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Question: Score a free medium shake, sundae or frappe at McDonald's

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Just in time for the last dog days of summer, McDonald's is offering a special deal on frozen treats right now. For a limited time, you can score a free medium shake, sundae or frappe with the the purchase of any item. All you have to do is download the app and scan the coupon code at checkout. You can use the coupon once a week at participating McDonald's locations through September 3. Think about it—fries and a shake for the ultimate sweet and salty snack. Pair your burger with a frappe for an afternoon pick-me-up. The possibilities are endless!If you're looking for even more ways to save at Mickey D's, there are other deals currently being offered exclusively through the app. If you buy five McCafe beverages, you can get one free. On Fridays only, you can get a free medium fries with any purchase. Talk about TGIF! You can also get a free medium fries and a soft drink with the purchase of any Signature Crafted Sandwich. Sounds like lunch is covered! The deals are only offered for a limited time, so check the app for expiration dates.In another app-centered promotion that seems too good to be true, Uber and McDonald's are teaming up to offer free ice cream to the ride sharing service's customers in major cities throughout the U.S., including Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto and Washington, D.C. https://www.instagram.com/p/BXoG1vvBU6R/?taken-by=uber Beginning Friday, Aug. 11, when Uber customers open the app, they can search for "UberICECREAM" and tap "Request." An Uber ice cream truck will then deliver free ice cream to the user and up to four of their friends. Customers will also receive a special reusable silicone ice cream cone that can be refiled with free soft-serve vanilla ice cream at participating McDonald's every Friday through September 22. Happy summer Fridays!
This story originally appeared on Don't Waste Your Money. Checkout Don't Waste Your Money for other great tips and ideas to make the most out of life.

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Dunkin Donuts coffee and and doughnuts
Dunkin' Brands
The debate rages — is it donut or doughnut?
Spelling will take a backseat to savings this Friday for National Doughnut Day — or National Donut Day in some circles.
Shops across the country are marking the day with fried freebies and delectable deals.
Celebrated annually on the first Friday in June, the day of the pastry was established in 1938 to honor The Salvation Army Donut Lassies, women who served the treats to soldiers during World War I.
"The doughnut was and continues to be a symbol of the comfort and support that The Salvation Army provides to more than 23 million people in need each year," said Lt. Col. Ward Matthews, Salvation Army secretary for national community relations and development in a statement.
Attention donut lovers, #NationalDonutDay is this Friday and we're asking you to celebrate with us by giving donuts to someone in your life who deserves a sweet surprise. Learn more: https://t.co/q2nAAz0dAX pic.twitter.com/nCYgDDoN2g — Salvation Army USA (@SalvationArmyUS) May 29, 2018
This year, the Salvation Army is marking the day with events across the country and has teamed up with Entenmann’s to host “Do Good Donut Parties” to deliver treats to more than 8,500 veterans. Find the events at www.salvationarmyusa.org.
Expect doughnut shops and bakeries to be crowded Friday even if they're not giving away free treats.
Brad Plothow, vice president of brand and communications for Womply, a small business software provider, said the made-up holiday is a big day for bakeries.
“People don’t spend more but far more people pack into bakeries looking for a treat, resulting in lots more dough for local bakeries,” Plothow said.
The doughy deals
Participation and offers can vary by location and unless otherwise noted these deals are only available June 1 while supplies last. To be on the safe side, check with your closest location.
BI-LO: Get a 50% discount on all doughnuts in the bakery Friday. Plus through 11 p.m. ET Friday, say why you love doughnuts on the grocer's Facebook page for a chance to win free doughnuts for a year.
Burger King: The fast-food chain is cutting a hole in its Whopper sandwich to create the “first flame-grilled donut” at five select restaurants in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Boston and Salt Lake City. The Whopper Donut only available Friday comes with a “free” mini slider, which is the donut hole of the burger.
Clinton Hall: Through Friday, get the “Twisted Donut Burger” with a side of fries for $16. The limited-time burger is a twist on the New York restaurant’s grilled cheese doughnut and has bacon, jalapenos and Twisted Tea-infused icing.
Cumberland Farms: From 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. Friday, get a free doughnut with purchase of any dispensed beverage, which includes hot or iced coffee, fountain or frozen beverages. This deal is only valid at new concept or remodeled locations.
The Dough Bar: Through Sunday, the company featured on Shark Tank for making protein doughnuts offers 10% off all orders plus one free doughnut and one free crispy bar. Plus, it has 11 new limited flavors available this week while supplies last.
Duck Donuts: Get one free classic doughnut Friday, including bare, cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar. No purchase necessary and also get a buy-one-get-one free doughnut coupon redeemable through June 17.
Duffy's Sports Grill: On Friday, get a free order of Red Velvet doughnuts at all locations. Limit one order per table.
Dunkin' Donuts: Get a free classic doughnut of your choice with the purchase of any beverage all day Friday while supplies last.
#NationalDonutDay is coming, Friday 6/1! Treat Do' Self to a FREE donut with the purchase of any beverage. 🍩🎉❤ pic.twitter.com/9Z0ERZBmno — Dunkin' Donuts (@dunkindonuts) May 30, 2018
Edible Arrangements: The chain has launched new Edible Donuts made with granny smith apples, chocolate and a variety of toppings. On Friday, get a free doughnut and from June 2-6 any size or combo is buy-one-get-one free.
Entenmann’s: The baked goods brand is accepting entries through June 30 for its Chief Donut Officer Contest at www.chiefdonutofficer.com for the chance to win the honorary title and prizes including $5,000 and a year’s supply of donuts.
Fractured Prune Doughnuts: Get get a free “OC Sand” doughnut at participating stores Friday.
Fresco y Más: Get a 50% discount on all doughnuts in the bakery Friday. Plus through 11 p.m. ET Friday, say why you love doughnuts on the store's Facebook page for a chance to win free doughnuts for a year.
Giant Eagle: Get a dozen doughnuts for $3.99 Friday at 175 corporate and 54 independently-owned and operated Market District supermarkets throughout western Pennsylvania, Ohio, north central West Virginia and Maryland. Also, GetGo Café + Market stores will have a buy-one-get-one free doughnut deal. Both offers require the chain's Advantage Card.
Harveys: Get a 50% discount on all doughnuts in the bakery Friday. Plus through 11 p.m. ET Friday, say why you love doughnuts on the grocer's Facebook page for a chance to win free doughnuts for a year.
Honey Dew Donuts: Get a free S’More Donut with the purchase of any medium or larger beverage Friday at participating locations. Limit one per customer, while supplies last.
Krispy Kreme: No purchase is necessary to get one free doughnut Friday.
LaMar’s Donuts: Get any doughnut with a hole for free on Friday with a Golden Ticket coupon, which you can print or show on your smartphone.
Martin’s Super Market: Get a free doughnut from the case or $1 off a dozen donuts Friday.
Papa John's: Get a free order of the pizza chain’s warm donut holes Friday with any online purchase. Starting June 2, use promo code DONUT for a free order with any purchase of two pizzas.
Potbelly Sandwich Shop: While not a National Doughnut Day deal, June 1 is the chain's 41st birthday and it's offering Potbelly Perks members a free sandiwch with purchase of a sandwich. To join, sign up at www.potbelly.com/perks or download the Android or iPhone app.
For #NationalDonutDay we’ve got something big in the works. Well, technically small, but also big. And sweet. pic.twitter.com/km74ekyiWv — Papa John's Pizza (@PapaJohns) May 30, 2018
Rise Biscuits Donuts: All locations will donate 100% of Friday’s sales of the Chocolate Icing Donut to a local food bank.
Shipley Do-Nuts: Get one free glazed do-nut Friday from 5 a.m. to noon for what the Texas-based chain is calling “National Do-Nut Day.”
Sugar Shack Donuts & Coffee: The Virginia-based chain offers a daily freebie with varying requirements. Recent examples include a free house donut for those whose name started with W or for wearing College Alma Mater swag. Find out the daily freebie on Sugar Shack's social media accounts.
Strike gold this #NationalDonutDay! The first in-restaurant Guest after 6am on June 1st to ask for the “Gold Timbits®” at selected locations in Buffalo, Columbus and Detroit will have a chance to win free donuts for a year! No purchase necessary: https://t.co/CtYpr3Nyrt pic.twitter.com/rNPDHTQ967 — Tim Hortons U.S. (@TimHortonsUS) May 25, 2018
Tim Hortons: Only five U.S. locations will have “Gold Timbits” and the first guest to ask for them after 6 a.m. Friday at the select locations will get the edible 24k gold-covered Timbits for free and win free doughnuts for a year. It’s a hunt to find the locations but company officials say they’re in the Detroit, Columbus, Ohio, and Buffalo, N.Y.
Walmart: Get one free glazed doughnut at all Walmart stores Friday. The retailer expects to give 1.2 million doughnuts Friday.
Winn-Dixie: Get a 50% discount on all doughnuts in the bakery Friday. Plus through 11 p.m. ET Friday, say why you love doughnuts on the grocer's Facebook page for a chance to win free doughnuts for a year.
More deals: Locally-owned businesses and smaller chains also may have deals Friday. One of the easiest ways to find out is to check social media channels.
Kelly Tyko is a consumer columnist and retail reporter for Treasure Coast Newspapers and TCPalm.com, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK. Read her Bargainista tips at TCPalm.com/Bargainista and follow her on Twitter @KellyTyko. Sign up for her weekly newsletter at www.tcpalm.com/featured-newsletter/bargainistabest.
Copyright 2017 USATODAY.com


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Question: Indian River County felony arrests: March 19, 2018

St. Lucie County deputies make sure that all prisoners are handcuffed and have leg change on their legs so that it is harder to run. In the courtroom they have two deputies at all-time when a prisoner is in the room. They go through drills and have classes on that to do and what not to do. For years St. Lucie County has had safety first and training. A small person is never left with a larger person. (Photo: JUAN DALE BROWN, THE FORT PIERCE TRIBUNE)

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Shasta County's Most Wanted (Photo: File art)
Shasta's Most Wanted, featured in the Record Searchlight in cooperation with local law enforcement agencies, targets people who have failed to show up in court for sentencing after being convicted.
As of Friday, a total of 831 arrests have been made through the Most Wanted program since it began in September 2013. Authorities say they have seen an increase in criminals failing to appear in court since the onset of Assembly Bill 109. Also known as prison realignment, the state program shifted certain state prison inmates to county supervision.
Police have said court appearances have gone up since the rollout of the program.
Several new people are added each week. Those caught will be held until at least their next court appearances. Shasta County Secret Witness is no longer offering rewards for tips.
Anyone with information can call SHASCOM at 245-6540. The feature appears Sundays in the Record Searchlight's Northern California section and on Redding.com.
Nathan Albert Steele Date of Birth: Aug. 7, 1970 Vitals: 5 feet 9 inches, 175 pounds, brown hair, green eyes Charge: Violation of post-release community supervision probation (Photo: Redding Police Department)
Cody Ray Haller Date of Birth: July 14, 1992 Vitals: 6 feet 2 inches, 160 pounds, brown hair, green eyes Charge: Possession of stolen vehicle (Photo: Redding Police Department)
Read or Share this story: http://reddingne.ws/2wTpvrD


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Question: Chairman of China's HNA Group dies in accident in France

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BEIJING — The co-chairman of HNA Group, a conglomerate that operates China’s fourth-largest airline and finance, logistics and other businesses around the world, died in an accident while on a business trip in France, the company said Wednesday.
Wang Jian, a co-founder of the company, suffered “severe injuries” in a fall in Provence in southern France and died Tuesday at age 57, said an HNA Group statement. It gave no other details.
Regional French media outlet France Bleu said Wang fell a dozen or so meters (yards) while taking photos on a high wall in Bonnieux, a town in a region famed for its panoramic views.
Launched in 1993 on the southern island of Hainan, HNA expanded into finance, hotels, logistics and other businesses in a multibillion-dollar global acquisition spree.
More recently, HNA has been selling some assets as Chinese regulators tighten lending controls and press companies to rein in debt.
Wang graduated from the Civil Aviation University of China and received an MBA from the Maastricht School of Management in the Netherlands, according to his company.
HNA agreed last year to acquire a hedge fund operated by Anthony Scaramucci, an aide to U.S. President Donald Trump. That never received regulatory approval and the two sides called off the deal in April.

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The financial giant Anbang Insurance Group Co. announced Wednesday that its chairman, Wu Xiaohui, was stepping aside temporarily for “personal reasons” and that he had authorized “relevant senior executives to continue running the business.”
The announcement, which reportedly spurred a decline in stocks in which Anbang has significant investment, came just hours after the independent Chinese financial magazine Caijing reported that authorities had detained Wu.
The story was later deleted from the magazine’s website, but the BBC reported that police had taken Wu away from the Anbang offices in Beijing on Thursday.
Che Liang / Imaginechina Anbang Insurance Group Co. announced Wednesday that Chairman Wu Xiaohui was stepping aside because he was temporarily unable to fulfill his role due to “personal reasons.” Anbang Insurance Group Co. announced Wednesday that Chairman Wu Xiaohui was stepping aside because he was temporarily unable to fulfill his role due to “personal reasons.” (Che Liang / Imaginechina)
The global insurance company, which acquired the Waldorf Astoria New York hotel in 2014, is one of the largest insurance groups in China, according to its website. A short statement from the company did not address the magazine story or indicate how long Wu might be gone.
But his abrupt departure doesn’t come as a total surprise. In recent years, dozens of senior executives have mysteriously vanished, according to media reports. Most are believed to have been caught up in an aggressive anti-corruption campaign that has targeted financial industry executives, government officials and the heads of state-owned companies.
In many cases, the disappeared have returned. In others, they have turned up in custody or were found dead.
Here are some cases:
Xiao Jianhua
This April 2016 photo provided by the Chinese University of Hong Kong shows Chinese billionaire Xiao Jianhua, founder of Beijing-based Tomorrow Group. This April 2016 photo provided by the Chinese University of Hong Kong shows Chinese billionaire Xiao Jianhua, founder of Beijing-based Tomorrow Group.
A Chinese-born Canadian citizen, Xiao Jianhua vanished from his residence at the Four Seasons Hotel in Hong Kong in the early hours of Jan. 27. The Times reported that his disappearance fueled speculation that Chinese security agents illegally nabbed him from the former British colony and whisked him to the mainland, possibly as part of a crackdown on the financial industry and an investigation into whether he was involved in financial crimes. Xiao’s reported $6-billion fortune made him China’s 32nd richest person in 2016. His conglomerate, the Tomorrow Group, includes investments in real estate, insurance, banking, coal, cement and rare earth minerals.
Zhou Chengjian
dycj / Imaginechina Zhou Chengjian, chairman and president of Metersbonwe Group, speaks during a forum in Shanghai in December 2009. Zhou Chengjian, chairman and president of Metersbonwe Group, speaks during a forum in Shanghai in December 2009. (dycj / Imaginechina)
The billionaire chairman of Metersbonwe, one of China's leading clothing companies, Zhou Chengjian was reported missing on Jan. 7. According to CNBC, Zhou’s company issued a statement saying it was looking into reports that police had detained the business executive. The Financial Times reported that Zhou, whose fortune was estimated at $4 billion in 2015, returned to work a week later together with Tu Ke, the company's board secretary, who had also temporarily vanished.
Guo Guangchang
Associated Press This March 2004 photo shows Guo Guangchang, chairman of Fosun International Ltd. This March 2004 photo shows Guo Guangchang, chairman of Fosun International Ltd. (Associated Press)
Guo Guangchang, the chairman of the private-sector conglomerate Fosun, which owns the resort company Club Med and Cirque du Soleil, disappeared in December 2015. Company officials said in a statement that Guo had been "assisting in certain investigations carried out by judicial authorities," according to CNBC. The executive, who reportedly has a personal fortune of close to $10 billion, subsequently reappeared at a company meeting in Shanghai. No further explanation was given for his temporary absence.
Lei Jie
Liang Zi / Imaginechina Lei Jie, former chairman of Founder Securities Co., Ltd., during an interview in Beijing in December 2009. Lei Jie, former chairman of Founder Securities Co., Ltd., during an interview in Beijing in December 2009. (Liang Zi / Imaginechina)
Lei Jie, the former chairman of Founder Securities Company Ltd., a joint venture partner of Swiss bank Credit Suisse, went missing in 2015. The Wall Street Journal reported that company officials initially said Lei had requested a week’s leave through relatives on Jan. 12, 2015, but then fell out of contact a week later. On Jan. 22, the company announced that it had appointed an interim chairman, Reuters reported. Lei was released from police custody a few months later after assisting authorities with an inquiry, according to media reports.
Mao Xiaofeng
Song Zhaoqing / Imaginechina Mao Xiaofeng, then president of China Minsheng Banking Corp., gives a speech in Beijing on July 28, 2009. Mao Xiaofeng, then president of China Minsheng Banking Corp., gives a speech in Beijing on July 28, 2009. (Song Zhaoqing / Imaginechina)
Mao Xiaofeng, the president of China Minsheng Banking Corp. — who at 43 was reportedly the youngest president of a listed Chinese bank (one whose shares are traded on an official stock exchange) — also disappeared in January 2015. Quartz reported that Mao was taken away by the Communist Party’s anti-graft agency to help with an investigation into Ling Jihua, a onetime senior aide to former President Hu Jintao, and that officials at Minsheng, the world’s 49th largest bank, said Mao had resigned for “personal reasons.”
Mike Poon Ho Man
Gcmt / Imaginechina Mike Poon Ho Man, former chief executive of China Aircraft Leasing Group Holdings, at a news conference in December 2014. Mike Poon Ho Man, former chief executive of China Aircraft Leasing Group Holdings, at a news conference in December 2014. (Gcmt / Imaginechina)
Mike Poon Ho Man, the former chief executive of China Aircraft Leasing Group, mysteriously resurfaced in Hong Kong in November 2015, six months after he submitted a letter of resignation and his company said he could no longer be contacted. According to the South China Morning Post, Poon had been in detention as part of an inquiry into graft in China’s booming aviation sector.
Yang Zezhu
In January 2016, Yang Zezhu, a prominent banker and former chairman of the Chinese brokerage Changjiang Securities, fell to his death from the 12th floor of a building in China’s Wuhan city. According to Human Rights Watch, it is unclear whether Yang, who had been under investigation for corruption, was free at the time of his death, or had been detained by the authorities. Reuters reported that Yang had left a suicide note.
ann.simmons@latimes.com
Special correspondent Jessica Meyers in Beijing contributed to this report.


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Question: Help Wanted: Newsroom Intern in Rio de Janeiro

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- Advertisement -
We are looking for a Newsroom Intern to work ten hours/week (unpaid), but can lead to some news reporting writing as well – for which we pay a small freelance rate.
For the Newsroom Internship, we publish every morning, but need someone Monday – Friday, so you would need to be available mornings 9-11AM.
We all work remotely, and collaborate using Skype and other online tools, and the Newsroom Intern focuses on proofreading and copy-editing (formatting, etc), as well as tracking story submissions, fact checking and finding photos.
If you have already lived in Rio for six months, are interested in a three-month commitment, speak English as your native language – please email a CV/resume to jobs@riotimesonline.com.

6 of the Best Moments From the Weekend as Premier League Football Returns With a Bang


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Question: Indiana U to offer 6 weeks parental leave for certain staff

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RICHMOND, Ind. (AP) — Indiana University will offer six weeks of paid parental leave for certain employees, both male and female, beginning July 1.
The Herald-Times reports President Michael McRobbie announced the new benefit Friday during the IU Trustees meeting in Richmond.
Eligible will be all staff employees working at least 30 hours per week who have been continuously employed in a benefits-eligible position for at least one year prior to the birth or adoption of a child. If both parents are eligible IU staff members, both are still entitled to six weeks of paid leave.
Staff employees do not have to take all six weeks at once but must use it within six months of the birth or adoption. They can use the benefit twice during their IU tenures.
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Free housing for interns with healthcare coverage, up to six-month sabbatical programs and pet health insurance are a few of the 'unique' facilities given by some global companies to their employees. According to a survey by US-based career website Glassdoor , some of the other "unique" benefits offered by these firms include haircuts, spa treatments, fitness programmes and dental work. "Although, special benefits and perks are a great way to get employees in the door, but culture and values, career opportunities and senior leadership are the most important factors leading to employee satisfaction," the survey noted. According to Glassdoor Economic Research, culture and values, career opportunities and senior leadership are the most important factors leading to employee satisfaction.Glassdoor through a survey identified 20 companies offering benefits that "go beyond the basics and enter legendary status." The list, according to Glassdoor, was determined by identifying "some of the more unique benefits employees are enjoying at companies, based on the hundreds of thousands of benefits reviews shared by employees" on its website. Glassdoor said "benefits have also been verified by cross-referencing third party sources, such as an employer's official site." Each company's benefits rating is based on at least 20 benefits reviews shared on its website by employees as of January 27, 2017, the survey said.Here are the benefits or perks offered by 20 firms with their respective rating (on scale of 1 to 5), according to the Glassdoor Survey.
It offers up to 4-month of paid parental leave to both part-time/full-time employees with at least one year of experience at the company. (Overall Benefits Rating: 4.4)The company encourages employees to reach their personal fitness goals by providing an on-site gym with Crossfit classes. (Overall Benefits Rating: 4.1)This firm holds an annual two-day, global "Bain World Cup" soccer tournament open to all employees. (Overall Benefits Rating: 4.7)It offers coverage for gender reassignment surgery, a benefit the company has offered since 2008. (Overall Benefits Review: 4.1)The social-networking giant provides healthcare coverage and free housing for interns. Many of its interns reportedly earn more than $7,000 per month. (Overall Benefits Rating: 4.7)It offers pet health insurance for cats and dogs. (Overall Benefits Rating: 4.1)The company provides full tuition reimbursement for its employees, covering an online Bachelor's degree program through Arizona State University. (Overall Benefits Rating: 4.3)Amex's parental leave policy offers up to 5-month of fully-paid leave for both mothers and fathers. Birthing mothers generally receive an additional 6 to 8 weeks under salary continuation for medical leave. (Overall Benefits Rating: 4.0)The firm helps keep employees healthy by offering a monthly $60 wellness stipend. (Overall Benefits Rating: 4.6)It offers a 20% store discount to all employees, including full-time/part-time employees. (Overall Benefits Rating: 3.6)Its employees can treat themselves to a free Double-Double burger and fries during each shift. (Overall Benefits Rating: 4.3)It offers two sabbatical programs: an unpaid one-month sabbatical that can be taken for any reason, and a three- to six-month sabbatical that can be taken to pursue personal or professional growth opportunities with 40% pay. (Overall Benefits Rating: 4.1)The company, including all of its brands, provides free access to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art to corporate employees. (Overall Benefits Rating: 3.6)It offers an annual $800 "StayFit" reimbursement program to help cover the cost of gym memberships and fitness programs. (Overall Benefits Rating: 4.4)This Insurance company's "Own the Way You Work" program encourages employees to embrace flexibility with their schedules and work remotely. (Overall Benefits Rating: 4.3)It offers two programs for new parents: Leave Share, which allows employees to share paid leave with their partner if the partner's company does not offer paid leave, and Ramp Back, which gives new moms more control over easing back into work. (Overall Benefits Rating: 3.7)This firm offers a strong 401k program, which is a retirement savings plan sponsored by an employer, with an 8% matching policy. According to the Society For Human Resource Management (SHRM), the average company in the US matches 6%. (Overall Benefits Rating: 4.4)It offers all employees and their dependents access to Clear Skies, an employee assistance program that provides confidential counseling, work/life services, and legal consultations. (Overall Benefits Rating: 4.4)This company offers unique on-site amenities, including car washes, haircuts, childcare center, mobile spa and dentist. (Overall Benefits Rating: 4.3)Its employees can take up to 40 hours of paid time off per year to volunteer. (Overall Benefits Rating: 3.7)


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Question: Colorado Springs hosting 4 locations for DEA drug take back event

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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Colorado Springs Police Department and the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office will be hosting the bi-annual DEA drug take back event Saturday, April 29.
The nationwide program encourages the public to drop off excess, unused and expired controlled substances and other medications with the help of state and local law enforcement agencies.
DEA will help orchestrate the pick up of drugs obtained on the collection day and dispose of all drugs.
The drug take back event will be hosted at the following four locations:
Colorado Springs Police Department Police Operations Centers – 705 S. Nevada Avenue, Colorado Springs, CO 80903
UC Health Memorial Hospital North – 4050 Briargate Parkway, Colorado Springs, CO 80920
Security Fire Department, Station 1 – 400 Security Boulevard, Colorado Springs, CO 80911
El Paso County Household Hazardous Waste Facility – 3255 Akers Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80922

3:20 Coast Guard rescues five from sinking fishing vessel near Cape Alava Pause
0:48 Winter sun shines on Capitol sundial ceremony Tuesday
1:45 VFW Post 318 needs $250,000 to renovate building
1:45 VFW Post 318 plans a $250,000 fundraiser
4:20 State worker: 'I've been threatened, propositioned … it's really scary as a single parent'
4:34 The history of sexual harassment in America: 5 things to know
1:21 New mobile dental clinic goes miles for smiles
1:06 2018 March for Life draws over 5000 to the Capitol
1:18 ROOTS tourney makes young players the real winners


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Question: Four areas Raelene Castle must tackle as Rugby Australia boss

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To give you a sense - "['Represent this text to find a news title for it', 'Bull Mania wrote: yeah i remember that. Was ridiculous from him. I never remember Sam Burgess saying "I should be picked ahead of Morrison, Menzies" etc. I remember him always saying "It\'s great learning from these two legends" which is the attitude Naughton should have had.\nNot turned out great for Naughton though has it. He was 18 then i think and could have been anything he wanted. In 2014 he would have probably played every week, improving his game. As it is, he\'s had 4 years just floating really.\nLooks like he\'s off back to OZ as his mum and Girlfriend are over there. But with all that talent, you only get a short window to have a good career. I\'m sure he\'ll get to 40 and think "what if"\nUnfortunately Hull (the city not just the club) does seem to breed this mentality into a few of the younger kids. Its a goldfish bowl for RL and they get a 1st team spot and think they\'ve made it. Superstars in the local pubs and nightclubs rather than training hard and kicking on. Get smoke blown up their behinds and believe it.For a city with so much focus on RL and a thriving amateur scene so few actually seem to make it compared with a much smaller place like Wigan.']" should be close to "['represent the title to find an explanatory news article', 'The Worlds Most Popular Rugby League Website']"

SO, after “taking a breather” (because what’s another few weeks and she obviously needed a break after resigning from the Bulldogs in May), Raelene Castle has been tasked with reviving rugby in Australia.
Four months after Bill Pulver announced he would be stepping down, Rugby Australia unveiled the New Zealander as the organisation’s first ever female chief executive.
The Wagga Wagga-born Castle edged out former Wallabies captain Phil Kearns for the RA position.
Here are four areas that Castle must tackle if the sport is to thrive.
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An anti Bill Pulver banner on display at Manly Oval. Source: News Corp Australia
‘Piss it up against the wall’: Regaining the grassroots’ faith
Animosity towards Rugby Australia’s administration has arguably never been more fierce.
Ever since Pulver told Sydney’s clubs he had tightened the purse strings because they would “piss it up against the wall,” plus the predictable outcry, RA (formerly the Australian Rugby Union) faced an uphill battle overturning that image.
The messy circumstances surrounding the Force’s culling meant RA has lost its national footprint and credibility too.
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As RA repeatedly told us throughout 2017, the return to four Super Rugby franchises was inevitable.
But the lack of transparency and the time it took to come to a conclusion was unacceptablem and RA should have foreseen the legal challenges lying in wait.
Repairing those fractured relationships, both in Western Australia and in club land, is essential for Castle to succeed.
Just as important is a change in perception.
For too long the cliche, right or wrong, of Australian rugby being the exclusive domain of private schools, has existed.
RA has smashed the gender glass ceiling with Castle’s appointment and now they must continue to push into new frontiers by spreading rugby’s reach in public schools, non-traditional rugby areas and among women.
Castle ready for RA challenge 1:47
An olive branch to ‘Twiggy Forrest’
Part of RA’s rationale in returning to four Super Rugby franchises was because the coffers had run dry.
They were losing some $7 million dollars a year by keeping all five franchises afloat and poor results only exacerbated those financial woes.
Enter billionaire mining magnate Andrew Forrest, who in July promised to save the Force and said they had his financial backing.
But according to Pulver and RA chairman Cameron Clyne, it was too little too late.
The Force were toast and the Rebels were spared.
Since then Forrest has attempted to start the Indo Pacific Rugby Championship, with the Force at the epicentre.
But negotiations with RA, who must sign off on the competition, seem to have stalled.
Castle revealed in her first press conference that she would meet with Forrest.
“Certainly I will. I’m sure that’s something that Cameron and I will do once I start in January.”
Bravo.
Australian rugby simply can’t turn away from such riches.
Rugby Australia chairman Cameron Clyne listens as Bill Pulver speaks. Source: AFP
How much is too much? Super Rugby salary cap dramas
The culling of the Force meant an entire squad needed to be scattered throughout the remaining four Super Rugby sides.
The Rebels have gone on a signing bonanza with many of the former Force players following their coach Dave Wessels to Melbourne.
Others, like back-rower Isi Naisarani, have joined the Brumbies, while the Reds and Waratahs were too advanced in their plans for 2018 to capitalise on the talent available.
Last month RA announced they were waiving the salary cap for 2018 to deal with the overflow of players.
Ironically, some of the money RA had hoped to save from discontinuing the Force will now be sucked up in the short-term by the elevated salary cap.
But major issues will arise in 2019 when the regular $5 million Super Rugby cap — minus Wallabies top-up payments — returns.
Jobs will undoubtedly be lost, which makes negotiations with Forrest all the more important to keep the best rugby talent in Australia.
Raelene Castle named RA CEO 5:20
Immediate success is the key to long-term sustainability
Undoubtedly, Australian rugby needs instant success on the field.
Australia’s Super Rugby sides were pathetic in 2017, losing all 26 games against New Zealand opposition.
It wasn’t that long ago though that the Reds (2011) and Waratahs (2014) won the damn thing.
Consistency is the key though, with both championship-winning sides nose diving soon after.
At this stage New Zealand rugby holds all the power.
Their Super Rugby sides have won the past three competitions, 15 consecutive Bledisloe Cups and are the back-to-back world champions.
And in 2020, SANZAAR’s current broadcast rights deal will end.
At this stage, South Africa are considering packing their bags and leaving Super Rugby for the European competitions which sit in the same time zone.
That would leave Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Argentina to work out the new broadcast rights deal.
If Australia don’t start winning, then it will be a hard sell in negotiations to walk away from the table with a significant slice of the financial pie.
New Zealand Rugby chief executive Steve Tew — who knows Castle well from her previous role as Kiwi netball supremo — has poured cold water on the idea of a trans-Tasman club competition because he thinks it will hurt the All Blacks.
It’s up to Castle to help change that line of thinking.

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PREMIERSHIP-WINNING former Rabbitohs coach Michael Maguire is set to be appointed as NRL referees’ coach, with polarising boss Tony Archer to be given a new role.
And the deck chair shuffling has prompted a stunning swipe from former whistleblower Luke Phillips, who took to Twitter to urge Maguire to stand up to the establishment.
“Hopefully he has the balls to stand up to Archer, (Bernard) Sutton and (Russell) Smith or nothing will change,” Phillips tweeted.
Phillips also criticised Archer for creating “a new role for himself which he always wanted to do”.
Archer is expected to be appointed as National Manager of Referees.
The NRL was contacted by foxsports.com.au but is yet to confirm the new positions in the referee hierarchy.
More to follow...


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Question: Directed Energy Weapon Market Global Industry Review 2018 To 2023

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Global Directed Energy Weapon Market Research Report Information by Platform (Airborne, Ground-based, and Naval), by Type (Lethal Weapons, and Non-Lethal Weapons), Applications (Military and Homeland Security), and by Region – Global Forecast Till 2023.
Market Scenario
Directed energy weapon emits highly focused energy, and consists of laser, microwave, and particle beams to destroy the target. These weapons have widespread applications such as anti-personnel weapon systems and missile defense systems. Directed energy weapons are utilized to defend against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear emergencies so that national security can be preserved. The rise in popularity of high quality, integrated, precise, and cost-effective energy weapons by the defense forces is expected to drive the market during the forecast period. However, there are some shortcomings in operating performance of the directed energy weapon market, such as high development cost of the weapons and susceptibility to degradation by external environment.
Directed energy weapons offer a variety of advantages, such as precision, low cost per shot, and scalable effects that will be helpful across the entire spectrum of combat operations over conventional kinetic weapons. The factors responsible for the growth of directed energy weapon market are the high demand for lethal weapons, increased investment in defense, and increasing demand for laser weapons across the world. The high growth of directed energy weapon in defense application will ensures the disruptive change of warfare tactics in military. This has consequently resulted in increased R&D expenditure for the development of directed energy weapons.
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Global Directed Energy Weapon Market, By Segmentation
The directed energy weapon market is segmented based on platform, type, application, and region. On the basis of platform, airborne is widely used and comprises the largest market share due to changing geo-political dynamics. On the basis of type, lethal weapons are expected to witness a highest CAGR during the forecast period. On the basis of application, military applications are expected to witness a highest CAGR during the forecast period. The high research and development investment, particularly in lethal weapons, is one of the key factors expected to propel the growth of the directed energy weapons market. For instance, Lockheed Martin had developed high power laser weapon systems for the U.S. navy for intelligence, surveillance, & reconnaissance and counter-unmanned aerial system capabilities. Similarly, Northrop Grumman Corporation and Rheinmetall developed directed energy systems for the U.S. Air Force and Bundeswehr, respectively.
The market is segmented based on region into North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East & Africa, and South America. The North American region is expected to dominate the market in future due to technology advancements in warfare platforms and increasing defense budgets. A majority of the companies operating in the directed energy weapons market are based in the U.S. Europe is second to the North America directed energy weapon market due to rise in the military spending in countries, such as Ukraine. Asia Pacific region is the fastest growing region in directed energy weapon market due to increasing terrorism incidences and border threats. Thus, the global directed energy weapon market is estimated to witness an approximately 26% CAGR from 2017 to 2023.
Key Players
The key players in the global directed energy weapon market are Lockheed Martin Corporation (U.S), Raytheon Company (U.S), Northrop Grumman Corporation (U.S), Boeing Company (U.S), BAE Systems PLC (U.K), Textron Inc. (U.S.), Rheinmetall AG (Germany), L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc. (U.S.), Moog Inc. (U.S.), and Quinetiq Group PLC. (U.S.).
Browse Complete Report@ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/directed-energy-weapon-market-3203

Dental Radiography Flat Panel Detectors Market provides the industry overview with growth analysis and historical & futuristic cost, revenue, demand and supply data. Global Dental Radiography Flat Panel Detectors market is valued at USD XX million in 2016 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2022, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2016 and 2022.Next part of Global Dental Radiography Flat Panel Detectors Market analysis report speaks about the manufacturing process. The report sheds light on the production, production plants, their capacities, Global production and revenue are studied.
Browse Detailed TOC, Tables, Figures, Charts and Companies Mentioned in Global Dental Radiography Flat Panel Detectors Market @ http://www.360marketupdates.com/10460040
Further in the report, Global Dental Radiography Flat Panel Detectors Market is examined for price, cost and gross revenue. These three points are analysed for types, companies and regions. The Dental Radiography Flat Panel Detectors Market Industry consumption for major regions is given.Dental Radiography Flat Panel Detectors Market by Product Type: Type I,Type II Dental Radiography Flat Panel Detectors Market by Application: Application 1,Application 2 The research analysts provide an elaborate description of the value chain and its distributor analysis. This Dental Radiography Flat Panel Detectors Market industry report study provides analysis based on Geographical Regions, Manufacturers, Applications, Types, Drivers, Opportunities, and Challenges which enhances the understanding, scope and application of this report.The Dental Radiography Flat Panel Detectors Market analysis is provided for the international market including development history, competitive landscape analysis, and major regions development status. Top key players of Dental Radiography Flat Panel Detectors Market: FIMET,Carestream Dental,Varian Medical Systems,Progeny
To provide information on competitive landscape, this report includes detailed profiles of Dental Radiography Flat Panel Detectors Market key players. For each player, product details, capacity, price, cost, gross and revenue numbers are given.
For Any Query on Dental Radiography Flat Panel Detectors Market report, Speak to Expert@ http://www.360marketupdates.com/enquiry/pre-order-enquiry/10460040
Dental Radiography Flat Panel Detectors Market by Region: North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, India
Dental Radiography Flat Panel Detectors Market Effect Factors Analysis: Technology Progress/Risk, Substitutes Threat, Technology Progress in Related Industry, Consumer Needs/Customer Preference Change, Global Dental Radiography Flat Panel Detectors Market Forecast 2017-2021, Global Dental Radiography Flat Panel Detectors Market Capacity, Production, Revenue Forecast 2017-2021, Global Dental Radiography Flat Panel Detectors Market Production, Consumption Forecast by Regions 2017-2021, Global Dental Radiography Flat Panel Detectors Market Production Forecast by Type 2017-2021, Global Dental Radiography Flat Panel Detectors Market Consumption Forecast by Application 2017-2021, Dental Radiography Flat Panel Detectors Market Price Forecast 2017-2021. Major Topics Covered in Global Dental Radiography Flat Panel Detectors Market Research Report Are as Follows: Marketing Channel, Direct Marketing, Indirect Marketing, Market Positioning, Pricing Strategy, Brand Strategy, Target Client, Distributors/Traders List


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Question: Callahan, Mauer lead referee selections for NBA Finals

OAKLAND, Calif. — Veterans Mike Callahan and Ken Mauer, along with first-timer David Guthrie, are among the 12 referees who have been selected to work the NBA Finals.
The league announced the group Wednesday.
Callahan has worked 19 games in the Finals and Mauer has worked 18. This will be the 15th Finals appearance for Callahan and the 13th for Mauer.
Other referees who will be on the floor during the Golden State-Cleveland series that starts Thursday are Tony Brothers, James Capers, Marc Davis, Scott Foster, John Goble, Ed Malloy, Jason Phillips, Derrick Stafford and Zach Zarba.

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1:20 Blues forward David Perron talks about the NHL Winter Classic Pause
1:13 It's a girl! First local baby of the new year born at St. Elizabeth's
2:41 Kristen Poshard talks about personal tragedy and her new position with Madison County
1:46 Hall of Famer Chris Pronger returns to the ice for Winter Classic Alumni Game
2:00 Estes, Thomas connect to give East St. Louis playoff win
1:07 Edwardsville football coach talks playoff loss to Glenbard West
1:40 State champion high school football team comes home as heroes
0:30 Edwardsville basketball stars honored after tourney title
0:50 Built by Battle designed to motivate you


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Question: Why The Government Can't Bring Terrorism Charges In Charlottesville

When Attorney General Jeff Sessions was asked how he viewed the car attack in Charlottesville, Va., here's how he responded:
"It does meet the definition of domestic terrorism in our statute," he told ABC's Good Morning America.
That certainly seems to suggest the government is looking into a possible terrorism charge against the suspect, 20-year-old James Alex Fields Jr. At Saturday's rally organized by white supremacists, a car slammed into counterprotesters, killing one and injuring 19.
But according to the Justice Department and legal analysts, it's simply not possible for the government to file charges of domestic terrorism, because no such criminal law exists.
The Patriot Act does define domestic terrorism, and under this designation, the Justice Department has broad powers to investigate, said Neal Katyal, a Georgetown University law professor who served as former President Barack Obama's acting solicitor general and as the national security adviser to the Justice Department.
He said the government has three basic ways to approach the Charlottesville case.
"No. 1, this is a hate crime, under the hate crime statutes," he said. "The second is that this is a conspiracy to deprive individuals of civil rights."
"And the third is, this is an act of domestic terror, which isn't itself a crime," he noted. In short, the government can't file a criminal charge of domestic terrorism, but so defining the incident does allow it to investigate not only an individual suspect, but also any group the suspect may be affiliated with.
In an email to NPR, the Justice Department made the same point.
The commonwealth of Virginia, meanwhile, has charged Fields with second-degree murder and other crimes.
The Charlottesville case has again spurred a discussion about describing far-right violence as terrorism. After the al-Qaida attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, terrorism was associated primarily with radical Islamist groups based abroad.
The State Department has a list of nearly 60 groups, all foreign, that are identified as terrorist organizations. The vast majority are radical Islamists. And the government can charge a person — American or foreign — with terrorism on behalf of these international groups.
Consider this hypothetical: If the Charlottesville attacker emerged from the car and said he was acting on behalf of the Islamic State, he could be charged with international terrorism, according to Katyal.
Inside the U.S., the political debate appears to be shifting, with growing numbers calling for far-right extremism to be identified as terrorism. But that's almost entirely a political discussion, not a legal one.
On the legal front, there's still a good deal of resistance to creating a criminal charge of domestic terrorism.
"It's an incredibly broad label," said Hina Shamsi, director of the national security project at the American Civil Liberties Union. "There's a real danger of the government criminalizing ideology, theology and beliefs rather than focusing on specific criminal acts."
She said creating a domestic terrorism charge could quickly raise all sorts of political questions about free speech and religion. The ACLU opposes any such law, believing it could be politicized and used, for example, against anti-war groups or environmental activists.
Back in 1995, when Timothy McVeigh killed 168 people with a truck bomb at a federal building in Oklahoma City, it was widely described as the worst act of domestic terrorism to that point.
Yet he was charged with, convicted of and executed for killing federal agents and other crimes — but not terrorism.
The government has historically used the term "terrorism" as a general description for a range of violent acts, including those by right-wing extremists, as well as environmental, anti-abortion and far-left groups. But the specific criminal charge is never domestic terrorism.
Another case came to light Monday, when the Justice Department announced it had arrested a man for allegedly attempting to set off a truck bomb in front of a bank in Oklahoma City on Saturday.
The bomb didn't detonate, the department said. But its description of the case is similar to McVeigh's attack, claiming the suspect, Jerry Varnell, 23, was angry with the government.
The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force is leading what's being described as a "domestic terrorism investigation." Yet the formal charge against Varnell is "attempting to use explosives to destroy a building in interstate commerce."
Not terrorism.

Good morning, here are our early stories:
-- Iran's Foreign Minister: Renegotiating Nuclear Deal Would Damage U.S. Credibility.
-- Border Patrol Agent Acquitted In 2012 Fatal Shooting Of Mexican Teen.
-- Prince's Family Files Wrongful Death Suit Against Hospital, Pharmacy Chain.
-- Facebook Updates Community Standards, Expands Appeals Process.
And here are more early headlines:
Report: Confirmation Hearing To Be Delayed For V.A. Nominee. (Washington Post)
Suit Filed Against New Indiana Abortion Law. (Indianapolis Business Journal)
Government Seeks E-Coli Source In Contaminated Lettuce. (Washington Post)
Despite Government Action, Nicaragua Protests Continue. (Los Angeles Times)
New Afghanistan Attacks Leave 9 Dead. (RFE/RL)
Ukrainian Agency Hit By Ransomware. (Reuters)


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Question: Families sue Chiquita over deaths of Americans in Colombia - WAFB 9 News Baton Rouge, Louisiana News, Weather, Sports

(Leslie Cork via AP). This undated photo provided by Leslie Cork shows Tania Julin in Winter Springs, Fla. Julin's husband was kidnapped on Jan. 31, 1993 in the village of Pucuro, Panama, about 15 miles from the Colombian border. The families of six A...
By CURT ANDERSON
AP Legal Affairs Writer
MIAMI (AP) - The families of six Americans kidnapped and killed in Colombia during the 1990s by the terrorist organization known as FARC are seeking potentially tens of millions of dollars in damages from banana giant Chiquita Brands International because of payments the company made to the group.
Trial is scheduled to begin with jury selection Monday in West Palm Beach federal court in lawsuits that accuse Chiquita of violating the Anti-Terrorism Act. Chiquita has admitted paying FARC - a Spanish acronym for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia - about $220,000 but insists it did so only to protect its employees and interests from violence.
One $10,000 payment to the guerrillas was hidden in a spare tire on the back of a Jeep, according to court documents.
The families claim Chiquita's financial support of FARC, as a known terrorist group, means it should be held responsible for the Americans' deaths and pay damages. The families must prove that Chiquita executives knew FARC was engaged in violent terror acts that could affect Americans and that the deaths of their loved ones were foreseeable when the payments were made, said plaintiffs' attorney Gary Osen.
"These are folks who have been through an enormous amount in their lives. They've waited 10 years for their day in court," Osen said.
In a statement issued in January, Switzerland-based Chiquita said its only motivation in paying FARC was protecting its own employees from violence.
"We have been clear that, at all times, the company prioritized the safety of its employees and their families, and acted accordingly," the statement said.
FARC and other paramilitary groups were engaged in a decades-long civil war in Colombia that took thousands of lives. The bloodshed finally ended in 2016 when a peace accord was signed. Chiquita also admitted paying $1.7 million to a right-wing group opposed to FARC, eventually pleading guilty in 2007 to a U.S. crime and paying a $25 million fine.
It was only after that case became public that family members of the six Americans slain by FARC learned that Chiquita had also paid FARC, leading to the lawsuits.
Five of the Americans killed by FARC were members of a missionary group based in Sanford, Florida, called New Tribes Mission: David Mankins, Rich Tenenoff, Mark Rich, Stephen Welsh and Timothy Van Dyke. The sixth, Frank Pescatore Jr., was a geologist for an Alabama company working on a project in Colombia who was shot trying to escape his kidnappers, according to court documents.
Tania Julin of Winter Springs, Florida, was married to Rich the night he was kidnapped on Jan. 31, 1993 in the village of Pucuro, Panama, about 15 miles from the Colombian border. She said armed men burst into their home - where their two young daughters were sleeping - tied Rich up and ordered he, Mankins and Tenenoff to march into the jungle.
She never saw her husband again.
"It was so terrifying. I just never imagined. It was so out of the blue and unexpected. I was only 23 years old, with two little kids," said Julin, who now teaches kindergarten. "I was just terrified of what might happen and so confused about why anyone would do this to us. We were only there to help people."
"I have never been so afraid in all of my life."
Later, FARC demanded a $5 million ransom for the three, but it soon became apparent the men had likely been killed, Julin said. It took years for the families to find out for sure, and they never received any remains.
"The years of not knowing were so difficult. Christmases would go by and the one thing the girls wanted for Christmas was for their dad to come home. It was lots of years of disappointing heartaches and hard to watch to girls grow up without their dad," she said.
Well before their deaths in the 1990s, Chiquita had established about 35 banana farms in the Uraba region of Colombia that employed about 3,000 people. It was well known that FARC was active in the area and routinely used extortion and threats to obtain payments from people and businesses - a practice called "vacuna," which is Spanish for "vaccine."
FARC's initial payment demand from Chiquita came in 1989, when the group sought $10,000. Court papers show Chiquita executives decided to make the payment, the first of 57 it would give to FARC over the next decade.
A consulting company called Control Risks that worked with Chiquita outlined the dire nature of the issue in a memo at the time, court documents show:
"You have to pay. These people are serious. The military is not able to control them," the memo said. "You can't just turn them in, give their names to someone. Because they will take retribution for that, and you can expect violence."
Ultimately, a Chiquita executive traveled to Colombia with $10,000 in cash, exchanged it for Colombian pesos and arranged to deliver the money hidden in the Jeep spare tire to a FARC guerrilla, court documents show.
Despite their insistence the money was paid to protect employees, Chiquita executives at the time discussed it in terms of a cost of doing business - and the company had no intention then of ending its banana operations in Colombia, the documents show.
"We're not going to stop doing business in Colombia because, you know, we're going to have to spend an extra $25,000. That's not realistic. Right?" one executive was quoted as saying.
U.S. District Judge Kenneth Marra, who will preside over the estimated four-week trial, ruled in January that Chiquita cannot use a defense that the payments were made solely under duress.
"There is no evidence of a specific ultimatum or threat from a FARC commander at any time during the nine-year continuum in which it paid money to the FARC," Marra wrote. "Chiquita had reasonable, legal alternatives to maintaining and expanding its fruit operations in Colombia. It could have withdrawn and could have sought government intervention in Colombia or the United States."
Although the lawsuit asks for no specific damages, plaintiffs' attorney Osen says other similar cases have resulted in verdicts in the tens of millions of dollars - in part because any damages awarded are automatically tripled.
"Family members of terror victims suffer uniquely because of the shocking and unexpected nature and the malice and cruelty involved," Osen said.
Julin said after all this time she is anxious but also optimistic now that the case is heading for trial.
"I finally am going to get my day in court," she said. "There's a sense of a little bit of nerves but a sense of some wrongs being made amends for."
_____
Follow Curt Anderson on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Miamicurt
Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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The incident happened around 9:30 p.m. at an apartment complex located at 317 Guilbeau Road, said Cpl. Karl Ratcliff, Lafayette police spokesperson.
Start the conversation, or Read more at KPLC-TV Lake Charles.


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Question: One Person's Junk Is This Home Improvement Show's Treasure

“You Can’t Turn That Into A House” on FYI takes home improvement to a new level: transforming old grain silos, chicken coops, a dumpster and more into tiny houses.
Here & Now‘s Robin Young learns more about the show from hosts Taimoor Nana (@taimoor_nana), Rehan Nana and Kyle Davis.
Interview Highlights
On the concept behind the show
Taimoor Nana: “This story started off about 10 years ago, and the three of us were sitting around and we had an old grain bin, and a 100-year-old wooden barn that had been partially collapsed due to a tornado — we live here in the Midwest. And we wanted to really take the two and combine them together, and we came up with the design of taking a grain bin and making it into a luxury, two-story cabin that we felt people from the city could come out and enjoy the wilderness, where we really wanted to basically connect people to nature, and the process of building cabins out in the wilderness.”
On the theme of sustainability in the show and the houses they create
Rehan Nana: “There’s definitely that aspect. We’ve all had long discussions about this, and one of the things that we really enjoy is being able to reuse things that would’ve otherwise been left fallow. If you look across the Midwest, there’s literally thousands of old grain silos that, just by the progress of agriculture, they get bigger. And so all these old ones are just left there. And so we looked at them and said, ‘Hey, I think we can turn that into a house,’ and we actually did end up doing it. And what’s really nice is, a lot of these are out in the country, and so you really get to see a great glimpse of rural America.”
On whether it can be a dangerous job
Kyle Davis: “I mean it is, it is for sure. But you know, it’s really a different scenario every single time. I really, I guess just don’t like following rules and doing it how everyone else does with a full crew taking months and months on end and hundreds of thousands of dollars. I’d rather do it with two brothers out in the country, maybe a couple farmers, and get it done in a week.”
On seeing a potential home when others might see junk
RN: “We all kind of look at things differently I think, in all of these different structures. And you get to really see when we sit down collaboratively, and start spitballing the potential that an object does have, and I think it’s something that I always enjoy because it’s breaking something back down. It’s almost like being a kid again. Like, you know, getting to play with Legos and imagining what something could be. And I think that when you’re looking at a structure to try to turn it into a house, that’s one of the critical things that you have to do is not imagine what it is now, but imagine what it could be.”
On building a house out of a dumpster
KD: “We cleared out the trash, and then Rehan got in there with a gigantic, heavy duty power washer that was the full size of a pickup truck, and just power-washed the thing as good as we possibly could, and it really cleaned up pretty nice in the end. It wasn’t a dumpster, it was just a nice metal box to get started building the house.”
On the idea of putting their homebuilding skills to use after hurricanes like Harvey and Maria
KD: “We had some people writing to us saying, ‘Hey, what can we … let’s work on something,’ and we’ve kicked around the idea of maybe we do make some portable, prefab housing that could be shipped to disaster areas. I think that would be a really interesting project and challenge to work on.”

This is fantastic !!! Everyone wanted to be a Toys R’ Us kid right?
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Wednesday Edition of Things that make you go hmmmmmm


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Question: Usher denies accuser's claims that they had sex in a Days Inn hotel: Report

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Usher has told friends he was never with Quantasia Sharpton, who is suing the singer for putting her at risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease.
The Yeah! star, who is facing a lawsuit from the 21-year-old woman, has denied claims he had sex with her at a Days Inn hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Sharpton claimed one of Usher’s aides took her phone number after he spotted her in the crowd at a concert, and they later arranged to meet at her hotel. But she alleges Usher never mentioned he had herpes, which she contracted.
According to editors at TMZ a source close to Usher has claimed that he was too busy falling in love with Grace Miguel, his manager and now wife, at the time of the incident.
The source claimed Usher was never at the hotel with Sharpton, and the singer told friends that at the time of the alleged encounter he was spending all of his free time with Grace and had no time for other women.
The insider adds that on the night of the Atlantic City show, the set ran late and the singer had to push back his meet-and-greets until after midnight, which prove he could not have been with Sharpton, who claimed that they were at the hotel around 12 a.m.
Earlier this month, Sharpton held a press conference with her lawyer Lisa Bloom and confirmed she had filed a lawsuit against Usher.
Bloom is also representing another woman and a man, who claim to have had sexual contact with the singer.
Usher, 38, who has been married to his manager Grace Miguel since 2015, has yet to publicly address the allegations.

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She raises daughter Angel, ten, with her ex Eddie Murphy, with whom she is now on good terms after he initially denied he was the father of her child.
And Mel B seemingly has a type since it has been claimed by TMZ that she is dating a real life Beverly Hills cop - much like the character the comedian famously played in the film franchise.
The former Spice Girl, 40, has reportedly been secretly dating a policeman for the last few months, following her bitter separation from husband Stephen Belafonte.
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New man? Mel B seemingly has a type since it has been claimed by TMZ that she is dating a real life Beverly Hills cop - much like the character her ex Eddie Murphy famously played on screen
Mel allegedly met the cop through mutual friends and their romance blossomed quickly, with the site claiming she is 'nuts' about her new partner.
While they are keeping their relationship 'low-key', Mel B's mystery man is said to have accompanied her to several America's Got Talent screenings and nights out.
TMZ claims one of the reasons Mel likes the cop so much is because he carries a gun and she's 'scared' of her estranged husband Stephen.
It has previously been reported that Mel has obtained a restraining order against her ex amid allegations he carries a gun.
Life imitates art: Eddie played street-smart Detroit cop Axel Foley in the 1980/90s action comedy film franchise Beverly Hills Cop, which propelled him to international stardom
MailOnline has contacted Mel's representatives for comment.
Mel and Eddie, who welcomed daughter Angel in April 2007, had a famously fraught relationship.
Father-of-six Murphy publicly dumped Mel on Dutch TV show RTL Boulevard in December 2006 when he announced: 'I don't know whose child that is, until it comes out and has a blood test.'
Weeks after splitting from Mel, who was five months pregnant at the time, Murphy went public with new girlfriend Tracey Edmonds, who claimed they had been dating since October.
Eddie has since forged a strong bond with his daughter and Mel insists the pair have made amends.
Mel and Eddie, who welcomed daughter Angel in April 2007, had a famously fraught relationship.
'We go over there as a family, we have dinners together, everything is fine … now. He’s a great guy,' Mel B said of her ex in a past interview with The Guardian Weekend.
Eddie played street-smart Detroit cop Axel Foley in the 1980/90s action comedy film franchise, which propelled him to international stardom.
The romance rumours come amid explosive claims about Mel's ongoing divorce battle.
Her ex-nanny Lorraine Gilles has claimed the former Spice Girl acted as 'cameraman' to film their alleged threesomes with her estranged husband Stephen Belafonte.
Lorraine, 26, alleged that she had sex 'multiple times a week' with the 42-year-old singer and felt 'very uncomfortable' about being filmed romping with the couple.
The married German babysitter made the explosive claims in a 128-page libel lawsuit that hit back at Mel's allegations that Lorraine had an affair with Stephen behind her back and aborted his baby.
Explosive claims: Mel B's ex-nanny has claimed the former Spice Girl acted as 'cameraman' to film their alleged threesomes with her estranged husband Stephen Belafonte
Lorraine claimed that the couple have footage of their threesomes on their mobiles and that she is petrified they will be leaked online.
'These recordings would be extremely embarrassing to me and my family… I do not want any of them to become public,' she wrote in the lawsuit.
In the dossier filed by her legal team with California's Superior Court on Friday, Gilles hit back after Mel portrayed her as a 'homewrecker'.
Mel, who filed for divorce from Stephen after 10 years of marriage in March, has alleged that Lorraine fell pregnant by her husband and then had an abortion - but Lorraine denies that the baby was his.
The America's Got Talent judge also accused music producer Belafonte, 42, and Lorraine of taking money from her.
Revealed: Lorraine Gilles, 26, alleged that she had sex 'multiple times a week' with the 42-year-old singer and felt 'very uncomfortable' about being filmed romping with the couple. Pictured together in 2015
Allegations: The married German babysitter made the explosive claims in a 128-page dossier (pictured) that hit back at Mel's allegations that Lorraine had an affair with Stephen behind her back and aborted his baby
Head to head: Mel, who filed for divorce from Stephen after 10 years of marriage in March, has alleged that Lorraine (pictured above in Ibiza last year) fell pregnant by her husband and then had an abortion - but Lorraine denies that the baby was his
Hitting back, Lorraine said in the papers: 'My sexual and employment relationship with Melanie continued for approximately seven years until September 2016.
'During my time with Melanie, she and I had sex sporadically, sometimes having sex multiple times in a week.
'On the other hand I never had any sexual relations with Stephen without Melanie's instruction and without Melanie's actual or apparent consent. At no point did I represent to Melanie that I was pregnant with Stephen's child.
'The only times Stephen and I had sex was when Melanie instructed Stephen and I to do so. Or when Melanie herself invited her husband to join us in the bedroom, at which point Melanie would often serve as the 'camera man' and record the sexual encounter or take part in the menage a trois herself.'
Gilles admitted she told Mel B she was excited to share a sex act with the singer at the weekend, adding in the explicit email: 'It has been too long!'
Former friends: In the dossier filed by her legal team with California's Superior Court on Friday, Gilles hit back after Mel portrayed her as a 'homewrecker'
Lorraine, who arrived in California from her native Germany in 2009 when she was 18, met Mel B and Stephen at a West Hollywood restaurant when she spoke little English.
She claims Mel B invited her back to their home within days of meeting, where they had booze-filled 'consensual group sex together'.
She alleged that after she returned to Germany six months later, Mel offered her a $6,666-a-month job as a nanny for her three daughters Madison, Angel and Phoenix.
Lorraine claimed Mel B told authorities that she was 'a full-time caregiver for her children' and helped her get a US visa.
She was fired in September 2016 after getting 'caught in the middle of intensifying marital arguments between the couple,' and handed a $300,000 severance package, the documents alleged.
Avoided: The singer's former nanny Lorraine Gilles (right) ducked out of a tell-all deposition in her ex-boss's divorce case claiming she had 'food poisoning'
Lorraine also slammed Mel B's claims that she aborted Stephen's baby - which she says came from a one-night stand with a stranger. Gilles even claimed Mel B paid for the termination.
'Stephen and I never told Melanie I was pregnant with Stephen's child in 2014, as is stated in Melanie's declaration,' she said in the papers.
'Rather, I discovered I was pregnant several weeks after I went out for drinks with a friend at The Den in West Hollywood and had a one-night stand with a man I met at the bar. I immediately sought guidance from Melanie and spoke to her privately about the pregnancy. I felt comfortable approaching her because of our close relationship.
'At no point did I suggest or imply that I believed Stephen to be the potential father of the child. In fact, I had not had group sex with Stephen for several months prior to my unexpected pregnancy. Instead, Melanie herself assisted me with arranging a medical appointment, advanced the cash for the procedure, and booked a hotel for me to stay in to recover.
Shocking: Gilles has been at the center of Mel and Stephen Belafonte's divorce after it was alleged the three had engaged in a threesome, but the nanny allegedly continued the affair with the singer's husband
'On several occasions, Melanie actually visited me in the hotel and brought her children to make my recovery more pleasant.'
As part of the original court order against Gilles - in what's now become a bitter legal tussle - Mel was granted access to a storage locker rented in Gilles' name.
She claimed the locker contains alleged sex tapes and private photos Gilles and Belafonte could make public, as well as Spice Girls memorabilia and photos of her late father, who died in March.
But Lorraine, who is now working as a waitress, denied the claims that she is holding tapes and photos in storage - adding that the locker is in fact in Mel B's name.
Gilles, who has been at the centre of the explosive divorce case for months, also claimed she was sent death threats by online trolls.
'I have been actively trying to move past my time and relationship with Melanie. I simply wish that she shows me the same respect I've shown her over the past seven years,' she wrote in the documents.
He said, she said: As part of the original court order against Gilles - in what's now become a bitter legal tussle - Mel was granted access to a storage locker rented in Gilles' name. She claimed the locker contains alleged sex tapes and private photos Gilles and Belafonte could make public
Bitter battle: Lorraine slammed Mel B's claims that she aborted Stephen's baby - which she says came from a one-night stand with a stranger. Gilles even claimed Mel B paid for the termination
'However this lawsuit became necessary after she refused to leave me alone and spread a number of lies about me and my relationship to her family on an international scale, all to benefit herself in her divorce proceedings.'
Talking about vile trolls, she said in the dossier: 'I have received countless messages, threats and insults from random persons all over the world, shaming and degrading me based on the false image of me created by Melanie.'
Lorraine claims she was portrayed as a 'conniving and backstabbing homewrecker who has extorted mass sums of money from Melanie' in the divorce case.
She said people were now 'viewing me as an 'evil woman' based on the statements made by Melanie', in the papers.
Tense: Lorraine claims she was portrayed as a 'conniving and backstabbing homewrecker who has extorted mass sums of money from Melanie' in the divorce case
Elsewhere in the shocking dossier, Lorraine claimed Belafonte paid $60,000 to her husband Michael Bleau to help his start-up business a nd not as a pay-off.
She also alleged that in late 2014, Mel B took 'an entire bottle of aspirin' and was hospitalised while filming the last stages of The X Factor in the UK.
Mel B previously said their relationship ended on bad terms - but Gilles refuted this and said she was invited to Mel's daughter's pre-school event after being sacked.
Lorraine detailed how Mel B apologised in a note to her. She said one of the singer's daughter gave her a handwritten message that read: 'I write this to say not only thank you for everything you have done for my kids, but also sorry.'
Her claims come after she ducked out of a seven hour 'tell-all' deposition with the former Spice Girl's lawyers, claiming she was unwell, DailyMail.com can reveal.
Lorraine was due to sit down with Mel's attorneys last week in her divorce case but cited illness for her no show.
In April, Mel was granted a restraining order against Gilles who was ordered by a judge not to harass the singer and to stay 100 yards away from her.
Claims: Lorraine alleges that Mel B invited her back to their home within days of meeting, where they had booze-filled 'consensual group sex together'
The same month, Gilles sued Mel for portraying her as a 'home-wrecker' and 'prostitute' in a declaration in support of a request for a Domestic Violence Restraining Order against estranged husband Stephen Belafonte.
The singer had alleged that Gilles carried on an affair with Belafonte, whom she also accused of physical and emotional abuse for much of their 10 year marriage, and claims the nanny became pregnant with his child and Belafonte convinced her to get an abortion.
But Gilles said the entire story was a lie and sued Mel - also known as Melanie Brown - for defamation, invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress, asking for unspecified damages.
Gilles, 25, claimed that Mel, 42, and Belafonte, 42, targeted her when she first arrived in America from Germany aged 18, got her drunk and they had a threesome.
She claims she never slept with Belafonte without Mel knowing or participating and maintains she has 'nothing to do' with the couple's divorce.
But in court papers filed last month, America's Got Talent judge Mel slammed Gilles's 'improper and unsupported damages' claim saying her declaration was 'absolutely privileged' and the complaint should be dismissed under anti-SLAPP rules.
Denial: Gilles has slammed Mel's allegations as false and sued the singer for defamation
Refuting the claims: Gilles, 25, claimed that Mel, 42, and Belafonte, 42, targeted her when she first arrived in America from Germany aged 18, got her drunk and they had a threesome
The singer adds that the only purpose of airing their dirty laundry was to protect herself and the welfare of her young children.
Sources claimed Gilles had sex tapes in a private locker - and a a source close to the case told DailyMail.com that Gilles has refused to cooperate.
The source said: 'Lorraine posed a huge threat to Melanie throughout the marriage. On one occasion she told Melanie she had tapes of her having sex with Stephen.
'When the marriage ended, 15 boxes which contained Spice Girls memorabilia and personal effects belonging to Melanie's recently deceased father went missing.
'They had been put into storage and Melanie had been given a combination.
'They were then moved to a different storage facility and the combination changed. Melanie was not able to access the new code because all her effects had been put into a unit in Lorraine's name.'
'Lorraine has been asked to hand over the codes. She has also been asked to give assurance over sex tapes, but has so far refused on both counts.'
In April, Mel was photographed trying to access a storage unit in Los Angeles but was turned away when she realized she didn't have the correct codes.
It's over: Mel B filed for divorced in March this year, claiming her estranged husband Stephen Belafonte was physically and emotionally abusive. The couple have one daughter
The source says Mel's camp is now suspicious about why Gilles didn't turn up for her deposition last week.
'Now she has refused to turn up for a seven hour questioning session with Melanie's lawyers, surely this is not the behavior of someone with nothing to hide,' the source said.
But when DailyMail.com asked Gilles's husband Michael Bleu about her absence and he denied she had 'trumped up' being sick, saying his wife had food poisoning.
Bleu, founder of a tech start up in the events industry, said: 'She was sick from food poisoning the whole week, she had to be driven to the doctor and she had medicine and she missed several days of work, this is not some trumped up thing, my dad said it was probably from the barbecue we had on Tuesday night.'
The source added: 'Something isn't right, maybe there is no physical threat (from Gilles) but the emotional distress and the emotional threat is huge.
'Not only is Melanie deprived of hugely personal and emotional possessions from her father as well as all her Spice memorabilia, but the issue of the sex tapes is like a bomb waiting to explode.
'Lorraine has made a career out of coming across as a sweet, hard-done by girl but she knows what she is doing.'


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Question: The real story behind the sudden drop in Canada's drug prices

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Hello and happy Saturday! Here’s this week’s round-up of eclectic and under-the-radar health and medical science news.
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Big Pharma blinked. But why?
By Vik Adhopia
Something unprecedented happened this week in the opaque world of Canadian drug pricing.
Some generic prescription drugs just got a lot cheaper for everyone — and the actual prices are no longer a secret. The sudden price cut is a big deal because Canada is near the top of the list in drug spending per capita compared to other industrialized countries.
The news broke on Monday when the industry group representing Canada’s generic drug makers, the Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association, announced they’d reached a new pricing deal with the federal, provincial and territorial governments (except Quebec).
The deal means lower prices for 70 of the most commonly prescribed generic drugs. These drugs cover conditions such as high blood pressure, depression, high cholesterol, epilepsy and heart conditions. And they will be 25 per cent to 40 per cent cheaper as of April 1.
But why would Big Pharma suddenly agree to lower prices? Fear of something worse?
Part of the story is the power of bulk buying. For the last few years, provincial governments have been negotiating together, using the clout of their collective bulk buying power to lower prices they pay under public drug plans. (Those plans usually cover seniors, Ontarians under 25, welfare recipients, Indigenous people, Mounties and military personnel.)
More than 70 per cent of all prescriptions reimbursed under Canada’s public drug plans are generic drugs, according to the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance. (Spencer Platt/Getty)
But negotiations were different this time. The governments brought a big stick to the table — the threat of tendering. Tendering happens when governments spend tax dollars to buy goods, from office chairs to fighter jets. They make sellers submit offers, to see who can offer the lowest price. However, governments don’t do this when they buy drugs. At least not in Canada.
But thanks to Quebec, the rules of the game changed last year.
Frustrated by escalating health plan costs, Quebec decided it would play hardball with generic drug companies by making them submit tenders for the most commonly prescribed medications.
“And everybody started to panic,” said Marc-André Gagnon, a pharmaceutical policy researcher at Carleton University.
The drug companies knew that once Quebec got drug discounts, the rest of the provinces would want a similar deal. And that would start a cascade, with private insurance plans and people with no drug insurance also demanding lower prices.
In the end, Quebec didn’t have to resort to making companies compete with each for the lowest price. The generic companies blinked. They voluntarily lowered their prices. And for the first time they published the true prices — which are normally kept confidential, so that no one is certain what anyone else is paying.
“Just the threat of tendering made all generics manufacturers get together and say ‘OK we agree to reduce prices by 38 per cent across the board,'” said Gagnon.
“Whether they are covered under a public/provincial drug plan or an employer-sponsored drug plan or if they have no drug plan at all — the new prices apply to them,” said Jeff Connell, vice-president of corporate affairs for the Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association.
So what do the generic drug companies get in return for dropping their prices? They don’t have to worry about being forced to compete with each other during the five years that the deal is in place.
“We know what the rules are, we know what the prices are … so that’s important,” Connell said.
But are we getting the lowest prices possible for these 70 drugs? Not compared to New Zealand which is noted for its skill at squeezing the lowest prices out of drug companies with its competitive bidding process, although there are drawbacks.
When we compared the new Canadian prices with New Zealand’s list, we found many examples where Canadians will still pay two to 10 times more than the New Zealand government under its universal drug plan.
All of that suggests that prices are lower when companies are forced to compete and submit tenders. And that’s why generic companies will probably blink again in five years when the new deal expires.
Here’s how some of the Canadian and New Zealand drug prices compare under the new deal:
Generic Drug Condition New Canadian Price/100 pills New Zealand Price/100 pills Atorvastatin 80mg High cholesterol $ 23.42 $ 6.58 Cdn Amlodipine 5mg Blood pressure/Heart disease $ 13.43 $ 1.21 Cdn Metformin 850mg Diabetes – Type 2 $ 3.39 $ 1.42 Cdn Candesartan 32mg Blood pressure $ 22.81 $ 10.75 Cdn Olanzapine 10mg Depression/Schizophrenia $ 70.88 $ 5.35 Cdn Finasteride 5mg Prostate Enlargement $ 41.38 $ 4.37 Cdn
A college diploma in ‘pseudoscience?’
By Kelly Crowe
In a Canadian first, Ontario students will soon be able to graduate with a three-year advanced diploma in homeopathy from a publicly funded community college — Georgian College, in Barrie, Ont.
And those graduates can go on to become licensed homeopathy practitioners, now that Ontario has created an official College of Homeopaths to govern the profession the way doctors and other health professionals are regulated.
“It is really problematic on so many levels. Homeopathy is clearly nonsense. It is scientifically absurd,” said University of Alberta professor Timothy Caulfield, who has studied and written about homeopathy in Canada.
Georgian College in Ontario says now that homeopathy is a regulated health profession, it is offering a three-year diploma in the field. (aga7ta/Shutterstock)
Homeopathy is based on a scientifically implausible premise — the belief that a mysterious water memory can cure disease. To prepare homeopathic therapies, water is exposed to a substance — a plant, a mineral or a chemical — and then diluted until there are no remaining traces of the substance.
But practitioners believe the “memory” remains, even though there is no molecular evidence for this. Then that water is sprayed on sugar pellets and sold as a remedy for a wide range of diseases — from colds to cancer.
Anything that confers credibility on the practice of homeopathy can cause scientists to tear at their hair in frustration.
And the news that Ontario’s Ministry of Advanced Learning has approved a three-year advanced diploma in what most scientists consider quackery sent an apoplectic Caulfield to Twitter to start the debate.
“To have a government-funded institution legitimize it is really disappointing,” Caulfield said.
Georgian College’s Homeopathy Advanced Diploma program was deemed eligible for provincial operating funding, and homeopathy students will be able to access student loans and grants through the Ontario Student Assistance Program.
“When assessing programs for funding, the ministry considers labour market demand, student demand and alignment with the institution’s Strategic Mandate Agreement,” ministry spokesperson Tanya Blazina told CBC News in an email.
‘It is the definition of pseudoscience, it is the definition of bunk.’
– Timothy Caulfield, University of Alberta
In Ontario, homeopathy became a licensed profession in 2015 — a move that was also controversial because there were concerns it would legitimize the practice. And apparently it has. The ministry requires that the college ensure that its programs are compliant with the regulatory body in question.
Georgian College’s dean of health, wellness and sciences Fay Lim Lambie said, now that it’s a licensed profession, the college has decided to start training young homeopaths.
“Because this is a regulated health field, we need to ensure our students will have the preparation necessary to become practitioners in the field with competent knowledge, skills and judgment,” she told CBC News.
But it’s training in what has been called a “scientifically bankrupt notion.”
“It is the definition of pseudoscience, it is the definition of bunk,” said Caulfield.
Yet some Canadian scientists are actively testing the theory on patients in clinical trials.
At the University of Toronto’s school of pharmacy, there’s a study looking at the effect of homeopathy on ADHD — a trial so controversial that 90 scientists sent an open letter to Heather Boon, the dean of pharmacy, asking her to stop the research.
“I’m highly skeptical that our study will show that the pills have a benefit, but until we have the results I need to keep an open mind,” Boon told CBC News.
At McMaster University in Hamilton, infectious diseases researcher Mark Loeb is testing homeopathic vaccines to see if they cause an immune response in healthy volunteers.
“Our hypothesis is that these homeopathic vaccines will not show any impact on the immune system,” Loeb told CBC News. “We’re doing it in an unbiased manner, a placebo-controlled trial.”
At Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto, a study into whether homeopathic remedies could relieve fatigue in children undergoing chemotherapy was attempted. But because the hospital refused to allow homeopaths to approach patients, and because so many parents refused to co-operate, the study was deemed unfeasible.
At Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, researchers tried to test homeopathic pills placed under the tongues of people on ventilators to see if that would reduce the amount of phlegm in their lungs. The trial was terminated due to slow recruitment.
Health Canada licenses homeopathy under its natural products directorate, although it has ordered some labelling changes to prevent certain health claims, particularly on children’s products.
In the U.S., homeopathy labels must carry blunt warnings that there’s no scientific evidence and that the claims are based on theories “not accepted by most modern medical experts.”
Still, the market for homeopathy is booming. It’s now a $ 3-billion industry that the FDA warns “exposes more patients to potential risks associated with the proliferation of unproven, untested products and unsubstantiated health claims.”
Recipe for an advocacy campaign: Just add media and stir things up
By Kelly Crowe
Here at Second Opinion we try to pull back the curtain to show how the health news machine operates. And this week we stumbled upon an interesting case study.
It involves a drug company, a public relations firm and a patient advocacy group. The objective? Using the media to call on governments to pay for an expensive new high-dose flu vaccine for seniors over 65.
Second Opinion looked into a public relations campaign calling on governments to fund a new flu vaccine for seniors. (enterlinedesign/Shutterstock )
We received several emails from a representative at Environics PR suggesting that we do a story about the need for free publicly funded access to the vaccine.
“To learn more on what seniors and governments can do,” the PR firm offered to arrange interviews with two people: a doctor and a spokesperson from CARP, the advocacy group for seniors.
But the actual client was not named. Who was paying Environics to operate this publicity campaign? We wrote back to ask.
Erin MacFarlane of Environics PR responded in an email: “We’re working with Sanofi Pasteur on this and partnering with CARP.” When we looked it up, we discovered that Sanofi Pasteur is the company that makes the high-dose flu vaccine.
When we asked why Sanofi Pasteur’s name wasn’t mentioned, we learned that we were expected to connect the dots ourselves.
“The high-dose flu vaccine was mentioned in my email and Sanofi is the company that manufactures it,” MacFarlane replied.
‘We are fully transparent about the fact that we have commercial relationships’
– Wanda Morris, vice-president of advocacy, CARP
Sanofi Pasteur confirmed in an email that “the current media campaign [is] a Sanofi Pasteur program around this important public health issue.”
“Sanofi Pasteur provided an unrestricted educational grant to CARP in support of a program focusing on the impact of influenza on seniors and associated preventative measures,” the company wrote.
Over at CARP, Wanda Morris, the vice-president of advocacy, said the group accepted the Sanofi Pasteur grant because “we think there’s real potential for lives to be saved and suffering to be alleviated so that aligns with our overall mission and priorities of advocating for the best possible health care and financial security for older Canadians.”
“We are fully transparent about the fact that we have commercial relationships,” Morris said.
In the original pitch to CBC, Environics also offered to arrange an interview with Dr. William Dalziel, an Ottawa gerontologist.
Dalziel said his involvement started at a Sanofi Pasteur advisory board last June. An Environics representative was there and asked if he would be part of the media campaign. He agreed.
“Environics called me and said would I be interested in media interviews and I said sure. It’s a great vaccine and needs to be given to every Canadian over 65.”
And when Environics asked him to write a newspaper letter to the editor calling on all of the provinces to offer the new high-dose vaccine, he also agreed.
He said he received no payment for media interviews or for writing the letter to the editor that appeared in the Toronto Star and in the Prairie edition of The Globe and Mail. But he did receive an honorarium for attending Sanofi Pasteur’s advisory committee meeting in June.
“I don’t want compensation. I just want to do good,” he said.
We asked another doctor for a second opinion about the new high-dose flu vaccine.
Dr. Iris Gorfinkel said she already recommends it to her elderly patients without any prompting from the drug company.
“It is a superior vaccination,” she said, adding it is too expensive for some of her patients. The retail price of the vaccine is about $ 80.
“It’s a lot of money for a senior. Seniors are on very fixed and strict budgets.”
What about the Environics PR campaign to advocate for government funding?
“There should have been disclosure right from the beginning,” Dr. Gorfinkel said. “It hurts when it comes out later that there’s funding being received.”
“Sanofi Pasteur did not request its name be kept off the email communication,” the company told CBC News. “There was no intent from Sanofi Pasteur or Environics to hide Sanofi Pasteur’s involvement from this communication as the high-dose influenza vaccine was mentioned in the email.”
So far Ontario has announced it will pay for the high-dose vaccine next year. And Manitoba is already covering it for seniors in long-term care facilities.
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We're looking at what a border-adjustment tax could mean for retailers; the United States' push for NATO members to spend more on defense; and the new responsibilities that come with being a physician.