A dispute between local emergency room doctors and the region’s largest health insurer could leave thousands of patients with unexpected medical bills. A growing number of specialty practices have severed ties with insurers over reimbursement disputes, said Thomas Getzen, professor emeritus of risk, insurance and health care management at Temple’s Fox School of Business.

President Obama has shown a knack for beating odds but some important trends are working against him. The latest evidence came Friday in a lackluster jobs report. Temple political scientist Christopher Wlezien said research found that voters' feelings about the economy "come into focus over time," during a campaign's last six or seven months. "It's not good news, but it's not devastating news. Voters seem to have taken into account what Obama inherited," he said.