Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa today released details of a timeline on a key Medicare policy decision earlier this month that reportedly moved stock prices when correctly described  by an outside firm prior to public release.  Grassley received information about the timeline from Marilyn Tavenner, acting administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, in response to his inquiry.  Grassley's office has calculated that the Medicare Advantage policy decision was worth about $8 billion to the health care companies participating in Medicare Advantage.  He made the following comment on the new timeline details and the nomination of Tavenner to serve as permanent administrator.

"This timeline suggests CMS knew it was going to assume a sustainable growth rate fix in the Medicare Advantage rates on March 15.  I don't think anyone who understands the background believes CMS made the decision on its own or that the first time it was known outside of CMS was May 22.  This was a decision not only with a high price tag, but also with political implications for the White House.  A policy decision benefiting the big insurance companies by $8 billion is not a routine undertaking for this Administration.  Given the high probability that the White House, National Economic Council, and Domestic Policy Council were involved in the $8 billion decision before March 15, a significant number of people likely knew what the outcome would be long before the decision was announced.  It seems unlikely that none of them hinted at it to anyone else for more than two weeks.  That's especially true with the efforts from lobbyists and at least one political intelligence firm to get early insight into the decision.  Acting Administrator Tavenner has been responsive to my inquiries on this issue, in a letter last Friday and on a phone call this morning.  I intend to support her nomination and continue to work with her to get to the bottom of what led to the early release of information about the Medicare Advantage decision."

Grassley's April 4 letter to Tavenner is available here.  Tavenner's April 19 response to Grassley is available here.

If you're using social media for marketing, what should you say following a tragedy like the deadly blasts at the Boston Marathon on April 15?

The horrific elementary school shootings in Newtown, Conn.?

The October storm that took lives and devastated communities across the Northeast?

Sometimes, nothing at all.

The age of digital marketing brings with it new challenges, including how to respond during a national tragedy. Remember, as recently as Sept. 11, 2001, we had no MySpace, much less Facebook, Twitter or YouTube. Except for email, no vehicle for delivering instantaneous marketing messages existed. After 9/11, one of the most painful days in American memory, most of us had time to pause, reflect and put on hold print, radio and TV marketing campaigns that might be viewed as inappropriate or offensive.

In recent months, there has been lively debate on this topic in the marketing community, including how and when to tie - or not to tie -- a marketing message into the news of the day, a  widely used strategy.

Gaffes can occur with the most innocent of intentions in any media content, marketing or not. Earlier in April, a new episode of the musical comedy "Glee" upset and angered parents in Newtown, Conn., because the plot featured a student bringing a gun to school, where it accidentally discharges.

"A lot of people were upset about it and that I feel horrible about," Jane Lynch, one of the stars, told Access Hollywood Live days later. "If we added to anybody's pain, that's just certainly not what any of us wanted. ... We're always rather topical and rather current."

Usually, however, simply applying your own sense of decency and good taste can help you avoid a blunder. Consider American Apparel's notorious "Hurricane Sandy Sale - in case you're bored during the storm," advertised as tens of thousands of people endured freezing temperatures without power. Most of us wouldn't have even considered such a ploy!

Here are a couple more suggestions for do's and don'ts:

• If you use automated posts scheduled through a site such as HootSuite, turn them off immediately. If people don't find them insensitive and uncaring or silly, they'll likely conclude your messages come from a robot - not a real person - which is just as bad.

• Can you be helpful? Hours after the blasts in Boston, with cell phone service out in the city and family and friends desperately trying to connect with loved ones, Google.org launched "Person Finder: Boston Marathon Explosions." There, individuals and organizations could share information about the status of marathon participants and spectators for those trying to find them.

If your community has suffered a tragic event, perhaps you have helpful information to share. Here in Florida, which is affected by hurricanes, people use social media to help evacuees and their pets find shelter, and to alert others to danger, such as downed power lines. Depending on your area of expertise, you may be able to provide more general information or commentary. For instance, an educator can share tips for answering children's questions about the event. Philanthropists might comment on those selflessly step up to help.

• Of course, social media is also about reactions and, for many, that's a sincere expression of sympathy for and unity with those affected.

If you want to post something and you're unsure about what to say, take a look at what businesses and other brands are sharing, and how online users are reacting. You may decide to just say nothing for a day or two, or whatever time seems reasonable given the nature of the event.

Sometimes, saying nothing at all speaks volumes.

About Marsha Friedman

every Thursday at 3:00 PM EST. Follow her on Twitter: @marshafriedman.

Quad Cities scores five runs to break 2-2, 11th-inning tie and win second straight at Wisconsin

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. (APRIL 22, 2013) - With the bases empty and two outs in the top of the 11th inning, the Quad Cities River Bandits drew three straight walks, left fielder Jordan Scott hit a bases-loaded single to break a 2-2 tie with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, and center fielder Teoscar Hernandez followed with a three-run triple to lift the visitors to a 7-2 victory Monday night at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

Solid defense and pitching dominated the first 10 innings of play between Quad Cities (11-5) and Wisconsin (5-9). River Bandits right-hander Daniel Minor turned in his best outing of the season, allowing one hit and one earned run in five innings. He allowed a leadoff single in the first inning by center fielder Tyrone Taylor, who stole second base, reached third on a fly ball and scored on a groundout by right fielder Mitch Haniger for a 1-0 Timber Rattlers lead. Minor allowed just two walks after that and finished with two strikeouts.

The River Bandits tied the game in the fourth inning, as shortstop Carlos Correa and second baseman Austin Elkins hit consecutive singles. Correa was thrown out trying to score on a ground ball by first baseman Jesse Wierzbicki, but third baseman Rio Ruiz brought home Elkins with a single to left field, tying the game 1-1 against left-hander Brent Suter.

Quad Cities took its first lead in the sixth inning, when Elkins reached on an infield single, went to second on a wild pitch and third on a groundout. Designated hitter Terrell Joyce then hit a roller back to Suter, who flipped to catcher Clint Coulter, but Coulter dropped the throw as Elkins slid home safely. Coulter was called for interfering with Joyce, who reached first base without a throw. The interference was nullified since Quad Cities took the resulting play in live action.

Right-hander Lance McCullers started the sixth inning with a 2-1 lead, but he walked Taylor and allowed a two-out, game-tying double by left fielder Victor Roache. McCullers also ran into trouble in the eighth, loading the bases with a double by shortstop Orlando Arcia and two walks with one out. But he induced a ground-ball double play off the bat of first baseman Adam Giacalone to keep the 2-2 tie. McCullers finished four innings, allowing three hits and one earned run while walking three and striking out five.

Wisconsin threatened in the 10th inning against right-hander John Neely (1-1), as Taylor singled and reached second on a groundout. Haniger then bounced a ball to the grass in shallow center field that Correa fielded, and when Taylor headed for the plate, Correa fired a one-hop throw to catcher Jobduan Morales, who put down an inning-ending and game-saving tag on Taylor. Neely worked around two singles in the 11th inning to finish out the victory - the fourth in extra innings for Quad Cities this season.

With the River Bandits victories Sunday and Monday, The Captain's Table at 4801 River Drive in Moline will offer The Captain's Table Victory Discount on Tuesday, April 23. Anyone who mentions the River Bandits victory can receive a free appetizer or dessert with the purchase of two lunches or dinners with beverages on Tuesday, April 23. Quad Cities plays the series finale and six-game road trip finale at Wisconsin at 12:05 p.m. Wednesday. Right-hander Mike Hauschild (1-0) and left-hander Colton Cain (0-0) are scheduled to face Wisconsin right-hander Ryan Gibbard (0-0).

UP NEXT: The River Bandits return to Modern Woodmen Park for a six-game home stand beginning Thursday, April 25, with Manti Te'o Night and a Thirst-Day with $2 drink specials presented by Rock 104-9, the Quad Cities' CW, and the River Cities' Reader. Single-game tickets are on sale at the River Bandits box office at Modern Woodmen Park, by phone at 563-324-3000 and online at www.riverbandits.com. Season ticket and mini-plan packages start at just seven games and begin at less than $50. Call a River Bandits account representative today to choose your seats and get the details of our various mini-plan packages.

WASHINGTON - In a video address, Senator Chuck Grassley describes his effort to restore state-level decision-making about academic content in public schools in response to the way federal incentives are pressuring states to adopt Common Core State Standards.

Click here for the audio.

Here is the text of Grassley's remarks:

I'm leading an effort to ask Senate appropriators to restore state-level decision making about academic content in public schools, in response to the way federal incentives have interfered and put a heavy hand on states to adopt the Common Core State Standards Initiative.

The Common Core program was initially billed as a voluntary effort, and current federal law makes clear that the U.S. Department of Education may not be involved in setting specific content standards or determining the content of state assessments.

The reality is that the U.S. Department of Education has made adoption of standards matching those in Common Core a requirement for getting waivers and funds.  It violates the structure of our education system, where academic content decisions are made at the state level giving parents a direct line of accountability to those making the decisions.  The federal government should not be allowed to coerce state education decision makers.