WW3: Russia as well as Iran set to restore historical tools deal in the middle of United States threats – Entertainment Overdose

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Irans foreign minister Javad Zarif confirmed a 20-year agreement would probably be renewed during a visit to Moscow on Tuesday. Mr Zarif did not confirm which deal he was talking about, but analysts think it is an oil and weapons pact that was signed at the start of the millennium.

The foreign minister said a long-term and strategic deal between Iran and Russia was on the cards, Anadolu Agency reports.

Mr Zarif was joined in Moscow by Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araqchi, while Russian officials included President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lvrov.

It mrks the second time the foreign minister hs visited Irn in month.

The oil nd wepons pct ws greed in 2001 between Vldimir Putin nd then-Irnin President Mohmmed Khtmi.

It ws the first time Russin nd Irnin hed of stte hd met in 40 yers, nd ment Russi would continue to sell rms to Irn.

READ: Grnt Shpps slms hostile Russi for not plying by the interntionl rule book

According to AA, ties between Russi nd Irn hve only gotten stronger since then, while Irns reltionship with the US hs declined.

The US hs lso been clling for the UN to renew n rms embrgo on Irn which is set to expire this October. Secretry of Stte Mike Pompeo climed Irn would be ble to purchse Russin fighter jets cpble of striking Rome or Wrsw if this were llowed to hppen.

However, the US is fcing pushbck from Irn, Russi, nd Chin which re ll rguing the embrgo is not necessry.

Regrding the embrgo, US Secretry of Stte Mike Pompeo sid: This chmber hs choice: Stnd for interntionl pece nd security, s the United Ntions founders intended, or let the rms embrgo on the Islmic Republic of Irn expire, betrying the UNs mission nd its finest idels, which we hve ll pledged to uphold.

DONT MISS:Boris Johnson to boost British security with US-style SPY LIST to counter Russi influence [REPORT]Irn defies Trumps wrnings by shipping gsoline crgos to Venezuel [REPORT]Mcron lly on the spot s BBC host dismntles unrelistic EU rescue pckge [INSIGHT]

The US hs lso thretened to impose UN snctions on Irn if the embrgo is not renewed under the terms of 2015 nucler del on Irn &ndsh; del which the US hs removed itself from.

However, Chins mbssdor to the UN, Zhng Jun, told UN council: Chin opposes the US push for extending the rms embrgo on Irn.

Mr Zrif sid: Do we mintin respect for the rule of lw, or do we return to the lw of the jungle by surrendering to the whims of n outlw bully?

Europen ntions in the UN hve lmbsted ntions on both sides of the rgument, criticising Irn for loosening its commitments to the2015 nucler del but greeing with Russi nd Chin tht the US does not hve the power to invoke snctions under del it is no longer prt of, Bloomberg reports.n>

French Ambssdor Nicols de Rivi&egrve;re sid Frnce would not support the US unilterl ctions, the news outlet dded.

Tensions were sprked between Irn nd the US in My this yer fter Irn delivered severl tnkers worth of petrol to Venezuel in defince of US snctions.

All of the tnkers rrived in Venezuel sfely mid wrnings ginst US interference.

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WW3: Russia as well as Iran set to restore historical tools deal in the middle of United States threats - Entertainment Overdose

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A guide to the Malta online gambling license – Yogonet International

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T

he Maltese online gambling license is one of the most sought after in the world. The gold standard of casino regulation, the license gives the holder an instant reputation boost and lets people know they mean business. But it comes at a price. With high application costs and gaming tax, it tends to be geared more towards big-name operators. Of course, it can still be a perfectly valid choice for smaller companies with a bit more capital behind them.

Why Malta?

The Republic of Malta sits in the Mediterranean Sea, equidistant between Sicily and the coast of North Africa. A former British colony, its workforce speaks English and Maltese, as well as Italian. Many also speak French, Germany, and various Nordic languages, due to the popularity of the online gambling industry.

It has a population of around 515,000 people over just 316km, making it one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Its economy was once based solely on tourism, a sector that thrives until this day. But now, financial services, corporate services, iGaming, bitcoin, blockchain, and other kinds of fintech have taken hold.

Malta offers a friendly business environment and great fiscal incentives including a full imputation taxation system which can bring the effective tax rate down to the single digits. Furthermore, Malta is a full-fledged EU Member State and is popular with all the big names in international online gambling.

Why do I need a license?

Any entity that wishes to conduct online gambling in any form, is required to hold a license to do so. Having a license allows you to open a payments account, get payment processors, and negotiate affiliate and advertising deals. Furthermore, it builds trust between the operator and the client which is key in such a competitive market.

If you operate without a license, you are breaking the law and can face prison, fines, or being barred from working in online gambling.

What are the requirements for the Maltese gaming license?

The Malta Gambling Authority which handles all licensing and supervisory matters are known for their stringent requirements. Applicants will need to provide identification, proof of address, criminal record checks, and references from their bank and professionals including a lawyer or accountant. In addition to this, they must prove they have the relevant experience to conduct the activity and they will undergo a fit and proper test.

A detailed business plan must be submitted as must details of all gaming software, hosting, third party contracts, and the Random Number Generation Certification. Applicants are also required to attend an in-person meeting with the Authority.

Applicants must also be aware of the obligations to conduct regular audits periodically, as well as to conduct them upon the request of the Authority.

What kind of licenses are there?

Up until two years ago, there were several different classes of license that could be obtained in Malta. The type of license depended on the type of games you planned to offer. The MGA then streamlined the process and created two options: B2B and B2C. There is no need for additional licenses or add ons, instead, the operator picks which class is suitable and which is sufficient.

Is it hard to get a Malta gambling license?

It is never easy to get an online gambling license as authorities want to be sure they are issuing them to reputable and honest companies. After all, it is in their best interests to keep the reputation of their jurisdiction intact. But some jurisdictions are harder than others.

There is a lot of time and paperwork involved in acquiring the Maltese license, as well as in-person interviews with regulators. KYC and due diligence are in-depth, and care needs to be taken to properly implement AML/CFT, responsible gaming, and underage gaming policies.

Malta is a member of the EU and as such, is bound by the 5th AML Directive which seeks to limit money laundering in the bloc. Maltese online gambling operators must adhere to these rules or risk penalties.

The whole process can take between 10-12 weeks to complete, as long as all documents are in order and submitted promptly.

What about taxes?

Malta levies a 35% corporate tax rate on all companies. The great thing is it also utilises a full imputation system whereby dividends distributed to shareholders are entitled to a tax credit that can be equal to the tax on the profits from which the dividends are paid. In other words, this can bring the effective tax rate down to as little as 5%.

It is also important to note that Malta levies additional gaming taxes on online gambling companies. These are based on annual gross gaming revenue and are laid out in a tiered system.

The last word

The Malta online gambling license is not for everyone but it is a license we suggest for established, multinational operators. For entrepreneurs and startups, we suggest the Curacao or Kahnawake license, but as these clients mature, we often assist with their acquisition of the Maltese license as well.

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A guide to the Malta online gambling license - Yogonet International

Revenue Giants Online Casinos Removed From Probation and Return to the Light Side – Latest Casino Bonuses

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Its never too late to mend! This is axiomatic not only of individuals who have strayed from the path of goodness (whatever that is) but also for online casino who may have, in the past, exhibited traits that we would call agreeable.

We are fortunate to announce the immediate release from the probation and back into the wilderness of iGaming of Revenue Giants group of casinos!

Thats right: RichCasino, 21 Dukes, CasinoMoons, 7Spins, 7Reels, Winward, Thebes, SlotsVillage and Vive Mon (thats NINE casinos!)

theyre all off the hook, pardoned, off the parole and returned into the realm of fairness and authentic genuine customer care!

The good news was originally announced on THIS THREAD, which was opened back in December 2017 - back when they were placed on parole, having been originally blacklisted.

You well may ask!

It all started out when the barrage of complaints and red flags were raised about groups practices regarding their T&Cs, payouts, cashout limits and pending times.

Needless to say, they were not commendable.

Terms and conditions were player unfriendly, payouts delayed or at least slow, washout limits low and pending times unnecessarily long.

The proof of these original complaints you can find in affiliate groups dedicated Direct Support thread.

LCB decided to act on the numerous protests by the members of our community examined their claims and found that, indeed, such practice was not to be tolerated.

We have continued to work with the group in order to help them improve their T&Cs and other weak points.

And then, in time, good things started to happen.

We began to see some improvements in T&Cs, customer service responsiveness and addressing complaints.

The withdrawal limits were increased to something tolerable and complaints were sorted in timely fashion.

As of late, all complaints have been successfully and willingly addressed by the casino staff - not that there have been many complaints in the first place. After a painstaking but efficient probation period - the casinos are all back to where they belong and can be trusted by players.

So there you have it - another tale of casino rehabilitation with a happy ending. We invite our members to continue sharing their feedback regarding these or any other casinos in the future so we can keep resolving unwanted situations in your favor.

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Revenue Giants Online Casinos Removed From Probation and Return to the Light Side - Latest Casino Bonuses

For those in Salem with depression, new clinic provides another resource for treatment – Salem Reporter

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People with treatment-resistant depression have been driving from Salem to Tigard for their special therapy sessions. In August, they can skip the long trip and get the care they need in south Salem.

Dr. Jonathan Horey, cofounder and chief medical officer, Active Recovery TMS. (Submitted photo)

People with depression that isnt easily treated soon won't have to drive for hours to access an innovative, FDA-approved therapy option.

On Aug. 3, Active Recovery TMS will open a new clinic in south Salem.

The Boulder Creek Clinic, located at 2525 12th St. S.E., will treat up to 40 patients per day when running at full capacity.

Active Recovery TMS currently has locations in Hillsboro, Portland and Tigard. Dr. Jonathan Horey, cofounder and chief medical officer, said Salem has long needed such a treatment facility. He noticed Salem patients driving to his Tigard location for care.

"Treatment is five days per week, and while each session lasts only 20 minutes, you have to drive there no matter how long the treatment sessions last," he said. "Our main motivation is to offer the treatment to those that don't have access yet."

TMS, or transcranial magnetic stimulation, was FDA approved for treatment-resistant depression in 2008. Medicare, Medicaid, and almost all commercial insurance plans cover TMS for major depressive disorder.

Even so, it's difficult for people with depression to find help in Oregon, Horey said.

Horey started Active Recovery with his brother in 2017, when he couldn't find a provider for a patient struggling with longstanding depression. His patient had tried 12 different medications, and he worked with Horey in weekly therapy sessions for three years with no improvement.

Horey wanted to help, and a business was born.

"He was my motivation to start this business," Horey said. "I didn't expect it to turn into this, but I'm really glad it has. It's been really nice to see what a great option it's been for people."

TMS uses electromagnetic pulses to stimulate the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, located on the left side of the head, right beneath the skull.

"That area of the brain has been shown to be less active in people with depression. So the idea with TMS is that we're trying to wake that area up and get it functioning the way it should. And once it's functioning, you don't need stimulation to keep it going," Horey said.

Treatment starts with an hour-long mapping session. Detailed notes guide future sessions, so technicians know just where to place the equipment, how much power to use, and how long each session should last. Weekly touchup sessions with doctors ensure that the therapy stays on track.

Therapy sessions don't hurt, Horey said, but they can be uncomfortable.

"What I always tell people is that I've tried it myself, because I wanted to see what it felt like. The best way I can describe it is 'strange.' It's a strange feeling but it's not painful. If it's painful, we can adjust it so it's not," he said.

Electromagnetic pulses can cause scalp muscles to twitch. Patients sometimes feel like they're being tapped on the head by an invisible hand, and some start to panic at the sensation. But most get used to it.

"I can count on one hand the number of patients that just couldn't tolerate it, and we've treated close to 300 now," he said.

TMS sessions compliment, but don't replace, conventional depression treatments such as therapy and medication.

Conventional treatments, including counseling, won't be available at the Salem clinic for now.

"The reason we've done that is that we want to offer this therapy as a way of helping providers and patients. We pride ourselves on working closely with providers. We're in regular communication with them, and we're just supplementing their meds and the therapy they're using," he said.

Horey said his patients often benefit from his treatment sessions. Most feel better in about three to five weeks. And most complete their TMS therapy in about nine weeks.

"The great thing about TMS is that we're treating people that have not had any success with those therapies. They've gone years feeling badly," he said. "To help them feel better in the course of six to eight weeks is, I hate to say miraculous, as it seems dramatic, but to them it certainly seems that way."

He said determining the success of his treatments is easier during the pandemic. When his patients report improvement, he's more likely to believe them.

"If you can feel really good during this time, with everything going on in the world, I'm pretty confident that you're getting better," he said.

Horey said he understands that some patients are leery of starting a new treatment during the current Covid outbreak.

"It's very hard for people right now, during a pandemic, to make decisions about what's most important. 'Do I stay inside and not expose myself to Covid, or do I get treated for mental health?' I would say those are not mutually exclusive," he said. "I would encourage people not to neglect their mental health."

The Salem staff will wear masks and gloves for appointments. All equipment will be sterilized between patients. And temperature checks will be performed before entry. Social distancing guidelines will be followed, too.

To make an appointment, call (503) 683-8438. No referrals are required.

Contact Salem Reporter with a news tip, story idea or question by email at [emailprotected]

SUPPORT ESSENTIAL REPORTING FOR SALEM- A subscription starts at $5 a month for around-the-clock access to stories and email alerts sent directly to you.Your support matters.GoHERE.

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For those in Salem with depression, new clinic provides another resource for treatment - Salem Reporter

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Penn Medicine: Launching the Region’s First Center for Translational Neuromodulation – UPENN Almanac

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Penn Medicine: Launching the Regions First Center for Translational Neuromodulation

The brain is one of the most complex systems in the body, controlling movement, memory, communication, emotion, thought, and more. Unfortunately, serious diseases and injuries such as stroke, dementia, and psychiatric disorders can impede and disable core functions in the brain. Now, thanks to recent advances in neuroscience, neuroengineering, and other converging fields, experts are exploring the use of neuromodulationnoninvasive brain stimulationto restore these functions in the brain, and Penn Medicine has launched a new center to study this science.

The Penn Brain Science, Translation, Innovation, and Modulation (brainSTIM) Center brings together a team of leading neuroscientists, neurologists, psychiatrists, psychologists, and engineers at Penn using neuromodulation techniques to research, repair, and enhance human brain functionthe first translational center of its kind in the region.

The brainSTIM Center is being led by Roy Hamilton, an associate professor of neurology and physical medicine and rehabilitation at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The center will be a hub for developing new treatments that use neuromodulationdirect stimulation of the brain with electrical signals or magnetsto reorder, reorganize, and restore brain function in patients suffering from various types of neurological disorders such as dementia and stroke and psychiatric disorders like anxiety.

Neuromodulation is a fascinating technologyits already successfully used to treat depression and weve led exciting research on brain stimulation and aphasia, a language disorder which impairs a persons ability to communicate. But this is just the tip of the iceberg, said Dr. Hamilton. Our driving goal is to investigate how cognition works in the neural networks of the brain, uncover how to enhance those functions, and ideally develop new simulation-based therapies for our patients.

The center uses a range of neuromodulation tools, including transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) techniques. By combining these technologies with advanced imaging tools, such as structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging, experts can explore key structure-function relationships in the brain that underlie human cognition and neural function.

Dr. Hamilton and fellow brainSTIM faculty members Branch Coslett, William N. Kelley Professor of Neurology, and John Medaglia, adjunct assistant professor of neurology at Penn and an assistant professor of psychology at Drexel University, are pursuing work funded by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders and the Department of Defense to determine whether transcranial direct current electrical stimulation (tDCS) of the brain can be used to slow the progression of language loss for those with primary progressive aphasia (PPA), a neurodegenerative condition that impairs communication ability.

Recent work from a team led by brainSTIM faculty Ted Satterthwaite, assistant professor of psychiatry, has shown that the functional networks of the brain responsible for self-control are highly variable in youth brain anatomy. They found that these networks are sculpted as adolescents develop into adulthood and are associated with individual differences in cognition. These personalized networks could be used to target neuromodulatory therapies in the developing brain.

Additionally, brainSTIM faculty Desmond Oathes, assistant professor of psychiatry, Danielle Bassett, J. Peter Skirkanich Professor of Bioengineering, and Dr. Satterthwaite are currently pursuing work funded by the National Institute of Mental Health to understand how TMS might improve working memory in healthy adults and those with ADHD by combining network control theory (a set of concepts and principles employed in engineering), magnetic stimulation of the brain, and functional brain imaging.

Over the past 20 years Ive witnessed remarkable advances in the ability of neuromodulation to influence brain circuits that drive functions, cognition, and behavior, added Dr. Hamilton. While these initiatives, and many others, are already underway at Penn, our hope is that the creation of the center will allow for even more collaboration and advancements, enabling us to provide more effective treatment options to our patients in the region and beyond.

For more information about the brainSTIM Center, visit https://www.med.upenn.edu/brainstimcenter/

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Penn Medicine: Launching the Region's First Center for Translational Neuromodulation - UPENN Almanac

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Texas coronavirus hot spots are moving targets – The Texas Tribune

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Need to stay updated on coronavirus news in Texas? Our evening roundup will help you stay on top of the day's latest updates. Sign up here.

The trip from the Rio Grande Valley to the Panhandle is too far to make in a helicopter. So earlier this week, when an intubated COVID-19 patient left Harlingen, near the states southernmost tip, for Amarillo, its northernmost metro area, hospital officials sent a fixed-wing airplane.

The South Texas hospital, inundated with a surge of sick and dying coronavirus patients, had tried sending the severely ill patient to closer facilities but Northwest Texas Healthcare System was the first hospital between them and us that had the capacity to take the patient, said Dr. Brian Weis, the Amarillo hospitals chief medical officer.

The journey of some 700 miles highlights the urgency of the coronavirus pandemic in South Texas hospitals and the huge variations across this sprawling state, where the scale of COVID-19 outbreaks varies as much from city to city as the climate.

Over the four months of Texas course of the coronavirus, early hot spots Amarillo among them have been eclipsed by new regions in crisis now, South Texas. But now that so much of Texas is battling major coronavirus outbreaks, some severely ill patients have to travel long distances to receive the care they need. And perhaps most alarmingly, even some relatively better-off areas are inching further toward crisis.

Experts say instead of large clusters tied to specific, enclosed locations, like meatpacking plants or nursing homes, they are increasingly seeing smaller outbreaks out in the community. Small gatherings of families and friends and summer visitors to tourist destinations are spreading disease. That behavior, particularly among young people, may be responsible for dozens of new hot spots that will be more difficult to eradicate.

Stretches of South Texas, especially the Rio Grande Valley and the Coastal Bend, have seen coronavirus infections spread so quickly in recent weeks as to push local hospitals to their limit. The four-county region that includes Harlingen has just 21 ICU beds still available for a population of about 1.4 million people, according to the latest state data, and ambulance operators have described wait times of up to 10 hours to deliver patients to packed emergency rooms.

Nueces County, which includes Corpus Christi, has become emblematic of the recent, rapid surge. In the pandemics early days, while the Amarillo region battled some of the states largest early outbreaks, Nueces County stayed relatively healthy, reporting fewer than 100 cases and three deaths before Texas stay-at-home order expired on April 30. But now the popular beachfront location has one of the fastest-growing outbreaks in the state, adding well over 2,000 new cases for each of the past two weeks.

With 2% of the population infected, or one in every 50 people, Corpus Christis county has more cases per capita than Harris or Dallas counties. Visitors and tourists were the main drivers of the initial outbreak, local officials say, though researchers say it remains unknown why its case counts are higher than those of other busy beachfront destinations.

Im born and raised here, and Ive never seen so many people coming here, Nueces County Judge Barbara Canales said about May and June. She has restricted vehicle access to beaches and is asking visitors: Let us heal and stabilize, we are at a critical breaking point. There are still people gathering in restaurants and on beaches, which worries Annette Rodriguez, director of the Corpus Christi-Nueces County Public Health Department.

Rodriguez said she thinks it hasnt hit some beachgoers that this is a pandemic that could affect any one of them at any time.

Last Friday, Nueces County Medical Examiner Adel Shaker was shocked to learn that a baby boy, less than 6 months old, had tested positive for COVID-19 and died shortly after.

Its not anything that anyone can be prepared to face, even with the best plan, he said.

The same day, Shaker had requested an additional refrigerated truck to store bodies, while the countys existing morgue was full. The mobile morgue is scheduled to arrive on Saturday, and will also house bodies from neighboring counties. Canales also wrote to the Texas Division of Emergency Management asking for additional staffing and personal protective equipment, as well as military resources, such as field hospitals.

I'm more frustrated that I can't figure out how to make a difference, how to actually get individuals to pay attention, Rodriguez said with a sigh. The county is 64% Hispanic, a higher proportion than the state average of 40%.

National data has shown that Black and Hispanic people are disproportionately affected by the virus. State data remains incomplete, but local snapshots indicate the trend is playing out in Texas, too. South Texas currently the hardest-hit region of the state has a larger share of Hispanic residents than many other regions.

In nearby Rockport, nearly one-quarter of the city staff including the police chief had tested positive for the virus on Thursday or was quarantining while awaiting test results, Mayor Pat Rios said. Local leaders have gone so far as to discourage tourists from visiting and close beaches to vehicles.

Its real painful, said Aransas County Judge Burt Mills. Its a terrible thing to have to do but I can only say that Im trying to keep the people of Aransas County safe.

Local hospital administrators say theyre optimistic that the rate of new hospitalizations is slowing, after taking extraordinary measures in recent weeks to expand ICU capacity, such as bringing in nurses from other parts of the state.

We are hopeful that we are starting to experience that flattening, said Dr. Sam Bagchi, chief clinical officer for CHRISTUS Health, the largest hospital system in the Coastal Bend.

But under projections from Chris Bird, a Texas A&M Corpus Christi life sciences professor who has modeled the regions outbreak, local hospitals may need to make space for 140 more critically ill COVID-19 patients by Aug. 14.

As of Friday, there were only three ICU beds available in the 12-county region that includes Corpus Christi and serves more than 630,000 people. Canales said all the Coastal Bend hospitals are already in surge capacity.

The good news, according to Bird, is that cellphone tracking data indicates that residents and visitors are now venturing out less, likely slowing the rate of infection.

As of last week, the White House Coronavirus Task Force designated almost half of Texas 254 counties as red zones an area that reports more than 100 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people in a single week, with at least 10% of tests coming back positive according to a report obtained by the nonprofit Center for Public Integrity. Those 123 "red zone" counties are home to some 23 million Texans the vast majority of the state's population.

That was a marked increase from the first week in July, when fewer than 90 Texas counties could be defined as red zones. The document, dated July 14, recommends that those areas mandate strict protective measures such as closing bars, gyms and limiting gatherings to 10 people or less.

Across Texas, only five counties all of them rural and with fewer than 1,600 residents each are still reporting no cases of COVID-19, a drop from 23 counties at the beginning of June.

Typically, rural and community hospitals transfer patients to urban hospitals for acute care. Now, those transfer patterns have completely flipped, said John Henderson, president of the Texas Organization of Rural and Community Hospitals, with smaller hospitals taking patients from urban centers.

In the Panhandle, the fear is that an early victory at reducing new daily infections may now give way to another outbreak. Amarillo once a source of pride for state leaders, who said their surge efforts helped the area turn the corner is bracing for a long outbreak as case counts begin to tick back up.

The Panhandle was one of the states early hot spots in the outbreak, with clusters of cases largely tied to prisons and cramped meatpacking factories, where a workforce of Hispanics and immigrants had little power to avoid the virus. The areas peak came in mid-April, Weis said, when most of the people in his ICU had been infected at a correctional facility.

In early May, state officials sent a surge team of health officials and emergency response workers to the Panhandle, rapidly increasing testing and revealing hundreds of undiagnosed cases. Weeks later Gov. Greg Abbott hailed the operation as a success, boasting that Amarillo would be a model for the states COVID-19 response.

Case counts stayed low in June, but theyre now on the rise again in the perfectly rectangular counties that make up the Amarillo area. And instead of a few facilities, the sources of those infections are more widespread.

Amarillo Public Health Director Casie Stoughton said this week that instead of one or two large outbreaks, were currently seeing many smaller clusters, indicating that were moving around quite a bit. There are lots and lots of gatherings, she said, and young people are a major source of the spread.

What were now seeing is true community-acquired COVID-19 which is almost more concerning, said Weis, chief medical officer for the Northwest Texas Health System.

Two weeks ago, there were just seven positive COVID-19 patients in the Amarillo hospital; by this week, that had more than tripled to 24. Earlier this week, a patient in their 30s died; now, the family of a patient in their 40s is considering withdrawing care.

The hospital has not yet initiated a surge plan, an emergency step that would allow them to staff more beds than usual. Weis said the ICU is tight.

The finish line is not close in sight, Amarillo Mayor Ginger Nelson said this week at a city meeting.

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Texas coronavirus hot spots are moving targets - The Texas Tribune

This Week in Coronavirus: July 17 to July 23 | KFF – Kaiser Family Foundation

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At almost 27 weeks since the first coronavirus case appeared in the United States, we have reached 4 million cumulative cases only 15 days after crossing 3 million. While cases are climbing at increasing rates and the economy continues to suffer, the debate around the safety and feasibility of reopening schools for in-person instruction continued this week, as state and local officials released their decisions around in-person or online learning and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its own guidance on reopening schools.

Amidst these developments, we released our latest poll, which found that parents overwhelmingly prefer that schools wait to restart in-person classes to reduce infection risk (60%) rather than open sooner so parents can work and students can return to the classroom (34%). Parents of color (76%) are even more likely than white parents (51%) to prefer that schools wait to return to in-person classes.

Increasing federal funding to state and local governments to help schools reopen safely was among the publics top priorities for Congress, with 55% saying it should be a top priority.

But as Congress finalizes negotiations around the next coronavirus stimulus package, 72% of the public say increasing federal funding to limit the spread of coronavirus including testing, contract tracing and personal protective equipment (PPE) should be a top priority for Congress. Its the highest-ranked priority in the poll, and the only one seen as a top priority by a majority of Democrats, Republicans, and independents.

The media and President Trump in his latest coronavirus briefings largely focused on the share of cases attributed to a younger population in the most recent resurgences in hotspot states, but our analysis highlights how continued community transmission has implications beyond increased cases. As of July 23, we identified 36 states that are now coronavirus hotspots based on cases and positivity rates increasing, or meeting specific thresholds. That means approximately 73.5% of the U.S. population is now living in a hotspot.

Long-term care (LTC) facility deaths in these hotspot states as of July 23 have risen at six times the rate as LTC deaths in non-hotspot states. Long-term care cases in Texas and Florida have increased by approximately 50% in two weeks. Adults 65 and older account for 16% of the US population but 80% of COVID-19 deaths in the US. Nearly half of all COVID-19 deaths have been in long-term care facilities.

Global Cases and Deaths: Total cases worldwide reached 15.5 million between July 16 and July 23 with an increase of approximately 1.7 million new confirmed cases. There were also approximately 43,600 new confirmed deaths worldwide between July 16 and July 23, bringing the total to 633,394 confirmed deaths.

U.S. Cases and Deaths: Total confirmed cases in the U.S. passed 4 million this week. There was an approximate increase of 463,000 confirmed cases between July 16 and July 23. Approximately 5,900 confirmed deaths in the past week brought the total to over 144,000 confirmed deaths in the U.S.

U.S. Tests: There have been over 48 million total COVID-19 tests with results in the U.S. In the past 7 days, 1.7% of the total U.S. population was tested.

Race/Ethnicity Data: As of this week, Black individuals made up a higher share of cases/deaths compared to their share of the population in 30 of 49 states reporting cases and 34 of 44 states reporting deaths. In 7 states (MI, TN, MO, IL, WI, KS, and NH), the share of COVID-19 related deaths among Black people was at least two times higher than their share of the total population.

Hispanic individuals made up a higher share of cases compared to their share of the total population in 35 of 45 states reporting cases and 10 of 44 states reporting deaths. In 8 states (NE, VA, WI, AR, IA, MN, TN, and SD), Hispanic peoples share of cases was more than 3 times their share of the population. COVID-19 continues to have a sharp, disproportionate impact on American Indian/Alaska Native as well as Asian people in some states.

State Reports of Long-Term Care Facility Cases and Deaths Related to COVID-19 (Includes Washington D.C.)

State COVID-19 Health Policy Actions (Includes Washington D.C.)

State Actions on Telehealth (Includes Washington D.C.)38 states overall have taken mandatory action expanding access to telehealth services through private insurers, including:

Link:

This Week in Coronavirus: July 17 to July 23 | KFF - Kaiser Family Foundation

What you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic on 23 July – World Economic Forum

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1. How COVID-19 is affecting the globe

The total number of confirmed cases around the world has surpassed another grim milestone, breaching the 15 million mark in the past 24 hours. Data from the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine show the death toll has now passed 623,000.

Switzerland has added more countries to its coronavirus hot-spot list, bringing the number to 42. Visitors from listed countries must go into quarantine for 10-days or face a fine of over $10,000.

Hong Kong has made face masks compulsory in all indoor spaces and on public transport. It reported 113 new coronavirus cases on 22 July, a single-day record.

COVID-19 has caused the UK to shrink its international aid budget by $3.7 billion. The countrys foreign minister said the UK would still meet its international development commitments.

The South Korean economy is in recession. GDP fell by 2.9% year-on-year, while exports sank to a 57-year low, the BBC reports.

In India, the annual Shri Amarnathji Yatra pilgrimage has been cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns. The Hindustan Times describes the Amarnath cave temple as one of the holiest shrines in Hinduism.

From 1 August, travel restrictions are being eased in Qatar. Visitors, citizens and permanent residents will be able to travel in and out of the country, Al Jazeera says.

2. Report: True COVID-19 death toll in South Africa could be greater

South Africa has been hit harder by the pandemic than any other African country. It has recorded 394,948 confirmed cases and 5,940 deaths.

But a new report suggests the death toll from COVID-19 could be even higher.

The South African Medical Research Council found by the second week of July, there were 59% more deaths from natural causes than would have been expected based on historical data.

South Africa has had the most cases of COVID-19 in Africa.

Image: Statista

3. WHO: Don't expect first COVID-19 vaccinations until early 2021

Early indications from coronavirus vaccine trials are broadly positive. But Dr Mike Ryan, head of the WHOs Health Emergencies Programme, has urged caution.

Dont expect a vaccine to become widely available until 2021, he warned during an event broadcast on social media. Realistically it is going to be the first part of next year before we start seeing people getting vaccinated, he said.

Hes not alone in warning that the world may have to be patient. Thomas Lingelbach, chief executive of the biotech company Valneva, told Sky News: "We are trying to bring a 10-year development cycle into 10 months. I hope that some will be faster but I don't expect personally that we're going to see major supplies before the middle of next year.

The US government has pledged to spend $1.95 billion buying 100 million doses of a potential vaccine being jointly developed by the US and Germany. The doses will be given to US citizens free-of-charge, the Financial Times reports.

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What you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic on 23 July - World Economic Forum

How An At-Home Test For COVID-19 Could Help Control The Pandemic : Shots – Health News – NPR

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Dr. Glenn Lopez administered a standard test for the coronavirus to Daniel Contreras at a mobile clinic in South Los Angeles last week. Though highly accurate, such tests can take days or more to process. Mario Tama/Getty Images hide caption

Dr. Glenn Lopez administered a standard test for the coronavirus to Daniel Contreras at a mobile clinic in South Los Angeles last week. Though highly accurate, such tests can take days or more to process.

Anybody who has waited for hours in line for a coronavirus test, or who has had to wait a week or more for results, knows there has to be a better way. In fact, the next generation of tests will focus on speed.

But what should the Food and Drug Administration do with a rapid test that is comparatively cheap but much less accurate than the tests currently on the market? A test like that is ready to go up for FDA approval, and some scientists argue it could be valuable despite its shortcomings.

At first blush, you wouldn't want a medical test to be pushing out untrustworthy results. And that's certainly the case for a medical diagnosis. But rapid test could be valuable if used to screen large numbers of people for infection repeatedly and frequently.

For example, some of the rapid tests under development don't detect the virus in a person who is in the early or late stages of infection they only catch an infection at its peak. Dr. Michael Mina at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health says that's OK, under certain circumstances.

"As long as you're using the test on a pretty frequent basis," Mina says, "you will be more likely than not to catch the person on the day they might go out and transmit. And they'll know to stay home."

To be useful, such tests need to be widely available and affordable, he says. "I envision a time when everyone can order a pack of 50 tests for $50 and have those and use them every other day for a couple of months."

When it comes to controlling the epidemic, that could be an appealing alternative to the current laboratory-based system, an overburdened process that has become a serious bottleneck. These days, some people are waiting a week or more for results, and by then they have potentially spread the virus to others.

Highly accurate at-home tests are probably many months away. But Mina argues they could be here sooner if the FDA would not demand that tests for the coronavirus meet really high accuracy standards of 80 percent or better.

A Massachusetts-based startup called E25Bio has developed this sort of rapid test. Founder and Chief Technology Officer Irene Bosch says her firm has field-tested it in hospitals. "What we learned is that the test is able to be very efficient for people who have a lot of virus," she says.

It's nowhere near as good at detecting low levels of virus. But you can have the most sensitive test in the world, she says, and if you only test people once a month, that test, too, will miss a lot of people who are infected. So, her company is focusing on quick, easy and cheap.

"These are very simple strips," she says. "They're [like] miniaturized pregnancy tests. So, you can imagine you can't find anything more simple than this."

The sample for this test would come via a swab of the nose or mouth. Results would be available within 15 minutes, according to the manufacturer. Most important is the price.

"The test has to be affordable. It cannot work if it's not affordable," Bosch says. "Right now it might cost $3 to make it [or] $4 to make it. So affordable will be what it costs."

E25Bio would like to set the price at cost, though for the start-up company to stay in business, Bosch says, the test would need a government subsidy. The company has a local partner that's poised to produce a million of these tests a week, she says, adding that another company in the United Kingdom is poised to produce 8 million tests a day.

E25Bio has asked the governor of Massachusetts to approve the rapid test for sale not for use at home just yet, but in pharmacies and out in the community.

To bring people back to work, or teachers and students back to the classroom safely, "this is the kind of test you need," Bosch says.

The company would like to pair the test with a smartphone app. The app would take a photo of the test result and upload it to a public database. The information would be stripped of personal details and precise location, but if people volunteered to take this step, she says, the public could crowdsource information about the spread of the coronavirus that would be useful to researchers. The information would also be available to public health authorities.

The company is in talks with the FDA about approving this test, even though it would be a departure for the federal agency, which has so far required a higher level of accuracy.

She isn't sure how the FDA is responding to the company's request. "This is a Pandora's box and this like is a black box," she says with a laugh.

In other words, the FDA doesn't want to take an action that backfires, and it also doesn't tend to reveal its thinking as it deliberates. The FDA told NPR that the agency weighs the benefits and risks of all coronavirus tests, but didn't elaborate on its thinking about this novel testing strategy.

"There's always a tradeoff here. There's no free lunch," says Trevor Martin, chief executive officer of the Bay Area biotech startup, Mammoth Biosciences. His company is also making a rapid test, based on the gene-editing technology CRISPR. Though CRISPR is best known for its ability to edit DNA, part of that process involves pinpointing specific sequences. And by targeting the coronavirus' genetic sequence, this approach can be highly accurate, he says.

"Our goal is to have a test that delivers extremely high-quality results with a single test. The same as you would get in a lab, or better," Martin says.

His company's test isn't likely to be on the market until the end of the year, which seems like the distant future, considering the pace of the epidemic. He agrees tests need to be affordable, but he didn't name a price range for the test.

Martin says precision has a place in controlling the epidemic, too. A test that can detect very low levels of virus is more likely to pick up someone with a mild infection, even in the absence of symptoms. And that's "super important if you want to prevent spread," he says.

Other labs are pursuing tests based on CRISPR as well. And two companies have temporary approval by the FDA to sell a rapid test that detects certain proteins antigens from the coronavirus. These antigen tests are less accurate than the standard PCR tests, which detect genetic material from the virus. The average wholesale price for antigen tests is in the $20 range. Such tests are currently in limited supply, and available at hospitals, medical clinics and some doctor's offices.

It's unlikely that there will be one single testing solution for the coronavirus, and the best blend of approaches is still a work in progress.

You can contact NPR Science Correspondent Richard Harris at rharris@npr.org.

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How An At-Home Test For COVID-19 Could Help Control The Pandemic : Shots - Health News - NPR

What Does The "Pepe The Frog" Meme Mean? | YourTango

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It's not as innocent as it looks!

I'm one of those people who needs to understand something new and interesting in its entirety. Until I do, I become obsessed with mining as much information as I can about whatever it may be.

So, when Ifound myself (somewhat obsessively) watching the news coverage in 2017 of an art installation known as He Will Not Divide Us created by Shia LaBeouf, Nastja Sde Rnkk, and Luke Turner "as a show of resistance or insistence, opposition or optimism, guided by the spirit of each individual participant and the community" I found myself baffled as several protestors from the Right continuously and aggressively held pictures of a cartoon frog up to the camera lens.

RELATED:What Does 'Fredo' Mean? What The Insult Directed At Chris Cuomo Actually Means

So, off to Google I went, where I then fell down a rabbit hole into the mystical realms of Wikipedia, Reddit, and the ever popular 4chan where I found myself waist-deep in the muddy trenches of hate surrounding "Pepe the Frog."

Let's start with the basics about Pepe.

The anthropomorphic frog was created in 2005 by Matt Furie for his comic blog on MySpace called Boy's Club. Pepe was shown urinating with his pants down while saying, "Feels good man," which became his catchphrase and propelled him to quickly achieve popular meme status.

By 2015, he even ranked number 6 "onDaily News and Analysis'list of the most important memes and was the most retweeted meme onTwitter."

Strangely, in 2016, the once innocent frog was co-opted by the alt-right with a goal, according to Hillary Clinton's official campaign website, of turning him intoa "symbol associated withwhite supremacy."

I know. A green frog. I was confused, too. But stay with me here.

It seems that during Donald Trump's presidential campaign, Trump himself re-tweeted a Pepe drawing featuring his own likeness. Donald Trump, Jr. and political consultant Roger Stone then tweeted a parody of the movie poster forThe Expendables, calling it, instead, The Deplorables,in reference to Hillary Clinton's slip of the tongue during campaigning.

Each movie character was replaced with people from Trump's very alt-right side, including uber-controversial figure Milo Yiannopoulos and alt-right Twitter users didn't waste time grabbing the frog to use as their symbol.

In September of 2016, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL)officially added Pepe to their hate symbol database.

According to their website:

"The Pepe the Frog character did not originally have racist or anti-Semitic connotations. Internet users appropriated the character and turned him into a meme, placing the frog in a variety of circumstances and saying many different things...The majority of uses of Pepe the Frog have been, and continue to be, non-bigoted...

In recent years, with the growth of the 'alt right'segment of the white supremacist movement, a segment that draws some of its support from some of the above-mentioned Internet sites, the number of 'alt right'Pepe memes has grown, a tendency exacerbated by the controversial and contentious 2016 presidential election...

However, because so many Pepe the Frog memes are not bigoted in nature, it is important to examine use of the meme only in context. The mere fact of posting a Pepe meme does not mean that someone is a racist or white supremacist. However, if the meme itself is racist or anti-Semitic in nature, or if it appears in a context containing bigoted or offensive language or symbols, then it may have been used for hateful purposes."

RELATED:The Spiritual Meaning Behind Dragonfly Dreams

Then, the ADLteamed up with creator Matt Furie tocreate and promote a campaign to take back Pepe #SavePepe.

Furieshared the following thoughts:We are in uncharted territory right now ... But I have to take some responsibility for him because hes like my kid or something ... Its the worst-case scenario for any artist to lose control of their work and eventually have it labeled like a swastika or a burning cross ... I had to step up and speak on the cartoon frogs behalf.

It's amazing how quickly the internet evolves, but this is the world in which we now live. So, if you happen to see the green frog, be aware that you may possibly be reading something from an alt-right supporter, and keep that in mind before you reply or re-tweet. (Looking at you, Kellyanne Conway!)

There's now a documentary about it.

Feels Good Man debuted this yearat the Sundance Film Festival. The documentary focuses on Furie and his journey with his character, Pepe.

Although many may be tired of the Pepe the Frog controversy by now, the film takes more of a look at Furie and the way the Internet used to be, and it's totally binge-worthy material. So, we'll be keeping an eye out for it to drop so we can plan a binge-watch.

RELATED:8 Jared Kushner Conspiracy Theories And Interesting Facts We Should All Know

Liza Walters is a writer who covers astrology, pop culture, and relationship topics.

Let's make this a regular thing!

Editor's Note: This article was originally posted on February 15, 2017 and was updated with the latest information.

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Preferences of polish people if it comes to gaming – Spiel Times

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Gaming has brought so much joy to many people that gamble. Games like online casinos and table games are very simple to play. We will talk about gaming, online casino games, and how to choose the best games for you.

Gaming and Online Casino Gambling: Overview

The birth of gaming and casino games has opened various interesting opportunities for business-minded individuals. Then came the establishment of bookmakers and online casino sites like;https://gameplanet.onet.pl/andhttps://www.totalcasino.pl/where you can make a lot of money.

There are certain requirements you need to fulfill before venturing into gambling in an online casino, they include:

Online Casino Games Explained

Games you can play in an online casino are of different types. That is to say, to have the chance of winning money at games, you will have to choose out of a plethora of online casino games available.

For example,Slots; These EGMs are a game of chance, and you will need the luck to win. It comes in various types of kinds like birds, Wheeler, and mechanics. Slots have areturn to player value(RTP) of about 85% to 95%.it is one of the most popular casino games.

We also have theBaccarat(Punto); This is a card game that can be played by extended players of 8. The best way to win at Punto is by deep thinking and edge sorting.

As forRoulette,to be successful in this casino game, you need bothluck and skill. Roulette has certain strategies which include martingale and labouchere. On the contrary, we havedicesometimes called craps. The absolute technique to win this game is pure luck.

Keno lotteryis a form of gambling that was introduced by China. If you are good at guessing, then you will have a shot at this traditional game.Live casino, popularly known as the live dealer is also a good online casino game. It is very interesting and allows gamers to interact with one another.

Last and not least,Blackjack and poker.These card games have various techniques that you can use to be successful. There are many types of poker:5card draw, razz, and 5-card study.

Criteria in Choosing Games to Gamble On

Playing games online or offline comes with doubts due to the number of games available. Before you start your journey gambling, beware of the following:

Before choosing a particular game to play, be aware of the ones that followyour skill patterns. If you are good at guessing, choose keno, choose dice if you are a lucky individual and if you are calculative and discerning go for blackjack or poker.

It is a thing of joy to always follow games that you like. Making money in your line of interest gladden ones heart. Therefore, choose the online games you love.

Before playing any particular games, make sure you have practiced well and have played ademo version. Practice makes perfection, always practice!!

Top Gambling Players in Poland

There are several ways to make money in Poland by gambling. There are also lots ofbookmakers and online casinoswhere you can make your money without stress.

Some popular polish casino players are;Oskar zeljazkowwho won about 500,000 euros in black Jack late last year. Others areDawid Bugajski,Alexander UrbaniakandArthur Nielgoazwhose combine winnings exceed5 million euros.

Register for your gambling options and online casino today!

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Preferences of polish people if it comes to gaming - Spiel Times

How Tech Has Improved the iGaming Market – UKTN

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Looking back at the history of gaming shows a significant shift in terms of the industry as a whole. Prior to the 1970s, nearly all games were played on a board and the thought of playing on a screen had not entered the mind of the consumer. However, in 1970 we saw the introduction of the first video game and arcade games were growing in popularity.

Into the 1980s and the development of home computers allowed people to enjoy playing video games in their own home. In the late 1990s and early 2000s mobile phones grew in popularity and people started to play games using their mobile device. This saw the introduction of applications and mobile phones is a great example of how tech has improved the iGaming markets.

One of the best live roulette sites, RouletteSites.org is a good example and here you will find reviews of the top online casinos offering live online roulette games. Even at the beginning of the century, no one could have imagined having such a great selection of roulette games that cannot only be played online but also with a live dealer spinning the wheel. You can even choose whether to play across multiple platforms such as on a desktop computer, laptop, tablet, or mobile phone.

Taking this one stage further and thanks to the continued development of technology it is now possible to enjoy live dealer roulette streams from land based casinos. For those who would like to be part of the action at a land based casino but cannot travel to the destination, live roulette streams are available online. You can choose to participate in the game or simply enjoy watching the live roulette stream, the choice is yours.

You only have to look at the influence of mobile technology on the travel and retail industry to gain an understanding of just how big a development it has been over the years. The same applies to iGaming and anyone who is releasing a new online casino knows they must offer a mobile version of their website at the very least. In fact, thanks to the technology in place it has become incredibly simple to transfer a gaming website into a mobile application. You will even find that some online gaming websites have been created specifically for mobile devices, that is how big a market it has become.

A look back at the data in 2012 shows mobile gaming rose by 75%, which is a massive increase and highlights just what advancements in technology can do to the iGaming industry.

Foodtech startup Grocemania announces nationwide expansion

Of course, none of this would be possible without the power of the internet. Many people were already switching from playing at land-based casinos to those available online. The majority of people in developed countries around the world have access to a good internet connection. That has allowed iGaming companies to reach more people than ever before and provide a high-quality gaming experience knowing they can rely on the internet to deliver the experience smoothly.

Going back to the early days of the internet being introduced to the general public, a modem was required and this had to be connected to the phone line. If you had just a single phone line in your home you could use the internet but no one would be able to contact you via the telephone. The connection using this method was often slow and unreliable. You would have been taking a big risk betting real money on casino games back then as your game could easily begin to buffer or the connection could drop meaning you were missing out on the action.

Thankfully, we now live in an age where it is extremely unlikely you are going to suffer from buffering or lose the connection when playing games online.

There are other ways tech has improved the iGaming market, one of which is the variety of games available to play. Thanks to new technological developments, game designers have been able to produce new and innovative ways to play games. It has become impossible to track all of the different online casino games available today due to the sheer volume and variation of games being released. Slots, video poker, jackpots, roulette, baccarat, poker, blackjack, bingo, virtual sports, and even virtual reality games are all common place today.

Virtual reality gaming is one of the latest innovations and allows you to enter your own casino and enjoy a wide range of real money games. Considering how tech has improved the iGaming market in the last 20 years, the next decade is going to be extremely exciting.

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How Tech Has Improved the iGaming Market - UKTN

Teens are playing Russian roulette with their lives by taking 20 hits of hippy crack a day – The Sun

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BORED teens are playing Russian roulette with their lives by taking up to 20 hits of hippy crack a day, an MP has warned.

Labours Rosie Duffield is urging ministers to ban the sale of dangerous nitrous oxide to under-25s to tackle the deadly scourge.

2

She warned that youngsters are flocking to beaches and parks in their droves to get high on the drug leaving silver canisters everywhere.

The Canterbury MP warned: Kids dont know what they are doing, they think it is harmless.

But its like Russian roulette you could be the person who loses their life.

The police say kids are taking up to 20 a day, to keep feeling that high.

But this is more dangerous than most people realise.

Nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas or hippy crack, has been used as an anaesthetic for many years.

It was banned as a recreational drug in 2016, but is easily available to buy online as it is used to whip up cream and make 99 ice creams.

As lockdown has eased, parks and beaches across Britain have been strewn with the silver capsules and balloons used to inhale the drug.

Ms Duffield, who will hold a debate on hippy crack in the Commons later urged No10 to toughen up the law.

She said: You can get a little canister pack of 24 because people use it to whip up cream and in catering.

It should be restricted to over 25s with ID, because if you have just come out of school and you are heading to the beach you dont want to whip up cream.

I am worried about more and more unexplained deaths.

"It is so readily available and so cheap the danger is we just dismiss it as a socially acceptable legal high.

ON THE OTHER HANDGloves could be made compulsory for public after face masks warns govt

YEAR OF COVIDVirus will be in UK next year as PM says we could've done things differently

BREXIT HOPEAngela Merkel 'will help Britain bag a Brexit deal by September'

TAKE OFFBrits who've booked summer hols will have their passport applications fast-tracked

MASK OFFOfficial exemption card for face masks rolled out to stop abuse

Exclusive

HELL-IDAYSBrits in Spain facing threat of quarantine on return as virus surge hits country

And it isnt.

A Home Office spokesman said: The Government made it illegal to supply nitrous oxide for its psychoactive effects, with offenders facing a maximum sentence of seven years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

Were giving police forces the resources they need to do their vital work, and we have also introduced public space protection orders so local authorities have tighter control over the consumption of these substances in public spaces.

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Teens are playing Russian roulette with their lives by taking 20 hits of hippy crack a day - The Sun

Casino Games with the Best Odds – UnderScoopFire

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You might go into a casino or log into one if youre playing online with the idea that youre going to win a fortune. Or you might think that there is no chance of winning since it is the casino that always has the upper hand. Either way, youre thinking wrong. Thats because, although the house does tend to have the upper hand, that doesnt mean you will never win in fact, some games at http://www.kingcasino.com have pretty good odds and that chances of you coming away with a profit are fair at the very least.

Thats why its important to know which casino games have the best odds before you start playing. If youre there just for fun and you have a set budget that you dont mind losing then perhaps its not of interest, but if youd like to give yourself the best chance of winning, here are the games you should be playing.

Blackjack is a simple game with only a handful of rules and its easy to get the hang of it quickly. The goal of the game is to get closer to a score of 21 across your cards than the dealer. The reason why this game makes the list is that it has a low house edge lower than most other games in the casino. This means that the chances of a player winning are higher.

Not only that, but blackjack is a fun game, and that makes its appeal even stronger. Not all games are quite so riveting and entertaining, so if you can make your chances of winning bigger and you can enjoy yourself at the same time, youre doing well.

Roulette may look the same to an outsider when they are watching, but there are actually a number of different variations, and each has different odds. French roulette is the version that offers players the best chance of winning. This game is the same as European roulette in terms of the wheel that is used (there are 36 numbers and a single zero, as opposed to American roulette which has a double zero), but there are differences in the rules and this is what changes the odds in the favour of the player.

If you play French roulette, half of your bet is returned to you if the ball lands in the zero and you lose an outside bet. The term for this is la partage. Plus there is the en prison rule which means, if you lose, you can choose to play double or nothing and try again.

Slots are something that anyone who has ever visited a casino, online or offline, will have encountered. They are likely to be the very first game that anyone plays as they are so prominently displayed for some, they are the only games to play because they offer all the excitement of plenty of other casino games for much less risk and much better odds.

With slots, your budget will go a long way and you can play for much longer (for less money) than most other casino games will allow. Add that to an average RTP of 97 percent, and its no wonder slots are perhaps the most loved of all casino games.

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Casino Games with the Best Odds - UnderScoopFire

Fifth Amendment | Wex | US Law | LII / Legal Information …

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Fifth Amendment: An Overview

TheFifth Amendmentof theU.S. Constitutionprovides, "No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation."

The clauses incorporated within the Fifth Amendment outline basic constitutional limits on police procedure. The Framers derived the Grand Juries Clause and the Due Process Clause from the MagnaCarta, dating back to 1215. Scholars consider the Fifth Amendment as capable of breaking down into the following five distinct constitutional rights: 1) right to indictment by the grand jury before any criminal charges for felonious crimes, 2) a prohibition on double jeopardy, 3) a right against forced self-incrimination, 4) a guarantee that all criminal defendants have a fair trial, and 5) a guarantee that government cannot seize private property without making a due compensation at the market value of the property.

While the Fifth Amendment originally only applied to federal courts, the U.S. Supreme Court has partially incorporated the 5th amendment to the states through the Due Process Clause of theFourteenth Amendment.The right to indictment by the Grand Jury has not been incorporated, while the right against double jeopardy, the right against self-incrimination, and the protection against arbitrary taking of private property without due compensation have all been incorporated to the states.

Grand Juries

Grand juriesare a holdover from the early British common law dating back to the12th century.Deeply-rooted in the Anglo-American tradition, the grand jury was originally intended to protect the accused from overly-zealous prosecutions by the English monarchy.In the early phases of the development of the U.S. Constitution, the Founding Fathers have decided to retain the Grand Jury system as a protection against over-zealous prosecution by the central government.Although the Supreme Court in Hurtado v. California in 1884 has refused to incorporate the Grand Jury system to all of the states, most states have independently decided to retain a similar form of Grand Jury, and currently, all but two states (Connecticut and Pennsylvania) have the grand jury.

Congressional statutes outline the means by which a federal grand jury shall be impaneled. Ordinarily, the grand jurors are selected from the pool of prospective jurors who potentially could serve on a given day in any juror capacity. At commonlaw, a grand jury consists of between12 and 23 members. Because the Grandjurywas derived from the commonlaw, courts use the commonlaw as a means of interpreting the Grand Jury Clause. While state legislatures may set the statutory number of grand jurors anywhere within the commonlaw requirement of 12 to 23, statutes setting the number outside of this range violate the Fifth Amendment. Federal law has set the federal grand jury number as falling between16 and 23.

A person being charged with a crime that warrants a grand jury has the right to challenge members of the grand juror for partiality or bias, but these challenges differ from peremptory challenges, which a defendant has when choosing a trial jury. When a defendant makes a peremptory challenge, the judge must remove the juror without making any proof, but in the case of a grand juror challenge, the challenger must establish the cause of the challenge by meeting the same burden of proof as the establishment of any other fact would require. Grand juries possess broad authority to investigate suspected crimes. They may not, however, conduct "fishing expeditions" or hire individuals not already employed by the government to locate testimony or documents. Ultimately, grand juries may make a presentment, informing the court of their decision to indict or not indict the suspect.If they indict the suspect, it means they have decided that there is a probable cause to believe that the charged crime has indeed been committed by the suspect.

Double Jeopardy

The Double Jeopardy Clause aims to protect against the harassment of an individual through successive prosecutions of the same alleged act, to ensure the significance of an acquittal, and to prevent the state from putting the defendant through the emotional, psychological, physical, and financial troubles that would accompany multiple trials for the same alleged offense. Courts have interpreted the Double Jeopardy Clause as accomplishing these goals by providing the following three distinct rights: a guarantee that a defendant will not face a second prosecution after an acquittal, a guarantee that a defendant will not face a second prosecution after a conviction, and a guarantee that a defendant will not receive multiple punishments for the same offense. Courts, however, have not interpreted the Double Jeopardy Clause as either prohibiting the state from seeking a review of a sentence or restricting a sentence's length on rehearing after a defendant's successful appeal.

Jeopardy refers to the danger of conviction. Thus, jeopardy does not attach unless a risk of the determination of guilt exists. If some event or circumstance prompts the trial court to declare a mistrial, jeopardy has not attached if the mistrial only results in minimal delay and the government does not receive addedopportunityto strengthen its case.

Self-Incrimination

The Fifth Amendment also protects criminal defendants from having to testify if they may incriminate themselves through the testimony. A witness may "plead the Fifth" and not answer if the witness believes answering the question may be self-incriminatory.

In the landmarkMiranda v. Arizonaruling, the United States Supreme Court extended the Fifth Amendment protections to encompass any situation outside of the courtroom that involves the curtailment of personal freedom. 384 U.S. 436 (1966). Therefore, any time that law enforcement takes a suspect into custody, law enforcement must make the suspect aware of all rights.Known asMirandarights, these rights include the right to remain silent, the right to have an attorney present during questioning, and the right to have a government-appointed attorney if the suspect cannot afford one.

However, courts have since then slightly narrowed the Miranda rights, holding that police interrogations or questioning that occur prior to taking the suspect into custody does not fall within the Miranda requirements, and the police are not required to give the Miranda warnings to the suspects prior to taking them into custody, and their silence in some instances can be deemed to be implicit admission of guilt.

If law enforcement fails to honor these safeguards, courts will often suppress any statements by the suspect as violating the Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination, provided that the suspect has not actually waived the rights. An actual waiver occurs when a suspect has made the waiver knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily. To determine if a knowing, intelligent and voluntary waiver has occurred, a court will examine the totality of the circumstances, which considers all pertinent circumstances and events. If a suspect makes a spontaneous statement while in custody prior to being made aware of theMirandarights, law enforcement can use the statement against the suspect, provided that police interrogation did not prompt the statement.The Fifth Amendment right does not extend to an individual's voluntarily prepared business papers because the element of compulsion is lacking.Similarly, the right does not extend to potentially incriminating evidence derived from obligatory reports or tax returns.

To be self-incriminating, the compelled answers must pose a substantial and real, and not merely a trifling or imaginary hazard of criminal prosecution.

After Congress passed the Crime Control and Safe Streets Act, some felt that the statute by implication overruled the requirements ofMiranda. Some scholars also felt that Congress constitutionally exercised its power in passing this law because they felt thatMirandarepresented a matter of judicial policy rather than an actual manifestation of Fifth Amendment protections. InDickerson v.UnitedStates,the U.S. Supreme Court rejectedthis argumentand held that the Warren Court had directly derivedMirandafrom the Fifth Amendment.

Due Process Clause

The guarantee ofdue processfor all persons requires the government to respect all rights, guarantees, and protections afforded by the U.S. Constitution and all applicable statutes before the government can deprive any person of life, liberty, or property.Dueprocess essentially guarantees that a party will receive a fundamentally fair, orderly, and just judicial proceeding. While the Fifth Amendment only applies to the federal government, the identical text in the Fourteenth Amendment explicitly applies this due process requirement to the states as well.

Courts have come to recognize that two aspects of due process exist: procedural due process andsubstantive due process.The proceduraldue processaims to ensure fundamental fairness by guaranteeing a party the right to be heard, ensuring that the parties receive proper notification throughout the litigation, and ensures that the adjudicating court has the appropriate jurisdiction to render a judgment. Meanwhile, substantive due process has developed during the20thcentury as protecting those substantive rights so fundamental as to be "implicit in the concept of ordered liberty."

Just Compensation Clause

While the federal government has a constitutional right to "take" private property for public use, the Fifth Amendment's Just Compensation Clause requires the government to pay just compensation, interpreted as market value, to the owner of the property, valued at the time of the takings. The U.S. Supreme Court has defined fair market value as the most probable price that a willing butunpressuredbuyer, fully knowledgeable of both the property's good and bad attributes, would pay. The government does not have to pay a property owners' attorney's fees,unless a statute so provides.

In2005, in Kelov.Cityof New London, the U.S. Supreme Court had rendered a controversial opinion in which they held that a city could constitutionally seize private property for private commercial development, where the redevelopment would economically benefit an area that was sufficiently distressed to justify a program of economic rejuvenation. 545 U.S. 469 (2005). However, after the Kelo decision, some state legislatures passed statutory amendments to counteract Kelo and expand protection for the condemned. See e.g., Condemnation by Redevelopment Auth. of Fayette Certain Land in Brownsville Borough v. Redevelopment Auth., 152 A.3d 375, 376 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2016). Nevertheless, Kelo remains a valid law under the federal context, and its broad interpretation of "public use" still holds true under the federal protection for the Fifth Amendment right to just compensation.

Last Edited by Elvin Egemenoglu, February2020

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5th Amendment – Definition, Examples, Cases, Processes

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The term 5th Amendment refers to the more well-known aspect of the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which states that no one can be forced to testify against himself in court. The 5th Amendment also ensures that no one can be tried a second time for a crime of which they were already acquitted. This is referred to as double jeopardy. To explore this concept, consider the following 5th Amendment definition.

Noun

Origin

1791 American Constitution

The 5th Amendment is the amendment to the Constitution that protects people from being forced to testify against themselves. On legal television shows, a character may say I plead the fifth! This means that he is invoking his right under the Fifth Amendment to not be forced to say anything on the stand that could incriminate him.

Unfortunately, while it is a persons right to plead the fifth, many believe that someone who pleads the 5th may, in fact, be guilty. Their opinion is that, if he has nothing to hide, why wouldnt he just testify and clear his name? Why would he make it harder for the attorneys to prove their case unless he had something he didnt want them to know.

The 5th Amendment also protects people from something called double jeopardy. Double jeopardy is the process by which a person who was accused of a crime, and found innocent, would then be charged with that same crime again. The 5th Amendment prevents this from happening. Once a person is found innocent by a jury of his peers, even if new evidence is raised after the fact that proves he is actually guilty, he cannot be tried again for that same crime.

The Fifth Amendment right to counsel provides that someone who is being interrogated by police has the right to have an attorney present during the process. This goes hand-in-hand with someone being read his Miranda rights (If you do not have an attorney, one will be provided for you.). In fact, the Fifth Amendment also requires that someone who is being arrested be read his Miranda rights (More on that later).

The right to counsel section of the Fifth Amendment has been invaluable to those who have been charged with a crime. Entire cases have been thrown out when defendants lawyers have shown that their clients werent read their Miranda rights upon being arrested.

For example, the 5th Amendment protects a defendant who provides police with information during an interrogation, which happened after not being read his Miranda rights. In such a case, all of the information he gave to the police can be considered inadmissible and thrown out even if he confessed to the crime.

This is why the right to counsel is so important. Without a good lawyer by his side, a defendant might not even know that certain evidence may be inadmissible, which is crucial to whether his case proceeds or gets thrown out.

There is an equal protection clause in the 5th and 14th Amendments that protects U.S. citizens right to life, liberty and property without interference from the government. For example, the 5th Amendment states:

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

This section covers three equal protection clause rights in particular:

On the other hand, the 14th Amendment says that all persons born in the U.S., or provided with U.S. citizenship, are to be considered U.S. citizens, and no one can make a law that deprives a person of his right to life, liberty and property without due process of law. Due process of law is the entitlement that all U.S. citizens have to be treated fairly in the judicial system. Fair treatment includes, for instance, the right to a trial by jury upon being accused of a crime.

Both amendments are similarly worded with regard to their treatment of the equal protection clause. The main difference between them is that the 14th Amendment is more specific with regard to the inclusion of due process. With the 5th Amendment, due process takes place within the court system. With the 14th Amendment, however, due process is a natural right that protects American citizens from government interference with their ability to live their lives, unless what theyre doing is illegal.

For example, the 14th Amendment further protects a persons right to freedom of speech under the Bill of Rights to the Constitution. Therefore, while a protestor may anger a lot of people by burning the American flag, he has the right to do so under the 14th Amendment. What he is doing is not illegal, and therefore the government cannot interfere.

An example of the 5th Amendment at work can be found in the case that started it all when it comes to Miranda rights: Miranda v. Arizona. In 1966, Ernesto Miranda was arrested in Phoenix, Arizona on evidence that supposedly proved he was involved in a crime involving kidnapping and rape. After an interrogation that dragged on for hours, Miranda confessed to the charges. He also signed a statement acknowledging that he was voluntarily making the confession.

At no point before or during the interrogation was Miranda made aware of the fact that he had the right to have counsel present during the interrogation. He was also unaware of the fact that he had the right to remain silent, and he did not know that the statements he was making could be used against him during his trial. Upon learning this, he objected to the usage of his written confession at trial. He argued that because he was unaware of his rights under the 5th Amendment, his confession must be thrown out as involuntary.

Mirandas objection was overruled, and he was convicted of both crimes and sentenced to 20-30 years in prison. His written confession played a major role in his conviction. Miranda appealed his conviction, once again citing the involuntarily-made confession. The Arizona Supreme Court denied his appeal.

In June 1966, Miranda brought his case to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Court then had to decide whether the protections afforded to U.S. citizens under the 5th Amendment could be extended to cover police interrogations as well. The Court ruled in Mirandas favor, 5 4. Specifically, the Court held that:

The prosecution may not use statements, whether exculpatory or inculpatory, stemming from questioning initiated by law enforcement officers after a person has been taken into custody or otherwise deprived of his freedom of action in any significant way, unless it demonstrates the use of procedural safeguards effective to secure the Fifth Amendments privilege against self-incrimination.

The Court also included more detailed criteria to support this argument, including:

The atmosphere and environment of incommunicado interrogation as it exists today is inherently intimidating, and works to undermine the privilege against self-incrimination. Unless adequate preventive measures are taken to dispel the compulsion inherent in custodial surroundings, no statement obtained from the defendant can truly be the product of his free choice.

And

The privilege against self-incrimination, which has had a long and expansive historical development, is the essential mainstay of our adversary system, and guarantees to the individual the right to remain silent unless he chooses to speak in the unfettered exercise of his own will, during a period of custodial interrogation.

Related Legal Terms and Issues

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5th Amendment - Definition, Examples, Cases, Processes

Drivers and Restraints of Gene Therapy for Ovarian Cancer Market Research Report 2020 Top Compnaies Include, Takara Bio, VBL Therapeutics, CELSION,…

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Gene Therapy for Ovarian Cancer Market report involves all together a different chapter on COVID 19 Impact. The Covid-19 (coronavirus) pandemic is impacting society and the overall economy across the world. The impact of this pandemic is growing day by day as well as affecting the supply chain. The COVID-19 crisis is creating uncertainty in the stock market, massive slowing of supply chain, falling business confidence, and increasing panic among the customer segments. The overall effect of the pandemic is impacting the production process of several industries including Life Science, and many more. Trade barriers are further restraining the demand- supply outlook. nicolas.shaw@cognitivemarketresearch.com or call us on +1-312-376-8303.Download The report Copy form the webstie: https://cognitivemarketresearch.com/medical-devicesconsumables/gene-therapy-for-ovarian-cancer-market-report

The major players profiled in this report include: Takara Bio, VBL Therapeutics, CELSION, Targovax

Market segment by type can be split into: Intravenous, Intratumoral, Intraperitoneal

Market segment by the application can be split into: Ovarian Cancer (unspecified), Recurrent Ovarian Epithelial Cancer, Platinum Resistant Ovarian Cancer

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Drivers and Restraints of Gene Therapy for Ovarian Cancer Market Research Report 2020 Top Compnaies Include, Takara Bio, VBL Therapeutics, CELSION,...

Christopher Bray: Of liberty and masks – a trade-off that will help save lives, maybe your own – Brattleboro Reformer

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By Christopher Bray

If government makes you wear a face mask to help ward off the spread of the coronavirus, has it trampled on your freedom, your personal liberty?

If government decides, instead, to forgo a legally enforceable mandate on mask wearing, has it trampled on your right or your neighbors' to stay healthy, to keep a job, to benefit from the right to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness"?

This is the paradox of personal liberty, which George Washington clearly understood when he transmitted the newly drafted Constitution to Congress more than two centuries ago.

Liberty, he and the other founders recognized, is the freedom we give to each other by surrendering a little bit of our own. "Individuals entering into society," Washington wrote, "must give up a share of liberty to preserve the rest."

This paradox is as true now as it was then. And COVID has made that clear.

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There is no such thing as absolute liberty; it's only obtained by surrendering some personal freedom to society, as society then becomes the guarantor of one's set of limited liberties. The alternative absolute liberty means stepping away from one's community to become entirely self-sufficient. Through community, we gain limited liberty in exchange for mutual benefits.

These mutual benefits provide for thousands of things that no one of us could afford on our own: schools, hospitals, roads and bridges, public transit, police, fire, rescue, parks and wilderness areas, and much more things we can afford by acting in community.

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And to help us function well together as a community, we agree to rules, many of which balance personal freedom with the freedoms of others, including the freedom from harm that our actions might produce for others.

We all know this trade-off well: it's why we agree to drive on the right side of the road, obey speed limits, and invest in our communities by paying taxes.

Unless you intend to isolate yourself entirely, you are not going to keep coronavirus away. Someone with it need only breathe on you to pass it along. But you can help prevent yourself from spreading the disease to others by wearing a mask. And when everyone around you does the same thing, they have protected you. It's like freedom: you yield something to your community and gain something otherwise virtually unattainable.

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Right now, it's time for all of us to please wear a mask. It's time for a mandatory masking law in Vermont. It's time "to give up a share of liberty to preserve the rest."

And when we all step up in this very modest way, yes, we will have given away a little bit of freedom, and we will gain far, far more: the freedom of living as best we can with this disease amongst us.

Wear a mask.

Help save lives in your community maybe, even, your own.

State Sen. Christopher Bray, a Democrat, represents the Addison District. The opinions expressed by columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of the Brattleboro Reformer.

If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us. We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.

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Christopher Bray: Of liberty and masks - a trade-off that will help save lives, maybe your own - Brattleboro Reformer

New mural brightens Benkard and Liberty in Newburgh – Times Herald-Record

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Lana Bellamy|Times Herald-Record

CITY OF NEWBURGH - Vibrant, loudcolorsin a mural of the Hudson Highlands stretchacrossthe side of Simple Gifts and Goodies, calling out to drivers and walkers nearBenkard Avenue.

Shop owner Nancy Colas walked outside Tuesday morningand thoughtfully placed her hands on the painting.

"We have to grow where we're planted," said Colas, a Haitian immigrantwho worked hard to open her business on her own.

The mural painted byNelson Cekis Rivasat the corner of Benkard Avenue and Liberty Street was completed on Sunday.

It pays homage to the history of Esopus people who inhabited the area,but italso brings to mind the beauty and struggle ofgrowth needed to bloom, like the colorfulbrush featured in the painting, noted Anusha Mehar, founder and director of Panja Culture and Wellness Studio.

"It makes such a difference, especially in this climate where we're outside the space of communion in this moment," said Mehar."We're not able to join inside in the ways we have in the past."

Mehar helped secure a small grant from the Orange County Arts Council and coordinate logistics for the "medicine mural."

In the era of the coronavirus pandemic, Mehar said, "(We've) just started looking at new and old ways to publicly proclaim space that is joyful, as an act of resistance, and colorful and vibrant, representing the beautiful, diverse cultural tapestry that is Newburgh and our neighborhood on Benkard and Liberty...."

Mehar hopes to continue programming in the space near the mural with different wellness initiatives.

She was a co-producerfor the Newburgh Mural Project in 2012 that created four murals at different entry points to the city, including the murals at the underpass on South Street and onColden Street.

"What is beautiful about it is once you create something like a mural, it doesn't belong to you anymore, not you the artist, not you the owner of the building, not you the person who produced the project," Mehar said."It belongs to the people...."

Mehar has started fundraising for the next mural project at panjaculture.com. Shedoesn't want the cost of painting a mural to deter anyone from these projects, noting that Panja is there to help support these initiatives.

lbellamy@th-record.com

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New mural brightens Benkard and Liberty in Newburgh - Times Herald-Record

Liberty Hill Foundation: UCLA Luskin researchers find emPOWER outreach campaign led by community-based organizations successful in reaching areas of…

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LOS ANGELES, July 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Low-income households in California face larger energy, transportation and water affordability burdens than other populations in terms of the percentage of the household income spent on utilities. Yet the existence of a number of environmental benefit programs provided by state and local agencies does not ensure that these households benefit from them.

A new pilot program designed to enable low-income households across Los Angeles County to realize more fully those benefits is off to a good start, according to a new report by the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation (LCI). The purpose of the LCI report is to provide an evaluation of the first year of the campaign, including its equity implications, the effectiveness of its outreach and areas for growth.

"The pilot stage's reach to the most environmentally-disadvantaged communities in the region was undeniably a success," said Gregory Pierce, associate director of the center and lead author of the program evaluation titled, "emPOWER: A Scalable Model for Improving Community Access to Environmental Benefit Programs in California." The report was co-authored by Rachel Connolly, a graduate student researcher at the Luskin Center for Innovation.

The emPOWER outreach campaign was launched in 2019, with Liberty Hill Foundation, a Los Angeles-based social justice philanthropic organization, serving as regional hub administrator. Through existing community relationships, Liberty Hill funded eight community-based organizations (CBOs) across the county to connect low-income residents with a suite of environment-related financial assistance programs, including those offering clean and affordable energy and clean transportation. These incentive programs provide benefits including but not limited to utility bill savings, zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) incentives and energy efficiency home upgrades.

The platform was launched to realize opportunities via community relationships and to address longstanding public health issues in environmental justice communities. mark! Lopez, the executive director of one of the CBOs, East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice, explains the importance of this neighborhood engagement in Southeast Los Angeles County.

"When our folks have limited income, that reduction [in cost] is everything," says Lopez. "That reduction is the ability to breathe; it can mean everything for the trajectory of our families."

"That's the really novel aspect of the program," said Pierce, who is also an adjunct assistant Professor in Urban Planning at UCLA Luskin. "CBOs are already connected with a lot of people who can benefit from these programs. People trust them and they can convey the opportunities in a much more effective way," he added.

Pierce pointed out that emPOWER benefit programs are brought together in one place enabling households to sign up at once, "instead of a number of separate programs that are hard for people to understand or sign up for. It's great that there are so many programs but at this point they can be operated and communicated in a more coherent way."

The emPOWER program will continue to operate in LA County in 2020, with goals to expand the campaign model beyond Los Angeles, first to the Inland Empire, and ultimately statewide. Broadening and deepening this campaign can help ensure a just transition in the process of climate change adaptation over the next several decades, according to the authors.

Report Findings:

The development of emPOWER was facilitated by funding from Electrify America, Edison International, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, and GRID Alternatives through the California Air Resources Board's One Stop Shop.

Funding for UCLA's research was provided by Electrify America and Edison International (EIX) via Liberty Hill Foundation, and by the California Strategic Growth Council's Climate Change Research Program (Award #CCRP0056). Funding was provided in order for UCLA to serve as evaluator of the emPOWER campaign pilot stage.

Participating CBOs include Active San Gabriel Valley, Day One, East LA Community Corporation, East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice, Pacoima Beautiful, Social Justice Learning Institute, Strategic Concepts in Organizing and Policy Education (SCOPE) and Union de Vecinos.

SOURCE Liberty Hill Foundation

http://www.libertyhill.org

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Liberty Hill Foundation: UCLA Luskin researchers find emPOWER outreach campaign led by community-based organizations successful in reaching areas of...