care.ai, Virtua Health partner to expand the hybrid care providers’ virtual care offerings – Mobihealth News

AI-powered care facility automation platform care.ai announced an enterprise-wide partnership with New Jersey-based not-for-profit hybrid care provider Virtua Health, where Virtua will leverage care.ai's virtual care offerings, including its Smart Care Facility Platform and Always-Aware ambient sensors.

care.ai's Smart Care Facility Platform includes a network of sensors spread through a care facility that monitors patients using AI, allowing the facility to collect real-time behavior data for clinical and operational insights.

The Florida-based company's AI-powered offerings will initially be utilized at Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Camden, New Jersey, then eventually implemented in all of Virtua Health's acute care settings.

The announcement comes approximately two months after the partners launched a pilot Virtual Nurse program in a medical-surgical unit that allows remote and bedside nurses to work in tandem.

Patients could also communicate with a nurse via a two-way optical camera, and their family members could participate in the calls remotely.

"Our focus is not just on integrating cutting-edge technologies but on enhancing the human aspects of healthcare. By swiftly adopting optical cameras and ambient sensors, we're poised to markedly enhance the patient and care team experience, ensuring a safer, more efficient, and empathically connected healthcare experience," Michael Capriotti, senior vice president of integration and strategic operations at Virtua Health, said in a statement.

THE LARGER TREND

In 2022, care.ai scored $27 million in funding led by multi-asset investment firm Crescent Cove Advisors.

Last year, the company announced it was partnering with Colorado-based remote patient monitoring company BioIntelliSense to integrate BioIntelliSense's BioButton wearablea product used for continuous vital-sign monitoring for 60 days that captures temperature, respiratory rate and heart rate at rest into its Smart Care Facility Platform.

care.ai also announced a partnership with the Texas Hospital Association to create statewide adoption of AI-powered patient monitoring and a partnership with patient engagement platform Get Well, which allows patients to connect with care teams via the interactive TV platform already present in patient rooms.

In June, care.ai announced it was partnering with multinational electronics company Samsung to integrate its Smart Care Facility Platform into the tech giant's displays for use by health systems, allowing for AI-powered patient monitoring.

Clinical care teams could also attend virtual visits over care.ai devices paired with Samsung's displays.

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care.ai, Virtua Health partner to expand the hybrid care providers' virtual care offerings - Mobihealth News

The Darin Gap migration crisis in six graphs, and one map – The New Humanitarian

A record 520,000 migrants crossed the treacherous jungle corridor connecting Colombia and Panam known as the Darin Gap in 2023. Less than a decade ago, that figure was only a few thousand, but the number has been doubling annually in recent years, and a further surge is expected in 2024.

2023 has broken all records. It has been a huge, terrible maelstrom, Elas Cornejo, who runs Fe y Alegra, an NGO promoting education and social advancement for migrants in Panam, told The New Humanitarian. And we expect a new increase [in 2024].

Services like Fe y Alegra on both sides of the Colombia-Panama border are becoming engulfed as the needs of vast numbers of vulnerable people traversing dangerous territory overwhelm local communities and aid groups trying to help.

The migrants take the 97-kilometre jungle trek over steep and muddy terrain and along fast-flowing rivers because it is the only overland route from South America into Central America. Once in Panam, where government reception centres are overrun, most hope to head northwards through Mexico to the southern US border, but these journeys are also full of risks.

Read more: The challenges facing the humanitarian response

The few humanitarian agencies and organisations operating on the ground in and around the Darin Gap are struggling to meet the soaring needs of those crossing, not least because of the insecurity in the region.

The Colombian side of the jungle is mostly controlled by the Gulf Clan a criminal organisation involved in drug and human trafficking that made an estimated $57 million from extortion along the migration route in just 10 months last year. The cartel controls most aspects of the route, determining who can assist and therefore heavily restricting the humanitarian response. In Panam, several international organisations help the migrants who reach the Indigenous communities of Bajo Chiquito and Canan Membrillo, and in government-run reception centres at the edge of the jungle, in San Vicente and Lajas Blancas. Those facilities, however, are meant to host less than 1,000 people per day. Instead, in 2023, they were receiving up to 5,500.

Diana Romero, emergency specialist at UNICEF Panam, told The New Humanitarian that coming up with the right emergency response hasn't been easy in a high-income country that was unprepared to deal with such needs. Panama had not faced situations of disasters or crises, so they didnt have the implementation partners needed, she said. In 2019, there were no local humanitarian teams, because there never was a demand for that. There were no specialists in WASH, gender, or nutrition.

As they cross the Darin Gap and beyond, migrants face unchecked abuses by criminal groups, rampant sexual violence, a cascade of physical and mental health impacts, and worse: Between January 2021 and March 2023, Panamanian authorities found a reported 124 bodies on the route, mostly through drowning, but thats thought to be a fraction of the real number of deaths, as many go unreported.

Many making these difficult journeys are escaping regional violence and economic crises in countries like Venezuela, Haiti, and Cuba, but increasing numbers have also been coming from countries in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, including China.

With no sign of a let-up in 2024, here are six graphs (and one map) that show the scale and evolving nature of the crisis, with analysis to unpack those trends.

A number of factors caused the dramatic 2023 uptick in Darin Gap crossings. Changes in migration policies across the region have made it more difficult for those trying to reach the United States from South America to cross borders legally. Several countries imposed visa restrictions on Venezuelans and Haitians, even as countries such as Chile and Peru militarised their borders, pushing migrants to leave northward. In 2023, US President Joe Bidens administration ended Title 42 a pandemic-era border restriction which motivated more people to head to the United States even though Biden soon adopted measures making it extremely difficult for them to seek asylum, and ramped up deportations. The lack of adequate integration policies has also been a driver. Among Haitians and Venezuelans in the Darin, many are migrating for the second time, from countries such as Brazil and Chile where they faced xenophobia, obstacles to regularise their status, and poor job opportunities. In April, Panam, Colombia and the United States agreed on a tripartite plan to open up new regular migration routes to stem the flow, but so far no progress has been made.

From 2019 to 2022, most migrants crossing the Darin were Haitian and Cuban, but in the past two years Venezuelans have taken the lead, and the number of Ecuadorians seeking to escape from violence and poverty has also significantly increased. However, far from all the migrants crossing the Darin are Latin American, and the growing presence of migrants from other continents is garnering the attention of humanitarians, who must now cater their responses to those who dont speak Spanish and are foreigners to the region. Chinese, Afghans, Indians, and nationals of different African countries have to confront language and cultural barriers, as well as the other dangers.

The journey through the Darin Gap usually starts in the Colombian ports of Necocl or Turbo, where local communities offer maritime transportation to the towns of Acand or Capurgan. Migrants are charged high amounts of money for every section of the trip. After crossing by boat, they must pay again to be allowed to continue through the jungle to the Panamanian side. There are three main paths leading to the government-run reception centres of Lajas Blancas and San Vicente, through the communities of Bajo Chiquito or Canan Membrillo. The crossing lasts from 5 to 15 days and total costs range from $435 to more than $1,000 per person. There is also a more expensive VIP route, mostly used by Chinese. Migrants and asylum seekers then continue their trip to the Temporary Attention Center for Migrants (CATEM) in Costa Rica, from where, since October, they are directly transferred by bus to the Costa Rica-Nicaragua border. Many, however, run out of money before starting the trek and remain stranded in Turbo and Necocl, where they are vulnerable to extortion, violence, and human trafficking.

According to Diana Romero, emergency specialist at UNICEF Panam, one in five migrants crossing the Darin is a child half of them under the age of five. Although there are no accurate figures, there are many reports of children dying during the trek. The number of unaccompanied children is of particular concern. In 2022, UNICEF assisted about 1,000 unaccompanied minors, but in 2023 that figure reached 3,300. Of those, 67% were teenagers, 21% children aged between 6 and 12, and of the rest, 10% are babies, Romero said. Often, younger children get separated from their relatives during the trek only managing to reunite later on. According to Francisco Pulido, Plan Internationals director of humanitarian action and stabilisation in Colombia, teenagers tend to travel in friend groups often motivated by misinformation shared on social media. In other cases, the entire family cannot afford to continue the trek so parents leave their children in camps, hoping to send them money to follow on later.

Most of the medical cases that aid organisations come across and treat are related to the dangers of the jungle itself, or due to the lack of access to clean water and food en route. Theres no data available, but humanitarian groups say there has also been a rising number of migrants travelling with pre-existing chronic conditions psychiatric disorders, diabetes, hypertension, or asthma. These people often require emergency assistance because their medications get lost or stolen.

The traumatic experience of those crossing the Darin is also causing high numbers of mental health consultations. According to a recent Action Against Hunger report, women bear the brunt, and are often carrying children with no support. While survivors of sexual violence may suffer from depression, suicidal thoughts, and sleep disorders, others feel the emotional burdens and stress of caring for the family in such extreme conditions.

During 2022, Mdecins Sans Frontires (MSF) treated 232 survivors of sexual violence in the Darin Gap. Between January and November 2023, that number had soared to 462. According to what patients tell us, the modus operandi is getting crueller, Cristina Zugasti, MSF representative in Panam, told The New Humanitarian. Large groups are being kidnapped, forced to lay down face to the ground, and then robbed, physically attacked, and sexually abused. MSF figures, she added, are much lower than the reality. Many cases remain unreported because survivors don't see sexual attacks as a medical emergency, and they also don't want to delay the arrivals to their destinations. Threats from the perpetrators are another reason for survivors not to seek assistance.

Reported from Santiago, Chile by Daniela Mohor, with data visualisation from Zurich, Switzerland by Sofa Kuan.

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The Darin Gap migration crisis in six graphs, and one map - The New Humanitarian

A new COVID variant is dominant in the US: Know these symptoms – Yahoo News

A heavily mutated, fast-spreading new COVID-19 variant called JN.1 is on the rise in the United States. Last month, JN.1 swept the country and quickly overtook other variants of the coronavirus to become the dominant strain nationwide.

The highly contagious omicron subvariant now accounts for over 60% of all infections in the U.S., and it's expected to continue driving an increasing number of cases as the country approaches peak respiratory virus season. In fact, data show and some experts say the country is currently in its second-largest COVID wave, smaller than only the omicron surge in late 2021 and early 2022.

JN.1 is also gaining speed in other parts of the world. On Dec. 18, the World Health Organization classified JN.1 as a variant of interest due to its rapidly increasing spread globally.

In the U.S., the share of cases caused by the JN.1 variant has nearly doubled in recent weeks. JN.1 is currently considered the fastest-growing variant in the country, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

During a two-week period ending on Dec. 23, JN.1 accounted for about 44% of cases in the U.S., per the CDCs latest data. This was a steep increase from the previous two-week period ending on Dec. 9, when JN.1 made up 21% of cases.

After JN.1, the next most common strain in the U.S. right now is the HV.1 subvariant, which comprised about 22% of cases as of Dec. 23.

Scientists around the world have been closely monitoring JN.1, which has sparked some concern due to its rapid growth and large number of mutations. However, the new variant is closely related to a strain we've seen before: BA.2.86, aka "Pirola," which has been spreading in the U.S. since the summer.

JN.1 has one additional mutation compared to BA.2.86, which has more than 30 mutations that set it apart from the omicron XBB.1.5 variant. XBB.1.5 was the dominant strain for most of 2023 and it's the variant targeted in the updated COVID-19 vaccines, TODAY.com previously reported.

All of the COVID-19 variants that have gained dominance in the U.S. in the last year are descendants of omicron, which began circulating in late 2021. Since emerging, JN.1 has overtaken its parental strain BA.2.86, as well as HV.1, EG.5 or Eris and XBB.1.16, aka Arcturus.

JN.1's growth comes as COVID hospitalizations rise, influenza continues to spread and RSV activity remains high in many places, according to a Dec. 14 update from the CDC. The agency warned that at the end of the month, emergency rooms and hospitals could become strained, similarly to last year, especially in the South.

Will JN.1 cause a COVID-19 surge? Does JN.1 have different symptoms and is it still detected by COVID tests? Does it respond to vaccines and treatments? Here's what experts know about JN.1 so far.

JN.1 was first reported in August 2023 and it has spread to at least 41 countries so far, according to the WHO. It was first detected in the U.S. in September, the CDC said.

Just like the other newer variants, JN.1 is part of the omicron family.

"Think of (the variants) as children and grandchildren of omicron. They're part of the same extended family, but they each have their own distinctive personalities," Dr. William Schaffner, professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, tells TODAY.com.

JN.1 descended from BA.2.86, which is a sublineage of the omicron BA.2 variant, TODAY.com previously reported that's what sets JN.1 and BA.2.86 apart from the other prevailing variants like HV.1 and EG.5, which descended from omicron XBB.

When its parent BA.2.86 emerged, everybody was worried because it had a lot of mutations and looked like it was going to evade a lot of the immunity from vaccines and infection in the population, Andrew Pekosz, Ph.D., professor and vice chair in the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, tells TODAY.com. But (BA.2.86) sort of fizzled out, he adds.

Laboratory data suggest that Pirola is less contagious and immune-evasive than scientists once feared, NBC News reported.

JN.1, however, picked up an additional mutation in its spike protein called L455S, says Pekosz. Spike proteins help the virus latch onto human cells and play a crucial role in helping SARS-CoV-2 infect people, per the CDC. This mutation may affect JN.1's immune escape properties, says Pekosz.

"Now it's circulating and growing at a really fast rate compared to other variants, as well as the parent its derived from (BA.2.86), says Pekosz.

In early November, JN.1 accounted for fewer than 1% of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. Several weeks later, it was driving over 20% of cases, Dr. Michael Phillips, chief epidemiologist at NYU Langone Health, tells TODAY.com. Now, it's the dominant strain in the U.S.

Its not known whether JN.1 causes different symptoms from other variants, according the CDC.

Right now, theres nothing that says that JN.1 infection is any different from previous COVID variants in terms of disease severity or symptoms, but were paying close attention, says Pekosz.

The symptoms of JN.1 appear to be similar to those caused by other strains, which include:

According to the CDC, the type and severity of symptoms a person experiences usually depends more on a persons underlying health and immunity rather than the variant which caused infection.

While severe infections do still occur, overall (COVID-19) is causing a lot of milder illness, says Schaffner.

Some doctors have reported that upper respiratory symptoms seem to follow a pattern of starting with a sore throat, followed by congestion and a cough, NBC News previously reported.

The virus is adapting. ... I think its getting better at infecting humans and evading pre-existing immunity in the population ... but its not changing symptomology too much, says Pekosz.

At this time, theres no evidence that JN.1 causes more severe infection, the experts note.

One of the things these (omicron variants) have in common is that they are highly contagious, and as new variants crop up, they seem to be as contagious or even more contagious than the previous variants, says Schaffner.

According to the CDC, the continued growth of JN.1 suggests that the variant is either more transmissible or better at evading our immune systems.

Its probably a little bit more transmissible than its parental virus because weve seen an increase in case numbers that we didnt with (BA.2.86), says Pekosz. However, it is too early to tell how exactly JN.1's transmissibility or immune escape properties compare to other variants, such as HV.1, the experts note.

Many of the newer strains, including JN.1, have another mutation that affects how strongly the spike protein binds to cells in the respiratory tract, says Pekosz. We know that its probably helping the virus become better at replicating and helping the virus evade more of that pre-existing immune response, he adds.

JN.1 does not pose an increased public health risk compared to other variants currently in circulation, the CDC and WHO said.

The genetic changes in JN.1 could give it an advantage over other variants, but its unclear how that will affect cases in the coming months. So far, there doesnt seem to be a massive increase in transmission. ... We would be concerned if there was a huge surge in cases, says Pekosz.

Right now, JN.1 is increasing in terms of the percentage of COVID-19 cases its causing, and theres also been a slight increase in total cases," says Pekosz.

Test positivity, an early indicator of case levels, is also on the rise, says Phillips the rate was 12.7% during the week ending on Dec. 23, up from about 12% the week prior, per the CDC. (The CDC no longer tracks the total number of cases in the U.S.).

Hospitalizations have also risen by 17% and ICU admissions by 16.4% in the last two weeks, according to an NBC News analysis.

"The good news is that as of yet we're not seeing severe disease or hospitalizations going up significantly, and ICU admissions are still very low, but we're going to watch these carefully," says Phillips.

COVID-19 activity was expected to rise around this time as the U.S. enters winter and respiratory virus season, the experts note. In recent years, the virus has followed a pattern of increasing and peaking around new year, according to the CDC.

"Right now, we do not know to what extent JN.1 may be contributing to these increases or possible increases through the rest of December," the CDC said. Only time will tell whether JN.1 or another variant will cause a surge in infections this winter.

All COVID-19 diagnostic tests including rapid antigen tests and PCR tests are expected to be effective at detecting JN.1, as well as other variants, according to the CDC.

Testing is an important tool to protect yourself and others from COVID-19, especially ahead of indoor gatherings, says Schaffner.

The symptoms of COVID-19 are often indistinguishable from those caused by other viruses spreading right now, the experts note. These include respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza and rhinovirus, which causes the common cold.

The experts urge anyone who becomes ill or is exposed to COVID-19 to take a test, especially people at higher risk of severe disease, such as people over the age of 65, who are immunocompromised and who have underlying health conditions.

Every American can order four free at-home COVID-19 tests from the government, which will be delivered by mail via the U.S. Postal Service. To order your free tests, go to COVIDTests.gov.

"Get tested because, whether it's COVID or flu, we have treatment available," says Schaffner. Current treatments are also expected to be effective against JN.1, the CDC said.

"JN.1 should be just as sensitive to the antivirals available as any other variants," says Pekosz, adding that antivirals like Paxlovid are most effective when taken within the first few days after infection.

The new, updated COVID-19 vaccines, recommended for everyone 6 months and older, are expected to increase protection against JN.1, as well as other variants, the CDC said.

Although the shots target omicron XBB.1.5, which has since been overtaken by HV.1, JN.1, EG.5 and others, there is still evidence that it will protect against new strains circulating this winter, TODAY.com previously reported.

Data from laboratory studies show that the vaccine appears to generate a strong immune response against JN.1's parent strain, BA.2.86, Schaffner notes.

The new vaccines also protect against severe disease, hospitalization and death, the experts emphasize. So even if you get COVID-19 after vaccination, the infection will likely be milder and it can keep you out of the hospital, Phillips adds.

However, uptake of the updated booster among the U.S. population has been low so far, the experts say. As of Dec. 22, only about 18% of adults and 7% of children have gotten the updated vaccine, according to the latest CDC data on vaccination trends.

On Dec. 14, CDC officials issued an alert to warn about low vaccination rates against COVID-19, flu and RSV in the U.S.

Now is the best time to get vaccinated if you haven't already, the experts say. "The sooner you get vaccinated, the sooner you'll be protected and it does take seven to 10 days for protection to build up to the maximum," says Schaffner.

Phillips recommends everyone, especially high-risk individuals, to get the seasonal influenza shot, as well. Hospitalizations for flu increased 200% over the past month, according to the CDC's Dec. 14 warning.

"Getting vaccinated is the best present you can give yourself and your family this holiday season," Schaffner adds.

Every day, but especially during respiratory virus season, people can take steps to protect themselves and others from COVID-19.

The experts encourage everyone to:

Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines.

Test if you have symptoms.

Isolate if you have COVID-19.

Avoid contact with sick people.

Improve ventilation.

Wear a mask in crowded, indoor spaces.

Wash your hands with soap and water.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com

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A new COVID variant is dominant in the US: Know these symptoms - Yahoo News

Medicaid News for Members: Post-COVID Changes – Wisconsin Department of Health Services

Featured story Health care renewals are underway

As a BadgerCare Plus or other Wisconsin Medicaid member, you must update your information with the state each year so we can make sure you are still eligible for benefits.

Children under age 19 can keep their benefits for at least 12 months once enrolled. Even if the family circumstances change, they stay covered. | January 4, 2024

Did you know that Wisconsin has trained insurance navigators who can help you apply for benefits? Their service is free and confidential. | October 12, 2023

Unwinding is a term that refers to states resuming routine Medicaid policies after the pandemic by unwinding temporary policies. | August 14, 2023

Make sure we can reach you about your benefits. Set up an online account at access.wi.gov and then log in to check that we have your current address. | August 3, 2023

In late 2022, the Department of Health Services started using text and emails to send important updates and critical, time-sensitive benefit information. | November 1, 2022

Wisconsin's Medicaid programs include BadgerCare Plus and many others that meet the needs of children, adults, pregnant people, older adults, and people with disabilities, including:

Most news items apply to all programs, but there may be some exceptions. You will be notified if your benefits are affected. Contact your agency if you have questions.

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Medicaid News for Members: Post-COVID Changes - Wisconsin Department of Health Services

China struggles to rebound a year after lifting COVID restrictions – NPR

An appliance market in Xi'an, China, where Jiang has a construction equipment rental company. He says economic conditions are worse now than during the pandemic, when he started the appliance business, and he isn't selling as much as he used to. John Ruwitch/NPR hide caption

An appliance market in Xi'an, China, where Jiang has a construction equipment rental company. He says economic conditions are worse now than during the pandemic, when he started the appliance business, and he isn't selling as much as he used to.

BEIJING On the northern edge of Xi'an, a 45-year-old man surnamed Jiang tells a typical story of dream-chasing in China's reform era.

He left his home village at the age of 18 to work in a diamond factory in southern China's Guangdong province, a manufacturing juggernaut. The pay was decent, he says, but after a decade he was restless. So he returned home, where he started a small construction equipment rental company.

Business was fine, he said, until state-backed competitors began attracting all the contracts. So he moved again, this time to the northwestern city of Xi'an, China's onetime imperial capital, now home to 13 million people.

"My hopes were big," he says, sitting in the back of the secondhand kitchen appliance shop that he runs with his family, surrounded by refrigerators, stoves and blenders. "Slowly, though, they have been obliterated."

A year ago, China lifted draconian COVID restrictions that were an anvil around the neck of the economy and placed unprecedented controls on a society that, for the previous four decades, had grown accustomed to expanding personal freedoms, not shrinking them.

Many expected the country to bounce back quickly, with economic growth reverting to a slower but respectable mean. That hasn't happened. And as 2024 approaches, there is a crisis of confidence in China that the authorities appear to be doing little to address, instead nibbling at the edges of policy and avoiding bold steps to revive the economy and regain public trust in policymaking.

Jiang is one of several people NPR recently spoke with to try to gauge the mood in post-pandemic China and highlight how things have changed over time.

For Jiang, who did not want his full name used for fear of possible repercussions for speaking candidly to a foreign reporter, economic conditions are actually worse now than during the pandemic, when he started the appliance business, he says. He isn't selling as much as he used to.

Like many in China who have been conditioned to avoid publicly criticizing the ruling Communist Party, he chooses well-worn rhetoric absolving the leadership when asked if he thinks policy might be to blame.

"Whatever the national policy, it's meant to do good for the country and the people. You can't deny that," he said. "But as they say: The higher-ups have their policies and the lower-downs have their ways of getting around them. ... Each policy that comes from the top is discounted on the way down, and then discounted again as it goes down line. The policies are definitely good, but when they get down to the local level, they've completely changed."

At this point, Jiang's ambition the same drive that, multiplied across hundreds of millions of people, fueled China's economic rise has been sapped.

In Beijing, Joerg Wuttke has had a front-row seat to China's spectacular rise. He first came to the country as a businessman from Europe 41 years ago.

"When I was coming in '82, people took pictures with cars and paid for the picture. And now we have 5 million cars in Beijing. So it's a completely different country, with upsides but also with it downsides," he said. (The Beijing government said that at the end of 2022 there were, in fact, more than 7 million motor vehicles registered in the city, and over 12 million drivers.)

Joerg Wuttke, then the European Chamber of Commerce president, at a press conference in Beijing in 2015. Ng Han Guan/AP hide caption

Joerg Wuttke, then the European Chamber of Commerce president, at a press conference in Beijing in 2015.

I first met Wuttke a little over 20 years ago, when our offices were in the same building near Beijing's Liangma River. China had just joined the World Trade Organization. The reform-minded Zhu Rongji was premier.

"It was a China which actually was very open and could sort of give us some indications of where we're heading, you know, to a more open, liberal society. Globalization would be coming into town," said Wuttke, who has been doing business here for most of the past four decades, and lobbying for European companies as head of the European Chamber of Commerce for part of that time.

Today, he says, the Communist Party has become more dominant across society than he thinks it was when he first came to China before reform and opening really started to take off.

"For Xi Jinping, it's clear ideology trumps the economy," he says of China's current leader.

He says that's underpinned an intrusion of politics into business.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping reviews the honor guard at the Great Hall of the People in November in Beijing. Florence Lo/Pool/Getty Images hide caption

Chinese leader Xi Jinping reviews the honor guard at the Great Hall of the People in November in Beijing.

"You have party cells coming up into Chinese private enterprises. You have a far more [and] stronger party awareness on TV or radio than it was maybe in '82. So, yeah, it's, it's more ideologically driven these days than it was 40 years ago," he said.

Combined with geopolitical frictions, Wuttke says it has become "far more complex" to steer any company in China.

In November, quarterly data showed that foreign direct investment in China contracted for the first time on record. Business confidence is down, and the real estate sector is struggling, underpinning weak consumer confidence. The future is less certain than it always seemed to be. The World Bank forecasts that China's GDP growth will slow sharply in the next two years.

"I think the opening-eye moment for me came in 2022," Wuttke says. It was a year when the government hewed for too long to an unbending and unforgiving zero-COVID policy that involved heavy travel restrictions, snap lockdowns and forced quarantines. Wuttke is leaving China, though he says his decision has nothing to do with current events.

In Shanghai, that policy turned a high school teacher into an exiled dissident.

Huang Yicheng taught Chinese language and literature in a northwestern suburb of the country's most cosmopolitan city. He says he was always in favor of the idea of more freedom, but as someone who grew up in China, human rights wasn't something he spent much time thinking about.

Huang Yicheng poses during an interview with Reuters in Hamburg, Germany, in April. He grew up in China and says he never really thought of leaving. But when Shanghai was locked down, he lost faith. Fanny Brodersen/Reuters hide caption

Huang Yicheng poses during an interview with Reuters in Hamburg, Germany, in April. He grew up in China and says he never really thought of leaving. But when Shanghai was locked down, he lost faith.

Instead, "if I could live normally, go to work, have some fun, be with my family, make some money, eat, then it'd all be fine," he said.

But in the spring of 2022, the omicron variant of COVID-19 arrived and the Shanghai government ordered its 26 million residents to stay home to stop the spread. A lockdown that the authorities said would last about a week stretched for two long months.

Huang says being forcibly confined to his home felt like living on an animal farm. He felt unsafe being locked in his apartment with no control, and no end in sight. "It was really scary," he said. "It didn't feel safe."

And it changed something inside him.

"Before the lockdown, I thought Shanghai would be fine," he said. "There was a lot of bad news about the pandemic, and I knew things weren't great, but I thought bad things could happen in other places but Shanghai still had hope."

When his city was locked down, he lost faith.

"I thought everything was fake. The security and order and freedom, it could all be taken away. So I had no faith in this government, in this political system."

Later that year, when protests erupted in Shanghai and elsewhere in China against the draconian COVID policies, Huang got involved. The demonstrations became known as the White Paper Revolution, because many participants took to brandishing blank pages of A4-size paper to symbolize all that could not be said publicly in China.

Protesters hold up blank sheets of paper and chant slogans as they march to protest strict anti-virus measures in Beijing on Nov. 27, 2022. Thousands of people demonstrated across China, waving sheets of white paper to represent the country's strict censorship. Ng Han Guan/AP hide caption

Protesters hold up blank sheets of paper and chant slogans as they march to protest strict anti-virus measures in Beijing on Nov. 27, 2022. Thousands of people demonstrated across China, waving sheets of white paper to represent the country's strict censorship.

"The white paper movement really made me feel hopeful," he said. "Finally, Chinese people were coming out to resist."

He joined a crowd at an intersection in Shanghai's former French concession neighborhood, where protests had taken place the previous night. Huang says he mostly hung back. But when police cleared protesters that night, he was grabbed, roughed up and briefly detained.

Months later, after lying low, he fled to Germany.

"I had never really thought of leaving. Really. I thought, if this country's not good, you don't necessarily need to leave it. You can stay and do some small things to make change," he said.

Instead, the pandemic changed him.

Back in Xi'an, a man whom NPR first talked with a year ago is settling into his new home.

Last year, Lee Shin was squatting in an unfinished apartment he had bought nine years earlier. It was on the 28th floor and there was no electricity.

"We used a tank gas stove, and we had to fetch bottles of water from downstairs," he said. (Lee Shin is a nonstandard Romanization of a nickname he asked NPR to use because police have pressured him not to speak publicly about the construction problem at his apartment complex.)

Not long after Lee bought the unfinished apartment, construction stopped when the property developer allegedly lost money in other investments.

The problem of unfinished apartment complexes is widespread in China and the projects are called lanwei lou, Chinese for "rotten tails."

This year, the building was finally completed and Lee and his wife could fully move in. But after so many years of uncertainty, it was a letdown.

"So when we got the key and opened the door, there was no feeling of excitement. When we went in, we just wanted to cry," he says.

Outside the apartment complex where Lee Shin and his wife finally moved in after years of delay. Not long after Lee bought the unfinished apartment, construction stopped when the property developer allegedly lost money in other investments. John Ruwitch/NPR hide caption

Outside the apartment complex where Lee Shin and his wife finally moved in after years of delay. Not long after Lee bought the unfinished apartment, construction stopped when the property developer allegedly lost money in other investments.

His life plans for an early wedding, for kids were set back by years. And home prices have been falling in China amid a slow-motion crisis unfolding in the property sector, driven in part by government policies. It's unclear how the authorities will manage the fallout from collapsing developers and falling home prices.

But now, finally in their new home, surely things were looking up for Lee and his wife?

He says he has more peace in his life, for the most part. But work is bad in his field of interior design because of the property downturn, and his ambitions have been tempered. Among other things, he says he does not want to have a child now.

"I don't have any aspirations, and I don't think I want to have any aspirations anymore," he said. "None of my wishes have come true."

Aowen Cao contributed reporting from Beijing.

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China struggles to rebound a year after lifting COVID restrictions - NPR

The Dutch Under Nazi Rule: German WWII Occupation of the Netherlands – The Collector

Despite the fact that the Netherlands was a neutral country, it formed a strategically vital target for the Germans, who invaded on May 10, 1940. Five days later, after the bombing of Rotterdam, the Dutch surrendered.

The occupation lasted almost five years; for the Dutch, it was the most difficult period in their countrys history.

Dutch resolve, however, was not broken, and resistance continued amid brutal reprisals, starvation, and mass deportations that would see the Netherlands lose three-quarters of its Jewish population.

On May 10, 1940, Germany launched an invasion of the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Belgium as part of Operation Fall Gelb (Operation Case Yellow) without any formal declaration of war. Clearly unprepared for modern styles of warfare, the Netherlands fell quickly.

It was one of the first examples of using paratroopers to seize objectives before the advance of the main ground forces. For the Germans, the entire operation was a stunning success.

The German advances were overwhelming, and the bombing of Rotterdam left incredible destruction. The Dutch knew that further resistance would be futile and only leave more destruction in its wake.

By May 14, the Dutch army had surrendered, although a small contingent in Zeeland continued fighting until May 17.

Queen Wilhelmina fled the country and formed a government-in-exile in the United Kingdom. Many believed that she had abandoned her country, but she was adamant that she would never become a puppet ruler under the Germans, and today, her flight is seen as a pragmatic move. She continued to address the Dutch people via radio throughout the war. The rest of her family escaped to Canada. The escape of the Dutch royal family was achieved with the assistance of the British, who led a rescue mission.

At the beginning of the Second World War, the Dutch had remained neutral in the hopes that they could avoid the conflict, but after the invasions of Denmark and Norway, it became clear to most that the Netherlands was likely a prime target. Hasty preparations were made, but it was not enough.

There was a significant amount of denial within the country, with many people expecting Germany to leave the Netherlands alone. Nevertheless, for those who were more pragmatic and for those living in hope, the reaction was the same. Outrage swept the country.

A few days later, the fighting was over, and the emotion of outrage was joined with relief, humiliation, and a sense of abandonment, as many Dutch felt that the French and British should have stationed troops in the Netherlands to protect it from German invasion.

From the German perspective, the Dutch constituted fellow Aryans, and the Germans intended to treat the Dutch people a lot better than the citizens of many other conquered areas of Europe. From the Dutch perspective, they didnt expect to be treated well, as they had a significant distrust of the Germans.

For a minority of Dutch people, the invasion was a blessing. The Dutch Nationaal-Socialistische Beweging (National-Socialist movement / NSB) welcomed the German occupation as it brought the members of this right-wing movement significant power. Its leader, Anton Mussert, had expected to be installed as the ruler of a Dutch state allied to the Germans, but in reality, the occupation was under the control of the Austrian politician Arthur Seyss-Inquart, who served as the Reichskommissar of the Netherlands from May 29, 1940, to May 7, 1945.

The distrust of the Germans was exacerbated by the immediate effects of the German occupation in terms of food. The Germans blockaded the ports and effectively ended the importation of foodstuffs from abroad. Instead, the Dutch people would be fed by the Germans with careful rationing. The food that was distributed was healthy and based on modern dietary needs. It was low in fat, and the Dutch, who were used to a high-fat diet, began to lose weight; many assumed the Germans were starving them. This turned out not to be the case, at least not at this point in the occupation. Later on, as the Germans became more harsh towards the Dutch people, the threat of famine would turn into a reality.

Many Dutch people believed the occupation would be short-lived, some expecting it to be over by Christmas. Until then, they adopted a policy of conforming to the desires of the occupiers, or at least the appearance of conformity.

While the German soldiers, on the whole, treated the Dutch well during the beginning of the occupation, German leadership took control of all aspects of society and the economy, banning free speech and propagating Nazi ideology among the populace of the Netherlands. Naturally, most Dutch people saw this as an attempt to convert the country. While the NSB saw some initial growth, swelling to around 100,000 members, it remained a fringe group in terms of the total population and was utterly despised by the rest of Dutch society.

Before the war, Dutch society had been fractured and split along social, religious, and political lines. With the exception of the small minority of those who supported the NSB and the Nazis, the vast majority of the Dutch population found itself with a common enemy, and as such, a sense of unity thrived.

Around 5% of the Dutch people joined the resistance. While this may (or may not) have been a relatively small percentage, this was the section of society that went into hiding and used violent tactics to strike at German assets. Other forms of resistance were common and were much less active. The Dutch people took to hiding those wanted by the Germans. In particular, Jewish people found hope and protection in the families that secreted them away in the attics of houses. The famous Anne Frank was one of these Jews who were looked after by compassionate and brave Dutch people.

When those in the Dutch resistance were caught and executed, the Dutch were horrified. Given the initial attitude of the Germans towards the Dutch at the beginning of the occupation, it came as a shock. Especially since in the Netherlands, the death penalty had been outlawed for many decades, and the Dutch were not used to anybody being executed.

It was also not just Jewish people who the Nazi occupiers were after. Communists and outspoken critics of the regime were targeted, as well as people with mental disabilities.

Life was tough for everybody under Nazi occupation. Forced labor was implemented, and adult men were drafted to work in German factories, which were often targeted by Allied bombing runs.

After the German conquest of the Netherlands, a Joodse Raad was created, a council that acted as a liaison between the Jews and the Nazi occupiers. The Raad was run by Abraham Asscher and David Cohen, supplied the Germans with information, and was responsible for organizing and selecting Jews for deportation. Asscher and Cohen were both tried for collaboration by the Jewish Community in the Netherlands after the war but were exonerated. Many Jews found themselves in difficult situations, being forced to collaborate on pain of death.

For their part, the Dutch did not sit quietly and do nothing. With the first waves of antisemitic policies came pushback in the form of protests and strikes from the Dutch populace. In February 1941, a strike was met with violent suppression by the Nazi regime, which tried thereafter to limit the amount of violence dealt to non-Jewish Dutch people.

This situation of being forced to collaborate was not just a situation for the Jews. Many Dutch people, especially those in the government and the police, were compelled to perform heinous acts in order to protect themselves and their families. Forced collaboration was an incredibly difficult issue that raised many questions, especially after the war, when people were put on trial for their assistance to the Nazi regime.

The outcome of the Nazi policies in the Netherlands was that over 70% of Dutch Jews were deported. This was a higher proportion than in any other German-occupied territory in Western Europe.

Not all collaboration was forced, however. Some elements of Dutch society supported the Nazis and did so openly. Up to 25,000 Dutch men even volunteered to join the German army and the Waffen-SS.

Hope became a reality in September 1944 with the beginning of Operation Market Garden. Although the operation achieved very limited gains, it represented the beginning of the collapse of German resistance. In the following months, the Netherlands was freed from German control bit by bit. The Allies, however, concentrated their efforts on Germany, not the Netherlands, and Berlin fell before Amsterdam was liberated. Many parts of the Netherlands were only free of German occupation once the Germans had officially surrendered.

However, the months in which liberation was achieved were not as happy as they could have been. The Germans cut off supply to the western region of the country where 4.5 million people lived, and as a result of the Hongerwinter (Hunger Winter), around 18,000 Dutch people starved to death, with relief only arriving as late as May 1945, with the complete surrender of the German forces in Europe.

By the end of the war, 205,901 Dutch people had died from war-related causes. Just over half of them were victims of the Holocaust. This total represented 2.36% of the entire Dutch population at the time and was the highest proportion in Western Europe.

For Dutch people today, the occupation of their country represents an awful time in their history. Generally being a liberal people who value freedom, the five years of Nazi governance is seen as a time that flew directly in the face of Dutch beliefs.

Not only did it aggravate Dutch ways of life, but it humiliated the Dutch people, who, for the most part, did what they could to resist.

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The Dutch Under Nazi Rule: German WWII Occupation of the Netherlands - The Collector

Which Nazi Ideas am I Supposed to Debate for Your Profit? – Daily Kos

I am behind on this, of course, but the leaders of Substack have responded to the letter voicing concerns about the monetization of Nazi newsletters on Substack. I signed the letter, and Substacks leadership was quite clear that they intended to go on making money from people who wish to kill and oppress their fellow humans. I am not surprised the VC class as a whole seems very alt-right/Nazi curious. I havent decided what to do with this newsletter. Moving it would require money, something this newsletter definitely does not make. But I am coming back to this because one aspect of the response stuck out to me:

I just want to make it clear that we dont like Nazis eitherwe wish no-one held those views. But some people do hold those and other extreme views. Given that, we don't think that censorship (including through demonetizing publications) makes the problem go awayin fact, it makes it worse.

We believe that supporting individual rights and civil liberties while subjecting ideas to open discourse is the best way to strip bad ideas of their power.

Emphasis mine.

This comment leaves me with a question: Which Nazi ideas, specifically, does the Substack leadership think have power? I mean, we have seen Nazism in its full glory: it led to a massive world war, oppression of anyone the Nazis did not like, and perhaps the worlds first industrialized genocide. Which of those ideas am I supposed to debate? Which violent eliminationism is worthy of further refutation? Is it the genocide? The demand for others land for themselves? The idea that once race is inherently superior to others and thus can oppress and murder the others at will?

See, my mothers family is Polish. By which I mean they all immigrated from Poland. Some of my uncles were old enough to have lived through the Second World War. I dont have all of the details (gee, Uncle Frank, what did you do in the war? is not a question a child asks of the obviously very angry, very damaged man who survived), but I do know that the Nazis debated with my family members and their countrymen with a bullet to their heads. Explain to me, again, why that idea is worthy of monetization? How, precisely, is a parlor debate about whether my relatives, and anyone who doesnt fit their notion of a true human, deserve to live in anyway going to refute the idea more effectively than the outcome of WWII?

Because Nazis dont respect democracy. They dont debate in good faith, and they arent interested in the give and take of a pluralistic society. They demand power and they seek to attain through violence. The idea that you can talk them down from that position is insane. All allowing them on your platform does is allow them the infrastructure necessary to spread their hate.

De-platforming works. Not all speech is deserving of support. You cannot shout fire in a crowded theater, to use the cliche, and companies make decisions all the time about what does and does not constitute acceptable speech on their platforms. Substack leadership knows both of these positions are true: they ban porn and sex workers from their platform. No, pretending that you can reason with people who wish to destroy democracy is nothing more than a disingenuous attempt to profit from pro-genocide and other anti-democratic positions while providing a fig-leaf to keep others from abandoning their platform.

There are no Nazi ideas with power. History has thoroughly refuted them to anyone who wishes to see. You are not required to give platforms to people who wish to destroy your tolerant society. But the Substack leadership obviously cares more about the money the Nazis bring them than about preserving democracy or a tolerant, pluralistic society.

As I said, I am not sure what I am going to do with this newsletter. It is a hobby. I have roughly 120 subscribers, and dont even have a paid option. Even if I did, it is unlikely I could bring in enough to pay for other services. But I do know that I am not going to play the Substack leaders game and pretend that I must take seriously the disproven ideas of the people who wish to destroy my family, my friends, and my society. No amount of money should be worth that.

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Which Nazi Ideas am I Supposed to Debate for Your Profit? - Daily Kos

‘Are they trying to push people out of here?’: Confederate flag with ‘Welcome to Harrison’ sign sparks debate – WCPO 9 Cincinnati

HARRISON, Ohio Several residents in Harrison said they are in disbelief after seeing a Confederate flag with a "Welcome to Harrison, Ohio" sign.

"I drive past here every single day and never, ever, ever seen anything like that," said Wayne Johnson, who has lived in the city his entire life.

Johnson said the display on Harrison Avenue which also features Mayor Ryan Grubbs' name on the welcome sign is racist.

"Whats going on with Harrison? Whats Harrison really thinking? Are they trying to push people out of here?" Johnson said.

Grubbs said in an email, "This was brought to my attention Saturday afternoon after the family that owns the property posted the sign and put the flag up. This is not a City property or project."

The mayor said citizens have the right to free speech and people choose to "speak" in different ways.

"While the property owner may be within his rights, I do have a team looking into the display," Grubbs said. "We are looking to see if it is in violation of any of our zoning requirements, or if it is misrepresentation. It would be very easy for individuals to think that it is a city display."

Trudy Gaba, a social justice curator at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, isnt shocked to see a Confederate flag fly in Ohio.

"Flags are representative of ideologies of belief systems," Gaba said.

Gaba said it does complicate Ohios history, considering Ohio was a free state.

"It begs one to question what are we glorifying, what are we celebrating here," Gaba said. "The Confederate flag is emblematic of the desire to own people as property. You cant separate that from todays history."

She said its important to look at history holistically, and not in isolation. Gaba said the confederate flag is nothing to celebrate and is a painful reminder of slavery for Black and Brown people.

"When they see this flag, they dont see a romanticized history. They see a very painful history and the dehumanizing one, and theres nothing to celebrate and glorify there," she said.

Flags like the one in Harrison, she said, are why places like the Freedom Center need to exist.

"The Freedom Center is committed to really unifying the plurality of our voices and perspectives, to look at history of the past, so that we can arrive at a different future one in which we celebrate solidarity and unity, and we fight for equality," said Gaba.

WCPO has attempted to track down the property owner.

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'Are they trying to push people out of here?': Confederate flag with 'Welcome to Harrison' sign sparks debate - WCPO 9 Cincinnati

Wisconsin was Home to a Confederate Spy, Thomas Jefferson’s Illegitimate Son and a Failed Hollywood Producer – Shepherd Express

What do a female Confederate spy, the illegitimate son of Thomas Jefferson, and a failed Hollywood tycoon have in common?

These disparate, fascinating personalities rest for all eternity in peaceful Wisconsin graveyards. Belle Boyd, the seductive Mata Hari of the Civil War, died in the Dells. Eston Hemings Jefferson, illegitimate child of President Thomas Jefferson, passed away in Madison. And Harry Aitken, the driving force behind D.W. GriffithsBirth of a Nation, eventually came home to Waukesha.

Maria Belle Boyd, born in 1844, was 16 years old when she began managing her fathers Virginia hotel. Her curvy, buxom figure enchanted Union soldiers when they arrived for lodging, or a meal and she overheard bits and pieces of private conversations as she waited on them. Belle gave General Stonewall Jackson this information on a regular basis with the help of a slave, Eliza Hopewell. The two used a hollowed-out pocket watch so Eliza could pass the messages safely across enemy lines.

When several intoxicated soldiers assaulted her mother in one of the hotels parlors, Belle pulled a pistol and killed one of the men. While awaiting trial for murder, Belle initiated a clandestine affair with Captain Daniel Kelly, and he helped her escape in the middle of the night. She was recaptured and sentenced to be hanged. Using another man, Belle escaped again, and with a set of forged documents, she arrived at the Generals camp. For her bravery, Jackson awarded her the Southern Cross of Honor. He also made her his personal aide-de-camp, which no doubt raised more than a few eyebrows.

For the next year, Belle avoided arrest by Union troops but was eventually apprehended and taken to Washington D.C.While in Old Capitol Prison, she seduced an officer named Samuel Harding and became pregnant. The couple fled to England where she supported Harding and their daughter as a music hall entertainer. Harding died unexpectedly just as Belle was finding success as an actress on Londons stages. At the end of the Civil War, she returned to the United States and earned a fortune in theaters and opera houses performing a racy melodrama of her life as a spy. She also married and divorced two ardent lovers and gave birth to four more children. Belle also published a highly fictionalized autobiography that became a bestseller. In 1900, she suffered a fatal heart attack while promoting her book in Wisconsin Dells. Only 56 years old, Belle Boyd was buried in the Dells Spring Grove Cemetery. Her autobiography and a few non-fiction books are still in print and range from $5 to $60 on eBay.

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In 1827, Thomas Jeffersons will stated that five of his slaves be freed. Among them were his mistress, Sally Hemings, and two of the children he fathered with her. Jeffersons 400 other slaves were sold to pay off the considerable debts against his estate. Sally was only one-quarter black, and occasionally her sons could pass for white. Jeffersons illegitimate son Eston, already a skilled carpenter and proficient violin player, was 19 years old upon his release from Monticello. He found lucrative employment in a Charlottesville, Virginia woodworking shop and built a house for his mother and older brother, Madison. Both brothers married, started families and lived with Sally until her death in 1835.

A few years later, Madison and Eston moved their families to Ohio, a free state and an important part of the Underground Railroad network. When the Fugitive Slave Act was enacted in 1850, Eston moved hiswife and three childrenfurther north to avoid capture by the bounty hunters.Settling in Madison, Wisconsin, Eston changed his surname to Hemings Jefferson, and the family lived comfortably in the white community.

When he passed away in 1856 at age 48, America was preparing for a war. In the waning years of the 19th century, Estons children and grandchildren faced public scorn from a handful of influential voices who challenged the family legend that connected Eston with his famous father, Finally, in 1998, a series on DNA tests proved once and for all that Eston Hemings was indeed the son of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings.

Born in 1877 on a farm near Goerkes Corners in Waukesha, Harry Aitken became fascinated by the shabby, turn-of-the-century storefronts that were outfitted to show the first silent movies produced by inventor Thomas Edison. Aitken studied the business model of a nickel theater and partnered with John Freuler, a wealthy Milwaukee investor. Violating the Edison companys patents, they made their own movies and delivered them weekly to hundreds of theaters in 45 cities.

In 1908 Aitken and Freuler went to Los Angeles and built a large movie studio of their own. They offered British vaudevillian Charlie Chaplin $10,000 a week to make 20-minute comedies for their rapidly growing theater chain. When Chaplin discovered his films were grossing more than $5 million annually, the popular comedian demanded a percentage of the profit. Instead, Freuler and Aitken sold the motion picture studio, divided the considerable assets and dissolved their partnership.

Aitken used his assets to finance a groundbreaking two-hour movie proposed by a talented filmmaker, D.W. Griffith. Based on a popular racist novel,The Clansman, Griffiths epic film was titledThe Birth of a Nation, and it sold out wherever it was shown.

Without informing Aitken, Griffith made a back-door deal with Louis B. Mayer, a shrewd Boston businessman who operated a large scrap metal yard. Mayer had seen the film and immediately sensed its potential. After lining up engagements at hundreds of theaters inConnecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont, Mayer gave$25,000 in cash to Griffith. The investment returned nearly $250,000, money that legally as well as ethically should have been used to retire Aitkens outstanding loans.

Mayer became the CEO of a tiny California movie studio that he transformed into the world-famous MGM. Unable to pay of his debts, Aitken declared bankruptcy and returned to Waukesha a defeated man. His attempts to start businesses in Wisconsin were only marginally successful. The one-time movie mogul died in 1956 and was buried in Prairie Home Cemetery near the farm where he was born.

Is Harry wandering along the freeways that devoured the streets of his childhood? Is Belle still using her charms on behalf of the Confederacy? Does a man once owned by a United States president roam the town where he became truly free? Its possible

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Wisconsin was Home to a Confederate Spy, Thomas Jefferson's Illegitimate Son and a Failed Hollywood Producer - Shepherd Express

AICDAC aims to curb youth gambling this holiday season – The Courier-Express

SHELOCTA Armstrong-Indiana-Clarion Drug and Alcohol Commission is participating in the 2023 Gift Responsibly Campaign, joining more than 80 other lotteries and community organizations from across the United States and Canada, and around the world.

The campaign is organized by the National Council on Problem Gambling and the International Center for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors at McGill University. The Gift Responsibly Campaign is also endorsed by the World Lottery Association and the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries. The campaign aims to raise awareness regarding the risks of underage lottery use. Lottery products are appropriate for gifting only to adults, from adults.

Gambling is defined as risking something of value on an unknown outcome that depends on chance or skill. Research shows that the earlier a persons participation or exposure to gambling in childhood, the more likely they are to develop gambling problems later in life. Even though gambling activities are legally restricted to adults, there is clear evidence that underage youth actively participate in gambling.

Despite gambling being promoted as a harmless form of entertainment, it operates on the same reward pathways and neurotransmitters as substance addiction. Youth gambling is associated with alcohol and drug use, truancy, risk-taking behaviors and low grades in school.

More and more youth are exposed to the availability and accessibility of many forms of gambling at even younger ages and are tempted by the pressures to participate. According to the National Council on Problem Gambling approximately 60 percent of high school aged adolescents in the United States report having gambled for money during the past year.

According to the 2021 Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS) data, overall, 34.9 percent of Armstrong County students in eighth, 10th and 12th grades have engaged in gambling for money or anything of value in their lifetime, which is higher than the state average of 30.4 percent. From these grade levels in Armstrong County, students reported the different forms of gambling used were 23.2 percent lottery (including scratch cards, numbers, etc.), 15.9 percent personal skill games (such as pool, darts, coin tossing and video games), 12.7 percent poker or other card games, dice, backgammon, or dominoes, and 10.7 percent sporting events or sports pools. In addition, 10.24 percent bet/gambled in some other way, and 4.4 percent reported gambling online.

For most people gambling is simply entertainment, but it is entertainment that comes with a degree of risk. When a lottery ticket is given as a gift by a trusted parent or other family member, a child is likely to interpret the gift as saying, this is a safe thing for you to do. Lottery tickets arent childs play.

For more information, visit http://www.facebook.com/AICDAC.

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AICDAC aims to curb youth gambling this holiday season - The Courier-Express

Brexit and Covid put these Beara cheesemakers on the brink after 48 years. Here’s how they survived and thrived – Irish Independent

Quinlan Steeles parents started making Milleens cheese in a saucepan in their kitchen in 1975, using milk from their dairy herd. They used to export all over the world but the pandemic nearly destroyed the business and they turned things round by focusing exclusively on the Irish market

Quinlan Steele inspecting some of the newly made Milleens cheese on his family farm on the Beara Peninsula before it is packaged and distributed. Photos: Don MacMonagle

Its almost half a century since the Steele family made their first batch of Milleens cheese in a pot on their kitchen stove on West Corks Beara Peninsula.

Norman and Veronica had been milking a small herd of dairy cows on their farm in Eyeries and found themselves with some excess milk.

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Brexit and Covid put these Beara cheesemakers on the brink after 48 years. Here's how they survived and thrived - Irish Independent

Transhumanism: Integrating Cochlear Implants With Artificial Intelligence and the Brain-Machine Interface – Cureus

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Transhumanism: Integrating Cochlear Implants With Artificial Intelligence and the Brain-Machine Interface - Cureus

‘TIS THE SEASON FOR STAR OF THE SEAS: ROYAL CARIBBEAN OPENS NEXT ICONIC VACATION – Royal Caribbean Press Center

The Latest in the Lineup of the Worlds Best Vacations Debuts August 2025 in Port Canaveral (Orlando), Florida

MIAMI, Dec. 5, 2023 Its opening day for the next bold combination of every vacation. Royal Caribbean International revealed the first look at the latest in the best-selling Icon Class, Star of the Seas, and the vacations in store for every type of family and adventurer. Starting August 2025, vacationers can get away in a new way from Port Canaveral (Orlando), Florida, with 7-night vacations to the Caribbean and the cruise lines top-rated private island Perfect Day at CocoCay, The Bahamas. Stars debut lineup is now open on Royal Caribbeans website, and Crown & Anchor Society loyalty members have special access to book today in advance of the official opening on Wednesday, Dec. 6.

Adventurers can island hop in style on the next iconic vacation while in the eastern or western Caribbean destinations and The Bahamas. The newly opened vacations feature idyllic locales like Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis; Cozumel, Mexico; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; Roatan, Honduras; and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Plus, on every getaway, vacationers can look forward to kicking back or going all out at Perfect Day at CocoCay. The cruise lines one-of-a-kind private island destination features everything from 13 waterslides to the largest freshwater pool in the Caribbean and The Bahamas, and the islands first adults-only oasis, Hideaway Beach (opening January 2024), with a private beach, pools and spots for drinks and bites, exclusive cabanas, live music and more.

On the heels of welcoming Icon of the Seas to the family two months before its January 2024 debut, Royal Caribbean is following up the historic response to the first in the Icon Class lineup by introducing the revolutionary combination of experiences to Port Canaveral (Orlando) for the first time. Star will feature the best of every vacation, from the beach retreat to the resort escape and the theme park adventure, across eight neighborhoods that are destinations in themselves, including Thrill Island, Chill Island, AquaDome, the tranquil oasis by day and vibrant hot spot at night; and the open-air Central Park. Between more than40 ways to dine and drink,cutting-edge entertainmentacross the cruise lines four signature stages air, ice, water and theater and a lineup of activities for adults, kids, teens and the whole family, everyone can make memories their way every day without compromise.

The Icon Class highlights coming to Star include the adrenaline-pumping thrills like Category 6 waterparks six record-breaking waterslides and Crown's Edge part skywalk, part ropes course and part thrill ride as well as the unrivaled ways to chill across seven pools for every vibe and mood, including swim-up bar Swim & Tonic; Cloud 17, the adults-only retreat; and The Hideaways one-of-a-kind infinity pool suspended 135 feet above the ocean. And while families can spend time together and on their own adventures throughout Star, they can stay and play all day at Surfside. The neighborhood designed for young families features ways to splash for all ages, dedicated restaurants and even a bar The Lemon Post with a menu for the grownups and one for the kids. New experiences will also make their way to the latest in the worlds best family vacation lineup, which will be revealed at a later date.

With Star making its debut in Port Canaveral (Orlando), Royal Caribbean is doubling down on the revolutionary combination of every vacation that was first introduced on Icon and which continues to create unprecedented consumer demand. The two worlds best vacations in two of the worlds top travel destinations, Icon in Miami and Star in the greater Orlando area, will introduce an unparalleled lineup that mark the next bold moment in the new era of vacations and for Royal Caribbean.

Vacationers can explore all that has been revealed about Star to date on Royal Caribbeans website here.

About Royal Caribbean InternationalRoyal Caribbean International, owned by Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL), has been delivering innovation at sea for more than 50 years. Each successive class of ships is an architectural marvel that features the latest technology and guest experiences for todays adventurous traveler. The cruise line continues to revolutionize vacations with itineraries to 240 destinations in 61 countries on six continents, including Royal Caribbeans private island destination in The Bahamas, Perfect Day at CocoCay, the first in the Perfect Day Island Collection. Royal Caribbean has also been voted Best Cruise Line Overall for 20 consecutive years in the Travel Weekly Readers Choice Awards.

Media can stay up to date by following @RoyalCaribPR on X and visiting RoyalCaribbeanPressCenter.com. For additional information or to make reservations, vacationers can call their travel advisor; visit RoyalCaribbean.com; or call (800) ROYAL-CARIBBEAN.

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December 2023 Debuting August 2025 in Port Canaveral (Orlando), Florida, Royal Caribbean Internationals Star of the Seas is the next bold combination of every vacation from the beach retreat to the resort escape and the theme park adventure. Stars all-encompassing Icon Class lineup has experiences in store for every type of family and adventurer to make memories their way every day, without compromise.

December 2023 Debuting August 2025 in Port Canaveral (Orlando), Florida, Royal Caribbean Internationals Star of the Seas is the next bold combination of every vacation from the beach retreat to the resort escape and the theme park adventure. Stars all-encompassing Icon Class lineup has experiences in store for every type of family and adventurer to make memories their way every day, without compromise.

December 2023 Debuting August 2025 in Port Canaveral (Orlando), Florida, Royal Caribbean Internationals Star of the Seas is the next bold combination of every vacation from the beach retreat to the resort escape and the theme park adventure. Stars all-encompassing Icon Class lineup has experiences in store for every type of family and adventurer on 7-night vacations to the Caribbean and the cruise lines top-rated private island Perfect Day at CocoCay, The Bahamas.

October 2023 The next revolutionary combination of the best of every vacation is on the horizon. Royal Caribbean International will follow up the introduction of Icon of the Seas with the next Icon Class ship, Star of the Seas, in the summer of 2025.

December 2023 Royal Caribbean Internationals Icon and Star of the Seas, setting sail January 2024 and August 2025 respectively, mark a new era of vacations, with an unparalleled combination of the best of every vacation. From the beach retreat to the resort escape and the theme park adventure, each vacations all-encompassing lineup has experiences for every type of family and adventurer to make memories without compromise.

December 2023 On Icon and Star of the Seas, adventurers are in for the ultimate thrill at the largest waterpark at sea, Category 6, in the new Thrill Island neighborhood. The six record-breaking slides reach new heights: Pressure Drop, the industry's first open free-fall slide; Frightening Bolt, the tallest drop slide at sea; Storm Surge and Hurricane Hunter, the first family raft slides with four riders per raft; and Storm Chasers, cruising's first mat-racing duo.

December 2023 On Iconand Star of the Seas, adventurers are in for the ultimate thrill at the largest waterpark at sea, Category 6, in the new Thrill Island neighborhood. The six record-breaking slides reach new heights, like Storm Surge, the first family raft slides with four riders per raft.

December 2023 Living life on the edge takes on a new meaning with Crown's Edge in the new Thrill Island on Icon and Star of the Seas. Part skywalk, part ropes course and part thrill ride, the adrenaline-pumping experience culminates in a surprising moment that will see vacationers swing 154 feet above the ocean.

December 2023 Chill Island's Swim & Tonic on Royal Caribbean's Icon and Star of the Seas is the vibrant swim-up bar where vacationers can have a sip and vibe to the DJ as they take a dip or kick back at the in-water loungers and tables.

December 2023 In the new Chill Island on Icon and Star of the Seas, there's a pool for every mood and each with prime ocean views. Of the seven pools, the four in this three-deck slice of paradise include Royal Caribbean's first swim-up bar at sea, Swim & Tonic; Royal Bay Pool, the largest pool at sea; and the adults-only retreat, Cloud 17.

December 2023 Vacationers looking for laidback vibes can head to Chill Island's serene, infinity-edge Cove Pool on Icon and Star of the Seas. With in-water loungers and more ways to chill, it's all about the endless blue skies and ocean views and making memories.

December 2023 Cloud 17 in the Chill Island neighborhood on Icon and Star of the Seas is an adults-only retreat, complete with endless ocean views and a dedicated bar, the signature Lime & Coconut.

December 2023 Tucked away on Icon and Star of the Seas, The Hideaway neighborhood combines the good vibes of beach club scenes around the world and uninterrupted ocean views. At the center of it all is the first suspended infinity pool at sea, surrounded by a multilevel terrace, whirlpools, a dedicated bar and a DJ.

December 2023 Perched at the top of Icon and Star of the Seas is the new AquaDome, a tranquil oasis by day and a vibrant hot spot by night. The transformational neighborhood is where guests can enjoy wraparound ocean views, a 55-foot-tall water curtain, restaurants, bars and the cruise line's marquee aqua shows at the next-level AquaTheater.

December 2023 In the reimagined Royal Promenade neighborhood on Icon and Star of the Seas is Royal Caribbean's largest and boldest ice arena, Absolute Zero. Every seat is the best seat in the house to watch cutting-edge technology and Olympic-level ice skaters merge to bring showstopping entertainment to life.

December 2023 The lineup of Sunset Suites on Icon and Star of the Seas is a new take on broadening horizons. Vacationers can enjoy every day's hues from inside or out while on their bed that faces the ocean and from their expansive balcony, including a wraparound balcony in the Sunset Corner Suite.

December 2023 In the Infinite Grand Suites on Icon andStar of the Seas,vacationers can unwind at their home away from home with stunning views from a living area that transforms into an extended open-air escape at the push of a button.

December 2023 The Panoramic Ocean View suites and rooms on Icon and Star of the Seas are among the best seats in the house. Vacationers can unwind at their home away from home with stunning perspectives of the sea, sky and destinations, thanks to wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling windows.

December 2023 The Family Infinite Balconies on Icon and Star of the Seas welcomes families of up to six to make memories together and find me time all the same. The spacious room features a separate bunk alcove for kids, a split bathroom design and an infinite balcony a living space that transforms into an extended open-air escape at the push of a button.

December 2023 Vacationers can leave compromise at the door in the Surfside Family Suites on Icon and Star of the Seas. Nestled in the Surfside family neighborhood, the rooms welcome a family of up to four guests. There's a cozy kids alcove, which transforms into a living space for all, along with a private balcony and Royal Suite Class perks.

December 2023 The Family Infinite Balconies on Icon and Star of the Seas invite families of up to six to make memories together and find me time all the same. The spacious room features a separate bunk alcove for kids, decked out with TVs, beds and space to hang out, a split bathroom design and an infinite balcony that turns into an open-air scape at the push of a button.

December 2023 Icon and Star of the Seas will feature the new Ultimate Family Townhouse. Spanning three levels, the perfect home away from home for families features an in-suite slide, a cinema space, karaoke, two balconies, a private entrance to the ultimate family neighborhood, Surfside, and more.

December 2023 Icon and Star of the Seas will debut the first Ultimate Family Townhouse. Spanning three levels, the perfect home away from home for families includes an in-suite slide, a cinema space, karaoke, a spacious balcony, a private patio and entrance to the ultimate family neighborhood, Surfside.

December 2023 Icon and Star of the Seas will debut the first Ultimate Family Townhouse. Spanning three levels, the perfect home away from home for families includes an in-suite slide, a cinema space, karaoke, a spacious balcony, a private patio and entrance to the ultimate family neighborhood, Surfside.

December 2023 Icon and Star of the Seas will debut the first Ultimate Family Townhouse. Spanning three levels, the perfect home away from home for families includes an in-suite slide, a cinema space, karaoke, a spacious balcony, a private patio and entrance to the ultimate family neighborhood, Surfside.

December 2023 The two-level Royal Loft Suite on board Icon and Star of the Seas is the ultimate in luxury. With more than 2,000 square feet, up to six vacationers can make kick back with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living area, a wraparound balcony with a whirlpool, a dining area and expansive ocean views.

More:

'TIS THE SEASON FOR STAR OF THE SEAS: ROYAL CARIBBEAN OPENS NEXT ICONIC VACATION - Royal Caribbean Press Center

Prostate Cancer in the Caribbean | Article – Cureus

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Prostate Cancer in the Caribbean | Article - Cureus