Medicare, that would be available to anyone and would compete with private insurers. The insurance lobby hated this idea, and it didn't make it into the bill. The co-ops were created as a concession to fans of the public option who sought more competition in the insurance markets. (They were later drastically scaled back.)

Aetna and UnitedHealth have decades of experience writing health-insurance policies and determining how much they need to collect in premiums to pay for medical claims. That would suggest they have a pretty good sense of how to set rates. And even though co-ops don't have the same need to please Wall Street with profits, that alone doesn't account for premiums that are sometimes 50 to 60 percent lower than traditional competitors, says Jonathan Wu, an economist with insurance comparison website ValuePenguin. 'I don't see how just by being nonprofit you could try and cut that much off,' he says.

Some plans kept prices low to attract new customers and gain market share in the first year. They may have been betting on the law's risk-sharing provisions, which help to cushion unexpected losses, as a safety net if their initial premiums prove too low. Other companies with higher rates may have anticipated a more costly-i.e., less healthy-pool of enrollees now that insurers can't turn away people with preexisting conditions. 'Every single health plan that was sold on the exchange in 2014 had to guess at how to price it,' says Ceci Connolly, managing director of PricewaterhouseCoopers's Health Research Institute. 'At best it was informed guesswork, but it was still guesswork.'

So are Health Republic's prices too low, setting customers up for big rate hikes in the future? Or are Aetna's prices too high, meaning the insurer will be forced to lower rates or lose customers? It may be years before we know. Insurers are right now preparing rates for 2015, and they will have only a few months of claims to go on. Rates for 2016 and following years will more accurately reflect the risk pool. The direction they go will reveal a lot about whether Obamacare can deliver on its promise to use market competition to hold down health insurance costs.

Former Foster Kids Gain Health Insurance Under ACA

MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) - Nearly 10,000 teens and young adults in Florida who aged out of foster care are eligible for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.

The new law extends Medicaid coverage for former foster youth who have aged out of the system and are under the age of 26.

The provision is aimed at giving former foster youth the same opportunity for health insurance as their peers who are able to stay on their parent's insurance until they turn 26.

According to the Department of Children and Families, nearly 6,000 former foster youth applied for Medicaid as of early April.

While they are eligible for coverage, they are not automatically enrolled.

Caseworkers say they regularly remind youth about the opportunity before their 18th birthday and also send notices in the mail.

(TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. HEALTHYINSURANCENEWS.BLOGSPOT.COM contributed to this report.)

Kim Kardashian: Attending Met Gala 2014 With Kanye West

Kim Kardashian Met Gala 2014 Attending Met Ball With Kanye West:

Kendall Jenner Attending Met Gala 2014?

Who do you think Kim should wear to the Met Ball?

Katrina Mitzeliotis

Would You Listen To 24 Hours Of Kanye West Talking? It Could Be Your Lucky ...

Kanye West is reportedly planning to release a spoken word album because he 'loves the sound of his own voice'.

The Yeezus rapper is considering making a three-hour recording of a new album and will release it on vinyl, and it will be touching on topics that include fiancee Kim Kardashian, their baby girl North and even the environment.

Lucky fans will reportedly be able to download 24 hours of Kanye's chitchat (FameFlyNet)

A source told The Sun newspaper: 'Kanye loves the sound of his own voice and this will be the ultimate in self-indulgence.

'He has very strong views on everything from music and art to politics and the environment. He's forever recording his opinions on tape.

'He says he's doing it for posterity and thought about turning them into a book or even donating them to a museum.'

The Grammy-award winning rapper, who is set to marry Kim next month, is excited about the 'groundbreaking' opportunity and hopes that it will be considered for awards.

'Kanye likes to push the boundaries and thinks this is very groundbreaking. He's hoping it'll win him a Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album,' the insider continued.

But the spoken word album won't just stop at a three hour recording, as according to the report, fans who really enjoy what Kanye has to say will then be able to download an extended version.

'What's more, he's planning on making 24 hours of his speech recording available to download so fans can listen to his views round the clock,' the source claimed.

Would you listen to 24 hours of Kanye West talking?

Reports: Kanye West To Release 3

(AllHipHop News) Reports are circulating that Kanye West is to release a three-hour spoken word album. According to Contactmusic, the vinyl recording will include West addressing his fiancée Kim Kardashian, new daughter North, the environment, and more.

[ALSO READ: James Franco: Kanye West Wanted Our 'Bound 2″ Spoof Performed At Wedding]

'He has very strong views on everything from and art to politics and the environment. He's forever recording his opinions on tape,' a source told The Sun. ''Kanye likes to push the boundaries and thinks this is very groundbreaking. He's hoping it'll him a Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album.'

The Sun's source adds that Kanye may take a page out of Pharrell William's book by releasing 24 hours of his speeches for download. Pharrell posted a 24-hour music video for his hit single 'Happy' in 2013.

Whether the 'New Slaves' rapper actually drops a record of his poetic musings is at a 'wait-and-see' stage at this point, but several people close to Kanye have said publicly that he is working on the follow-up to 2013′s Yeezus album.

Ye's tour DJ Million Dollar Mano tweeted earlier this month that Kanye's next solo album will have a different sound than Yeezus, and producer Evian Christ has stated Kanye wants a sound 'a bit like Otis Redding, a bit like Mobb Deep' for the project.

[ALSO READ: Evian Christ Says Kanye West Wants Next Album To Have An Otis Redding & Mobb Deep Sound]

Kim and Kanye

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are doing something that seems to go against their DNA ... getting married PRIVATELY and without fanfare, and we're told it's going to happen this week.Sources connected with the couple tell TMZ ... they already have a marriage license and plan to tie the knot before the week is out.We're told it's strictly on the QT ... so much so they got a 'confidential' marriage license so no one officially knows.Sources tell us ... with a confidential license, K&K won't have to appear publicly at a courthouse to get married ... instead, an official from the court will actually go to them and perform the ceremony privately in their home.And then, in about a month -- after they're already legally married in California -- we've learned Kim and Kanye will hold a lavish, blow-out wedding ceremony in Paris. They got engaged on Kim's birthday ... October 21.

Kim and Kanye

Kim and Kanye Getting Hitched THIS WEEK

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are doing something that seems to go against their DNA ... getting married PRIVATELY and without fanfare, and we're told it's going to happen this week.Sources connected with the couple tell TMZ ... they already have a marriage license and plan to tie the knot before the week is out.We're told it's strictly on the QT ... so much so they got a 'confidential' marriage license so no one officially knows.Based on what we know this will be more like a 'courthouse wedding' ... but we're told there is going to be a lavish blow-out later.They got engaged on Kim's birthday ... October 21.

Vogue Creative Director Compares Kim Kardashian's Appeal to Ordinary ...

Kim Kardashian has never ceased to be out of the news ever since she has appeared on the cover page of 'Vogue' magazine with partner Kanye West. In a latest interview with Grace Coddington - the celebrated creative director of Vogue magazine, has spoken not very flattering words about the 'Keeping Up With The Kardashian' star. According to Grace, Kim is as appealing to her as any normal person in the subway is! In other words, she is trying to say that she did not find anything extraordinary about Kim's appeal.

REUTERS/Gus Ruelas Television personality Kim Kardashian arrives at the 2014 Elton John AIDS Foundation Oscar Party in West Hollywood, California March 2, 2014. REUTERS/Gus Ruelas

In a latest interview with Financial Times' Vanessa Friedman, the 73-year-old creative director of the magazine revealed that originally Anna Wintour, editor of the Vogue, wanted to do a wedding story using a Kim Kanye lookalike. It was Grace who suggested using the real couple instead!

'I thought, 'Why not just do it on the real thing? This is Vogue. And I do think Kim Kardashian represents this moment in our culture. I'm fascinated by her, in the same way I'm fascinated by the people I see on the street or the subway,' Grace told the newspaper.

However, Grace also shared little more about the real shooting experience with the reality star couple and their baby. She calls Kim as 'very professional' and is all praises about her baby North West's calm behavior too. She liked the 'very well behaved' Nori so much that she was quite perturbed to find that the management had not chosen to feature the baby on the cover with her celebrity parents.

'We did millions of pictures and she did not cry once. I got quite upset we did not have the baby on the cover,' Grace told the newspaper.

The entire Vogue photo shoot of Kim and Kanye was kept secret even from the dress designers who were just given the measurements of the couple and told nothing more.

'I thought they would guess immediately when I sent the measurements but they didn't. It wasn't until the fitting they knew, and it still somehow stayed a secret,' Grace revealed in the interview.

However, Grace also revealed during the interview that she knew that the Kim Kanye cover of Vogue was going to be a controversial one from day one.

'I knew going in it would be controversial - I got an envelope from Texas, with the cover ripped up into little pieces inside - but the designers all sent me flowers, so I guess they were happy.'

To contact the editor, e-mail:

This article is copyrighted by IBTimes.com.au, the business news leader

Is Kanye West Planning To Release a Spoken Word Album?

There have been so many rumors surrounding Kanye West's next album, stemming from his cancellation of some Yeezus Tour dates overseas. Contact Music is now saying that Kanye may actually release a three hour spoken word project.

According to the report Kanye is 'doing it for posterity,' claiming that he originally planned to turn the contents of the reported album into a book. The post even claims that there may be a special edition of the album that is 24 hours long and will be readily available for download.

Even though this sounds pretty damn crazy, would it be that surprising? And if it doesn't come, we can always look forward to someone mashing up his rants over the past year into one 24-hour long project, too.

RELATED: Listen to Future f/ Kanye West 'I Won' (Prod. x Metro Boomin)RELATED: Is Kanye West's New Album Coming Sooner Than We Think?RELATED: Kanye West's New Album Is Called 'Rich Black American'?

Hampden Doctor ditching health insurance

Doctor ditching health insurance

HAMPDEN, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- Dr. Leigh 'Jack' Forbush of the Osteopathic Center For Family Medicine has decided to ditch health insurance. The Hampden Physician says he became too frustrated with the health insurance industry and adopted a direct pay model for primary care.

The atmosphere at Doctor Forbush's office is pretty laid back. Zeke and Zulu, two black labs have free reign of the office. Most days, Doctor Forbush, known by many of his patients simply as Jack, doesn't wear a tie. Kids feel right at home playing in the waiting room. That's the draw for Kim and Adam Barber and their four boys, Owen 5, Evan 3, Noah 1, and newest addition, Joel, who is 2 and a half weeks old.

'we consider him family and he considers us family,' Kim explained.

They've been coming to Dr. Forbush's office for the past 5 years and paying for their health care through Adams Work Sponsored plan. That is until Dr. Forbush forced the Barbers and his other patients to make a decision.

'I guess I was a little concerned at first ,' Adam said.

They were concerned because beginning in January, Dr. Forbush stopped accepting health insurance of any kind. He created his own direct payment model for care.

'Our healthcare environment has become so bureaucratic and so bogged down with regulation that it's impossible for me to provide efficient cost effective care. That i have to spend half my time on the phone arguing with someone who is not a doctor that you need a certain treatment or test,' explained Dr. Forbush.

He says he spent 15 to 20 hours a week on the phone battling with insurance companies for his patients. Now he can spend that time doing what he loves.

'From a selfish perspective I want to get off the phone and get back into the examination room.'

Dr. Forbush's direct care plan charges one annual fee to his patients. A family plan costs $1500 dollars and that covers all preventative care visits. There is a $35 dollar co-pay for other office visits, and he offers his patients discounts for prescription drugs and labs.

Dr. Forbush asks his patients to think of him like an auto mechanic. You'd pay your mechanic for routine maintenance like oil changes and tire rotations and tuneups and your auto insurance would cover you if you got into a big accident or wreck.he recommends his patients sign up with his practice for their basic needs, and that they also buy a catastrophic insurance policy to cover their bigger medical expenses. He says he can provide a cost competitive product.

'Eliminating all those middle men getting rid of them completely and just contracting with a patient drops my costs or the expenses i have to incur by two thirds. So I can provide a service for one third the price essentially,' he said.

Kim and Adam Barber say they ditched Adam's work sponsored plan, signed up with Dr. Forbush and got a catastrophic plan and they did save some money.

But some of his other patients are paying more. Chris Blackie is a Forest Service Pilot, and his wife works for UMaine. They have good insurance coverage through the state, that they decided to keep. But they also decided to stick with Dr. Forbush.

'It was the personalization of being with Jack and knowing what i'm going to get here and knowing that i'm going to be with the same doctor every time.'

It isn't a plan for everyone . Dr. Forbush says he's lost some patients, but he thinks this will be the better plan in the long run.

American Health Insurance Plans, a lobbying group for the insurance industry did not appear overly concerned that the direct pay model would be of any threat to the health insurance industry. Susan Pisano, a spokesperson for AHIP stressed that the majority of physicians continue to contract with at least one insurer.

'It continues to be the case that the overwhelming number of physicians are contracting with health insurers. This is just another option that a few physicians are choosing to use.' Pisano said.

NEWS CENTER knows of one other primary care physician in Maine, Doctor Michael Ciampi in South Portland who has moved to a direct pay model.

Dr. Forbush is hosting a question and answer session on Saturday May 3rd from 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at the Church of the Open Door in Hampden to explain his direct pay model for care to anyone who is interested.

Pia Mia: Did Kim Kardashian Befriend Her Before Alleged Kanye West Affair?

Is Kim Kardashian the one who introduced fiance Kanye West to his rumored 'other woman' Pia Mia? Before Yeezy and Pia's alleged affair, Kim was apparently the 17-year-old singer's number one fan!

If Kanye West really did cheat on Kim Kardashian with Pia Mia, it sounds like the betrayal may have hit even closer to home than we originally thought. Apparently the up-and-coming singer has been a close friend of the Kardashian family for a while now - who knew? Now Pia is opening up about a life-changing dinner party she had with Kanye and Drake at the Kardashians' LA home in a revealing new interview - and what she has to say may surprise you!

Kanye West Affair: Pia Mia & Kim Kardashian Friends Before Alleged Cheating?

If Kanye, 36, and Pia, 17, really did hook up, we're sure Kim, 33, is regretting ever putting these two in the same room together right about now. Pia revealed in a new interview that she never would have gotten her big break as a singer if she hadn't been invited to a Kardashian dinner party with Kanye and Drake.

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'I had no idea Drake was going to be there,' Pia tells MTV News of a dinner party she attended at her bestie Kylie Jenner's house a few months ago. 'I sit down and we're eating our salad and in the middle of eating, Kanye just, like, calls me out and says, 'Drake, you see Pia's got some cool fashion, she's a singer.''

Kanye then persuaded Pia to sing a rendition of Drake's hit song, 'Just Hold On, We're Going Home,' in front of the whole group. It certainly sounds like he was paying her a lot of attention - do you think Kim was jealous?

Pia Mia Gives Impromptu Performance At Karashian Dinner Party

'It was really nerve-racking because Kim and Khloe [Kardashian] were sitting across from me videotaping,' Pia says of her impromptu performance. 'It was a really cool experience. I never thought I'd be able to sing Drake his song, so that was for sure something I'll remember forever.'

That's not surprising, especially since Kim graciously uploaded the video to Keek and shared it with her millions of followers, a move she might be regretting after Kanye and Pia's alleged hookup.

Plus, who could forget high praise from both Drake and Kanye?

'Drake thought it was dope and Kanye said that he thought it was really good too,' Pia says.

We just hope that Kanye's admiration for Pia begins and ends on a professional, platonic level!

How about YOU, HollywoodLifers? Do you think Kim should be worried about Kanye cheating with Pia? Let us know!

- Tierney McAfee More Pia Mia News: Kanye West Cheating On Kim Kardashian With Pia Mia? Pia Mia: Kanye West's 'Other Woman' Tweets That 'He' Kissed & Cuddled Her Kanye West Cheating On Kim Kardashian With Pia Mia? - Fans React

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's Vogue Cover Is Killing It

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's Vogue controversial cover is on pace to outsell the magazine's previous big stars like Beyoncé and First Lady Michelle Obama. Apparently, despite the backlash, people love this couple or maybe just baby North West.

For the age old publishing rumor saying that consumers wouldn't buy covers with black people on them, there is now proof of the exact opposite. Can someone share this information with the next magazine editor who pitches Kate Bosworth for their fresh face spring issue? According to Radar Online, the couple's Vogue numbers are looking like Kanye's album sales, you know, before Yeezus.

'The projections are that Kim and Kanye will likely sell almost 500,000 copies,' a magazine insider revealed.

Bey's Vogue cover sold around 355,000 while the FLOTUS' turn on Anna Wintour's book racked up nearly 294,000 copies. Still, while we're awash in blackness (yay!), we are also drowning in a lowbrow reality show win. Or at least I am. But you know me and Naomi Campbell, haters gon' hate. Maybe Wintour and her crew can call Tori and Dean, I hear they're free.

Kate Bosworth has a new collection for Topshop. Actually, it's her second collection for Topshop. She's also on the November cover of Lucky ... Read...

Pia Mia: Did Kim Kardashian Befriend Her Before Alleged Kanye West Affair?

Is Kim Kardashian the one who introduced fiance Kanye West to his rumored 'other woman' Pia Mia? Before Yeezy and Pia's alleged affair, Kim was apparently the 17-year-old singer's number one fan!

Kanye West Affair: Pia Mia & Kim Kardashian Friends Before Alleged Cheating?

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Pia Mia Gives Impromptu Performance At Karashian Dinner Party

That's not surprising, especially since Kim graciously uploaded the video to Keek and shared it with her millions of followers, a move she might be regretting after Kanye and Pia's alleged hookup.

Plus, who could forget high praise from both Drake and Kanye?

'Drake thought it was dope and Kanye said that he thought it was really good too,' Pia says.

We just hope that Kanye's admiration for Pia begins and ends on a professional, platonic level!

How about YOU, HollywoodLifers? Do you think Kim should be worried about Kanye cheating with Pia? Let us know!

Kim Kardashian To Marry Kanye West In LA Within Days

Christopher Polk/Entertainment/Getty Images

HollywoodLife.com has learned that Kimye will tie the knot at the justice of the peace in Los Angeles before they jet off to Paris!

Kim Kardashian is about to become Mrs. Kanye West in just a matter of days! HollywoodLife.com spoke with the ultimate Kardashian insider who tells us that in the next week, Kimye will be getting their marriage license! This is so exciting, we can't wait for our favorite duo to become an official married power couple!

Kim Kardashian & Kanye West To Marry Within Days

Kim and Kanye have to make their union official in LA before they head to Paris, says our insider. 'They are headed out to Paris within a week, so they'll get their license first.'

We cannot wait to watch the entire thing go down on KUWTK, because you better believe that cameras will be there every step of the way.

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Kim & Kanye's Wedding Pics To Be Featured In 'Vogue'

We told you that as part of their Vogue cover deal, the couple agreed to give the magazine pics from their wedding: 'you'll be seeing their wedding pics in Vogue this summer.' We definitely believe it since in Anna Wintour's editor's letter, she praised the couple.

Kanye is an amazing performer and cultural provocateur, while Kim, through her strength of character, has created a place for herself in the glare of the world's spotlight, and it takes real guts to do that.' Lastly, Anna writes that Vogue always looks to feature those who define culture at the given moment - the people who stir things up and influence the world - before joking, 'I think we can all agree on the fact that that role is currently being played by Kim and Kanye to a T. (Or perhaps that should be to a K?)

HollywoodLifers, are you excited for Kimye to tie-the-knot?

- Chloe Melas More Kim Kardashian News: Kim Kardashian's Sexy Smokey Eye: Beautiful For 'Vogue' Cover North West's Adorable 'Vogue' Debut Inside Kimye's Cover Issue - Video Kim Kardashian & Kanye West 'Vogue' Video: Best Super-Racy Moments

Kim Kardashian To Marry Kanye West In LA…

Christopher Polk/Entertainment/Getty Images

HollywoodLife.com has learned that Kimye will tie the knot at the justice of the peace in Los Angeles before they jet off to Paris!

Kim Kardashian & Kanye West To Marry Within Days

Kim and Kanye have to make their union official in LA before they head to Paris, says our insider. 'They are headed out to Paris within a week, so they'll get their license first.'

We cannot wait to watch the entire thing go down on KUWTK, because you better believe that cameras will be there every step of the way.

Take Our Poll

Kim & Kanye's Wedding Pics To Be Featured In 'Vogue'

HollywoodLifers, are you excited for Kimye to tie-the-knot?

$25 Million Raised To Defeat Measure On Regulating Health Insurance Costs

Aired 4/28/14 on KPBS News.

Opponents of a fall ballot measure that would regulate the price of health insurance in California have out-fundraised supporters by more than 20 to 1.

The fight over a ballot measure to regulate the price of health insurance in California is shaping up to be a David vs. Goliath affair.

The initiative on the November ballot would require health insurers to justify premium rate hikes. Under the measure, the state insurance commissioner could reject increases they found excessive.

A coalition of insurance companies has raised more than $25 million to defeat it. Supporters have about $150,000.

The non-profit group Consumer Watchdog is backing the measure. Executive Director Carmen Balber maintained it's not a radical proposal.

'This is simply asking insurance companies to show the numbers behind their calculations in the light of day, and make sure someone in California can say no when that math doesn't add up,' Balber said.

Insurers argue the initiative is flawed and say it will lead to higher healthcare costs.

The price of health insurance is regulated in 35 other states.

How New York's Taxi Drivers Lost Their Health Insurance Fund

The yellow cab, that quintessential fixture of Manhattan's landscape, is also one of the least healthy spaces to work in the city. Drivers face not only constant stress from snarling knots of traffic, but also a phalanx of exhaust and smog, all while being painfully cemented to a driver's seat. And often, their cabs are better insured than they are. Now, they face legal gridlock in the long-awaited launch of an unprecedented pro-worker medical program.

In 2012, the Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC), the agency that regulates the industry, agreed to set up supplemental health and disability coverage for drivers, financed with a six-percent deduction from earnings. Managed through a special nonprofit affiliated with the advocacy organization Taxi Workers' Alliance (TWA), the fund would expand on the barebones benefits offered through the state Workers Compensation system. By providing weekly payments of about $300 to $350 for sick and injured workers, the fund would offer vital support, particularly for off-duty disabilities or illness. That added safety net could have a real impact in an industry plagued by economic instability and lack of regular medical benefits.

The fund, which also enjoyed the support of the de Blasio administration, marked a political victory for the TWA, a self-proclaimed unofficial union with about 17,000 members of a workforce of more than 52,000. Since the late 1990s, the group has pioneered novel organizing tactics for a historically marginalized service sector, where supposedly 'independent' drivers are systematically priced out of an oligarchical ownership regime.

But the initiative was routed by the State Supreme Court earlier this month, with a pro-business ruling in a lawsuit reflecting fleet owners' fear of the cabbies' increasingly militant organizing efforts. The convoluted suit, brought by cab operators aligned with the industry, accused the TLC of 'creat[ing] a multi-million dollar slush fund by seizing taxicab drivers' hard-earned income.'

With a legal rationale that mirrors right-wing attacks on the Affordable Care Act, Judge Margaret Chan deemed the fund unnecessary and overstepping executive authority -and even suggested drivers' prior neglect of preventive healthcare was to blame for their current illnesses:

If TLC were concerned about a taxi driver's health affecting the driver and the public at large, it might better serve both if the drivers were to go for an annual health check-up rather than deduct six cents from every fare to help drivers with choosing an insurance in the hopes that they will seek medical care.

In perversely treating the avoidance of healthcare as a matter of personal 'rights,' the ruling distorts the basic purpose of the fund, according to TWA executive director Bhairavi Desai: to provide supplemental temporary coverage for drivers' immediate needs. The plan is designed to be accessed with just a regular doctor's certification, rather than through the deeply dysfunctional Workers Compensation bureaucracy.

'[These drivers] should have some level of financial security,' she tells The Nation, if they're physically unable to work. 'Because... if you take a bad fall outside your building, or you get diagnosed with cancer and you need to take time out for chemo, if you can't continue to work, you have no income coming in.'

With collections of healthcare fees now halted, the Court's decision is only adding insult to injury. The largely immigrant workforce regularly clocks up to 12-hour shifts crammed into chronically painful stationary positions, and suffers massive sleep deprivation and, not infrequently, violent criminal attacks. As drivers lose up to a third of their hourly wages to the heavy costs of fuel and lease payments, according to the TLC, those thousands of metered hours per year generally amount to an income in the mid-$30,000 range -far below a living wage.

Beresford Simmons, a veteran driver in his 60s who has over the years suffered high blood pressure, heart trouble and kidney problems, told the Daily News last November that this indefinite wait for benefits-whether through the state system or the TWA's plan-had effectively indentured him to his dashboard:

'I'm supposed to be retiring but I can't stop working,' he said. 'Every time I think about it, I get so emotional. All the years I put into this industry and no one helped me.'

According to the TWA, the fund would help workers like Simmons by augmenting the current limited Workers' Compensation payments, which might be less than $200 a week. Roughly half of drivers are uninsured, and according to the Washington Post, many might be unable to access decent coverage through the Affordable Care Act's insurance exchanges.

The blocked TWA plan would, ironically, help to compensate for fleet owners' longstanding neglect of their existing obligations to pay for their drivers' disability insurance under the state's current Disability Benefits Law. This industry-wide mandate went unenforced for years, though owners should be subject to legal penalties.

To deal with these health burdens, the TWA seeks to create a sustainable benefits scheme with its new plan, which would offer coverage not just for illness and off-duty injuries, but also family coverage for vision, hearing and dental care, along with modest benefits for mental health counseling, alternative medicine and diagnostics. The group's long-range goals include establishing retirement benefits and, ultimately, secure contracts under a full-fledged, federally certified union-potentially a model for other cities where drivers are organizing, like Chicago.

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The impasse facing the TWA program stems from the taxi workforce's structural exclusion from labor protections. Like many other drivers in cities across the country, New York's cabbies must lease special titles, known as medallions, from fleet owners or owner-drivers. This situation makes them 'independent contractors,' and as such they lack basic collective bargaining and unionization rights. Meanwhile, poorer drivers are edged out of the monopolized medallion market, where the prized titles might auction for over $1 million. So drivers' precarious 'independence' ends up tethering them to a rent-seeking fleet owners' regime.

The industry argues they're simply serving legitimate business interests, but the bosses squeeze passengers, too. Under the massive influence of the industry lobby, fares have risen, and lawsuits have squelched plans to put more hybrid cabs onto city streets.

To Desai, the industry's resistance to drivers' merely seeking to protect their health is part of a frontal assault on the drivers' growing labor unity:

Really what all this is indicative of is that the fleet owners... have been the landlords of their own fiefdom for the past 30 years under leasing, and we've been mounting a formidable challenge. And I think if the fund were to be established, the dynamic it will change in this industry is: the need to prioritize drivers' health and well-being will become an institutional priority, not just rhetoric. And I think that can have tremendous impact on the economic inequities of this industry.

As the TLC says, 'the market sets the price,' but in a market built on the feudalization of legions of drivers, the taxi barons have run roughshod over the city.

Read Next: 100 Days in, New York's most powerful progressive is taking big swipes at inequality

Families in NC in 2014 pay $1397 per month for health insurance

North Carolina families faced another 4.6 percent increase on employer-based health insurance premiums this year.

That compares to an increase of 2.7 percent in 2013, though is a smaller increase than any in the five years leading up to 2013.

In real dollars, workers who buy health insurance for their families from their employer paid an average of $1,397 in premiums per month, according to data compiled by CAI, a human resource management firm in Raleigh, which completes an annual survey on workplace health insurance trends.

Those buying single coverage got a bit more of a break this year. Single coverage saw an average premium increase of 2.4 percent to $475 per month, the lowest increase since at least 2007.

Since 2007, premiums have increased 34 percent for family coverage and 30 percent for single coverage, or about 5 percent every year. Pay increases have not kept up, says Molly Hegeman, vice president of Human Resource Services at CAI. In fact, pay increases over that time have averaged only about 3 percent per year.

'People are 2 percent behind. And that's not considering any other increases people are facing,' Hegeman says.

Jason deBruyn covers Health Care, Higher Education, Nonprofits and Sports Business. Follow him on Twitter @jasondebruyn.

Watch Kanye's Truly Bizarre Acceptance Speech at the Tribeca Film Festival

April 28th, 2014 Posted in Entertainment By Meghan Blalock

While no one was really watching, Kanye West won an award at the Tribeca Film Festival this weekend. It might seem like a weird occasion-why would an artist known largely for his music be receiving an award at a film festival?-but even weirder than the bestowing of the award was the way in which Kanye accepted it.

Here's the full story: Kanye and legendary music producer Rick Rubin (who was Kanye's main collaborator on his last album, 'Yeezus') received one of the Tribeca Film Festival's Disruptive Innovation Awards on behalf of the Roland TR-808 drum machine, colloquially known as simply an 808. Since it's kinda difficult to give an award to a machine, the Festival organizers chose West and Rubin to collectively accept on behalf of the 808.

Neither of them could attend the ceremony, so they sent in a video acceptance. This is standard procedure when recipients accept awards en absentia, but (naturally) West and Rubin took a particularly avant garde approach to it. The video is reminiscent of some of the more stream-of-consciousness film projects Spanish artist Salvador Dalí created during his hey day (think: ' Un Chien Andalou '); there's a lot of weird imagery and sounds that don't synchronize with people's mouths, and so on.

We can't really do it justice by talking about it; check out the strange (and somehow equally awesome) clip below! We pretty much couldn't take our eyes away from it.

Kanye West

Kanye West is planning to release a spoken word album.

The 'Bound 2' hitmaker will reportedly make the three-hour recording available on vinyl, and it will feature everything from his views on the environment to life with fiancee Kim Kardashian and their 10-month-old daughter North.

A source said: ''Kanye loves the sound of his own voice and this will be the ultimate in self-indulgence.

''He has very strong views on everything from music and art to politics and the environment. He's forever recording his opinions on tape.

''He says he's doing it for posterity and thought about turning them into a book or even donating them to a museum.''

Kanye is said to be excited by the ''groundbreaking'' record and has set his sights on it winning awards.

The source told The Sun newspaper: ''Kanye likes to push the boundaries and thinks this is very groundbreaking. He's hoping it'll win him a Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album.''

And for fans who are particularly enamoured by the project, there will be a special extended version of the album available for download.

The source said: ''What's more, he's planning on making 24 hours of his speech recording available to download so fans can listen to his views round the clock.''

Tags: Kanye West - Kim Kardashian

Kanye West Cheating on Kim Kardashian?

Kanye West, 36 and Kim Kardashian, 33 are quite the couple and they are set to walk down the aisle sometime in May. However, rumor has it Kanye West may be cheating on Kim Kardashian with 17-year-old rising star, Pia Mia.

West has been mentoring Pia Mia for quite some time now, and sources say Kardashian is less than thrilled about the arrangement because she fears he will get way too close to the young singer. While some would say Kardashian has nothing to worry about because West loves her and the life and family they have made together, others are quick to remind her that he is still a man and there is always the chance he will cheat if given the opportunity.

West has been busy producing some of Pia Mia's tracks and he is super impressed with the young talent. He even believes that she could be the 'next big thing.' In addition, he has been very open regarding his feelings about Pia Mia calling her fresh, new, and hip. He has even compared her to Rihanna. As long as his thoughts are professional and he does not cross the line, all is well, right? However, sources say their relationship may be a bit more than professional. According to some reports, West and Pia Mia were overheard talking on the phone and it did not sound all that professional; in fact, it sounded more like two people who were romantically involved and were flirting with each other.

To make matters worse, Pia Mia posted a photo on Instagram that got the rumor mill swirling even more. The photo shows her standing on a balcony, overlooking a city, in what appears to be a black staples dress. She is gazing back over her shoulder at the person taking the photo, but the caption that accompanied the photo is what really got everyone's attention. She wrote, '@TheOtherWomanMovie trailer... the story of my life. Guna be so hilarious.'

Does Pia Mia's cryptic caption mean Kanye West is cheating on Kim Kardashian? Not necessarily, it is unclear exactly what Pia Mia meant but some are saying it could be interpreted to mean that she is referring to herself as 'the other woman,' and if so, she could be the other woman in West and Kardashian's relationship. While no one can be sure if West would be that stupid and take the chance of losing Kim and North, it has gone a long way toward raising eyebrows and making people speculate.

Another option must be considered which is that Pia Mia's Instagram photo and caption could be completely harmless and innocent. She could simply be referring to the movie The Other Woman, which depicts a man who sleeps around with numerous women and plays them against one another. Eventually, the women get tired of his shenanigans and they rise up and rebel against him. However, the question still remains, why did Pia Mia compare herself to the movie by saying it was the story of her life? While there is no way of knowing what she meant at this point, if she is the other woman, it does not necessarily mean that she is referring to being the third wheel in West and Kardashian's relationship. After all, she could be sleeping with another man who is either married or in a committed relationship.

Kanye West is working so close to Pia Mia and the opportunity to cheat is definitely there, which leads everyone to wonder if he is indeed cheating on Kim Kardashian. However, just because something could happen does not mean that it actually has, and until more information is revealed, everyone is just going to have to give him the benefit of the doubt - innocent until proven guilty. Time will tell!

Opinion By Donna W. Martin

Sources:

Kanye West Cheating On Kim Kardashian With Pia Mia? — Fans React

FameFlyNet Courtesy of Instagram

The Twitter community is letting the world know exactly how they feel about rumors of Kanye West allegedly kissing his young star Pia Mia. We here at HollywoodLife.com have posted a few tweets that we found to be the most hilarious or the most insightful.

Twitter is buzzing with comments about Kanye West's alleged kiss with Pia Mia. The potential relationship threatening news bubbles up just a month out from Yeezy and Kim Kardashian's Paris wedding. If the rumors are true then things aren't looking to good for Kanye. One fan tweeted: ''Kanye West cheating on Kim Kardashian with Pia Mia?' She's like 12.'

Kanye West Cheating On Kim Kardashian With Pia Mia? - Fans React On Twitter

There have been no shortage of comments about Kanye's alleged Pia Mia kiss. Most fans of Yeezy either dismissed the claims completely or just seemed generally shocked. Here are just a few of the comments they tweeted:

'Kanye West Cheating On Kim Kardashian With Pia Mia?' She's like 12......................

- ✨Rebecca✨ (@AccioHorcrux) April 27, 2014

Haters gonna hate... - Kanye West - VIRGINIA BOY (@joachim_weill11) April 27, 2014

Love your haters. They're your biggest fans - Kanye West.

- Tasha (@ntshatasha) April 27, 2014

@kanyewest can't get enough of Yeezus! Keep up the great music your producing, pay no attention to the haters! #Yeezus#kanyewest - ASH HARMSWORTH (@ajharmsworth) April 26, 2014

What do you think HollywoodLifers, do you think Kanye would cheat on Kim before the big wedding, or do you think this is all one big rumor gone way out of control? Tell us what's on your mind.

Take Our Poll

- Bryant Perkins More Kanye West News: Kim Kardashian & Kanye West: Celebrating Love With 3 Weddings? Kanye West Cheating On Kim Kardashian With Pia Mia? Pia Mia: Kanye West's 'Other Woman' Tweets That 'He' Kissed & Cuddled Her

Kanye West Cheating On Kim Kardashian With Pia Mia? — Fans React

FameFlyNet Courtesy of Instagram

Kanye West Cheating On Kim Kardashian With Pia Mia? - Fans React On Twitter

'Kanye West Cheating On Kim Kardashian With Pia Mia?' She's like 12......................

- ✨Rebecca✨ (@AccioHorcrux) April 27, 2014

Haters gonna hate... - Kanye West - VIRGINIA BOY (@joachim_weill11) April 27, 2014

Love your haters. They're your biggest fans - Kanye West.

- Tasha (@ntshatasha) April 27, 2014

@kanyewest can't get enough of Yeezus! Keep up the great music your producing, pay no attention to the haters! #Yeezus#kanyewest - ASH HARMSWORTH (@ajharmsworth) April 26, 2014

What do you think HollywoodLifers, do you think Kanye would cheat on Kim before the big wedding, or do you think this is all one big rumor gone way out of control? Tell us what's on your mind.

Take Our Poll

Kanye West Cheating on Kim Kardashian?

Opinion By Donna W. Martin

Sources:

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