Missing British author’s body found buried in shallow grave in the Caribbean – Mirror.co.uk

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A murder inquiry has been opened into the death of a best-selling British author found buried in a shallow grave in the Dominican Republic.

Lindsay de Feliz's body was discovered in bags in woods near her home on the island of Moncion yesterday after her friends and authorities mounted a massive search.

Her husband was being questioned after being arrested by police shortly before her body was found.

Dominican Republic newspaper Hoy reported today that the 60-year-old British woman's mutilated body was found buried two feet underground in a wooded area.

Her remains were reportedly wrapped in black plastic bags used for dog food and a yellow sheet, and her head was in another black bag with tape around her neck.

The Wolverhampton University-educated expat had written two books about her experiences in the Caribbean including her recovery from a near-fatal shooting by a burglar.

Her friends had offered a reward for information leading to the missing Brit being located.

The grim discovery was made just after midday local time yesterday following a massive search involving friends, police and civil protection workers.

A spokesman for the local police force said before her body was found her 50-year-old Dominican husband Danilo was being questioned after being arrested as a matter of routine while the search got underway.

Hoy reported today one of Danilos adult sons, named as Dani Alberto Feliz Martinez, 29, had also been detained.

The newspaper reported that a 37-year-old man had also been arrested.

One of the books she wrote after emigrating to the Caribbean nearly 20 years ago is an Amazon best-seller called What About Your Saucepans.

The book detailed how she walked away from marriage and a dream lifestyle of expensive holidays and designer cars in Britain to pursue her scuba diving dream.

She also told in the book how she was shot in a bungled 2006 robbery.

Lindsay, thought to be from Cambridgeshire originally, was last seen around 3.30pm on Tuesday getting off a bus outside her home.

She said last year in an interview about her new life in the sun: I came here for six months and ended up staying.

I married a Dominican and I was working as a scuba diving instructor and everything was perfect until I was shot through the throat one day during a burglary at my house.

That meant I had to give up my career diving and take a different career which was writing.

Following that my husband ran for local mayor and we were involved in all sorts of political corruption and shenanigans.

We ended up fleeing for our lives and we now live on a mountain 1500ft up in the north-west where we keep goats and chickens and dogs and life is very calm.

She added of the shooting: When I was shot in the throat the bullet went through my lungs and I couldnt breathe.

A big fear was that I was going to die which I very nearly did. I was taken to hospital by friends on the back of a motorbike. I have a blank for around six hours afterwards.

Lindsay told last month on an Internet blog how she worked as paralegal for her husband, a lawyer whose clients were frequently expats.

The animal lover, who had worked for a string of financial service firms as a marketing director in the UK before travelling the world as a scuba diving instructor and settling in the Dominican Republic, described herself on social media as a writer, blogger, researcher and translator.

In a YouTube interview titled Escape the Rat Race to Pursue Your Dream, she revealed: In the UK I was earning a quarter of a million dollars a year, maybe half a million in bonuses.

I had so much money I didnt know what to do with it. To cut my hair every six weeks was like 600 to 700 dollars. It was peanuts.

I should have been happy but when I woke up in the morning I wasnt springing out of bed and the only time I was really happy was when I was scuba diving.

Friends have paid tribute to her on social media.One said in a message by a photo of a black ribbon: This is shocking and devastating. Lindsay you will be missed.

You were such a beautiful person with a heart full of gold. RIP my friend.

Another added: This made me sick to my stomach. Rest in peace Lindsay. Life has not treated you fair. I cannot believe this is happening.

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Bella Hadid went braless under a sheer halter top during her trip to the Caribbean – Business Insider

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Supermodel Bella Hadid posted a series of photos in a see-through halter top and rectangular frames during her visit to the French-speaking Caribbean island of St. Barts on Sunday.

To model the look, Hadid posted a series of photos on Instagram, taken on the beach at the recently reopened Eden Rock hotel. She could be seen wearing a draping, mesh white halter top with no bra, along with light pink and silver "Hellz Bellz" sunglasses.

She paired the look with straight-legged white jeans, chunky gold jewelry, and a messy bun.

The 23-year-old model was on the Caribbean island to celebrate the launch of her latest collaboration with LA-based brand Chrome Hearts, an edgy brand founded by Richard Stark in 1988. Together, Hadid and the brand created a sunglasses line called, "Hellz Bellz," which is exclusive to the brand's St. Barts location.

The collection carries both sunglasses and optical frames and hints at the geometric '90s style that Hadid often sports.

In anticipation of the St. Barts release, Hadid posted a video clip titled "The Factory Girl" on Thursday in which Hadid teased the frames while working in an industrial warehouse.

"For the past 10 years @jessejostark and I have been roaming around this factory together so this creative @lauriellynnstark @mr_mosher dreamt up seemed perfectly fitting," Hadid captioned the clip.

Hadid first partnered with Chrome Hearts and Jesse Jo Stark in 2017 to create a line for Selfridges, which is a chain of luxury department stores in London. According to Hypebeast, the brand has paired up with Hollywood names ranging from Guns N' Roses, Sex Pistols and The Rolling Stones in the past.

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Pirates Of The Caribbean: The 10 Most Terrifying Moments – Screen Rant

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The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise may very well be a family-friendly one created by Disney based on a theme park attraction, but that doesn't mean there aren't scary moments. In a world where pirates roam the seas, Kraken's lurk beneath the ocean and dead men really do tell tales, there is plenty to be afraid of. While the franchise has tons of uplifting and comedic moments throughout, they only serve to make the occasional terrifying scenes even scarier.

RELATED:The 10 Most Expensive Disney Movies Ever Made

The movies are by no means horror or even overly scary, but every now and then the franchise throws in a scene or two to keep the film as thrilling as possible. So, within this list, we will be looking at those moments, ranking the 10 most terrifying scenes from the franchise.

We kickstart this list with a scene from At Worlds End which was truly terrifying as the movie comes to its end. This is a huge moment for the franchise where Will Turner ends up becoming the new captain of the Flying Dutchman, becoming part of the ship.

The emotions around it are tough as Elizabeth knows she is losing him while Will's father does everything in his power to try and exact revenge. But it is the moment all the members of the crew come out in their forms chanting, "part of the crew, part of the ship" that is truly very terrifying.

This is the perfect scene, to sum up exactly what Pirates of the Caribbean is like. It can provide sheer terror one moment, but comedy just seconds later. This particular scene is a scary one, simply because of the visual that is provided, which is horrid to see.

RELATED:Pirates Of The Caribbean: 10 Questions We Still Have (That Could Be Answered In A 6th Movie)

Everyone knows the feeling when something touches your eye, and that is why this is so horrible to see. Ragetti is a very gormless character and that is how he ends up with a fork stuck in his eye. Of course, it was horrible to look at, but because of the character it happened to, it quickly turned into a funny moment just after.

The Kraken is a legendary monster that has been written about in countless stories in relation to pirates, which is why it was crucial to add the beast into this popular franchise. The beast was brought in for Dead Mans Chest and immediately made an impact, becoming an incredibly scary monster.

When the Kraken is finally unleashed onto the Black Pearl the monster shows its true horrors. No matter what the crew does, how many weapons they try to use, nothing can stop the Kraken. It is a truly terrifying scene as its various tentacles pop up out of nowhere, causing pure destruction as it drags the ship down.

In a similar way to how the fork in the eye was a disgusting scene to look at, Pirates of the Caribbean provided a similar type of visual when Captain Barbosa finally found the chest. Believing that Elizabeth Swan is the person they need, he slices her hand open to drop the blood into the chest.

RELATED:Pirates Of The Caribbean: 10 Worst Things Captain Jack Sparrow Ever Did

The film doesn't hold back in showing that scene either, which is quite a disgusting one. It is one of those scenes that simply makes a person cringe as you feel the pain shudder through your own hand, understanding the pain that they suffered.

The first scene of At Worlds End just so happens to be one of the scariest in the history of the franchise, kicking the movie off in a big way. It shows the tide is turning for the pirates as they all line up to be hung, as the British embassy and government start to take control.

The pirates end up joining together in a song, despite the fact they know they're about to die. It is a very emotional and striking moment that kickstarts the movie with a bang but equally makes the movie start in a very scary manner.

There is just something about seeing Davy Jones playing the piano with his own tentacles that is extremely unsettling. This scene is an incredible one as it slowly pans behind Davy as he goes wild on the ivories, showing his talent.

RELATED:Pirates Of The Caribbean: 10 Hidden Details About The Main Characters Everyone Completely Missed

While it is quite impressive to see, it does also feel very scary at the same time. It somehow makes him feel slightly more human and relatable, which isn't always a good thing for the main villain, which is the case with this moment.

Throughout the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, the movies have done a great job of creating some truly fantastic villains. One of those was Salazar who was an incredibly well-detailed character and one that, visually, was incredibly scary.

His introduction scene was one of the scariest in the history of the franchise. Walking in as terror takes place around him, the cinematography is incredibly well done, giving subtle glimpses of him until the full appearance is shown, which is a very scary scene.

Calypso is one of the strangest characters in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. A lot of fans didn't love the way this character went because it was fairly ridiculous, but her transformation into a giant tied to a ship is one of the scariest moments from the franchise.

RELATED:10 Movies That Broke Their Franchises Timeline

Hearing her voice boom out as she grew was a very odd sight to see and it certainly got people inside the cinema. The whole moment absolutely came out of nowhere and it was more of a shock than fear, but it certainly was a terrifying scene from the movie.

Death scenes can quite often be terrifying moments in movies, mainly because of the nature of them, but Ian Mercer's death in At Worlds End is particularly scary. While most of the deaths in this franchise are through swords, this one is very different.

Mercer ends up face to face with Davy Jones and he is the person who kills him. However, he doesn't use his sword, instead, Jones sticks his tentacles all over Mercer's face, through his mouth and out of his nose in what is a very scary scene, despite Mercer being a villain in the franchise.

The scariest moment from the entire Pirates of the Caribbean franchise comes from the original movie, where we first learn that the crew are actually skeletons. It is something that you simply do not see coming until it happens, and it certainly is scary.

With the skeletons just popping up out of different places, all having equally vile appearances, it quickly becomes clear they're impossible to kill at that point. Elizabeth Swan runs around the ship looking for an escape, but each time she turns another skeleton pops up in what is a truly terrifying scene.

NEXT:10 Things The Pirates Of The Caribbean Reboot Needs

NextHow I Met Your Mother: Main Characters Ranked By Intelligence

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Fast-Casual Caribbean Restaurant Island Thyme Grill Is Opening in Austin – Eater Austin

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A new fast-casual Caribbean restaurant is opening in the north campus area of Austin by brothers Michael and Patrick Butigian. Island Thyme Grill will be found on 2915 Guadalupe Street, Unit A at some point, though theres no set opening date as of yet.

Island Thymes menu is simple: customizable rice bowls, salads, and wraps, with various meats and sides. Think jerk chicken, goat, plantains, beans. The set-up makes sense given as the space used to be Austins only location of New York City-based Middle Eastern food cart-restaurant chain Halal Guys, which closed in 2018.

The aesthetics for Island Thyme are very pastel and bright. Currently, theres a mural outside of the restaurant, as well as animated videos on its social media channels, depicting tropical birds, fruits, plants, and trees in pinks, purples, and pale yellows.

The brothers grew up in New York, where they spent a lot of time in neighborhoods with big Caribbean populations. Michael, who is the chef of Island, graduated from the Culinary Institute of America. Then he managed several fast-casual restaurants in New York, including Rex Burger & Lobster in Long Island. He also worked as a Disney World chef at Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. They decided to open a restaurant in Austin because Patrick, who had worked in the music industry, was already here.

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Fast-Casual Caribbean Restaurant Island Thyme Grill Is Opening in Austin - Eater Austin

Unique Room Categories in the Caribbean – TravelPulse

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A vacation to one of the Caribbean islands usually comes with several perks. Often times people choose to stay at a luxurious all-inclusive resort that offers gourmet meals, endless activities and hours of pool and beach time.

In addition to these things, many travelers choose to explore the island theyre staying on through various tours and excursions in order to visit with locals, learn about the history and culture of the destination and take in all the beautiful flora and fauna they might not see back home.

While touring the destination is wonderful and spending time on the beach could last for hours, its always nice to have a comfortable room to relax in when you need some downtime throughout the vacation.

Sandals Resorts provides vacationers with several properties throughout the Caribbean, and each one is especially designed for two people in love. The resorts offer several room categories to choose from, so each couple is able to find something that caters to their needs.

Couples celebrating a special occasion such as a honeymoon, anniversary or babymoon may choose to splurge during their trip, and an upgraded room category is a great way to do so. Although, its always a good idea to treat yourself to something specialvacations only come around once in a while after all.

Sandals Resorts has you covered if youre in search of a unique room category in the Caribbean.

Sandals Grande St. Lucians Beachfront Grande Rondoval Butler Suite with Private Pool Sanctuary rooms are in the Love Next category and are conveniently located steps from the beach.

In addition to having a great location, guests staying in these rooms are spoiled with a hammock, outdoor shower, jacuzzi and private plunge pool, among other luxuries.

If stunning views are at the top of your qualification list, the Italian Oceanview SkyPool Butler Suite with Balcony Tranquility Soaking Tub room at Sandals Grenada was meant for you.

Guests in this room can feel right at home with a dining table, plush sofa and fully-stocked wet bar. Out on the balcony, the infinity-edge sky-high plunge pool allows guests to enjoy a soak while taking in the islands beauty.

Moving over to the island of Jamaica, Sandals South Coast offers Over the Water Butler Honeymoon Bungalows. These luxurious rooms each have a private patio equipped with a soaking tub, over the water hammock, outdoor shower, bistro set and sun loungers. With a butler and 24-hour room service, youll never have to leave.

While its essential to have a comfortable room to retreat to throughout vacation, its also exciting to indulge in something unique and one of a kind. These are only a few of the many room categories offered by Sandals Resorts.

Contact a travel advisor or visit http://www.sandals.com to learn more.

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Unique Room Categories in the Caribbean - TravelPulse

A&B named among the top three fastest growing economies in the Caribbean in 2019 – Antigua Observer

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The three fastest growing economies for 2019were Dominica (9.0 percent), Anguilla (6.3 percent) and Antigua and Barbuda(6.2 percent), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbeans(ECLACs) Preliminary Overview of Latin America and the Caribbean for 2019stated.

At the launch of the Preliminary Overview ofLatin America and the Caribbean, Sheldon McLean, the Coordinator of EconomicDevelopment Unit of ECLAC, Port of Spain, reviewed the macroeconomicperformance of the Caribbean economies in 2019 and outlined projections for2020.

His presentation summary stated that, somestrong growth increases as growth strengthened in the hurricane ravagedeconomies of Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda as reconstruction effortsintensified, foreign direct investments strengthened and the tourism industryrecovered with public sector investment support.

However, economic growth was subdued in 2019across most Caribbean economies due to the impact of fiscal austerity measuresin some countries and lack of investor confidence. The weighted average realgrowth in the region remained unchanged at 1.4 percent in 2019 relative to2018. Among the goods-producing economies, GDP growth is expected to be 1.2percent in 2019 (up from 0.8 percent in 2018), while the service-producingeconomies declined marginally to 1.7 percent (down from 1.8 percent in 2018).

With that being said, ECLAC declared that the 2014-2020 period will mark the lowest growth in the last seven decades for Latin American and Caribbean Economies.

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5 Occupations Most Affected by Mesothelioma – Occupational Health and Safety

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5 Occupations Most Affected by Mesothelioma

Here are five occupations largely affected by mesothelioma--a disease that develops 20 to 40 years after exposure to a toxic substance known as asbestos.

Mesothelioma is a disease that develops 20 to 40 years after exposure to a toxic substance known as asbestos. This mineral was a readily available material and used by many companies up until the 1980s.

However, many industries continued using this substance for much of the 20th century despite knowledge of the dangers it posed to their employees. Unfortunately, most workers were unaware of the effects asbestos exposure would have on their bodies decades later.

Today, despite regulations, commercial use of asbestos is not banned in the United States. Additionally, there are many instances of legacy asbestos, where workers today interact with buildings and other structures that were built with untenable asbestos.

Here are five occupations largely affected by mesothelioma.

Workers interacted with asbestos on a daily basis as it was used for insulation, specifically for railroad equipment and locomotive parts. Boilers, engines, pipes and electrical panels were covered with this toxic substance. This use left repairmen, train operators, conductors or yardmasters in danger of inhaling asbestos fibers for prolonged periods of time.

After the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) limited the use of asbestos-made products, some railroad companies continued to use asbestos and hid the dangers from their employees. Many companies have filed for bankruptcy and had to establish trust funds to pay for their negligence. Workers diagnosed with mesothelioma today can file a mesothelioma claim and receive compensation from a variety of asbestos trust funds.

2. ShipbuildersLarge commercial and naval vessels were built with asbestos because of its fire-retardant and insulating properties. The United States Navy, specifically, used this substance to build many of their ships until the latter half of the 20th century. Asbestos was mostly used to increase durability in materials like gaskets, insulation and some filters. Shipbuilders also used asbestos to insulate the pipes in these vessels. Boats built for recreational use also may have included this toxic substance. Asbestos was used in electrical wire insulation, caulking and sealants. Shipbuilders were at risk for inhaling these fibers when the substance loosened, or broke apart, and became airborne.

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5 Occupations Most Affected by Mesothelioma - Occupational Health and Safety

US Navy Veterans Mesothelioma Advocate Now Offers Direct Access to Attorney Erik Karst of Karst von Oiste for a Navy Veteran with Mesothelioma to…

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NEW YORK, Dec. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --The US Navy Veterans Mesothelioma Advocate greatly fears that a Navy Veteran with recently diagnosed with mesothelioma or their family will get hijacked by law firms offering 'free' books, kits, packages, calculators or a local car accident attorney rather than getting direct help from some of the nation's most skilled and experienced mesothelioma lawyers.

To help a Navy Veteran with mesothelioma nationwide receive the very best possible financial compensation the Advocate has endorsed the law firm of Karst von Oiste and their founding partner Erik Karst for a Navy Veteran dealing with this rare form of cancer caused by asbestos exposure as they would be happy to explain anytime at 800-714-0303.

The lawyers at the law firm of Karst von Oiste are responsible for over a billion dollars in financial compensation for Navy Veterans or people with mesothelioma and asbestos exposure lung cancer and they make house calls. In other words, these remarkable lawyers will travel to meet a Navy Veteran with mesothelioma in their home for a face to face conversation about financial compensation as well as try to determine the potential value of the Navy Veteran's compensation claim. For direct access to attorney Erik Karst of the law firm of Karst von Oiste please call 800-714-0303 anytime.www.karstvonoiste.com/

The US Navy Veterans Mesothelioma Advocate says, "We want a Navy Veteran with recently confirmed mesothelioma to receive a five-star service. Our services are free, and they are dedicated to being extremely helpful to a Navy Veteran with mesothelioma. In addition to making certain a Navy Veteran in any state is talking directly with attorney Erik Karst of the law firm of Karst von Oiste for a dedicated focus on achieving the best possible compensation results, we will also work with the Navy Veteran or their family on VA disability payments, treatment options and everything else possible as we would be happy to discuss anytime at 800-714-0303.

In addition, we offer a Navy Veteran or their family members a free service we call the list. The 'list' is designed to document how, where and when a Navy Veteran could have been exposed to asbestos prior to the navy, during the navy and after the navy. It is this incredibly vital information that becomes the basis for a mesothelioma compensation claim for a Navy Veteran as we would like to explain anytime at 800-714-0303." https://USNavyMesothelioma.Com

For specific information about US Navy warships and submarines please review their website on this topic:https://www.navy.mil/navydata/our_ships.asp.

For a listing of all VA Medical Centers in each state please review the VA's website:https://www.va.gov/directory/guide/allstate.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, 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 Thomas800-714-0303229064@email4pr.com

SOURCE US Navy Veterans Mesothelioma Advocate

https://USNavyMesothelioma.Com

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US Navy Veterans Mesothelioma Advocate Now Offers Direct Access to Attorney Erik Karst of Karst von Oiste for a Navy Veteran with Mesothelioma to...

Mesothelioma Compensation Center Now Urges an Industrial Electrician with Mesothelioma to Call Them for Direct Access to Attorney Erik Karst of Karst…

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NEW YORK, Dec. 11, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --The Mesothelioma Compensation Center says, "We are urging any type of electrician or electrical worker in any state who has just been diagnosed with mesothelioma or their family members to call us anytime at 800-714-0303 for our unsurpassed free services. Rather than offering a 'free' kit, package, book or calculator about mesothelioma we offer direct access to attorney Erik Karst of the law firm of Karst von Oiste, we offer medical treatment options specifically researched for the person with mesothelioma, and we offer a service we call the 'list' which documents how, where and when an electrician with mesothelioma was exposed to asbestos. It is this information that becomes the foundation for a mesothelioma compensation claim.

"Our bottom line is we want an electrician or electrical worker with mesothelioma and or their family to receive the best possible compensation results as well as the best resources and our services are free as we would be happy to discuss anytime at 800-714-0303." https://MesotheliomaCompensationCenter.Com

The reason the Mesothelioma Compensation Center has endorsed the law firm of Karst von Oiste and their founding partner Erik Karst is because these remarkable lawyers are responsible for over a billion dollars in financial compensation results for their clients and all they do is mesothelioma and asbestos exposure illness compensation work nationwide for their clients. Additionally, if a person with mesothelioma calls the law firm of Karst von Oiste they send out an attorney to have to face to face meeting with the person with mesothelioma so that they can understand exactly how the person with mesothelioma was exposed to asbestos.

For direct access to attorney Erik Karst and his amazing colleagues at the law firm of Karst von Oiste please call 800-714-0303 anytime.www.karstvonoiste.com/

The types of electricians or electrical workers with mesothelioma the Mesothelioma Compensation Center is trying to assist were exposed to asbestos at the following types of workplaces:

For a state by state list of requirements for electricians please review the following website: https://www.electricianschooledu.org/state-by-state-licensing-guide/.

The Mesothelioma Compensation Center specializes in assisting specific types of people who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma. These people include the US Navy Veterans, oil refinery workers,power plant workers, nuclear power plant workers, public utility workers, hydro-electric workers, chemical plant workers,plumbers, electricians, welders, or oil and gas production workers. In most instances these people were exposed to asbestos in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, or 1980s.https://MesotheliomaCompensationCenter.com

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, an electrical worker or electrician with a confirmed mesothelioma could live in any state includingCalifornia,New York,Florida,Texas,Illinois,Ohio,Iowa,Indiana,Tennessee,North Carolina,Mississippi,Georgia,Nebraska,South Dakota,North Dakota,Wyoming,Colorado,New Mexico,Nevada,Utah,Arizona,Idaho, or Alaska.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 Thomas800-714-0303229062@email4pr.com

SOURCE Mesothelioma Compensation Center

https://MesotheliomaCompensationCenter.Com

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Heather Von St. James Celebrates 14 Years of Survivorship – Mesothelioma.com

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Fourteen years! I still cant really believe that Ive made it this long.

When I was diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma, they told me I would be lucky to make it 15 months, let alone 5 years. And here I am, about to mark the 14th anniversary of my mesothelioma diagnosis.

November is still a tough month for me. It is like the cells in my body remember what was happening all those years ago. Every November, I feel a little out of sorts, a little tender and a little wary.

This year, I am trying something different, something to reclaim the month for me, not the cancer. Ive decided to really embrace what November is about: Thanksgiving. Im not talking a turkey dinner here. Im talking real thanks for all Ive been given, and I have much to be thankful for.

Here is the short list:

This is just a short list of a much longer gratitude journal Ive been keeping since the start of November.

I was never supposed to make it this long. And the fact that Im still here is something Im continually thankful for.

Sometimes ok, more often than not I get caught up in the day-to-day stuff that is just life. I woke up late, my daughter is sick, the refrigerator breaks down right before Thanksgiving and isnt repairable so we need to buy a new oneyou get the idea.

But then I stop and remember, Im here to witness and be a part of this life in all its messy glory. Through the good AND the bad, that is what Im grateful for. It is a daily conscious decision to think that way. It is what helps me through the hard times. Im even thankful for those.

As I look forward to 14 years of not only surviving cancer, but thriving, I am setting some goals to achieve in 2020. I am starting my own Cancer Coaching practice. I want to teach others to live despite dire circumstances.

I am going to publish my autobiography because I believe that my story of hope is a universal one that people want to hear. I want to write more, partner with movers and shakers more, and I want to make more people aware of this cancer and give more people hope. I want Lung Leavin Day to raise even more money for research and I cant wait to see what else my 14 years of thriving brings.

I am so very blessed to not only be here, but to be able to do what I love and help others. That is something that will just grow more in the coming years.

Most of all, Im so grateful for all the support from the mesothelioma and cancer community that has been behind me since I started this. Together we are better, and because of that, 14 years strong is going to be just fabulous!

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More Than Survival: Cytoreduction With HIPEC Has Psychological Benefits – Mesothelioma Guide

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Cytoreduction with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is a challenging procedure, one which usually takes hours to complete.

The treatment is the best method for many peritoneal mesothelioma patients to prolong their lives and rid their bodies of mesothelioma.

Cytoreduction with HIPEC is also linked to an improved quality of life, including decreased depression.

Wake Forest University and Wake Forest Baptist Cancer Center researchers found this result in the 46 people analyzed in a recent study. The patients all underwent cytoreduction with HIPEC and had a median survival of 40 months (3.4 years).

More than half of the patients survived for at least three years after the operation, and around 30% lived for at least five years. The one-year survival in the study was 77.4%.

This treatment is often associated with lengthy survival times. However, the operation can be intimidating at first glance.

Peritoneal mesothelioma forms in the peritoneum, which is a thin membrane covering the abdominal cavity. The cancer is comprised of microscopic tumors that can spread into the cavity, affecting nearby organs such as the intestines, liver, gallbladder, spleen, pancreas and kidneys.

Cytoreduction with HIPEC aims to remove these tumors and protect the organs in the abdominal cavity. The cytoreduction phase involves removing the peritoneum along with these tumors. Doing so reduces as much bulk as possible, which precedes the HIPEC portion of the treatment.

HIPEC is a heated chemotherapy bath in the abdominal cavity. This liquid chemotherapy attacks the remaining cancer cells not removed during cytoreduction. The entire operation can take several hours, and recovery (combining in the hospital and at home) could take up to two months. The lengthy rehabilitation is due to the abdominal cavity being comprised so many organs.

Despite this lengthy recovery time, there is evidence showing the long-term benefits.

Many mesothelioma-involved studies focus on survival times, but studying the mental health of mesothelioma patients is also essential.

Researchers used the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) to help determine the patients quality of life following surgery. CES-D is a screening test for depression and depressive disorder. It measures symptoms defined by the American Psychiatric Associations Diagnostic and Statistical Manual.

Researchers reported that the patients CES-D score worsened in the three months following surgery but then improved at the 24-month mark. They also found that:

Quality of life returned to baseline or improved from baseline between three months and one year following surgery, the researchers wrote in their report. Despite the risks associated with this operation, patients may tolerate HIPEC well and have good overall quality of life postoperatively.

Before choosing a mesothelioma treatment for your diagnosis, understand what each entails. Knowing the benefits and risks of each will help you make an informed decision on how to attack this disease.

You should also prioritize finding a mesothelioma specialist who can guide you to the appropriate treatment. You may be a candidate for cytoreduction with HIPEC, or you may be better suited for a clinical trial or other forms of care. Our patient advocate, Jenna Campagna, can help you connect with an experienced mesothelioma doctor. Email her at jenna@mesotheliomaguide.com to discuss further your options as a patient.

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More Than Survival: Cytoreduction With HIPEC Has Psychological Benefits - Mesothelioma Guide

Mesothelioma Victims Center Now Appeals to the Family of a School or Hospital Maintenance Man with Mesothelioma to Call Them for Direct Access to…

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NEW YORK, Dec. 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --The Mesothelioma Victims Center is appealing to the family of a school or hospital maintenance man with recently diagnosed mesothelioma to not shortchange themselves on their financial compensation-because they hired a local car accident attorney to assist with compensation. Frequently school or hospital maintenance workers with mesothelioma took care of boilers, plumbing pipes and pumps, they did electrical work, and they were constantly being exposed to asbestos. As the group would like to discuss anytime at 800-714-0303 the financial compensation for people like this could be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars or more.

To get the financial compensation job done for a school or hospital maintenance man the Mesothelioma Victims Center has endorsed the law firm of Karst von Oiste and their founding partner Erik Karst. These remarkable lawyers are responsible for over a billion dollars in mesothelioma and asbestos illness financial compensation and these amazing attorneys work overtime for their clients nationwide. For direct access to attorney Erik Karst of the law firm of Karst von Oiste please call 800-714-0303 anytime. http://www.karstvonoiste.com/

The Mesothelioma Victims Center says, "The remarkable mesothelioma lawyers we suggest at the law firm of Karst von Oiste know their plumbing products, insulation, boilers, pipes and or plumbing pumps and these are the types of products that exposed a school or hospital maintenance man to asbestos. It is this type of wisdom that will help these very skilled mesothelioma lawyers obtain the very best possible financial compensation settlement for a maintenance man who has this rare asbestos exposure cancer as we would like to discuss anytime at 800-714-0303."

The Mesothelioma Victims Center is pointing to the following types of facilities where a maintenance man or custodian could have been exposed to asbestos include:

The EPA now has a website that discusses schools and asbestos exposure. Nothing like this existed prior to 1980:https://www.epa.gov/asbestos/monitoring-asbestos-containing-material-acm

Today boiler technicians must be licensed. In the 1950's or 1960's this may not have been the case in every US state. For more information about a boiler certification today please review the following website:http://www.boilerlicense.com/.

High-risk work groups for exposure to asbestos include Veterans of the US Navy, power plant workers, shipyard workers, steel mill workers, oil refinery workers, factory workers, plumbers, electricians, welders, pipefitters, millwrights, pipefitters, miners, auto mechanics, machinists, pulp or paper mill workers, printers, firemen, rail road workers and construction workers. In most instances people with mesothelioma were exposed to asbestos in 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, based on the calls the Mesothelioma Victims Center receives a maintenance man or a boiler technician diagnosed victim of mesothelioma could live in any state including New York, Florida, California, Texas, Illinois, Ohio, Iowa, Indiana, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, Idaho, or Alaska.https://MesotheliomaVictimsCenter.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 Thomas800-714-0303 229061@email4pr.com

SOURCE Mesothelioma Victims Center

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Facebook and Google Balance Booming Business with Censorship Pressure in Vietnam – The Information

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When Facebook and Google want to strike ad deals in Vietnam, salespeople in Singapore get on a plane and fly to major cities like Ho Chi Minh City. They rent out rooms in five-star hotels for meetings with small retailers looking to sell around the world or big brands wanting to reach Vietnamese consumers. Vietnam is the most important market in Southeast Asia for both Google and Facebook, but neither company has any full-time employees stationed there.

Thats because Vietnam is governed by an authoritarian communist regime that imposes strict censorship of online content such as social-media posts and user-generated videos critical of the government. While Facebook and Google comply with the governments requests for removing or restricting content, people stationed in the country would be vulnerable to pressure for information about the identity of users posting content, said people familiar with both businesses. According to these people, the companies worry that staffers could be arrested or the offices raided, and even route advertising fees through subsidiaries in Ireland and Singapore to avoid Vietnams banking system.

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Facebook and Google Balance Booming Business with Censorship Pressure in Vietnam - The Information

Orban targets theaters, prompting protest against censorship – The Boston Globe

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Several thousand people gathered in central Budapest on Monday to protest the planned measures, according to the Index.hu news website. Speakers at the demonstration included the capitals recently-elected opposition mayor.

I was an actor already in the 1960s, 70s and 80s, when the communist regime ruled, Judit Pogany said in a video post by famous actors and directors. I never thought that after 30 years of democracy Id start feeling the way I did back then.

Orban has mostly won turf wars to extend his influence over education, scientific research, and parts of the legal system. Hes now fighting a European Union probe over the erosion of the rule-of-law during his nearly decade in power.

The latest battle over culture comes after Orban suffered a setback in Octobers municipal election, when his party won overall but lost control of four out of the five largest cities, including Budapest.

Following the ballot, he moved to squeeze the opposition mayors control over the capitals budget and submitted a draft law that seeks to broaden the role of the Constitutional Court, which is stacked with his appointees.

His lawmakers are also expected to back a proposals to restrict the rights of independent lawmakers, including his most outspoken critics. All the measures are expected to win approval, given the ruling Fidesz partys supermajority in the legislature.

As the EU has largely failed to derail Orbans centralization of power over the past 10 years, its unlikely that will change, according to Eurasia, a political-risk consultancy.

Ultimately, Orbans willingness to negotiate with the EU, partially backtracking on some issues while constantly moving forward with smaller steps seems to have worked for him, Naz Masraff, director for Europe at Eurasia, said in a research note. He will likely continue to use this winning formula.

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Orban targets theaters, prompting protest against censorship - The Boston Globe

Self-censorship is the enemy of creativity – Spiked

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As one who is foolish enough to engage with angry strangers on social media, I often find myself cast in the role of a comedian who continually insists that you cant say anything anymore. Not only have I never made this claim, I have never met a single other comedian who has. True, there are a few who express their concerns when the state arrests or imprisons its citizens for making jokes, and there are some who have strong reservations about cancel culture and the impulse to dredge up potentially offensive remarks from the past in order to initiate a public shaming. But on the whole, comedians are not complaining that they are being silenced.

The more immediate threat to artistic expression, comedic or otherwise, takes the form of self-censorship. This is not the same as refining our speech or choosing our battles. Dont we all self-censor for perfectly good reasons of tact, politeness, and taste?, asked the New Yorkers Bob Mankoff of Flemming Rose, the editor who was responsible for the publication of the Danish cartoons of Muhammad in 2005. Yes, Rose replied, but there is a difference to be made between tact, politeness, and taste, on the one hand, and self-censorship, on the other. The former is something you impose on yourself voluntarily, or in order to behave in accordance with an etiquette. The latter implies that there is something that you would like to say, but you refrain from saying it because you fear what might happen to you if you do it.

In its most extreme form this fear comes about from the threat of violent repercussions, as in the case of Charlie Hebdo. But for most artists the threat they face is that of limited career prospects in a culture which increasingly insists that art should convey the morally correct message. Timothy Garton Ash sees this as the distinction between the assassins veto and the hecklers veto. An artist whose work is genuinely controversial invariably faces a barrage of voluble criticism online. Of course there is nothing new in this every age has its puritans. But while the gatekeepers of television, radio and live promotion are so willing to capitulate to such demands of conformity from the irredeemably woke, there can be little doubt that our nations artistic health will continue to suffer.

Once artists begin tailoring their work in accordance with how they sense it will be received, their craft invariably deteriorates. The novelist Forrest Reid observed that the writer could choose one of two incompatible aims: He may look upon his work as an art to be practised with sincerity, and in faithfulness to an ideal; or he may regard it as a commercial experiment. For those whose goal is to make money and acquire fame, adherence to what John Stuart Mill described as the tyranny of the prevailing opinion and feeling is nothing to fear. For the true artist, it is a kind of death.

Self-censorship is an individual choice. In this sense, it is far less concerning than censorship by the state or by Silicon Valley tech giants who hold a monopoly on social-media platforms. But in terms of the arts, self-censorship can actually be more damaging, because at least when artists are censored by those in power they often find creative ways to circumvent the problem. Richard Crashaw (1613-1649), for instance, managed to evade state censorship of his explicitly homoerotic poetry by choosing the naked crucified body of Jesus Christ as his subject. Self-censorship, however, stunts the possibility of the artists creative development from its very wellspring.

Artists can never escape the practical demands of the business of living. Theres a reason why some of the most prolific have come from independently wealthy backgrounds. As Oscar Wilde pointed out in his essay The Soul of Man Under Socialism, individuality can only flourish in times of leisure. The Ancient Greeks were able to develop great philosophy, art and literature because they had slaves to take care of all the menial tasks which occupy most peoples existence. Poets and writers enjoyed a Renaissance in Britain in the 16th century because of aristocratic patronage. With arts funding today largely restricted to those who can prove that their work entails some practical benefit to society, the artist faces pressure to ensure that his work is commercially viable.

Of course, it is not in the nature of artists to admit that they are curtailing their own manner of expression in the face of external pressure, which means that the problem is likely to be more widespread than we imagine. The best artists are non-conformists, and the worst artists like to be seen as the best artists. We should do all we can to cultivate a climate in which creative risks are worth taking, and in which eccentricity and missteps will not be punished in the kangaroo courts of social media. An artist who kowtows to the ideological expectations of society can barely be said to be an artist at all. Like RS Thomass toiling farmer, he is merely contributing grimly to the accepted pattern, the embryo music dead in his throat.

Andrew Doyle is a stand-up comedian and spiked columnist. His book Woke: A Guide to Social Justice (written by his alter-ego Titania McGrath) is available on Amazon.

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Self-censorship is the enemy of creativity - Spiked

Ben Shapiro, conservatives blast YouTube policy on harassment: ‘Insanely vague’ – Fox News

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Conservative media figuresare deriding a new YouTube policy, arguing it censors free speech and could have a disproportionate impact on right-leaning commentators.

Announced on Wednesday, the policy seemed to come in reaction to a months-long controversy surrounding comedian Steven Crowder and his comments about Vox writer Carlos Maza's sexuality.

Wednesday's announcementtargets harassment and builds onthe platform's hate speech policy announced in June. The new guidelines would prohibit "demeaning language that goes too far" specifically, content that "maliciously insults someonebased on protected attributes such as their race, gender expression, or sexual orientation."

YOUTUBE FACES MASS BACKLASH AFTER CLAIMING IT ACTED WITHOUT 'POLITICAL BIAS'

The massively popular platform previously demonetized Crowder's videos claiming that he "harmed the broader community" at YouTube but acknowledged they didn't violate the company's standards at the time.

It's unclear how YouTube would determine "malicious" intent but the guidelines indicate it would include, for example, repeatedly using pronouns other than someone's preferred ones.According to conservative commentator Ben Shapiro, the policy may seem harmless but actually contains "insanely vague" standards that could result in censoring conservative ideas.

"Read in the most charitable way, this could simply be attempting to get rid of Nazi content, for example," he told Fox News on Wednesday."But the language is far too broad to be restricted this way."

He pointed to potential problems surrounding debates about biology in athletics and individuals who identify as an alternate gender. He also cited videos that call out disparities between Muslims and Christians, as revealed by polling data something Shapiro himself has done in a video posted on YouTube.

YOUTUBE ENDS MONETIZATION OF CONSERVATIVE COMMENTATOR STEVEN CROWDER'S CHANNEL, SEVER OTHERS AFTER LEFT-WING OUTRAGE

Shapiro added that YouTube's vagueness would continue to harm public trust in the company.

"When YouTube says that they want to 'want to reduce the spread of content that comes right up to the line,'they haven't defined the lineSo now they've written themselves a blank check to ban whatever content they like, calling it 'questionable,'" he said.

"They've now created a set of constantly moving goalposts, and assured us that we ought to trust them. But it's lack of trust in their judgment and understanding that has already created their public perception problems. These new guidelines will exacerbate that problem."

Brandon Straka, the #WalkAway campaign founder who identifies as gay, similarly criticized the policy.

"Though targeted harassment and bullying is something all people should be able to agree has no place in the arena of public discourse, sadly this ideal is rarely upheld when conservative opinions are being targeted by leftist bullying and harassment," he told Fox News.

He also said that YouTube was shifting power away from creators on the platform. "YouTubes policies remove the power from the creator to control their own discussions and engagement, and allow YouTube the freedom to discriminate and the power to control our political and cultural narratives online."

Media Research Center Vice President Dan Gainor similarlyblasted the proposal, suggesting it was reminiscent ofthe dystopian novel "1984."

"This is YouTube anti-free speech loons trying to make the world one giant safe space ... It's insanity and the censors will never be happy until everyone has their speech restricted," he said.

PRAGERU EXEC BLASTS YOUTUBE'S 'LAUGHABLE' CLAIM IT'S POLITICALLY NEUTRAL

Gainor runs MRC'sTechWatch program, which monitors bias from organizations like YouTube. He told Fox Newsthat YouTube's new policy would force them to "go back in time and censor thousands of movies and TVshows."

Crowder did not immediately respond to a request for comment but, prior to the policy's release, he previewed company changes by predicting that a YouTube "purge" was coming.

Crowder's online rival, Maza, apparently wasn't satisfied with the new guidelines either.

After a series of skeptical tweets, Maza said: "YouTube loves to manage PR crises by rolling out vague content policies they don't actually enforce. These policies only work if YouTube is willing to take down its most popular rule-breakers. And there's no reason, so far, to believe that it is."

Google, YouTube's parent company, declined to comment but responded to "purge" concerns byreferringFox News to tweets regarding its terms of service.

Wednesday's backlash was just the latest againstthe tech giant, which has claimed that it doesn't engage in political bias. The group has been the target of complaints from conservative groups like Live Action and PragerU, both of which seek to educate people on hot-button issues like abortion. Google also reportedly removed more than 300 Trump campaign videos, although YouTube's CEO has said political bias isn't built into her algorithms.

Craig Strazzeri, PragerU's chief marketing officer, previously told Fox News that the company was restricting their content simply because they were conservatives.

A PragerU lawsuit from earlier this year charged the company with defrauding the public and obtaining special legal status by wrongly claiming to be a neutral public forum.

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On Wednesday, Strazzeri said YouTube's policy was troubling and would likely limit free speech. It's always been YouTube's strategy to use increasingly vague and broad guidelines as a way to silence conservative voices," he said.

"To YouTube any criticism is now seen as 'harassment'and this is a troubling sign that will lead to more censorship and less free speech online. YouTube should look in the mirror, since they have been harassing us for years and restricting hundreds of our videos."

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Ben Shapiro, conservatives blast YouTube policy on harassment: 'Insanely vague' - Fox News

Anti-war artworks removed in censorship row – The Age

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''In a strange way, it's the voices who rail against political correctness that seem to be the first to want to have politically correct speech - in their minds - from an artist who comes from a background which they see as violent or threatening," Abdullah said.

"I wonder if I had a different name or a different religion whether this would have been news at all."

Mr Christensen and former NRL player turned councillor, Martin Bella, led calls for the removal of the two works, For we are young and free and All Let us Rejoice, from a council-run gallery. They were joined by the local RSL which said they feared for the mental health of local servicemen and women.

A spokeswoman for Mr Christensen directed the Herald to an October statement in which the member for Dawson said he was all for free speech and freedom of expression but taxpayers and ratepayers should not subsidise political messages that attacked soldiers. Clr Bella did not respond to questions put by the Herald.

For we are young and free' by Abdul Abdullah, which was pulled down from a Queensland art gallery because they were deemed to be an attack on soldiers. Credit:bdul Abdullah

Tensions got so heated that extra gallery security was needed, the artist received hate mail and poppies were dropped at the gallery entrance.

The tapestries bear Abdullah's signature style of an emoji, cartoonish character or motif over a traditionally painted backdrop. This year the artist was a finalist for the Sulman and Wynne prizes for paintings with similar imagery.

"The smiley face is an emoji I've used in a few different series of works where I've talked about the difference between a person's lived experience and the perception of them and what they project - the difference between how we feel and how we seem," Abdullah said from his studio in St Leonards.

"In the case of these images of the soldiers, there's the dark experience of war and all the turmoil they've experienced but in every case where I've met a soldier they've said they've always had to put on a brave face."

Mr Christensen took issue with the artist's description of soldiers as surrogatesinvolved in "'illiberal, destructive actions in other places'' and that those coming across Australian soldiers in action would see them as an ''existential threat''.

The MP said it was particularly affronting to veterans that the exhibition would have run during Remembrance Day.

After initially defending the artist's right to freedom of expression, Mackay Mayor Greg Williamson announced the work's removal. He declined to respond to the Herald.

Abdullah said he was never asked to explain his intent and he'd be the last person to disrespect servicemen. Two of his great grandfathers fought in Belgium and France in World War I. One grandfather fought in Papua New Guinea in World War II, the other with the British Navy in a submarine torpedoed in the Indian Ocean.

"Whats happened here is so unfair," said Esther Anatolitis, executive director of the National Association of Visual Artists. "Its deeply unfair to the veterans and veterans groups whove been misled on work they never saw by an artist they never met."

Following its opening in Noosa Regional Gallery on Friday, the exhibition Violent Salt is scheduled to travel to Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery, but those dates are also in doubt with the mayor Paul Antonio telling local media he did not want Abdullah's works displayed. Staff at Noosa Regional Gallery elected to add kids labels to the interpretation of the touring exhibition including one for Abdullahs works, and a sign at the entrance with a Lifeline number.

Independent curators Yhonnie Scarce and Claire Watson said that they were surprised and disappointed that Abdullahs embroideries were taken down from the exhibition in Mackay without consulting with them or the artist.

Censorship of the work, they said, and particularly "hostile remarks" leveled towards Abdullah, only demonstrated the value of exhibitions such as Violent Salt.

The show is scheduled to travel to Lake Macquarie City Art gallery in June, then Canberra Contemporary Art Space and Swan Hill Regional Art Gallery and Bundoora Homestead Art Centre in Victoria.

Linda Morris is an arts and books writer at The Sydney Morning Herald

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Anti-war artworks removed in censorship row - The Age

Greens, Libertarians to sue over third party barriers – Times Union

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Greens, Libertarians to sue over third party barriers

ALBANY Two minor political parties on opposite ends of the ideological spectrum will jointly sue a commission whose recommendations are set to make it more difficult for third parties to survive in New York.

The Green and Libertarian parties announced at an Albany news conference on Monday that they would sue the Public Campaign Financing Commission, which released recommendations on Nov. 30 making it more difficult for third parties to maintain full, qualified ballot status in New York. Unless the state Legislature reconvenes to amend the recommendations by Dec. 22, a prospect looking increasingly less likely, the commissions work will be legally binding.

Two larger minor parties with opposing ideologies the Working Families Party and the Conservative Party are already suing the commission in similar but separate lawsuits, and are set to have a summary judgment hearing on Thursday in state Supreme Court in Niagara County.

Its not clear if the Libertarians and Greens will sue in state or federal court, or if they will join the other minor parties already suing. But a lawsuit will happen once the legal situation becomes clearer this week, party officials said on Monday.

We are committed to going to court, said Mark Dunlea, a co-founder of the Green Party.

Dunlea said that the Greens and Libertarians had been in discussions with the Conservative and Working Families parties about joining their lawsuit, but were told to wait.

They started this litigation in July, it took them a long time to get to this summary judgment hearing, Dunlea said. They just said, Dont mess up the waters at this point. Lets talk on Friday. Lets figure it out, based on whats going on in the court on Thursday.

Dunlea said the timing was advantageous, because if the court rules against the WFP and Conservative parties, the Green and Libertarian lawsuit could address those legal concerns in their own case.

Dunlea said that the Green/Libertarian lawsuit would address issues that had arisen since the WFP/Conservative lawsuits were filed in July, which primarily focused on maintaining New Yorks unique fusion voting system that allows minor parties to cross-endorse major party candidates.

The public financing commission ended up keeping fusion voting, but instead sought to cull the number of third parties by substantially raising the thresholds that minor parties must meet to have full ballot status. Currently, parties must receive 50,000 votes in the race for governor every four years. Under the changes, they would have to attain 2 percent of total turnout or 130,000 votes, whichever is greater, every two years in both the gubernatorial and then the presidential elections.

The commission also tripled the number of signatures required to independently petition a statewide candidate onto the ballot, from 15,000 to 45,000. Dunlea said that issue would definitively be raised in the Green/Libertarian lawsuit.

The Green and Libertarian parties have different interests than the other minor parties: They generally run their own candidates for major offices such as governor, rather than cross-endorsing Democrats and Republicans, as the WFP and the Conservatives generally do. In 2018, the Greens ran Howie Hawkins for governor, while the Libertarians ran Larry Sharpe.

Running their own, lesser-known candidates could make it more difficult for the Green and Libertarian parties to survive as viable third parties than it will be for parties like the WFP. Sharpe got about 90,000 votes and Hawkins about 95,000.

They are trying to remove our choice, so that they can remove our voice, Sharpe said.

Dunlea primarily blamed Gov. Andrew Cuomo for the changes challenging third parties, but also said two other Democrats Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins were complicit in agreeing to eliminate third party competition in New York. Heastie and Stewart-Cousins could team up to pursue a special session before the recommendations are adopted next month and some members of their conferences have called for just that.

But in conversations with reporters over the past week, the majority leaders were hesitant to reject the commissions report or commit to reviewing the rules for minor parties.

Well see what happens, Heastie said, while Stewart-Cousins focused on the commissions work to establish a system to publicly fund elections an item that has long been on Democrats wish lists.

We weren't concerned about fusion voting and this type of thing, but it's part of our discussion, Stewart-Cousins said of the report, which has a severability clause that prevents lawmakers from striking only some of the recommendations. We're talking about all of the recommendations, and, again, I'm happy that we finally actually have public financing, or at least the possibility of public financing."

The Working Families Party alleges that the changes insisted upon by Cuomos appointees were carrying out his revenge against the WFP, which endorsed a Democratic primary challenger to the governor in 2018.

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Greens, Libertarians to sue over third party barriers - Times Union

Alan Dershowitz to Newsmax TV: Silence of the Libertarians – Newsmax

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Professedpurveyors of civil liberties refusing to speak out against releasing of privileged phone recordsare sacrificing their cause"on the alter of Trump's impeachment," according civil liberties legal expert Alan Dershowitz on Newsmax TV.

"Every civil libertarian, the ACLU, everybody who cares about civil liberties in the Constitution should be up in arms at the tactics being used by this congressional committee to obtain evidence,"Dershowitz told Monday's "America Talks Live" about Rep. Adam Schiff's, D-Calif., House Intelligence Committee in pursuit of the impeachment of President Donald Trump.

"And, yet, we don't hear a word from civil libertarians, because they like the end result. They want to see Trump impeached, so they're prepared to sacrifice basic civil liberties on the alter of Trump's impeachment."

Dershowitz rejected House Democrats' partisan arguments for grounds ofimpeachment because "none of them satisfy the constitutional criteria for impeachment" and our democracy's check on their abuse of power will come in the November 2020 elections.

"I think people who vote for impeachment without satisfying the constitutional criteria are going to have to pay a price at the ballot box," Dershowitz told host John Cardillo.

Constitutional checks and balances are also being abused by House Democrats in this impeachment attempt, because they are "ignoring" the Judicial branch to "circumvent the Constitution," according to Dershowitz.

"What's going on for the most part in this impeachment is the Democrats are ignoring the third branch of government, the Judicial branch," Dershowitz said. "They want the president to comply with subpoenas without challenging them in court. They want to get records and documents without going through court procedures.

"What we're seeing is kind of diminishing impact of courts, and the courts are supposed to be the referees between the Executive branch and the Legislative branch. And the Legislative branch in this case is eliminating the courts in trying to circumvent the Constitution."

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Alan Dershowitz to Newsmax TV: Silence of the Libertarians - Newsmax

Bill Weld Will Be On Mass. Primary Ballots Despite The State GOP’s Effort To Block Him – WBUR

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For almost seven years, Bill Weld carried the flag for Massachusetts Republicans in the governor's office, starting a 16-year reign of GOP chief executives on Beacon Hill that lasted until 2007.

The Canton Republican still holds the state's gubernatorial record for largest margin of victory in his 1994 landslide re-election, losing just five towns. And he was the MassGOP's nominee for U.S. Senate in 1996 when he mounted a serious campaign to unseat U.S. Sen. John Kerry.

Now, Weld will appear on the March 3 presidential Republican primary ballot in his home state, despite the efforts of the political party he once led.

He has Secretary of State William Galvin, a Democrat, to thank, instead.

Galvin has given all four political parties in Massachusetts - including the Democratic, Republican, Green-Rainbow and Libertarian parties until Friday to submit a list of candidates they want to appear on their Super Tuesday primary ballots. The Massachusetts Democratic Party submitted 15 names, including U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warrern and former Gov. Deval Patrick, on Thursday.

The lists are one of three ways a candidate can qualify for the presidential ballot in Massachusetts, and the MassGOP on Thursdaysubmitted only the nameof incumbent President Donald Trump.

"Having a sitting President as the only name on the potential candidate list is not unprecedented, and is in fact, an established procedure," MassGOP Chair Jim Lyons wrote.

Galvin on Thursday said he will add Weld's name to the ballot.

"I said to Mr. Lyons I would probaby add [Weld] if Mr. Lyons chose not to. He did not, so I will," Galvin said.

Weld thanked Galvin for his stance.

"When I was Governor, Republicans and Democrats in the Commonwealth respected one another and actually worked together," he said. "It is gratifying that such respect remains and that Secretary of State Galvin is ready to defend the rights of all Massachusetts voters."

Weld, who briefly left the Republican Party in 2016 to run as the vice presidential nominee on the Libertarian ticket, is mounting a long-shot primary challenge to President Trump, hoping to damage the incumbent in the process.

The former governor has predicted dire consequences for the Republican Party if Trump is not impeached and removed from office, a message that runs counter to Lyons's support for the president.

State law allows the secretary of state to unilaterally put a candidate on the primary ballot if they have determined the candidate to be "generally advocated or recognized in national news media throughout the United States."

The latest WBUR poll of New Hampshire Republicans had the former Massachusetts governor trailing the president with 9% of the vote. Trump led Weld 82% to 18% in an Emerson College poll of Massachusetts Republicans from April.

"I've already had a conversation with Mr. Lyons about this, and I told him that we had done our review and we thought Mr. Weld, as well as a former Congressman from Illinois, were national candidates," Galvin told the News Service on Thursday.

In addition to Weld, the secretary was referring to former Republican Congressman Joe Walsh. There's a fourth potential candidate Roque de la Fuente who Galvin said he does not consider to be a nationally recognized candidate who will likely have to turn in 2,500 signatures if he wants to qualify for the GOP primary. De la Fuentes ran as a Democrat in 2016 when he also took the signature route to the ballot.

Lyons said that during an incumbent presidency neither political party has submitted names other than that of the sitting president seeking re-election.

"We will follow set protocol and do the same, as has been done before in 2012 under Democratic President Barack Obama and in 2004 under Republican President George W. Bush," Lyons wrote.

Both Obama and Bush ran virtually unopposed in their re-election bids by any nationally known figures with the stature of someone like Weld.

But in 1992, MassGOP Chairman Leon Lombardi only put forward the name of President George H.W. Bush for the ballot, despite the incumbent being challenged by conservative commentator Pat Buchanan. Buchanan did end up getting onto the Massachusetts primary ballot that year, and won almost 75,000 votes, or 28%.

The parties, by law, have until Jan. 3 to submit their lists, but Galvin said he's following the same timeline he used during the last cycle in order to prepare ballots ahead of the Jan. 18 deadline to make them available to military and overseas voters.

Galvin plans to hold a drawing to determine the order of name placement on the ballots on Dec. 20, and candidates have until Jan. 10 to withdraw and have their names removed.

Tom Mountain, a Trump campaign spokesman in Massachusetts and New Hampshire and a member of the MassGOP state committee, has previously said that Weld should give up on his campaign.

"If he has any dignity he should ride off into the sunset," Mountain told the News Service last month after Weld held an event to call for Trump's impeachment. "No one is taking Bill Weld seriously except Bill Weld."

Gov. Charlie Baker suggested recently that he thought the Republican primary in Massachusetts would be a low-turnout affair with or without Weld on the ballot.

When discussing whether to schedule a special election for a state Senate seat on the same day as the primaries, Baker said, "I think having a general election for a state Senate seat on the same day as a presidential primary when you have numerous candidates running on one side, and for all intents and purposes, one and maybe two depending upon how the secretary of state puts the ballot together, on the other doesn't really give voters an opportunity to tune in on the state Senate race, which is what I would like to see them do in that race."

Baker has described Weld as a political mentor, but so far has declined to endorse his former boss over Trump, who he didn't vote for in 2016 and has frequently disagreed with.

Democratic Party Chairman Gus Bickford asked Galvin to include Warren, Patrick, former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Michael Bennet, Sen. Cory Booker, South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Michael Bloomberg, Julian Castro, former Congressman John Delaney, U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Tom Steyer, Marianne Williamson and Andrew Yang.

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Bill Weld Will Be On Mass. Primary Ballots Despite The State GOP's Effort To Block Him - WBUR