Libertarianism.org | Exploring the theory and history of …

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An exhaustive survey of the Presidents of the United States and everything they did wrong while in office.

Building Tomorrow explores how tech and innovation are transforming culture while creating a freer and more peaceful world.

Out now! Arnold Kling's new book offers a way to see through rhetorical blinders so that we can incorporate new perspectives in to our everyday lives.

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by David S. DAmato on Dec 20, 2019

Nowhere in the Constitution does it carve out a spot for secretivebureaucracies that never have to answer to the public.

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by Sanford Ikeda on Dec 18, 2019

There is a distinct difference between the cost of things and the price of things. Cost influences price through changes in supply.

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by Paul Meany on Dec 9, 2019

Huang Zongxiargued for a constitutional model of government designed to benefit all people, not just the ruling class, and which stressed the importance of respecting private property rights.

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Preble explains the need to question the assumptions that drive American foreign policy in the modern eraespecially the assumption that American politicians can and should forcibly remake the international order to suit their desires. He asks readers to consider whether America and the world would be safer and freer if U.S. foreign policy incorporated libertarian insights about the limitations of government power.

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Libertarianism.org | Exploring the theory and history of ...

The government must make sure technology serves public interest. The alternative is a libertarian free-for-all – The Guardian

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Falling levels of trust in our public institutions have become the backing track for the demise of the progressive political project and the rise of populist strongmen who promise to take back control.

Government becomes a problem to be solved, a bubble, a swamp of compromised technocrats and bean-counters operating against the interests of hard-working common folk, the quiet Australians whose will for a simple life is constantly being frustrated.

One of the drivers of this collapse has been the impact of technological change on our body politic, the anger-driven echo chambers of social media, the fake news and disinformation, the increasingly sophisticated targeting designed to reinforce what we already think.

Numerous benchmark surveys, including Essentials own, document this decline, which tracks closely the destruction in traditional media models at the expense of these platforms.

But as two reports released in the past week show, when it comes to thinking through the impacts of technology on the future, government leadership is more important than ever.

The first, the governments response to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commissions digital platforms review, is to the point.

On one level the report, initiated as part of the deal to water down the media ownership laws that saw the Nine takeover of Fairfax, is an attempt by media giants to restore the natural order.

But somewhere along the way the ACCC inquiry became more than that. Someone inside the agency seriously put their minds around the existential challenges of Facebook and Google, setting out a detailed framework that would have ended the conceit the social networks did not carry responsibility as publishers.

While limited in scope to exploring the market dominance of the platforms as opposed to the broader social consequences of technological change, the inquiry positioned Australia as a world leader in grappling with the market power of big tech.

The governments response this week may fall short of realising the ACCCs ambition of enforceable standards, opting instead for the sort of voluntary codes that any industry lobbyist yearns, but the intent from the prime minister in launching the report is clear: The rules that exist in the real world need to exist in the digital world.

You can quibble with the ambition, and we have, but when a conservative government invests behind the ACCC to build its capacity to monitor the market operations of the platforms and get to the bottom of their algorithmic marketing model, something interesting is going on.

The second report is, if anything, even more ambitious in its vision of governments need to lead us through profound technological change. The Human Rights Commission discussion paper into AI technology calls for the establishment of rules around the way automated decisions and data-matching develop in Australia.

The report calls for all AI to be subject to scrutiny around its design and impact on users before it is unleashed on to the public, ensuring it complies with existing laws covering both direct and indirect discrimination.

Commissioner Ed Santow argues that human accountability cannot be automated and that facial recognition technology in particular needs to be tested and thought through before it is unleashed on the Australian public. And that this should be the role of a new government body, the AI Safety Commissioner.

In doing so, Santow is challenging some basic tenets of the information economy: that its OK to disrupt, move fast and break things; that the benefits of tech advancement outweigh its cost; and that the role of government is to adapt to change rather than step up and shape it.

Research that Essential has conducted around this report shows Australians are looking for government leadership on the issue, with the majority of the public concerned about the automating of decisions.

Santow argues that placing guardrails around how Australia develops AI will ultimately serve the national interest not just protecting citizens but also developing a uniquely Australian AI that is fair by design and can become a compelling global export.

But to get to that point, government needs to lead: not just being more assertive in taking on the recommendations of its expert bodies, but in the way it too uses its citizens information.

In an era of declining trust in government, it is hardly surprising that the My Health Record program has stalled, with millions of Australians not prepared to share their medical records, especially under a model where entrepreneurs would have been encouraged to access this data to innovate.

More profoundly, the failure of robodebt has reinforced every latent instinct that government is not to be trusted with sensitive information. That the first big government data-matching project was used to chase poor people deemed to have been overpaid says it all.

Imagine the difference in trust dividend if the first application had been to find people who had not claimed benefits they were entitled to and send them a cheque to make good; or to chase down unpaid super; or ensure workers were being paid the right amount of money.

The challenges of rapid technological change provide an opportunity for government to win back public trust, by setting rules that ensure technology serves the public interest and by being a best-practice custodian of our personal information.

As a social democrat thats what I want my government to be doing, regardless of its partisan colours. The alternative is a libertarian free-for-all that will only ensure the disruption, division, distraction and displacement of the times accelerates unabated.

Peter Lewis is executive director of Essential Media and the director of the Centre for Responsible Technology, a new initiative of the Australia Institute.

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The government must make sure technology serves public interest. The alternative is a libertarian free-for-all - The Guardian

Here’s what’s on the March 2020 ballot in Stark County – Canton Repository

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Heres who met Wednesdays filing deadline.

CANDIDATES

* incumbent

Congressman - 7th Congressional District

Democrat

Patrick Pikus

Libertarian

Brandon Lape

Republican

Bob Gibbs*

Congressman - 13th Congressional District

Democrat

Tim Ryan*

Libertarian

Michael Fricke

Republican

Christina M. Hagan

Duane Hennen

Louis G. Lyras

Richard A. Morckel

Jason Mormando

Robert J. Santos

Donald Truex

Congressman - 16th Congressional District

Democrat

Aaron Paul Godfrey

Ronald Karpus III

Republican

Anthony Gonzalez*

State Representative - 38th Ohio House District

Democrat

Joe Campbell

Republican

Bill Roemer*

Republican

State Representative - 48th Ohio House District

Republican

Scott Oelslager*

State Representative - 49th Ohio House District

Democrat

Thomas E. West*

Republican

James Haavisto

State Representative - 50th Ohio House District

Democrat

Brian K. Simeone

Republican

Reggie Stoltzfus*

Stark County Court of Common Pleas judge, term starting Jan. 1, 2021

Republican

Kristin G. Farmer*

Stark County Court of Common Pleas judge, term starting Jan. 4, 2021

Democrat

Frank G. Forchione*

Stark County Court of Common Pleas judge, term starting Feb. 9, 2021

Democrat

Taryn L. Heath*

Stark County Probate Court judge

Democrat

Angela Alexander

Republican

Dixie Park*

Ohio 5th District Court of Appeals judge, term starting Feb. 9, 2021

Democrat

William B. Hoffman*

Republican

Jeff Furr

Stark County Clerk of Courts

Democrat

Louis P. Giavasis*

Republican

Lynn Miller Todaro

Stark County Coroner

Democrat

Anthony P. Bertin*

Republican

Ronald R. Rusnak

Stark County commissioner, term starting Jan. 2, 2021

Democrat

Katherine Baylock

Republican

Bill Smith*

Stark County commissioner, term starting Jan. 3, 2021

Republican

Richard Regula*

Stark County Engineer

Democrat

Keith A. Bennett*

Stark County Recorder

Democrat

Rick Campbell*

Republican

Jamie Walters

Stark County Prosecutor

Democrat

John D. Ferrero*

Republican

Kyle L. Stone

Stark County Sheriff

Democrat

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Here's what's on the March 2020 ballot in Stark County - Canton Repository

How CBD Gummies Gray Areas Should Be Handled – The Libertarian Republic

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You may love your CBD gummies from Verma Farms, but most of the CBD products you enjoy sit in a gray legal area. The laws are complicated and confusing, and the history is even more complicated and confusing. With the rising popularity of CBD gummies, and hundreds if not thousands of brands cashing in, the government has taken a very relaxed attitude toward the gray areas, as will likely continue until the full lift on prohibition of cannabis finally happens.

Hemp and its products were made illegal outside of medical use with the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937. It became prohibitively expensive and difficult to grow, harvest, or use any part of any hemp plant. At this time, all hemp plants were seen to be in the same category of marijuana plants, and there was little known about the difference between the types of hemp.

The Controlled Substance Act of 1970 made all use of marijuana completely illegal, and put it on the list of Schedule I Controlled Substances. Types of hemp were still undifferentiated, and all hemp plants were illegal to cultivate. The term, The War on Drugs, was coined by Richard Nixon in a press conference in 1971, and since then, the Federal Government has taken a hard-line stance on all things related to cannabis.

In 1996, California legalized marijuana for medical use. In 1998, Alaska, Oregon, and Washington followed suit. Over the next decade, states began to recognize the medical benefits of cannabis products. They all set up their own laws regulating the use, in defiance of the Federal Government, which still classified hemp and hemp products as a Schedule I controlled substance (this category is reserved for substances that have no medical value, come with significant health risks, and are highly addictive).

More and more states began decriminalizing marijuana. Prohibition had not been completely lifted in these states, but penalties were not as strict as they were before. States recognized the financial and social benefits of not imprisoning everyone who got caught with a small amount of the green stuff for their own personal use.

By 2012, Colorado and Washington voted to legalize the recreational use of marijuana for adults, with actual legal sales beginning in Colorado in 2014. They have seen major financial gains ever since, and Colorado reached $1 billion in tax revenue in just over four years. Crime rates have not been affected, as the bills opposers originally feared, and the benefits have far outweighed the cost.

As of 2019, 11 states have legalized the use of recreational marijuana for adults over 21. Medical use of marijuana is legal in 33 states. A total of 44 states are in direct defiance of federal law, but the Federal Government has decided not to pursue action.

Hemp has been a source of food, textiles, and building materials, for thousands of years. Historical references note its use in Ancient China and Rome as medicine. Early American settlers used hemp to make ropes, oil, and clothing. Even Henry Fords original Model T prototype was fueled by hemp.

The Marijuana Tax Act was likely a matter of corporate competition, and it became illegal in the US to use hemp for anything. What was once an important crop that nearly everyone grew and cultivated, became outlawed. By the 1970s, there was no distinctinction between the stuff people used for food, medicine, and fuel, and the stuff people used to get high.

With global warming becoming more of a reality every day, and solutions to the problems that come with this crisis few and far between, the interest in hemp is growing once again. Hemp is a crop that is easy on the earth. It acts as a biofilter that can clean the soil and the air in its surrounding environment. It is easy to grow, and is one of the most beneficial crops in existence.

Hemp is an excellent source of food, containing essential amino and fatty acids, it can be used to make almost any product that we use petroleum to make now, and it is an efficient source of energy storage. Food shortages, the non-renewable energy crisis, and rising medical costs, can all be mitigated with the hemp plant.

In 2014, the distinction was made between the marijuana plant and industrial hemp. Industrial hemp contains less than 0.3% THC, and cannot get anyone high. A bill passed through the Senate, allowing research to take place on industrial hemp under very restrictive circumstances.

Hemp farming became an important part of Kentuckys economy again, and in 2018, Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell slipped an expansion of the legalization of farming industrial hemp into the Farm Bill.

This means that it is now legal to farm and cultivate industrial hemp, and manufacture hemp products. For certain farmers. Under certain circumstances. With special licensing. And under strict supervision. All CBD produced must be under the guidelines of the Farm Bill of 2018, and the USDA is now in charge of overseeing all regulatory processes related to the plant.

It took more than sixty years, and direct defiance from 44 states, to even begin to clarify key differences between marijuana and hemp. These clarifications have led to a few more gray areas. Now that the USDA is in charge of regulating the farming of hemp, the FDA needs to bring its policies into alignment. Which will likely take quite a bit of time.

As of right now, the FDA is in charge of regulating interstate commerce related to any CBD product marketed as a medicine, supplement, food, or cosmetic. It has determined that CBD cannot be added to food, and it recently released a statement indicating that it will pursue legislation against any company purporting CBD to treat, mitigate, or diagnose serious illnesses like diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimers.

Where does this leave CBD gummies? It seems as though they fit directly in the gray area. Which seems to be where most CBD products fit. 92% of cannabis businesses operate in the gray area. Only 4% are fully legal, and 4% are clearly violating the law.

Brands selling CBD gummies are in the gray area, but there are thousands of brands in it together. While the amazing health benefits of CBD gummies are apparent, it will likely be several years before they can be marketed as a supplement, or to treat medical symptoms. In the meantime, the best thing CBD companies can do, is use their blogs to educate people and point them in the direction of the research that backs their claims.

CBD gummy brands take heart! Legislation is moving fast, and changing in favor of the hemp industry every day.

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How CBD Gummies Gray Areas Should Be Handled - The Libertarian Republic

Tulsi Gabbard Beamed in to Her Debate Night Alternative Event – The Daily Beast

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MANCHESTER, N.H.Tulsi Gabbard wasnt present.

Not physically, at least. But in the small, half-filled Rex Theatre in downtown Manchester, it didnt seem to matter. While seven of her top Democratic rivals prepared to hit the stage in Los Angeles for the sixth primary debate, a group of Gabbards most ardent loyalists were glued to a large-screen projector, where a livestream of Gabbards face, fixed between panels of tulle wrapped in twinkling lights, beamed in from Washington, D.C.

I really wish I could be there to hug you, she said, to no one in particular.

Citing a conflicting House vote in Congress, the Hawaii Democrat wasnt in Manchester for her campaigns much-hyped party alternative to Thursday nights debate, for which she failed to qualify. The party, and the debate, came the day after Gabbard had set Washington ablaze by voting present on the two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, which occurred for only the third time in the countrys history.

Aides to Democratic presidential candidates often say the topic of impeachment rarely comes up on the campaign trail. Voters, the thinking goes, prefer asking about kitchen table issues, like jobs. But here, it was the first question.

My decision to vote present was a decision to actively protest this zero-sum mentality that rules over our politics today, the four-term congresswoman told a skeptical attendee of her vote on the second article of impeachment, obstruction of Congress.

On top of being a self-proclaimed act of protest, Gabbard explained, to delayed applause, her present proclamation was an attempt to stand for our people, our county, and our future.

Were going to continue to see this spiraling downward, she said.

During the two-hour event, Gabbards fiercest fans praised her dovish foreign and liberal domestic policy, a hallmark of her nearly year-long campaign, and asked whether she would ever ditch the Democratic Party, with which she frequently clashes. No, she strongly implied, brushing off naysayers who speculate she may launch a third-party bid, an idea that she has routinely shot down.

Still, at multiple points in the night, she praised nearly every other conceivable party, in addition to her own.

I appreciate the voice the Libertarian Party brings to this conversation, Gabbard said. It is necessary.

Richard Manzo, the vice chair of the Libertarian Party of New Hampshire, was in attendance, and had mixed reactions about Gabbards impeachment move.

I wish she would have taken a stance one way or another, Manzo told The Daily Beast. But it wasnt enough to change his likely primary vote on Feb. 11. Im leaning towards voting for her, he said.

Mark Colvin, one of Gabbards most passionate supporters who drove from Boston to see her video conference through the projector, had no such reservations. Shes the only one who got it right, he said about her stance. Shes a patriot.

Gabbard has made New Hampshire a top campaign priority in recent weeks, and there are early signs her work is resonating with segments of the electorate, particularly independent voters. As The Daily Beast recently reported, pollsters argue there is evidence to believe Gabbard is already poking holes at the independent bloc that helped sweep Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) to victory here in 2016. In a Suffolk University survey conducted in November, Gabbard receives five times as much support among independents as she does among Democrats.

But Thursday nights set up hardly seemed poll-tested. In fact, the lines between substance and style frequently blurred, with campaign aides moonlighting as singers and poets, and a professional Trump impersonator taking cracks at the commander in chief.

At times, the vibe felt like multiple genres of YouTube were merging on loop: Gabbards sister Vrindavan, also known as V, performed a virtual hula dance, while Gabbard and her husband Abraham Williams reminisced about when they were first dating.

Looking forward to hearing your song later! Gabbard told a volunteer, one of several she publicly acknowledged from a lengthy roster. At one point, a guitarist with long curly blonde hair wearing a pink lei serenaded audience members.

Tul-seeeeee, Tulsi 2020, he sang to attendees, who clapped along enthusiastically. Everyone! Were backing Tulsiiiiii, shes the onlyyyyy choice.

If youre not sure if youre on keyI would say sing louder! Gabbards Deputy Campaign Manager Caitlin Rose Pomerantz instructed the crowd.

Shortly after, lyrics titled, We, The People appeared on the screen, replacing Gabbard. After that, her aide recited a poem with the identical name.

When we get bitter, thats when they win, Rose Pomerantz said. We are the people who are still alive inside.

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Tulsi Gabbard Beamed in to Her Debate Night Alternative Event - The Daily Beast

Useful Tips for Writing an Application in College – The Libertarian Republic

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You need to write and submit a personal statement as an application if you want to get admission into selective colleges. These college application essays carry a lot of importance. Hence, you should be very serious when writing them. Selective colleges get applications from many bright students who have good grades and scores. They cannot admit all the students that apply. Thus, you have to convince them why they should admit you to their school. The tips in this article will guide you into writing a winning application.

Try as much as you can to avoid repeating yourself in an application essay. Being repetitive does not add any value to your application. Do not waste space and time doing that. Use that space to highlight strengths that will help you stand out from the rest of the applicants. Make sure that whatever you write in your personal statement or application essay does not oppose any other parts of your application. Do not list all your grades and test scores in your application. Be precise and straight to the point when writing to selective colleges.

People write essays to convey a message. People will read and understand the message you are trying to convey if you use the right language. Writing a lot of big words does not help your essay. In fact, it may end up having a negative effect on the whole topic. If you do not understand the meaning of any word, do not use it. If it is a must you use the word, use the dictionary to find out the meaning of the word. Use tools like a thesaurus and check the meaning of the word.

The tone of the words you choose is important too. The words should connect with the audience you are targeting. Do not use words whose tone will make your readers lose interest in the essay. If you want help with your paper, writing services are there to serve you. Contact them and let the best custom writing service write the best essay special for you using the right English vocabulary.

Never be in a rush to answer questions. You may end up giving the wrong answers that will make the admission officers decline your application. Do not give wrong answers to any questions. Take your time, read and understand the questions before you give an answer. If there is any part that you do not understand, ask for assistance from your teachers or friends. Avoid recycling answers even if the question is similar to a question in other applications.

One of the biggest mistakes that people make when writing an essay is that they start with general quotes. In most cases, these quotes are not relevant and appropriate to the topic. To write a successful essay, you need to be specific in your writing. Take time and know which audience you are targeting with your essay. From there, tailor your essay to target this audience. You are always free to find help with your essay. Essay Kitchen writing service will write a perfect paper special for your audience. Contact them and let them take the essay writing task of your hands.

Ask for help from your friends and family when writing the college application. They are the people who know you well. Ask them to read through your essay and edit it. A different set of eyes will help you to rectify any mistakes in the essay. Mates will help to point out the mistakes that you have made in your essay. They can also give you suggestions on how to write a college essay.

Before you start writing the main essay, come up with a couple of drafts that you can read and revise. Read each of the drafts aloud to yourself and see if it makes sense to you. Ask yourself if the essay is interesting and captivating? Is the essay flowing? Try to put yourself in the shoes of the admission personnel and try to see if the essay is convincing. Look for college essay examples from other students. Read through them and see how other students write their applications.

People love reading good stories. Therefore, try to captivate the imagination of the reader by telling a good narrative. Let the story you tell make the reader create a picture of you in their minds. Be creative and tell a story that will stand out from the rest of the applicants.

To get into college, you will have to write a personal statement or an application essay. You do not have to worry about how to write a college essay anymore. Follow the tips in this article and they will assist you to write a winning paper. If you are having trouble with your essay, you can always buy one online.

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Useful Tips for Writing an Application in College - The Libertarian Republic

Mesothelioma: How Has Paul Kraus Survived For Over 20 Years?

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Looking for mesothelioma information? The following section provides extensive information about mesothelioma, including symptoms, treatment, and more. Click on an item in the menu below to jump to that topic:

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer. It comes from cells of the mesothelium that covers many internal organs. There are about 2,000 cases of mesothelioma diagnosed in the United States each year. Mesothelioma comes from exposure to asbestos. Asbestos is a cancer causing material used in many different kinds of products. Many companies kept using it even after they knew that it was dangerous.

Although rare, mesothelioma cancer is not a death sentence. The longest-living mesothelioma survivor in the world wrote a free book about it.

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer. It is sometimes called asbestos cancer. It comes from cells of the mesothelium, the lining that covers many of the internal organs.

The main purpose of the mesothelium is to make the fluid between tissues and organs. This fluid provides a slippery and protective surface to allow movement.

The fluid allows the lungs to expand and contract inside the body each time you take a breath. When the cells of the mesothelium turn cancerous they become mesothelioma. That is where the name comes from.

Mesothelioma is a rare disease. There are only approximately 2,000 cases diagnosed in the United States every year. Many more cases occur around the world. It is most common in Australia and the U.K. where they used large amounts of asbestos.

Number of cases per year in other countries:

Discover More Statistics

There are four types of malignant mesothelioma: Pleural, peritoneal, pericardial and testicular. Pleural mesothelioma affects the outer lining of the lungs and chest wall. It represents about 75% of all cases. Peritoneal mesothelioma affects the abdomen and represents about 23%. Incidences of cases in the lining of the testis and the heart represent about 1% each.

When then pleural lining around the lungs and chest wall are involved in this cancer it is called pleural mesothelioma. There are actually two layers of tissue that comprise the pleural lining. The outer layer, the parietal pleura, lines the entire inside of the chest cavity. The inner layer is called the visceral pleura and it covers the lungs.

Mesothelioma usually affects both layers of the pleura. Often it forms in one layer of the pleura and invades the other layer. The cancer may form many small tumors throughout this tissue.

Learn More About Pleural Mesothelioma

When the peritoneum, the protective membrane that surrounds the abdomen is involved in this cancer it is called peritoneal mesothelioma. Just like pleural mesothelioma, there are two layers of tissues involved with the peritoneum, the parietal layer covers the abdominal cavity, while the visceral layer surrounds the stomach, liver and other organs.

The cancer often forms many small tumors throughout the tissue. One doctor has described it as if someone took a pepper shaker and scattered the pepper over the tissue.

Learn More About Peritoneal Mesothelioma

In addition to the different types of locations within the body, there are also different cell types. These types are all considered mesothelioma, but they can affect the patients prognosis.

The three mesothelioma cell types are: epithelioid, sarcomatoid and biphasic.

Epithelioid mesothelioma cells are the most common type of mesothelioma cell and has the best prognosis of the three cell types. Notice the dark purple, elongated egg shaped cells amongst the healthy pink colored tissue.

Sarcomatoid mesothelioma cells are the rarest of the three cell types and tends to be more aggressive than epitheloid cells. Notice the dark purple nodules amongst the healthy light purple colored tissue.

Biphasic mesothelioma cells are mixtures of both cell types (epithelioid and sacromatoid) and usually has a prognosis that reflects the dominant cell type.

More Symptoms

More Symptoms

Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos and it is therefore considered the asbestos caused cancer.

Asbestos has been in use since ancient times, but after the Industrial Revolution its use became widespread and was used all over the world in thousands of industrial and consumer products even after many companies knew that it was dangerous. Construction materials, automotive parts and household products such as hair dryers and oven mitts contained asbestos in the past.

Today, asbestos has been outlawed in most places around the world, however, asbestos has not been outlawed in the United States and is still found in millions of homes and public buildings, such as schools, offices and parking garages.

Learn More About Causes

Asbestos is actually a naturally occurring mineral found throughout the world. It was called the magic mineral because it is resistant to heat and corrosion. Also, it is a fiber so it can be woven into other materials.

Asbestos is composed of millions of sharp microscopic fibers. These fibers are so small that the body has difficulty filtering them out. This means that if you around airborne asbestos you may inhale it or ingest it. This is known as asbestos exposure.

The actual process as to how asbestos causes mesothelioma is still being investigated. Most scientists believe that when the small sharp fibers are ingested or inhaled they cause cell damage which can cause chronic inflammation.

This inflammation can then set the stage for disease after many years or even decades. Some scientists believe that a persons immune system may actually help prevent the cancer, even if that person is exposed to asbestos.

Find Out More On Asbestos

Since asbestos causes this rare disease, how to people get exposed to asbestos? While asbestos was in thousands of products, workers in some professions had more exposure to this carcinogen than others.

Examples of occupations that exposed workers to asbestos includes: Navy veterans, construction trades such as electricians, mechanics, and plumbers, people working in power houses and power plants, firefighters, and refinery workers. Individuals in these professions often had a multitude of asbestos containing products on their various job sites.

Most asbestos containing products were removed voluntarily by the late 1970s. However, because there is no comprehensive ban on asbestos in the U.S. and because of the long latency period, people are still being diagnosed with mesothelioma today.

Learn More About Occupational Asbestos Exposure

The history of asbestos in the United States and other industrialized countries is a sad story of corporate greed. Companies that produced asbestos containing products saw their workers becoming sick with lung scarring, asbestosis, and cancer nearly 100 years ago.

Some companies even brought in researchers and scientists to better understand the health impact of asbestos. Once it was shown that their magic mineral was toxic to human beings, the industry faced a dilemma.

Should they protect workers, warn consumers, notify public health officials, and most importantly, phase out this dangerous mineral? Their answer was no.

Instead industry did just the opposite. They warned no one, kept their knowledge about asbestos secret and continued to use it for decades! Only by the 1960s did independent researchers like Dr. Irving Selikoff of Mt. Sinai School of Medicinebegin to connect asbestos exposure to disease.

By then hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children were already exposed to this deadly mineral. The EPA would ban asbestos in 1989. However, the asbestos industry would sue the EPA and win.

In 1991 the ban was lifted. Even today, there is no comprehensive asbestos ban in the United States. Sad but true.

(Asbestos Medical and Legal Aspects by Barry Castleman)

People exposed directly to asbestos are called primary exposed. Sometimes the person who is primary exposed will transfer asbestos fibers from their clothes to the clothes of another person. The person who gets this transfer of asbestos exposure is said to have secondary exposure.

One example of secondary exposure is called the deadly hug. Sadly, the deadly hug happens when an adult comes home from work with asbestos on their clothes and hugs their son or daughter, unknowingly transferring the dangerous fibers to their child. There have been many cases of adults being diagnosed with mesothelioma whose only exposure to asbestos came from their time as a child.

Read About Secondary Exposure

There is a long latency period for mesothelioma which is the time from asbestos exposure to diagnosis of the cancer. This period can range anywhere from 20 to 50 years. There are different theories as to why there is such a long latency period and why most people exposed to asbestos do not get mesothelioma.

One theory suggests that there may be other variables that play a role. For example, some doctors believe that the condition or competency of a persons immune system could determine whether asbestos in their body leads to cancer.

Other possibilities include a persons genes and diet.

When doctors suspect a patient has mesothelioma they will initiate a work-upin order to make a diagnosis. This work-up may include imaging scans, biopsies, pathology exams, blood tests and staging.

Diagnosing Mesothelioma

Various types of scans may be used to determine if there are signs of tumors or other abnormalities. These scans may include X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, or PET scans.

More on Imaging

If scans reveal what doctors believe may be a cancer then a biopsy may be suggested. A biopsy is a procedure where doctors remove a small piece of the suspected tumor tissue from the patients body.

More on Biopsies

Blood tests and biomarkers may sometimes be used to determine if mesothelioma is present in the body. While these tests are helpful they are not considered as important as the biopsy which is considered the gold standard.

More on Biomarkers

The biopsy material will then be given to a pathologist. A pathologist will use special stains and other tests to determine if there is cancer and identify exactly what type of cancer was removed from the patient.

More on Pathology Exams

If mesothelioma is diagnosed, doctors may stage the disease. Over the years a variety of staging systems have been used. The one used most frequently today groups the disease into localized (only in the mesothelium) or advanced (spread outside the mesothelium).

More on Staging

The prognosis of mesothelioma or any other cancer depends on a number of variables. Those variables include:

More on Prognosis

A doctor specializing in mesothelioma can properly diagnose you and determine the best course of treatment. Find a mesothelioma specialist or doctor near you.

The treatments for mesothelioma can be divided into three paths: Conventional Therapies, Clinical Trials, and Alternative Modalities.

Conventional therapies include chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery. The standard chemo drugs used are Alimta (pemetrexed) and cisplatin (or carboplatin). They are often prescribed for the various types of mesothelioma, regardless of location. Both chemo and radiation therapy are known as cytotoxic or cell killing therapies. They work indiscriminately, killing both healthy and cancer cells. This is the reason that they can have severe side effects.

Learn About Treatment

The standard of care in many hospitals is to treat peritoneal mesothelioma with surgery and HIPEC. HIPEC stands for hyperthermic intraperitoneal perioperative chemotherapy which basically means flushing the surgical area with heated chemotherapy during the surgical procedure. The obvious advantage of this approach is that it enables doctors to put the chemo in exactly the place it needs to be.

Of all the conventional treatments available, surgery is generally considered the most effective. For pleural mesothelioma, there are various types of surgical procedures, including lung sparring surgery (also called pleurectomy/decorticiaton or PD) and extrapleural pneumonectomy (also called EPP).

Pleurectomy/decortication surgery is a two-part surgery that removes the lining surrounding one lung (pleurectomy), then removes any visible cancer seen growing inside the chest cavity (decortication). The advantage of P/D or lung sparring surgery is exactly what the name implies a lung is not removed.

An extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) is a much more invasive surgery than PD. An EPP involves removing a lung, the diaphragm, portions of the chest lining and heart lining, and nearby lymph nodes.

Numerous studies have been performed comparing the prognosis with a pleurectomy/decortications surgery versus an extrapleural pneumonectomy. While there is no consensus on the subject, the latest reports suggest that PD may be a better choice for many patients because survival is generally equivalent to EPP and PD is less invasive and therefore easier to tolerate.

There are also other surgical procedures used to treat pleural effusion. Pleural effusion is the buildup of excess fluid in the pleural space between the visceral and parietal linings of the lungs. Examples of these procedures include pleurodesis and thoracentesis.

More on Surgery

Clinical trials are treatments that are still being tested. These treatments may include chemotherapy or other more innovative approaches based on immune therapy, gene therapy or other biological approaches. One example of new treatments being tried in mesothelioma involve the use of monoclonal antibodies. Monoclonal antibodies are essentially an immune system therapy that tries to use antibodies to target cancer cells. The National Cancer Institute indexes clinical trials offered throughout the country.

Discover Clinical Trials

Alternative modalities include a large number of approaches such as intravenous vitamin therapy, herbs and Traditional Chinese Medicine, cannabis oil, dietary approaches, and mind-body medicine. It is important to note that while none of these modalities are FDA approved, there are a number of long-term mesothelioma survivors who have used them, including Paul Kraus.

Read About Alternative Treatments

Mesothelioma is not the only disease caused by asbestos. Asbestosis which is essentially scarred lung tissue, pleural plaques and some lung cancers can also be caused by asbestos. There may also be compensation available to victims of these diseases as well. Treatments vary by condition.

Learn About Other Asbestos Diseases

Curcumin is a natural occurring phytochemical found in turmeric, which is an Indian spice that gives curry powder its characteristic golden color. A study published by Jill M. Miller in Cancer Prevention Research suggest that curcumin can attach malignant mesothelioma cells in two ways. First, curcumin was able to induce pyroptosis, a highly inflammatory form of programmed cell death, in human malignant mesothelioma cells. In addition, curcumin was shown to protect against inflammation, which is a key mediator in the development of malignant mesothelioma and may be a key contributor to the dismal prognosis associated with the condition. Consequently, consumption of curcumin can offer a two-pronged attack against malignant mesothelioma by inducing pyroptosis in malignant mesothelioma cells as well as protecting against inflammation.

Nutritional status may also play a role in mesothelioma prognosis. The Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score was developed as a screening tool for early detection of poor nutritional status. A recent study published in a medical journal suggests that mesothelioma patients who were well nourished and had a CONUT score 2, had greater overall survival rates than those who were nutritionally challenged, CONUT score 3.

Treatments for mesothelioma can alter the appetite either because people are physically unable to eat properly due to the cancer or the treatment such as chemo, or because the taste of food is altered. Regardless, adequate nutrition is paramount for people with mesothelioma because patients often lose essential muscle and weight after diagnosis which can dramatically impact their prognosis. Consequently, eating a well-balanced diet can help people feel better when undergoing treatment for malignant mesothelioma.

Therefore, screening for nutritional status prior to treatment, consuming some dietary phytochemicals, as well as eating an overall well-balanced diet should help improve the outcome and overall state of well-being for patients undergoing treatment for malignant mesothelioma.

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Mesothelioma: How Has Paul Kraus Survived For Over 20 Years?

mesothelioma | Definition, Symptoms, Diagnosis, & Treatment | Britannica

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Mesothelioma, tumour that arises from the sheet of cells known as the mesothelium, which lines body cavities and forms the tissue layers referred to as the pleura and the peritoneum. The pleura is located in the chest cavity, either lining the chest wall (parietal pleura) or covering the lung (visceral pleura), and the peritoneum is the corresponding tissue in the abdomen. Roughly 75 percent of mesothelioma cases originate in the chest. Mesothelial cells can also be found in other areas of the body, such as the scrotal sac and the pericardium (the sac surrounding the heart), and in rare cases the tumour may arise primarily in those locations.

Some 2,000 to 3,000 cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed annually in the United States and more elsewhere around the world, related in part to asbestos exposure rates. For males born between 1945 and 1950 in western Europe, researchers projected that mesothelioma during the period from 1995 to 2029 would reach rates as high as 1 in 150 because of asbestos exposure in this population.

There is an unequivocal association with asbestos exposure in about 80 percent of cases. The latency period between exposure and the development of disease typically ranges from 20 to 50 years, with an average of about 30 years. Other causative agents, such as SV40 (simian virus 40), have been postulated; however, data are inconclusive. Some cases are idiopathic, in which no known cause can be identified. Use of asbestos was strictly regulated in the United States beginning in the latter part of the 20th century, though it is still used in the developing world. Erionite, which is similar to asbestos, is found in the soil in Turkey and is associated with concomitant pockets of high mesothelioma incidence. The biology of asbestos exposure and subsequent development of cancer is not clearly understood, because of the long latency period. However, a chronic inflammatory reaction, causing DNA damage to the mesothelial cells, is likely involved. Unlike lung cancer, the eventual development of mesothelioma is not associated with smoking.

The diagnosis of mesothelioma usually occurs at advanced stages, because the thin layer of tumour that develops may not be discernible in X-rays, nor may it lead to symptoms. The most common complication leading to an eventual diagnosis is pleural effusion (a collection of fluid around the lung in the pleural space), whereby a person becomes short of breath. Pain is common with more-advanced disease, when the tumour invades the ribs and muscles of the chest wall. The use of computed tomography (CT; computerized axial tomography) is essential to determine the extent of disease and the stage of tumour development. CT scanning is also used to determine whether the patient might be considered a candidate for surgery. Positron emission tomography (PET) is useful to assist in the determination of metastasis (spread) to other areas of the chest or body. Serum biomarkers, such as mesothelin, osteopontin, and megakaryocyte potentiating factor, have shown some promise for the development of blood tests to screen for the disease, as well as for following patients for evidence of recurrence after treatment.

There are many subtypes of mesothelioma, based on microscopic pathologic examination. The most common subtype is epithelial mesothelioma, followed by biphasic, or mixed, disease, which has epithelial and sarcomatous (connective tissue) involvement; less common is the solely sarcomatoid subtype. The pathologic diagnosis of mesothelioma, using microscopic techniques, can be difficult and often requires that a battery of immunohistochemistry (IHC) tests be performed on each tumour to determine whether it is mesothelioma or perhaps another type of tumour that has spread to the thoracic or abdominal cavity. IHC uses colorimetric antibodies directed at proteins on the surfaces of cells. A pattern of both positive and negative staining is interpreted by the pathologist. Some of the more common positive-staining antibodies that are used include WT1 (Wilms tumour 1) and mesothelin and cytokeratin 5/6. Commonly used negative-staining epithelial antibodies include CEA (carcinoembryonic antigen), LeuM1, and TTF-1 (thyroid transcription factor 1).

Reported survival for patients with mesothelioma has been relatively poor, ranging in most cases from 9 to 18 months with or without treatment. Factors used to predict survival include epithelial subtype, involvement of regional (mediastinal) lymph nodes, and size of the tumour. The ability to completely remove the tumour at surgery and the use of multimodality (surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy) in some combination-therapy approaches can also influence survival.

Advances in multimodality therapy have included the use of a class of chemotherapy drugs referred to as folate antimetabolites. The most common drug used in this class is pemetrexed, which is most effective when combined with platinum-based agents, such as cisplatinum. These drugs may be given as definitive treatment to patients that are not surgical candidates, and up to 50 percent of treated individuals may respond with tumour arrest and shrinkage and modestly improved survival. Clinical trials have evaluated the use of these drugs prior to surgery (neoadjuvant therapy). The weight of evidence indicates that surgical removal of the tumour is important for improved survival, but only if surgery is included with other therapies. Care must be taken when determining whether a patient should undergo surgery, since many patients are at advanced age.

Removal of the tumour alone from the surfaces on which it is growing (a procedure known as pleurectomy) may be best in early-stage patients. A more aggressive operation, extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP), may be required in more-advanced cases. EPP involves the removal of tumour, pleura, diaphragm, and pericardium, with reconstruction of the latter two structures. The tumour grows over a very large surface area, and for that reason the risk of local recurrence following surgery is high. Many modalities have been evaluated and are being used for adjuvant (after surgery) treatment, including heated chemotherapy instillation (gradual introduction of liquid drug into cancerous tissue), photodynamic therapy (administration of a drug that becomes active when the cancerous tissue is exposed to a certain form of light), and various forms of radiation therapy. Local control over the administration of therapy can be made more precise by the use of computerized conformal radiation therapy techniques, such as intensity-modulated radiation therapy, in which three-dimensional CT is used to guide the delivery of very precise doses of radiation to the tumour or to parts of the tumour. Tumour-treating field (TTF) therapy, in which an electric field is used to impair tumour cell division, may be given in combination with certain chemotherapeutic agents to combat malignant pleural mesothelioma.

A number of experimental approaches to treatment capitalizing on the presence of biological or molecular targets have been attempted. Some promising future targets identified in clinical studies have included proteins (e.g., mesothelin) that are commonly found on mesothelioma cells. Growth factors, antiangiogenic drugs, which block the growth of tumour blood vessels, and molecules that stimulate programmed cell death (apoptosis) have also been investigated.

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What to Avoid Saying to Someone with Mesothelioma – Asbestos.com

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When you are diagnosed with cancer, people often think youre going to die, especially with an aggressive disease such as mesothelioma.

And if you outlive their expectations, you must not be as sick as you led on.

As time goes by, people tend to forget about your health issues, especially if the reminders arent apparent.

You stop seeing the looks, hearing the concerned questions or receiving the special treatment.

As a seven-year survivor, its interesting looking back on how conversations about my cancer have changed among friends and family.

Its an important lesson to anyone who may interact with a cancer survivor this holiday season, whether theyre newly diagnosed or several years into survival.

Knowing what to say and what to avoid saying can strengthen relationships and get positive results out of these interactions.

The longer you are around, the more people seem to forget something is wrong with you. Its out of sight, out of mind.

I dont necessarily have a problem with that. I dont want to be treated differently because I have cancer.

But youll also hear comments like, I thought you were cured or You dont look sick. People sometimes wonder why I still go to Boston. Theyre surprised to find out Im still having treatment seven years later.

There is no cure for mesothelioma. I have beaten the odds in my survival, but Im aware the cancer can come back fast and aggressive at any moment.

I feel no one is truly cured of cancer. You always need to be aware that either the same cancer or a different cancer can come back, whether its been seven years or 50 years.

Another thing people should avoid is to not take a cancer survivors word as truth. Just because I outlived the expectations of my doctors doesnt mean I was lying about the state of my condition.

I think this may happen more often with a rare cancer such as mesothelioma because most people dont know much about it.

Our monthly online support group helps patients and families cope with the effects of mesothelioma.

I try my best to not get caught up in the past. I dont see the point of thinking about what-if scenarios.

Whats done is done.

I realize that mesothelioma is unlike many cancers because the primary cause is well known: Exposure to asbestos.

This prompts others to wonder how someone like me a registered nurse of 43 years was diagnosed with a cancer commonly associated with Navy veterans and construction workers.

I dont fit the typical patient profile, yet here we are. I havent dwelled on it, so I dont expect others to.

Asking how or why this happened to me wont change anything. I prefer that people focus on my future rather than my past.

I live in a small town in Maine. It took three months for doctors here to finally get to the bottom of my condition.

Biopsy samples were sent to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. My diagnosis was then confirmed at Brigham and Womens Hospital, where I underwent aggressive surgery to remove as much cancerous growth from my chest as possible.

I continue to visit Boston every three weeks, receiving immunotherapy infusions at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Sometimes people here wonder why I make the four-hour, round-trip drive to Boston rather than go to our local hospital or the cancer center in Portland, Maine, less than an hour away.

The answer is simple: I feel more comfortable in Boston under the care of mesothelioma specialists.

When any of the hospitals in Maine get a pulmonary oncologist who trained at Brigham, Dana-Farber or any other mesothelioma specialty center, Ill be fine staying closer to home.

Until then, I will continue my care where the research is being done.

Its not that I think Im too good for our local doctors. I just want to make the best decisions for my health. That means traveling to a specialty center with the latest technologies and a team of experts.

Its perhaps the worst thing you could ask someone battling cancer.

While extremely personal and invasive, its also impossible to answer. Like everyone else, I dont know how long Ill be on this earth. I also dont know if it will be the mesothelioma that kills me or something unrelated.

My surgeon, Dr. David Sugarbaker, was good about not estimating length of survival. When something came up, we would address it. My medical oncologist, Dr. David Jackman, is the same way.

I tell everyone that I take it one scan at a time. I get CT scans every three months. Until then, I have nothing new to share.

Asking more specific questions such as How was your last scan? or When is your next scan? is much better than How long do you have?

Knowing what to say to a cancer survivor is equally as important as what not to say.

The advice I would give others is to make sure youre genuine in the questions you ask and the support you offer.

Ive found that most of the people who have offered to help are serious about it. They arent just making the gesture because its the polite or right thing to do.

When Ive had comments made to me about how much I do or give or take care of others, I always say the day will come where I may need them to return the favor.

I usually rely on my brothers to help me more than friends or acquaintances, but its nice to know people care.

And if you are curious about something, dont be afraid to ask.

I recently had someone I work with at our local gym ask me why I go to Boston once a month and if something was wrong. I told her I have cancer, and she had no idea.

Ive known her since Ive had this disease, but I guess it never came up in conversation. She wasnt rude for asking, and I wasnt offended by her question.

Sometimes, the solution to what to say and not to say to someone with cancer is asking in a simple and direct way. The more we talk, the more we find out about each other and can offer support and guidance as we see fit.

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What to Avoid Saying to Someone with Mesothelioma - Asbestos.com

Tiles Used in Home Renovation Blamed for Man’s Mesothelioma Death – Mesothelioma.net Blog

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December 18, 2019

Santo Lanza died of malignant mesothelioma on March 4, 2014, just two months after he filed a lawsuit against American Biltrite, the manufacturer of tiles that he used in his home renovation in Brooklyn, New York and before he could be deposed. But the mans lifelong habit of enlisting the help of his son John with these types of tasks meant that there was another witness to his asbestos to exposure, and after his fathers death John was deposed over four days and filled in the blanks that allowed his fathers lawsuit to move forward. This week Judge Manuel J. Mendez of the Supreme Court of New York County ruled that the case could move forward, despite the tile manufacturers motion for summary judgment.

To listen to John Lanza, there is little question as to how his father Santo was exposed to the asbestos that caused his death from malignant pleural mesothelioma. He described the home renovation that Santo did at their home in Brooklyn between 1963 and the early 1980s, as well as when he did side jobs throughout New York and New Jersey between 1966 and 1973.

John explained that the ABI Amtico vinyl tiles that he blames for his fathers mesothelioma were installed in the bedrooms, kitchen, hallways and stairways of the first three floors of the home, as well as the entire basement floor, and confirmed that his direct knowledge of this came from having helped his father with the installation from the time that he was eleven until he was fourteen or fifteen years old. He also remembered the boxes that the tiles came in, and described them.

In addition to providing exacting detail about the boxes that the asbestos tiles came in, Mr. Lanza described the asbestos-contaminated dust that he and his father breathed in. That dust, which has been blamed for his fathers mesothelioma death, was also raised when a flood damaged the tiles and they all needed to be removed and replaced.

Though Amtico argued that the case should be dismissed based on a lack of expert opinion establishing that their tile was the cause of Mr. Lanzas death, the judge ruled that gaps in testimony were not reason to dismiss a case. The trial will move forward and the family will be able to seek justice for the loss of their father.

If you or someone you love has been exposed to asbestos then you are at risk for mesothelioma. If youve already been diagnosed and need information on the resources available to you, contact the Patient Advocates at1-800-692-8608.

Learn more about and contact Terri

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Tiles Used in Home Renovation Blamed for Man's Mesothelioma Death - Mesothelioma.net Blog

US Navy Veterans Mesothelioma Advocate Now Offers Direct Access to Attorney Erik Karst of Karst von Oiste to Make Certain a Navy Veteran or Shipyard…

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NEW YORK, Dec. 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The US Navy Veterans Mesothelioma Advocate says, "We have endorsed the law firm of Karst von Oiste to assist a Navy Veteran or a shipyard worker with mesothelioma with their financial compensation and we are urging a person like this or their family members to call us anytime at 800-714-0303 for direct access to these remarkable lawyers. The last thing we want to see happen to a Navy Veteran or shipyard worker with mesothelioma is for them to get shortchanged on financial compensation because they hired a local car accident attorney.

"The lawyers at the law firm of Karst von Oiste are responsible for over a billion dollars in financial compensation for Navy Veterans, shipyard workers or people with mesothelioma or asbestos exposure lung cancer nationwide and they work overtime for their clients. For direct access to attorney Erik Karst the founding partner of the law firm of Karst von Oiste please call us anytime at 800-714-0303."www.karstvonoiste.com/

The US Navy Veterans Mesothelioma Advocate is now offering a free service they call the list. The list establishes where, when and how a Navy Veteran or shipyard worker could have been exposed to asbestos. This vital information becomes the basis for a mesothelioma compensation claim as the Advocate would like to discuss anytime at 800-714-0303. The reason mesothelioma compensation claims for Navy Veterans and or shipyard workers frequently exceeds a million dollars is because both Navy Veterans and shipyard workers with this rare cancer probably had extreme exposure to asbestos. Frequently shipyard workers and Navy Veterans worked side by side repairing a navy ship or submarine. https://USNavyMesothelioma.Com

US Navy Shipyards where asbestos use was widespread in the 1950's, 1960's, and 1970's and in some instances for a portion of 1980's include:

For a list of current and past US Navy Shipyards please refer to the ShipbuildingHistory.comwebsite on this topic:http://www.shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/public.htm

For a Department of Labor website regarding shipyard workers please review their website on this topic:https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/shipyard/standard/index se.html.

For a listing of all types of current and past US Navy warships please review the US Navy website on this topic:https://www.navy.mil/navydata/our_ships.asp.

The states with the highest incidence of mesothelioma include Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota, Louisiana, Washington, and Oregon.

However, based on the calls the US Navy Veterans Mesothelioma advocate receives a US Navy Veteran diagnosed with mesothelioma could live in any state including New York, Florida, California, Texas, New Hampshire, Vermont, Iowa, Indiana, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, Idaho, or Alaska. http://www.karstvonoiste.com/

For more information about mesothelioma please refer to the National Institutes of Health's web site related to this rare form of cancer:https://www.cancer.gov/types/mesothelioma.

Contact:Michael Thomas800-714-0303229498@email4pr.com

SOURCE US Navy Veterans Mesothelioma Advocate

U.S. Navy Veterans Mesothelioma Advocate

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US Navy Veterans Mesothelioma Advocate Now Offers Direct Access to Attorney Erik Karst of Karst von Oiste to Make Certain a Navy Veteran or Shipyard...

Johnson & Johnson scores another talc win with California mesothelioma verdict – FiercePharma

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Johnson & Johnson just chalked up another win against allegations that its talcum powder causes cancer.

A jury in Los Angeles sided with the company in the case of Amy Fong, who allegedJ&Js talc contained asbestos and caused her to develop mesothelioma, Courtroom View Networkreports. The company still faces almost 17,000 cases over talc safety.

A J&J spokeswoman said the company sympathizes with "anyone suffering from cancer, and we understand patients and their families are seeking answers." But the "facts are clearJohnsons Baby Powder is safe, does not contain asbestos nor does it cause cancer, as reflected in more than 40 years of scientific evidence," she said. Monday's result is the third straight talc verdict in favor of J&J.

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The decision marks another win for J&J as it faces around 16,800 lawsuits alleging harm from talc. In the face of the litigation, thedrugmakerhas alwaysmaintained its products aresafe.

But earlier this year, the companyrecalled one lot of the powder out of an "abundance of caution" after the FDA detected sub-trace levels of asbestos in one bottle.J&J then tested the bottle and others and found the batch to contain no asbestos. For its part, theFDA stood by theresult.

RELATED:J&J says tests find no asbestos in suspect talc batch, but FDA stands by its finding

Throughout the litigation, even as J&J has scored numerous trial wins, various juries have also ordered thedrugmakerto pay billions of dollars in verdicts. J&J has said itll appeal its losses and has successfully overturned numerous prior verdicts. J&J's spokeswoman said that every verdict that's been through the appeals process has been overturned.

In the Fong case,J&J lawyers raised concerns of prejudicial irregularitiesthroughout the trial. They said plaintiffs lawyers resisted answering questionsabout testimony from an expert witness on asbestos testing in talcand more.

RELATED:Attorney misconduct allegations crop up in Johnson & Johnson, Gilead cases

Aside from talc, the company also faces litigation over opioids, its antipsychotic medicine Risperdal, plus other drugs and devices; it's offered to pay $4 billion to settle its opioid litigation. To defend against those issues and others, J&J spent around $900 million on legal costs in the first half of the year, Axiosreportedin October.

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Johnson & Johnson scores another talc win with California mesothelioma verdict - FiercePharma

Rediscovering the Joy of Christmas as a Mesothelioma Widow – Asbestos.com

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As Christmas Day 2019 fast approaches, I find myself caught up in the shopping frenzy that comes with this time of year.

The stores are crowded, and the shopping lines are long, but no one shows any sign of impatience.

Rather, there is a feeling of camaraderie and an almost palpable sense of joyfulness that picks me up and carries me along with it.

I am so grateful for this. There was a time when I believed I would never feel joy again especially at Christmas time.

This was my husband Brians favorite time of the year. Unlike my father who left all the gift shopping and meal preparation to my mother, Brian loved being involved in everything to do with Christmas.

On Christmas Eve, after putting the children to bed, he and I would sit together and wrap what seemed like a mountain of presents. It was often very late by the time the last one made its way under the tree, but our lack of sleep was overshadowed by the pleasure we got from seeing the joy on our childrens faces the next morning.

When our kids had grown and left home, Brians love for Christmas remained. He always came with me when it was time to shop for gifts and would spend a lot of time choosing a unique present for each of our children and grandchildren.

Somehow, he just seemed to know exactly what everyone wanted.

Brian also loved to cook. He gradually took over the task of shopping for and preparing the Christmas feast. Though I also enjoyed cooking, I was more than happy to relinquish the task. He had much more imagination and attention to detail than I did.

For someone who absolutely loved this time of year, it was ironic that Brian should be diagnosed with mesothelioma six days short of Christmas Day.

The tragic news dropped a bomb on our Christmas plans and blew our dreams for the future apart. Brians prognosis was three to nine months.

Living in expectation of his death was torture, especially after three months had passed. Not knowing what to expect, I feared he could die at any time and dreaded the beginning of each new month because it brought us ever closer to the time he was expected to pass.

Despite his prognosis, Brian was still very much alive one year after his diagnosis. He was once again looking forward to Christmas.

The feast he prepared for us that year was as magnificent, but he could only eat a small part of it. Mesothelioma had already robbed him of the pleasure of eating.

Over the following year Brians health deteriorated rapidly, but he was still with us when the festive season came around and he was determined as ever to be a part of it.

Now in a wheelchair and needing oxygen to breath, he easily became tired but insisted on accompanying me to the shops to buy gifts and the food needed on the big day.

Over the next few days, Brians health declined rapidly. Fearing that his wish to be with us for Christmas would not be granted, the children and I moved his bed into the living room where he could gaze upon the Christmas tree and the presents beneath it.

Later that day, we moved the presents to the end of his bed and took turns opening them just as we had always done. I will forever cherish that moment.

Brian passed away on Dec. 24. In my mind, I like to believe he really did get to spend Christmas Day with us just as he had wanted only it had come a little early that year.

Grieving for Brian over the following months, I found it hard to look forward to anything, let alone another Christmas. When it came around, I found myself missing Brian more than ever.

Though I went through the motions of putting up the tree and turning on the festive lights, the darkness in my soul remained. I did not want to celebrate a time that had brought such pain and sorrow.

On the first anniversary of Brians death, I thought back over the last days we spent together and once again marveled at his love for Christmas.

Despite his illness, his passion for the holiday never wavered. Even when near death, he still managed to find the strength needed to take part in our gift-giving ceremony.

The look of joy on his face when we opened the special gifts is something I will always treasure.

Looking back on all of the cherished moments we shared lifted the darkness from my soul and filled me with peace.

In a strange way, it felt as if Brian had sent me a message, telling me to enjoy Christmas in his memory.

This is exactly what I have done from that point forward.

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Rediscovering the Joy of Christmas as a Mesothelioma Widow - Asbestos.com

Mesothelioma Compensation Center Has Endorsed Attorney Erik Karst of Karst von Oiste to Ensure a Power Plant or Energy Worker with Mesothelioma…

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NEW YORK, Dec. 18, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Mesothelioma Compensation Center says, "We are by far the best branded source in the nation for power plant or energy workers with mesothelioma and our number one goal is making certain a person like this receives the very best possible financial compensation results as we would be happy to discuss anytime at 800-714-0303.

"To make certain the best possible mesothelioma financial compensation results happen for a power plant or energy worker with mesothelioma we have endorsed the remarkable lawyers at the law firm of Karst von Oiste. Erik Karst and his colleagues at the law firm of Karst von Oiste are responsible for over a billion dollars in financial compensation results for their clients. If a power plant or any type of energy worker with mesothelioma and or their family members would call us at 800-714-0303, we typically can have them talking to mesothelioma attorney Erik Karst within 30 minutes. Trust us-if you have mesothelioma talking directly with attorney Erik Karst will be much more informative that a 'free' book, overnight package or kit related to mesothelioma." http://www.karstvonoiste.com/

The Mesothelioma Compensation Center also offers a power plant or energy worker with mesothelioma a vital free service they call the list. The 'list' documents how, where and when a power plant or energy worker with mesothelioma was exposed to asbestos. As they would like to discuss anytime at 800-714-0303-"If the person has advanced mesothelioma we will hop on an airplane and visit the person anywhere nation in their home so the discussion about how, where and when they were exposed to asbestos. We will also do everything possible to make certain a lawyer from the law firm of Karst von Oiste is there to answer any questions." https://MesotheliomaCompensationCenter.Com

Types of Power or Energy Workers the Mesothelioma Compensation Center specializes in assisting include:

* Coal fired power plant worker * Oil refinery worker * Nuclear power plant worker * Oil field production worker * Hydro-electric worker * Public utility worker * Offshore oil rig worker * US Navy Veterans who served on a navy nuclear submarine or a conventional or nuclear-powered navy ship.

For information about the location of conventional or nuclear power plants in the United States please refer the US Energy Information Administration's website on this topic: https://www.eia.gov/ maps/.

The Mesothelioma Compensation Center specializes in assisting US Navy Veterans, power plant workers, shipyard workers, oil refinery workers, public utility workers, hydro-electric workers, chemical plant workers, nuclear power plant workers, manufacturing workers, oil and gas field production workers, plumbers, electricians, millwrights, pipefitters and welders who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma. In most instances these people were exposed to asbestos during the 1950's, 1960's, 1970's, or 1980's.www.karstvonoiste.com/

According to the CDC the states indicated with the highest incidence of mesothelioma include Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota, Louisiana, Washington, and Oregon. However, a power plant, utility or energy worker with mesothelioma could live in any state including California, New York, Florida, Texas, Missouri, North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, or Alaska. http://www.karstvonoiste.com/

For more information about mesothelioma please refer to the National Institutes of Health's web site related to this rare form of cancer:https://www.cancer.gov/types/mesothelioma.

Media contact:Michael Thomas229496@email4pr.com800-714-0303

SOURCE Mesothelioma Compensation Center

Mesothelioma Compensation Center

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Mesothelioma Compensation Center Has Endorsed Attorney Erik Karst of Karst von Oiste to Ensure a Power Plant or Energy Worker with Mesothelioma...

New Study Reveals Worse Mesothelioma Prognosis With Higher Expression of CD70 Protein – Mesothelioma.net Blog

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December 16, 2019

Mesothelioma patients rely on their physicians to guide their decisions about the best treatment option for their disease, and physicians use a variety of tools in making the best possible determination for each individual patient. Among the specific elements that physicians look at are the biomarkers found in the patients blood and tumor, as these can be indicators of a patients long-term prognosis. A recent study led by researchers from the Aichi Medical University School of Medicine in Aichi Japan has revealed that when a specific protein called CD70 is expressed to an unusually high degree, it has a direct association with a poor prognosis.

In an effort to include as many different variations of mesothelioma tumor cells as possible, the researchers studied 172 well-characterized mesothelioma tumors, including 145 epithelioid tumors, 15 biphasic tumors and 12 sarcomatoid tumors. They identified the levels of several different proteins known to be associated with anti-tumor immune responses, and found that in patients with high levels of the CD70-CD27 pathway, there was a significant difference in how the patients responded to mesothelioma treatment, as well as in overall survival.

The researchers noted that high levels of CD70 are not just found in aggressive malignant mesothelioma tumors. The same aberrant expression is found in cases of renal cell carcinoma and glioblastoma, which are equally aggressive terminal cancers. The proteins presence is associated with accelerated tumor cell proliferation and poor clinical outcomes. This, however, is the first time that its effect on mesothelioma tumors has been studied.

The remarkable impact that the overexpression of CD70 has on the aggressiveness of mesothelioma tumors was seen in the 63 patients who were followed for 120 months in this study. Where the median survival of patients who did not have an overexpression of CD 70 was 18 months, those who did have an overexpression of CD70 survived an average of just 6.5 months. The researchers concluded that the presence of CD70 enhances the malignant potential and poor prognosis of mesothelioma through both enhanced invasiveness and immune evasion.

Having the best treatment available for your particular mesothelioma requires working with physicians who have the most up-to-date research at their fingertips. To be connected to those medical professionals, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net today at1-800-692-8608

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New Study Reveals Worse Mesothelioma Prognosis With Higher Expression of CD70 Protein - Mesothelioma.net Blog

Mesothelioma Victims Center Has Endorsed Erik Karst of the Law Firm Karst von Oiste to Assist a Steel Mill Worker with Mesothelioma Nationwide – Get a…

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NEW YORK, Dec. 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --As theMesothelioma Victims Center would like to discuss anytime at 800-714-0303 they have endorsed the law firm of Karst von Oiste and their founding partner Erik Karst to assist a former steel mill worker who now has mesothelioma because these hard working lawyers have so much experience assisting people like this nationwide. The lawyers at the law firm of Karst von Oiste are responsible for over a billion dollars in compensation results for people with mesothelioma and asbestos exposure lung cancer and they work overtime for their clients-including steel mill workers.

The lawyers at the law firm of Karst von Oiste also make house calls anywhere in the nation to discuss compensation with a person a person with mesothelioma-face to face. For direct access to Erik Karst the founding partner of Karst von Oiste please call 800-714-0303. http://www.karstvonoiste.com/

TheMesothelioma Victims Centersays, "If we had just one vital tip for a steel mill worker who has been diagnosed with mesothelioma or their family it would be please call us anytime at 800-714-0303 to ensure you talking directly attorney Erik Karst of the law firm of Karst von Oiste. "Unlike a 'free' generic book, kit or overnight package about mesothelioma Erik Karst can answer specific questions and explain the compensation process."

"We are advocates for people with mesothelioma and we want them to receive the best possible financial compensation results-and our services are free." https://MesotheliomaVictimsCenter.Com

TheMesothelioma Victims Centeris extremely focused on former steel mill workers with mesothelioma who worked at steel mills in the following states:

The types of steel mill workers who could have had the most exposure to asbestos include the skilled trades groups such as, a helper, second helper a first helper, a blast furnace operator, machinists, millwrights, pipefitters, boiler makers, welders, supervisors, plumbers, and electricians who worked at these mills and/or non-skilled laborers.https://MesotheliomaVictimsCenter.Com

For information about steel mill locations throughout the United States please refer to the following map: https://www.google.com/mymaps/viewer?mid=1l83KG05Yxac2ZL9CaqwJO1oahUk&hl=en_USMesothelioma is a rare form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. High risk work groups for exposure to asbestos include Veterans of the US Navy, power plant workers, shipyard workers, oil refinery workers, steel mill workers, miners, pulp or paper mill workers, printers, factory workers, railroad workers, plumbers, electricians, auto mechanics, machinists, welders, pipefitters, insulators, firemen and construction workers. In most instances a person who has been diagnosed with mesothelioma was exposed to asbestos in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, or 1980s. https://MesotheliomaVictimsCenter.Com

The average age for a diagnosed victim of mesothelioma is about 70 years old. This year between 2,500 and 3,000 US citizens will be diagnosed with mesothelioma in the United States. Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that is caused by exposure to asbestos. http://www.karstvonoiste.com/

The states indicated with the highest incidence of mesothelioma include Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota, Louisiana, Washington, and Oregon.

However, based on the calls the Mesothelioma Victims Center receives a former steel mill worker with mesothelioma could live in any state including New York, Florida, California, Texas, Illinois, Ohio, Iowa, Indiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, Wyoming, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, Idaho, or Alaska. http://www.karstvonoiste.com/

For more information about mesothelioma please refer to the National Institutes of Health's web site related to this rare form of cancer:https://www.cancer.gov/types/mesothelioma.

Contact:Michael Thomas800-714-0303 229495@email4pr.com

SOURCE Mesothelioma Victims Center

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Mesothelioma Victims Center Has Endorsed Erik Karst of the Law Firm Karst von Oiste to Assist a Steel Mill Worker with Mesothelioma Nationwide - Get a...

Review: Wing Freedom e-bike wins style points and it works great, too! – Electrek

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Im not saying looks are the most important thing for an e-bike. But when so many e-bikes offer similar top speeds, ranges, and other specs, a nice-looking design like the one offered by the Wing Freedom can help set an already good e-bike apart from the rest.

And an affordable price doesnt hurt either.

Fortunately the Wing Freedom electric bicycle offers both.

Its a comfortable, agile, and capable direct-to-consumer e-bike with a $1,298 price tag and a healthy list of features.

The company even offers free shipping and a test ride location in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland and Seattle.

And you certainly cant ding it in the style department.

Check out my video review of the Wing Freedom e-bike below, then keep reading for all the juicy details on this electric commuter.

The Wing Freedom is one of those e-bikes that breaks from the standard design. And while this is refreshing, Id be remiss if I didnt point out that it bears a striking resemblance to the beautiful e-bikes designed and manufactured by Dutch company Vanmoof. And while it doesnt feature as many innovations as Vanmoofs bikes, it certainly comes away with some of the same aesthetic appeal.

Unlike Vanmoof, though, the Wing Freedom didnt manage to completely hide the battery within the frame. Instead, theyve gotten most of the way there with a recessed battery that just barely sticks out of the down tube. The battery is also available in three different sizes. For those that want the lowest price and are fine with just 35 km (22 mi) of range, the 317 Wh battery will suffice. But for anyone who wants to maximize range (especially if youll be adding the optional throttle), the 500 Wh battery will get the battery specs up to industry standards.

But its not all about looks. If the bike cant perform then it doesnt matter how good the bike looks or how neatly the battery is tucked away. Fortunately for the Wing Freedom, it performs quite well. Theres really only one thing Ill knock it on, and thats the swept-back handlebar style, which to be fair is more of a personal preference thing. The handlebar feels very cruiser-ish, while the rest of the bike gives me solid commuter/hybrid vibes. Theres nothing inherently wrong with the swept-back handlebar, but I just dont find it as comfortable as a slightly straighter bar, especially when Im working hard in pedal assist mode.

But outside of my small gripe with the bar choice, everything else ticks my boxes.

Sure, there will be those that complain about the lack of suspension. And thats a fair point. But this is very much an urban-style bike that is meant for roads and bike lanes. A pothole here and there may reduce ride comfort, but at least the rigid front fork will be strong and reliable, plus more efficient for those of us that like to pedal without too much energy being wasted into bouncing front suspension.

The Bafang hub motor, which is known to be reliable, is a strong performer and gets the bike up to its top speed of 32 km/h (20 mph) quite quickly when you put the bike in top pedal assist level. I spent most of my time at a mid-level of pedal assist, which felt like a nice compromise to me. The bike kept me honest by having to provide some of my own power, but I never felt out of breath or like I was working up a sweat. I felt like I was getting a chance to perform some healthy exercise in exchange for a wind-in-my-hair pleasurable ride experience. Occasionally Id crank it up to full power and fly around like I was on a motorbike, and to even things out Id then drop it down into the lowest pedal assist for a good old-fashioned workout. But by and large I kept it right in the Goldilocks zone.

The components on the bike arent going to impress anyone on their own, but theyre perfectly acceptable for this level of e-bike. The 180 mm mechanical disc brakes and the 7-speed shifter are enough for a commuter bike and help keep the price reasonable. Sure, Id love to see hydraulic disc brakes so I dont have to worry about cable stretch or adjustments, but again, this is meant to be a simple, affordable commuter bike, not a top shelf bike. And so compromises had to be made.

But the fact that you can get an attractive design, built-in lights, an alarm, free fenders, and options for rear AND front racks all for $1,298 (and 12 month interest-free financing option) is still pretty impressive in my book. And judging from the number of commenters Ive had asking for a Wing Freedom review, Im not the only one that has found this to be an interesting addition to the e-bike market.

What do you think of the Wing Freedom? Let us know in the comments below!

[Update: Wing reached out to let me know that despite the top speed of 20 mph (32 km/h) that the bike ships with, you can actually unlock another 4 to 5 mph using the display, if you wish. So now Im the doofus riding around at something less than the top speed. Oh well, at least I enjoyed the better mileage that comes with the stock speed!]

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Review: Wing Freedom e-bike wins style points and it works great, too! - Electrek

Students at elite Shanghai university protest the removal of "freedom of thought" from the school charter – Boing Boing

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Fudan University, one of China's elite centers of higher learning, has had its charter altered to remove "freedom of thought" from its values. In its place, the charter now promotes "arming the minds of teachers and students with Xi Jinping's new era of socialist ideology with Chinese characteristics." In response, students have launched a protest in the form of performances of the school song, which touts "academic independence and freedom of thought."

The change comes along with a requirement to promote "core socialist values" and to ensure the campus is "harmonious" (a Chinese bureaucratic euphemism for purging anti-government sentiment).

Similar charter changes have taken place in other Chinese universities including Nanjing University and Shaanxi Normal University.

The Xi regime's emphasis on Marxist orthodoxy in China's universities has produced some unexpected outcomes: in 2018, Marxist students joined wildcat workers' strikes in solidarity with factory workers against the bourgeois ownership class. Even after student leaders were kidnapped by security forces the students continued their protests, leading to the forced closure of Peking University's Marxist Society.

Fudan's charter change was announced by the Ministry of Education on its website late Tuesday and criticism quickly trended on social media before China's ever-vigilant online censors acted to delete posts and block discussion.

Chinese students defiant as university charter cuts 'freedom of thought' [AFP]

(via Naked Capitalism)

Last month, Propublica published a characteristically blockbuster piece on the use of "quiet rooms" in Illinois schools, especially in special ed programs: these are a euphemism for solitary confinement, and their use is so cruel and grotesque that Propublica's reporting prompted state level action to ban quiet rooms in schools and reform the policy on []

Bernie Sanders commissioned the Government Accountability Office to study the consequences of the high degree of indebtedness borne by Millennials; the GAO's report concludes that Millennials dreams are being "crushed" by debts -- primarily student loans -- which have limited their abilities to seek good employment, good housing, and to save for retirement.

Librecorps is a program based at the Rochester Institute for Technology's Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) initiative that works with UNICEF to connect students with NGOs for paid co-op placements where they build and maintain FOSS tools used by nonprofits.

So youre building a brand. Ideally, youve got a website, but thats only half the battle. As any online marketer can tell you, the real work comes in getting that site to come up in internet searches, and come up prominently. That requires a lot of groundwork and more than a little technical know-how []

Well say this about smoking: The act of asking somebody for a light is a minor bonding ritual all its own and a great chance to make a first impression. And if it takes you a while to find a bon mot, dont sweat it: Thats why they made these eye-catching throwback lighters. Theyre []

Whether youre an industry professional, IT worker or a budding entrepreneur, your worth boils down to one main thing: expertise. What you dont know can hurt you, and what you do know can only help your resume and your bottom line. Granted, it can be hard to keep your skillset up to date in []

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Students at elite Shanghai university protest the removal of "freedom of thought" from the school charter - Boing Boing

Why Freedom Gas Was Voted The Worst Phrase Of The Year – OilPrice.com

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The freedom gas phrase coined by a U.S. Under Secretary of Energy earlier this year, has won the award for worst phrase from the Australian Plain English Foundation.

When a simple product like natural gas starts being named through partisan politics, we are entering dangerous terrain, the Australian Plain English Foundations Executive Director, Dr Neil James, said commenting on the award. Why cant natural gas just remain natural gas?

The simple answer to this would be that a commodity as strategic as natural gas will always be wrapped in politics and hence impossible to just remain natural gas.

The phrase appeared in a May 2019 press release from the U.S. Department of Energy announcing its approval for additional export capacity at the Freeport LNG facility in Texas.

Increasing export capacity from the Freeport LNG project is critical to spreading freedom gas throughout the world by giving Americas allies a diverse and affordable source of clean energy. Further, more exports of U.S. LNG to the world means more U.S. jobs and more domestic economic growth and cleaner air here at home and around the globe,was the full statement by Under Secretary Mark W. Menezes.

The other linguistic jewel mentioned in the Australian foundations awards was molecules of U.S. freedom, which also appeared in the same press release but was the brainchild of another official, Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy Steven Winberg.

Related: The 5 Biggest Threats To Oil & Gas In 2020

Winberg said Approval of additional LNG exports from Freeport LNG furthers this Administrations commitment to promoting American energy, American jobs, and the American economy. Further, increased supplies of U.S. natural gas on the world market are critical to advancing clean energy and the energy security of our allies around the globe. With the U.S. in another year of record-setting natural gas production, I am pleased that the Department of Energy is doing what it can to promote an efficient regulatory system that allows for molecules of U.S. freedom to be exported to the world.

While the political overtones of the DoEs message are nothing unusual for any large gas exporter, although they are rarely that poetic, the clean energy reputation of natural gas is being increasingly challenged. Just recently, a couple of studies challenged the perception of gas as a clean fuel citing an actual increase in global emissions resulting from the substantial increase in gas production and use for power generation.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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Explained: Reading Bangladesh provisions for citizenship and freedom of religion – The Indian Express

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Written by Faizan Mustafa | Updated: December 21, 2019 9:57:32 am Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Among the three countries from where certain categories of migrants have become eligible for Indian citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act, Bangladesh is significant. A look at the laws under which Bangladesh grants citizenship, and what its Constitution says on freedom of religion:

The Bangladesh Constitution, adopted by the Constituent Assembly on December 4, 1972, refers to its war of liberation as historic war and establishes the independent sovereign Peoples Republic of Bangladesh.

The original preamble mentioned Nationalism, Democracy, Socialism and Secularism as fundamental principles. Unlike Indias Constitution, the Bangladesh Constitutions commitment to socialism is explicitly mentioned. The preamble says the fundamental aim of the state is to realise through democratic process socialist society free from exploitation a society in which rule of law, fundamental human rights and freedoms, equality and justice, political, economic and social will be secured to all citizens. The expression rule of law is not used in the Indian Constitution.

In 1977, the military dictator Ziaur Rahman removed the term secular from the Constitution. In 1988, President Hussain Muhammad Ershad got Article 2A inserted, which says the state religion of the republic is Islam but other religions may be practised in peace and harmony. The amendment was struck down by the Bangladesh High Court in 2005 and the Supreme Court in 2010. The SC said that in spite of Islam being the state religion, the Constitution remains secular. It observed that the preamble and the relevant provision of the Constitution in respect of secularism, nationalism and socialism as existed on August 15, 1975 (Mujibur Rahman was assassinated on this day) will revive. On June 30, 2011, the Constitution was amended and the term secular reinserted. The amendment also removed the expression absolute faith and trust in Allah from the preamble but retained, above the preamble, the expression in the name of Allah, the beneficent, the merciful that had been added in 1997. To accommodate other religions, it also mentions in the name of our Creator, the merciful.

Explained: How Pakistan grants citizenship, and what provisions cover its minorities

While Islam is the state religion, other religions have been given equal status and equal rights by the Constitution and their followers have been given an equal right to freely practise their religions. This seems to be a contradiction as it is not in line with classical secular formulation.

Article 8(1) of the Bangladesh Constitution mentions secularism along with nationalism, democracy and socialism as the fundamental principles of state policy. Article 12 was revived by the 15th Amendment and in a way this, unlike the Indian Constitution, explains the essential ingredients of secularism and how it will be achieved. It says the principles of secularism shall be realised by elimination of communalism in all forms, granting of political status in favour of any religion, abuse of religion for political purposes and any discrimination against, or persecution of, persons practising a particular religion. With such a progressive provision, the charge of religious persecution has no legs to stand on as far as the text of the Constitution is concerned, just because Islam is the state religion.

Unlike Pakistans Constitution, there is no Muslim qualification required for the office of President or other constitutional offices.

Article 41 of the Bangladesh Constitution says every citizen subject to public order and morality has the right to profess, practice or propagate any religion. In India, Article 25 guarantees religious freedom in a narrower sense in addition to public order and morality, it is also subject to health and other fundamental rights, and the state can also restrict freedom of religion in respect of any economic, financial, political or other secular activity associated with religious practices, and can also do so in the name of social reforms. But in another sense, Indias religious freedom is broader as it is not confined to just citizens.

Editorial | New citizenship law is taking a toll on ties with Dhaka

Like Indias Article 26, Bangladeshs Article 41(b) gives every religious community or denomination the right to establish, maintain and manage its religious institutions. Like Indias Article 28, Article 41(c) in Bangladesh lays down that no person attending any educational institution shall be required to receive religious instruction or take part in or to attend any religious ceremony or worship, if that relates to a religion other than his own. The difference is that while India does not permit any religious instruction in any institution that is maintained out of state funds or is recognised by the government, Bangladesh permits religious instruction but only of ones own religion.

Article 28(1) is a replica of Indias Article 15 and prohibits the state from discriminating against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth. This includes admission to any educational institution. Indias Article 15 does not mention educational institutions and gives right of access only in respect of places maintained wholly or partly out of state funds or dedicated to the use of the general public. The Bangladesh Constitution prohibits all discrimination based on religion, which weakens the argument of religious persecution there.

Article 6 of the Constitution says citizenship in Bangladesh shall be regulated by law and people shall be known as Bengalees as a nation. On December 15, 1972, a Presidential Order, Bangladesh Citizenship (Temporary Provisions), conferred citizenship from March 26, 1971 on anyone who, or whose father or grandfather, was born in the territories then comprising Bangladesh and who was a permanent resident on March 25, 1971 and continued to be a resident of Bangladesh. Any person who, for studies or employment, was in territories within a country at war or engaged in military operation (Pakistan), and was being prevented from returning to Bangladesh, would also be citizen.

The Bangladesh government, like Pakistan, may grant citizenship to a person who is citizen of Europe, North America or Australia or any other state. But knowledge of Bangla would be necessary. Foreign women married to Bangla men can also get citizenship after two years residence. Irrespective of place of birth, if ones parents are Bangladeshi, citizenship would be given. In 2017, it was provided that anyone who invests $150,000 can get citizenship.

Read | Bangladesh ministers cancel visit to India

Many Urdu-speaking people who had supported Pakistan in the war became stateless with the creation of Bangladesh as the law did not give citizenship to those who sided with the enemy country. There were some 10 lakh such people in 1972. Under an agreement among India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, 1,780,969 were repatriated to Pakistan, followed by about 1 lakh more subsequently, but 2.5 lakh remained. In 2008, the Supreme Court in M Sadakat Khan reaffirmed the citizenship of all Urdu-speaking citizens. The 1951 Citizenship Act of Pakistan also remained in force. In 2016, a draft citizenship law was prepared that gave dual citizenship but was criticised for other provisions like termination of citizenship.The author is an expert inconstitutional law and Vice Chancellor, NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad.

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Explained: Reading Bangladesh provisions for citizenship and freedom of religion - The Indian Express