10 Things to Know for Today

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:

1. GERMANY SUMMONS U.S. AMBASSADOR OVER SPYING ALLEGATIONS

The defense minister says Europe and the U.S. can't return to business as usual after allegations that the chancellor's cellphone was monitored.

2. WEBSITE CONTRACTORS BLAME OBAMA ADMINISTRATION

Executives of the company that built the problem-plagued health insurance online marketplace will testify before a House committee.

$500 a Gallon Gas

A US-funded project to build a hospital in Afghanistan paid $500 a gallon for fuel instead of a market rate of $5, a watchdog said Wednesday in a damning report into overspending and waste.

The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) said that construction of the 100-bed hospital in Gardez, Paktiya province, was 23 months behind schedule.

It accused USAID's implementing partner, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), of "weak internal controls" that led to overpayments of at least $507,000.

"IOM paid the contractor $300,000 for 600 gallons of diesel fuel -- a cost of $500 per gallon. According to IOM officials, the market price in Afghanistan for diesel fuel should not exceed $5.00 per gallon," the SIGAR report said.

How to get dirt cheap, name brand sunglasses through your health insurance.

Just a quick heads up to anyone looking to get Ray-Ban sunglasses or a select few other brands on the cheap. If you have health insurance and/or vision insurance, there is a good chance you have a deductible for frames on your plan that resets every 12 months.

Now, if you are in need of a new pair of eyeglasses with corrective lenses, you should use this towards a new pair of eyeglasses. However, if you have good vision or your current pair of glasses work fine, you can use this deductible towards sunglasses.

I'm single, 32, healthy, and uninsured. My income is high enough that the gov't won't subsidize me, but low enough that it'll be difficult for me to afford health insurance. Here are my thoughts on Obamacare

Essentially, I'm the guy who this bill is forcing into the health insurance market, in order to spread costs from everyone else. It's going to cost me anywhere from $50-150 a month that I can't really afford. Hell, I don't even have internet at home - I'm writing from my gym.

But I support Obamacare, despite all that. Here's why.

The Nobel Prize winning economist John Harsanyi suggested that we consider all policies from behind a Veil of Ignorance. If I didn't know who I was, or my social/economic standing, my insurance status, my health status, my income, my family status, and so forth, would I consider this policy an improvement upon the status quo? I say it is.

• Because it'll help tens of millions of people who were previously considered uninsurable to get access to the health care system.
• It helps parents of children who are born with pre-existing conditions that made them uninsurable.
• It forces health insurance companies to spend more money on care (at least 80% of their premiums), and less money on bureaucracy and marketing. If they don't do it, they have to send out premium rebates.
• It creates marketplaces within which insurance companies have to compete for our insurance dollars. Which is why I feel confident that I can get a fair deal on insurance.
• Finally, and most importantly to me, it gives me the assurance that if I or someone I love buys insurance, then gets gravely ill, the insurance company will no longer be able to rescind my coverage just when I need it.

Insurance Review: Are Your Policies Protecting You at the Right Price?

Having the right insurance policies in place can soften the blows from unexpected events that would otherwise mean financial catastrophe for you and your family. But if you’re like many people, you may not fully understand all the policies you have, let alone whether they’re adequate to meet your needs.

As part of your annual financial checkup, here are some tips to help you assess your current coverage and decide whether you need to make any changes.544

Home Is Where the Risk Is

 Homeowners insurance may protect you financially in the event of everything from natural disasters to household mishaps. But as millions of homeowners affected by Hurricane Sandy found out the hard way, standard homeowners insurance doesn’t protect you against every type of danger.

 One of the most common mistakes people make about homeowners insurance is thinking that it covers flood damage. But typical policies specifically exclude flood damage from their coverage. To get flood protection, you have to obtain additional insurance from the National Flood Insurance Program. Similarly, in earthquake-prone areas, you may need to get special earthquake coverage added to your policy, or else it won’t necessarily cover damage from a quake.

Download Bikini Body Workout Program PDF

I have a couple of very important questions for you:

• Have you ever started a workout program and or diet and for some reason just completely stopped?

10 Tips To Improve Your Sleep

Are you tossing and turning at night? Are you waking up at hours you would rather be asleep? You are not alone! Being unable to get your desired amount of sleep can prove to be stressful on your lifestyle. Following the tips below can help you in your quest to improve your quality of sleep, helping you to function more effectively during the day time.

1. Maintain a Consistent Bedtime and Wake Time

Our sleep cycles are regulated by the “circadian clock” in our brains. By maintaining a regular bedtime and wake time (even on weekends when you’re tempted to ‘sleep in’), you will help strengthen the circadian function and help make sure sleep patterns consistent.