THE AMERICAN BALD EAGLE VISITS GLOUCESTER CITY

This past September, I was walking our new dog, Sweetie, in the old industrial area of the city, and we had the incredible fortune of spotting four American bald eagles perched majestically in two trees. As we got closer to their location, two of the mature eagles flew over our heads. At the same time, the other two took off in the opposite direction. We were in awe at their beauty. It felt like such a special gift from nature, filling our hearts with awe and wonder as we soaked in the beauty of these incredible creatures. Sweetie, our two-year-old yellow Labrador Retriever whom we recently adopted, seemed to share in our excitement.

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MY BROTHER GEORGE & Barbara Gianvito Cleary

The photo shows my brother George and his first wife, Barb with the twins. I hadn’t seen Barb in decades, and when I learned that she and her daughter, Barb (when she was younger, she was called Bobbie, were in a nursing home, Connie and I decided to visit them. We took Peyton, our trained therapy dog, with us. She was an immediate star with the patients in the home. Young Barb was 53 and had ALS. In the photo, she is the baby on the right. When we arrived, we found them both sitting in the day room. Young Barb looked at me and asked her mom, “Do you know who this is, Mom?” After a few minutes of contemplating, Barb looked at me and said, “Billy!” She had Alzheimer’s disease. Like you, I am very familiar with that illness; my mom had it, and now my sister, Dolores, is affected by it too.

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MY CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN HAVE MADE US PROUD

Dear Family,

GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (CNBNEWS)–Today, at St. Mary’s Church, I looked at all of you. I was struck by the powerful lyrics of a Darius Rucker song that capture our family’s essence. I’ve included a verse from that song along with the link below—make time to listen. (photo courtesy of St. Mary’s Facebook)

It won’t be like this for long

One day soon, that girl is gonna be

All grown up and gone

Yeah, this phase is gonna fly by

So, he’s tryin to hold on

Cause it won’t be like this for long

It won’t be like this for long.

, Preform by Darius Rucker

Reflecting on this song brought vivid memories of each of your births—Kelly Ann, Connie Lynn, and Billy. Your bright blonde hair and radiant smiles were undeniable gifts from heaven. Yes, you tested our patience at times, but the joy you brought into our lives far outweighed any challenges. Your mother and I felt young and vibrant, and I wouldn’t trade those days for anything. Watching you grow into a strong woman and a remarkable man fills me with pride, especially as you now bless us with wonderful grandchildren who are continuing this legacy of love.

Sitting in church this past Sunday, I reminisced about my time as a young altar boy, serving alongside the priest while my father sat in his customary spot, lost in prayer. Those moments reminded me of my life journey, from childhood to the present, and how swiftly the years have flown by.

You deserve to know about the simplicity of your mom’s and my upbringing. Life back then was straightforward, and we often took our good fortune for granted. I am genuinely concerned about the challenges you face today. Growing up in today’s world is undoubtedly difficult, and I want you all to understand that you have my unwavering support.

I often think of my parents and the time I would have loved to spend with them. Watching them age was painful, as they became almost childlike in their needs. Many nights, I cried in silence, wishing for their peace. I miss my brother and the invaluable conversations we shared.

Now, I fully grasp my father’s tears while listening to music in his final days. He was likely reflecting on his own life, as I do now.

I stand firm in saying that I have been blessed with a wonderful life, and a significant part of that comes from each of you. My only regret is not expressing my love for you more often—I know your mother would feel the same way.

You each make me proud in your own unique way, and I want you to know that we could not ask for a better family.

With all our Love,

Dad, Grandfather, Mom, Grandmom

Our Best Friends Happen to be Our 9 Labrador Retrievers

Lacey, the black Labrador, and Erica, the yellow Labrador. Friends from the first day they met at the Seeing Eye Campus.

GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ—We have been very fortunate to own many excellent Labrador retrievers for over 60 years of marriage. Three of our eight Labdores were therapy dogs. Today, Peyton holds down that title. Before her, the two pictured, Lacey and Erica, performed those duties. Seeing the faces of senior citizens and hospital patients brighten when we walk into their room with our dog is very rewarding.

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Holt Terminal Changing Skyline

The shipping container business located in Gloucester City has demolished the warehouses at its marina at the foot of Monmouth Street and is beginning to tear down some of the old buildings near the entrance to the facility at King and Essex Streets. The additional vacant land will likely allow Holt to store more shipping containers.

According to an AI search, several proposed bills in the New Jersey legislature would authorize municipalities to impose taxes on the storage of empty shipping containers within their boundaries. Here’s a breakdown of what these proposed bills entail:
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Was the Retainer Wall Built to Stop Flooding

DON’T MESS WITH MOTHER NATURE – The contractor for the New Jersey Department of Transportation is taking an innovative approach to address the flooding issue at Brooklawn’s east and west traffic circles by constructing retaining walls. However, as indicated by the arrows in the photo, it seems that water is still making its way onto New Broadway. I suggest considering a six or eight-foot-high retaining wall, which could also provide opportunities for advertising space—just a joke, of course! In all the times we’ve seen various contractors attempt to stop the flooding, this is the first instance where we have witnessed the erection of retaining walls.

Dazard Casino Online Review: A Cosmic Gateway to Gaming Excitement 🌌🎰

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Don’t Answer Calls From These Area Codes

In 2023, 21% of Americans lost $25.4 billion in phone scams. Despite the year-on-year decrease in fraud losses, this is still an alarming finding, considering that one in five among us is at risk of losing money to a deceptive caller.

From one-ring calls that connect you to premium numbers to impersonation swindles that siphon money by mimicking well-known organizations, the elaborate schemes you could encounter via a phone call can take a variety of formats.

And they are not just limited to financial fraud; Some are designed to steal identifiable data, such as social security numbers, tax IDs, and online account passwords.

However, according to experts, you can identify many of these shady calls by watching out for certain area codes.

Area Codes Frequently Associated With Phone Scams

Some three-digit area codes can be misleading at first glance. Despite resembling US codes, they could actually originate from a faraway country.

Take one-ring calls, for example. These are typically initiated from overseas using numbers with area codes that may seem familiar to an American resident. If you assume they are local and call back, you could end up connecting to international numbers that bill you at a premium rate for every minute you stay on the phone.

To protect yourself from such fraudulent schemes, it is important to recognize and avoid calls from numbers bearing specific area codes that could potentially get you into trouble.

Here are the codes often connected to phone scams.

232 and 268

These might seem like typical US 2XX area codes. But, in fact, 232 is the country code of Sierra Leone, while +1 268 is used by Antigua and Barbuda.

441 and 473

The code +1 441 is assigned to Bermuda and +1 473 to Grenada, Carriacou, and Petite Martinique.

649 and 664

These belong to Turks and Caicos and Montserrat—both part of the British Overseas Territory using the +1 country code.

767 and 784

The islands of Dominica and St. Vincent use these area codes. Calls originating from Grenadines can also have +1 784.

809, 829, and 849

All these belong to the Dominican Republic.

Other 8XX area codes to keep an eye on are 868 and 876. The first is used by Trinidad and Tobago, while the second code is from Jamaica.

Keep in mind that there are other three-digit codes that could be just as misleading as what we have listed above.

The easiest way to identify an unsafe area code is by researching it online.

For instance, if you receive a call from a 2XX number, look for it on Nuwber’s US 2XX area code list. If it doesn’t appear there, chances are you are dealing with an international call, likely generated by a fraudster based overseas.

But, verifying area codes will only solve half of the problem. Today, spoofing technology allows malicious actors to disguise their numbers to resemble those from your local area. SIM swapping is also common, which enables criminals to contact you using numbers you already know.

So, how can you remain safe from all these fraudulent practices? We discuss it next.

Identifying Phone Fraud to Mitigate Threats

Despite their diverse nature, a majority of call scams display similar patterns. By understanding these, you can easily identify deceptive attempts and take relevant measures to protect yourself.

Typical signs of a scam include:

One-Ring Calls

Scammers usually deploy these to get you to call them back.

This could serve one of two purposes—to charge you for a premium international call or to check whether your number is in use so fraudsters could target you for their rackets.

Either way, if you ever receive a one-ring call, it is best to ignore it.

Automated Calls

By providing a voice response or pressing specific phone keys to respond to automated instructions, you are letting bad actors know that your phone number is in active use.

Once they confirm there is a real human on the other side, they will start directing spam and scam-related calls to you. Some can also use your voice recordings for deepfake and spoofing-based unlawful activities.

Of course, this doesn’t mean all robocalls are malicious. Legitimate organizations use them, too, to provide a variety of services.

So, answering system-generated calls could be important at times. But, to avoid possible threats to your safety, practice extra caution when following automated instructions.

Undue Urgency

A sense of urgency can prevent you from effectively assessing a situation and making sound decisions.

Scammers know this well. This is why they would often pressure their victims to act or respond quickly.

For instance, an IRS imposter might threaten to call the police unless you immediately pay up what they claim is a pending tax payment. Similarly, a shady telemarketer could push you into an impulsive purchase by offering a limited-time discount.

Naturally, avoiding hasty decisions is critical for preventing such schemes.

Questionable Payment Methods

When it comes to financial transactions, fraudsters prefer gift cards, cryptocurrency, and similarly unusual methods. These are difficult to trace after they are processed, and you have little chance of recovering your losses. Even wire transfers and prepaid debit cards fall under this category.

So, proceed with caution when a caller insists you use any of these transaction methods for regular payments that could be done using a credit card.

Requests for Personal Data

Be suspicious of anyone asking for identifiable data over the phone. Remember, to ensure customer safety, legitimate organizations would never request personal information, such as your SSN, date of birth, or account credentials, via phone calls.

Anyone who does is likely an imposter.

Vague Information

Bad actors who impersonate reputed entities or familiar individuals could be surprisingly convincing. However, if you pay close attention and probe with the right questions, you can easily detect gaps or discrepancies in their stories.

Final Thoughts

Fraudulent calls can take multiple formats. However, by learning to identify common red flags, you can effectively prevent or minimize their threats.

As a general rule of thumb, let the call go unanswered if you are unsure who is calling. You can always reverse search the phone number to learn more about the caller before returning their call. Installing a caller ID app is another option to identify numbers so you could skip unwanted calls.

Guest column: This holiday season, patients wish for affordable drugs

By Kevin B. Kimble

On the campaign trail, President-elect Donald Trump declared that America needs a health system that will “take care of everybody,” not just those who can “pay for it.”

It’s easy to understand why tens of millions of Americans — of both parties — agree with this basic moral sentiment. Every major faith tradition teaches that we should help “the least of these.”

Turning that promise into reality is easier said than done, of course. But it can be done — and both parties actually agree on one of the best places to start: reining in the power of the pharmacy benefit managers.

PBMs are middlemen in the drug supply chain. In theory, they help insurance companies negotiate bulk discounts and rebates on medicines. But in practice, PBMs have distorted the system to enrich themselves, jacking up drug prices while delivering few tangible benefits to patients.

The Federal Trade Commission recently took notice of the problem. Its recent lawsuit against three PBMs for inflating insulin prices reveals the human cost of this broken system. And it’s not hitting all Americans equally. The same communities that have historically faced barriers to health care access — Black, Hispanic and Native Americans — are bearing the brunt of these inflated prices.

This is how systemic inequities compound. A broken market mechanism leads to inflated prices, which disproportionately impact communities of color, which leads to worse health outcomes, which creates economic instability through medical debt and lost work days, which makes it even harder to afford medication. The cycle continues, transforming a market failure into a driver of racial health disparities.

But change is within reach. Congress is poised to act, with two critical bills on the table that would rein in PBM practices and lower drug costs for Medicare patients.

These proposed reforms target the core issues driving up drug prices. One bill aims to restructure how PBMs make money, removing their incentive to steer patients toward more expensive medications. This would force PBMs to compete based on the value they provide to patients and the health care system, not on how much they can inflate prices.

Another crucial element of these reforms would ensure that the discounts PBMs negotiate actually reach patients. By requiring PBMs to pass along a significant portion of these savings at the pharmacy counter, we can directly reduce out-of-pocket costs for those struggling to afford their medications.

The lame-duck session of Congress is our moment. Now that the divisive election is over, PBM reform stands out as a rare bipartisan area of agreement. Both parties recognize the need to lower drug costs. By acting this year, Congress can prove our political system can still deliver for the people.

Kevin B. Kimble is the founder and executive director of the Southern Christian Leadership Global Policy Initiative. This piece first appeared in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Here’s The List Of Countries You Should Consider Living In

Gambling is a favorite pastime in countries around the world. The activity is still restricted in many countries across the globe, but many countries have liberal gambling laws. In fact, in some cities and countries, gambling is a main driver of the local economy.

United Kingdom

From a player’s standpoint, the UK is a great place to gamble. However, UK casinos must adhere to strict rules and regulations to be licensed by the UK’s Gambling Commission (its regulatory body).

Gambling is a favorite pastime of those living in the UK, and players enjoy the benefit of not having to pay taxes on their winnings. There are numerous land and online casinos to choose from, and as long as the Gambling Commission licenses the operator, you can be confident that the games are fair, and you won’t be scammed out of your money.

If you like gambling, the UK is a great place to live.

Australia

Like the UK, gambling is a popular pastime in Australia. And also like in the UK, winnings aren’t taxed. The casinos pay taxes.

Australia is home to many renowned casinos, including Sydney’s Star City Casino and Melbourne’s Crown Casino. The Crown Casino is enormous, spanning two city blocks. It boasts three hotels and two restaurants (including one owned by Gordon Ramsay).

If you live for the glitz and glam of gambling, then Australia is a great place to call home.

Macau

Also known as the “Monte Carlo of the Orient,” Macau is a hotspot for casino tourism and known for its gambling culture. There are more than 30 casinos in Macau, and six of them rank among the 20 biggest in the world.

Online gambling can also be had in this culturally diverse area of the globe.

For gamblers who love the excitement of it all, Macau is the place to be.

The Isle of Man

The Isle of Man is one of the most respected authorities for online gambling licenses. The country issued its first license in 2001, and is largely considered one of the best in the industry. In fact, the Isle of Man’s licensing authority has been whitelisted by the UK’s Gambling Commission. The Commission is satisfied with their standards and process for issuing licenses to operators.

To protect players, the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission ensures that all licensed operators:

Have systems in place to protect the funds of players.
Have a bank guarantee, so if the operator cannot pay its players, the bank will.
Hold deposits and winnings in a secure location that’s governed by the Isle of Man’s laws.
Establish a trust fund that controls how cash enters and leaves the operator’s bank account.
Are audited by an independent organization to ensure the fairness and randomness of their games.

The Commission also conducts random audits to ensure player funds are protected. Additionally, they investigate player complaints and monitor the advertising, policies and activities of operators.

With so many player protections in place, the Isle of Man is a great country to live in if you love gambling and are concerned about protecting your money.

Panama

Although it’s a smaller licensing jurisdiction, Panama takes a relatively liberal stance when it comes to gambling. The banking industry is gambling-friendly, and the government doesn’t meddle too much in the affairs of operators.

Anyone who wants to run a gambling operation in Panama can submit an application and undergo an inspection. In addition to a criminal background check, an inspection will also check the fairness of the games and analyze the business processes.

Licensed operators must have enough cash on hand to honor all of their obligations. In addition, financial transactions must be recorded and available for review at a moment’s notice.

Panama allows all of the most common forms of gambling, including casinos, poker, sports betting racing betting, and more.

Italy

Gambling is legal in Italy – both in person and online. There are more than 160 casinos licensed by the AAMS. Italy is a country chosen by many foreign investors who come here to open companies in this field with the help of professionals such as those from BridgeWest. Italians also have the freedom of playing at a foreign casino without worry.

While you may have to pay taxes on your winnings, Italy is still a favored country for those who love gambling. Plus, when you’re not playing a game of chance (or skill), you can enjoy the beautiful scenery, delicious food and friendly people.

France

With more than 300 casinos throughout the country, France is a popular destination for casino tourism. Gambling laws are more relaxed than in other European countries, and sports betting is a favorite activity of the locals.

High rollers love to gamble in France. Many of the country’s prominent cities, including Cannes and Paris, are home to casinos that attract wealthy players from across the globe. Poker is another popular gambling activity in France. There are more than 170 poker tables throughout the country, and some have extremely high stakes.

Monaco

Don’t let its small size fool you – Monaco is the sporting and recreational hotspot of Europe. In addition, Monte-Carlo is world-famous for its jaw-dropping casinos, particularly the Casino De Monte-Carlo.

The small independent state is also home to international sporting events, including the Monaco Grand Prix, European PGA tours and the European Poker Tour Grand final.

Gambling is a major contributor to the state’s economy. If you’re a wealthy gambler lover, Monaco may just be the right place for you.

Singapore

Singapore is a tiny island country with one of the world’s strongest economies. The country is home to two large casinos that are world-famous: Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa. The Marina Bay Sands casino is one of the largest and most expensive casinos on the planet. It has more than 2,500 gaming machines.

If you love gambling and want the chance to play at one of the biggest casinos in the world, then you may want to move to Singapore.

Summary

If you’re a fan of gambling, these countries are some of the best to live in. Along with favorable gambling laws for players, they also have some of the best casinos in the world.

If you’d like to find out more about migration agents head over to Australian Migration Agents.