Daily Archives: September 8, 2021

Experts share insight on how COVID has affected teens’ mental health – hays Post

Posted: September 8, 2021 at 10:05 am

K-State Research & Extension

MANHATTAN Even as many parts of society begin to return to near normal routines, mental health specialists continue to monitor how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the mental health of Americans.

Elaine Johannes,the Kansas Health Foundation Distinguished Professor of Community Health at Kansas State University, is especially interested in how teenagers are adjusting to new rules and ways of doing things.

Many of us have had kids at home and weve raised some teenagers into adulthood and we understand what happens in that developmental stage where maybe the young person is not sure of their identity, not sure of how well theyre performing compared to peers, and maybe theyre not comfortable in their own skin because theyre growing so quickly and that all creates anxiety, Johannes said.

In the first few months of the pandemic, theNational 4-H Council commissioned a surveythat concluded that more than 7 in 10 kids between the ages of 13-19 are struggling with their mental health.

Those numbers have seemingly not gotten better in the year since, as the global pandemic creeps toward two years of changed routines.

James Roberson, the vice president of programs and innovation for KVC Hospitals -- a system that provides childrens psychiatric treatment at facilities in Kansas City, Wichita and Hays said his organization is seeing an increase of kids who have never sought treatment for mental health previously.

The scary part is what we know about mental health, he said. Its a little different from physical health because we dont just look at the organic. We look at the context of the child in their environment, and the pandemic has really changed all of their environments.

Roberson said support groups like KVC are working to become more visible in communities, break down the stigma of mental illness and work directly with families.

I have not met a family yet that has regretted having their child engage in therapy, he said. The opportunity to get your child in front of a professional who can do an assessment and tell you that everything is okay, keep doing what youre doing -- or to let you know that what theyre feeling is clinical I think that is really valuable.

Johannes said parents are key to their childs mental well-being.

Its really up to the adults to understand their role in modeling, coping, talking about and helping the child to become resilient, she said. Its the adults that can look for positive behaviors that they can support.

Roberson added: You dont have to sit back and say, is my child resilient or not resilient? No matter how old your child is, theyre actively developing resilience. If youre present in their lives and you are helping them navigate the problems that theyre facing at school or in relationshipsevery time you help them solve problems, youre building their resilience.

Johannes said K-State Research and Extension is working to provide a mental health curriculum toKansas 4-HClubs that is a self-guided study on how children can recognize behavioral health in themselves.

KVC Hospitals also ishosting a free, three-part webinar seriesbeginning Sept. 13 to help families recognize and cope with mental health issues. That series also is offering free continuing education units for professionals.

Recognizing and treating mental health, is just not that clean and simple, Roberson said.

We want people to have a sophisticated understanding of how theyre experiencing the world and how people around them support that. And I think teens are ready for this; theyre eager. We as providers and as a state system owe them solutions so that they can be their best selves and live a happy, long life.

Read more:

Experts share insight on how COVID has affected teens' mental health - hays Post

Posted in Life Extension | Comments Off on Experts share insight on how COVID has affected teens’ mental health – hays Post

How will OFB Corporatisation Progress: A Deep Dive – Bharat Shakti

Posted: at 10:04 am

The recent move by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to corporatize the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) and split the 100-plus years old organisation into seven different government owned Defence PSUs like entities is seen as one of the riskier decisions taken by the government since it is difficult to predict what shape this restructuring will take in coming years.

However, a private consulting firm based out of Delhi NCR has attempted to crystal gaze and come up with a likely trajectory that each of the new entities is likely to achieve, based on a set of assumptions and current realities. The war-game dwelt on the interplay at a strategic level between what its stakeholders want it to be, what the reality of the environment in which it will operate will allow it to be and what the principles of business suggest it should be.

The key findings of the study suggest that the revenue and income of the seven entities will vary and their fortune will depend on how the three armed forces place orders on them in coming years. The analysts felt that reduced demand and reprioritisation by the military because of changing nature of warfare will affect sustainability of these newly-formed companies.

Inevitably, as 95 per cent of the revenueof all seven corporatised entities is dependent on the government budget, the implications of reduced demand would be an increase in prices, keeping in mind the new pressures of arranging working capital as well as resources for modernisation and R&D, besides its corresponding effect on turnover, the report concludes.

In June 2021, the Government had decided to convert the consolidated assets of OFB to be subsumed under the following seven new corporations:

The war-game led to the finding that division of OFB into seven entities has caused a disruption of existing supply chains. The Ancillary and the Opto Electronics Groups are under the threat of losing their age old customers the Ammunition & Explosives andVehicles Group respectivelyon which they have 80 to 90 per cent dependency, without establishing alternate markets. The analysts felt that these groupsare extremely vulnerable in the transition phase and will require hand-holding measures.

This was recommended to be in terms of a policy directive ensuring that this interdependencybe allowed to continue for the transition phase, for a duration of three years. This needs to be addressed on priority, the group felt after studying the current conditions and the likely demand.

The war-game found that the Ancillary group stayed largely dependent on artillery/tank ammunition hardware orders in terms of shell casings/ cartridge cases/packing material etc., from the Ammunition and Explosives Group. Approximately 90 per cent of the groups earnings are through inter-factory demands,out of which 80 per cent of the demand is fromthe Ammunition and Explosives Group.The analysts felt that The Ancillary Group is vulnerable to competitionin the transition phase and will not be able to sustain itselfunless either a price preference clause of 15 per centis provided for or the inter-dependency be allowed to continue through a policy directive, for a three year period, the group recommended.

The war-game also found that with the armed forces incrementally phasing out clothing items by 2024-25, the revenues of the Troop Comfort Group will gradually reduce since the high cost structure also does not allow the this segment to be competitive against the private sector players. As a first step, the Group needs to cut its manpower by at least 25 per cent the study surmised.

The war game however found that at least three segmentsThe Vehicle Group, the Ammunition and Explosives Group and the Parachute Grouphavea comparatively brighter future.

For instance, it predicted that the turnover of the Vehicles Group is likely to achieve a year on year (YoY) growth of 6 per cent for the next five years, from the present turnover of INR 2500 Cr. The existing indents of all types of A vehicles are ensuring that the order book is full for the next five years.

The ammunition and explosives group will be able toachieve YoY growth of 8 per cent in the next five years, due to order visibility, exportsand economies of scale. Its proposed diversification in the field ofammunition life Extension Services and energy materials, were considered likely to yield dividends, the war game predicted. Similar 8 per cent YoY growth has been anticipated in the Parachute group.

However, the war game has found that Corporatisation will lead to an increase in prices contrary to the popular belief. Post a multi-layered consideration of issues, the war game brought out that corporatisation will lead to an increase in prices, the executive summary of the war game said.

Giving its reasons, the report said, In the past, OFB was functioning ona No Profit No Loss basis supplying at actual cost of production, but with additional overheads. Now they will operate under corporate pressures, where cost of maintaining working capital andR&D costs will have to be taken into consideration and added to the cost of production. Sub-contracting from different corporate entities due to splitting oftraditional supply chains and Inter corporate taxation issues will add to the costs. Besides a reduced demand due to a reduced budget will create its own pressures in some cases, the war game report informs. The analysts felt that the cost plus model will have to be adopted in the short term, thus making one of the aims of corporatisation, the cost reduction will be difficult to achieve.

Finally, the participants in the war game said it is essential to build confidence in theHuman Resources. Keeping external factors aside, it was felt that the need of the hour is aninculcation of self-belief, self-esteem and confidence and removing apprehensions about theintention of the government.

Two issues need resolution by the government, the war game participants said. One, clarity on the status of officers and workers after the initial period of two years for which the government has agreed to extend the existing terms and conditions of their employment. Two, clarifying apprehensions aboutgolden handshake orside stepping offers toother ministries/departments/government organisations. The analysts felt that gaining the support and confidence of OFB employees at all levels will remain a crucial determinant for success and needs to be addressed with sensitivity and care. Moreover, the existing surplus manpower is not capable of performing functions likefinance, and marketing and will require personnel with experience from other PSUs/DPSUs.

The war game, conducted late last month, was run by Insighteon Consulting and included experts drawn from as varied backgrounds as Department of Defence Production (DDP), Quality Assurance, OFB, and included among others a former Financial Adviser in the MoD, a former Vice Chief of the Army Staff (VCOAS), representatives from the private sector and also labour union representatives.

Nitin A Gokhale

See the original post:

How will OFB Corporatisation Progress: A Deep Dive - Bharat Shakti

Posted in Life Extension | Comments Off on How will OFB Corporatisation Progress: A Deep Dive – Bharat Shakti

Letter to the editor: Short-term rental limits could violate 5th Amendment – Summit Daily News

Posted: at 10:04 am

Letter writer David Gary was spot on when writing Breckenridge should not be selecting winners and losers.

The Fifth Amendment also does not allow the government to take property without just compensation, so I would suggest any and all owners who may be affected by the decision-makers in Breckenridge and Frisco and for that matter Aspen and Steamboat Springs to have their properties appraised for after repair value. If you need to ask what that is, you probably wouldnt understand.

Property owners who rent long term have tenants, duh! Tenants often damage property, dont pay rent or think they dont have to because of the government unfairly enforcing an unconstitutional eviction moratorium and other issues. There is also the fact that the owners usually buy these homes or condos to recreate, so they would not have use of their properties. How is that fair?

The majority of workers affected by housing right now cant even afford to rent where they live now. How can they afford to rent a million-dollar home? The workforce solutions used in Prudhoe Bay with the oil industry would be a great fit for this. Workers could get shelter, food, recreation and health care that is designed for them. They would be with people like them.

To support my opinion, here are my credentials (to satisfy Kate Neuschaefer):

As a Summit Daily News reader, you make our work possible.

Now more than ever, your financial support is critical to help us keep our communities informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having on our residents and businesses. Every contribution, no matter the size, will make a difference.

Your donation will be used exclusively to support quality, local journalism.

The rest is here:
Letter to the editor: Short-term rental limits could violate 5th Amendment - Summit Daily News

Posted in Fifth Amendment | Comments Off on Letter to the editor: Short-term rental limits could violate 5th Amendment – Summit Daily News

JAGUAR HEALTH, INC. : Material Modification to Rights of Security Holders, Amendments to Articles of Inc. or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year, Submission…

Posted: at 10:04 am

Item 3.03 Material Modification to Rights of Security Holders.

To the extent required by Item 3.03 of Form 8-K, the information regarding theReverse Stock Split (as defined below) contained in Item 5.03 of this CurrentReport on Form 8-K is incorporated by reference herein.

Item 5.03 Amendment to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in FiscalYear.

At the special meeting of stockholders of Jaguar Health, Inc. (the "Company")held on December 9, 2020 and reconvened on December 22, 2020 (the "SpecialMeeting"), the Company's stockholders approved an amendment (the "FifthAmendment") to the Company's Third Amended and Restated Certificate ofIncorporation (the "COI") to effect a reverse stock split of the Company'svoting common stock ("Common Stock") at a ratio of not less than one-for-two andnot greater than one-for-twenty, with the exact ratio within that range to bedetermined in the discretion of the Company's board of directors (the "Board")on or before December 9, 2021.

Pursuant to such authority granted by the Company's stockholders, the Boardapproved a one-for-three reverse stock split (the "Reverse Stock Split") of theCommon Stock and the filing of the Fifth Amendment to effectuate the ReverseStock Split. On September 3, 2021, the Company filed the Fifth Amendment withthe Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, and the Reverse Stock Splitwill become effective in accordance with the terms of the Fifth Amendment at12:01 am Eastern Time on September 8, 2021 (the "Effective Time"). When theReverse Stock Split becomes effective, every three (3) shares of the Company'sissued and outstanding Common Stock immediately prior to the Effective Timeshall automatically be reclassified into one (1) share of Common Stock, withoutany change in the par value per share. The Reverse Stock Split reduces thenumber of shares of Common Stock issuable upon the conversion of the Company'soutstanding non-voting common stock and the exercise or vesting of itsoutstanding stock options and warrants in proportion to the ratio of the ReverseStock Split and causes a proportionate increase in the conversion and exerciseprices of such non-voting common stock, stock options and warrants. In addition,the number of shares reserved for issuance under the Company's equitycompensation plans immediately prior to the Effective Time will be reducedproportionately. The Reverse Stock Split did not change the total number ofauthorized shares of Common Stock or preferred stock.

No fractional shares will be issued as a result of the Reverse Stock Split.Stockholders who otherwise would be entitled to receive a fractional share inconnection with the Reverse Stock Split will receive a cash payment in lieuthereof.

American Stock Transfer and Trust Company, LLC is acting as exchange agent forthe Reverse Stock Split and will correspond stockholders of record regarding theReverse Stock Split. Stockholders who hold their shares in book-entry form or in"street name" (through a broker, bank or other holder of record) are notrequired to take any action.

Commencing on September 8, 2021, trading of the Company's Common Stock willcontinue on The Nasdaq Capital Market on a Reverse Stock Split-adjusted basis.The new CUSIP number for the Company's Common Stock following the Reverse StockSplit is 47010C607.

The foregoing description of the Fifth Amendment does not purport to be completeand is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the FifthAmendment, which is filed as Exhibit 3.1 to this report and incorporated byreference herein.

Item 5.07 Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.

The Company held its Annual Meeting of Stockholders of the Company ("AnnualMeeting") on September 3, 2021. Six proposals were submitted to and approved bythe Company's stockholders. The proposals are described in detail in theCompany's proxy statement. The final results for the votes regarding eachproposal are set forth below.

1. Proposal to elect one Class III director, Greg J. Divis, was approved by the

stockholders by the following vote:

Broker Non-For Withheld Votes38,359,499.55 5,847,699.00 20,221,518.00

2

2. Proposal to ratify the appointment of Mayer Hoffman McCann P.C. as the

Company's independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal yearending December 31, 2021, was approved by the stockholders by the followingvote:

Broker Non-For Against Abstained Votes59,982,055.55 2,644,826.00 1,801,835.00 0.00

3. Proposal to approve an amendment to the Company's Third Amended and Restated

Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, to increase the number of authorizedshares of Common Stock from 150,000,000 shares to 290,000,000 shares, was notapproved by the stockholders by the following vote:

Broker Non-For Against Abstained Votes48,327,240.55 14,569,030.00 1,532,446.00 0.00

4. Proposal to approve, on a non-binding advisory basis, the compensation paid by

use to the Company's named executive officers, was approved by thestockholders by the following vote:

Broker Non-For Against Abstained Votes34,344,282.55 6,926,168.00 2,936,748.00 20,221,518.00

5. Proposal to indicate, on a non-binding advisory basis, the frequency of future

advisory votes to approve the compensation paid by the Company to theCompany's named executive officers, whereby the frequency of 3 Years wasapproved by the stockholders by the following vote:

Broker Non-3 Years 2 Years 1 Year Abstain Votes24,431,696.00 3,043,578.00 12,946,265.55 3,785,659.00 20,221,518.00

6. Proposal to approve a proposal to grant discretionary authority to adjourn the

Annual Meeting, if necessary, to solicit additional proxies in the event thatthere are not sufficient votes at the time of the Annual Meeting to approveProposal 3, was approved by the stockholders by the following vote:

Broker Non-For Against Abstained Votes53,287,111.55 8,623,027.00 2,518,576.00 0.00

Item 7.01. Regulation FD Disclosure.

On September 3, 2021, the Company issued a press release announcing the resultsof the Annual Meeting, a copy of which is furnished as Exhibit 99.1.

On September 3, 2021, the Company issued a press release announcing the resultsof the Reverse Stock Split, a copy of which is furnished as Exhibit 99.2.

The information in Exhibit 99.1 attached hereto shall not be deemed "filed" forpurposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the"Exchange Act"), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that Section, orincorporated by reference into any of the Company's filings under the SecuritiesAct of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as shall be expressly setforth by specific reference in any such filing.

3

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits

Exhibit No. Description3.1 Certificate of Fifth Amendment of the Third Amended and RestatedCertificate of Incorporation of Jaguar Health, Inc.99.1 Press Release Announcing Results of the 2021 Annual Meeting ofStockholders of the Company, dated September 3, 2021.99.2 Press Release Announcing the Reverse Stock Split, dated September 3,2021.104 Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded with the inline XBRL document)

5

Edgar Online, source Glimpses

See more here:
JAGUAR HEALTH, INC. : Material Modification to Rights of Security Holders, Amendments to Articles of Inc. or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year, Submission...

Posted in Fifth Amendment | Comments Off on JAGUAR HEALTH, INC. : Material Modification to Rights of Security Holders, Amendments to Articles of Inc. or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year, Submission…

Tampa judge acquits suspects in fatal I-4 shooting that killed teen – Tampa Bay Times

Posted: at 10:04 am

TAMPA Days after two men went to trial on murder charges related to the shooting last year of a Tampa teenager, a judge granted a request from defense lawyers that both be found not guilty.

Hillsborough Circuit Judge Christopher Sabella granted a motion for judgment of acquittal for Jarkese and Jaris Youngblood, shortly after state prosecutors finished presenting their case Thursday to a jury.

Defense lawyers routinely ask judges to acquit their clients in trial after the state has finished presenting its case. But such requests are typically a formality done for appellate purposes and are rarely granted.

For the Youngbloods, the difference came with two eyewitnesses who refused to testify at trial, according to the Hillsborough State Attorneys Office. Without their testimony, the prosecutions case crumbled.

We anticipated having testimony from both those eyewitnesses and in the end neither of them took the stand, said Grayson Kamm, a spokesman for the office of Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren. It really highlights the reality out there that if people dont trust law enforcement or theyre really worried about retaliation, it blocks us from keeping the public safe.

Jarkese, 23, and Jaris Youngblood, 21, who are brothers, had been charged with first-degree murder in the Aug. 24, 2020, death of TaZion Bibby Levison, 17, who was shot while riding in a car on I-4 near Branch Forbes Road in Plant City.

Drivers called 911 that afternoon to report that someone in a gold Ford Taurus was shooting out a window at another vehicle in the interstates eastbound lanes. Levison, who was a passenger with two friends in a blue Nissan Sentra, was shot in his upper torso. His friends drove him to South Florida Baptist Hospital, where he died.

Another driver got a number from a temporary tag on the back of the Taurus, which investigators later linked to the Youngbloods.

At the time of their arrests last year, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister described the shooting as being the result of some type of beef between the brothers and the victim.

ShaQuandra Williams, who authorities described as Jarkese Youngbloods girlfriend, was also charged with murder. Investigators said she was in the Taurus front passenger seat with her one-year-old son in her lap while her boyfriends brother fired a gun from a rear passenger window.

She was one of the two witnesses who refused to testify.

Refusing to testify can land a person in jail for contempt of court, but in Williams case, prosecutors said she is protected by the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which forbids the government from compelling a person to be a witness against themselves.

Williams remains charged with murder. It was not immediately clear how the case against her might be impacted.

The other witness who declined to testify was a passenger in the same car with Levison. Although prosecutors had worked to try to make him comfortable testifying, he expressed fear of retaliation.

Hes legitimately afraid, said Kamm, the state attorneys spokesman. Hes done nothing wrong.

Prosecutors had spent the better part of two days presenting their case to a jury before Assistant Public Defender Donna Perry and Tampa attorney Justin Petredis successfully argued for the judgment of acquittal. They argued at trial that the pair were innocent.

The brothers, who had been jailed since their arrests, were expected to be released late Thursday.

Originally posted here:
Tampa judge acquits suspects in fatal I-4 shooting that killed teen - Tampa Bay Times

Posted in Fifth Amendment | Comments Off on Tampa judge acquits suspects in fatal I-4 shooting that killed teen – Tampa Bay Times

Conservative outlines national laws that should nullify the Texas vigilante abortion law – Raw Story

Posted: at 10:04 am

Writing for the Washington Post on Sunday, conservative columnist Jennifer Rubin explained that several lower-level national laws should effectively unmake the Texas law encouraging vigilante citizens to capture women who have had abortions.The Texas law didn't go through the required legal process that every other case must face before being put on the Supreme Court docket. In fact, the case didn't even have oral arguments before the High Court before a decision to allow it to go into effect was decided.

Had the case been heard in lower courts and debated before the Court, there are several arguments for why the law is unconstitutional.

Rubin cites Section 1983 of Title 42 in the U.S. Code which says: "Every person who, under color of any statute, ordinance, regulation, custom, or usage, of any State or Territory or the District of Columbia, subjects, or causes to be subjected, any citizen of the United States or other person within the jurisdiction thereof to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and laws, shall be liable to the party injured in an action at law, suit in equity, or other proper proceeding for redress."

Rubin's take on the law is that because it forced every clinic to stop doing abortions, surely it "is a deprivation of constitutional rights."

"What about 'under color of any statute?'" she also asked. "Does that not limit Section 1983 to so-called state actors? In fact, there is a well-developed body of law that says private individuals acting in concert with state actors can be sued."

She then cited the 1988 case, West v. Atkins, where the Supreme Court specifically outlined, "The traditional definition of acting under color of state law requires that the defendant in a [Section] 1983 action have exercised power 'possessed by virtue of state law and made possible only because the wrongdoer is clothed with the authority of state law.'"

There are several other lower court cases with similar positions among other state laws. She explained that the law was designed in exactly that way because they knew that they couldn't block the abortions directly.

"To be clear, a Section 1983 case requires a high level of intermingling state and private actions," Rubin wrote. "The degree of collaboration required against private actors in 1983 cases may not exist in this situation. Ironically, simply announcing the intention to file 1983 suits against bounty hunters might be enough to stop or to borrow a phrase, chill the whole charade."

The same question can be asked about HIPAA laws. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act blocked anyone from having access to your private healthcare records without your permission. While subpoenaing that information in a criminal case may be admissible, it's unclear how it would work in a civil case. How else would these courts be able to prove that someone was pregnant or had an abortion without accessing those records without the woman's consent?

Then there's the matter of the Fifth Amendment, asking the patient and the doctor whether she was pregnant and had an abortion would violate the Fifth Amendment for both.

"The Texas statute breaks new legal ground, and women's rights defenders must be creative and bold in their counterattack. Any and all viable strategies should be tried," closed Rubin.

See the full column at the Washington Post.

Link:
Conservative outlines national laws that should nullify the Texas vigilante abortion law - Raw Story

Posted in Fifth Amendment | Comments Off on Conservative outlines national laws that should nullify the Texas vigilante abortion law – Raw Story

Sept. 2 Letters to the Editor: Our Readers’ Opinions – Lewiston Morning Tribune

Posted: at 10:04 am

On May 18 from 8:01 p.m. until 9:30 p.m., I was a pretrial detainee protected by any punishment under the 14th Amendments due process clause.

I had invoked my Fifth Amendment and Sixth Amendment constitutional rights on numerous occasions prior to being brought to the Idaho State Police, District 2 office, where I was subjected by a trooper and unknown detective to a ultimatum: Either I speak to detectives who are trying to gather information and incriminate myself or by the officers own threat be placed in the back seat of a police car and sit for however long these unknown detectives chose to investigate.

Without any sign of threat or disturbance, I fearlessly invoked my aforementioned constitutional rights. Instantly after this invocation, handcuffs were placed on me so tightly they nearly broke skin and my arm was yanked up high. I was placed in the back seat of a vehicle for more than an hour.

I begged the officer to loosen the handcuffs three separate times.

I was punished with malicious and sadistic intent for invoking my constitutional rights to remain silent and have counsel present.

The Supreme Court stated that the due process clause protects a pretrial detainee from the use of excessive force that amounts to punishment.

This type of behavior is prohibited by Congress and all agencies involved shall be held accountable in my civil case, CV35-21-1092, by a pretrial detainee at the Nez Perce County Jail,

Agrees with Dugger, Bentz

... I really had to agree with the recent commentary written by Marvin Dugger in which he relied heavily upon remarks by Rusty Bentz. I agree with about 90 percent of what they had to say. I didnt agree with the headline. It read: Breach the lower Snake River dams and we will lose our fish. I believe a more accurate rendering would have been Breach the lower Snake River dams and we might lose our fish, but we will surely lose them if we do not breach.

The wording was probably not theirs but the Lewiston Tribunes. ...

They threw a lot of numbers from a 1984 study that has been largely discredited, even by the agency that originally distributed the study results, the defunct National Marine Fisheries Services. ...

If data is left out of an equation, the results may be misleading. ...

For example the sentence that reads: The fish that were barged came back 11 times greater than those left in the river is an accurate statement that came directly from the study. However, the study also revealed fish did not return to the point of origin. The count was taken at Bonneville Dam on the lower Columbia, not at the Central Ferry Hatchery on the Snake. ...

Dugger and Bentz are good men and wonderful outdoorsmen and conservationists. ...

But ... studies that are outdated and scientifically discredited have to be willowed from the arsenal of defense for the fighting fish to have a fighting chance.

No man is an island

There are two epidemics taking place right now a COVID-19 epidemic and a misinformation epidemic.

Interestingly, from 1901 to 1903 an outbreak of smallpox in Boston claimed the lives of hundreds of citizens. A program of house-to-house vaccination was initiated with physicians authorized to vaccinate all who were not too ill.

Ultimately smallpox was eradicated within the city. But the epidemic led to a landmark legal case on the constitutionality of compulsory vaccination.

In 1905 the U.S. Supreme Court voted 7-to-2 in favor of the state, ruling that it could require vaccination in order to protect the public in case of a dangerous communicable disease. In other words No man is an island. Our choices affect not only ourselves, but our families and the public as well.

Here is the original post:
Sept. 2 Letters to the Editor: Our Readers' Opinions - Lewiston Morning Tribune

Posted in Fifth Amendment | Comments Off on Sept. 2 Letters to the Editor: Our Readers’ Opinions – Lewiston Morning Tribune

Opinion: It’s dangerously stupid to put your state ID in your Apple Wallet – The Next Web

Posted: at 10:04 am

Apple today announced that eight US states will soon allow citizens to host their official digital state identifications and drivers licenses in their Apple Wallets. This is going to be incredibly convenient, itll speed up numerous services, and it really freaking sucks for democracy and personal privacy.

Heres why, in a nutshell: its giving law enforcement a clear and defensible point from which to compel you to unlock your phone. One that will sound good to juries and give prosecutors who like to pretend the Fifth Amendment doesnt exist a leg to stand on.

Sir, I just need to see your drivers license. I need you to unlock your phone and pull your documents up and then hand it to me so that I can scan it back in my cruiser.

The Apple announcement is very clear to point out uses cases where users will not have to hand their devices over to anyone.

Per the press release:

Drivers licenses and state IDs in Wallet are only presented digitally through encrypted communication directly between the device and the identity reader, so users do not need to unlock, show, or hand over their device.

This sounds good on paper. Its not. And that should be obvious.

But I can practically feel the rage of a billion Apple users building to a fever pitch, and Id like to preempt a few questions.

Cant you read? It says right there that you dont have to hand your phone over to anyone.

Police officers in the US use unauthorized trials of Palantir and Clearview AI software to conduct digital stop and frisks, spend hundreds of millions of dollars every year in payouts to the victims of police misconduct, carry qualified immunity from civil and criminal suits, and have been caught numerous times attempting to illegally coerce citizens into unlocking and handing over their phones.

If you trust every police officer in the US, you have nothing to worry about.

So just use your physical ID for the police and your Apple Wallet ID for other stuff.

If you go around using your digital ID in stores (and on camera) and your physical one with police, law enforcement will be able to argue they need to see your phone to verify the digital ID you used in stores against the one youre carrying.

There are a million ways cops can coerce a person to unlock their phones and hand them over. The problem with storing your ID on them, as mentioned before, is that it gives them a reason that may sound very legitimate when a jury hears it, but ultimately should fail the same Fifth Amendment tests that previous attempts to force US citizens and the Apple corporation into unlocking iPhones did.

Its very convenient for you to whip out your phone, press it against a scanner, and have a TSA agent in an airport wave you through.

Its very inconvenient when a police officer uses that convenience to coerce a scared citizen into unlocking and handing over their device.

The more people who choose the convenience, despite the danger, the more normalized the concept will be. And thats when services and utilities will begin popping up that reward citizens for using digital IDs over physical ones.

This is called stratification, and its already a huge problem in US government services.

You dont have to use it, Apples just giving those of us who want to the option.

Thats not a good thing. Just like we needed net neutrality to ensure that TELCOM companies dont create fast-lanes to the internet for their products and slow-lanes for their competitors, its crucial to the future of democracy that we dont allow the government and big tech to create fast-lanes.

Especially when theyre specifically engineered for people who are privileged enough to both own an iPhone and not give a shit about the implications of carrying their IDs in the same place as all the data they generate.

Simply put, it would be a statistical anomaly of universe-altering proportions if US police dont use this to compel iPhone users to unlock and hand over their devices.

If youre okay with that, this feature was definitely designed to appeal to you.

H/t: The Verge

More:
Opinion: It's dangerously stupid to put your state ID in your Apple Wallet - The Next Web

Posted in Fifth Amendment | Comments Off on Opinion: It’s dangerously stupid to put your state ID in your Apple Wallet – The Next Web

FBI resuming Crystal Rogers investigation in Bardstown this weekend after storm delay – WLKY Louisville

Posted: at 10:04 am

The remnants of a powerful hurricane may have temporarily halted search efforts in the Crystal Rogers investigation, but work is expected to resume this weekend.After a flurry of activity last week in a Bardstown subdivision, the FBI was forced to suspend its search efforts this week due to deteriorating weather conditions from the remnants of Hurricane Ida. The weather system brought torrential rains to many areas of the Louisville region, including Nelson County, where the Rogers probe centers.It's been days now and weather impacts have subsided. Many have wondered when the FBI will continue its investigation, and that appears to be Saturday.In a statement sent to WLKY, a spokesperson for the FBI said personnel will be "conducting a search of the materials" that were recovered at the subdivision, but from an offsite collection point in Bardstown.The subdivision that has been at the center of the renewed search efforts is Woodlawn Springs, where the FBI initially focused its work on three properties.'I just pray this is it': Crystal Rogers' mother feeling encouraged as FBI search continuesThose properties were built by Brooks Houck, Rogers' boyfriend, at the time of her disappearance. The FBI then zeroed in on one of the properties, which no longer belongs to Houck. Teams spent last week digging up and excavating the driveway, and truckloads of concrete could also be seen around the subdivision.Multiple items of interestThe FBI hasn't shared much since it resumed search efforts last week, a year after taking over the investigation from local authorities.Outside of visibly seeing the teams search and excavate in the subdivision, the first major update came last Friday when the FBI confirmed it had recovered an "item of interest."Then on Monday, while announcing that it would suspend its search for the time being, the FBI confirmed that "multiple items of interest" had been uncovered and that they are "potentially relevant to the investigation into the disappearance of Crystal Rogers."The items have been sent to the FBI lab in Quantico, Virginia, for analysis. The FBI has not shed light on what the items are and how they pertain to the disappearance of Rogers.In an update Thursday, a spokesperson for the FBI said while the teams will be working off-site this weekend, that doesn't necessarily mean efforts have concluded at the subdivision."That is still a day-by-day decision," the spokesperson said about efforts at Woodlawn Springs.Reward for informationLast weekend, for the first time, the FBI announced a $25,000 reward for information in Rogers' disappearance.They are hoping someone in the community will come forward and provide tips that will lead to the identification, arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible for the mother's disappearance.Previous stories:Day 1 coverageDay 2 coverageDay 3 coverageDay 4 coverageThe main message the FBI has been sending to the community is cooperation. Since the team took over the case last year, they have called on residents to come forward and launched a dedicated website for tips to be submitted anonymously."Now is the time to come forward," the FBI said in a statement Friday.People can also call the FBI at 800-225-5324.What to know about the Crystal Rogers caseRogers went missing in 2015. Her car was found abandoned with a flat tire on Bluegrass Parkway in Bardstown with her phone, purse and keys still inside.She had five children, one with Houck. While he is the only person since she disappeared to be named as a suspect, he has never been charged. His home was searched last year when the FBI started investigating. They also investigated his brother Nick Houck's home.At one point, investigators zeroed in on Houck's grandmother, Anna Whitesides.Crystal Rogers investigation: Where feds searched last year and whyThe state believed her car may have been used to dispose of Rogers' body. Whitesides, who had previously talked to investigators, later invoked her Fifth Amendment right, refusing to testify when called to court.Before the FBI came in last year, the Nelson County Sheriff's Department was handling the disappearance. A new detective took over the case a couple of years ago when Det. Jon Snow left the Sheriff's Department. Chief Deputy Joedy Gilliland then became the lead until the feds stepped in.Last year, when the FBI began its investigation, officials reported that they had found human remains at the Washington-Nelson county line. The FBI later reported that those remains were not of Rogers and their efforts remained largely quiet up until the latest flurry of activity this week.Just a year after Rogers died, on Nov. 19, 2016, her father was shot and killed on family property near Bluegrass Parkway, and his killing also remains unsolved.

The remnants of a powerful hurricane may have temporarily halted search efforts in the Crystal Rogers investigation, but work is expected to resume this weekend.

After a flurry of activity last week in a Bardstown subdivision, the FBI was forced to suspend its search efforts this week due to deteriorating weather conditions from the remnants of Hurricane Ida. The weather system brought torrential rains to many areas of the Louisville region, including Nelson County, where the Rogers probe centers.

It's been days now and weather impacts have subsided. Many have wondered when the FBI will continue its investigation, and that appears to be Saturday.

In a statement sent to WLKY, a spokesperson for the FBI said personnel will be "conducting a search of the materials" that were recovered at the subdivision, but from an offsite collection point in Bardstown.

The subdivision that has been at the center of the renewed search efforts is Woodlawn Springs, where the FBI initially focused its work on three properties.

'I just pray this is it': Crystal Rogers' mother feeling encouraged as FBI search continues

Those properties were built by Brooks Houck, Rogers' boyfriend, at the time of her disappearance. The FBI then zeroed in on one of the properties, which no longer belongs to Houck. Teams spent last week digging up and excavating the driveway, and truckloads of concrete could also be seen around the subdivision.

The FBI hasn't shared much since it resumed search efforts last week, a year after taking over the investigation from local authorities.

Outside of visibly seeing the teams search and excavate in the subdivision, the first major update came last Friday when the FBI confirmed it had recovered an "item of interest."

This content is imported from Twitter.You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

Then on Monday, while announcing that it would suspend its search for the time being, the FBI confirmed that "multiple items of interest" had been uncovered and that they are "potentially relevant to the investigation into the disappearance of Crystal Rogers."

The items have been sent to the FBI lab in Quantico, Virginia, for analysis. The FBI has not shed light on what the items are and how they pertain to the disappearance of Rogers.

In an update Thursday, a spokesperson for the FBI said while the teams will be working off-site this weekend, that doesn't necessarily mean efforts have concluded at the subdivision.

"That is still a day-by-day decision," the spokesperson said about efforts at Woodlawn Springs.

Last weekend, for the first time, the FBI announced a $25,000 reward for information in Rogers' disappearance.

They are hoping someone in the community will come forward and provide tips that will lead to the identification, arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible for the mother's disappearance.

Previous stories:

The main message the FBI has been sending to the community is cooperation. Since the team took over the case last year, they have called on residents to come forward and launched a dedicated website for tips to be submitted anonymously.

"Now is the time to come forward," the FBI said in a statement Friday.

People can also call the FBI at 800-225-5324.

Rogers went missing in 2015. Her car was found abandoned with a flat tire on Bluegrass Parkway in Bardstown with her phone, purse and keys still inside.

She had five children, one with Houck. While he is the only person since she disappeared to be named as a suspect, he has never been charged. His home was searched last year when the FBI started investigating. They also investigated his brother Nick Houck's home.

At one point, investigators zeroed in on Houck's grandmother, Anna Whitesides.

Crystal Rogers investigation: Where feds searched last year and why

The state believed her car may have been used to dispose of Rogers' body. Whitesides, who had previously talked to investigators, later invoked her Fifth Amendment right, refusing to testify when called to court.

Before the FBI came in last year, the Nelson County Sheriff's Department was handling the disappearance. A new detective took over the case a couple of years ago when Det. Jon Snow left the Sheriff's Department. Chief Deputy Joedy Gilliland then became the lead until the feds stepped in.

Last year, when the FBI began its investigation, officials reported that they had found human remains at the Washington-Nelson county line. The FBI later reported that those remains were not of Rogers and their efforts remained largely quiet up until the latest flurry of activity this week.

Just a year after Rogers died, on Nov. 19, 2016, her father was shot and killed on family property near Bluegrass Parkway, and his killing also remains unsolved.

Follow this link:
FBI resuming Crystal Rogers investigation in Bardstown this weekend after storm delay - WLKY Louisville

Posted in Fifth Amendment | Comments Off on FBI resuming Crystal Rogers investigation in Bardstown this weekend after storm delay – WLKY Louisville

Geography of Seychelles – Wikipedia

Posted: at 10:04 am

Seychelles is a small island country located in the Somali sea northeast of Madagascar and about 835mi (1,344km) from Mogadishu, Somalia, its nearest foreign mainland city, while Antsiranana is the nearest foreign city overall.[1] Seychelles lies between approximately 4S and 10S and 46E and 54E. The nation is an archipelago of 115 tropical islands, some granite and some coral. the majority of which are small and uninhabited. The landmass is only 452km2 (175sqmi), but the islands are spread wide over an exclusive economic zone of 1,336,559km2 (516,048sqmi). About 90 percent of the population of 90,000 live on Mah, 9 percent on Praslin and La Digue. Around a third of the land area is the island of Mah and a further third the atoll of Aldabra.[2]

There are two distinct regions, the granitic islands, the world's only oceanic islands of granitic rock and the coralline outer islands. The granite islands are the worlds oldest ocean islands, while the outer islands are mainly very young, though the Aldabra group and St Pierre (Farquhar Group) are unusual, raised coral islands that have emerged and submerged several times during their long history, the most recent submergence dating from about 125,000 years ago[3]

The archipelago consists of 115 islands and thirty prominent rock formations scattered throughout a self-proclaimed exclusive economic zone of more than 1,350,000 square kilometres (520,000sqmi) of ocean.[4] Some forty islands are granitic and lie in a 90-kilometre (56mi) radius from Mah, the main island.[4] The remaining islands are coralline, stretching over a 1,200-kilometre (750mi) radius from Ile Aux Vaches in the northeast to the Aldabra Atoll in the southwest.[4] The country's Inner Islands are the granitic islands plus two nearby coralline islands, Bird Island and Denis Island.[citation needed] The remaining coralline islands are the Outer Islands.[citation needed] The islands are all smallthe aggregate land area is only 455 square kilometres (176sqmi).[4][5]

Mah is 25 kilometres (16mi) long and no more than 8 kilometres (5.0mi) wide,[4] with an area of with a size of 156.7km2 (61sqmi).[citation needed] It contains the capital and only city, Victoria, an excellent port.[4] Victoria lies approximately 1,600 kilometres (990mi) east of Mombasa, Kenya; 2,800 kilometres (1,700mi) southwest of Mumbai; 1,700 kilometres (1,100mi) north of Mauritius; and 920 kilometres (570mi) northeast of Madagascar.[4] The only other important islands by virtue of their size and population are Praslin and La Digue, situated about thirty kilometers to the northeast of Mah.[4]

The granitic islands are the peaks of the submarine Mascarene Plateau, a continental formation theorized to be either a part of Africa separated when Asia began to drift away from the original single continent of Gondwana, or the remnants of a microcontinent that existed up to the beginning of the Tertiary Period, approximately 50 million years ago.[4] The granitic islands are characterized by boulder-covered hills and mountains as high as 940 metres (3,080ft) rising abruptly from the sea.[4] Elsewhere, narrow coastal plains extend to the base of the foothills.[4] Extensively developed coral reefs are found mainly on the east coasts because of the southwest trade winds and equatorial current. Ninety-nine percent of the population is located on the granitic islands, and most are on Mah.[4]

The coralline islands differ sharply from the granitic in that they are very flat, often rising only a few feet (one meter) above sea level. They have no fresh water, and very few have a resident population.[4] Many, like Ile aux Vaches, Ile Denis, the Amirante Isles, Platte Island, and Coetivy Island, are sand cays upon which extensive coconut plantations have been established.[4] Some of the coralline islands consist of uplifted reefs and atolls covered with stunted vegetation.[4] Several of these islands have been important breeding grounds for turtles and birds, as well as the sites of extensive guano deposits, which formerly constituted an important element of the Seychellois economy but now for the most part are depleted.[4] The Aldabra Islands, the largest coralline atoll with an area greater than Mahe, are a sanctuary for rare animals and birds.[4]

The five groups of coralline islands that make up the Outer Islands are Southern Coral Group (a collective term for le Platte and Cotivy Island), Amirante Islands, Alphonse Group (Alphonse Atoll and St. Franois Atoll), Aldabra Group (Aldabra Atoll, Assumption Island, and the Cosmoledo Group, consisting of Cosmoledo Atoll and Astove Island), and Farquhar Group (Farquhar Atoll, Providence Atoll and St. Pierre Island).[citation needed]

The Seychelles is part of the granitic Mascarene Plateau which broke off from the Indian Plate about 66 mya. This rift formation is associated with the Runion hotspot which is also responsible for Runion Island and the Deccan Traps in India. Because of its long isolation, the Seychelles hosts several unique species including the coco de mer, a palm which has the largest seeds of any plant and the world's largest population of giant tortoises.[citation needed]

The climate of Seychelles is tropical, having little seasonal variation.[4] Temperatures on Mahe rarely rise above 29C (84F) or drop below 24C (75F).[4] Humidity is high, but its enervating effect is usually ameliorated by prevailing winds.[4] The southeast monsoon from late May to September brings cooler weather, and the northwest monsoon from March to May, warmer weather.[4]

High winds are rare inasmuch as most islands lie outside the Indian Ocean cyclone belt; Mahe suffered the only such storm in its recorded history in 1862.[4] Mean annual rainfall in Mahe averages 2,880 millimetres (113in) at sea level and as much as 3,550 millimetres (140in) on the mountain slopes.[4] Precipitation is somewhat less on the other islands, averaging as low as 500 millimetres (20in) per year on the southernmost coral islands.[4]

Because catchment provides most sources of water in Seychelles, yearly variations in rainfall or even brief periods of drought can produce water shortages.[4] Small dams have been built on Mahe since 1969 in an effort to guarantee a reliable water supply, but drought can still be a problem on Mahe and particularly on La Digue.[4]

The Seychelles contain at least 75 species of flowering plants, three mammal species, 15 bird species, 30 species of reptiles and amphibians, and several hundred species of snails, insects, spiders and other invertebrates found nowhere else.[4] The diversity of species in the islands is being assessed by the Nature Protection Trust of Seychelles.[citation needed] In addition, the waters contain more than 900 kinds of fish, of which more than one-third are associated with coral reefs.[4] Specific examples of unique birds are the black paradise flycatcher, the black parrot, the brush warbler, and a flightless rail.[4] Most famous of all the Seychelles animals are the giant tortoises of the genus Aldabrachelys.[citation needed]

As a result of extensive shipping to Seychelles that brings needed imports and the discharge of commercial tuna fishing, the waters suffer some pollution.[4] Furthermore, goats brought to Aldabra Islands are destroying much of the vegetation on which giant tortoises feed or seek shade.[4] Rats have reduced biodiversity on many islands.[citation needed] Climate change is also a significant issue; it was recently realised that this has caused the extinction of the endemic snail Rhachistia aldabrae.[citation needed]

Seychelles began addressing the conservation problem in the late 1960s by creating the Nature Conservancy Commission, later renamed the Seychelles National Environment Commission.[4] A system of national parks and animal preserves covering 42% of the land area and about 260 square kilometres (100sqmi) of the surrounding water areas has been set aside.[4] Legislation protects wildlife and bans various destructive practices.[4]

A major project has been funded by Fonds Francais pour l'environnement Mondiale (FFEM) and implemented by Island Conservation Society.[6] This aims to rehabilitate and enhance islands for the maintenance of native biodiversity in Seychelles through eradication of introduced predator species, rehabilitation of habitats and reintroduction of rare or threatened species. Rats have been eliminated from North Island under this project and more schemes are planned, including at Cosmoledo Atoll and on Conception Island.

Geographic coordinates: 435S 5540E / 4.583S 55.667E / -4.583; 55.667

Area:total:459km2land:459km2water:0km2

Land boundaries:0km

Coastline:491km

Maritime claims:continental shelf:200nmi (370.4km; 230.2mi) or to the edge of the continental marginexclusive economic zone:1,336,559km2 (516,048sqmi) with 200nmi (370.4km; 230.2mi)territorial sea:12nmi (22.2km; 13.8mi)

Elevation extremes:lowest point:Indian Ocean 0 mhighest point:Morne Seychellois 905 m

Natural resources:fish, copra, cinnamon trees

Land use:arable land:2%permanent crops:13%permanent pastures:0%forests and woodland:11%other:74% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land:0km2

Environment - international agreements:party to:Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whalingsigned, but not ratified:Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

This is a list of the extreme points of Seychelles, the points that are farther north, south, east or west than any other location.

See more here:

Geography of Seychelles - Wikipedia

Posted in Seychelles | Comments Off on Geography of Seychelles – Wikipedia