Archives June 2016

The Hillary Clinton campaign recently launched a new website dedicated to hitting Donald Trump where it hurts the most: his business history.

According to Trump, his greatest selling point is his success as a businessman, but Clinton’s website, Art of the Steal, takes direct aim at the Republican presidential candidate’s business misfires, arguing that like the rest of his “qualifications,” Trump’s business sense is deeply flawed.

“Sometimes he was bad at [business] in that he made a lot of money while hurting a lot of people,” the website claims. “But most of the time, he was just bad at it.”

Clinton’s campaign uses examples such as the highly criticized Trump Steaks and the failure of his Atlantic City casinos to debunk the spreading misconception of Trump’s untouchable financial prowess.

The website is just one part of a series of economically based attacks on Trump. During an event in Ohio, Clinton spoke out about a possible Trump presidency’s inevitable impact on the economy, saying that it would be “devastating for families and bad for the economy.”

Clinton’s attack comes just one day after the release of a new analysis of Trump’s economic proposals by Moody’s Analytics. The report revealed that his plan to shift away from globalization would “diminish the nation’s growth prospects,” and that it would “result in larger federal government deficits and a heavier debt load,” thus creating “a weaker U.S. economy, with fewer jobs and higher unemployment.”

Clinton’s website builds upon a number of arguments against the Republican candidate, including an account of Trump’s multiple casino bankruptcies and the time his father had to bail him out by purchasing $3.3 million in poker chips.

They say you can’t believe everything you read on the Internet, but with hard evidence supported by reliable sources, it is nearly impossible to write off Clinton’s website as a “smear campaign.”

When it comes to website design, 38% of regular consumers will stop engaging with a website if the layout is unattractive. The site’s homepage features an uncomfortably large image of Trump’s smug face, but this unsightly visual is hardly enough to deter the political truth-seekers who come across this highly informative website.

Photo attribution: By Krassotkin (derivative), Gage Skidmore (Donald Trump), Gage Skidmore (Hillary Clinton) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

It’s no secret that American restaurants serve big portions. Huge, jumbo-sized portions. Yet now, one of the largest culinary bodies in the United States is calling on chefs and restaurant owners to rethink one of the most important ingredients in those huge, often horribly unhealthy portions — animal protein.

All of that is a fancy way of saying that American restaurants serve too much meat. That’s the driving message behind Menus of Change, a joint effort between the Culinary Institute of America and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Department of Nutrition.

In a new statement, the group writes: “Reducing the amount of red meat (e.g. beef, pork, and lamb) on menus as part of a movement to place a greater emphasis on healthy, plant-based foods – including plant-based proteins – is the single most important contribution the foodservice industry can make toward environmental sustainability.”

About 70 to 80% of CIA graduates end up working in a restaurant, hotel, or resort kitchen after graduation, so the educational institute could have a major influence on the future of American cuisine.

According to the Menus of Change website, the initiative is aimed at taking a small step towards addressing huge problems, including obesity, diabetes, the ethical sourcing of food, factory food production, and the challenge of feeding the extra two billion human beings who will be born before 2050.

The culinary experts want more restaurants to take part in a “protein flip,” switching out some of their meat ingredients for more healthy veggie-based options.

Everyone knows that Americans are obsessed with red meat, so it’s unlikely the country will suddenly go vegetarian just because a group of Harvard researchers ask nicely. But over time, the CIA and Harvard team hope to encourage the culinary industry to take the lead in presenting Americans with more healthy and sustainable meals.

One of the most common complaints heard in doctor’s offices is from patients complaining about dizziness. Dizziness will occur in 70% of the nation’s population, but thanks to astronaut Tim Peake, the world now knows it is impossible to get dizzy in space.

British astronaut Tim Peake has been on board the International Space Station for 186 days and is set to come home this weekend. But before he left, he wanted to show the world one more interesting fact about space.

As reported on CNET.com, Peake tweeted on Sunday, “I spent the first 24 hours in space feeling a bit rough at times, but since then I have felt just great. But can you still get dizzy in space? Well, I decided to try a small experiment to find out…”

For the experiment, Peake was spun around by another astronaut in micro-gravity. Once he stopped spinning, he had a momentarily sensation of dizziness that quickly went away. After that, he felt completely normal.

Astronauts can expect dizziness and nausea during their first days in space because the fluid in their inner ear is floating in zero gravity instead of staying stagnant while on Earth. Once the first few days pass, the brain adapts and ignores signals from the inner ear in favor of those from the eyes.

Once this happens it is hard to retrain the brain into feeling dizzy, even if there are quick moments of rapid acceleration.

This wasn’t the first experiment Peake has done while in space. As a part of the Principia mission, he conducted experiments about how the human body would be affected on a trip to Mars. He was also the first person to complete the London Marathon from space.

Peake learned Russian for his mission and regularly updates Twitter and Flickr with pictures of his orbits around the world.

Peake is set to return from his 250-mile high orbit on Saturday, with plans to land in Kazakhstan.

In Florida, the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) proposed a workers’ compensation increase for all businesses.

According to the Pensacola News Journal, the NCCI is proposing a 17.1% increase for Florida businesses regarding workers’ compensation. The proposal to increases comes after 13 straight years of workers’ comp insurance rates declining in the state.

Wholly 74%, or 37 out of 50, of states have laws that require all businesses to have some form of workers’ compensation. Florida had the second highest workers’ compensation rates — trailing only California — in 2003 before legislation was passed that led to a 13-year decrease totaling 60%.

A goal to stabilize Florida’s workers’ compensation system is in place. The Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce and Florida Chambers are teaming up with various state businesses to try and fight the new 17% increase.

The increase would go into effect on August 1.

“I can tell you there were some business folks who said they won’t be able to expand if this passes,” said Todd Thomson, vice president of public affairs at the GPCC. “It’s just going to increase their costs and impact their bottom line.”

The Orlando Sentinel reports that Supreme Court Justice, R. Fred Lewis, believes that the old workers’ compensation system in Florida is “fundamentally unconstitutional” and needs legislative reform.

“I have a full appreciation for the judicial attempt to save the workers’ compensation statue from total disaster,” said Lewis. “Florida needs a valid workers’ compensation program, but the charade is over. Enough is enough, and Florida workers deserve better.”

If the proposal is passed, the workers’ compensation increase could produce problems for Florida insurance companies as well.

“There has to be a balanced way to do this where there is a win-win for both sides,” said David Peaden, executive director of the Home Builders Association, “not just an astronomical rate increase.”

June 1 marked the start of the 2016 hurricane season, and with the earliest “C” storm on record, it’s made for an active start to this year’s storm season.

Though Tropical Storm Colin may be the earliest “C” storm on record, it doesn’t necessarily mean that hurricane season will be a wild — or calm — ride just yet.

Colin, currently spinning out to sea after drenching Florida, is only the third “C” storm to ever form in June. Not only that, but it’s also the earliest, beating out Hurricane Chris, which formed on June 18 in 2012, and bumping Tropical Storm Candy to third place with a start date of June 23, 1968.

The Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory says early activity has little bearing on the season as a whole, but that doesn’t mean anyone should slack on preparation.

In normal circumstances a roof should be inspected once or twice annually, but come hurricane season, battering down the hatches is more important than ever.

It’s that time of year when communities need to prepare themselves for hurricane season, and with such an active start, it’s no surprise that people are worried.

More than 40% of businesses don’t open back up after sustaining damage from a hurricane or tropical storm, and over 90% fail within the first two years back in business.

Incorporating an emergency preparedness plan may not only save homes, but it could save businesses as well. Knowing the vulnerabilities of one’s business is the first step in preparing for emergencies, large and small.

Though an active start to the season does not necessarily mean that the rest of the year will be overwhelmed by storms, it’s still important to be prepared for anything.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts the 2016 Atlantic hurricane season will be “near-normal,” with four to eight hurricanes occurring between June 1 and November 30.

So few storms form early in the year that there’s simply not enough data to draw conclusions, the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory said.

Summer camp should be the time when kids can find out more about themselves and feel comfortable around their peers. One unique summer camp is providing transgender children with that same experience in a whole new way.

Located in the Midwest, Camp You Are You is a safe haven for transgender kids between the ages of five and 12 who may not be out at school or even to their friends. The camp provides them with a safe, judge-free environment where they can truly be themselves among others just like them.

The week-long camp is run by Sabrina, a mother of four who attended a similar event with her trans daughter, Ryan. Activities include ice breakers, workshops for parents, pool parties, and even a fashion show.

“They don’t have to explain themselves, they don’t have to protect themselves, they don’t have to make excuses. There are no questions— just have fun!,” said Sabrina.

Buzzfeed reports that parents are just as involved as their children in the camp. Parents of these transgender children use the camp to connect with other parents to get advice and feedback on things like hormone treatments and caring for a transgender child.

TLC was recently granted access to film at the camp for a documentary called “Transgender Kids Camp,” which aired on June 8.

Considering that children in today’s society spend seven and a half hours or more in front of some form of technology each day, camp allows them to interact with others just like them in real life, rather than through screens.

Director Nick Sweeney made it his goal for each family featured in the documentary to tell their story in their own words.

Sabrina hopes that the documentary will help people to be more accepting of transgender kids who use the camp as a way to express themselves in a comfortable environment.

“These kids are just kids,” she said. “They’re OK and there is nothing wrong.”

One Florida Shiba Inu is in critical condition after winding up in the mouth of an alligator in Fleming island, FL.
According to owner Daniel Less, his dog, Maiya, is having difficulty walking on all fours and has a very long road to recovery. She is currently being treated at the Wells Road Veterinary Center.
The incident happened on May 21, when Maiya ran out of the family garage and over to a nearby pond. At first, Less wasn’t concerned, until he heard a loud and disturbing noise.
“As I’m walking down the hill to go get her, there’s like an explosion of water, and at that point, I didn’t realize what was going on,” Less said in an interview with News 4 Jax.
When Less arrived, he could hardly believe what he was seeing. Down at the pond, Maiya was caught between the teeth of an estimated seven-foot alligator. Luckily, Less got her out and to safety immediately, but the damage done to the young pup was extensive.
Dr. Michelle Sands, a veterinarian with the Wells Road Veterinary Center, told reporters that Maiya’s injuries were the most severe that she had seen in her 25 years of working with animals.
“There’s a lot of trauma. She didn’t want to eat. She had whole body trauma at the end of her tail area,” Sands said, noting that she was surprised that the dog survived at all.
At first, Maiya was treated in a hyperbaric chamber and has since developed a superbug that is difficult to treat.
“It’s resistant to everything at this point, so we’re going to have to do some research into human medicine and see what we can use,” Sands said.

According to Sands, Maiya will need many months to recover, and it’s likely she will need the help of more doctors.
Veterinary bills are expensive. In fact, the U.S. spends a whopping $13.59 billion annually on veterinary bills. That being said, Maiya’s family has set up a GoFundMe account in order to pay for the pup’s mounting medical expenses.

Cancer is never a simple thing to have. From diagnoses to a multitude of invasive treatments that have devastating physiological effects, it is a long and harrowing process. As if that weren’t bad enough, these treatments can have profound and negative long-term affects on the body — particularly when it comes to fertility.

But what’s worse is that many of these women aren’t warned of the infertility risks they are taking before undergoing cancer treatment.
In a new study published in the journal Cancer, researchers surveyed 346 young women in an anonymous online poll. The participants were all around the age of 30 and had all completed cancer treatment an average of five years before taking the survey.
Of the participants surveyed, the poll found that 179 of them had not gone through any sort of fertility preservation before or after cancer treatments, even though they were either interested in having children or were unsure.
And while more than two-thirds of women were concerned about their ability to have children post-treatment, only 13% of patients surveyed said they had received inadequate information regarding fertility options.
“The potential loss of fertility has been described in the literature as being almost as painful, if not more so, than the cancer diagnosis itself,” said Dr. Catherine Benedict, PhD, lead author on the study, in a press release.
“Many women will maintain fertility after treatment,” Benedict told Fox News, “but will experience menopause and infertility at an early age, with no certainty about when this may occur.”
While it’s clear that fertility problems after cancer treatment are different for every woman, this uncertainty can create infertility down the line, which means a woman cannot conceive. The key is to be aware of options that they can utilize before or after undergoing cancer treatment.

Some embattled law enforcement officials hope that sunlight will be the best disinfectant. That’s why across the country, from Santa Clara, CA, to Baltimore, MD, officials are installing new cameras inside their jails.

After the deaths of innocent Americans like Sandra Bland and Freddie Gray, and after countless accusations of excessive force, violence, and even executions by corrections officers, many jails around the country are adding cameras to their facilities.

While every major police department in the country is either implementing or actively considering a police body camera program, advocates for criminal justice reform are now stepping up efforts to improve transparency in America’s jails and prisons.

Sheriffs in Los Angeles County, police in Chicago, and corrections officers from Rikers Island in New York City have all been accused of routinely using violence against inmates. This June, a major case is reaching its climax in a New York City courtroom, where nine corrections officers are accused of taking an inmate away from security cameras and beating him. The officers face charges like gang assault, falsifying records, and official misconduct.

Criminal justice reform activists say more cameras are the obvious solution to the violence.

In Santa Clara County, Sheriff Laurie Smith has spent two years and $20 million installing cameras in local jails, even buying some cameras with her personal money.

“It’s imperative we act swiftly,” Smith said to The Mercury News. “There cannot be a delay because of bureaucracy. That’s unacceptable. Anything we can do to bring additional transparency, we want to do right away.”

In Clark County, IN, one jail got a high tech upgrade when reality show producers moved in to film a show called “60 Days In.” Thanks to the show’s producers, the Clark County Sheriff Jame Noel says he has high definition, 360-degree cameras to use for an extra layer of security.

Clark County’s new cameras are so high quality they can detect inmates hiding controlled medication in their cheeks. While typical consumer cameras might have a shutter speed of 1/125th of a second, high quality cameras operate at anywhere from 1/8000th to 100,000 frames per second or more. Of course, cash strapped county jails aren’t likely to luck out with TV quality cameras, courtesy of a reality show production.

Still, more and more jails are installing new cameras in their facilities.

In Baltimore, the epicenter of many Black Lives Matter protests after Freddie Gray had his spine broken in the back of a police van, local officials recently unveiled new and retrofitted prisoner transport vans. The new vans contain four security cameras, which officials say will better protect both law enforcement and inmates alike.

The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey is offering $500,000 in grants for a program designed to improve the population’s oral health and awareness of dental hygiene issues.

The program will also support professional development for health care providers in 10 counties where dental health among children is severely lacking.

Robert Marino, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey chairman and CEO and chairman of the Horizon Foundation, issued the following statement:

“Our Kids’ Oral Health Program initiative is going to help improve oral health for young New Jerseyans with a higher level of risk. Cavities and dental decay are among the most common, most preventable and most treatable chronic conditions for kids in the United States. The rate of untreated tooth decay in children and teens from lower-income households is twice that of higher income families. Early education and intervention can change this and that’s what this grant program is all about.”

The Horizon Foundation intends to fight against the racial and socioeconomic disparities that exist with regard to dental care. Hispanic/Latino and African American children are nearly twice as likely as white children to suffer from untreated tooth decay, and because of their home and work situations, low-income caregivers often do not have the time to fit in routine dental appointments for themselves and their children.

Furthermore, many people simply do not understand the importance of maintaining proper oral hygiene and how poor dental health practices can affect overall health and well-being.

New Jersey state senator Jeff Van Drew, who is also a practicing dentist, is in support of the initiative, stating that, “These grants will help to educate families about the importance of oral health and treat more children.”

Unfortunately, not all families have access to routine dental procedures. Wisdom teeth removal is a common surgery performed on 5 million Americans each year, but many people slip through the cracks, unable to take advantage of regular dental care.