Rescue at Nairobi Mall; Homeschooling family sends kids to college by age 12; Obamacare glitches; Duck Dynasty and more...

Hospitals cutting thousands of jobs amid falling insurance payments and inpatient visits
...Health care providers announced more layoffs than any other industry last month — 8,128 — largely because of reductions by hospitals, according to outplacement firm Challenger Gray and Christmas. So far this year, the health care sector has announced 41,085 layoffs, the third-most behind financial and industrial companies...

Family's rescue at Nairobi mall: as if 'whole world was praying'  ...Walton said many "God things" happened that day. There was another American family in the store who recognized her boys -- Blaise, 14, and Ian, 10 -- when the attack began and got them to safety. The girls -- Portia, 4, and Gigi, 2 -- went into a type of "sleep mode" during the four- to five-hour siege, maintaining quiet and unnatural composure. Petra, 13 months, cried long and hard but others said later that they didn't even hear her.

Walton made eye contact with the terrorists several times, yet they never seemed to see her, though they were calling others out and shooting them. The woman who shielded Portia in the initial round of gunfire was injured, yet Portia remained unharmed...

US Adults Score Below Average On Worldwide Test
It's long been known that America's school kids haven't measured well compared with international peers. Now, there's a new twist: Adults don't either.

In math, reading and problem-solving using technology - all skills considered critical for global competitiveness and economic strength - American adults scored below the international average on a global test, according to results released Tuesday.

 

Adults in Japan, Canada, Australia, Finland and multiple other countries scored significantly higher than the United States in all three areas on the test. Beyond basic reading and math, respondents were tested on activities such as calculating mileage reimbursement due to a salesman, sorting email and comparing food expiration dates on grocery store tags....

Homeschooling Family Sends Six of Ten Children to College By Age Twelve
...Kip and Mona Lisa Harding state that they are simply raising the “average family,” but credit their children’s success to homeschooling and encouraging their children to pursue their passions at a young age.

“We just felt like it was our responsibility,” mother Mona Lisa told reporters about the decision to homeschool. “That’s a big choice, and [we] wanted to be totally in control and make sure they had the right upbringing, and they accelerated because of it.”...

From the Start, Signs of Trouble at Health Portal
...“These are not glitches,” said an insurance executive who has participated in many conference calls on the federal exchange. Like many people interviewed for this article, the executive spoke on the condition of anonymity, saying he did not wish to alienate the federal officials with whom he works. “The extent of the problems is pretty enormous. At the end of our calls, people say, ‘It’s awful, just awful.' ”...NYT

Duck Dynasty: Walks and Talks Like a Hit
...For all of their peculiarities, the Robertsons are a stable and loving family who actually enjoy one another’s company. The men—despite their bellowing—love their wives. The women—despite their rolled eyes—love their husbands. The children—despite their ages—respect their parents. They are a family that works together, plays together, and—oh yes—prays together, and it is for these reasons that the Robertsons feel so familiar to so many people...

Food Stamp Glitch Leaves Walmart Shelves Bare: ‘Like a Tornado Had Came Through’
“It was worse than any Black Friday”