Daily Archives: December 30, 2019

Zion Market Research published a new 110+ pages industry researchComplementary and Alternative Medicine Market: by Intervention (Acupuncture, Botanicals, Magnetic Intervention, and Body, Mind & Yoga); by Distribution Channel (E-Training, Direct Contact and Distance Correspondence): Global Industry Perspective, Compreheis exhaustively researched and analyzed in the report to help market players to improve their business tactics and ensure long-term success. The authors of the report have used easy-to-understand language and uncomplicated statistical images but provided thorough information and detailed data on theGlobal Complementary and Alternative Medicine Market. The report equips players with useful information and suggests result-oriented ideas to gain a competitive edge in the Global Complementary and Alternative Medicine Market. It shows how different players are competing in the global market and discusses strategies they are using to distinguish themselves from other participants.

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The researchers have provided quantitative and qualitative analysis along with an absolute dollar opportunity assessment in the report. Additionally, the report offers Porters Five Forces analysis and PESTLE analysis for more detailed comparisons and other important studies. Each section of the report has something valuable to offer to players for improving their gross margin, sales and marketing strategy, and profit margins. Using the report as a tool for gaining insightful market analysis, players can identify the much-needed changes in their operation and improve their approach to doing business. Furthermore, they will be able to give a tough competition to other players of the Global Complementary and Alternative Medicine Market while identifying key growth pockets.

Market Competition

Each company assessed in the report is studied in relation to various factors such as product and application portfolios, market share, growth potential, future plans, and recent developments. Readers will be able to gain complete understanding and knowledge of the competitive landscape. Most importantly, the report sheds light on strategies that leading players are banking on to maintain their dominance in the Global Complementary and Alternative Medicine Market. It shows how the market competition will change in the next few years and how players are preparing themselves to stay ahead of the curve.

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It also includes a number of key players

Herb Pharm, Herbal Hills, Columbia Nutritional Inc., Deepure Plus, Helio USA Inc., Pure encapsulations, Inc., Nordic Naturals, and other wellness institutes like John Schumachers Unity Woods Yoga Center, Iyengar Yoga Institute, The Healing Company, Yoga

This report employs the SWOT analysis technique for the assessment of the development of the most remarkable market players. It additionally considers the latest upgrades while assessing the development of leading market players. Moreover, in the global Complementary and Alternative Medicine Market report, the key product categories of the global Complementary and Alternative Medicine Market are included. The report similarly demonstrates supportive data related to the dominant players in the market, for instance, product offerings, revenue, segmentation, and business synopsis.

The global Complementary and Alternative Medicine Market is as well analyzed on the basis of numerous regions.

Global Complementary and Alternative Medicine Market: Regional Analysis

To understand the competitive landscape in the market, an analysis of Porters five forces model for the market has also been included. The study encompasses a market attractiveness analysis, wherein all segments are benchmarked based on their market size, growth rate, and general attractiveness. This report is prepared using data sourced from in-house databases, secondary and primary research team of industry experts.

Market Segmentation

The analysts authoring the report have segmented the Global Complementary and Alternative Medicine Market according to product, application, and region. All of the segments are deeply researched about with heavy emphasis on their CAGR, market size, growth potential, market share, and other vital factors. The segmental study provided in the report will help players to focus on lucrative areas of the Global Complementary and Alternative Medicine Market. The regional analysis will help players to strengthen their footing in key regional markets. It brings to light untapped growth opportunities in regional markets and how they can be capitalized on during the course of the forecast period.

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The report answers important questions that companies may have when operating in the Global Complementary and Alternative Medicine Market. Some of the questions are given below:

What is the current CAGR of the Global Complementary and Alternative Medicine Market?

Which product is expected to show the highest market growth?

Which application is projected to gain a lions share of the Global Complementary and Alternative Medicine Market?

Which region is foretold to create the most number of opportunities in the Global Complementary and Alternative Medicine Market?

Will there be any changes in market competition during the forecast period?

Which are the top players currently operating in the global market?

How will the market situation change in the coming years?

What are the common business tactics adopted by players?

What is the growth outlook of the Global Complementary and Alternative Medicine Market?

Also, Research Report Examines:

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Complementary and Alternative Medicine Market Future Scope Including Top key Players Herb Pharm, Herbal Hills - Market News Gazette

Written by Chahat Rana | Chandigarh | Updated: December 30, 2019 5:51:31 am Arguably the greatest challenge faced by Chandigarhs residents when it comes to their health, is alleviating the burden of anaemia.

When it comes to the health of Chandigarh, there is an abundance of government schemes and policies, but the condition remains almost the same, says Rachana Shankar, a scientist at the PGIMER Department of Community Medicine and School of Public Health, who is currently surveying women and childrens health in various parts of the tricity. Shankar says there are times when her work seems futile and her advances in community engagement and health awareness bring no fruition in terms of changing health parameters. Everything begins with women, who bear children as healthy or unhealthy as they are, so the idea is to focus on women and early childcare, explains Shankar, before adding but there is already so much work being done to aid them, so there must be a deeper issue we are not able to solve.

Chandigarh, which ranked second in the composite good governance index for Union Territories in India, boasts not only of some of the most reputed public health institutes, but of an administration which has been commended for its dedication to timely implementation of health-related schemes and policies. Under the Poshan Abhiyan or the National Nutrition Mission, the Chandigarh administration received four awards, including one for effective implementation of the scheme in the city; the city also flagged off three mobile anganwadis which aim to reach children who are otherwise unable to access the anganwadis. The administration has almost completed its goal of establishing 52 Health and Wellness Centers (HWC) in their attempt to fortify primary healthcare in the city and furthermore, many from the health field, including nurses and anganwadi workers, have received national awards for their work in 2019. Yet, as Shankar rightly pointed out, chronic health ailments mostly driven by lifestyle choices are rampant across residents, regardless of their socio-economic background.

The burden of anaemia

Arguably the greatest challenge faced by Chandigarhs residents when it comes to their health, is alleviating the burden of anaemia. According to the last National Family Health Survey, 73 per cent children and 75 per cent women in the city are anaemic. Apart from anaemia, with more than 20 per cent children lacking adequate levels of vitamin A, according to data from the Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey (CNNS) 2016-18, Chandigarh also falls in the danger zone for high rates of vitamin A deficiency.

Director Health Services Dr G Dewan ascribes the high rate of anaemia to inaccurate methodologies used to collect data by the agents sent by the NFHS team. A team of doctors from PGIMER conducted the same research again and found the rate closer to the national average of 50 per cent anaemic women and children, claims Dewan. However, even if the number of anaemic women is around 50 per cent of the population, the statistic is classified as a major health concern under the guidelines of the CNNS. The nutrition survey, which was released this year, classifies anaemia as a major public health concern in regions where more than 40 per cent women and children are anaemic.

Since last year, various officials working under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) and the Women and Child Welfare Department of the administration have come together to tackle the epidemic. Poshan Abhiyan has united different government agencies under the Anaemia-Free Campaign or the T3 campaign which was launched in September 2019. Though under the ICDS scheme, children and women across the country were given folic acid to treat anaemia for several years, the T3 campaign hopes to make a consolidated effort using a test, treat and talk approach to address the issue from all fronts. The idea is to engage with the community and counsel them on why they need to treat their anaemia and then provide them with long-term solutions including lifestyle changes, rather than just giving them a tablet that they often refuse to take, says Sarita Godwani, a consultant for the Poshan Abhiyan in Chandigarh.

However, according to some doctors and nutrition experts, efforts to alleviate anaemia have been made too late by the authorities, and hence getting quick results will be next to impossible. These things cannot be done in a jiffy, it takes a lot of time to change the dietary and lifestyle habits of a population. We knew the rates of anaemia had been high since 2017, but work has truly begun only now, says a nutrition expert from the city who wishes to remain unnamed. So even though in name and writing we have all these provisions for health, there has been no thorough investigation and implementation of effective ways of impacting the health of our citizens. These efforts, including counselling, have just come into being now, so it will take a lot of time for things to change, i.e. if they change at all, says the expert.

The question of nutrition

If given an option, 10-year-old Sumit, a resident of a construction site in Dhanas whose parents work as daily wage labourers, would eat a packet of chips over the kadhi-chawal served by anganwadi workers to all the women and children living at the site. If I could get my hands on some change, I would buy chips every day, says the boy with a sheepish smile, clutching the hand of his severely malnourished younger sister, who has come under the radar of frontline health workers due to her developmental retardation. They all flock to buy junk food, it is no wonder all our efforts seem futile sometimes, says the anganwadi helper at the site. At another slum near Panchkula inhabited by scores of malnourished kids, a small store next to the slum is filled with kids of all ages buying chips and other junk food.

The junk food addiction is not just a problem of the socio-economically backward of Chandigarhs population. The packet of chips connects Sumit and the slum children to their more privileged counterparts in the city as well, who if given the option will tear into the transfat-laden packaged food before touching the hot nutritional food otherwise prepared for them. The nutritional deficiency on the one hand of course is aggravated by your socio-economic background, but on the other it goes beyond that and reveals our complete lack of awareness when it comes to dietary choices we need to make for our health even if we have the means to afford all kinds of food, says Raveesh Grewal, a nutrition consultant for Poshan Abhiyan, whilst on his way to a site for a regular checkup of those diagnosed with severe malnourishment. At the site, the nutritionist quickly spots a child with Severe Acute Malnourishment (SAM) by her significantly bloated belly caused by water retention. Every day we spot someone new with severe malnourishment, almost every day, says Grewal.

Though there is no recent study published on the prevalence of malnourishment in Chandigarh or the rest of the tricity, the rampancy of the issue is not only vouched for by the research conducted by doctors and health workers in their individual capacity, but also by high rates of occupancy in Nutrition Rehabilitation Centers (NRC) in the city. In November, Newsline reported on the over-occupancy of the NRC at civil hospital Panchkula, which treats children from across the tricity and the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana. The centre, which aims to rehabilitate severely malnourished children by giving them essential carbohydrates and increasing their weight at least by 15 per cent, is perpetually over-occupied. Hence, the doctors stationed at the centre are forced to let go of those that have improved a little in a shorter than stipulated time period, to make space for cases that require more urgent care. We do our best with whatever resources we have, and we also provide counselling to mothers so hopefully people improve their nutritional intake and lifestyles when they go back home instead of falling to the same debilitating condition again, says Dr Rohit Sharma.

This short-term approach will do nothing in terms of getting out of the vicious cycle of malnutrition, especially for those who do not have the means to give adequate time to their children, says Dr Poonam Khanna, nutrition expert from PGIMER school of public health, who has conducted extensive research on women and child health in the region. According to Khanna, for those who come from weaker economic backgrounds, especially those who live hand to mouth, productivity is the key to survival. So it becomes almost impossible for them to focus on their childrens health enough to make sure they remain out of the red zone of malnutrition, says Khanna, referring to the stratification of levels of malnutrition provided by the World Health Organization, with red zone being the most life-threatening.

Apart from hindering mental development, one of the biggest effects of malnutrition is stunting. Stunting is not limited to the underprivileged. For example, I too am stunted, we dismiss stunting as something that is just in our genes, but I am stunted because my protein intake was not adequate despite my mother being privileged enough to give me attention and adequate amounts of food, says Shankar, the woman scientist at PGIMER. According to her, there is an acute lack of awareness and hesitation in changing our lifestyles no matter our socio-economic background. We all need 55 grams of protein a day, how many of us truly follow that? says Shankar, before adding, No matter what treatment is provided by the government, unless preventive measures are put in place through awareness and lifestyle changes, we will continue to accumulate chronic health issues which will affect us for the rest of our lives, says Khanna.

Integrating AYUSH and Yoga

Apart from focusing on womens health and early child development, the UT Administration is working in line with the Central governments National Health Mission (NHM) to promote more indigenous forms of alternative medicine and treatment such as Ayurveda and Yoga. Under the National Health Mission and as prescribed under the National Health Policy of 2017, regions across India have to develop Primary Healthcare Centres known as Health and Wellness Centres (HWC).

The Chandigarh Administration is actively working towards creating 52 such HWCs by March 2020, which will provide a more comprehensive approach to primary healthcare, providing not only basic health services, but also treatment for women and child health, non-communicable diseases, emergency care and free medication for certain diseases. Apart from this, the HWCs are guided by the principle to enable the integration of Yoga and AYUSH as appropriate to peoples needs. AYUSH is an acronym which stands for a conglomeration of alternative medical practices, including Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy. After coming to power, the current government promoted AYUSH treatment in the country by setting up a separate AYUSH ministry and dedicating ample funds to work towards strengthening the practice of AYUSH in the country.

According to NHM, the need for integration of AYUSH and yoga in the mainstream is fuelled by a comprehensive, rehabilitative and preventive approach to primary healthcare. Dr Dewan, the Director of Health, says the HWCs will decrease the burden of providing treatment in tertiary healthcare centres such as PGIMER and other public hospitals in the city. Furthermore, this push towards holistic and alternative treatment will be particularly effective for those suffering from chronic conditions which allopathic medicine alone cannot tackle. This comprehensive form of treatment is what we aim to achieve at the primary level. In Chandigarh, the HWCs will be staffed by not only an ANS and an MBBS medical doctor, but also an AYUSH practitioner, says Dewan.

Medical Superintendent at GMCH 32, Dr Ravi Gupta, also welcomes the shift towards alternative treatment. I myself am a big believer in yoga, I have also prescribed yoga to some of my patients who have been suffering for long with chronic illnesses, says Gupta, who adds that the hospital is also working towards building a separate department for AYUSH-related medical therapy. Earlier in 2019, even PGIMER had announced its decision to start prescribing yoga asanas as treatment to its patients. By March, the reputed tertiary health care centre had signed a memorandum of understanding with Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana, a university in Bangalore, for facilitating research collaborations on yoga at the hospital.

Furthermore, yoga has been made a part of the curriculum of city schools, and is also prescribed under the Poshan Abhiyan for adolescent girls, pregnant women and children. Under the Fit India Programme, schools have been asked to conduct at least 20 minutes of yoga for students almost every day. Some schools have had to follow the directive even if that means making the children sit at the playground in the cold. Officials from Poshan Abhiyan have been distributing pamphlets that prescribe yoga exercises for women and children in different age groups, according to their physical and mental health needs. For example the booklet for pregnant women will have those asanas that will benefit her during her pregnancy, without compromising on her and her childs health, says Godwani, the consultant for Poshan Abhiyan at Chandigarh.

PGI prescribes caution

Though a comprehensive approach to healthcare and a dedication to universal health coverage in the city is welcomed by all, medical professionals have voiced their contentions with the focus on AYUSH. At the end of the day, we all have to turn to allopathic treatment, which is our first and primary line of defence, says a senior PGIMER doctor who wishes to remain anonymous. We welcome the approach, and we should expand the ambit of treatment, especially when it comes to chronic and lifestyle-related issues, but at PGIMER for one, people come here in the most precarious condition, and these patients can be helped only through modern medicine, says the doctor. The doctor also believes that the burden of treatment at PGIMER will not be lightened by an increasing focus on alternative treatment, but through a fortification of existing primary healthcare infrastructure. For example the local dispensaries need be stocked with basic medicine and a good MBBS doctor at all times. We should ensure that before we expand into this whole wellness fad, adds the doctor.

Even Dr Ravi Gupta, who has great faith in yoga and its myriad health benefits, is skeptical of the extent of its effect when it comes to primary health care in the city. Unfortunately, though there is anecdotal evidence of the benefits of alternative medicine and yoga, there is no thorough scientific research conducted about its actual benefits, says Gupta. So allopathic practices can never be replaced, and I dont think that is what the administration is attempting to do anyway, but still the focus on AYUSH and yoga has a separate place in medicine, which can never challenge the benefits of modern medicine, Gupta sums up.

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All is not well - The Indian Express

Each month, the Tampa Bay Times selects a letter of the month. Several of the winners recently visited with us and learned more about the editorial board and the Times. Reprinted below are the winning letters from December 2018 through October. Lets keep the conversation going and the letters flowing in 2020.

Editorial: Let DNA testing remove doubt in death row cases | December 2019

I have firsthand knowledge of how difficult it is to get DNA tested for a death row inmate. My father, Thomas Arthur, was executed in Alabama on May 25, 2017, after more than 35 years on death row. He fought for years to test the DNA. There was a lot of it, blood, hair and more. He was not the best father and had been in prison. He got out and seemed to be a better man but was arrested for the murder that landed him on death row shortly after his release. Finding any sympathy or justice was an uphill battle. The biggest reason DNA was denied for so many years was the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, which created deadlines for inmates to file certain appeals.

In Alabama, you are not entitled to an attorney on death row and at the time he needed to file, there was no law library and he had no money to file anything. We were pretty poor. I will always wonder if he committed the murder that sent him back to prison and death row. The inmates family is treated badly. I had to walk into the execution chamber surrounded by reporters and to the laughter of several state and prison representatives. The families of both the victim and the inmate deserve to know for sure if the person really committed the crime. Denying inmates the right to test DNA is wrong, especially when the technology did not exist at the time of the crime. I said at my fathers execution I would like to see DNA testing mandatory in all cases in all states. Otherwise, everyone is stuck in limbo, unable to find closure. We have executed innocent people. My father may have been one of them. I will never know for certain. Thats the way the state prefers it.

Sherrie Stone, Riverview

Maxwell: The joy of reading, from father to son to daughter to grandsons | January 2019

Thank you, Bill Maxwell, for writing about the importance of reading in the home. I cried when I read it. I have been an elementary school teacher for 20 years 12 in Pinellas County and a mom for almost 18. I have said from the beginning of my career that learning begins with the parents, and that a solid foundation prior to starting school is a key to success in the classroom. Like Mr. Maxwell, my husband and I read to our daughter in utero, and as often as we could after she was born. My husband and I are both avid readers, so our daughter has always had access to books and magazines at home. She understands the importance of being a reader and values that skill. She thrived as a result of her early, constant exposure to language, both in print and conversation.

Being a parent carries with it an enormous responsibility. That responsibility includes engaging your child from the very beginning with letters, sounds and words. The myriad programs our public schools have put forth in an effort to close the academic gap will continue to fail because the bottom line is learning has to start from day one, and it has to start with parents.

Jana Bailey, St. Petersburg

February 2019

The seriousness of a persons social gaffe should be judged, not by todays standards, but in the context of societal standards at the time and place where the gaffe occurred. As an example of how standards evolve, consider the following: In the late 30s and early 40s, my fathers church would stage minstrels in which the performers appeared in blackface, and no one seemed to think much about it. I feel that it was done more out of ignorance, at that time, of the feelings of black people rather than of any malice or hatred.

Today such behavior would be thought abhorrent. By the mid-40s, my father was a champion of integration to the extent that he received threats upon his life and on the lives of his family. Awareness of the feelings of others can and does evolve, and a persons behavior in the past should be judged by the standards of the past, and that persons character should be judged by the totality of their behavior, past and present.

Tom Hagler, Wesley Chapel

College admissions scandal: Whos Mark Riddell, the Florida man and really smart guy who took tests for kids? | March 2019

What a mess. One coach allegedly took a $400,000 bribe to place a student on her team roster to help her get into Yale. As a mother of two teenagers attending a private university in Florida, all I can think of is thats exactly how much my kids college tuition costs for both of their four-year degrees. Money that this middle-class family didnt have. An issue that kept me awake night after night, but I had faith it was going to get resolved. I just didnt know how. Fast forward three years. My children went to college, but not because we paid any shady company to help them cheat on their test scores or to make them the top athletes. What did happen was a lot of hard work, hours of practicing and tutoring. And they did get their good test scores, and they did get accepted to their college of choice, and they also did get merit-based scholarships.

We only did what a normal parent does. We provided moral and emotional support, continuous and unbiased guidance, and we paid for their exam fees. We also stayed up with them during their studying times so that they would feel like we had their back no matter what the results. I dont feel bad for those parents involved in this scandal. I do feel bad for their children.

Marielys Camacho-Reyes, Haines City

Florida House passes bill allowing teachers to be armed, sending it to Gov. DeSantis | April 2019

I am a nobody. I have no voice. I, along with thousands of people directly involved with education such as educators, PTAs, communities and unions, wrote, emailed, called and visited legislators asking that teachers not be armed. Those contacts were ignored.

Florida voters overwhelmingly passed Amendment 4, which gave voting rights to felons who have completed the terms of their sentences. Legislators have decided to alter what voters wanted by adding restrictions, which now might make felons pay court costs and fees before being able to vote. Floridians spoke about money that was earmarked to be given specifically to public schools. But legislators, in their ploy to dismantle traditional public schools in order to promote charter schools, disregarded the will of the people, giving more money to charter schools in spite of the fact that charter schools are not held to the same rules. This year I am a nobody. But eventually, my voice will be heard.

Marilyn Warner, Clearwater

May 2019

Dont wait for the glossy postcards to appear in your mailbox at election time, all bearing your legislators versions of their record. Find out now how they voted, which is easily done, online. Did they vote to strip money from traditional public schools, diverting it to private firms and charters, including the entire budgeted amount for school repairs? Did they support the measure that leaves Floridas teachers among the poorest-paid in the nation, yet still call themselves pro-education? Did they ignore the voters again, steering $270 million away from the Forever Florida amendment and into the states bureaucracy? Did they contribute to rigging the electorate, once again, by virtually nullifying Amendment 4s voting rights restoration? How did they vote on the road to nowhere, a project designed to line the pockets of rich landowners at our expense? Did they support the unconstitutional flow of state tax money into vouchers for private and religious schools? At campaign time, my own senator sings a different tune about his record; his votes tell the truth. Now is the time, voters, to look at reality.

Stephen Phillips, St. Petersburg

Measles cases are on the rise, but some Tampa Bay parents wont vaccinate their kids | June 2019

The article on vaccination was well done. In my 50 years as a practicing physician, I am still baffled by the mindset that ignores valid science and replaces it with unscientific nonsense. And the people who fall into this category are often intelligent, educated and generally nice people. So what makes them ignore science and put their faith in often dangerous misinformation? I am not a psychiatrist or psychologist, but it seems to me that this situation requires accentuation of a number of basic human emotions, and among these two stand out: fear and paranoia. But what makes these people use the fruits of science in everyday life cellphones, computers, air travel, etc., yet go back centuries into a nonscientific period when it comes to health issues? Many years ago I had a patient, the wife of an airline pilot, ask me what I thought about alternative treatment for her malignancy. I told her to ask her husband what he thought about alternatives to the instrument landing system. These people have found a way to divorce health science from other science. There is no good reason for this. The sadness and frustration over child health issues is very understandable. We always look for a cause when bad things happen. The well-known fallacy post hoc, ergo propter hoc (after this, therefore because of this) seems inherent to the human condition, but such reasoning is often fallacious. This is why rigid scientific trials exist. The availability of previously unimaginable amounts of data are now available on the internet, which is both wonderful and dangerous. With regard to medicine, we must adopt the attitude of caveat emptor (let the buyer beware). There is no sign to tell you whether your internet search is yielding treasure or trash. The famous physician William Osler summed up the anti-vaccination stance in 1915. He proposed taking 10 vaccinated and 10 unvaccinated people with him to work in the next epidemic. Osler said, And I will make this promise neither to jeer or to jibe when they catch the disease, but to look after them as brothers; and for the three or four who are certain to die I will try to arrange the funerals with all the pomp and ceremony of an anti-vaccination demonstration. Have we learned nothing in 100 years?

Dr. John Clarke, St. Petersburg

Trumps racist rant requires a collective response | Editorial | July 2019

I was 6 when I was told by a parent of a white classmate to go back to where I came from. It was confusing because I was born in this country. Throughout my life, whether in school or playing sports, I can recall several instances where I was told to go back to Africa, usually followed by the N-word. If you ask any person of color, whether born here or not, most will tell you of similar experiences.

As I got older, I came to realize these taunts came from small-minded bigoted individuals who put me down to make themselves feel superior and better about their lives. Sadly, I also can recall my teachers, coaches, clergy and friends who did not come to my defense and pretended the incident never happened. Racism and hate crimes are on the rise in America, and it is no coincidence. History has proven that silence is not golden, and this president has history with racism. Is this where we are with the GOP and this country?

Neil Armstrong, Tampa

August 2019

If you are a duck hunter you are required to use a plug that limits the magazine to three shells. This rule is intended to give ducks a fighting chance to evade being shot by a hunter armed with an autoload shotgun. We, as conservatives, (mostly) agree this is a good rule to avoid decimating the wild duck population while advancing a policy of skill and accuracy. Our Constitution prevents taking away peoples guns, but lets consider giving people the same consideration as wild ducks. For example: (1) permanently limit magazine capacity to three rounds; (2) allow only one magazine per gun; (3) possession of non-compliant magazines will be fined $10,000 per incident. The goal is not gun control but to give hunted people the same sporting chance we give wild ducks.

Bernard Waryas, Dunedin

Take me out to ballgame? Nah | Sept. 2019

Its just not true that the Rays lack fan support. Ironically, you report that the TV and radio ratings have spiked. The games have been getting the highest ratings in the market, and the share is among the best for all MLB markets. Not a surprise. Hundreds of thousands of baseball fans live here. The reason for low attendance is obvious and has been written about before. But it bears repeating. The problem lies with you, St. Petersburg, the location of the stadium and the above-ground nuclear fallout shelter you built to house baseball. Let me explain. I attended the final game against the Yankees. I left my home in Forest Hills, a north central Tampa neighborhood, at 5:45 p.m. to arrive at a 7:10 p.m. game. On a normal traffic day, its 30 miles and about 37 minutes. I arrived at the stadium at 7:35 p.m. and got to my seat about 7:45 after a long walk down a concrete corridor that blocked my view of the game, almost exactly two hours after I left home. I missed the first two innings, and Joey Wendles home run (an historically rare event in itself). Most of that drive time was spent on I-275 between the Ulmerton Road exit and the 38th Avenue N exit, a distance of just over 6 miles. That drive took just over 40 minutes.

The stadium is inaccessible for most of the fans in the Tampa Bay market. Its location makes it reasonably accessible to South Pinellas and South Tampa. The total population of those areas is a bit over 500,000. From Largo north in Pinellas and from Seminole Heights to the north and east, its impossible to get to a game for most working people. The distance and the bottleneck of routes to St. Petersburg has effectively cut the Rays off from the teams fans. The stadium is reasonably accessible to less than 20 percent of them.

Rex Henderson, Tampa

I am white, privileged and educated. I graduated from the University of Pittsburgh summa cum laude, and I cannot afford to live in Tampa Bay, specifically, Bradenton. I was only able to live here because of the generosity of my parents for the last two years. Almost all of my friends live at home. We are in our 20s and 30s, working service-related jobs, because this area offers little to no professional work. At $11.87 an hour, I hustle 40 hours a week as a library assistant at Selby Library in downtown Sarasota, and on the weekends I babysit, dog-sit, cat-sit or just sit (as in doing laundry, grocery shopping, paying bills). I love Selby; I love books, my co-workers, the idealism and freedom that public libraries still offer. I dont love that anything costing over $10 takes considerable thought as to whether it is necessary or not. When trying to find affordable housing, I simply had to laugh because all I could budget for on my current salary is $250 a month; a cheap HOA fee for some. I am completely priced out. In a culture (still) deeply divided by race, class and gender, how are our black, brown, Latinx and queer residents getting by? I am not. They are not. We are not. So tip generously, act kindly and remember all of us invisible folk, the ones who serve you day after day. We are trying so hard to simply make ends meet. Vote to increase minimum wage and take a stand for us, for this community. Until then, I have to move to where the grass is greener on the other side (as in anywhere, but here).

Emily Grant, Bradenton

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Ducks, vaccines, bribes: Here are our favorite letters from readers this year - Tampa Bay Times

By GILLIAN SLADE on December 30, 2019.

gslade@medicinehatnews.com

For local seniors the possibility that the city will stop funding senior services at the Veiner Centre has loomed large this year.

In October, councillors on the public services committee voted 2 to 1 in favour of sending the citys recommendation about the future of seniors services to council for a decision.

The recommendation includes a transition to a multi-service model for seniors services, conducting a community evaluation to identify what services would best meet the needs of seniors, and to then issue a request for proposals (RFP) with the possibility of an independent governance operating model for the Veiner Centre and Strathcona Centres.

Recently the city held the first of two public consultations to hear what services are important to seniors.

At the consultation, held at the Veiner Centre, a number of people said they felt the membership fee going from $40 to $100 a year and $300 a year if you want to use the exercise equipment has contributed to the drop in number of members.

There was also a sense that along with a lovely new building after the 2013 flood, the operating model was transformed changing the atmosphere as well.

Once the community consultation is complete, staff will evaluate the feedback and explore alternative operating models.

A recommendation will be forwarded to council in the spring of 2020.

In August, Aaron Nelson was appointed the citys new manager for community connections and support and this includes overseeing the Veiner Centre.

Also this year the provincial government decided to not renew the appointment of the seniors advocate. The seniors advocate office was established in 2014 and Sheree Kwong See was appointed for a three-year term in September 2016. Some of the staff in that office and some of the budget for the seniors advocate will be transferred to the existing health advocates office. The health advocate reports directly to the minister of health.

Since Kwong See was appointed the seniors advocates office handled 3,560 client cases with a budget of about $980,000. About $770,000 of that amount accounting for salaries and benefits.

Medicine Hat hosted the 55Plus Summer games in 2019. Hosting the event raised $250,000 and some of that was spent on improvements that will continue to benefit the local community.

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Year in Review: Veiner Centre important to seniors - Medicine Hat News

NEW JERSEY - With a new year comes new laws. New Jersey had what may have been a landmark year in terms of legislating in 2019, whether you liked it or not.

From expanded family leave to legalizing end-of-life decisions, New Jersey has seven new laws that should have a dramatic impact on millions of lives in 2020. Some of the new laws in Gov. Phil Murphy's third year will take dramatic steps away from the more conservative policies of the Christie administration.

These legislative accomplishments came as the Murphy administration also had some failures, particularly its efforts to get the state Legislature to legalize marijuana.

The legislature, with Murphy's support, did agree to put the issue to public vote in November 2020. Read more: NJ Lawmakers Pass Big Marijuana, Vaccine, Driver's License Bills

Here's a look at the seven new laws taking hold in 2020 that could impact your life:

Family leave

Murphy signed a bill into law that will expand family leave for everyone in the state.

Murphy noted that New Jersey enacted a paid family leave program in 2008, but the new law significantly expands that program to provide additional job protections for those who miss work because of caring for a newborn child or a sick loved one.

"No one should ever be forced to choose between caring for a family member and earning a paycheck," said Murphy. "By providing the most expansive paid family leave time and benefits in the nation, we are ensuring that New Jerseyans no longer have to face such a decision and that working families are treated with the respect and dignity they deserve."

The bill, A3975, changes New Jersey's paid family leave program in a number of ways, including the following:

"This comprehensive paid family leave program, coupled with the newly passed earned sick leave and minimum wage increase, are fundamental elements in building a stronger and fairer New Jersey for all working families," Murphy said.

Right-to-die law

The law, which was sponsored by Democratic Assemblyman John Burzichelli and Senator Nick Scutari, made New Jersey the eighth state to allow such end-of-life decisions with the assistance of medical professionals.

Here's what the legislation does:

Medical marijuana

Murphy signed legislation designed to make medical marijuana more accessible to patients who could benefit from it.

The measure, now known as the Jake Honig Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act, was sponsored by Assembly Democrats, Joann Downey, Joseph Danielsen, Eliana Pintor Marin, Andrew Zwicker, Eric Houghtaling and Carol Murphy.

The bill was named after Jake Honig, a 7-year old Howell resident nicknamed "Jake the Tank" who was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive from of brain cancer with a rare genetic mutation at the age of 2. After undergoing dozens of rounds of chemotherapy, proton radiation therapy, and surgery, his tumor went into remission for four years, until follow-up scans determined that the tumor had returned and spread to other parts of his body.

Jake was prescribed six different medications to treat his side effects which included nausea, vomiting, agitation and acid reflux, lawmakers said. Medical marijuana proved to be the most effective way of making Jake more comfortable. It helped to improve his mood, appetite and restore his mental well-being, lawmakers said.

The bill (A-10), expands access to medical marijuana for patients with any diagnosed medical condition, requires issuance of additional dispensary permits, revises certain requirements concerning patients and primary caregivers as well as requirements for physicians to authorize qualifying patients and improves the application, ownership and operational requirements for alternative treatment centers.

The authorization period will also be extended from 90 days to a year, and edible forms of marijuana will become more available. The sales tax of medical marijuana is also being phased out, Murphy said.

Here's what the law will change:

Sex abuse

Murphy signed legislation to help protect sex-abuse victims, targeting those harmed by religious and Boy Scout leaders.

Murphy signed legislation (S477) extending the statute of limitations in civil actions for sexual abuse claims. The signing came just days after a law firm released the names of more than 100 people who allegedly committed sexual abuse while serving in the Catholic church's clergy.Read more: Another 100 NJ Priests, Clergy Accused Of Sex Abuse In New Disclosure

The law also creates a two-year window for parties to bring lawsuits based on sexual abuse that would be time-barred even with the new statute of limitations, and expands the categories of potential defendants in civil actions.

"Survivors of sexual abuse deserve opportunities to seek redress against their abusers," said Murphy. "This legislation allows survivors who have faced tremendous trauma the ability to pursue justice through the court system. I thank the bill's sponsors for their commitment to tackling this issue, as well as the advocates for their activism and engagement."

School instruction on the history of contributions of persons from LGBTQ community

Murphy signed legislation that requires boards of education to include instruction, and adopt instructional materials, that accurately portray political, economic, and social contributions of persons with disabilities and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.

"It's critical that our classrooms highlight the achievements of LGBTQ people throughout history. Our youth deserve to see how diverse American history truly is and how they can be a part of it one day, too," Murphy said.

Garden State Equality, a leading New Jersey advocacy group for the LGBTQ community, saluted the legislation, saying: "Just as we honor contributions of people of color, women, and immigrants, LGBTQ people deserve a place in our history books and classrooms."

"America's nearly 250 year history is richly diverse, and our nation grows when we embrace our multifaceted past rather than hide from it," the group said.

Transgender birth certificates

New Jersey residents can now change the gender listed on their birth certificates more efficiently and easily thanks to a new law that took effect on Friday.The legislation sponsored by Sen. Joseph F. Vitale and Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg revised procedures for individuals who have changed their gender and name to receive an amended birth certificate.

"With advancements in modern medicine, we know that gender reassignment surgery is no longer the only option for transitioning yet the law takes a one-size-fits-all approach. It does not account for nonsurgical transitioning which usually includes physical, psychological, social, and emotional changes," said Vitale, D-Middlesex.

"This bill removes the barriers that transgender New Jerseyans face when requesting changes to such an important identification document as their birth certificate to reflect who they are, and will help to expand anti-discrimination protections."

Formerly, a person had to undergo gender reassignment surgery in order to amend the gender on their birth certificate. S-478 requires the state registrar of vital statistics to issue an amended birth certificate to a person born in the state who shows the gender and name of the person has been changed.

In order to process this request, the registrar needs a receipt of a name change approved by the court and a form from the person, or person's guardian.

"New Jersey law needs to recognize current practices for gender transitioning, which include nonsurgical therapies, and must afford transgendered individuals the same broad protection of their rights as all citizens to have official identification that reflects their gender," said Weinberg, D-Bergen. "From applying for travel documents or driver's licenses to school registration, a birth certificate is a necessary document and must be consistent with reality."

Hair discrimination

Last week, Murphy signed S3945, also known as the "Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair Act," which prohibits racial discrimination on the basis of "traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture, hair type and protective hairstyles."

The law was introduced after Andrew Johnson, an African American high school wrestler at Buena Regional High School, was forced to cut off his dreadlocks in order to compete in a match Dec. 19, 2018. Read more: NJ School To Meet After Alleged Racist Ref Made Wrestler Cut Hair

"Race-based discrimination will not be tolerated in the state of New Jersey," Murphy said. "No one should be made to feel uncomfortable or be discriminated against because of their natural hair. I am proud to sign this law in order to help ensure that all New Jersey residents can go to work, school or participate in athletic events with dignity."

U.S. Sen. Cory Booker said discrimination against black hair is "discrimination against black people, and no one should be denied a job, an education or face discrimination because of their hairstyle."

As defined in the bill, the term "protective hairstyles" includes "such hairstyles as braids, locks and twists." This change is intended to remove any confusion or ambiguity over the scope of the anti-discrimination laws.

Read more from the original source:

7 New NJ Laws That May Change Your Life In 2020 - Toms River, NJ Patch

Congress seeks SIT probe in death of 2 Andhra youths in Goa

30-Dec-2019 Panaji

Posted 28 Dec 2019

The main opposition party in Goa, the Congress, on Saturday demanded an SIT probe by a retired High Court judge into the mysterious deaths of two Andhra Pradesh youngsters outside the Sunburn Klassique EDM festival venue in North Goa on Friday evening.

"The two deaths should be probed by a Special Investigation Team headed by a retired High Court judge. This is not the first time that a youngster has died in suspicious circumstances in EDM festivals held in Goa," Goa Congress spokesperson Trajano D'Mello told a press conference in Panaji.

Two youths from Hyderabad, both of them friends, fainted and collapsed while waiting outside the festival venue at Vagator beach village in North Goa on Friday evening.

While the police have suspected the deaths due to drug overdose, more clarity on the issue would be available after post-mortem formalities are conducted on Saturday.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, a doctor of alternative medicine himself, has said that one of the deaths could have occurred due to heart attack.

"When the post-mortem report is not out, how is the CM saying he knows the cause of the death? Is he trying to give directions to the investigation?" D'Mello said.

In the past decade, at least four persons had died due to drug overdose in various EDM festivals in the state.IANS

Read more:

Congress seeks SIT probe in death of 2 Andhra youths in Goa - The Weekend Leader